Chocolate Hazelnut & Murder_An Oceanside Cozy Mystery Book 27 Read online

  Chocolate Hazelnut & Murder

  Caramel Fudge & Murder - Book 27

  Susan Gillard

  Want a FREE short story?

  Click here to grab the free cozy short story

  “Eva's Delicious Mystery: A Donut Hole Spin-Off”

  Copyright 2017 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

  Chocolate Hazelnut & Murder

  1. Easter Donuts

  2. Tents and Treasure Talk

  3. The Egg Hunt

  4. The Metal Detector

  5. The Crime Scene

  6. Jill Spills

  7. Pictures

  8. What’s Eating Gilbert?

  9. Bunny Talk

  10. The Accusation

  11. Questioning Kaylee

  12. Blackmail

  13. Catching Up

  14. Al’s Treasures

  15. Tony’s Tribulations

  16. A Confession

  17. Buried Secrets

  18. Happy Easter

  About the Author

  Also by Susan Gillard

  Chocolate Hazelnut & Murder

  Easter Donuts

  “I’m glad you chose to create this flavor instead of a hardboiled egg one,” Amy said.

  Heather laughed at her bestie. “I guess most colored eggs at Easter are hardboiled, but I thought chocolate would be more appreciated.”

  “It always is,” Amy said. “Should I call your assistants in so we can taste these treats?”

  Heather nodded. She had been hard at work creating her flavor of the week for Donut Delights. Usually, she was able to draw inspiration from new ingredients she wanted to try or from events her life and could come up with a new delicious recipe easily. However, this week had been difficult.

  She needed a flavor that the customers who visited her shop would love for the holiday, and that could be made quickly so they could fill all the online orders they would receive that week for Easter treats. She was excited by the thought of her donuts filling Easter baskets and imagined the smiles on children’s faces.

  She was also eager to see a smile on her daughter’s face. She and her husband Ryan were taking Lilly to an Easter egg hunt the next day, and she had been asked to prepare some donuts for this event too. Because this egg hunt was a little more involved than some searches, it was actually taking place the weekend before Easter.

  The Key West Beach Detector Club thought that people might like to spend the actual holiday with their families or in worship, so they planned this event early. Lilly was very excited about looking for Easter Eggs in the sand.

  Heather was looking forward to spending the day with her loved ones on the beach, helping Lilly search for the eggs. However, she had to admit that she was a little nervous about her donuts. It was unlike her to feel that way. After learning from her grandmother’s recipes, baking donuts was the one thing that Heather had always been confident about. (Of course, more recently, she had also become more confident in her sleuthing abilities. Now that she had her private investigator’s license, she was a valuable part of the team that solved crimes in Key West.)

  The reason she was feeling a tad insecure was because there were so many options to choose from when creating a flavor for Easter. Should she go sugary and make a Marshmallow Peep flavored donut? Should she choose a bunny rabbit theme and make carrot cake donuts? She hadn’t quite gone as far as a hardboiled egg flavored donut like Amy had teased, but she had considered dying her donuts to look like eggs.

  However, when she thought about the other desserts that would be on the snack table, she had decided to choose a more traditional gourmet donut flavor. There was supposed to a giant chocolate bunny and lots of colorful cookies and sugary candies there. Heather opted to go for a cream donut that she hoped everyone would enjoy.

  Based on the way her four assistants’ eyes lit up when they entered the room, Heather thought that she might have chosen correctly.

  “Is this the new donut?” the maternal Luz asked.

  Heather nodded. “This is the Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Donut.”

  “I think I’m going to go nuts for this one,” Amy joked.

  “It sounds like a luxury chocolate,” Janae said with a smile.

  “I can’t wait to try it,” Digby said.

  “There’s no need to wait,” Heather said. “Everyone pick up a donut.”

  Everyone heeded her instructions quickly. Heather explained the makeup of her donut while the others took a bite.

  “The donut base is chocolate, and it is filled with a hazelnut cream. It’s meant to be creamy and not too thick. I didn’t want it to feel like peanut butter.”

  “I like peanut butter and chocolate, but I think this is even better,” Nina said.

  Heather smiled but continued with her description. “It’s topped with chocolate icing and covered with chopped hazelnuts and chocolate sprinkles.”

  Satisfied with her explanation, Heather picked up a donut for herself and enjoyed the taste. She really did love the flavor. She just hoped that she had chosen correctly for the event. She waited until the others had finished chewing and saying “mmm” to hear what their thoughts were about having the donuts at the event.

  After Amy licked her fingers, she said, “Not only am I nuts for this flavor, but I also am in a haze of deliciousness.”

  “These will do great this week,” Luz agreed. “I can see customers clamoring for them.”

  “I’m going to bring some Nick during my lunch break,” Nina said, referring to the young man running the store across the street from them. “He’d love them.”

