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

by Leona Fox

  However, just as people were castigating her and the other dog owners, and while others were trying to salvage the remnants of the destroyed pies, people began getting strange looks on their faces. Then their expressions contorted. Their hands held their stomachs as they doubled over and looked for something in which to be sick, such as a paper bag. When they could find none, people began expelling their guts onto the green grass. The crowd all was suffering from the same affliction. This aroused even more attention, and everyone who wasn't caught in the throes of vomiting wore concerned looks on their faces.

  Ellen picked up Scampy and held him close to her while an ambulance was called, which didn't take long to arrive. Others ran to get glasses of water and cloths to try cleaning up the people who were writhing in agony on the ground, but Ellen was observing the situation. The stench of stomach acid was strong and it almost made her throw up as well. It also made her look at Scampy with a raised eyebrow. She wondered if the small dog had smelled something amiss, and his chaotic behavior actually had been the only thing that prevented other people from getting violently ill.

  Either way, it cast a shadow over the rest of the festival, and nobody could speak of anything else for the rest of the day.

  Chapter 2

  “Can you believe it? Thirty people went to the hospital! What a thing to happen this weekend. Some people are saying the pie eating contest is starting to be cursed. But it's a lucky thing I didn't go with you to that table, otherwise I might be in the hospital with them,” Kelly said.

  “I know, it's a wonder your mystic friend wasn't able to warn anyone about it,” Ellen replied.

  The two of them were sitting in the cafe the following morning, eating breakfast together. Ellen had not slept well the previous night and there were bags under her eyes.

  “There's no need to be mean,” Kelly said.

  “I'm sorry, I'm just tired,” Ellen said, and offered an apologetic smile.

  “It was just horrible seeing them all standing there one moment and then collapsing the next. And I was about to eat a piece of pie myself. I could have been with them. Are they all going to be alright?”

  “I think so, but I don't know many of the details. I just heard things, you know. They've said the rest of the festival still is going ahead so that's something, but it won't be the same without the pie tasting contest.”

  “No, and I imagine Carrie will be disappointed that her ten-year winning streak has been interrupted.”

  “It's just sad isn't it, that after all that hard work none of them will be able to claim the prize?”

  “Yes...it is,” Ellen said, with a thoughtful look on her face.

  “What's the matter?” Kelly said.

  “I'm just thinking...did the hospital say the cause of the illness?”

  “Well, I imagine it was the pies.”

  “I know, but do you know if it was just the way they were cooked or if there was some...added ingredient?”

  “You think somebody poisoned the pies?!” Kelly exclaimed in a low whisper.

  “I was up all night thinking about it. I just don't see how one of those veteran pie-makers could have made a mistake like that. Perhaps someone was really tired of Carrie winning all the time and thought the only way to stop her was by sabotaging the entire contest. Or maybe they had some grudge against the people of the town.” She leaned back in her chair and took a sip of coffee.

  “Looks like it could be another case for us to solve,” Kelly said.

  “If you have the time for it,” Ellen said. The tone of her words was a little sharper than she intended.

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “I don't know, nothing. I'm sorry.”

  “No, come on Ellen, we're not like that. We don't keep things from each other. If there's something bothering you then you have to let me know,” she said, a genuine look of worry upon her face. Ellen sighed and looked around at everyone else, who all were minding their own business.

  “You're right, I'm sorry. I just want to make sure it comes out in the right way. This isn't a major criticism or anything, it's just how I feel. I want you to know right off that I am really happy for you and I'm glad you've found Matthew because the two of you seem to make each other happy. But at the same time...I miss you Kelly. It feels like we never hang out as much as we used to, and with you being with Matthew and Andy being back with his family I suppose I just felt a little left behind. Which, again, I know you're not doing this consciously so it's not a reflection on you, it's simply how I feel about things,” she said. Ellen averted her eyes from Kelly because she was afraid her friend would take what she said in the wrong way.

  “Oh, Ellen, that's so sweet!” she said, taking Ellen by surprise as she grasped her hand.

  “You're not mad?”

  “Of course not! You love me!” Kelly said, beaming.

  “I wouldn't go that far,” Ellen replied in a teasing tone, and the two women giggled a little.

  “I know I've been wrapped up in Matthew. It's something I do whenever I fall for someone. I know I can get a bit too focused, but I wish you had said something sooner! I miss us as well. So from now on I'm going to make sure I make some Ellen time!”

  “I'd like that.”

  “And I'm sure Andy will be back before you know it. Maybe it's finally time for the two of you to figure out what the hell you're doing. One minute I think you're going to get together and the next you're back to being friends but then you have this weird flirty vibe going on. Ellen, really, it's crazy and you need to sort it out so I can keep up with things in my own head.”

  “I think the problem is I'm not sure what I want.”

  “Your problem is also your greatest strength. You have this great mind that can figure out elaborate murder plots but it also makes you over-think everything in your personal life. All you want, all anyone wants out of life, is to be happy. So make decisions that lead to that outcome.”

  “Sometimes Kelly you really surprise me,” Ellen said.

  “Not just a pretty face,” Kelly replied, winking.

