by Amber Crewes
SANDY BAY COZY MYSTERY SERIES – BOXSET 5
By
Amber Crewes
Published by Pen-n-a-Pad Publishing in 2020
All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Copyright © Pen-n-a-Pad Publishing
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
CONTENTS
NEWSLETTER SIGNUP
muffins and coffins
ABOUT muffins and coffins
nuts and a choking corpse
About nuts and a choking corpse
orange mousse and a fatal trucE
ABOUT orange mousse and a fatal truce
OTHER BOOKS BY AMBER CREWES
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MUFFINS AND COFFINS
A Sandy Bay Cozy Mystery
By
Amber Crewes
About Muffins and Coffins
Released: May, 2019
Series: Book 13 – Sandy Bay Cozy Mystery Series
Standalone: Yes
Cliff-hanger: No
A murdered senior citizen. A dirty fight to claim the deceased’s assets. Can a small town bakery owner ask the right questions to reveal the real killer?
When Meghan’s most troublesome customer loses a relative, she’s torn between doing the right thing or minding her own business.
As she discovers that the murdered victim left a mark, both good and bad, on several people in Sandy Bay, it becomes obvious that her demise might be outside the realm of the ordinary. This leaves her with an equal measure of dread and awe.
Could the real motive behind the murder be linked to the deceased’s alleged wealth... or something much more sinister?
The police can’t investigate a murder when there’s no evidence...
Death follows life...
With everyone dismissing the death of the senior citizen as a result of old age, can Meghan separate assumptions from facts and solve this murder mystery?
1
M eghan smiled sleepily as she awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside of her open bedroom windows. She sighed, inhaling the sweet, floral scent of the honey locust growing just below her second story apartment, thrilled that winter had finally ended and spring was making its first appearances in Sandy Bay, her adopted hometown in the Pacific Northwest.
Still enjoying the sounds of the morning, Meghan snuggled further beneath her comforter. She reached over and picked up Fiesta and Siesta, her tiny twin dogs, and piled them both on her chest. “Good morning, babies,” Meghan murmured as she gave them each a kiss on the forehead. “It’s finally the weekend. Your mama only works a few hours this morning, so perhaps we will go for a little walk on the beach later.”
Meghan giggled as Siesta licked her on the nose. Fiesta followed suit, and Meghan scratched her behind the ears. She inhaled, and caught the smell of fresh muffins coming from the bakery downstairs.
“It smells like Trudy is off to a great start this morning,” she said aloud, picturing her trusted middle-aged employee, Trudy, dressed in her apron and preparing the muffins. “She is such a rockstar on the morning shifts.”
Meghan took another deep breath, detecting a hint of lavender as she closed her eyes. “I hope she is making the lemon-lavender muffins today. Those have been selling out like crazy.”
Meghan lounged for a few more minutes, and then, as she heard Pamela, a local teenager she had hired a few months ago, greet Trudy downstairs, she peeled herself out of bed. She gathered her long, dark hair into a high ponytail and slipped into a pair of green cargo pants. She tied her apron on over her outfit and quickly surveyed herself in the mirror as she walked to her door. Meghan preferred a natural look; she typically did not wear a lot of makeup, and she smiled at her reflection as she passed the mirror.
At twenty-eight, Meghan felt more beautiful than ever, inside and out; she had raven-colored hair that fell down her back in soft waves, a light smattering of coffee-colored freckles across her small nose, and enormous dark eyes with long lashes. She was also the founder and owner of Truly Sweet, a bakery that had quickly gained popularity in its first year of business, and she was proud of the hard work that had turned the bakery into a massive success. Meghan also had a serious relationship with Jack, a detective, and she fell in love with him more and more every day. She had a good relationship with her family, who lived in Texas, and she had developed several meaningful, close friendships in Sandy Bay.
Everything had been falling in place for Meghan, and she was happier than ever. It would soon be her one-year anniversary of moving to Sandy Bay, and she was hoping to throw a party to celebrate. She had been weighing the idea for several weeks, and she was ready to share it with Trudy and Pamela. After brushing her teeth and applying a thin layer of lip gloss, Meghan walked downstairs and into the kitchen, excited to tell her employees about the party.
“Good morning, ladies,” Meghan greeted them as she tucked a loose strand of dark hair back into her ponytail. “I have something I would like to share with you today!”
Pamela turned to Meghan, her nose wrinkled in disgust. She held out her phone to show Meghan the screen. “Does it have anything to do with this?”
Meghan peered at Pamela’s phone. It was opened to the bakery’s Instagram page. “Why are you showing me the Instagram page, Pamela? I told you that I liked the last few pictures you posted.”
Pamela shook her head. “Look closer. I’m in the private messaging section.”
Meghan squinted. “It’s a message about a funeral service,” she gasped. “They want to know if Truly Sweet sells coffins and provides funeral services.”
