Strawberry Cream Murder

by Susan Gillard

  Caramel Sundae & Murder: Book 40

  An Oceanside Cozy Mystery

  Susan Gillard

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  Copyright 2018 by Guardian Publishing Group, LLC

  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 holder.

  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.

  Printed in the United States of America

  Contents

  1. Donuts, Dinosaurs, and a Dog

  2. Jamie’s Story

  3. The Van and the Plan

  4. The Dog in the Station

  5. Skip’s Owner

  6. The Crime Scene

  7. Breakfast

  8. The Ex Suspect

  9. The Horn House

  10. Caramel Sundae Suspicions

  11. Friend and Neighbor

  12. Tears Shed

  13. The Brother

  14. Pondering

  15. In the Interrogation Room

  16. Stopping to Smell the Flowers

  17. The Hospital Bed

  18. Skip

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  About the Author

  Donuts, Dinosaurs, and a Dog

  "You're not going to offer them your newest flavor?" Digby asked quietly in amazement.

  Heather chuckled. "I know they love to try it, but I'm hesitant to interrupt them. They look so hard at work."

  "Yeah," Digby said. "But I can’t imagine Amy being too happy when she hears that she wasn't offered a donut right away."

  "I guess you're right," Heather said.

  Heather did agree with her assistant, but she had enjoyed watching Amy and Lilly working on their project together. Heather's daughter Lilly was a young writer and had enjoyed writing dinosaur detective stories for a long while. Heather and her husband had even gotten Lilly a pink typewriter for her birthday for her to continue with the stories. However, recently, after being invited to a writers group at the local bookshop, Lilly had become even more serious about her work. Heather's best friend Amy was an artist and had offered to illustrate a book for her. The owner of the bookshop, Heather's friend Bernadette, was already such a fan of the work that she planned on selling some copies in her store.

  Heather loved watching her best friend and her daughter work individually, but it was even more thrilling to watch them work on something together. However, she knew that they would enjoy sampling her newest donut flavor.

  Digby had already put two of the new donuts on plates, and Heather grinned.

  "I think I see your ulterior motive," she said. "You want a taste of the new treat too."

  "Can you blame me?" Digby asked. "I mean, it has sundae in the name!"

  Before Heather even had a chance to respond, she was joined at the donut counter. Amy and Lilly had swooped over to them.

  "Did you say sundae?" Lilly asked. "Like an ice cream sundae?"

  "Are you holding out on us?" Amy demanded. She pounded the counter playfully.

  "No," Heather protested. "We have some donuts right here for you."

  "And you're really going to like them too," said Digby.

  Heather brought the donuts over to the table where her friends had been working. They followed dutifully behind, along with Digby.

  "All right," Heather said. "Digby, you can have one too. And then you'll have to give Luz and Nina a break so they can try the new flavor as well."

  "Sure thing," said Digby. "And I'll make sure that Janae gets one too when she comes in for her shift after leading those bike tours. I'd agree to give anyone a break if it means I get one of these."

  "Agreed," said Amy.

  "This looks so delicious," said Lilly. "It really does look like an ice cream sundae with the sprinkles and toppings."

  "I'm glad you think so. That's what I was going for," said Heather. "I think you noticed the other special topping."

  "I could sure get into some sticky situations with that topping," Amy joked.

  "It's caramel?" Asked Lilly.

  "That's right," said Heather. "And that's how it gets its name. The Caramel Sundae Donut."

  "Give us the spiel," said Digby.

  Heather smiled. She loved describing her recipes and how she chose to pair ingredients together to form a new flavor. She liked it almost as much as actually getting to eat them.

  "The Caramel Sundae Donut has a caramel flavored cake base, and it's filled with a vanilla cream to taste like ice cream. The icing on top is chocolate reminiscent of fudge, and there's some whipped cream on top of that. It's topped with caramel drizzles and sprinkles."

  "Can we eat it now? Pretty, pretty please with a cherry on top," said Amy. "That's especially fitting since the donuts are topped with cherry too."

  "Let's enjoy our ice cream," Heather teased.

  Her friends didn't need to be told twice. They all picked up a Caramel Sundae Donut and took a big bite. For a moment it was completely quiet. Then, after they finished chewing, they broke into praise.

  "This is awesome! I like it even better than ice cream," said Lilly with a smile.

  "I think we are going to need another scoop," Amy said reaching for another donut.

  "You did it again, boss," Digby said. "This is great."

  "I can't believe you just tried to hide this from us," Amy said, holding her second snack close.

  "I wasn't hiding it from you," Heather said. "I just didn't want to interrupt your creative process."

  "You can always interrupt with your creative process," Amy assured her. "I love the desserts you create in your kitchen."

  "How is your book coming along?" Heather asked.

  "I think it's going pretty well," said Lilly.

  "Do you still think you have it done by the end of the summer like your original goal?" Asked Heather.