  Many people only saw Kelly as the ditsy blonde but there were moments when she showed great philosophical insight, and Ellen was glad to call Kelly her best friend.

  “So how are things going with you and Matthew?” Ellen asked.

  “Really good actually, he's so sweet!”

  “Does it not bother you that he's divorced?”

  “No, we all have baggage and I can't hold that against him. All that matters to me is he's good to me now, and he has been.”

  “Isn't it a worry, though? I mean, his divorce was pretty recent, wasn't it?”

  “I think they were having problems for a while. So it was one of those things where the marriage was over long before it was over. Pretty rough though, from what I hear. We have talked about it. He said he had wasted too many years and didn't want to waste more thinking about the past. He only wanted to focus on the future, so I have as well and it's been great.”

  “It was lucky you two didn't go to the pie tasting yesterday,” Ellen said, and she was afraid to say what was on her mind.

  It had struck her how adamant Matthew had been about wanting to avoid the pie tasting tables. Not wanting to bump into his ex-wife and ex-mother-in-law was as good a reason as any she supposed, but was there something more? The divorce had been rough. Perhaps Matthew had wanted to take his bitterness out on them? But, of course, Ellen couldn't bring this up to Kelly. So she decided to sit on it, and watch Matthew with a careful eye. If her suspicion proved correct then he wasn't someone she wanted her best friend to be involved with.

  But before the conversation could go any further the door opened and Andy walked through. Ellen was sitting with her back to the door. So it was Kelly who saw him first and she nodded toward him. Ellen turned around to see what Kelly was indicating, and a wide smile appeared on her face. Had she been younger she would have leaped up as excitedly as Scampy when she returned home. In her middle-aged y
ears she had become more reserved and instead rose gracefully to greet Andy, who seemed to look even more handsome than ever. His soft eyes glowed and there was a serenity about him that had been missing for a while.

  “Hey Ellen,” he said.

  They stood close together and after a few moments he leaned in for a kiss on the cheek. She thought he only was going in for a hug so there was a clumsy moment where they banged into each other. Then they laughed.

  “It's good to see you,” she said, and the two of them looked at each other as though they had not seen each other for the longest time.

  Their eyes sparkled and there were so many things that Ellen wanted to say to him, but she didn't know where to begin. She started thinking Kelly was right in that things did seem simple once she knew what she wanted to make her happy. But Kelly, seeing that the two of them were locked in this strange silence, interrupted and got the conversation back on track.

  “I didn't think you'd ever come back! Come and join us,” she said.

  Andy took a seat beside Ellen, who also slid back into the booth. With the casual ease of old friends, he gestured to Ellen's half-eaten plate of food. Ellen nodded, for she was full up, so Andy dragged the plate in front of him and began eating the food heartily.

  “I've been so rushed since I've been back I've barely had a chance to sit down,” he said, calling over the waitress to order a drink.

  “It hasn't been the same without you,” Ellen said, and again the two of them shared an intimate look.

  “I have to say I missed this place a lot. Being back at home was...interesting,” he said, and Ellen found herself wanting to know everything about his trip. But there were more urgent matters at hand, and it was something that would have to wait until later.

  “So I see the town hasn't exactly been quiet in my absence,” he said.

  “Indeed it has not,” Ellen said.

  “I thought I should come back for the festival but I didn't expect to find a pie epidemic.”

  “So you've been investigating it already?” Kelly said.

  “I have, and once again Ellen your dog has saved the day. I don't know how he did it but somehow he sensed the pies had been poisoned. If he hadn't knocked everything over things could have been worse, much worse.”

  “How do you mean?” Ellen asked.

  “If anyone had eaten any more than they would have died. Thankfully, everyone is recovering, although they look the worse for wear.”

  “Do you have any suspects yet?” Ellen asked, wondering if he would bring up Matthew. Andy scraped up more food onto his fork and soon enough the plate was completely cleaned.

  “Only one. Some of them were able to be questioned, and of the ones we've spoken to so far the only common pie between them was the one that Carrie made.” The revelation came as a shock.

  “I don't believe it,” Ellen said.

  “Me neither,” Kelly replied.

  “I was just speaking to her this morning and she was the kindest woman. I've never heard anything bad said about her,” Ellen added.

  “I don't know what to say. She's the prime suspect, and crazier things have happened. Not everything is what it seems, you two should know that by now. You've helped me on enough cases. I have to bring her in for questioning at least. She knows more about these pies than anyone.”

  “What if somebody was trying to kill her?” Kelly said.

  “How would poisoning the pies that other people were going to eat achieve that end?” Andy asked.

  “Well, she would have to test the pies, right? To make sure that they came out right? If she ate enough of them then she'd ingest enough to kill her. Maybe that was the whole plan?”

  “It's an interesting theory, but I'll see what Carrie says first and go from there. Don't worry, I'll be gentle,” he assured them.

  And then he made his leave, because there was much work to be done, especially when there was a mass poisoning. However, before he left, Ellen, at Kelly’s urging, rose and chased after him.

  “Andy! Wait,” she said. He turned around and smiled that charming smile of his once again.