Pamela nodded. “We’ve gotten five messages from different accounts this morning,” she explained, her face filled with confusion. “When I message the accounts back, they vanish off of social media. It seems like a prank.”
Trudy stepped forward, her arms crossed over her chest. “The same thing has been happening with our Facebook page,” she told Meghan. “It’s the strangest thing; we’ve been getting message after message about the bakery offering funeral services.”
Meghan bit her bottom lip, feeling deflated. She had wanted to bring up the idea for the party, but now, it was evident that this issue needed to take priority over the celebration.
“What should we do, Meghan? Should we ask Jack to check this out?” Pamela asked earnestly. “He’s a detective. He can track down whoever is pranking us.”
Meghan laughed. “It doesn’t seem like an emergency,” she patiently said. “But, I will give Jack a call. This is starting to feel like harassment, especially if it is coming from two forms of social media.”
Meghan pulled her phone out of her pocket and gasped as she unlocked the main screen. A chain of emails popped up, each with the subject line FUNERAL SERVICES.
“What is it?” Trudy asked, peering over Meghan’s shoulder. “Oh no! It’s the same thing. Why are people asking us for funeral services? We are a bakery.”
Pamela’s eyes grew wide. “I’m creeped out, Meghan,” she told her boss. “Call Jack right now!”
Meghan paused for a moment, trying to make sense of the emails and messages. “Do you think someone is pulling an April Fool’s Day
prank?” she asked her employees. “I know it’s a week past April Fool’s, but what if…?”
Trudy pursed her lips. “I don’t think so,” she answered. “In Sandy Bay, no one really takes April Fool’s Day seriously; I know they do some silly activities at the high school, but no one takes it too far.”
“Yeah,” Pamela agreed. “A couple of my friends left balloons and silly string in a locker, but no one would be rude to businesses in town. That would be so dumb.”
Meghan cleared her phone screen and began dialing Jack’s number, eager to hear his opinion on the matter. “Ugh, it went straight to Jack’s voicemail. I’ll have to call him later.”
Trudy put her hands on her hips. “Well, we have about fifteen orders of muffins to fill before you are off for the afternoon,” she informed Meghan. “Why don’t we get started? Pamela and I will keep an eye on the social media pages for now, and you can pass along the word to Jack when you get ahold of him.”
“That sounds good,” Meghan agreed as she stepped over to the sink to wash her hands.
The three ladies baked two batches of muffins, trying to forget about the strange inquiries they had received. When the little silver bells attached to the front door chimed, Meghan sent Pamela out front. “Our first customer of the morning,” Meghan said cheerfully as she shooed Pamela into the dining room. “Go wait on them, Pamela.”
Pamela returned a moment later, her face pale and her hands shaking. “What is the matter?” Meghan asked, seeing the shock on her face.
“It’s an old man,” Pamela stammered. “And he asked if we sell coffins.”
2
T he next afternoon, Meghan accompanied her friend, Karen Denton, to the fruit market. The weather was beautiful, and Meghan was delighted that some of the vendors had moved their stands outside. Meghan wore her favorite sunglasses, enjoying the warm air.
“It was so strange,” Meghan explained as she browsed through a display of peaches. “I went out into the dining room to see what was going on, and the old man was just as confused as I was. He couldn’t remember who had told him, but he swore that he had heard that Truly Sweet was doing funerals.”
Karen raised an eyebrow. “That is utterly strange, Meghan. The entire situation is strange.”
Meghan shrugged. “I haven’t received any other communications about funerals since the man came into the bakery yesterday. Jack told me that it was probably just a prank, and that we shouldn’t worry.”
Karen shook her head. “What a silly prank to pull,” she scoffed as she examined a plum. “In my seventy-three years, I have never heard of something so ridiculous.”
Meghan smiled, as she did every time Karen reminded her of her age. At seventy-three years old, Karen had more energy than anyone Meghan knew, and she was in excellent shape. Karen frequently ran marathons, lifted weights, and was arguably the healthiest person in Sandy Bay.
“This is what I have been looking for!” Karen exclaimed as she held up a bright green apple from a straw bin. “I have a new juicer at home, and I’ve been dreaming of an apple-Carle smoothie.”
“A juicer, huh?” Meghan asked. “Is it hard to use?”
Karen shook her head as she gathered ten apples into her paper sack. “Not at all; the fellow at the store told me it would only take a few minutes to make as much juice as you could ever want.”
Meghan licked her lips, imagining fresh fruits and healthy ingredients to make delicious smoothies. She wondered if the bakery could sell smoothies; they already sold coffee and tea, and perhaps smoothies would appeal to a new demographic of customers.
“Excuse me!”
