Sugar and Price Read online

  SUGAR AND PRICE

  CHOCOLATE COZY MYSTERY #5

  WENDY MEADOWS

  Copyright © 2017 by Wendy Meadows

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  Printed in the United States of America

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Thanks for reading

  Be the First to Know

  About the Author

  Also by Wendy Meadows

  CHAPTER ONE

  “G ood morning, Miss Daisy,” Olivia said, and offered the elderly woman, one of Chester’s retirees, a plate of her newest chocolate. “I thought you might enjoy these.”

  Miss Daisy clasped her slender pale hands together. “What are they?”

  “They’re Creamy Fudge Delights. Creamy fudge balls dipped in smooth milk chocolate. Try one.”

  Miss Daisy made pincher fingers and lifted one of those treats off the plate. She inserted it between her lips and chewed. She squeezed her eyes closed and let out a reverent sigh. “Delicious,” she said. “Just delicious. You know, Miss Cloud, you’re really making Chester look good.”

  “What do you mean?” Olivia asked.

  “This town is in need of a facelift almost as much as I am,” Miss Daisy said, with a chuckle. “We need to uphold our sterling reputation.”

  “I’m glad I can be a part of that.”

  Miss Daisy grabbed the plate and scurried off to one of the tables nearby. Alphonsine swept toward her carrying the coffee pot and a tray of mugs. It was their goal in the store to make sure everyone who needed coffee had it, even if it meant carting around the mugs as well as the pot.

  Olivia rubbed her palms together. Everything was back to normal in a sense. The glass in her front window was fixed, as was her air conditioning unit. Alberta was up to her usual quirkiness in the kitchen. Alvira made the most perfect batch of chocolate for the morning sales and Jake… oh goodness, she blushed at the thought of him.

  They’d shared the sweetest kiss last week and planned a date.

  “You’re pink as a peach.”

  Olivia jumped – Alberta had appeared beside her. “Yeah, I’m just happy. Things are looking up.”

  “Oh, you can say that again,” Albie replied, and wiggled her eyebrows at Olivia. She scanned the interior of the Shoppe, then jerked. “Oh, boy.”

  “What is it?” Olivia asked.

  “Miss Daisy,” Alberta replied. “She’s over there in the corner snacking on chocolates.”

  “Yeah, what about her?”

  “Let’s just say Miss Daisy and I don’t get along. We played bingo at the Seniors Club a few nights ago and she disputed my win. Can you believe she accused me of cheating? As if I would cheat at something as silly as that.” Alberta clicked her tongue and Miss Daisy just happened to look up and spot her at that very moment. The other woman narrowed her eyes to slits.

  “I’m sure it was a misunderstanding,” Olivia said. “She’s been nothing but sweet this morning.”

  “Look at her,” Alberta said, out of the corner of her mouth. “She’s going to rage in a minute. I’d, uh, I’d better get back in that kitchen. Those chocolates won’t make themselves.” She scooted off with two backward glances and a grimace.

  Miss Daisy settled again.

  “Goodness,” Olivia muttered. “Tensions run high in the senior community, don’t they?” Usually, Alberta was carefree and the light of the party in the Block-A-Choc Shoppe. It was strange to see her upset by one of their customers.

  The front door opened and Jake Morgan entered the store.

  Olivia grinned at him, but he didn’t return it. He remained somber and, shoot, his cheeks were paler than usual. Nerves bubbled up – had something happened that she didn’t know about? Had he changed his mind about their date this week?

  Olivia forced her fears aside. She’d never let them control her before, so why start now? “Morning,” she said, but her voice came out high and forced. “How are you?”

  “Not good,” Jake said, in a low voice. “I’ve just come back from my Great Aunt Gracie’s house.”

  Jake’s Great Aunt was one of the richest women in Chester. She had a gorgeous mansion on the outskirts of town, surrounded by trees and bordered by sprawling gardens and rose bushes. Olivia had heard tales of her wealth – some of the gossips in the store said it came from an Arabian prince, others a jewel heist and another said Gracie had obtained it through solid investment planning.

  The latter came from the mouths of bankers and accountants.

  “How is she doing?” Olivia asked, and busied herself with two coffee mugs.

  “She’s dead.”

  Olivia clanged one of the cups into the grate. It slipped from her fingers, hit the floor and shattered. Several of the customers cheered and applauded, but Olivia ignored them. “She’s what?”

  “Yeah,” Jake said. “She passed this morning. Sorry, I didn’t mean to drop that on you. I’m just a bit shaken. She was always so good to me and I’m frankly shocked that she’s just… gone.”

  “I’m sorry, Jake,” Olivia said, and stepped over the broken cutlery. She squeezed his hand. “How did it happen?”