  "I think we could," said Amy. "We got a lot done already."

  "You looked hard at work," Heather commented.

  "I was feeling inspired. I had some ideas of what the dinosaurs could look like, and I wanted to see if Aunt Amy agreed," said Lilly. "And I wanted to get some work done before my friend Nicholas comes to visit next week."

  "That's a good idea," said Heather. "I think he'll be here for the remainder of the summer, and you two are always so busy when he comes to stay."

  Heather knew that Lilly had been worried that something would go wrong with Nicholas's visit. He had been her best friend when they were both in foster care, and now the Shepherd family made sure to include him in their festivities whenever they could. There had been some delays, but they were looking forward to letting him spend the summer with them near the beach.

  "It was a good time for me to do some art too," said Amy. "Jamie is busy with his mobile pet grooming business today, and Josh isn't obsessing over his restaurant plans because his fiancée is returning today. And we're also between cases, so it seems like I have plenty of free time."

  Heather looked at some of the drawings for the dinosaur detective story. She raised an eyebrow as she saw a T-Rex that was the same color as her red hair. She was about to ask about it when someone ran into the shop.

  Heather tried not to gasp when she saw who it was. Digby almost dropped his donut in surprise but saved it in the last moment. Amy immediately jumped t
o her feet.

  The person who entered the shop was not a customer but was Amy's boyfriend, Jamie. He looked very stressed and was holding a medium-size dirty dog in his arms.

  Because of the look on his face, Heather didn't bother commenting on how the dog wasn't really up to health standards at the donut shop. She waited for him to explain what was so wrong.

  Jamie gestured with his head, and Heather and Amy hurried over to speak with him. Heather was grateful that Digby stayed with Lilly.

  "I don't know what to do," Jamie said fearfully. He looked at the large bundle he was holding whined. "I was just starting to groom him. And then I noticed it. The blood. I didn't know what to do when I saw the blood."

  Jamie’s Story

  "Did you say blood?" Heather asked. She covered her mouth as soon as she said it, hoping that Lilly didn't hear it.

  Jamie nodded. He looked serious and distressed at the same time. The dog lifted his head and stared at Heather. She knew she had to do something.

  "Let's go into my office," said Heather.

  She led the way, and Amy and Jamie with the dog followed her. Her assistant Nina looked up as they walked by. Heather assured her that they were all right, though she wasn't certain herself. She told Nina to make sure that Lilly was looked after by all the assistants.

  After they'd entered the office, Heather closed the door. Jamie was beginning to pace. It might've been humorous to see him walking around with an arm full of dog if it weren't for the serious circumstance.

  "Are you okay?" Amy asked.

  Heather could tell that Amy was worried because she wasn't cracking jokes like she usually did.

  "What's the dog's name?" Heather asked, hoping that answering her question might calm Jamie.

  "The person who dropped him off at my van said his name was Skip," said Jamie.

  Heather was glad to see that he stopped pacing. She took this a step further and offered them the seat. Jamie accepted, but he kept the dog sitting on his lap.

  "Why don't you start at the beginning?" Heather said.

  "That is a very good place to start," said Amy trying to keep things lighthearted.

  Jamie took a deep breath. "Today began normal enough. I didn't have any of the bad luck that I've been having with my van. And it was decently busy. I bathed a lot of cats and dogs today. I was getting ready to close up at the location I was at and head home. I wanted to check in with Josh and see if he needed any help with the restaurant, or if we should go out with him and Josie tonight."

  "Somehow I don't think that's going to happen tonight," Amy muttered.

  "But then a new customer rushed up, and I decided to help him. He had Skip here with him. He said that Skip had gotten in the mud and made a big mess. He wanted him professionally cleaned before his wife got home. We chuckled about that, and I didn't think there was anything strange."

  Skip whined, and Jamie patted his head reassuringly. This seemed to calm Jamie as well, even as he began to describe the strange circumstances of his customer's visit.

  "The man helped me bring Skip into the grooming van. I thought that was nice at the time because it's not necessary. I can handle the dogs on my own, but it's nice if the owners help. Sometimes it keeps them calmer."

  "I'm not feeling very calm as I listen to all this," Amy said, crossing her arms.

  Heather had to agree with that sentiment. However, she maintained a cool composure and listened to Jamie's story.

  "What happened next?" Asked Heather.

  "Well," Jamie said. "I got Skip into the tub and surveyed the mess. I'm not sure exactly when the man left, but I guess it was when I turned on the water. However, as I began to wash the dog, I noticed that it wasn't just mud he was covered in. I could tell that there was blood in his fur."

  "Poor puppy," said Amy. "Did his owner hurt him? I'm glad he's with a nice person like you now. Heather and I might have to track down this owner if he's hurting sweet animals like this."

  "You might have to track him down," said Jamie, grimly. "The blood in Skip's fur wasn't his own."

  "What do you mean?" Asked Amy.