Meghan cringed as she accidentally walked right into Sally Sheridan, one of Sandy Bay’s oldest and grumpiest residents. The contents of Mrs. Sheridan’s purse spilled, and Meghan dove to collect the items. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Sheridan,” Meghan apologized as she gathered Mrs. Sheridan’s things. “I didn’t see you.”
“You are so clumsy, Meghan Truman,” Mrs. Sheridan cackled as Meghan gave her back the purse. “I was standing right in front of you, and you walked right into me. I don’t know how you manage to be such a clumsy girl.”
Meghan shook her head. “I don’t know either, Mrs. Sheridan. It’s something I am working on,” she admitted. “I hope you are having a good afternoon otherwise? This weather is so pleasant.”
“It’s too hot for my taste,” she grumbled.
“But you said this winter was too cold,” Karen replied playfully. “Aren’t you happy that the sun came out?”
“It’s too bright,” Mrs. Sheridan declared. “It’s either too hot, or too cold. Never just right.”
“Nothing is ever just right for you, Sally Sheridan,” Karen muttered under her breath as Meghan jabbed her in the ribs with her elbow.
“What was that?” Mrs. Sheridan squawked.
“Oh, nothing,” Karen said as Meghan gave her a look.
“Well, I must be going. I am off to see my Auntie at the nursing home,” Mrs. Sheridan informed them.
Meghan and Karen’s jaws dropped in unison. “Your Auntie?” Meghan asked. “You have an Auntie?”
Mrs. Sheridan narrowed her eyes. “Yes? She’s my dad’s sister, and she lives at the nursing home on Apple Street.”
Meghan tried to regain her composure, but she was shocked that Mrs. Sheridan, whom she believed to be the oldest woman in Sandy Bay, could have an Auntie.
“We have spectacular genes in my family,” Mrs. Sheridan stated. “My Auntie is nearly one hundred years old. I hope to live to that age myself.”
“And I am sure you will,” Meghan politely offered as Mrs. Sheridan smiled. “What is your Auntie’s name?”
“Lucy,” Mrs. Sheridan said. “Lucy Hudson. She was a teacher for over fifty years in Sandy Bay. Karen, I’m sure you knew her.”
“I did know Mrs. Hudson,” Karen confirmed. “I was her student. I didn’t realize she was your aunt, or that she was still…. around.”
“You mean alive,” Mrs. Sheridan giggled. “She is alive and well. You should stop by and visit her sometime; I am sure that she would love it. Anyway, I am off to the fish market for some tilapia. Meghan, I might drop by tomorrow for some muffins. I think Auntie would like some.”
“Sounds great,” Meghan said as she waved goodbye.
“Ugh,” Karen shuddered as Mrs. Sheridan hobbled away on her cane. “I didn’t realize Lucy Hudson and Sally Sheridan were related, but now that I do know, it makes complete sense.”
Meghan laughed. “What do you mean by that?”
Karen shook her head. “If you think Mrs. Sheridan is a crotchety old lady, you should meet her Auntie,” Karen explained. “Lucy Hudson was the meanest teacher I ever had. She would yell and scream at her students, and if you were naughty, she would lock you up in a closet behind her classroom door.”
“That can’t be true,” Meghan said. “You must be teasing me.”
Karen’s face paled. “I promise, I am not teasing,” she whispered. “Once, Mrs. Hudson caught me chewing gum in class, and she dragged me by my collar to the closet. I had to stay in there all day.”
Meghan’s eyes widened. “There is no way,” she whispered.
Karen nodded. “She was terrible, but all of us were too scared to tell our parents. After she retired, she and her husband lived in a mansion in Helvetia Hills; he was an investment banker, and they had a bunch of money. He died twenty years ago, so they must have put her in the nursing home then…”
Meghan could tell that Karen was upset. “I can’t believe a teacher would do that,” she murmured as she patted Karen on the shoulder. “I’m sorry you had to think about it.”
Karen pasted a smile on her face. “It’s all good. I don’t live in the past. I live in the fabulousness of right now! Anyway, let’s change the subject. I hear there is an amazing sale going on at Sparkle today. Any chance you want to check it out after we finish up here?”
Meghan wrinkled her nose. Karen had been so upset by the ment
ion of Mrs. Sheridan’s Auntie, and Meghan was brimming with curiosity. How could a schoolteacher, someone whose purpose was to help and teach children, be so cruel? Meghan tried to dismiss the thought as she and Karen continued shopping, but she could not stop thinking about Mrs. Hudson, the terrible teacher.
“What a family,” Meghan thought as she pictured Mrs. Sheridan’s Auntie. “I thought my family was silly at times, but it sounds like Mrs. Sheridan’s family is quite the circus act.”
3
M eghan giggled as Jack sprayed the hose in her direction. “Stop that,” she cried as he continued to aim the water toward her face. “Jack, come on! We are here to wash the dogs, not me!”
