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

  Lemon Curd & Murder

  An Oceanside Cozy Mystery - Book 18

  Susan Gillard

  Copyright 2017 by Guardian Publishing Group

  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

  Lemon Curd & Murder

  1. Treasured Donuts

  2. The Cat’s Claw Museum

  3. Tacos and Trouble

  4. The Professor

  5. The Call

  6. The Crime Scene

  7. Big CC

  8. Treasure Tom

  9. Windows

  10. Lights On

  11. Downcast Donna

  12. Tour Guide Recap

  13. Two Suspects

  14. The Treasure

  15. The Diver

  16. Walking

  17. A Heartfelt Talk

  18. The Lighthouse

  About the Author

  Also by Susan Gillard

  Lemon Curd & Murder

  Treasured Donuts

  “I don’t really like sour things,” Janae said.

  “It’s not sour,” Heather assured her assistant. They were in the kitchen at Donut Delights, looking at Heather’s newest confectionary creation.

  “But it has lemon in the name,” Janae said.

  “Has Heather ever created any donuts that weren’t delicious?” Amy challenged.

  Janae laughed. “You have a point.”

  Heather smiled at her bestie and then handed Janae a donut. "Enjoy my newest flavor: the Lemon Curd Donut."

  "You're sure it's not sour?" Janae asked, still hesitating.

  “If you’re not going to eat it, I will,” Amy threatened, reaching for the circular snack. Janae pulled it away from her. Then, she took a deep breath and took a bite.

  "It's really good!" Janae said.

  “I’m not sure if I should take the surprised sound in your voice as a compliment,” Heather said with a wink.

  “I didn’t really doubt you,” Janae assured her. “I just doubted the lemons.”

  "Well, when life gives you lemons, make Lemon Curd Donuts," Amy joked as she grabbed a snack for herself.

  "How did you accomplish this?" Janae asked.

  “I’ll show you,” Heather said. “Because we’re going to have to make more of them to bring as samples this afternoon.”

  “If it means I get to eat more of them, I’ll help,” Amy offered.

  "First, we're going to make a simple vanilla cake base for the donut," Heather explained. "And then we'll fill it with lemon curd."

  “That’s the part that didn’t sound appealing to me,” Janae said. “But you made it work.”

  "It's similar to what you would find in a lemon meringue pie," said Heather. "However, it also functions like a jelly would in a jelly donut. I had to find the right balance of lemon zest to make sure that it would be citrusy without being too sour."

  “And what’s this on top of it?” Janae asked. “I would think that it was powdered sugar, except for the color.”

  “You’re right on both accounts,” Heather said. “It’s a powdered sugary mix that I created. I needed the sweetness on top to get the right flavor. However, I chose to make a lemon donut because of the nice yellow color that it allows me to use.”

  "Yellow really does pop on a dessert table," Janae said.

  “And it looks like pirate treasure,” Amy added.

  “And that’s exactly what I was going for,” Heather said. “We’re going to be providing the snacks for an event at a small museum nearby that is dedicated to a sunken pirate ship.”

  “There are a lot of them around here,” Janae said. “I like to tell some of the stories when the bike tours I lead head near the beaches. Which pirate ship is the event about?”

  “It’s about a pirate ship called The Cat’s Claw,” said Heather. “The story goes that hundreds of years ago, pirates plundered a treasure including a solid gold statue of a cat.”

  "Can you imagine getting a solid gold statue of a cat?" Amy asked. "I like you kitten Cupcake enough, but I can't imagine getting a statue in gold of her."

  “What about of Miss Marshmallow?” Heather teased.

  “I told you. Jamie and I are just fostering that dog. We’re not going to adopt her,” Amy said, crossing her arms.

  Heather nodded and stopped herself from pointing out that even though they maintained that they were only fostering the dog, the couple had not made any effort to find a new home for the animal. Their excuse of waiting until after the holiday season had passed.

  However, Heather decided to focus on pirates instead of pooches.

  "They say that the pirates even changed the name of their ship to The Cat's Claw after finding this great treasure," Heather continued. "And that's partly why it was so hard to track if this tale was true or not. They didn't know what the ship was called beforehand. They say that the ship went down during a storm and only one survivor made it to land. In his despair, he told the people on the island about his ship and the treasure, including the gold cat statue. But, fearing that he would be prosecuted for piracy, he fled the area as soon as he was able. Not much else was known about the ship, but stories sprang up that the treasure was cursed."

  "It's a shame the people who found the pirate survivor didn't have our interrogation skills," Amy said. "We've gotten so good at questioning suspects that we definitely could have gotten him to give us all the relevant information."

  “If so little information is known about this sunken ship, how can they have a museum dedicated to it?” asked Janae. “There is plenty of information about other sunken ships near Key West. I know about the 1715 Fleet from Spain that went down. And then there's the Atocha, and the Benwood, and the San Pedro, to name a few."

