by Leena Clover
Copyright © Leena Clover, Author 2018
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the author.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, organizations and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Hazelnuts and Halloween – A Pelican Cove Short Story 1
By Leena Clover
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Epilogue
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Books by Leena Clover
Strawberries and Strangers – Pelican Cove Cozy Mystery Book 1
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Cupcakes and Celebrities – Pelican Cove Cozy Mystery Book 2
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Berries and Birthdays – Pelican Cove Cozy Mystery Book 3
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Sprinkles and Skeletons – Pelican Cove Cozy Mystery Book 4
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Waffles and Weekends – Pelican Cove Cozy Mystery Book 5
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Muffins and Mobsters – Pelican Cove Cozy Mystery Book 6
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Gone with the Wings – Meera Patel Cozy Mystery Book 1
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A Pocket Full of Pie - Meera Patel Cozy Mystery Book 2
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For a Few Dumplings More - Meera Patel Cozy Mystery Book 3
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Back to the Fajitas - Meera Patel Cozy Mystery Book 4
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Christmas with the Franks – Meera Patel Cozy Mystery Book 5
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Chapter 1
The small coastal town of Pelican Cove was dressed in orange. Halloween was around the corner and the barrier island off the coast of Virginia did it in style. Orange and brown garlands adorned lamp posts. Autumnal wreaths graced every front door, vying for attention with dried stalks of corn and giant scarecrows swaying in the wind on front lawns.
Pumpkins filled the eye everywhere one looked. They came in every shape and size. They lined porches and stairs, they sat upon banisters and lawns. It was as if a pumpkin army had invaded the town.
A corn maze had been set up in the center of town. So had a scary Halloween House. Hayrides on the beach began every evening after the sun went down. A pumpkin carving contest was in progress on the boardwalk.
Jenny King stood on the deck of the Boardwalk Café, cheering the participants on. A motley group of women stood around her, laughing. The group of friends called themselves the Magnolias and were inseparable.
“My money’s on Jason,” Heather Morse, an attractive thirty five year old squealed.
“No way! Chris is going to win this one,” Molly, a lanky gal with Coke-bottle glasses argued.
“Jimmy’s carving a light house,” Star, an older woman dressed in a colorful kaftan said. “He always wins.”
Jenny’s aunt Star was a local artist who painted seascapes of the surrounding region.
“Does it matter who wins?” Jenny asked. “We are all having fun.”
“Of course it does,” Molly said in mock horror. “Winner is crowned King on the night of the Halloween Party.”
“And he chooses his Queen?” Heather sniggered.
“As if you don’t know,” Molly snapped. “You have been Queen on Halloween night ever since you came back to live here.”
“Stop fighting, you two,” Betty Sue Morse ordered.
Betty Sue Morse was a formidable woman in her eighties. A descendant of James Morse, the original owner of the island, her word was law in Pelican Cove.
Betty Sue turned toward Jenny.
“It’s nice of you to host the Halloween party at the café, Jenny. We will all pitch in and help, don’t worry.”
“I’m just continuing the tradition,” Jenny said valiantly.
Dumped by her husband of twenty years, Jenny King had accepted her aunt Star’s invitation and arrived in Pelican Cove to lick her wounds. She had started working at the Boardwalk Café at her aunt’s insistence. Star’s friend Petunia owned the café and she welcomed Jenny with open arms. Jenny started by serving coffee but she gradually began trying out different recipes in the kitchen.
The rest was history. Jenny’s delicious food made the café famous. Tourists flocked to Pelican Cove to taste Jenny’s yummy desserts. The Boardwalk Café thrived along with the town.
“Petunia would be proud of you, child,” Star said.
The Magnolias had suffered a severe blow a few weeks ago with the sudden demise of their friend. Jenny had been surprised to find she was now the sole owner of the Boardwalk Café. She vowed to live up to her friend’s legacy. Maintaining all the traditions Petunia had established over the past twenty five years was just the beginning.
“Am I doing enough?” Jenny asked, looking doubtful.
“Choosing a hazelnut theme for your fall menu is inspired,” Molly said loyally. “I love the spiced latte and the pumpkin pie nut muffins.”
“Don’t forget the autumn granola,” Heather offered.
“The roasted pumpkin pasta is my favorite,” Star piped up. “Spaghetti coated with a creamy, spicy sauce, garnished with toasted hazelnuts – yum!”
“That’s fine,” Jenny said worriedly. “But do you think I can handle the Halloween party?”
“We are all pitching in,” Heather reminded her. “The church ladies are bringing candied apples and pumpkin pie. The Rusty Anchor is sponsoring the drinks. You are just providing appetizers and your signature desserts.”
Jenny and her friends had come up with a long menu for the party. Jenny was determined not to cut corners.
“Do you think the tourists will come?” Jenny asked.
The Halloween party attracted plenty of revelers from up and down the coast. The Boardwalk Café did good business that night. It allowed Jenny to give the town people a free ride.
