The Chocolate Magic Cozy Mystery Box Set Books 1 to 7

by Olivia Swift

  “Where’s the dog?” Carly asked and Magda smiled.

  “It’s here with my friend who loves dogs.” Jeff carried the dog in his arms. It was crying in pain.

  “I think it was hit by something that flew from the building. I don’t think the truck hit it,” Jeff said.

  “I’ll call my vet,” Magda said. “I have to visit them often with a houseful of cats.”

  The sound of sirens heralded the arrival of the emergency services.

  “How bad is the building?” Sam asked Miles who shook his head.

  “Haven’t been inside but I know why Molly wanted us away from there.”

  “Goodness, yes,” Magda exclaimed. “Anyone behind there would have no chance at all.” Bart had been talking to the men who climbed into the runaway truck and he said that the thing had no driver.

  “Did he jump out?” Sam asked.

  “Nobody seems to have seen that. Nobody around claiming to be the driver or needing help. Maybe it was a deliberate attempt to do damage,” Bart said.

  “Let me put the dog on the seat in Sam’s truck and you can go and see what the damage is inside,” Magda said and took the little spaniel from Jeff. She told Carly that the dog would be fine and climbed inside the truck.

  She called her vet and explained where she was.

  “As soon as I can get away, I will come to the clinic. Thanks.” Then she called Rula who said she would call the others to let them know about Molly saving them all. She sat back in the seat and the dog licked her nose. Then she noticed the color of the dog and took in the fact that it had run across the railroad and almost caused an accident like the one all those years ago.

  “Oh, Lordy, little one,” she said. “Molly stopped history repeating itself all over again.” The dog seemed to be feeling better and she left her on the seat and went to see what the building was like with that exquisite model railway.

  “She’s my wife,” Sam called as a police officer tried to stop her going inside. He let her pass and she stepped through the doorway that was still intact. Inside it was like some surreal painting or cinematic effect. Along the area where the engine had been stored, the front of the truck was almost suspended in mid-air and it was eerily quiet.

  Magda clutched Sam’s hand.

  “It is huge and frightening,” she whispered. “Is the model railway damaged?” They walked around the wall to the main area and saw Miles and Jeff checking everything.

  “I think it is repairable. The electronics will be disconnected but the truck was stopped by the metal girders. If it had come straight through, it would have been disaster,” Jeff said. “Where’s the dog?”

  “In Sam’s truck. The vet says to go over there when we can get away.”

  “That might be some time,” Miles observed as Detective Southern and a uniformed officer came inside the building.

  18

  “Tell me what you saw,” the detective asked them and listened as they explained about the dog and the little girl.

  “It was sheer chance that I pulled her away or the truck would have run her down,” Magda said and shivered. Another officer brought in Bart who offered the photos he had taken if it was any help to their investigations. He knew that he had already sent them to the editor anyway.

  “This will have to be properly secured. It’s insured for a huge amount of money.” Jeff looked around.

  “The technical stuff is worth a fortune on its own,” Miles added. Southern asked the officer with him to find the builders they would use to secure the place after the truck was removed.

  “We’ll haul the truck away and go over it for prints. No doubt it was stolen at some point if it was done deliberately.”

  “But why?” Sam asked. “Terrorism?” Southern didn’t answer because he answered a call and listened intently.

  “Did you have shots of the security vans?” he asked Bart, who nodded and started to look for the pictures. “Looks like it was deliberate,” the detective told them. “The security van has been found with the guards tied up inside.”

  “I am guessing that the payroll for this time of the year would be pretty big,” said Bart.

  The detective and officer both nodded.

  “Give your names and contacts to the officers and you can go. I know where to find you.” Then he looked at Jeff. “We’ll secure it.”

  “I did want to take the dog to the vet with Magda,” he said and Miles told him to go and he would stay and keep an eye on things. Bart had already texted the news of the bank van to the office and was obviously going to stay as well.

  “I’ll follow your truck,” Jeff said, and they managed to get the car and the truck away from the chaos.

  “Now tell me what you are thinking about,” Sam said as he drove along.

  The dog was sitting on her knee and Magda asked if he had realized that without Molly warning them, not only would they be damaged, but they had stopped history repeating itself.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Spaniel, little girl chasing it and a big runaway truck. Remind you of anything?”

  “Good Heavens!” Sam said. “Beth’s story but a better outcome.”

  The vet had waited for them and wanted the details of the accident. News was already on the television and on social media. A scan proved that there was no microchip and the office could find no report of a missing dog.

  “He’ll go to the pound if nobody claims him,” Magda said and bit her lip. “I don’t think the cats would take kindly to a dog arriving.”

  “It’s okay. I’ll take him,” Jeff said. “If that is fine with you?” he asked the vet. The man nodded.

  “It’s been awhile since Molly,” he smiled.

  “That’s wonderful!” Magda said. The vet declared the dog bruised but nothing broken. He gave him a shot of painkiller and they left feeling a lot happier.

  “Back to the café. Everyone will be so curious,” Magda said.

  “Can the dog come in?” Jeff asked.

