East Pender Boxed Set: Cozy Mystery Series Bundle of Books 1-14

by Leona Fox

  “She'd love to!” Kelly cried out, smiling wickedly. Ellen glared at her and then turned back to Andy.

  “Yes, that...that would be lovely,” she said, smiling coyly at Andy, who was beaming and rocking back and forth on his heels. But something caught Ellen's eye, Andy was holding something in his hands.

  “What's that?” she asked.

  “Oh, that's another case for you to work on, if you feel up to it?” he asked. “I know this one was quite heavy so don't worry if you don't--”

  “No, it's fine,” she said. Then she reached around him, grabbed the case folder and tossed it to Kelly.

  “But it can wait,” she said, and then linked her arm with Andy’s.

  “So where are you taking me to dinner?” she asked.

  The two of them walked off into the cool night, arm in arm, glad that the rigors of the case were over. Meanwhile, Kelly went back to her painting. In the hospital, Ella was sitting with Beatrice, glad she soon would be able to leave East Pender, and the ordeal she had been through, behind.

  Volume 4

  A Tasty Dose Of Trouble

  An East Pender Mystery Book 4

  Chapter 1

  It was early fall and the day had a warm calm about it. The trees’ leaves had turned a deep brown, and fallen to the ground. As Ellen and Scampy walked along, the leaves crunched under their feet. East Pender was cast in a wistful glow, tinged with nostalgia for the summer but welcoming the romantic nature of winter. The heatwave that had seared the town had passed and temperatures were returning to normal. Ellen was glad for this, because she had restarted her exercise regime and returned to what she considered peak fitness. Even Scampy cast a lean figure as Ellen had really clamped down on people giving him treats in the cafe.

  Everything had been quiet for a little while, and Ellen always was concerned by this because it usually meant something out of the ordinary was going to happen. However, the café was ticking along nicely and her personal life was as rewarding as ever, although she missed Andy. The police chief had been called away for a little while on family business and, although they had spoken on the phone a few times, his return had been delayed. She was looking forward to seeing him again. After reading the books his brother had written, now that she knew which character initially had been based on him, she felt as though she had a much greater appreciation of the man he was. Although the character in the book was a man haunted by an unsolved case, driven to a tragic end, Andy was a hero. Ellen saw far more of him in the main character than she did in anyone else. Although the stories were a little too graphic for her she still enjoyed them to some degree, although she often worked out the mystery early on in the book.

  Kelly always seemed amazed at this particular talent of Ellen’s even though the two women had solved enough cases themselves to be aware of each other’s capabilities. Ellen tried to remind Kelly that she was sharp too, but Kelly was always quick to dismiss this. She claimed her artistic mind never let her settle on one thing for too long and prevented her from focusing too much on one thing. But even so, Ellen's friendship with Kelly felt as though it had been put on hold as other things got in the way. After the heatwave Kelly had been inspired to create new works of art. Often when she went on a creative binge she shut herself away from all outside influences. Then she could concentrate on her artwork because that, of course, was her only source of income (although she never divulged to Ellen exactly how much she made from her paintings, and Ellen never deigned to ask). But after she had finished, Kelly's time also had been taken up by a new man, Matthew, a tall divorcee. The two of them seemed to be getting on wonderfully.

  While Ellen was delighted for her best friend she also was feeling a little lost. Without the two most important people in her life around, her days were rather lonely. The cafe was busy as always so she often had people around to talk to, but it was one thing to share casual small talk with an acquaintance and another to spend time with a trusted friend. She didn't want to deny Kelly any pleasure, though, as it had been a while since she had had a serious relationship. Kelly always seemed to drift between romances and in all the time they had known each other Ellen hadn't known her to be serious about anyone until now.

  Being isolated from Andy and Kelly reminded Ellen of her last days in the city, before she had returned to the warm bosom of East Pender, and it made her reflect upon her life. She never was averse to being by herself. So many people thought solitude to be a weakness, which she never had quite understood. To her spending time alone was valuable as a way to process thoughts, feelings, and things that happened in her life. However, she did wonder about the future and how, although East Pender was a welcoming community, she had so few people to count on. Since her parents died she had found it difficult to form firm connections with too many people as she was afraid of losing them, too. Even with Andy she was afraid to get too close. Although there always had been a hint of romance between them (sometimes more than a hint, she had to admit, smiling at the thought) there had been something stopping her from sharing the most intimate parts of her soul with him.

  Sometimes she thought she was too old for love, other times she wondered if it was just that she was too scared.

  But as she walked through the streets to Founding Park Scampy bounded around her ankles, occasionally running off to investigate something that caught her attention. She knew that as long as Scampy was around she would not be alone.

  The people in the town were out in droves as everyone was excited for the festival taking place over the weekend to celebrate the town’s founding. It was an annual tradition in which everyone delighted. There were performances and booths with lots of food. Everyone contributed something (Ellen herself had donated a lot of food from the cafe) and everyone took part. There had been some tragic crimes during the course of the year but seeing the people come together like this gave Ellen hope that everyone could be friends and a utopia could be achieved.