  "Skip isn't injured at all?" Heather asked.

  "That's right," said Jamie. "He's perfectly healthy and doesn't have any injuries. The blood in his fur came from somewhere else."

  "Like from someone else?" Asked Amy, wringing her hands together.

  Jamie nodded. "When I noticed the blood, I looked around for the owner, but he was gone. I towel dried Skip, and I kept the towels in case this was important. I wanted to talk to the owner about it, but he didn't come back."

  "That seems really suspicious," said Amy.

  Heather nodded. "Especially if he told you that he needed the dog cleaned before his wife came home."

  "That's why I was so concerned," said Jamie. "I knew the blood was a bad sign."

  "I agree it's not a good sign," said Heather. "But we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves. The blood might be from an animal. Maybe Skip is a hunting dog, and caught a bird."

  Jamie continued petting Skip and trying to calm himself. He shook his head.

  "No," Jamie said. "I don't think so. Skip was covered in mud too."

  "Isn't it possible that he got dirty during a hunt too?" Said Heather. She wanted to consider all the possible scenarios.

  "It looked to me like Skip was covered in mud so that it would disguise the blood. I think that person who dropped him off wanted me to wash away all the evidence. I think something bad happened."

  "How bad?" Asked Amy.

  "Murder bad," said Jamie. He frowned. "There was a lot of blood..."

  "Well," Heather said, taking charge. "I think we need to tell the police about your suspicions. And then we can look into seeing if there is a victim."

  They rose to their feet. Amy tried to lighten the mood and cheer up her boyfriend.

  "I don't know if I believe all this," Amy teased. "The last time a dog was part of our murder investigations, we ended up with a new pet. I bet this is all a clever ploy from you to adopt another dog."

  A small smile formed on Jamie's mouth, but then he said, "I wish that were true. I really wish that were the case."

  The Van and the Plan

  "You're a good boy, Skip," Jamie said.

  He helped the dog into the back of the mobile grooming van and made sure he was comfortable on a doggie bed. He left the back door open so the dog could see them, but closed a small gate so he couldn't leave the van. Jamie washed his hands and then joined Heather and Amy outside the vehicle.

  Amy hugged him. Then Heather handed the man a Caramel Sundae Donut. She thought they could all use one, and it did seem to improve their moods. Jamie found a dog treat in the van and gave it to Skip. The dog chewed it slowly, looking a bit sad.

  "After we finish these donuts, we should bring Skip to the police station," said Heather. "I just need to make sure that someone can watch Lilly."

  "I bet Eva and Leila would love to," said Amy, referring to their older friends and neighbors. "Especially if there is the offer of Caramel Sundae Donuts as a perk of the job."

  Heather smiled as she thought that was true. They often joked that the two senior women moved to Key West with them just to have their fresh donuts, though this was only partially true. They also did love spending time with Lilly who they thought of as a granddaughter.

  However, the smile left Heather's face as another thought occurred to her.

  "Jamie, why did you come here with Skip?" Heather asked. She added quickly, "Not that were not always happy to help you when you have a problem. But why didn't you call us for help? Or drive somewhere else?"

  Jamie seemed to think about it. "I guess I could've driven straight to the police station and talked to Ryan. But you were on my way. And I really did want to talk to you."

  "Sure," Amy said. "We are amazing private investigators. He's also madly in love with me."

  "That is true," said Jamie. "I wanted to call you, but I couldn't find my cell phone. And then I be
gan to feel frantic because of the blood. I felt like I had to do something. So I started driving. And I came to see you. I figured you'd know what to do. When I saw the Donut Delights sign as I approached, it looked like a beacon of hope."

  "That's sweet," Amy said. "I like being your beacon."

  "And we can help you solve the mystery of your missing cell phone right after we tell the detectives about this mysterious dog."

  They were just finishing their snacks when they were joined by another person. Heather's assistant Janae walked up to the van. She must have noticed that things were not completely normal because the first thing she asked was, "Is everything all right?"

  "Honestly, we're not completely sure yet," said Heather.

  "Do you have a new case?" Janae asked.

  "It's certainly looking that way," Heather said.

  Janae bit her lip.

  "Don't worry," Heather said reassuringly. "I'm sure we'll get this figured out shortly. We're going to go talk to Ryan and Detective Peters. I just need to call for a babysitter first."

  Heather patted her pockets looking for her cell phone, but she didn’t feel it. She looked through the window of Donut Delights and saw that she had left it on the back counter.

  Janae followed her gaze and then offered her cell phone to be used.

  "Thanks," said Heather.

  She accepted Janae's phone. However, when she went to make her call, she couldn't help but notice the background picture on it. It was a photo of Janae and Fire Frank sitting on the beach together and looking very happy.

  Janae blushed as she realized what Heather was looking.

  "I've been meaning to delete that," she said. "Since we've broken up and all. I just haven't gotten around to it yet."