Halloween Waffle Murder

by Carolyn Q. Hunter

  As a result, Belinda had a habit of running to another room in the house, or even another part of the estate grounds, to escape the embarrassment of getting picked up, cuddled, petted, the works. Sonja was sure the worst part was getting talked to in a baby voice, something Alison was notorious for doing with cute animals.

  “She’s still asleep upstairs,” Sonja said.

  “I want to see her,” Alison insisted, marching that direction.

  “No,” Sonja blurted out, stopping her friend. “She really needs to sleep. She’s not been feeling well.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Shall we head over to the main house?” she suggested.

  Thankfully, Alison agreed. They quickly exited through the front door and headed across the lawn and into the back door of the manor house. Belinda’s whole estate had originally been built around the turn of the century and as a result, the manor house and cottage alike had a Victorian style design to them.

  It was the perfect setting for a Halloween Masquerade—and Sonja, being a popular diner owner in town, had invited half of Haunted Falls to the event.

  “Ah, it doesn’t seem to matter how many times I come in here, I’m always awestruck by this place,” Alison said, waltzing into the ballroom with her head upturned toward the arched ceiling above them. Her voice echoed in the empty space that would soon be filled with hanging orange and black decorations.

  Sonja had paper lanterns that looked like jack-o’-lanterns, streamers, lights, and more for just the ceiling alone. That didn’t include the tables or centerpieces among other things that would be on the floor.

  The two women quickly got to work. The first step was to hang the orange and purple string lights. This was followed with the garland and streamers. When the lights were turned on, it would make the paper decorations glow with a festive eeriness.

  Thankfully, while it was a ballroom, it wasn’t an overly large one like you’d see in a hotel. It was modestly sized and easier to handle.

  “Woo, that’s done. I think I’ll have that coffee now,” Sonja said, stepping down from the ladder.

  “Hopefully it’s still warm.”

  “I just got so excited about decorating I nearly forgot you’d even brought anything.”

  “Well, have one now, and a donut, too,” she ordered, pulling fake cobwebs out of a bag and beginning to drape them over the old chandelier. All the lighting fixtures would get the same treatment to give the place an even more gothic appearance.

  “Luckily, I had a coffee this morning before you got here, so now is the perfect time for a second serving.” She lifted the cup from the drink caddie and took a sip. She was instantly enveloped in a mingling taste of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger. Beneath it, she could detect her favorite fall flavor of all. “You didn’t tell me these were pumpkin coffees,” she exclaimed, taking another hearty sip of the still warm drink.

  Alison chuckled, “Yeah, sorry. The donuts are pumpkin spice flavored as well.”

  Sonja’s jaw dropped. “Why didn’t you say so earlier?” she scolded her friend and opened the cardboard box. She fished out one of the dark orange colored pastries and bit into it, letting the sugary coating dance on her tongue.

  With the stress of Frank quitting his job, wondering if Belinda was happy living with them, and worrying about the upcoming Halloween season, the taste of that donut was like a little happy escape. It was wonderful that it only took the smallest things to remind her how good life was.

  Sonja hoped her waffles did that for people as well.

  “So, what is Frank planning on doing once he is no longer the Sheriff?” Alison asked, climbing down her side of the ladder.

  Sonja sighed, coming right back to her worries. “Well, you know how at his garage sale a couple months back we found all those old miniatures and such?”

  “Yeah, and you’ve been using them at the game nights you host at the diner on Fridays.” Despite being a manager for the diner herself, Alison rarely attended the game night. She had a little girl at home to take care of.

  She nodded. “Yep, and Frank decided he’d show up to the game nights.”

  Alison’s jaw dropped. “He did? You’re kidding. I thought he didn’t like board games.”

  “Well, so did I.”

  “He did enjoy playing that war game last Thanksgiving with the boys,” she noted, remembering how the men had all sat down to an involved World War II themed game while the women cooked. It had been a lovely holiday if you forgot that a murder had happened around that same time.

  “In any case, he decided he wanted to be more involved in things I was interested in and in the diner, so he started coming to game nights. Next thing I know, he’s obsessed with war board games.”

  “Really?”

  “Heck, he even played dungeons and dragons a couple of times with the boys who come to my game nights.” Sonja folded her arms and smiled. “And I have to say, he does really well with them.”

  Alison smiled and raised her eyebrows. “Oh? So, Frank’s good with kids?”

  “Seems so.” Sonja picked up her second donut from the box, feeling like she really needed it. “Anyway, he decided that he wanted to do more for the community, especially the youth. His plan is to open an actual board game shop here in Haunted Falls, someplace kids can go after school, so they stay out of trouble.”

  Alison’s eyes widened. “Wow. That’s impressive.”

