Raspberry Truffle Murder (A Maple Hills Cozy Mystery Book 1) Read online

  Nodding his head, Hawk looked out at the duck pond. Still wearing his same old t-shirt and blue jeans, he wondered how in the world he was going to get a beautiful woman who sat next to him dressed in a stylish pink and yellow dress to notice him. Well, Hawk thought spotting the ducks, what this woman needs is a friend, and I can be that. "Did you tell him we're going to get married?" he joked.

  "Married?!" Seth yelled.

  Nikki rolled her eyes and took the call off of speaker mode. "Detective Daily was only kidding. He's here having breakfast with me. We worked on the case together, and he needs a few statements from me for his files," Nikki explained and elbowed Hawk in the side. "Not funny," she mouthed.

  Hawk grinned. He started to say something when his cell phone rang. "Excuse me," he told Nikki, standing up. Walking back toward the cabin, he answered the call. "Yeah, Detective Daily speaking...I see...no, I'll be right down, Pop."

  Nikki watched Hawk stuff the cell phone down into the front pocket of his jeans. "Something the matter?" she asked when Hawk walked back to the bench.

  Sitting down, Hawk pointed at the ducks with his eyes. "People say ducks are dumb, but I think they're pretty smart. Sitting in a pond all day, eating grass or small fish. No hassle, no traffic, no crime..."

  "Mom...hey, Mom," Nikki heard her son yelling through the cell phone, "you still there? Hello?"

  "Uh, Seth, let me call you right back, okay? I love you," Nikki said to him.

  "Please, go inside, bake chocolate, charge tourists a lot of money, and wrinkle quietly," Seth begged. "I can't spend my time away at college worrying about you."

  "I'm fine," Nikki promised. "I'll call you back in a minute."

  "That was Pop," Hawk told Nikki, admiring the beauty of her backyard. "You're not going to believe this, Nikki, but a tourist was found dead in his room out at the Elk Horn Lodge." Shaking his head, Hawk looked at Nikki.

  "What, why are you looking at me so strangely?" Nikki asked.

  "Things were quiet before you arrived. What are you, a criminal magnet? First, it was this whole mess with Hanz Hochberg being run down, and now a tourist has been found dead. I tell you what, with you around it's never going to be dull."

  "You'd rather I leave and go back to Atlanta?" Nikki asked, offended. Standing up she walked toward the duck pond. Hawk jumped up and followed.

  "Hey, I didn't mean anything. I was... it was a bad joke, okay?" he apologized.

  Turning to face Hawk, Nikki studied his face and found sincerity. "Hawk, my husband always put down my work. He never respected what I did because I was a woman. Now I don't claim to be Sherlock Holmes, but every time I figured out a crime, it made me feel like I was doing something worthwhile."

  "Hey, you don't have to explain yourself to me--"

  "Please, just listen," Nikki asked Hawk. "I had to leave Atlanta because everything became too political. Every step I took I had to take three steps backwards. After a while--and especially after my divorce--it just didn't seem worth it anymore. And then I arrive here, and wow, I get pulled into some case. At first, I began my own investigation to protect myself, but then it became about helping people again, and that felt good."

  Hawk stared into Nikki's sweet face. "I guess it did," he said and scratched the back of his head.

  Nikki drew in a deep breath. "I'm going to keep my store and bake my chocolate, but after much thought, I've decided to run my own investigative firm, from my cabin that is. I figured if I can make chocolate-covered strawberries, why not have a few chocolate-covered mysteries to go with them?"

  "Well, I'll be," Hawk said impressed with Nikki. "Pop sure isn't gonna like this news. No sir, not one bit. He's finally getting this town back to normal."

  Nikki reached forward and looped her arm through Hawk's right arm. "I'm not worried about Chief Daily. All I'm interested in right now is this new case of ours."

  "Now wait a minute, who said anything about you getting involved in this case?" Hawk asked. "I admit you have a pretty smart brain, but police work is police work, and we have rules to follow."

  "Well, let me put it this way," Nikki said, walking Hawk to the duck pond. "I'm fed up with being told no. Consider me your silent partner...partner." And with that, Nikki shoved Hawk into the cold water of the duck pond.

  Splashing, Hawk fought his way to the surface and spit pond water out of his mouth. Staring at Nikki, first in shock, and then in disbelief, he tried to make sense of her actions. "Okay, okay," he caved in, "you can help me out on some cases."

  Nikki threw her hands onto her hips and shook her head.

  "Okay, okay...all my cases," Hawk said and swam toward shore. "Will you help me out, partner?" he asked.

  "Why sure," Nikki smiled. Reaching out her hands she pulled Hawk out of the pond. "So," she said in an excited voice, "you handle the basics and I'll do the digging around. I'll need you to tell me where the tourist was from, his age, his marital status, his profession..."

  "Oh boy," Hawk said, feeling Nikki grab his arm and rush him around the cabin to his Jeep.

  Back in the pond, the ducks waited until the humans were gone and resumed their normal lazy routine. Silly humans. They sure needed to learn to slow down and take it easy, smell the flowers and enjoy life in a small town.

  Nikki’s in trouble again in Peppermint Chocolate Murder, A Maple Hills Cozy Mystery #2

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  About the Author

  Wendy Meadows is an emerging author of cozy mysteries. She lives in “The Granite State” with her husband, two sons, two cats and lovable Labradoodle.

  When she isn’t working on her stories she likes to tend to her flower garden, relax with adult coloring and play video games with her family.

  Get in Touch with Wendy

  @wmeadowscozy

  AuthorWendyMeadows

  www.wendymeadows.com

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