Strawberry Donuts and Scandal

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Strawberry Donuts and Scandal Page 13

by Cindy Bell


  “We’ll never catch them on foot, Brenda.” He pulled his gun and aimed for the car.

  “No don’t!” Brenda shrieked. “What if she’s in the trunk? What if you hit her?”

  “You have to trust me, Brenda.” Detective Crackle stared into her eyes briefly, then aimed his weapon.

  Brenda’s stomach lurched as he fired twice. She continued to run towards the car, which veered off to the right.

  Detective Crackle had managed to strike both back tires. He ran a few steps behind her towards the car. The driver’s side door flung open, and Poppy tumbled out. She jumped to her feet and sprinted for the neighborhood that bordered the parking lot.

  “Stop!” Detective Crackle shouted. “Get on your knees!”

  Poppy spun around to face both of them. She let out a loud laugh that sounded more like a spasm than an actual laugh. Brenda ignored her as she ran straight for the car. She had no idea if Joyce was in the car, or if she was even still alive. But she knew that she had to find out. As she reached the car, she found the passenger seat was empty. Her heart dropped at the sight. Then she heard a noise from the backseat. She peered into it and saw Joyce curled up on the floor. She had a piece of tape over her mouth and her hands were bound as well.

  “Joyce!” Brenda pulled open the back door and crouched down to free her hands. “Are you hurt? Did she hurt you?”

  Joyce shook her head, and as soon as her hands were free she pulled the tape off her mouth with a subtle shout.

  “Oh Brenda, I’m so glad to see you.” She threw her arms around her waist and rested her head against her stomach. “Please, just let me hug you for a minute.”

  “Joyce, I’m so sorry.” She stroked her hair as she held her close. “I never should have let you go off on your own. I let you walk into danger!”

  “No, you didn’t.” Joyce looked up at her. “I did what I wanted to do, I put myself in that danger. I never realized that it was Poppy, I didn’t think it would be her. I let her fool me. Mark had no idea what she was doing.”

  “It’s okay now, that’s all that matters. You’re safe.” Brenda felt her muscles relax some as she caught sight of Detective Crackle arresting Poppy. “I was so scared.”

  “So was I.” Joyce shuddered. “I have to admit that might have been too much adventure for me.”

  Brenda helped her out of the car and looked her over from head to toe. “Are you sure you’re okay? She didn’t hurt you?”

  “No, she didn’t. But she did kill Alexa, and she tried to kill Mark.” She held out her arms to reveal the writing scrawled across them. “She was more concerned with getting her message across than killing me.”

  “I’m so sorry you went through that, Joyce.”

  After Detective Crackle handed Poppy off to other officers, he walked over to them.

  “Joyce.” He stared into her eyes. “The paramedics are waiting to look you over.”

  “There’s no need, I’m fine. Just let me give you my statement so I can go.” Joyce ran her hands across her cheeks. “Honestly, I can’t wait to get back to the truck. I just want things to go back to normal as soon as possible.”

  “I understand.” The detective reached up and tucked some of her hair back behind her ear. “I’m sorry it took us so long to find you.”

  “You saved me.” Joyce caught his hand and held it with her own. “Thank you, Detective.”

  “Don’t forget it’s Arthur. Call me Arthur, if you like.”

  “Thank you, I haven’t forgotten.” Joyce gave his hand a light squeeze.

  After they gave their statements, Brenda called Melissa. She knew that if she called Charlie to come get her, he would have to bring Sophie with him, and she wouldn’t want to try to explain things in front of her. It was almost closing time so she asked Melissa to close down the truck and pick them up from the grocery store. As they waited for her to arrive, Joyce filled Brenda in on all that Poppy told her.

  “I can’t believe that she killed her best friend, all over her beliefs.” Brenda shook her head. “Don’t worry, Joyce, I could never do that to you.”

  “Gee, thanks.” Joyce managed a smile.

  When Melissa pulled up, she jumped out of the car and ran to embrace both of them.

  “I heard what happened, are you both okay?” Melissa looked between them. Then she looked tentatively at the huddle of police officers.

  “We’re okay.” Brenda eyed her. “Now Melissa, why don’t you tell me why you are so afraid of the police?”

  “I’m not afraid, exactly.” Melissa shifted from one foot to the other. “The truth is, this is all my fault.”

  “What do you mean?” Joyce studied her.

  “I mean, I sent a message to Alexa suggesting that she come to the magazine event. I never thought she would. But maybe if I hadn’t sent that email, maybe she never would have come here and then—”

  “Oh, sweetheart.” Brenda hugged her and shook her head. “None of this is your fault. She probably got thousands of emails. She came here because Country Grocery Place was opening here, not because you told her to come. I’m sorry you’ve been feeling that way all this time. You should have told me.”

  “You’re right.” Melissa wiped her eyes as she pulled out of the hug. “It’s just that I enjoy working with you both so much, I didn’t want to do anything to risk that.”

  “There is no risk, Melissa. We are happy to have you.” Brenda smiled at her.

  “Yes, it’s good to know I’m not the only one that can burn donuts.” Joyce laughed.

  “Oh, you mean today wasn’t the first time?” Brenda raised her eyebrows.

  “You promised you wouldn’t tell, Joyce.” Melissa blushed.

  “Oh, it’s okay.” Brenda laughed. “Did I ever tell you two about the time I started a fire in the kitchen?”