  “For a long time, there was no real information about The Cat’s Claw,” said Heather. “But last year a diver came upon the wreckage and actually found the golden cat statue and some other pieces of treasure. The museum has been open one year and is going to have a party for their anniversary.”

  “And we’re going to deliver Lemon Curd Donuts that will look like round yellow coins?” Janae asked.

  “As well as some donut holes that I’ve been experimenting with to make them look golden,” said Heather.

  Digby, Heather’s more dramatic assistant, popped his head into the kitchen. “The press is here. And they’re not here for me. They don’t seem to want to hear anything about my new play.”

  "The press?”

  Heather and Amy walked to the front of Donut Delights with a sense of dread. They had both had some bad experiences with the press in the past. The Key West, Key News wasn’t as sensationalist or inept as the paper in their old town used to be, but there was a reporter there who gave them more attention that they would like.

  “Do you think it’s her?” Heather asked.

  “We can always hope not,” Amy said.

  “Are you talking about me?” Hope Penwell asked. She was a young reporter who was always on the lookout for a story and for a way to prove herself. Her enthusiasm for a scoop was boundless.
r />   Hope gave the two of them a hug that wasn’t quite reciprocated.

  “How are you both?” Hope asked.

  "On the record?" teased Amy.

  "We're doing fine," Heather said. "But we're still really not interested in having a feature article written about us as bakers and private investigators."

  “I know,” Hope sighed. “I’ve given up on that story. No, I’m here because I’m supposed to do a story on The Cat’s Claw Museum celebration. I heard you were making the desserts for it.”

  “You’re writing an article just on the museum and desserts?” Amy asked, suspiciously.

  Hope didn’t pick up on her tone and instead looked annoyed. “I know. I’ve written several stories on murder cases now because I’ve been given exclusives, but the paper is still keeping me as a junior writer. I don’t know what I have to do to prove myself there. I keep getting fluff pieces.”

  “Well, fluff and icing and curd,” Amy joked.

  “Maybe I can include in this piece how the bakers for the event have stopped their fair share of crime and contrast it with how criminal the pirates were at the time,” Hope thought aloud.

  “I don’t know if you’ll even need that angle,” Heather said quickly. “There’s already so much to talk about that is interesting. There's piracy, and sunken treasure, and a cursed statue."

  “That does sound interesting,” Hope admitted.

  "We were going to bring some of our donuts to the museum in a little while for the owner of the place to sample. Would you like to join us?" asked Heather.

  “That would be wonderful,” Hope gushed. “I’ll really be getting the scoop on preparations if I go.”

  Amy pulled her best friend aside. "What are you doing? Why are you inviting her to spend more time with us? I thought we wanted to avoid the press. Not carpool with it."

  "Think about it," Heather said. "Do we want her to stay here and interview us? Or at a place where there's someone to talk about the cursed treasure?"

  “I get it,” Amy said. “And if we could pawn Hope off at the museum – that really would be a treasure.”

  The Cat’s Claw Museum

  “It’s not a very large museum,” Hope mused as they approached the small building.

  "It's only dedicated to one ship, so I guess it doesn't have to be very big," Heather said, shrugging.

  "I'll have to figure out a way to photograph so it that will look right," Hope said. "But it's okay. Small places can still hold big stories."

  Heather crossed her fingers so Amy could see that she was hoping that would be the case. They both knew that if the focus of the story turned toward them, the paper wouldn’t want to talk about her Lemon Curd Donut recipe. It would want to talk about her work helping to solve murders, and Heather didn’t like to receive attention for that. She became a private investigator to help see justice served, not to see her name in the news.

  Heather and Amy each picked up a box of donuts, while Hope took out her notebook.

  The Cat’s Claw Museum was small but had big windows. Even the back of the building had large windows by the office that they had seen as they drove around to the front parking lot. It was decorated in a nautical style. Some wooden casks were set outside for passersby to sit on, and the door had a boat steering wheel attached to it.

  "Welcome to The Cat’s Claw Museum, matey," a voice greeted them as they entered. "Oh, you're carrying dessert boxes. You must be Heather. It's wonderful to meet you in person."

  “Likewise,” Heather said.

  The woman was dressed in pirate attire and wore a gold pirate coin on a decorative rope around her neck. A bandana tamed her wild hair, but nothing could contain the grin on her face.

  “This is Donna Sanders,” Heather said, making introductions. “She owns and runs The Cat’s Claw Museum and hired us to provide the snacks for the anniversary celebration in two days. Donna, this is my best friend and helper-in-all-things, Amy.”

  “I would introduce myself as a professional donut taste tester,” Amy added.

  “And this is Hope Penwell from the local paper.”