  “I’m sure we can smuggle him inside,” Magda answered. “I wonder what his name is.”

  “Truffle,” Jeff said and then laughed as he popped the dog in the back of the car and followed Sam’s truck to the café.

  Rula and Katie were relieved to see them. Truffle was taken quietly into the kitchen and found a spot out of sight. They tied him to a table leg and gave him water.

  “I’ll run down the street and get some food for him,” Jeff said. Mikey passed him as he left, and Truffle was given a lot of fuss. The customers wanted to know the story, as well as the staff, and it was repeated several times.

  “So, Magda is a heroine. She saved the girl.” Elsie was at her usual table in the cozy café.

  “Sheer good luck,” Magda told her and shivered.

  “Sit down with a cup of something or you will go into shock,” Elsie told her and came around the counter to call for Rula as Magda started to go weak at the knees. Sam ran up as well, and they pushed a chair under her, and she plopped down.

  “You are as white as a sheet,” Katie said and Rula filled a glass with water. Magda sipped it and started to feel a bit steadier.

  Sam held her hand and looked worried. She managed a smile.

  “I’m okay. Just reaction. Thanks, Elsie. You saved me from going right down.”

  “That must have been quite a shock to all of your systems,” Elsie said. “Nowadays you don’t know if it’s terrorists or somebody gone crazy with a gun.”

  “The noise was pretty awful,” Sam agreed. “It looks like it was a diversion set up to cover whatever happened with the security vans.”

  “Greed,” Elsie said. “Easy money. Do these folks good to do some hard labor.” The rest had to agree with her.

  “Makes you wonder,” Katie joined in, “if the murder of the bank security man was done to get him out of the way.” They all stared at her and nodded as the sense of what she said sank in.

  “I suppose the detective has already thought of that,” Sam
said as Jeff came back in with a big bag of dog essentials.

  “Truffle’s had some chicken,” Rula told him. “And a drink.”

  “He’s pretty hungry,” Katie said. “I wonder how long he had been wandering about.” The dog knew they were talking about him and when he was let loose came over to nuzzle at Magda’s hand.

  Magda stood up and said she felt much better. Jeff and Truffle left for home and the café closed down for the day.

  Bart called to say he would come over later but had to get the material sorted out at work. Merle and Branston also said they would call in later. Sam and Magda stopped off at Alison’s on the way home and Alison insisted they sit down and she would make a meal for them.

  They went over the whole story again and Branna gasped as Magda described the dog and the little girl.

  “It’s a repeat of little Beth,” she almost whispered.

  “And Magda stopped it happening again,” Sam answered.

  “Wow!” Jonno said.

  “But it started because some nasty humans want money for nothing,” Alison said as she handed them both a plate of pasta.

  “That is like heaven. Thanks!” Magda said. “I was a bit weak and wobbly before.”

  “Go home and have an early night. You’ll feel better tomorrow,” Alison told her. “We will pop over and see you tomorrow night.”

  “The police might have caught them by then,” Jonno said.

  Magda and Sam went home. Crystal was waiting behind the door and kept rubbing around Magda’s ankles. Magda picked her up.

  “I’m okay, little one. Much better now.”

  Bart, Merle and Branston all arrived at more or less the same time and they went through the story again for Merle and Branston. Bart had an update of what the police were doing. He confirmed that they seemed to think that the robbery was connected to the murder.

  “I guess they will follow all connections until they find something.”

  “I am still convinced that Jemima’s horrible nephew is involved in this somewhere. Perhaps he was in the second van. They all were wearing those awful elf costumes and crash helmets,” Magda remarked.

  “I am still flabbergasted to hear that it was almost a repeat of Beth and Eliza,” Merle said.

  “The dog is saved and with Jeff. Molly saved all of our lives by making sure everyone moved away from the place the truck came through,” Magda added.

  “We’ll let you relax,” Branston said and gave his cousin a hug. “Look after yourself!”

  The visitors left and Sam wrapped his arms around his wife.

  “I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you,” he said and kissed her forehead. “Come on. A warm bed and a hot chocolate with the television on quietly will make you feel better.”

  She left him to make the drinks and then just dropped her clothes on the floor. It was good to slide into bed and feel all four cats telling her they knew how upset she was.

  “Make room for me, cats,” Sam told them. As ever, Sam had the power to make her feel better. She leaned against him and eventually drifted off to sleep.

  Everything seemed much better in the morning. They allowed themselves the luxury of a few extra minutes before starting off to the café. Since Sam and Declan were still enjoying their long weekend, Sam came to help and Declan arrived with Katie and a box containing his wall hangings.

  “Oh, that is something to look forward to, Declan. Thanks,” Magda said.

  Katie went back to icing the gingerbread trains. When Magda had time to come and look at the pieces, she found that Katie had made a beautiful painting of an engine on the track. It was in her own artistic style and Magda was entranced.

  “I love this, Katie. Can I buy it for myself?” Katie smiled and held out the first wall hanging made and painted by Declan.