  “I know you're really busy with this case and everything but the festival is still going ahead. I thought maybe you'd like to join me tonight and we could have a wander through the park and watch the candlelight vigil together?”

  “Yeah, that sounds like a great idea I'll meet you at the park entrance at 7:30?” he suggested, and Ellen nodded in agreement.

  Suddenly, among the tragedy of the poisoning there was a thrill in her heart, and for the first time her mind wasn't focused solely on the case at hand.

  Chapter 3

  Ellen spent all day looking forward to the evening. She and Kelly had made some quality time for themselves and now that Andy was back things were beginning to return to normal, and Ellen was glad for it. In the afternoon Kelly returned to spend time with Matthew, and Ellen went to the cafe. Since the festival was going on most people were in the park. So the cafe was quiet, which gave Ellen a chance to think about the case. She didn't think Carrie was responsible for the poisoning at all. She only hoped Andy's questioning wouldn't cause her too much distress but, as much as she hated to admit it, the person she suspected most was Matthew. Kelly had claimed the divorce had been rough, but Ellen needed to know more about the dynamics between Matthew and Carrie. There was a stereotype that husbands and mothers-in-law never got along, and she wondered if that was true in this instance.

  But once the evening began to draw near and a twilight haze descended upon the quiet town, Ellen returned home to change into something a little more special. She sprayed perfume on herself and applied a little makeup, just enough to accentuate her own natural beauty, and then turned to Scampy.

  “I know you really want to come out tonight and I'm proud of you for what you did yesterday but I'm afraid people are still mad at you for knocking over all the pies. I'd rather not cause a riot by bringing you there. It's just one evening though, so you be a good boy now and I promise I'll make it up to you,” she said, giving him a tight cuddle and burying herself in his fur as she kissed him.

  It was heart-wrenching t0 leave him, especially when he whimpered mournfully at her. She had to avoid looking at his wide, liquid puppy dog eyes and ignore the tugging at her heart, but eventually she was able to slip out the door and walk down the street. Soon her sadness at leaving Scampy was replaced by excitement about seeing Andy.

  She arrived at the entrance to the park before him, and she spent the following few moments scanning the crowd to try spotting his face. Despite the drama of the previous day people still turned out in droves, for the tradition of the festival was strong and she admired the community for coming together in the moment of need. She smiled to people as they passed by, and began to check her watch as Andy was late. Fifteen minutes had passed before he showed up, apologizing profusely.

  “You know what my job is like, but I promise that I'm all yours for the evening,” he said with a playful twinkle in his eye.

  “Let's make sure it stays that way,” she replied, and slipped her arm in with his.

  It felt natural as they walked along, and for a while the two of them didn't even say a word to each other. They simply enjoyed the companionship and comfort that came from sharing the same personal space. They strolled slowly through the festival, taking in all the sights and sounds that it offered until they came to the main showpiece, the performance of the history of the town. Seats had been arranged in a large circle, and a sound system had been set up so even the people in the back rows could hear what was being said. The show was already underway when Ellen and Andy arrived.

  As they sat down they made sly remarks, poking fun at the amateur dramatics on display. It was all in good fun, of course, as Ellen admired their dedication to the show. It spanned the town’s history and the crowd watched, engaged by what they were seeing, until eventually the show came to an end, and met with rapturous applause. By the time it finished the sun had set and t
he full pale moon was glowing silver in the sky. The crowd rose as one for they all knew what would happen next. They filtered through to another area of the park where rows and rows of candles had been laid out. Andy and Ellen waited patiently in line for their turn.

  “How was your trip home?” she asked.

  “It was...a little strange, actually. I don't know what I was expecting but it was like I had never left. Everyone was still the same.”

  “And your brother?”

  “Oh, he was the star as always, but I've come to terms with that now. I know my parents never are going to properly appreciate the work I do, but that's because they're just not aware of it. I think I've made my peace with that now. I have to. Anyway, they're not going to change now.” As he spoke Ellen detected a hint of sadness in his words and there was a strange look on his face.

  “Andy, is everything alright?”

  “Yes, yes, I'm fine. Going home just brought back a lot of memories, you know?”

  “I can imagine. You know I'm always here if you want to talk about it,” she said, squeezing his hand softly.

  He smiled at her, but didn't say any more about the subject. They reached the candles and took one each, then lit them before they walked to stand with everyone else. Everyone's faces were cast in an orange glow and for what seemed like miles all Ellen could see were soft orange dots that were as multitudinous as the stars. A solemn silence descended upon everyone as they remembered who had passed through the hallowed town and their hearts, who they missed, and who they longed to see again.

  Ellen thought of her parents, how they had raised her and taken care of her, and how she had returned home to take care of them. She thought of how weak and pale they were at the end, but then those memories were replaced by brighter ones. She remembered how she and her father used to run and play in the park, how he would lift her in his arms and pretend to launch her into the sky. She remembered the soft, comforting smell of her mother's arms, and the way that somehow her mother always knew how to make everything right. She remembered how happy they were, how in love they were, and how it remained until the end of their lives. Tears filled her eyes and streamed down her face, but her mouth was curled into a smile for she knew they died happy, and she hoped for the same thing herself someday.