“Mandy has spread the word across social media,” Heather assured her. “Just make sure there’s enough food and drinks to go around.”
Mandy James was a publicist the town hired from time to time to promote certain events. Jenny had invited her for the Halloween party. Mandy in turn had done her bit, making sure Pelican Cove was bursting at the seams with tourists willing to spend money and have fun.
“I think we have the food under control,” Molly said. “What about costumes? Have you decided what you are going to wear, Jenny?”
“I’m going as a witch,” Star announced. “I even ordered a fake nose on the Internet. It’s perfect with my black cape and hat.”
Betty Sue informed them she was going to be Queen Victoria.
“When is she not?” Heather muttered.
That set the younger girls giggling.
“I heard that!” Betty Sue grumbled good naturedly.
“Why don’t you go as Wonder Woman, Jen
ny?” Molly asked. “It kind of suits you.”
“No way!” Jenny laughed. “But Heather can go as Wonder Woman.”
A cheer rose from the Boardwalk just then. The women turned around and focused their attention on the beach once again.
“Time’s up,” Heather reported.
“They’ll be here soon,” Jenny smiled. “I’ll get a fresh pot of coffee.”
The fall day was sunny and bright with cool breezes blowing over the Atlantic Ocean. The temperature was in the high 60s, just perfect for enjoying a piping hot drink on the deck, watching the waves batter the shore.
A group of enthusiastic men bounded up the café steps. Chris Williams kissed his girl Molly on the cheek and hugged her close. Adam Hopkins, a tall, brooding man, leaned on his cane and looked around for Jenny. He was the sheriff of Pelican Cove. Jason Stone, the town’s only lawyer, had a cheerful countenance. He greeted all the ladies with a smile and sprawled down on a chair.
Jenny poured hot coffee and set out some freshly frosted cupcakes.
“Who won?” Star asked.
“Jimmy, of course,” the men sighed. “He can sure carve that light house. We didn’t even come close.”
“That’s my man,” Star said proudly.
Jason took Jenny’s hand in his and smiled up at her.
“Will you go with me to the Halloween party?”
Jenny laughed when she saw Adam’s face.
“I’m not going with anyone,” she laughed. “I’ll be hosting the party, making sure everyone has a good time.”
Chapter 2
The Boardwalk Café was packed to the rafters. People dressed in colorful Halloween costumes milled around with a drink in their hands. The place was dimly lit, and strategically placed Jack-o-lanterns flickered everywhere. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling and covered surfaces, so did giant spiders. A skeleton reposed in a corner, grinning toothsomely at the guests.
“The place looks fabulous!” Heather gleamed, her hands on her hips.
She was dressed as Wonder Woman.
“We need to sit,” her grandmother Betty Sue ordained, dressed as Queen Victoria.
“Not so fast, my lovelies,” Star cackled.
She stamped her broom on the ground twice for good measure and bared her fake teeth.
“Where’s Jenny?” Heather asked her. “I hope she went home to dress.”
“I’m right here,” Jenny said, appearing next to Heather.
She wore a shiny, close fitting dress, and a red wig. Red leather boots were laced up to her knees.
“You look sexy, Ginger!” Heather clapped her hands. “Bravo.”
“Who are you supposed to be?” Betty Sue asked suspiciously.
“I’m a Spice Girl,” Jenny explained. “I needed something easy to get around in.”
“Let’s get a drink,” Heather butted in. “Where’s Molly, anyway?”
“Molly and Chris are running late,” Jenny said meaningfully.
“I want that blue drink with the eyeballs in it,” Star cackled. “What about you, Queen Victoria?”
“We will have some wine.”
“We have some sangria,” Jenny told her. “Or blood orange margaritas. I’m having one of those.”
“Me too,” Heather yelled in her ear when she spotted the deep red drink with smoke billowing from it.
Adam Hopkins arrived dressed as the Hulk. Chris and Molly weren’t far behind.
“He’s Harry Potter and I’m the snitch,” she explained, dressed in a shiny gold frock. “Get it?”
“We get it,” Heather rolled her eyes.
“You look incredible,” Jenny whispered to Adam.
“Like it?” Adam asked, raising his eyebrows suggestively.
He picked up a pimento cheese sandwich off a tray and popped it in his mouth. Jenny had outdone herself with the snacks. There was crab dip, shrimp cocktail, cheese platters and tiny meatballs. Jenny hadn’t skimped on the desserts. There was pumpkin cheesecake, four varieties of cupcakes, candied apples, candy corn and every kind of store bought candy a person could ask for.
Heather picked up a meringue cookie shaped like a bone and bit into it.
“Eat up, Jenny. It’s almost time for the ‘Bella to surface.”
“Huh?”
“You know the history of the Isabella, don’t you?” Star asked.