  “She was old.” Jake squeezed back, and stroked his thumb over her knuckles. “They’re calling it natural causes. They say she passed peacefully in the night which is good. If there’s a good way to go, that’s it, right?”

  It sure beat all the other ways, some of which Olivia had witnessed in the past few months. “Right,” she said. “Let me clean this up and I’ll get you a cup of coffee and some chocolates on the house.”

  “That would be awesome,” Jake said. “And now that she’s gone, I have to deal with the fallout. All her last living relatives do.”

  “You sound dubious.” Olivia lifted a dustpan from the cupboard underneath the register and set to work.

  “That’s because I am. I’ve just gotten a call from my sister, Lacy. She’s flying down from Chicago to help me deal with the dissemination of Gracie’s estate.”

  “That’s good. You’ll have some help.”

  “Lacy is all hindrance. She’s ten years younger than me and she’s got some strange ideas about the world and the difference between right and wrong. I’m afraid she’s only coming down here because of the potential for payoff. And heaven knows, she’ll bring my cousin Kieran with her, too. He’s always been money-minded.”

  “I’m sorry,” Olivia said, again. She dumped the shards of glass in the trash receptacle beside the counter, stowed the brush and pan, then rose. “I’m sure everything will go smoothly.”

  “I’m glad you are,” he replied, and massaged his temples. “Whenever my sister is involved, there’s bound to be tr
ouble. You’ll see.”

  “I’ll see?”

  “Well, I hoped you’d be able to come with me to the memorial service tomorrow. I’ve already contacted most of the folks involved. The family will be arriving this evening.” Jake hesitated. “I could use the support, but if you’re busy I’ll understand.”

  “No, I’m not busy. I’m sure most everyone will be at the service. I can afford to close the store for the day.” Olivia knew that the As would want to pay their respects too.

  “Thanks,” Jake said. “I really appreciate that.”

  “Don’t mention it.” Olivia busied herself with the coffee machine to hide another blush. Gosh, if she didn’t get ahold of herself she’d come off as a star struck teen. There were far more important matters to attend to now.

  Jake’s family, Gracie’s service, and the potential for that trouble he’d mentioned. Hopefully he’d exaggerated about that. Then again, this was Chester – anything could happen.

  CHAPTER TWO

  O livia had seen her fair share of memorial services in her time, specifically after she’d arrived in Chester, but she’d never been privy to one quite like this.

  Gracie’s estate stretched as far as the eye could see. Most of the folks bedecked in black clothing and somber expressions. They had arranged themselves around the central fountain, where a flower stand and buffet table had been placed.

  “This place is unbelievable,” Alvira said, and looped her arm through Olivia’s. “It took me half an hour to walk from the parking spot to the back yard.”

  “I’m still hooked on the fact that she had an entire parking lot out front,” Olivia replied.

  “Right?”

  Gracie Morgan had been a notorious recluse. She only appeared at charity events and spent the rest of her time locked away in her mansion. Rumor had it she spent her free time writing or painting, or entertaining men half her age – that one had come from one of the biggest gossips in Chester and had to be taken with a grain of salt.

  They entered the crowd of folks and picked up snippets of conversation.

  “- too rich. There’s got to be a line. Look at the size of the place.”

  “She went to Puerto Rico. Got herself a –”

  “If you ask me, she could’ve give more to charity. Look at the size –”

  Olivia frowned at the influx of negativity. Couldn’t people just let the woman rest in peace? She’d lived her life to the fullest by the looks of it and no one had the right to judge her.

  “Grumpy idiots,” Alvira muttered.

  Olivia kept her opinion to herself and scanned for Jake instead. She spotted him near a massive portrait of Gracie – the woman had been captured in a cocktail dress, her gray hair flowing down her back.

  Olivia hurried over. “There you are,” she said. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’ve been better,” Jake said. “But I’ll survive. I’m glad so many people came to celebrate Aunt Gracie’s life. She certainly deserved it. She was an amazing person.”

  “Are there going to be speeches?” Olivia asked.

  “Probably, yeah. I’m just waiting for my sister and her entourage to arrive.”

  “Entourage?” A woman strode toward them from the fountain. This had to be Lacy. Her red hair was taut in its bun and strands of it had escaped to frame her milky white face. “You’re calling cousin Kieran and his wife an entourage?”

  “You know what I mean, Lace.” Jake cleared his throat and gestured toward Olivia and Alvira. “Lacy, this is Olivia. She’s, uh, -” He struggled for a descriptor.

  “I’m the owner of the local chocolate shop in town,” she said, and extended a hand. “Pleased to meet you.”

  “And this is Alvira; her assistant and friend.”

  “’Sup,” Alvira said, and bobbed her head up and down. She was probably the same age as Lacy. The two women eyed each other.

  “I see,” Lacy said.

