Chocolate Fudge Murder: A Frosted Love Cozy Mystery - Book 20 (A Frosted Love Cozy Mysteries)

by Summer Prescott

  “So, in her world, killing people was okay, but killing animals was a problem?” Cheryl raised her eyebrows.

  “Given some of the folks I’ve met, I can kind of see the old dame’s point,” Kel remarked dryly, and Echo elbowed him in the ribs.

  “Apparently so,” Missy nodded, ignoring the artist’s irreverent comment.

  “Wow, who would’ve thought that the snooty younger brother that everyone disliked would be the only sane one in the bunch?” Echo remarked. Everyone around the table nodded and made sounds of agreement.

  “As strange as it may seem, I feel bad for Dolly. I mean, a woman her age, going to prison. She’s going to live out her few remaining years in jail,” Missy frowned.

  “A fact that should make furriers and research scientists everywhere profoundly thankful,” Kel reminded her.

  “I know. I just can’t help still thinking of her as a sweet little old lady who loves dogs,” she shrugged.

  “Well, I suppose even the worst people have some redeeming characteristics,” Cheryl said, covering Missy’s hand.

  The bell over the door jangled, startling them all, as Grayson, walked into the shop, followed by Sarah, carrying little Cammie who had woken up.

  “We have news,” Grayson announced, grinning ear to ear.

  Chapter 18

  Sarah handed off a sleepy Cammie to her mother and stood beside Grayson, smiling while the rest of the group stared at them, collective eyebrows raised.

  “Well…what is it?” Echo was the first one to find her voice.

  “Ever since Mrs. B gave me the cupcake shop in LaChance, I’ve had a hard time finding the right person for the assistant management position,” Grayson replied. “I thought about it for a long time, and, after talking with Sarah about some of her goals and dreams, I offered it to her,” he announced, as Sarah smiled and blushed.

  “Oh, that’s wonderful!” Missy exclaimed, wondering if Spencer had heard about the plan. “When are you planning on leaving?” she asked Sarah.

  “I’ll fly out to Louisiana when Grayson does, in a couple of days. There’s a girl who is my age that works at the store who’ll let me stay in her guest room until I find a place to live, and she can help me learn the ropes,” Sarah sounded excited.

  “Well, it looks like I’m losing a roommate,” Echo observed with a grin. “Congratulations, I’m happy for you.”

  “Thanks,” the excited young woman replied. “I think it’ll do me a world of good to get away from Calgon. There are too many painful memories here. Every day, when I go to work at the coffee shop downtown, I pass by the charred ruins of my parents’ house and it gives me chills,” she admitted. “I need this time to heal and grow.”

  “And, she’s going to be taking classes at the community college when she’s not working,” Grayson added, gazing at the young lady beside him with open admiration. “Business has been really good, Mrs. B, I’m seriously considering looking into re-opening the Dellville store if things keep going the way that they have been,” his eyes sparkled.

  “That’s amazing Grayson, it really is,” Missy’s eyes grew moist, thinking of her old stores in Louisiana. She got up from the table and went to hug them both, which prompted everyone else to follow suit.

  “Cupcakes are on me!” Kel called out in the spirit of celebration, making everyone laugh.

  Chapter 19

  Dolly Lieberman’s prognosis hadn’t been stellar after her stroke, and the judge at her trial took a lenient approach, placing her under house arrest, with a clunky tracking bracelet clasped permanently around her tiny ankle. She had legally assigned all of her assets over to her son, Samuel, unbeknownst to him, prior to leaving for Florida, and was currently living in Paul’s former home, which Samuel had insisted be cleansed and redecorated before his mother moved into it.

  Her thoughtful son had brought three stray cats to Dolly that he’d adopted from a shelter, and had a staff member stay to look after his mother and her pets full time, until she succumbed to pneumonia a few short months later. At least, pneumonia was the official cause of death listed on her death certificate. There was no autopsy and more than one rumor about a certain pillow in the hands of a certain daughter-in-law circulated amongst the housekeeping staff. To his credit, in compliance with his mother’s will, the proceeds from selling Paul’s house were donated to the local shelter, along with a million dollar grant to use as they saw fit.

  The relatives of the furrier from Manhattan, the scientist from Philly, and poor, unfortunate Dolores Meacham, were notified that their loved ones’ killer had been found and was now deceased, so they finally had their closure. The bones of scores of cats were recovered from the yard and cremated, and Dolores’ bits and pieces were laid to rest in her family’s plot.