  “He wants it to be a non-profit and eventually reach out to do summer camps, game design classes, and even programs at the schools themselves.”

  “Well, that sounds very honorable,” she said proudly. “I got the impression you were upset he was leaving his job, but it sounds like he’s trying to do something good for the community.”

  Sonja nodded, drinking her coffee. “It’s true, but I worry he’s only doing it because of me.”

  “Why would he quit his job because of you?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. I just can’t help it.” Sonja answered, knowing she couldn’t possibly explain the paranormal side of her life to her old friend. On the other hand, hearing her friend’s perspective had brought some calm to her. She’d seen this change of jobs in only a selfish and negative light, but now that she was able to step outside her own concerns about her supernatural ability, she was feeling better.

  Unfortunately, that feeling didn’t last long.

  A chilly breeze brushed through the room and against her skin, sending goose pimples all along her arms and legs despite wearing an auburn colored turtleneck sweater.

  Something supernatural was afoot—and it wasn’t just her cat Misty. A different and more sinister force had seemingly come from out of nowhere.

  Before she had time to assess her situation or glance around the room for any sign of ghosts, she heard her friend shouting, “Sonja, look out!”

  Looking up, she realized the chandelier they’d just decorated with cobwebs was swinging back and forth. With a snap, the cord holding it in place broke and the whole light fixture came rushing down toward the women.

  Chapter Three

  “O-Oh, my gosh. Ally, you saved me,” Sonja gasped, sitting up from the floor. It had taken her a moment to figure out what exactly had happened but, seeing her best friend practically on top of her on the floor, she was able to put two-and-two together.

  She remembered Alison crying out and then running straight into her, knocking her out of the way of the falling chandelier.

  The glass fixture had shattered so loudly that her ears were still slightly ringing. Also, they were surrounded by shards of broken glass.

  “I have no idea what happened. I just saw it swinging back and forth and I pushed you out of the way,” Alison said through a shaken voice, lifting herself up and off her friend.

  Sonja found her own balance, despite the jelly-like feeling in her bones, and managed to pull herself to her feet. Checking over herself one more time, she saw that there wasn’t a scratch on her bod
y. “Wow, I’m so grateful to you. Are you okay?”

  “Completely fine, thankfully.”

  “Well, you’re a superhero.”

  Alison managed a smile and a quiet laugh. “Hardly, but thank you.” she looked down at the shattered glass all over the floor. “Well, at least we have two more coffees and most of a box of donuts to comfort us,” she joked, seeing that the items they’d left on a fold-out table nearby were unharmed. The coffee Sonja had in her hand was nearly empty anyway and didn’t even spill when she was pushed over. The donut she’d been holding hadn’t fared so well and now was a pile of crumbs.

  “Thank heavens for that,” Sonja agreed, picking up another donut and biting into it.

  “What are we going to do about this mess?”

  Sonja gave a half-shrug. “Well, let’s get a broom and clean it up. Then we can get back to decorating.” She wasn’t about to let a little surprise mishap, even if it was somehow related to a ghost, ruin her masquerade party or Halloween festivity.

  “That’s the spirit. Where is a broom?”

  “Oh, it’s in the closet in the front hall. I’ll go get it.”

  “No, no. You stay here and relax. You just almost got crushed by a chandelier.”

  “So, did you,” Sonja argued.

  “I’m fine,” Alison waved, tiptoeing around the glass toward the double doors of the ballroom.

  Sighing, Sonja watched her go with a smile. As soon as her friend was gone, she heard someone say, “Psst.”

  Turning, she looked toward the large fireplace at the opposite end of the room. Poking her little black head out from behind the grate was Belinda. “Sonja, come here.”

  Dancing around the shards of glass, she squatted near the cat. “Did you see what happened?”

  The animal’s head bobbed its answer. “Yes, I saw it.”

  “I think it had to be a ghost of some kind. I felt a chill.”

  “I’m not so sure it’s a ghost,” Belinda hesitated.

  “Well, what is it then?” she pressed her friend who had a wealth of knowledge about the occult.

  “I think it’s an evil omen.”

  “Huh?” Sonja inquired, raising an eyebrow. She’d heard of premonitions and visions but not omens. There was still a lot about the supernatural world she didn’t understand yet.

  “It happens sometimes to people like you, people who have the second sight.”

  “Like what?”

  “It’s a sign from the other side that something bad might happen.”

  “Something bad might happen? Worse than a chandelier almost falling on me?”

  Belinda nodded. “Bad omens occur when the veil between our two worlds grows thinner.”

  “Like when Halloween is coming.”

  “You got it.”

  “Well, if you’re suggesting I cancel my party, just forget it. I’ve been planning this for well over a month.”

  The cat shook her head. “I’m just saying be very careful. Keep your eye out for anything or anyone suspicious.” She narrowed her eyes at Sonja. “We just might have another witch on our hands.”