  “From the paper? That’s wonderful,” Donna said. “I feel like The Cat’s Claw, both the ship and the museum, don’t get nearly the recognition that they should. I’m so glad the local press wants to give us some coverage.”

  “I’d love to,” Hope said. “If it’s a good story.”

  “Oh, it’s a wonderful one,” Donna said. She began by recapping the tale that Heather had told Janae about the pirates plundering the cat statue and then sinking into the sea. Probably because she was used to explaining the tale at the museum, she used more nautical expression and even made some sound effects in her telling.

  "I had been fascinated by this tale since I was a child,” Donna continued. “I liked all the pirate stories, but this one stuck with me especially. It might have been because of the survivor’s account of the terrible storm or because the golden treasure was in the shape of a cat. My late husband was also terribly interested in the tale."

  “A deceased husband. That’s an interesting detail,” Hope said. Then, trying to sound kinder as she talked, she asked, “Would you mind telling me if he lived long enough to see the treasure and this museum become a reality?”

  "Unfortunately, not," Donna said. "My husband Davey was a diver and searched for this treasure for ages. Sadly, he got sick a few years ago and passed away. I wasn't sure what to do with myself. I was in a state of despair. But then a young diver stumbled upon the wreckage and actually found the golden cat statue. I felt like from the afterlife Davey had shown someone the way to the lost treasure."

  “And who is this diver?” Hope asked.

  "His name is Greg Rowell. He lives in town, and he will be a part of the festivities," Donna said. "He would have to be, of course. Without him, we wouldn't have anything to celebrate."

  “This is going to be a great story,” Hope said, happily. “A pirate treasure found and the dead dreamer who never saw this come to fruition.”

  Donna frowned, perhaps unhappy about how her husband’s death had been summed up.

  “Donna, would you like to try the donuts now?” Heather asked to change the subject.

  "Sure," she said, nodding. She soon cheered right up when she saw the donuts. "Oh, they look perfect. Just like a pirate treasure. Those yellow donuts as the main event look divine, and then with the golden donut holes."

  “It looks like a rich dessert, doesn’t it?” Amy joked.

  “Try a sample of the Lemon Curd Donut,” Heather said, offering her one.

  Donna took a bite and beamed. “Yo ho ho! This is delicious.”

  "The golden donut holes are vanilla and are glazed to look shiny," Heather explained. "And we thought we could make some Red Velvet Donut Holes too if you would like some more color with the snacks. I know that you said that the treasure that was found was all gold.”

  “I think we could bend the truth a bit if it comes to tasty desserts,” Donna said. “Visitors can learn all the true history from looking around the museum, but we can add some flavor to the party.”

  "Then we'll make some Red Velvet Donut Holes to look like rubies, Blueberry Bites to look like sapphires, and Mint Cream Donut Holes to look like emeralds."

  "Just make sure that you bring enough of the Lemon Curd Donuts, and I'll be happy," Donna said. "Would you like to see some of the treasure?"

  The others agreed, and Donna lead them past some glass displays filled with sharp swords and maps. Against the back wall was an impressive display that held the gold coins and the gold cat statue on a pedestal.

  “It’s a great story,” Hope said.

  “It’s beautiful,” Heather said.

  “But why a cat?” asked Amy.

  Donna shrugged. “I think that they believed that the cat would be good luck. Like a cat has nine lives, they would have nine escapes from danger. Unfortunately, it proved otherwise. Some say that the statue is cursed. Of course, I don’t believe that p
art.”

  Hope almost seemed disappointed that there was no curse because it would have made for an interesting story. Instead, she focused on asking about the details of the event.

  "It's going to be a grand celebration," Donna said. "The diver who found the treasure will be here, and there will be wonderful food. And, most excitingly, I hired a professor of sea archeology to come in for the proceedings. Professor Wattleson will examine the treasure and give us some new insight on the pieces.”

  “It might be interesting to talk to him for the article,” Hope said.

  “Well, he’s arriving today,” Donna said. “And he might welcome a tour guide with your knowledge to show him around the island. I was going to do it when the museum closed at five today, but that leaves him with a few hours with nothing to do.”

  “I’d love to show him around!” Hope said.

  Heather and Amy smiled at each other. It looked like Hope would be out of their hair for the rest of the day.

  Tacos and Trouble

  “I don’t know why you aren’t a fan of this paper,” Eva said. “I enjoy reading about the local news.”

  “It’s also how we can stay on top of all of the latest bikini fads,” Leila joked.

  Heather laughed. She loved spending time with her two senior friends. The older women began as her favorite customers at her first Donut Delights location, but now she couldn't think of them as anything except family.

  “I don’t mind this paper,” Heather said, grudgingly. “Hope does good research on her stories, and I’m sure the other reporters do too. I just don’t want to be the subject of any of them.”