by Amber Crewes
Mia shrugged. “Thank you for your kind words,” she said.
The barista set the peanut butter scone in front of Mia. “Here, it’s on the house,” she said with pity. “I hope it makes this hard time a little better.”
Mia nodded and unwrapped the scone. “This smells so good,” she sighed. “I’ll have to eat it on my way back to the stall. I’ve been away too long, and I should really get going."
Pamela hugged her aunt goodbye. “I hope you have a good day,” she told her as they embraced. “I’ll see you later.”
“See you soon, Pamela,” Mia waved goodbye. “Bye, Meghan!”
Meghan watched as Mia walked away, noticing that she turned left instead of turning right when she reached the street corner. “That’s not that way back to her stall,” she murmured she wrinkled her nose. “Say, do you know where Mia, Lucky, and Lola had lunch on the day he died?”
“I think they ate here,” Pamela told her. “I remember Lola telling me she had a scone and a sandwich, and this is Mia’s favorite place…”
Meghan gulped, thinking of the barista’s words. “Mia had a peanut butter scone that day,” she whispered to herself. “She ordered a peanut butter scone only hours before Lucky passed away…”
Meghan thought back to her conversation with Frank as she left the laundry mat. He had told her that for someone to die from an allergen, they would have had to have been exposed hours before.
Meghan gasped. She knew she needed to act quickly. “Stay here,” she ordered Pamela. “I’ll be right back.”
Meghan walked away from Pamela, not wanting to scare the teenager. She pulled out her phone and dialed Jack’s number. “Babe,” she said breathlessly as he answered. “You have to come to the market immediately. I think I know who killed Lucky.”
19
“I
’m back!”
Meghan and Pamela cheered as Trudy walked into the dining room of the bakery. The two had been enjoying a fresh batch of cherry mochi, and they were pleasantly surprised that Trudy had arrived home a few days early.
“Trudy!” Pamela squealed as she ran over to hug her coworker.
“Welcome home!” Meghan greeted as Trudy and Pamela rejoined her at the table. “We’ve missed you!”
Trudy laughed. “I missed you, too. It sounds like I’ve missed a lot of trouble around here…what on Earth happened with that clown?”
Pamela’s face darkened, and she excused herself from the dining room. It had been nearly two weeks since Mia had been arrested for the murder of her husband, but Pamela had not wanted to talk much about what had happened.
“It was a mess,” Meghan told Trudy. “The long story short is that Lucky, who happens to be Pamela’s uncle, died of a nut allergy. Everyone in town thought he died from one of my treats.”
“That’s awful,” Trudy said. “I bet that was a hit on the business.”
“It was,” she confirmed. “We’re just getting back to normal, thank goodness. The Sandy Bay Gazette published a thorough story explaining that I had nothing to do with Lucky’s death.”
“That’s good news!” Trudy exclaimed. “So who killed him?”
“His wife,” she murmured. “Pamela’s aunt. She was so bitter that her husband had left the family and was traveling around with Wendy, his young colleague and girlfriend, and she killed him.”
“She gave him nuts?”
Meghan nodded. “Mia, her daughter, and Lucky were having lunch on the day he died. Mia intentionally ordered a peanut butter scone. As they were saying goodbye, she gave Lucky a big kiss on the lips, and apparently that was enough to kill him.”
Trudy’s eyes bulged in disbelief. “Did she confess?”
“She did,” Meghan said. “And the police were able to trace the nuts in his system to the nuts in the scone.”
Trudy shook her head. “That’s terrible,” she sighed. “You said they have a kid?”
“Actually, two kids. A boy and girl. The girl, Lola is Pamela’s age, but very troubled.”
“Now she’ll be even more troubled,” she replied in horror. “Her dad is dead, and her mom will soon be off to prison. Is there anyone to take care of her? You said her dad had a girlfriend? Would she watch over Lola?”
Meghan bit her lip. “It gets even crazier,” she informed Trudy. “Wendy, the girlfriend, is also going to prison! When Lucky died, she made several calls to the insurance company to try and get ahold of Lucky’s money. She impersonated Mia several times, and the company recorded her calls. Mia got wind of it, and now, they’ll both be serving time at the same prison.”
Trudy scoffed. “People are crazy these days,” she declared. “I can’t believe all of this went down over a few weeks’ time.”
Meghan smiled. “It’s never quiet in Sandy Bay,” she reminded Trudy. “Now, enough about the bakery. How was your trip? Is everything okay with your daughter?”
Trudy beamed. “Everything is wonderful. She pulled a small photograph out of her purse. “She hasn’t announced it yet, but I’ll tell you the big news: my daughter had twins! I am the grandmother of twins!”
Meghan’s jaw dropped. “What? I didn’t even realize she was expecting.”
Trudy laughed. “No one did. It was a high-risk pregnancy, and she and her husband kept it under wraps. Now that the babies have been safely delivered, I can tell everyone the news.”
Meghan shrieked. “That is big news! Congratulations.”
“I am so excited,” Trudy squealed. “She had two healthy baby girls.”
