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  Tres Leches & Murder

  An Oceanside Cozy Mystery Series Book 3

  Susan Gillard

  Contents

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  Tres Leches & Murder

  1. In the Kitchen with Donuts

  2. Is this Opening Grand?

  3. The Rankle Problem

  4. First Customers

  5. A Resolution to Relax

  6. Comforting Betty

  7. Dealing with Detectives

  8. The Crime Scene Search

  9. Another Turn with the Turners

  10. Don’s Denial

  11. Rankle Remains

  12. A Gamble on O’Malley

  13. Senior Wisdom

  14. Sisterly Love

  15. Train of Thought

  16. The Bookie

  17. The Arrest

  18. The Grand Regular Business Day

  Also by Susan Gillard

  About the Author

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  Disclaimer: 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.

  Copyright 2017 by Guardian Publishing Group - All rights reserved.

  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.

  Tres Leches & Murder

  Book 3

  In the Kitchen with Donuts

  "Are you making Tres Leches to celebrate having three amazing donut-making assistants?" Digby asked Heather with a smile.

  “Hey!” Amy said, realizing that there were four of them there besides Heather.

  "No disrespect meant," Digby said to her with hands raised in apology. "We don't think of you as an assistant. You're a higher up. A partner."

  "That's true," Amy agreed. "I'm Heather's partner in both private investigating and in best friendship. And I don't mind being thought of as a second boss around here. I can give orders. You, bring me a donut. And you, clean the counters. On second thought, forget the counters. You, also bring me a donut."

  They all laughed.

  “I’m glad everybody is still in such high spirits after such a long day,” Heather said.

  “I think everyone is excited about the grand opening,” Luz said. “I know I am.”

  “We’re going to make sure we put the grand in the grand opening,” Digby said.

  “It is a little nerve-wracking. It’s arriving so quickly.” Nina said. “But it is exciting too. I can’t believe it’s happening tomorrow.”

  “Me neither,” Heather agreed, though the timing felt different for her.

  She had been extremely busy, so in some ways, the time felt like it flew by. In addition to having the donut duties on her plate, she also had to juggle moving into her new home and some sleuthing.

  However, it also felt like a lot of time had passed since she arrived. She and her family and best friends had moved to Key West relatively quickly so she could open up a second Donut Delights. She thought she would be able to open up shop right away, but it had actually taken a few weeks to finish the decorating, hire the proper staff and train them, and to advertise the opening. Add to that, that she had already helped to solve two murder cases since she moved in and it felt like she had been in town quite a long while.

  “I think the other thing that is keeping our enthusiasm going is the smell of those donuts,” Amy said.

  “That’s the case for me,” Digby said. “But you never did answer my question.”

  “I certainly could have chosen Tres Leches as my flavor to celebrate my three new employees, because I know you will all be wonderful. You’ve helped me so much with setup and are becoming pros at making all the different donuts,” Heather said.

  She smiled at them, grateful that she had made the right decision in her hiring. Digby was a little dramatic but would be great with customers, and his fervor for the delicious flavors would be infectious. Nina was a little nervous but was a natural in the kitchen. Luz would excel at both aspects. She was an empty-nester who was a natural fit for Donut Delights. In fact, she had been the inspiration for the latest flavor, which Heather shared with the group.

  "But the reason I chose to make a Tres Leches donut was because of Luz." Heather explained, "She created a terrific Tres Leches cupcake that encouraged me to try and make a donut version of the dessert."

  “I couldn’t be prouder,” Luz said. “I knew my family enjoyed my baking, but it feels wonderful to be part of something official now. And to know that I inspired this donut – well, I just can’t help smiling.”

  “I hope we all feel the same tomorrow,” Heather said. “Hopefully, it will be very busy.”

  They heard the door open, and all moved towards it.

  “I think it will be,” Amy said. “They’re already breaking down the door to get in.”

  However, they soon saw that the customers were Heather’s friends Eva and Leila. The two older women had started out as her favorite customers at her Donut Delights shop in Hillside, Texas, but had become close family friends. The two senior besties had followed them to Key West citing five main reasons: the weather, the company and “donuts, donuts, donuts.”

  “I guess this is the last time we’re going to enter the shop before it opens,” Eva said.

  “Tomorrow we’ll be just like all the other regular Joes that come in during business hours,” Leila agreed.

  “There’s nothing regular about you two,” Heather said.

  “Great compliment,” Amy said, rolling her eyes.