  After cleaning up the glass, the rest of the preparations went off without a hitch. Soon, the ballroom looked like a Halloween wonderland. Round dining tables with black tablecloths and orange runners were lined up along the outer edges of the ballroom to leave space for dancing.

  A long refreshment table was set up near the double doors of the room and a space in front of the fireplace was reserved for the DJ who showed up promptly an hour before the party was slated to start.

  Alison and Sonja threw themselves into the final moments of getting ready. They prepared all the food and brought it out to the buffet. There were square rice treats decorated with green frosting to look like Frankenstein’s Monster. Butter cookies were baked with sliced almonds pressed into one side to look like witch’s fingers. Peanut butter cookies were dipped in white chocolate and embellished to look like little floating ghosts. Finally, there were Sonja’s new Peanut Butter Cup Waffles ready to bring out the inner child of even the least festive adults. Everything was served on spider-web patterned plates.

  The special touch was the bubbling cauldron that had dry ice in the bottom beneath the punch bowl to make it look like it was smoking. The punch bowl itself was filled with ice and cold beers from a local brewery.

  When it was ten till seven, just before the party was slated to start, the women ran over to the cottage to change into their masquerade costumes. Alison’s outfit consisted of a black pencil dress with sequins for embellishment, a long furry tail she’d made herself, a pair of pointy ears attached to a headband, and a generic mask she’d also decorated with black tempera paint and sparkles. “How do I look?” she announced, stepping out of the bathroom and spinning around. “I’m a cat.”

  “Amazing! I can’t believe you put it together yourself,” Sonja admitted, poking her head out from behind the changing screen in her bedroom.

  “Come on. I want to see yours,” she urged.

  “Mine isn’t homemade. It’s just rented.”

  “I don’t care. Let me see it.”

  Hesitantly, Sonja slipped on her mask and stepped out from behind the screen with her arms stiffly at her sides, feeling self-conscious about her choice of outfit.

  Alison’s jaw dropped. “Wow, you look amazing,” she squeaked excitedly, clapping her hands.

  “You think so?” she wondered, looking down at herself.

  She wore a pair of sleek black slacks that fit her hips tightly, clinging to her legs as they went down to her stylish shoes. The pants were accented with a shimmering rhinestone belt. She also had on a white blouse that was decorated with sequins along the bust and a skinny red tie down the center. On her head, she wore a matching rhinestone encrusted fedora which had a mask attached to the front that came down over her eyes. In one hand she held a plastic Tommy gun.

  “Nineteen-twenties gangster?” Alison guessed.

  “You got it,” she said with a snap of her fingers.

  The sound of a door downstairs opening drew their attention. “We’re here,” came Frank’s voice from the cottage living room.

  The girls headed out onto the stairway and looked down into the room below. Frank stood there already in his costume—he was dressed as a Japanese samurai, all in white. An elegant mask adorned his face. Sonja felt a stir in her chest at seeing him all dressed up.

  He looked more handsome than ever, even with his features hidden.

  Recently, he’d gotten into samurai movies from the sixties and seventies. Usually, his obsession was old westerns, but he soon realized that samurai films were heavily inspired by American westerns. Sonja had been glad for a break from all the gunfights.

  Also, with him was Alison’s husband, Alex, and their daughter who was still a toddler. Alex was dressed in a black suit with a tail and cat ears to match his wife. Little Cynthia was dressed in a gray outfit as a mouse. She held a squeaky toy shaped like cheese.

  The party was technically for adults only due to the alcohol being served, but Alison’s little girl was the exception.

  Standing behind Frank was Sonja’s father who had seemingly hitched a ride up to the estate. He was dressed as an old wizard with a long fake beard and a pointy stars and moons hat. “You all look great,” Sonja praised, her eye falling on her husband again.

  “Should we head over to the ballroom before the other guests start to arrive?” Alex suggested.

  “You guys go ahead. I need to get something here first,” Frank said.

  Alison quickly headed down and she and her family headed out the door. Sonja went to follow her but paused when she felt her husband’s hand on her arm. “Hold up. We need to chat.”

  “Huh?” Sonja wondered, looking up at his serious expression. Her father, too, still stood in the entryway with his arms folded. “We’re the hosts. Shouldn’t we be over there to greet the guests?”

  “Belinda called me earlier,” he noted.

&nb
sp; “Belinda?” she gasped, trying to imagine in the animal dialing the phone with her little paws. She was sure it had taken some effort to accomplish.

  “And me as well,” her father said. “She told us about the chandelier.”

  “Oh, it was just an accident,” Sonja waved them off, not wanting to have to think about all her current worries on the night of her Halloween party.

  “I have to agree with her, that it’s a bad omen.”