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Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright 2016 by Guardian Publishing Group - All rights reserved.
All rights Reserved. No part of this publication or the information in it may be quoted from or reproduced in any form by means such as printing, scanning, photocopying or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 1
The stands beside Hillside High’s football field buzzed beneath the blue sky. People chatted and shifted to get better views of the range.
“It’s amazing,” Lilly said and grasped Heather’s hand. She craned her neck and peered around the couple seated in front of them. “It’s like the Olympics!”
“If the Olympics sold soggy chips,” Amy replied, and scrunched up a bag on Heather’s left side. “The only positive about this experience is that you’re supplying the donuts, Heather. Oh, and Jung’s part in the competition.”
Jung had taken up a station next to a receptacle. The ends of his arrows peered out of it. He held his bow in one hand and stared at the targets set up on the opposite end of the range.
The archery competition was new. A tradition the Mayor would love to continue, no doubt.
“Who’s that?” Amy asked, and pointed at the competitor beside Jung.
“Jessica Laverne. Jinx for short,” Heather replied. “Rumor has it that she's the best archer in the entire state.” And rumors had jostled around on two legs in Donut Delights the past week.
“Jinx. Ack, I hope she doesn’t jinx Jung. He’s been freaking out about this for the past week.” Amy shook her head, then stopped and waved at the flights of stairs at the end of their row.
Maricela stood there, grasping the end of a donut tray and grinning from ear-to-ear. She hurried to them, then stopped and offered the tray. “M&M Surprise?”
“Definitely. I didn’t spend all last night making these bad boys for nothin’,” Amy replied.
Her assistants had split into groups to tackle the event. Amy and Ken had stayed late and worked on making the delicious donuts.
M&Ms hidden in the chocolate batter, and sprinkled on top of the plain vanilla glaze after dipping. Yum.
Maricela and Angelica had opted for selling donuts in the stands.
Amy accepted a donut, paid for it, then took a huge bite. “Oh wow,” she said, around the mouthful of sweetness. “That’s just the best.”
“May I have one please?” Lilly asked. “How much for one?”
“I’ll get them for us,” Heather said and brought out her purse. She paid, then picked up the two donuts on their serviettes and handed one to Lilly.
“Thanks, Au-Heather.”
“Careful, I’ll take that donut back if you give me the gray hairs,” Heather replied.
Lilly still hadn’t gotten out of the habit of calling her aunt. Maricela winked at them, then hurried off into the stands.
The donuts were a hit. The folks in the seats around theirs munched and crunched donuts, grinning chocolate and M&Ms at each other.
“When’s this show gonna start, anyway?” Amy asked, and chewed her way through another bite.
Heather checked her filigree silver watch. “That’s weird. It should’ve started fifteen minutes ago. Where are the judges?”
Lilly flipped her program open, then bent over it. “The judges are Leticia Jackson and Kyle Henson. If that helps.”
“Thanks, Lills, but we’ll just have to be patient this time,” Heather replied. At least they had the donuts for company.
Jung shook out his arms on the field, then glanced back up at the stands. Heather, Amy, and Lilly waved. He grinned and waved back, then puffed out his cheek. A gentle breeze fluffed his jet black hair.
“He looks nervous,” Lilly said.
“He’s terrified,” Amy replied. “But he’ll do great. Jung’s got what it takes to make it, you’ll see.”
“You sound pretty confident.” Heather finished off her donut, then used the serviette to wipe off her fingertips.
“I’ve seen him practicing. He hits the middle of those circle things every time,” Amy replied, and gestured to the targets.
Heather shifted in her seat, then hummed Sugar Man by Rodriguez.
“Is that an appropriate song?” Amy asked.
“Sugar, donuts. You know what I mean. Ah, look something’s happening,” she said, and pointed to the remote stand.
Two people emerged from the locker room. The audience smattered applause at their appearance.
“Wait a second,” Heather said and stood straight as a candy thermometer. “Wait one hot second.”
“Hey, lady!” A grumpy, bearded guy – not Geoff, at least – yelled behind them. “Sit down. I can’t see.”
Heather ignored him, then raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sun.
“Hey!” The guy clapped at her.
Amy spun on the spot and glared at him. “Oh, would you relax? Eat a donut or something, big guy.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you need someone to sweeten you up,” Amy replied.
Heather’s heart sank to the bottom of her stomach.
Ryan strode to the main table at the other end of the field, accompanied by a tall woman, her dark hair braided and gathered at the nape of her neck.
“That can’t be good,” Heather said, then plopped down in her seat.
“What? What is it?” Amy asked.
Lilly scooted closer and squinted at the table. “It’s Unc – Ryan! Ryan’s here. That’s cool.”
“No,” Amy whispered. “That’s not cool.”
Jung stopped moving down below. He glared directly at the head, judging table.
The speakers situated behind the stands buzzed and clicked, then screeched. Heather grimaced and covered her ears.