  “I mean,” Heather amended. “That you’ll always be special. You’re my favorite customers, and I don’t think there’s any way around it.”

  “We’ll have to figure out what our new regular table is,” Eva said, eyeing the setup of the room. Leila joined her as they moved around the space. They were discussing the pros and cons of each table.

  “The lighting here might be good for reading the local paper,” Eva said.

  “But there might be a lot of people maneuvering around this table to get to the others,” Leila pointed out.

  Amy was getting bored. “The longer you take to pick a table, the longer you have to wait for donuts.”

  Eva and Leila promptly sat down at the table they were closest to.

  “I think this is it,” Eva said.

  “The perfect table,” Leila agreed.

  “Now, what donut do you have for us today?”

  Heather held back her giggles to explain the new flavor. “It’s a Tres Leches Donut.”

  “That means three milks?” Eva asked.

  “Maybe we should make it four milks,” said Leila. “And get some coffee with milk in it to go with them.”

  Even though she was half-joking, Digby quickly started preparing some coffees. Heather was very proud of her staff picks.

  "Yes," Heather said about the dessert. "A Tres Leches cake is made with condensed milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream. It's a light cake, so I had to work carefully to capture that consistency in my donut base. It's made to be like a sponge cake. It should be both creamy and light. But of course, with a rich, creamy frosting."

  The two women took a bite, and then they took several more. When they could pry themselves away from the deliciousness, they complimented the snack.

  “Tres cheers!” Leila said.<
br />
  “Yes,” said Eva. “Hip hip hooray! And well, I’d keep cheering to three, but then I’d have to stop eating.”

  Heather smiled and then turned to her staff. “Why don’t you all enjoy another donut too? Then we’ll clean up for the night and head home. Everyone should get a good night’s sleep because it might be crazy tomorrow.”

  Her assistants happily agreed, and each grabbed a Tres Leches Donut. They seemed happy with the perks of their new job.

  “So, what are you up to after you finish your donuts?” Heather asked her friends.

  “We’d actually like to take a donut with us for a friend if we can,” Eva said.

  “There is actually a friend,” Leila said. “We’re not just grabbing more for ourselves to be greedy. Though I wouldn’t mind a few more for ourselves.”

  "We've been enjoying some of the activities for seniors here, and we made a friend at the community center. A very dear woman named Betty," Eva said. "She has to go to physical therapy several times a week and is very tired afterward, but she does love visiting with people. We thought we'd bring some donuts to her and her son and chat for a while before she takes a nap."

  “Of course, you can have some donuts,” Heather said. “But she’ll have to promise to come in and visit the shop when she’s feeling up to it. I’d like to meet her.”

  “I’m sure she’d be glad to,” Eva said.

  “Especially after she tastes these donuts,” Leila agreed.

  She prepared a boxed sample of donuts for her friends made of what her staff had been practicing baking all day. Then, she helped her assistants finish closing for the day.

  When only she and Amy were left, she turned to her best friend and said, “I can’t believe it’s really happening. I hope this second one is as good as the first.”

  “It will be different, but I think it will be just as delicious,” her bestie said.

  Is this Opening Grand?

  “Heather, I’m so happy we decided to do this, aren’t you? I’m practically shaking I’m so thrilled. I’ll contain myself and focus on shaking your hand,” Rudolph Rodney said.

  * * *

  Heather gladly shook his hand back. She had been fortunate to have worked with several people who believed in her business before, but Rudolph Rodney was the investor who convinced her to open a second location in Key West. He was so confident that the new Donut Delights on Duval Street would be successful that he had even bribed the Shepherd family to move there by offering them a house. Even though the house had some quirks, it was a smart enticement to offer because it was a three-family house. This allowed Amy and her boyfriend, and Eva and Leila to have adjoining homes to Heather.

  * * *

  Rudolph Rodney had been a fan of Heather’s donuts since he sniffed the air in her Hillside shop. She hoped that his belief in them would pay off when they opened the doors that morning. Heather was always proud of her creations, but couldn’t help but feel a little nervous about the new endeavor. Her friends and family had moved there to support her with this store. If it failed, she would have moved them across the country for no reason. This was a new town. What if they didn’t like her donuts as much as Hillside did?

  * * *

  Rudolph Rodney didn’t look nervous though, so Heather tried to reflect his confidence. He was a fan of hats and today was wearing a Stetson Fedora for the occasion. It didn’t shade his face so much that you couldn’t see his huge smile.