  People were walking in a large crowd and the air was filled with laughter and sounds of joy. People running the booths were crying out, trying to attract customers, while the different scents of the food made their way through the air, tempting and tantalizing Ellen and Scampy's noses. The fountain stood in the middle of the park and people milled around it, while spanning out across the wide green expanse was everything else. In the distance Ellen spied a clown fooling around, and as she made her way through the festival she saw all manner of things. There was a fortune telling booth (which she avoided because she believed in rational thought and didn't pay any attention to anyone who claimed to have a connection to the mystical world), a magician, and people in the booths were selling sparkling jewelry, souvenirs and other things. Someone even had a steam engine out, glistening under the gleaming sunlight.

  Later in the day there would be a performance re-enacting the story of the town’s founding, which everyone in East Pender knew, yet somehow never tired of. Until then there were a number of things paying tribute to that, including themed snacks, and Kelly had painted a number of pictures depicting various famous scenes of the town's history. The founding festival was not just a way to celebrate the town’s founding, as the name would suggest, but also to commemorate the entire history of the town and all who had lived in it. There was a tradition that, at the end of the festival, people would light and raise a candle in memory of someone special. Ever since she had been back Ellen had done so for her parents. That was the only somber moment in the festival though, everything else was a happy affair, even though the story of the founders wasn't the most lighthearted tale.

  It was the story of struggle and strife, of a band of men and women that battled against the elements and made their way across the country, losing many along the way. Nobody knew the expedition’s true goal as that had been lost to the annals of time. Some speculated they had been venturing away from an enemy and had settled in the first secluded spot they could find. Others claimed the adventurers wanted to start a new life away from an old
community filled with sinners, so they created their own Eden. More cynical people believed the first settlers had been running from something, perhaps were even criminals themselves and it was only those who came afterward who forged the community into something of which everyone could be proud. Either way, there was a real sense of history and community that spread throughout everyone. Although she may not have considered herself to be close friends with everyone in town, Ellen did feel a certain kinship with them. She was glad to be tethered to other people through that bond.

  “Ellen!” Kelly cried out.

  Ellen turned to face her best friend, who ran up to her and hugged her effusively. Matthew trailed behind, walking at a steady pace. He was always calm and level-headed, quite a contrast to Kelly's high energy, and he always seemed to be faintly amused by the way Kelly carried herself through life. He nodded at Ellen and said hello. The two of them still didn't know each other too well, but they were cordial. If Kelly liked him then Ellen was willing to consider him a friend.

  “The most wonderful thing just happened! We were in the mystic's tent and she told us love was going to be in the air, and that the days ahead were going to be filled with happiness!” she said, wearing a beaming smile.

  Ellen raised her eyebrows in politeness, and one look at Matthew told her he shared her skepticism when it came to mystics. Yet Kelly was a true believer, and Ellen knew it would be pointless to argue about it with her.

  “That's great,” she said, “how long have you been here?”

  “Oh, just a while, we've just been milling around. The magician is wonderful, though. You should go check him out.”

  “I'm sure I'll get around to him. I plan on seeing everything over the weekend.”

  “Where are you heading now?”

  “I actually was going over to the tasting tables to see what they have. Do you want to come along?” Ellen asked. Kelly and Matthew exchanged an awkward look, and Ellen's curiosity was piqued.

  “What's wrong? Have you already been over there?”

  “No, it's not that, it's just...” Kelly began, then Matthew stepped forward.

  “I'm trying to avoid that table Ellen. It's my ex-wife you see; her mother always wins the contest every year. I imagine she'll be present at the table for most of the day. You know what a celebrity she is at these things.”

  “You mean Carrie Malley?” Ellen said.

  “That's the one,” he replied.

  “He was married to her daughter, Justine,” Kelly said, and as she spoke she placed her hand over his arm, subconsciously marking her territory.

  “So it would be a little awkward for me to run into them if they're there. I'd just prefer to stay clear and blend into the crowd to be honest.”

  “A bad divorce then?” Ellen asked.

  “Is there any other kind?” he replied, and there was a sad look in his eyes.

  A soft silence descended upon them, broken when Kelly cleared her throat and smiled. Just like that she lifted the haze and breezily changed the subject. Ellen got the clear sense that Kelly did not like talking about Matthew's failed marriage. That was perfectly understandable, but Ellen also noticed the man had visibly stiffened. Although it was in the past, it still was evidently a matter of concern for him. She hoped Kelly wasn't falling harder for him than he was for her. But that would be something for the future to figure out. Instead, after they had spoken, Matthew and Kelly went their separate ways while Ellen and Scampy moved toward the tasting tables.