Meghan hugged Trudy. “They are lucky to have you as a grandmother,” she murmured to her friend. “And we are lucky to have you back. It wasn’t the same around here without you.”
Trudy grinned. “It was wonderful to be with my daughter and the new babies,” she said. “But in the end, it’s always so good to come home. In fact, it’s truly sweet!”
The End
ORANGE MOUSSE AND A FATAL TRUCE
A Sandy Bay Cozy Mystery
By
Amber Crewes
About Orange Mousse and a Fatal Truce
Released: Septemeber 2019
Series: Book 15 – Sandy Bay Cozy Mystery Series
Standalone: Yes
Cliff-hanger: No
A murdered scorned wife. A prime suspect losing their mind literally and figuratively. A small town bakery owner whose generosity links her to the deceased and accused.
When Meghan is invited to cater for the wedding of one of the oldest citizens of Sandy Bay, she’s happy for the bride-to-be and the opportunity to introduce the guests to her latest creation – orange mousse! Still, she longs for the day when she can wear a white dress and walk down the aisle to marry her Prince Charming.
On the day of the wedding, everything seems perfect. The venue is glorious. The weather is beautiful. The couple are radiating love. Until… a strange woman stops the ceremony and claims to be the wife of the groom. Things take a turn for the worse when this strange woman is found dead, a day later, on the beach.
All circumstantial and factual evidence seems to point to one suspect. The police think this person did it. The people of Sandy Bay believe this person did it. The jilted bride KNOWS this person did it.
But Meghan has her doubts. If there’s one thing that living in a small town has taught her, it’s that nothing is as it first appears. Can she piece the clues that will reveal the real killer and allow a happily ever after ending?
1
M eghan Truman blinked back tears of joy as she hung up the phone with Polly, the television producer she had been working closely with for the last few weeks. Polly had just confirmed that the camera crew for Sandy Bay Six, the local news station, would be arriving in the morning to begin testing shots and scouting out locations for a segment to be filmed chronicling Meghan’s successful bakery in Sandy Bay.
Success had not come easily to Meghan, and the bakery had experienced several challenges, but finally, after throwing her heart and soul i
nto her business, Meghan’s hard work was paying off. It was the one year anniversary of the bakery’s opening day, and Meghan’s efforts were being recognized by the local news station with a fifteen-minute long special about Meghan’s journey to Sandy Bay, the bakery’s rise to fame, and the bright future of Truly Sweet.
Meghan noticed her shoulders were tight, and she inhaled. As she exhaled, she lowered her shoulders, trying to relax amidst the busyness of her day. She had fifteen orders to finish before she hung up her apron and went to her apartment upstairs, but with the television crew coming in the morning, she wanted to tidy the bakery and make it spotless.
“I need some help if I am going to get everything done,” Meghan murmured to herself as she placed her hands on her hips. She had already sent her staff home for the evening, but she wondered if they would come back in if she explained the circumstances. “It wouldn’t hurt asking,” she decided as she pulled her cell phone from her red purse sitting beneath the cash register.
Trudy, Meghan’s faithful middle-aged employee, answered on the first ring. “Meghan?”
“Trudy, hi,” she replied, relieved Trudy had answered. “Can I ask you a huge favor?”
“Of course.”
“Would you come back to work? Just for an hour?”
Trudy sighed. “I was really looking forward to putting my feet up and deep conditioning my hair tonight, Meghan,” she grumbled. “Can you call Pamela?”
“Pamela is still at swim practice,” she reminded her, referring to the peppy, sweet teenager who worked for her a few shifts each week.
“Swim season is over, Meghan,” Trudy told her. “Pamela told us that last week.”
“That’s right!” she exclaimed. “She did tell us that. I will call her next.”
“So does that mean you still need me?”
Meghan bit her lip. “Would you mind terribly? Just for an hour! I’ll make it worth your while.”
Trudy let out another sigh, but she agreed. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
Meghan called Pamela, and she immediately agreed. “I would love to come in,” Pamela chirped. “I’ve been grounded for the last few days, and it would be nice to get out of the house.”
Meghan wrinkled her nose. Pamela had been a stellar kid and employee when she had hired her; her grades were top-notch, she was reliable, and Meghan knew that Pamela had a true talent for baking. “Grounded?”
“Roberto and I got back together,” she muttered. “I broke my curfew by three minutes when he dropped me off the other night, and mom made me break up with him again.”
“Not this again,” Meghan thought to herself as she frowned. “Pamela, if the lying and sneaking around starts up again…”
“It won’t!” she insisted. “I made some mistakes before, but this time, Roberto and I are done for good. I will be the best employee you’ve ever had. I promise.”
“Okay,” she agreed. “Just get here as quickly as you can. And only if your mom agrees.”
Fifteen minutes later, both Pamela and Trudy appeared in the dining room. Meghan went out to greet them, a smile on her face.
“You look extra excited,” Trudy noticed. “Did that boyfriend of yours propose yet?”
“Is that why we are here?” Pamela squealed. “Did Jack propose? You wanted to tell us in person! I know that’s why you called.”
Meghan raised an eyebrow. “Unless you know something I don’t,” she began, flashing her naked ring finger at both ladies. “No, Jack hasn’t proposed.”