  Samuel Lieberman had paid for every bit of his family’s stay and all of the associated festivities, without question, but never did get around to apologizing for having accused Missy and her staff of participating in his brother’s death. When the family left the Inn, finally, it was a relief to have just a few days respite, where everyone could take a deep breath, relax and begin gearing up for the next holiday festivities.

  **

  “It’s a wonderful thing to have nothing to worry and fret over this week,” Missy sighed, content, as she, Kel and Echo enjoyed their cupcakes and coffee without stress for a change.

  “I’ve had my ear to the ground, and there hasn’t been so much as a whiff of scandal to report,” the artist shook his head in mock regret.

  “You’re awfully quiet,” Missy nudged Echo, who had been staring into space for most of the morning.

  “I’m just tired, I suppose,” was the vague reply. “It’s sort of strange having Sarah move out. It’s like I’ve forgotten how to live alone.”

  “I know what you mean, I miss that solitude sometimes,” her friend agreed.

  “Wanna trade?”

  “No way,” Missy chuckled, thinking of how much she appreciated life with her loving husband.

  “Is Chas still mad at us for interfering in his investigation?” Kel asked.

  “He wasn’t mad…exactly. Just frustrated that we didn’t tell him of our plans in advance,” she shrugged.

  “Well of course we didn’t!” the artist shook his head. “That responsible gent would’ve nixed our ideas and then where would we be?”

  “I’m pretty sure that Chas would’ve figured it out without our help. That is his profession after all,” she gave Kel a pointed look.

  “Well, of course he would have, he’s a clever one, but look at all the time that it would’ve taken for one man to run down all of the possibilities. With all of us working on it, we caught the killer in no time,” he said triumphantly.

  “Yeah, I still feel kind of bad about that,” Missy murmured, thinking of the sweet old woman who loved dogs and cats.

  Kel blinked at her. “Mourn all you like, my tender-hearted friend, I can’t say that I feel even the slightest pang of conscience at having helped to bring justice to a serial killer who valued animals more than people. Even our lovely vegan over here has to see the logic in that,” he smiled at Echo.

  “I’m sorry…what?” the redhead replied, seeming to be in another world.

  “Are you okay, honey?” Missy asked again, her concern growing.

  Echo nodded. “I think I’m going to go take a nap,” she murmured. “Kel, can you handle this afternoon at the gallery?”

  “Of course, my lovely,” he nodded, his eyes troubled. “Take all the time that you need.”

  “Do you want me to drive you, sweetie?” Missy offered.

  “No, there’s a bus that leaves in a couple of minutes, I’ll be fine,” she replied, rising and leaving to go without another word. Missy and Kel exchanged a worried glance and watched her slip silently from the room.

  Chapter 20

  Spencer was high atop a ladder, swaths of greenery wrapped around his shoulders and looped over his arms, as Missy directed his efforts
from below. His current holiday decorating task was to drape the lighted and beribboned garland artfully around the arms of the heavy bronze chandelier that hung in the main entry hall.

  “Okay, make that loop on the right a bit shorter, but leave plenty of room to hang glass balls from it,” Missy instructed from below, one hand massaging the crick in her neck from having to look up constantly.

  “My, my, my, looks like someone needs the help of a professional here,” Missy whirled around to see that Carla had come in without her noticing.

  “Carla,” Missy’s surprise showed on her face and in her tone. “What a surprise. Kel’s at the gallery if you’re looking for him,” she said dismissively, turning back to Spencer and the task at hand.

  “I suppose I deserve the cold shoulder,” the decorator didn’t move an inch. “Chas told me that you and Echo hadn’t said a thing about me to him, so I’m sorry that I jumped to that conclusion. As you know, I’m a bit sensitive when it comes to the two of you aligning against me,” she said, as a sad attempt at an apology. Missy wasn’t letting her off easily this time.

  “For the record…we’ve never “aligned against you.” If that’s what you think, then you’re a victim of your own very active imagination. I’ve given you every chance to be my friend. I’ve made excuses for your drunkenness, stood up for you when people have talked about you behind your back, and even forgave you when you blatantly flirted with my husband right in front of me, and you turn on me because of something that you thought I did, without even bothering to ask me about it? Sorry, honey, that kind of friend I don’t need,” Missy glared at the tiny brunette, her southern accent pronounced.