  Despite everything going on, Scampy was behaving and remaining close to Ellen, so she hadn't bothered bringing the leash. The tasting tables were some of the most popular. A crowd had amassed around them, which Ellen pushed through to get to the front. Carrie had won the contest for ten years in a row. There was a rule that the previous year's winner had to bring ten of the winning pies for people to taste, along with a new pie to be entered into that year’s contest. Despite Carrie's dominance in the field people kept competing and this led to new and inventive recipes. Although Carrie always had won, she never rested on her laurels, continually surprising people with her new pies. In fact, in the lead-up to the festival it had become something of a tradition to try finding out what type of pie Carrie was going to bring to the competition. Yet she always managed to keep it a secret until the festival was underway.

  While everyone was able to taste the pies, the actual judging was done by a panel of five judges, who awarded scores based on various criteria. Ellen took a fork and a plate, then went along the line, collecting various samples. There were so many pies, and each had a note saying what the pie was and who cooked it. She was about to take her first bite when Carrie came up beside her. Carrie was around sixty years old with bottle blonde hair and bright red lipstick. She never left the house without looking made up, and the creases on her face were covered with a thick layer of makeup. Yet her piercing blue eyes sparkled vividly and her voice was clear and sharp.

  “You run the cafe don't you?” she asked.

  Ellen nodded, “I do indeed.”

  “I'm surprised you didn't enter the competition. I've heard good things about the food in your place.”

  “Thanks. I'm glad the word is positive. I don't think it would be a good idea to go up against the famous Carrie Malley, though,” Ellen said with a twinkle in her eye. Carrie tossed back her head and laughed.

  The laugh bubbled up like a stream. When she laughed, Carrie's entire body vibrated. She took a deep breath and wiped a tear from her eye.

  “Yes, I don't know why people love my pies so much but I must be doing something right seeing as I keep winning! Every year I expect somebody else will take the crown but nobody has yet.”

  “Maybe you should retire and give the others a chance to win?”

  “I have considered it, but then the season approaches and I come up with a good idea for a pie and I just can't resist. Besides, they all need to step up their efforts and earn victory over me. Although I have to say I am wary of Margaret this year, I think she's got something up her sleeve with her choice.”

  “Have you tasted it yet?”

  “Oh no, I never try them. I have a figure to maintain and it's already too hard as it is.”

  “Yeah...” Ellen said, looking wistfully at her plate full of pie.

  “Don't feel guilty yourself. Enjoy yourself while you can! Besides, I've seen you running around town. I think you deserve to treat yourself,” Carrie said.

  Ellen smiled but still looked guiltily at the pies. While the table had been visible all morning it had only just been possible to actually taste the pies. So all around her Ellen heard the comments of people who were tasting them. The comments ranged from declarations of love for the flavors to ones of derision and disgust. Carrie sighed when she heard some of them about a particular pie.

  “What's the matter?” Ellen asked.

  “That's my daughter's pie. She always tries too hard, bless her, but she never quite gets it right.”

  “Surprising, considering you're her mother. Your daughter is Justine, isn't she?”

  “That's right. It's been a tough year for her. She could have used a little boost of self-confidence from this competition but her problem is she never listens to me. I've tried giving her advice. I even gave her some of my old recipes to work from, but she wouldn't take any of it on board. Always quick to complain, always slow to take action to fix things,” Carrie said with a heavy heart.

  “The sad thing is she's at the age now where I don't think she's ever going to change, but there we go. What can I do but love her despite her faults?”

  Ellen felt it sad that her mother felt that way about her daughter.

  “Is she here now?” Ellen asked.

  “Oh no, most of the other contestants don't come here until the end of the day. It can be a hard thing, you know, to hear people talking about things you've made. Justine used to but she could never take criticism and ended up getting into arguments with the people who were tasting her pie,
and that didn't reflect well on her or her food so now she stays clear. And, to be honest with you,” she said, lowering her voice and leaning into Ellen,” I think she wanted to give this place as wide a berth as possible to avoid bumping into her ex-husband. That is a whole other story in and of itself but, well, you try to give people advice and they never listen to you. What can you do? They have to make their own decisions and their own mistakes,” she said.

  Ellen nodded in agreement and was about to finally take a piece of the famous pie, but Scampy had other ideas. He had been scampering around as usual but was barking loudly and seemed to be going crazy. He leaped up and knocked the plate out of Ellen's hand, leaving her stunned. She called out his name in shock and tried to regain control but he ignored her commands and dodged her outstretched hand. Then he went around to a number of other dogs and seemed to rally them to whatever cause had seized him.

  Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as the dogs ran like an onrushing army. Every owner tried to order them back but it was as though they had been possessed. The people tasting the pies were bowled over and scattered by the dogs. They were moving forward as an unstoppable force, led by Scampy, careening into the tables and knocking them over. The pies fell to the ground and were trampled into the ground, smashed and broken.

  “Control your dog!” one of the many irate people cried to Ellen, who felt incensed at herself, Scampy, and the people glaring at her.

  The incident had caused much consternation and now other people had come over to see what the fuss was about. Scampy and the other dogs returned to their respective owners, still barking furiously, and the noise filled the air. Ellen apologized profusely and scolded Scampy, but deep inside she wondered what on Earth had come over him. Usually he was so well-behaved and yet something had caused him to lose his little canine mind.