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  Mint Crisp & Murder

  An Oceanside Cozy Mystery - Book 25

  Susan Gillard

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  “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

  Mint Crisp & Murder

  1. Mint Crisp Conversations

  2. Miss Marshmallow’s Party

  3. The Crime Onstage

  4. The Detectives Arrive

  5. Digby’s Account

  6. The Director

  7. Unexpected Roles

  8. The Play’s the Thing

  9. The Stage Manager

  10. Rehearsal Space

  11. Donut Theater

  12. The Wife

  13. The Other Actress

  14. A Second Visit

  15. Actor Questions

  16. Lines

  17. The Trap

  18. The Outing

  About the Author

  Also by Susan Gillard

  Mint Crisp & Murder

  Mint Crisp Conversations

  Are they minty fresh?” Amy asked.

  “I’m not quite sure how to answer that,” Heather said. “The donuts are fresh, and they are minty, but they’re not going to taste like toothpaste.”

  Amy laughed. “I didn’t expect them to. Though I’m sure that even if you made a toothpaste-flavored donut, it would be delicious. You could probably make a cod liver donut taste good. Or a dog food flavored one.”

  “I am making a dog food flavored one,” Heather reminded her. “But it’s just for the dogs. It’s for your doggie adoption party.”

  “Right,” Amy said, wrinkling her nose. “I know I just said that you could make even that delicious, but you will have regular flavors too, won’t you?”

  “That’s what I made these for,” Heather said with a smile.

  She placed some of her newest flavor creations on a plate, showcasing the green highlights in the icing. Amy licked her lips.

  They were in the kitchen of Heather’s shop Donut Delights, where everything they made was a treat. Heather made a mental note that she would have to tell all her assistants which donuts were flavored like dog treats so they wouldn’t accidentally serve it to her customers. However, the dog donuts were her next project. First, she had to make sure that her newest flavor was as tasty as she thought it would be.

  “Tell me about this human flavor quickly,” Amy said. “Otherwise I’m going to steal one and find out what it tastes like for myself.”

  Heather handed her bestie a donut and picked one up for herself. “I think we’re both entitled to one. This is the Mint Crisp Donut.”

  “I figured the green in the icing was intentional,” Amy teased.

  “The donut base is chocolate with mint chips mixed in.”

  “Mint chips?” asked Amy.

  “Like chocolate chips but mint flavored. There’s also some crisp honeycomb cookies mixed in to give it just the right amount of crunch. Then it’s covered with chocolate icing infused with mint oil and colored with green dye for effect.”

  “I can’t wait to eat it,” Amy said. “And I’m not going to.”

  She took a bite and then smiled. Heather followed suit.

  “This is incredible,” Amy said. “Everyone is going to love them.”

  “Then it’s perfect for the party,” Heather said. “Because everyone loves Miss Marshmallow. I’m glad you and Jamie finally admitted you both did and are going to keep her.”

  “Yeah,” Amy said. “I’m glad we’re adopting her too. She’s really grown on me since we started fostering her. When we first started caring for her, I thought she was a prissy, spoiled animal who needed too much care. But now she’s my prissy, spoiled animal who I want to care for.”

  They laughed. Heather began mixing the batter to make another batch of Mint Crisp Donuts. She was going to need plenty if they were for a party and for her customers. Amy decided to continue eating the samples – to make certain that they were all up to par.

  “I did hope that I’d get an engagement ring before I got a dog,” Amy said. “But I’m not really complaining. I love Jamie and Miss Marshmallow. And I love these donuts, so I’m happy.”

  “I hear talk of love,” Heather’s assistant, Digby, said as he strolled into the kitchen. “Are you talking about being my adoring audience?”

  “We were talking about Amy’s new dog,” Heather admitted. “But we are really excited to see your play too. We plan on being there opening night. The whole crew.”

  “But it’s a week away,” Amy said. “We’re not going to be constantly talking about it until then. We have other things to talk about. Like these donuts. Have you tried the new flavor?”

  “Not yet,” Digby said, picking one up. “But I’m looking forward to changing that.”

  “Enjoy that donut and then help me bake some more,” Heather said.

  “Happy on both accounts,” Digby said. He ate the donut quickly. “This awesome. Do you mind if I bring some to my dress rehearsals? They might get a standing ovation.”

  “Sure,” Heather said. “When do you need them?”

  “We have dress rehearsals all week, but our first one is tonight,” Digby said. “We need to make sure that the show is ready to go, and that we can move in our costumes. One time I was in a show where they added a wig last minute and the bangs were so long that I couldn’t see anything. There don’t seem to be any issues with this show though.”

  He and Heather began preparing the icing, as they talked.

  “You said you were Neighbor #2 in this show?” Amy asked.