  * * *

  “Are you all ready?” he asked.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be,” Heather said. “I mean, yes. We’ll be ready to open on schedule today. The front is ready for people to come in and sit down with the donuts. And the staff is hard at work preparing the donuts for the day.”

  * * *

  “I do love the little artwork that you added to the tables,” Rudolph Rodney said, indicating to the table settings. They were napkin holders that were decorated to match the beachy theme of this location. They were painted to look like oysters, but instead of holding pearls they were holding a greater treasure: donuts!

  * * *

  “Amy made those,” Heather said, proud of her bestie’s talent.

  * * *

  “That’s wonderful,” Rudolph Rodney said. “She’s very artsy.”

  * * *

  “I’m glad you didn’t say crafty,” Amy said, joining them. “Because that could have a double meaning.”

  * * *

  “No, no,” Rudolph Rodney said. “I know you aren’t crafty and dishonest. Maybe the killers that you both catch are. I’ll never forget how you cleared my name of that false murder charge. I don’t know how to thank you. First that and now you’re going to make me a successful donut investor,” Rudolph said.

  * * *

  "Fingers crossed," Heather said, trying to make the butterflies in her stomach take a rest from flying around.

  * * *

  Ryan and Jamie entered the shop, and the butterflies formed in her stomach for a whole other reason. Heather and Ryan had been married for a while now and had adopted a child together, but he could still give her a romantic fluttery feeling when he appeared unexpectedly.

  “You’re early,” Heather said, greeting Ryan with a kiss.

  * * *

  "We were too excited to stay home," Jamie said after properly greeting his girlfriend, Amy.

  “And I have to admit there wasn’t much for me to do anyway,” Ryan said.

  * * *

  Heather squeezed his hand. Ryan was a detective but hadn't started on his new police force yet since the move. He was waiting for the current detective to go into his promised retirement. Ryan maintained that he was enjoying the time off, especially because they were on an island with beautiful beaches, but Heather knew he was itching to start work again.

  * * *

  "You said we would be back up today if the grand opening event today got too busy. We realized that it certainly would happen as soon as one person tasted your donuts, so we decided to come," Ryan said. "I can help out until Lilly gets out of school. But I'll be sure to bring her by. I know she wants to see the new shop up and running."

  * * *

  “I really appreciate it,” Heather said. “You could help with the register today if we get stuck in the kitchen.”

  * * *

  “Then we’ll definitely have business,” Amy said with a wink. “People will come for the donuts and for the eye candy.”

  * * *

  Heather laughed, and the men pretended to be offended by her response. Ryan and Jamie were both very handsome, but she had trouble taking the phrase “eye candy” seriously.

  * * *

  Rudolph Rodney took the opportunity after the humor to talk to Jamie. "I'm very glad to see you again," he said. "After it quiets down with Donut Delights after the opening, we'll talk about setting you up with your pet grooming van business."

  * * *

  “I’m looking forward to it,” Jamie said.

  "Befriending this group of people ended up being the best business decision I ever made," Rudolph Rodney declared. "And now tell me that everything is settled with the house and that there are no new problems."

  * * *

  Ryan and Jamie exchanged a look. While the setup of the new house and its location was wonderful, it did keep presenting problems that needed plumbers and electricians to be brought in. Rudolph Rodney was quick to bring someone in to repair any damage but felt disheartened that his "dream home" for them was occasionally a nightmare.

  * * *

  “Nothing that can’t wait until after the opening,” Ryan said.

  * * *

  “We might be having another problem,” Amy said, looking out the window. “This could be trouble.”

  The Rankle Problem

  Heather had a terrible feeling as she looked out the window where Amy pointed. She was glad to see that her fears that a crime was being committed were allayed, but was frustrated for her business by what she saw.
/>   Many of her shop neighbors on the street had made peace with here after initially giving her a hard time about being an out-of-towner setting up a shop in their prime real estate. It might have had something to do with her solving the murder of another neighbor, or it might have had something to do with her kind disposition and her yummy donuts.

  However, one neighbor that had never warmed to her was Mr. Rankle of Sun and Fun Novelties. He could pretend to be pleasant, but she learned that in general, he was a cranky old man. However, she had never thought that he would stoop to the pettiness of his most recent stunt.

  He had set up a display on the sidewalk in front of his store of heartburn and stomach medication. It proclaimed that it was for anyone that needed it after trying something new. Though he wasn’t outright saying it, Heather knew that the display was aimed at her donuts. She was pretty sure that potential customers on the street would make this association too because of all their “Grand Opening - New Donut Shop” flyers.