  “What about this?” Magda called for Sam and Rula to look at it. The painting was exquisite, and the wall hanging had caught the shape of the train in the picture and repeated it in wood. He had painted it in the same colors and putting the two things side by side was a delight.

  “It gives traditional painting and a modern aspect of the same thing,” Rula exclaimed. “Wonderful. You are both so clever.”

  “I’ll buy them both and take them home, but let us put them up and see what the reaction is,” Magda said and unpacked the other wall hangings. “Declan, these are just so different. I think people will love them.” She set Sam and Declan to hanging the new items and went back to making more Christmas pudding centers.

  Elsie popped in to see how Magda was feeling and bought one of the wall hangings for her brother.

  “He loves anything steam engine connected.” She laughed and Magda gift-wrapped it for her.

  The painting was much admired.

  “Can we do some prints of it?” Magda asked.

  “I did a copy at home and kept it as a backup,” Katie told her and nudged Magda as the two guards from the bank came in for a coffee.

  “Are you two back at work? Are you okay?” Rula asked and started on the regular coffees that they ordered.

  “Were you hurt?” Magda asked. “We heard you were tied up in the van.”

  Both men said they were fine and at least they weren’t wearing elf suits again.

  “The bank is not in the holiday mood,” the one with the slightly-drooped shoulder said.

  “Was it a lot of money?” Sam asked from where he was fixing the electricity for the train. The other man named the amount and Sam whistled and stood up.

  “Good lord!” he said. “That’s a major haul.”

  Magda was about to ask if the bank had any ideas about who stole the money when she looked into the eyes of the man who had said the amount. For a split second she saw his satisfaction of saying how much it was, and she immediately knew that he was part of it. At the same time his voice rang another bell in her brain. She had been vaguely wondering who he reminded her of. It clicked into place. She remembered and she also knew that it showed in her eyes. He knew that she knew.

  Neither of them acknowledged the fact. The man took his coffee from Rula and his friend paid for both of them. They left. Magda clutched at Sam’s arm.

  “I know where I heard him before. That man - not the one with the dropped shoulder - the other one. He was the one who shouted out at Jemima’s barn when they rode away on the horses. I am sure he knew that I had realized as well.”

  “If they were part of the robbery and so was Jemima’s nephew,” she hesitated and looked at them all, “maybe they were part of the murder as well.”

  “Call the detective,” Declan said. Magda pulled out her phone and sat at the back of the kitchen out of sight.

  “He’s on his way.” Sam put his arm around her shoulders.

  “Don’t worry. We won’t let him get to you, and the police will pick them all up for questioning.”

  She nodded but the scare was still there. She remembered the recognition in the man’s eyes.

  “If it was them,” she said, “they were not bothered about the truck killing innocent people.”

  The detective and his partner came in and he took them to the rear of the kitchen.

  “Tell me,” Detective Southern said.

  “Maybe it is all in my imagination,” she started.

  “Doesn’t matter. Tell me anyway.”

  Magda took a breath and told him about the night they disturbed the two men taking whatever it was they had hidden in the barn. “One was already on horseback and shouted to the other one. I thought the other one was Jemima’s nephew but that was just an impression as they were covered up.”

  He nodded to encourage her.

  “We liked the guard who was murdered. I felt so sorry for his family but the two that were still employed did not seem to be involved. They kept on coming in for coffee. We are close to the bank.” He nodded again. Sam put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

  “I thought his voice reminded me of someone on the television or maybe anothe
r customer until today. Sam asked how much money was stolen and he said the amount.” She paused, “I was looking directly at him and I just saw the satisfaction in his eyes. He was proud of it. It was a split second and then gone but I know that he knew that I had spotted it.”

  “I had thought that finding the two men tied up in the van was suspicious, but they had alibis for other times like the murder and they had a good record at the bank. The manager trusts them.”

  “The money is not the worst worry for the bank. There was gold and jewelry for deposit boxes and that takes away the confidence of people to bank with them. The gold alone is enough to keep them all wealthy for life.”

  “So that would be heavy. They must have had somewhere close to leave it,” Declan said.

  “We have a lot of officers checking everywhere they could have been before dumping the truck. If you say you recognize the voice, I can say I have new evidence and take them in for questioning. Thanks.”

  The detectives left and the chatter from the tables restarted as everyone had been straining their ears to hear what was said.

  “I saw a security van just in the main street here last night. It was after closing time for the banks,” one customer said.

  “You should maybe tell the police in case it does help them. They might pick it up on the cameras,” Rula told her and the woman said that she would drop in on her way home.

  As the rush dwindled away and the place emptied, they went over the wall hangings and Rula said that she had sold three.

  “I guess you just gave yourself another job, Declan,” Sam laughed as Declan pocketed the cash for the three sold. He looked at Katie and asked if she fancied spending a little of the cash on a pizza on the way home, and she beamed at him and collected her things.

  When they had gone, Rula and Magda high fived each other and laughed.

  “Some things are good,” Rula said and took her coat as Mikey arrived to take her home.

  Magda asked Sam to stop and pick up food as well. “Branna, Jonno and Alison might drop by later.”