  “Yes,” Digby said. “But it’s a small cast, so that’s still a good part. Neither of the neighbor characters have names. It’s a commentary on how people don’t really know each other.”

  Amy nodded. She didn’t look especially enthused about the play, but Heather was excited to see the show. It had been a while since she had been to the theater. Unfortunately, the last dinner theater show she went to in Texas resulted in a murder investigation when an actor was killed in the parking lot. She hoped that the only “problem” for Digby’s cast would be “broken legs,” like the phrase actors used to wish each other good luck.

  She wanted to see her assistant on the stage opening night and applaud for his performance. She had probably heard most of his lines already as he liked to practice them while he worked at the shop, but she was excited to see it in context. She was considering seeing the show a second time and bringing her daughter if it was appropriate for her. This was an original work, and she didn’t know much about the play, other than that Digby assured them that he would be amazing in it.

  “I’m also the understudy for all the male lead,” Digby said. “If he couldn’t go on for any reason, I’d have to do that.”

  “Any chance of that happening?” Amy asked.

  “No,” Digby answered. “Willie wouldn’t miss a performance. And that this point, a few days before opening, I really wouldn’t want to take over the part.”

  “We better move faster with these donuts,” Heather sa
id. “Now we need them for our customers in person and online, for Miss Marshmallow’s party, and for hungry actors.”

  Digby hurried over to the fridge to gather some more ingredients. He paused when he opened the door and stared at the ingredients.

  “Hey, Heather,” he said, scratching his head. “Why is there so much sausage in our fridge?”

  Heather laughed. “We’re going to be making a different sort of donut after this one.”

  Miss Marshmallow’s Party

  This isn’t as sweet as most of your donut flavors,” Vincent said thoughtfully.

  “Oh no,” Heather said, unable to intercept him before he took a bite. “Those are the special donuts for the dogs and cat. That’s why they were in dog bowls instead of on plates.”

  “I thought that was decoration,” Vincent said, chuckling. “They’re not bad though.”

  The older gentleman was wearing a bowtie with pictures of pawprints on it to celebrate the occasion. He was soon joined by his sweetheart, Eva.

  Eva began as one of Heather’s favorite customers but was now a close family friend. They had moved to Key West at the same time and were now next-door neighbors, which was convenient for visiting each other. While they didn’t usually share cups of sugar as neighbors, they did share donuts.

  Eva lived with another spunky older lady named Leila. They were as good friends as Heather and Amy were, and Heather hoped that they were still as close when they reached the same age.

  Leila was chatting with Heather’s friend Bernadette who ran a local bookstore, so Eva had decided to check on her beau.

  “Is he getting into trouble?” she asked in a teasing manner. She intertwined her arm with Vincent’s and smiled at Heather.

  Heather looked at the dog donut in his hand and considered her answer.

  “Not at all,” Vincent said, answering for her. “I’ve just never been to a party for a dog before. It’s fun though.”

  “Agreed,” Eva said. “Though I am glad that the party games don’t include us having to chase after balls in a game of fetch.”

  Heather laughed.

  It was shaping up to be a fun party. Many of their friends had come to celebrate Amy and Jamie’s new furry addition to their family. A few of Amy’s friends from the art studio, including the owner Kendall were there. Heather’s investor for Donut Delights had also graciously accepted their invitation. Rudolph Rodney was happy to see how the three-family house had turned out. When Heather first moved in (along with Amy and Jamie on the top floor, and Eva and Leila next-door), the house had given them a lot of problems. However, now everything seemed to be fixed, and it was the perfect place to host a party.

  Heather’s daughter Lilly was joined by her new friend, Chelsea. The two girls were playing with the other four-legged guests, as Miss Marshmallow was getting tired. Heather’s pets and guests at the party included a white mixed-breed dog with a love of donuts named Dave and a sassy kitten who sometimes thought she was a dog too named Cupcake.

  Heather made sure that Vincent took one of the Mint Crisp Donuts, and listened to Eva compliment her and tell her that this was her new favorite flavor. Heather reminded her that she said this every time she tried a new donut flavor and Eva winked. Then, Eva and Vincent decided to bring some of the donuts over to Leila and Bernadette and make sure that they got to taste them. Vincent mischievously picked up another of the dog-food flavored donuts and pretended that he was going to bring it to their friends. However, Heather knew what he was up to. He gave that special donut to Dave and Cupcake before meeting Leila.

  Heather grinned. Then, she looked over and saw Amy and Jamie doting on the guest of honor. Miss Marshmallow looked very pleased to receive the attention from her new parents. She was wearing a doggie tiara for the occasion, and Heather was happy that the dog found a home with her friend.

  As she watched them, Heather couldn’t help thinking about what Amy had said about wanting an engagement ring. Amy and Jamie had been together for a while now. They lived together and had just adopted a dog. Maybe the time for a proposal would be soon.