  “So, the cute little kitten does have claws,” Carla remarked, gazing at Missy with a newfound admiration. The decorator took a deep breath, and let it out in a rush. “Okay, you’re right. I’ve been perfectly wretched and have been using the death of my son and husband as an excuse, and for that I apologize,” she said tilting her chin up to hide her slightly quavering lip. “I promise to not make snap judgments about you in the future if I can help it. Now, are we going to decorate this place right, or not?” she raised her eyebrows, hands on hips. Missy considered her carefully.

  Slowly, she nodded. “I believe we are. Spencer, honey, come on down. We’re going to revise this plan,” she called to the Marine, who was more than glad to descend.

  **

  It had taken hours, but there was a big, beautifully decorated tree in the grand entry hall, and the entire Inn was aglow with tinsel, lights, sumptuous fabric, colorful ornaments and fragrant greenery. By the time Carla left, she and Missy were on good terms again – there just seemed to be something about working alongside someone on a common goal, which erased tension and righted past wrongs.

  Missy had worried about Echo for the past couple of days, and after not hearing from her yet again, she called and demanded that her friend come over for peppermint cocoa. She made a special variety, out of coconut milk and carob, for her vegan friend that was utterly delicious. Echo had agreed, not sounding terribly enthusiastic about the prospect.

  She tucked her arm into the reluctant redhead’s and led her around the Inn, showing her the holiday décor, hoping it would put a smile on her face, but it seemed that nothing could shake her friend from the apathy that seemed to plague her lately.

  “Alright darlin, this has gone on long enough,” Missy said firmly, sitting across the table from Echo, cocoa in hand. “Out with it.”

  “Huh?” was the half-hearted response as Echo poked a vegan marshmallow below the surface of her drink with a candy cane.

  “You’ve been quiet and pre-occupied and totally not acting like yourself for days now, and I want to know what’s wrong, sweetie. I can’t help you if you don’t talk about it,” she insisted lovingly.

  “You can’t help me anyway,” was the faint reply, tears welling in her eyes.

  “What is it? Please, honey, talk to me,” Missy implored, worried.

  “I just never thought that I’d be at this place in my life at this age. Most women my age have been married and had kids and are successful and happy, and I can’t say any of those things,” Echo sighed. “At least in Louisiana, I was a business owner and a member of the community. I have absolutely nothing to show for my life but a dumpy little house that I rattle around in by myself,” she explained, her voice breaking.

  Missy smiled fondly at her suffering friend. “Oh, Echo, don’t sell yourself short like that,” she advised, reaching across the table for her hand. “You never wanted kids as I recall, you’ve been enjoying being single and dating whomever you please, and we are going to do a total makeover on that cute little bungalow of yours and make it a warm and cozy place to come home to. Problem solved.”

  “I know it’s silly, but I just feel like life is passing me by,” she lamented.

  “There’s a word for that, darlin. It’s called midlife crisis, and we’re going to get together and blow right past it, I promise. We could even sign up for yoga classes if you want to,” she promised.

  Echo brightened at that. “You think it’ll help?”

  “Well, it can’t hurt. Even if you’re still sad sometimes, you’ll be flexible and sad,” she teased, finally eliciting a smile.

  “What would I do without you?” the Californian asked, shaking her head.

  Missy’s look turned serious and tears sprung to her eyes. “I’ll tell you the same thing you told me when I asked that question…you’ll never have to know.” The two friends stood and embraced in the warm glow of the holiday lights, tears running down their cheeks, unashamed.

  “Do I smell cocoa?” Chas appeared, with Spencer behind him. The two had become fast friends, and quite often, where you saw one of them, you saw the other. Missy and Echo broke apart, laughing and wiping their eyes.

  “Did we interrupt something?” Spencer asked, his keen eyes missing nothing.

  “Nope,” Echo grinned. “You boys are just in time. Have a seat and we’ll be back shortly,” she instructed, dragging Missy behind her to the kitchen to make more cocoa. They loaded up trays with leftover cupcakes and frothy mugs of cocoa, much to the delight of the gentlemen who awaited them.

  “Wow – are we celebrating something?” Chas asked, grabbing two cupcakes and a mug of cocoa.

  “Life,” Echo said with a soft smile, raising her mug.

  “Here, here!” Spencer replied, clinking his mug against hers while Chas and Missy followed suit.

  “To life,” Missy agreed, clutching her husband’s hand under the table.

  Copyright November 2015 Summer Prescott Books

  All Rights Reserved.

  A letter from the Author

  To each and every one of my Amazing readers: I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let me know what you think by leaving a review!

  I’ll be releasing another installment in two weeks so to stay in the loop (and to get free books and other fancy stuff) Join my Book club.

  Stay Curious,

  Summer Prescott