  Digby sighed. “Is there any chance Nick could stay at Sun and Fun Novelties? And that Mr. Rankle never has to return?”

  Nobody at Donut Delights was a huge fan of the crotchety old man who usually ran their neighboring shop. He had tried to put Donut Delights out of business more than once because he was distrustful of anyone who wasn’t born on the island. Because Heather and her family were from Texas, he had decided they were instant enemies. He didn’t like that the bakers were also private investigators, but had used their help on a case or two before.

  His nephew Nick was covering the store while Mr. Rankle was recovering from a leg injury.

  “I’m sure Nina wouldn’t mind if Nick stayed,” Janae teased.

  Nina blushed.

  “Maybe Mr. Rankle has mellowed out,” Heather said, trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. “Seeing Ethel regularly has put him in a good mood, and he did just adopt a cat.”

  Digby shrugged. He didn’t seem to be holding out hope for a kinder, reformed Mr. Rankle. Digby picked up another donut, deciding it was time for seconds.

  “So,” Heather said. “The new flavor is good?”

  Everyone agreed, but no one was voicing an opinion about how they would be at the Easter Egg Hunt. She had to ask, and everyone was quick to reassure her that they would be great.

  “This is what I’d be on the hunt for at the event,” said Amy.

  “They have a
great taste,” Nina said.

  “And a rich one too,” said Janae. “They might have some more substance than the other candies available.”

  “But They’ll look charming around that giant chocolate bunny sculpture you mentioned,” Luz said.

  “What’s this event again?” Digby asked, taking a break from his second donut.

  “It’s an Easter Egg Hunt on the beach,” Heather explained. “But it is a little different than the traditional egg hunts. For this one, plastic eggs with prizes are hidden in the sand. Families will be given metal detectors that they can use to search the sand for them.”

  “It sounds fun,” Janae said.

  “I think it will be. Lilly is excited to use the detector and hear the beeps. And they should be good devices. This is sponsored by the Key West Beach Detectors Club.”

  “Oh,” Nina said. “I just realized. Nick said that his uncle is a part of that club.”

  Digby laughed. “Have fun spending the day with Mr. Rankle!”

  Amy looked shocked by this announcement, but Heather reminded her that Mr. Rankle’s wheelchair wasn’t equipped for traveling on the sand. He also wasn’t a fan of children.

  “It seems unlikely that he’ll be making an appearance at the egg hunt,” Heather said. “But these donuts will be. Let me show you how to make them, so you can all get started on the next batch. We’re going to have to make a bunch of them in the morning.”

  The batter for the donut base was easy because they had all made chocolate donuts before. However, the hazelnut cream was something new. They got the hang of it quickly though, and Heather was pleased by the bakers she had in her kitchen.

  Soon after they learned the recipe, the kitchen was filled with delicious chocolatey smells.

  Heather stood to the side to watch for a moment, and Amy joined her.

  “I was just thinking,” said Heather. “One of my first donuts I made when we moved to Key West was hazelnut flavored too. It seems like the shop has come a long way since we opened – finding these wonderful employees, making new flavors, watching relationships develop.”

  “And catching a few killers,” added Amy.

  “Yeah. That too,” Heather said with a smile. “And I’m confident that we will have many more wonderful adventures. Starting with this egg hunt.”

  “How about starting with eating another donut?” suggested Amy.

  Heather chuckled and agreed.

  Tents and Treasure Talk

  Heather arrived with her family at the beach. Lilly was practically skipping. She was eager to use the metal detectors to find prizes. She also kept joking about how her parents would search for clues, and she could use those skills to search for eggs.

  They arrived before the other families did for the Egg Hunt because they were delivering the Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Donuts. However, they had come as a large group. Besides Heather’s daughter and husband, there was also Amy and her boyfriend, Jamie. Eva and Leila, good friends who felt like grandmothers, had also turned out to watch the egg hunt.

  “Do you need help carrying the donuts, dear?” Eva asked.

  “That is if you think you can trust them with us,” said Leila. The two women were huge fans of Heather’s donuts and had joked that they were the reason that they had moved from Texas to have them.

  Heather pretended to give them a suspicious glance, but then said, “I think Ryan has the donuts covered right now.”

  He was indeed retrieving several boxes of donuts from the car as she spoke. She hurried to help him and told the others to find a spot to set up their beach chairs in the sand. The others agreed.

  Heather and Ryan headed over to where some tents were set up.

  “I think that’s the right spot, Mom,” Lilly said. “That looks like a giant chocolate bunny to me.”

  “They better have a cooling system in the tent,” Ryan said. “Or it’s going to turn into a giant chocolate puddle.”

  Heather nodded in agreement and tried not to laugh at the idea of an Easter puddle delivering eggs.