  Then again, Heather mused, the couple had been very slow about making changes every step of the way. When they first decided to move in together, they had fussed over finding the perfect house as a way of stalling. Then, they had fostered Miss Marshmallow for months, maintaining that they had no plans of adopting her, before finally admitting that they wanted to keep her in the family. Heather thought that most of this stalling came from Amy’s side of things, but that Jamie was willing not to rush into anything either. Maybe Jamie was delaying a proposal because he didn’t want to scare the woman he loved off.

  “What are you thinking about?” Ryan asked, walking up to her.

  Heather wrapped her arms around her husband, and said, “Just wondering whether our friends will ever get married.”

  “Amy and Jamie? Or Eva and Vincent?”

  “I was thinking Amy and Jamie,” Heather answered. “But I’d love to go to Eva’s wedding as well.”

  “I think at either of your friend’s weddings, you’d have some catering to do,” Ryan said with a smile. “They both love your donuts so much that I’m sure they’d be on the menu.”

  “I wouldn’t mind that,” Heather said. “But I think these events might down be a ways down the line. Is anything exciting happening now? Are you working on anything new?”

  Ryan shook his head. “The waters are calm at the Key West Police Force. I don’t have a case at the moment. Detective Peters and I have just been catching up on paperwork from some of our recent adventures. And I invited my partner to come to Digby’s show with us. I hope that’s all right. When I mentioned it, he seemed interested in the theater.”

  “That’s fine,” Heather assured him. “And the thought of a play must be a nice break from paperwork. There has been a lot of excitement on the island recently. You must have lots of forms to fill out. You’ve solved over two dozen cases since you’ve been here.”

  “With a lot of help from the loveliest P.I. and baker I’ve ever met.”

  Heather smiled at the compliment, but couldn’t help asking, “Is there a lot of competition? Do you know many P.I.s slash bakers?”

  “No,” Ryan admitted. “But even if I knew a hundred, I know they couldn’t hold a candle to you.”

  Heather decided that warranted a kiss. When their lips broke apart, they stayed close.

  Then, Amy called out to the crowd.

  “Gather around, everybody. I know it’s not a birthday, but since this is in someone’s honor, I still feel like we need to sing.”

  “What song?” Lilly asked.

  “How about a variation of For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow?” Jamie suggested.

  “For She’s a Jolly Good Doggie!” Amy agreed.

  The crowd agreed and broke into their rendition of the song, which no one could deny was without enthusiasm. Miss Marshmallow wagged her tail, enjoying the love and attention.

  As she cleaned up from the party that night, Heather couldn’t help smiling. It was always a joy to gather with friends, and having a happy reason to celebrate only made it better.

  Dave was sticking to Heather’s side as she did the dishes. She had already let him and Cupcake lick the plates, as a continuation of the party. Now she was cleaning and drying them. Dave hoped that there might be even more crumbs to enjoy and wagged his tail. Cupcake had given up on finding more food and had left to play with Lilly and Chelsea.

  Ryan joined her and picked up a dish towel, opting to dry after she washed.

  “The girls are having a good time,” he reported. “They don’t seem tired at all after the party.”

  “I’m glad she has a friend in town now,” Heather said.

  Her cell phone began to ring, and Heather dried her hands quickly. She saw it was Digby and frowned. He should be at his dress rehearsal now. What could he be calling about? Was there something wrong with her donuts?

  “Heather,” Digby said, trying not to so
und frantic. “I’m sorry to do this. But I need you to come over to the theater. Right now.”

  “What’s wrong?” Heather asked.

  “My cast members are about to do something very stupid.”

  “What?” asked Heather.

  A voice on Digby’s end of the line called out, “You’re not calling the police, are you?”

  “Of course not,” Digby said. Then he abruptly ended the call.

  Heather stared at her phone for a moment and then said to Ryan, “I need to go to the theater right now.”

  The Crime Onstage

  Heather had grabbed Amy, and the two women had hurried over to the theater. They left Jamie to finish combing Miss Marshmallow’s long hair on his own, but since he was a professional dog groomer, this wasn’t a hardship. Ryan had looked worried about their need to run off. He told Heather to call him if they needed any backup.

  “What do you think is going on?” Amy asked as they pulled up to the theater in her car.

  “I don’t know,” Heather said. “They didn’t want to involve the police, but it was serious enough that Digby needed to call us.”

  Heather put on a brave face for her friend but was inwardly feeling a sense of dread. The theater’s décor was bright and cheery with a marquee displaying the name of the play that was set to open that weekend. However despite the pleasant exterior, Heather couldn’t help feeling that something bad was happening inside – something much worse than an actor forgetting a line.

  She and Amy entered the theater. The small lobby was empty, so they continued on inside to the audience and stage area.