Ryan tapped on the end of a microphone. “The Archery Event 2016 is postponed until further notice. Please exit the stands and the school grounds immediately.”
“What?” The bearded guy screeched. “I paid good money for this ticket!”
“This guy,” Amy said and jerked her thumb over her shoulder. She rolled her eyes. “Somebody needs to take the world’s biggest, donut shaped chill pill.”
Ryan handed the microphone to the woman beside him.
“This is Judge Leticia Jackson. I can confirm that the event is postponed. Full refunds will be offered at the gate. A new time and date will be announced for the competition –”
The folks around Heather and her girls rose and grumbled. They shuffled to the exits.
“Unbelievable,” the bearded guy said. “Waste of my time. I could’
ve been home.”
“Preening his beard?” Amy whispered.
Lilly giggled and pressed her fist to her mouth.
Heather couldn’t find humor in the situation. She stared at Ryan, peeking between the moving bodies, and sighed.
“Here we go again,” she whispered.
Chapter 2
Heather brushed off the glass counter in Donut Delights, then walked out from behind it. She placed her hands on her hips and stared from one assistant to the other.
Jung sat in the center of the room, his head on his arms.
“Everything’s going to be fine,” Heather said. “We don’t know what’s happened yet. We can’t make any rushed assumptions.”
“It has to be something serious,” Amy said. She shifted in the seat just in front of the windows. Eva’s spot. Except Eva had taken Lilly back to Bill and Colleen’s and Heather had closed the store to the public.
Drilling and yells from next door broke her thoughts into two equal pieces. She rubbed her temples, then cleared her throat. “It’s going to be fine. I’m sure Ryan will tell me what happened when he gets the chance.”
“It’s over,” Jung replied, raising his voice to be heard over the drills and slams next door. “I’ll never get to compete.” He lifted his head off his arms and sighed. Dark rings sat circled his eyes. “This is what I’ve wanted for years. I can’t believe it’s over.”
Heather clapped once and the group jumped, then shifted in their seats.
Maricela and Angelica sat against the wall, backs resting on it. “What about donuts, boss?” Angelica asked. “We didn’t sell all.”
“I know, but that’s okay too,” Heather yelled and pointed at the boxes on some of the tables. “We sold quite a few.”
Bang, bang, bang, went he hammers. Another reason they couldn’t open the store – they had to fit in with Ronald Tombs’ suggested construction schedule. He wanted the other side of Donut Delights open to the public as soon as possible.
“This noise!” Amy stuck her tongue out of the corner of her mouth and shut her eyes. “If I try, I can make believe it’s a huge woodpecker in a tree.”
“That’s horrifying,” Heather replied.
Ken snorted in response and touched the camera which dangled from a strap around his neck.
A knock rattled the door, and the group jumped for the second time. Heather joined in.
Ryan waved from the other side of the glass door and squinted past the printed Donut Delights logo on it.
“Just a second,” Heather yelled.
“This is it.” Jung squished around in his chair and stared. “We’re going to find out if the competition can start up again.”
Heather unlocked the door, then opened it. The bell tinkled overhead, and Ryan stepped into the interior. He glanced around the room, then blew out a long, quiet breath. “Having fun in here?” He asked. “Sounds like a regular party.”
“If parties are hosted by construction workers with hammers and chisels and –” Amy cut off and searched for the word.
She wasn’t an authority on construction.
“Chisels?” Ken suggested.
“Right, those.”
“I’ve got news,” Ryan replied, and slipped his arm around Heather’s waist. “Let’s talk in your office.”
“I hope it’s good news, because Jung is on the verge of collapse, over here.”
Ryan leaned in and pressed his lips to her ear. “Feed him a donut or five. He’s going to need the sugar for the shock.”
“Uh oh.” Heather’s sleuthin’ intuition hadn’t been wrong yet. This wouldn’t be an exception. She straightened and pointed at her bestie by the window. “Ames, make everyone a coffee and a donut, please. I’ll be back in a second.”
Heather slipped her hand into Ryan’s, then led him to her office. She opened the door and walked inside, anxiety bubbling through her stomach.
So much to do. So much to handle. Donuts, construction, her exam next week and now this.
“What happened?” Heather asked. She circled to her chair, then grasped the head rest and dug her fingernails into the leather. “Another murder.”
Ryan shut the office door. “I’m afraid so. And you can bet I’m going to need your help on it. In a strictly off-the-record fashion.”
“I’m discreet,” Heather said. The hammering from next door continued, muffled by the walls, this time.
“You’re about as discreet as those workers next door,” Ryan replied. “But that’s okay. You’re good, and that’s what matters.”
“Thanks, honey,” she said and blew him a kiss. “What happened?”
“The co-judge at the competition, Kyle Henson, is dead. Found him in the locker room with an arrow right through the heart. Carbon arrow, by the way. That’s important for identifying the killer.”