  The three walked off towards Melissa’s car, laughing, despite the ordeal they just endured. Brenda slipped her hand into Joyce’s and held it tight. It would be a long time before she would be willing to let it go.

  The End

  ***

  Thank you very much for reading Strawberry Donuts and Scandal. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. You can sign up for my newsletter to be notified of my latest releases so you don’t miss out on the special new release price at

  http://www.cindybellbooks.com

  Also by Cindy Bell

  Donut Truck Cozy Mysteries

  Deadly Deals and Donuts

  Fatal Festive Donuts

  Bunny Donuts and a Body

  Sage Gardens Cozy Mysteries

  Birthdays Can Be Deadly

  Money Can Be Deadly

  Trust Can Be Deadly

  Ties Can Be Deadly

  Rocks Can Be Deadly

  Jewelry Can Be Deadly

  Numbers Can Be Deadly

  Memories Can Be Deadly

  Paintings Can Be Deadly

  Snow Can Be Deadly

  Tea Can Be Deadly

  Greed Can Be Deadly

  Clutter Can Be Deadly

  Wagging Tail Cozy Mysteries

  Murder at Pooch Park

  Murder at the Pet Boutique

  Chocolate Centered Cozy Mysteries

  The Sweet Smell of Murder

  A Deadly Delicious Delivery

  A Bitter Sweet Murder

  A Treacherous Tasty Trail

  Pastry and Peril

  Trouble and Treats

  Fudge Films and Felonies

  Custom-Made Murder

  Skydiving, Soufflés and Sabotage

  Christmas Chocolates and Crimes

  Hot Chocolate and Homicide

  Chocolate Caramels and Conmen

  Picnics, Pies and Lies

  Dune House Cozy Mysteries

  Seaside Secrets

  Boats and Bad Guys

  Treasured History

  Hidden Hideaways

  Dodgy Dealings

  Suspects and Surprises

  Ruffled Feathers<
br />
  A Fishy Discovery

  Danger in the Depths

  Celebrities and Chaos

  Pups, Pilots and Peril

  Tides, Trails and Trouble

  Racing and Robberies

  Athletes and Alibis

  Bekki the Beautician Cozy Mysteries

  Hairspray and Homicide

  A Dyed Blonde and a Dead Body

  Mascara and Murder

  Pageant and Poison

  Conditioner and a Corpse

  Mistletoe, Makeup and Murder

  Hairpin, Hair Dryer and Homicide

  Blush, a Bride and a Body

  Shampoo and a Stiff

  Cosmetics, a Cruise and a Killer

  Lipstick, a Long Iron and Lifeless

  Camping, Concealer and Criminals

  Treated and Dyed

  A Wrinkle-Free Murder

  A Macaron Patisserie Cozy Mystery Series

  Sifting for Suspects

  Recipes and Revenge

  Mansions, Macarons and Murder

  Nuts About Nuts Cozy Mysteries

  A Tough Case to Crack

  A Seed of Doubt

  Roasted Penuts and Peril

  Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mysteries

  Murdering the Roses

  Dead in the Daisies

  Killing the Carnations

  Drowning the Daffodils

  Suffocating the Sunflowers

  Books, Bullets and Blooms

  A Deadly Serious Gardening Contest

  A Bridal Bouquet and a Body

  Digging for Dirt

  Wendy the Wedding Planner Cozy Mysteries

  Matrimony, Money and Murder

  Chefs, Ceremonies and Crimes

  Knives and Nuptials

  Mice, Marriage and Murder

  About the Author

  Cindy Bell is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author. She is the author of the cozy mystery series Wagging Tail, Donut Truck, Dune House, Sage Gardens, Chocolate Centered, Macaron Patisserie, Nuts about Nuts, Bekki the Beautician, Heavenly Highland Inn and Wendy the Wedding Planner.

  Cindy has always loved reading, but it is only recently that she has discovered her passion for writing romantic cozy mysteries. She loves walking along the beach thinking of the next adventure her characters can embark on.

  You can sign up for her newsletter so you are notified of her latest releases at http://www.cindybellbooks.com.

  Baked Strawberry Donuts

  Ingredients:

  Donuts

  1/2 cup butter

  1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

  1 teaspoon baking powder

  1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  1/2 cup superfine sugar

  1 egg

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1/2 cup Greek yogurt

  1/4 cup finely chopped strawberries

  Strawberry Glaze

  2 cups confectioners’ sugar

  1 cup diced strawberries

  Sprinkles for decorating (optional)

  Preparation:

  Makes 10 donuts.

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a donut pan.

  Melt the butter and set aside to cool.

  Sieve the flour, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl.

  Add the superfine sugar and mix together.

  In another bowl mix together the melted butter, egg and vanilla extract.

  Gradually add the egg mixture alternating with the yogurt, to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.

  Fold in the chopped strawberries.

  Spoon the mixture into the prepared donut pan.

  Bake for 8-10 minutes. The donuts are ready when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

  To prepare the glaze heat the strawberries for about 10 minutes in a pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. The mixture should be the consistency of a thick sauce. It is okay to still have some strawberry pieces in the sauce. Cool slightly and puree in a food processor to a smooth consistency.

  Gradually whisk the confectioners’ sugar into the strawberry mixture until the mixture is at the desired consistency and color.

  Dip the donuts in the glaze to cover the tops completely. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Leave at room temperature to set.

  Enjoy!!

 

 

 


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