Jimmy Parsons, her beau, was standing next to her, chewing on a cheese straw that looked like a finger. He was dressed as a ship’s captain.
Star was referring to a ship that had gone down in the shoals off the island. There had been a few survivors but the ship had gone down with several souls on board, including women and children.
“Didn’t the Isabella sink sometime in the mid-nineteenth century?” Jenny asked, puzzled.
“Yes, but it resurrects itself every year on Halloween,” a deep voice rumbled.
Jenny recognized the pirate. It was Captain Charlie, one of her favorite customers.
“Is this how you scare the kids, Captain Charlie?” Jenny laughed.
“It’s true,” Betty Sue nodded. “The Isabella went down one stormy Halloween night. Ever since then, it has come back for a visit.”
“What does it do, exactly?” Jenny asked, refusing to buy into the story.
“It appears on the horizon, shrouded in mist,” Captain Charlie explained. “You can hear people crying out for help. The cries get louder and louder until the ship vanishes without a trace.”
“I have to see this,” Jenny said, shaking her head.
Adam looked doubtful.
“You may be out of luck this year. It’s overcast.”
“So the ship isn’t visible every year, huh?” Jenny smiled.
“It’s not visible to everyone,” Molly said. “But it’s there!”
“I get it. This is just like the emperor’s clothes, isn’t it?”
“You city dwellers,” Betty Sue clucked. “There are things in this world which cannot always be explained. You need to have more faith.”
Jenny had guzzled a couple of the blood orange drinks.
“Lead me to this ghost ship,” she boomed. “Show me it’s real.”
“It’s real alright,” a voice spoke in her ear.
She whirled around to stare at Spiderman.
“Jason! You’re a superhero too?”
“Not just any super hero,” Jason smirked. “Somebody, stop me!”
Heather and Molly gave Jenny a knowing look. She knew they would tease her mercilessly about this. Adam and Jason had both dressed up as superheroes, no doubt in an attempt to impress her.
“Try the jiggly blue drink,” Captain Charlie told Jason. “It’s evil!”
“The place is packed, Jenny,” Jason complimented her. “This is way more than just locals.”
“There are dozens of tourists here,” Heather supported. “It’s hard to tell them apart though.”
“What were you guys talking about earlier?” Jason asked.
“We told Jenny about the Isabella,” Heather sighed, “but she doesn’t believe us.”
“It’s true, Jenny,” Jason said.
“You guys are just leading me on,” Jenny muttered. “What’s next? A real life haunted house?”
Molly and Heather looked at each other. Chris cleared his throat.
“You do know Seaview is supposed to be haunted?” he asked.
“Come on!” Jenny cried. “Can we talk about something else?”
“Lights have been spotted there on Halloween,” Molly reminded Jenny. “I have seen them myself.”
“And now we know why,” Heather droned.
Jenny’s house Seaview had been lying abandoned for over twenty five years. It had earned the tag of the local haunted house. An old woman’s skeleton had been discovered in Jenny’s garden a few months ago.
“It was that woman’s spirit, Jenny, crying out for justice all these years.”
The group ushered Jenny out on the café’s deck. Almost all the guests wer
e gathered together, staring at the ocean.
“There she is!” someone cried. “The Isabella!”
“I don’t see it,” Jenny muttered. “I still don’t see it.”
“Maybe you have to be born here,” someone in the crowd said.
The party went on long after midnight. It was almost 4 AM by the time Jenny closed up the café and went home with her aunt. Her friends had agreed to meet at the café at nine the next morning to help clean up.
Jenny barely slept a wink before it was time to go back to the café.
Heather staggered in a little after nine, looking a bit worse for wear. Jenny pointed to a pile of gallon sized trash bags.
“We are picking up all the trash first.”
A wail of sirens split the air just then and Molly came rushing up the café steps.
“Have you heard?” she cried. “There’s a dead body on the beach.”
Chapter 3
The Magnolias were seated on the deck of the Boardwalk Café, enjoying their mid-morning coffee break. It was a ritual the women stuck to religiously. They arrived at the café at ten every morning, come hell or high water.
Jenny brought out a plate of warm muffins. Heather was pouring the coffee.
“The whole town is talking about it,” Betty Sue said in a clipped tone. “Some people are saying he came over from the other side.”
“The other side of what?” Jenny asked, confused.
“You know?” Star asked suggestively. “The other world.”
“Are you high on something?” Jenny asked, rolling her eyes at her aunt.
“Don’t be flippant, girl,” Betty Sue roared. “The veil between our two worlds is thin on Halloween night. It makes it easier for the spirits to come and go.”
Jenny scrunched up her face.
“So this man is a spirit of some kind? How come he has a solid body?”
“Where do you think he came from, Jenny?” Molly asked.
“Out of town, obviously,” Jenny scoffed. “Unless he’s a local.”
“He’s not a local,” Heather piped up. “The police would have recognized him. And no one’s come forward to claim him.”