Heather squeezed the leather ‘til it squeaked. “But that means…”
“Yeah, the murderer was an archer.”
Heather sighed and let go of her chair. She rested her forearms on it, and the leather stuck to them, coated in a thins layer of her sweat.
Archers had flooded the town after the announcement of the new annual, archery competition. Women and men in various age groups, from the cities surrounding Hillside. Some had even come in from as far as Houston or Dallas.
“That’s a lot of possibilities. We’re talking competitors, coaches, spouses, the other judge, even. Ugh. Where do we start? And don’t you dare say Jung is a suspect because he –”
Ryan tilted his head to the side. “I know, he was here last night. I’ll still have to interview him, though.”
“So the murder occurred last night?” Heather asked, and pouted. Hmmm. She’d have to put her thinking cap on for this one. She didn’t know all that much about Kyle Henson, even though he’d coached at Hillside High, once upon a time.
“That’s our best estimate at the moment,” Ryan replied. “Last night around midnight.”
“Spooky,” Heather replied. She cracked her knuckles, then grimaced and shook her hands out. “All right. I’m on it.”
“Good,” Ryan said, then bobbed his chin up and down. “So am I.”
One cop and one intrepid baker on the case. What could go wrong?
Chapter 3
“This is the only lead?” Amy asked, and flicked Dave’s leash. The motion travelled down the thin cord and jangled his collar.
Dave sat down on her foot as a reward.
“Not the only lead, but the solid one. When in doubt, look to the grieving widow,” Heather replied.
The hotel on the corner of Smith Street and Acacia Road stared at them, its windows clear, but shuttered by heavy drapes within. An ‘OPEN’ sign hung in the glass front door.
Hillside Hotel & Spa served the classiest of visitors to the town. Sure, they didn’t get five star treatment but it was better than the motels dotted around Hillside. Three start would have to do.
“A spa. We’re going to have to get a treatment here some time. Full facial. Massage. The works.” Amy sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. “All these late nights are getting to us both.”
Heather stifled a yawn behind her fist. “You can say that again.”
“All these late –”
“Ames.” Heather raised her finger and waggled it. “Don’t start with your shenanigans today. We’re supposed to be in a somber mood. You know, grieving for the widow Henson.”
“What’s her name anyway?” Amy asked, and booted Dave off her foot. He wagged his tail at her, tongue lolling from the corner of his mouth.
“Lori,” Heather replied. “That’s what the town gossips say. And the newspaper printed her name after the death.”
“So much for maintaining the privacy of Kyle’s family, am I right?” Amy pursed her lips.
“It’s Hillside,” Heather said. “People don’t think the same here. We’re all kinda special in our own way.”
“Not gonna argue with that.”
Heather walked
to the hotel door, then placed her palm against the silver bar and wrenched it open. She poked her head inside.
A young woman, eyelids bedazzled in pink glitter eyeshadow, blinked and looked up from her Cosmo. “Can I help you?”
“May,” Amy whispered in Heather’s ear. “Don’t say I don’t learn anything.”
“Hi there, are pets allowed on these premises?” Heather asked.
The Cosmo girl smacked her pink lips and nodded. “Yes, ma’am. Dogs and cats. No pet snakes, though.”
“What about rats?” Amy asked, and Heather nudged her in the tummy. Amy made an ‘oof’ noise, then chuckled.
Heather walked over the threshold and up to the counter. “We’re here to talk to Lori Henson. Could you tell me what room she’s in?”
“I’m afraid Mrs. Henson is unavailable,” the receptionist replied. “She asked not to be disturbed.”
“She’s expecting us.” Amy bent and picked up Dave, to drive the cuteness factor through the roof.
“I – oh, I’ll have to call ahead,” the receptionist replied.
Heather eyed her nametag. “Lucy, we’re here to offer the widow Henson our condolences. I’m not sure –”
“The widow Henson? Is that what they’re calling me now?” A woman spoke from the stairs in the corner.
Heather spun to face her.
Lori Henson’s hair shone by the light of the wall sconces – an auburn hue, burnished, flashy – and she swished that do back and glared at them. “What do you want?”
Heather glanced at Lucy the receptionist, hazarded a smile, then walked over to Lori. She stopped in front of the short, middle-aged woman and put up her ‘customer’ smile.
“Hi,” she said, “I’m Heather Shepherd.”
“Oh,” Lori replied. “Am I supposed to be impressed by that? Are you one of the village elders?”
“Uh, village elders?” Amy muttered. Dave barked and snuggled his snout beneath her chin.
Lori didn’t look at either of them. Her gaze didn’t waver an inch.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” Heather replied, and kept her smile in place –the battle for that would soon be lost.
“Kyle told me about this one horse town ages ago. Hillside this and Hillside that. Ugh, I should’ve figured it would be this, this…” Lori broke off and pressed her lips into a thin line.
M&M Surprise Murder: A Donut Hole Cozy Mystery - Book 17 Page 1