  “Hello,” a woman with a lot of freckles said, greeting them. “You must be the Donut Delights crew.”

  “That’s us,” said Heather. She introduced her family and said that their friends were making themselves comfortable on the beach.

  “I’m Jill Stanton,” she said, shaking their hands. “I know you’ve talked to the President of our Key West Beach Detectors Club, Gilbert Paul. I’m his second-in-command.”

  “Are there many members in your club?” Ryan asked.

  “Many people like to use metal detectors on the beaches here because of all the pirate legends,” Jill said. “But our club only has ten active members. We do have events where people can learn more about the activity, but we remain a dedicated small few.”

  “Are there a lot of eggs we can find today?” Lilly asked.

  “A bunch of them,” Jill said, happily. “And there’s going to be a surprise guest today that all you, young ones should like.”

  Lilly nodded. She was starting to feel in between age groups – not quite a child anymore and not quite a teenager. However, she was excited about using the metal detectors, so she didn’t comment on being called a young one.

  Jill led them into the dessert tent, which was indeed cooled, and showed them where to set up the donuts. Heather thought they looked wonderful when placed. The dark icing and chopped nuts really seemed to pop when set on the pastel plates.

  They were right under the giant chocolate bunny that Heather thought looked like a protector over the food.

  As they put all the donuts in place, Heather asked, “Is there a chance that the children could find anything in the sand beside the eggs?”

  “Like buried treasure?” Lilly asked.

  Heather had actually been thinking of a less pleasant thing. She must have investigated too many murder cases for dark thoughts not to creep in occasionally. However, she nodded at the idea of buried treasure.

  “I’m afraid this area has been searched pretty thoroughly. This is a stretch of beach that we like to use for events,” Jill explained. “It’s unlikely that there is any pirates’ gold that we haven’t found yet. But there are some fun prizes inside all those eggs on the beach.”

  “Why do you like to use this stretch of beach specifically?” Heather wondered.

  “Because it seems to have natural parameters,” Jill said. She pointed outside of the tent. “On that side, there’s the line of palms trees and the dunes. That normally discourages players from going too far to the side. When we set up the tents on this side, it forms a nice space where the activity can take place.”

  Heather nodded, thinking about the rectangle that was made between the tents, the trees, the ocean and the street.

  Another man joined them in the tent. He had a thin mustache and dark hair. Heather recognized him at once. He was the president, Gilbert Paul, that Jill had just mentioned and the man who had hired her.

  He seemed pleased with his decision when he saw the donuts that she had brought. He was also pleased to see Lilly.

  “Did Jill tell you that we have a special Easter guest coming today to visit?” he said with a grin.

  “Yes, she did,” said Lilly. “But she didn’t say who.”

  “It’s a surprise,” Gilbert said. “But it’s going to be a very good one.”

  After talking to Lilly, he turned to Jill and said, “I believe we are all set up. Nadine said that all the eggs were buried on schedule. And the donuts were the last snack to arrive because they were made fresh this morning.”

  He nodded happily and then turned as two men arrived by the ten. One was older with a paunch belly and glasses. The other man looked to be a few years out of high school. His hair and his clothes were both sloppy.

  “We checked the power packs on all the devices,” the older man reported.

  “Thanks, Al,” said Gilbert.

  “Can we take a break now?” asked the younger man. “I’m hungry.”

>   “Sure,” Gilbert said. “But we’re going to start in an hour. Make sure you’re here for it. I want to introduce the club before the search begins.”

  The two men nodded and headed off.

  Heather finished setting up the donuts. She was about to suggest that they get out of the planners’ way when someone else appeared at the tent.

  “Is everything okay, Brian?” Gilbert asked.

  The man had brown hair and a set of binoculars around his neck. He also had a distracted look on his face.

  “Have you seen Kaylee around?” Brian asked.

  “She might be checking on the beverages,” Jill said. “We need to make sure that we have enough water if it gets hot.”

  Brian nodded and walked off absentmindedly.

  Before anyone else could pop their head in, Heather said, “If we’re all set up now. We should get back to our friends.”

  Jill nodded. “Just let us give you your metal detector. It will be one less that we have to hand out right before we begin. You’ll just have to promise not to do any searching before the official start.”

  “I promise,” Lilly said.

  Gilbert wished them luck, and the Shepherd family followed Jill out of the tent. She went into the adjoining tent to grab the metal detector. However, then Heather saw someone else about to poke his head into the food tent. It was someone she was not expecting to see and couldn’t say she was especially pleased to see.

  “What are you doing here?” Mr. Rankle barked.

  “I could say the same about you,” Heather said. “I thought that you couldn’t travel on the sand until your leg healed.”

  “We got him a special wheelchair,” Ethel said, dancing around to face Heather. “Look at how thick these tire treads are. They can travel on the sand wonderfully.”