  A tall, skinny dude stepped up beside Lacy and dragged a woman forward by the hand. “I’m Kieran,” he said. “This is Susan. We’re the cousin entourage Jake referred to.”

  Olivia shook their hands and frowned at the man who’d accompanied them. He lurked in the background, arms folded. He didn’t offer an introduction. He was short with dark hair, a little extra around the middle, and heavy eyebrows that shaded his glare. He reminded Olivia of one of those old timey WANTED posters.

  Lacy clapped her hands together. Susan jumped, then tittered a laugh and straightened her black skirts. “Right,” Lace said. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

  “It’s not a show,” Jake growled.

  “Whatever. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can discuss the more important details of this, uh, event.”

  “Lacy, you haven’t spoken to Aunt Gracie in years. You can’t roll in here expecting to call the shots. We’ll start when I say so,” Jake snapped.

  Olivia’s eyes widened. She hadn’t seen him this worked up since, well, since she’d broken into a murder victim’s house in search of evidence and had ended up in jail.

  “Don’t be so touchy,” Lacy said.

  The more she spoke, the less Olivia liked her. Everyone dealt with grief in their own way but this brash attitude didn’t help anyone. There were folks at the memorial who actually wanted to grieve.

  “That’s enough,” Jake said. “Lacy, go take a seat and I’ll call everyone to order. Just, uh, try not to make a scene.”

  “A scene?” Lacy rolled her eyes. “Don’t be so melodramatic. I’m not here to make a scene. I’m here to get this over with so we can move on with our lives. You can believe Gracie was the best thing since chocolate but I know the truth.”

  “What?” Jake growled.

  “She didn’t care about anyone but herself.” Whether Lacy had planned to cause a scene or not was no longer up for debate. Whispers swirled around the fountain, and the service attendees stared.

  The strange dude who’d come with Kieran and Susan hadn’t backed away. He was attached to the group but distant.

  “Stop it,” Jake said. “I won’t stand for this. We’re going to celebrate Gracie’s life today and her contributions to charity and Chester in general.”

  Lacy glared at her brother and tapped her heel on the grass – squelch, squelch, squelch. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, big brother.” She marched off to the distant arrangement of chairs.

  “Unbelievable,” Jake said. “Just unbelievable.”

  “Don’t let it bother you, Jake. You know how Lacy can be.” Cousin Kieran slapped him on the back. Then, he moseyed off, dragging Susan along with him like she was a rag doll rather than his wife.

  The stranger followed them.

  “Sorry you had to see that,” Jake said.

  “Don’t apologize.” Olivia said, and placed a hand on Jake’s shoulder. “We’ve seen worse in the past few months.”

  Jake laughed, a short clipped chuckle, then led the way to the seats. The day couldn’t pass fast enough.

  CHAPTER THREE

  O livia stuck around after the service because Jake needed her help. She could tell from the whiteness around his lips and the looks he’d shot Lacy throughout the service. The guests trickled from the mansion and the grounds, and out to the parking lot – a slow stream which eventually thinned and dried up completely.

  Lacy and the entourage left too, no doubt for the safety of one of Chester’s reputable hotels – few and far in between as they were – and the strange dude followed them.

  “There you are,” Jake said, and halted beside her. “Sorry that took so long. Thanks for hanging around.”

  “I figured you’d need someone here for you after that.” The speeches hadn’t gone well. Lacy had spoken about how her Aunt hadn’t cared for her family, but had focused more on strangers. Things had gotten real awkward, real fast.

  “Yeah,” Jake said, and puffed out his cheeks. “It’s going to get worse after this.”

  “Because of the will?”
>
  “Yeah.”

  “At least, they’re not sleeping over at your place,” Olivia said.

  “Yeah, but they are sleeping over here.”

  “What? I thought they were getting a motel or something?” Olivia scratched the back of her neck. Gosh, family issues were convoluted. She’d had her first experience with that during her divorce years back.

  “Nope. They’re going to get food,” Jake said. “Speaking of which, what do you say we get something to eat? We’ll call it a pre-date.”

  “That sounds perfect,” Olivia said, and a few butterflies fluttered in her belly. She’d been so focused on trying to help that she’d forgotten all about their future dinner date.

  “Awesome. Italian?”

  “Yes, please.”

  It took them a half hour to get out of the estate and out to Mama Pizza’s in the middle of town. The restaurant had a family-friendly vibe and quiet music. The environment allowed for lots of chatter and laughter.

  Most of the tables were full, but Jake and Olivia snagged a corner booth and settled in with two glasses of soda, and menus that made their mouths water.

  “Everything looks so delicious,” Olivia said, and leaned on the checked tablecloth. “But I’ve got to try this Classic Pesto Pizza, extra mozzarella cheese. Wow.”