“Oh,” Pamela said, her thin shoulders slumping.
“You look like you have something on your mind,” Trudy prodded.
The smile returned to Meghan’s face. “I do have some news,” she shared. “In honor of the bakery’s one year anniversary, Sandy Bay Six is doing a story on us! They are sending a camera crew out tomorrow to do some test shots of us working and establish the placement of cameras and lights in the bakery.”
“That’s so amazing,” Pamela gushed, her freckled face filled with enthusiasm.
“I’m a little nervous,” Meghan admitted. “There have been so many highs and lows this year. Running a business is difficult work, and there have been some serious challenges along the way…”
Meghan thought back to her first week in business. She had been accused of poisoning treats, and the entire town had boycotted her bakery. Several similar instances had also occurred, but finally, after working hard and establishing herself, Meghan had become a credible name in Sandy Bay.
“That’s happy news,” Trudy said, interrupting Meghan’s thoughts. “Congratulations, Meghan. It is very well deserved.”
“What is very well deserved?”
All three ladies turned to the front door as Karen Denton breezed in, her blonde hair in a ponytail. Karen was Meghan’s dear friend; they had been neighbors in Los Angeles, and Karen had convinced Meghan to move to the Pacific Northwest. Despite their age difference (Karen was in her early seventies), Meghan adored her, and she often sought counsel and guidance from her close friend.
“Karen! Good to see you,” Meghan cried as she went to embrace her friend. “It’s been too long!”
“You are so tanned, Karen,” Pamela commented. “Were you on vacation?”
Karen nodded, her cheeks flushed. “I just returned from a yoga retreat in Key West,” she answered. “It was magical. The sunsets in the Keys are unmatched, and the people are too kind.”
“I’ve been to the Keys,” Trudy said with gusto. “It was nice, but not as nice as when I rode a dolphin off the coast of Fort Lauderdale.”
“Fort Lauderdale? I thought the water there was a little dirty,” Karen sniffed. “They don’t really recycle there, either, and you can really see that on the beach…”
“I thought it was nice,” Trudy insisted. “But you know what was nicer? Gulf Shores, Alabama! The white sand beaches there are the best.”
“I think the Bahamas have the nicest beaches,” Karen noted.
Meghan looked at Pamela, who raised her eyebrows. “Why does it feel like they are competing?” Meghan whispered. “A beach is a beach!”
“I don’t know, but it’s funny,” Pamela giggled. “I think it’s just something older ladies do?”
“What did you say?”
Meghan and Pamela turned to find Karen and Trudy staring at them. “Nothing,” Meghan smiled. “Nothing.”
Karen retrieved a small burlap sack from her pink tote. “These are for you, Meghan,” she grinned. “I picked them especially for you.”
Meghan opened the sack. “Oranges! I love oranges. Maybe I can use these for a new treat? Or for inspiration.”
“It’s ironic that she’s giving you oranges when her skin color makes her look like an orange,” Meghan heard Trudy mutter.
“I’ll be going now. I am off to the sea for my evening kayak ride,” Karen announced. “Meghan, I hope you love the oranges.”
“I do,” she replied. “I’ll let you know what I use them for.”
Pamela peered into the sack. “What are you going to use them for?”
Meghan raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know,” she admitted as she inhaled the scent of the ripe oranges. “I don’t know….”
2
M eghan leaned back and fluttered her eyelids shut as Jackie, her friend, massaged her feet. “That feels amazing,” she moaned as Jackie rubbed her feet with a smooth jade stone. “What kind of treatment is this?”
“It’s new,” Jackie replied as she guided the stone along the ball of Meghan’s right foot. “It’s a treatment from Taiwan. The jade stone is very popular there. It’s said that gliding it along your pressure points will reduce tension and bring you good luck.”
“This is just what I needed.”
“I’m happy I could help,” she told her.
After hearing the news of Meghan’s television segment, Jackie had invited Meghan to her salon for a last minute manicure and pedicure early the next morning. “You have to look your b
est,” Jackie had declared. “You can’t meet with producers and cameramen looking shabby. When you come over tomorrow, I will doll you up and make you look like you are fresh out of Hollywood.”
Meghan had giggled. “Technically, I am fresh out of Hollywood,” she commented. “I only moved here from LA last year…”
“Details!” Jackie sputtered. “Those are details. Be at my place at seven forty, and I will take good care of you.”
The next morning, Meghan sipped on a mimosa as Jackie pampered her. “You are so kind to invite me over,” she murmured as Jackie rubbed coconut oil into her calloused feet. “You are so busy this morning! I feel bad making other customers wait.”
“They’ll be fine,” she assured her. “They aren’t going to be featured on the news! I have to make sure my friend looks her best on air. I am so proud of you.”
Meghan smiled. “It’s been a whirlwind of a year, but I am happy it’s turned out the way it has.”
Jackie wiped her hands on her smock and examined Meghan’s toenails. “I hope my business is as successful as yours by the time we hit our one year anniversary,” she told Meghan. “Business can be so unpredictable in the beauty industry.”
