Nutella Crunch & Murder Read online

  Nutella Crunch & Murder: Book 33

  An Oceanside Cozy Mystery

  Susan Gillard

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  Copyright 2018 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

  1. The Investor and Reporter

  2. No Show

  3. The Body

  4. Carpentry Crime Scene

  5. Walking and Talking

  6. The Apprentice

  7. A Table and a Ticked-Off Customer

  8. Neighborly Advice

  9. The Competition

  10. Donuts and Deep Discussions

  11. Investing

  12. Hope

  13. Friendly Neighbors

  14. Late Night Thoughts

  15. Donut Designs

  16. The Weapon

  17. At the Station

  18. Rudolph Rodney

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  About the Author

  Also by Susan Gillard

  The Investor and Reporter

  “I have to tell-ya I’m nuts for this flavor,” Amy said with a smile.

  “That’s a good one,” Heather said. “Ever since I discovered it, I’ve wanted to incorporate Nutella into a donut flavor.”

  “It’s like a chocolate peanut butter, right?”

  “It’s a chocolate hazelnut spread,” said Heather. “It’s really good on sandwiches, but I think it’s even better in donuts.”

  “Everything is better in donuts,” Amy joked.

  Heather chuckled and nodded to her friend in agreement. She had been making donuts since she was a little girl, learning the recipes from her grandmother. Now she ran her own shop, Donut Delights, and created her own flavor combinations. Her customers returned to her shop for their regular favorite flavors and to sample the new ones that Heather baked up every week.

  Her first shop had been in Hillside, Texas, but after a little help from an investor who believed in her, she was able to open a second shop in Key West, Florida. Having the two shops made it easier to fill the many online orders that her shop had started receiving. She was proud that her shops were doing so well (even if she occasionally couldn’t give it her fullest attention because she found herself helping to solve a murder case.) She was also happy that she wasn’t letting her investor, Rudolph Rodney, down.

  Heather added the crunchy topping to her latest batch of donuts and suggested they bring them from the kitchen to the front of the shop.

  “Sure,” Amy said. “I don’t think it’s fair to keep your customers from having these delicious beauties any longer.”

  “And once we head out to the shop, will you consider yourself a customer?” Heather asked with a laugh.

  “I think I will have to eat another one,” her friend, winking.

  They carried the donuts to the front of the shop and started putting them in the display case. Her assistants were filling the customers’ order and keeping the shop clean. Luz and Nina also said that they would whip up some more of the staple flavors that they were running low on now that the exciting weekly flavor had been replenished.

  “Uh oh,” Amy muttered, and Heather was afraid that she had made a mistake with labeling the donuts or had smudged the glass.

  Instead, she saw Amy subtly indicating to who had walked in the shop door. Heather tried not to groan. A local reporter, Hope Penwell, pranced into the shop. While Heather appreciated the young woman’s enthusiasm for her job and her devotion to providing facts to the people, she didn’t appreciate Hope’s desire to write articles about her as an investigator.

  Heather wasn’t shy, but she didn’t seek out the limelight. She also didn’t help solve mysteries for any acclaim. She just wanted to make sure that justice was served and if she had skills to offer in a case, she would offer them.

  “Hello, Heather and Amy,” Hope said with a smile. “You’re not sitting on any secret stories, are you?”

  “Let me check,” Amy joked as she looked behind her. “Nope.”

  “You would make sure that I’m the one you give a potential scoop to though, won’t you?” Hope asked, turning her attention more towards Heather.

  “Of course,” Heather said.

  As annoyingly persistent as Hope could be, she also had helped provide information on previous cases. She could also be counted on to keep a secret under wraps if it could cause danger for someone during an investigation.

  “As long as you don’t focus on us too much in the articles,” Heather continued. “Detective Peters likes to be interviewed, doesn’t he?”

  “I don’t know,” Hope said shrugging. “I think he used to like it, but he can be difficult at times too.”

  “I think he just cares about his job as much as you care about yours,” said Heather. “He probably likes the attention for a job well done, but doesn’t like talking beforehand in case it could somehow impede an investigation.”

  Hope nodded but didn’t look entirely convinced. Then, she smiled and revealed a newspaper that she had been carrying.

  “Well, it’s because of the job that I came by. Did you see my latest article?” She must have noticed Heather paled and Amy crossed her arms because the next thing she said was, “Don’t worry! You’re not in the spotlight. But your donuts are.”

  “They deserve to be,” said Amy, looking a little less cross.

  Hope brandished the paper towards the women and showed them an article with her byline on it. It was a feature story about a man that Heather knew well: her investor Rudolph Rodney. He was sporting one of the hats he liked to wear and was standing next to a table displaying blueprints, building models, and donuts. In the article, he discussed his love for his Florida home and how everything that he invested in was a project that spoke to him.

  “This is a great article,” Heather said, complimenting the reporter.

  “I’m happy I got the story,” Hope replied. “As a junior reporter at the paper, I still normally only get the scraps when it comes to stories – unless I break one myself. However, they needed someone who could talk to him on a certain day, and I got picked. He’s the nicest subject I’ve ever spoken to.”

  “We’ll make sure we don’t take that personally,” said Amy.

  Heather rolled her eyes. She knew that between her attempts to avoid being interviewed and Amy’s jokes, they must be hard for a reporter to work with.

  “I have to agree; about him being a wonderful man. It’s because of him that we opened up this shop here,” Heather said. “And it’s a good picture of him too. It looks just like him.”

  Hope accepted a few more compliments. Then, after giving them a copy of the paper in case they wanted to hang it up and getting another pledge that she would be the first one they would tell about a potential story, Hope left the shop.

  It was only a little while later that Rudolph Rodney entered Donut Delights and Amy greeted him with, “Why, it’s the Man of the Hour!”

  Heather and the assistants clapped as he gave a jovial bow and tipped his hat towards them. Then, he walked over to the counter to ta
lk to them.

  “I suppose you’ve seen the newspaper article then?” he asked.

  “We were just talking about it,” Heather said.

  “Yeah. The reporter here before didn’t give us any other choice,” Amy quipped.

  “I think it was a pretty nice story,” Rudolph Rodney said. “They want to do some features on successful entrepreneurs and such on the island. I thought if I agreed to it, then perhaps some other investment opportunities might present themselves. Of course, I don’t think any other endeavor I could be a part of could be as delicious as this one.”

  “Let me give you a sample of our newest flavor,” Heather said, already preparing a plate with a donut on it for the man.

  Amy started preparing plates so they could join him too, and Heather didn’t object. They brought the treats over to one of the shop’s tables and sat down to catch up.

  “The only downside to that article was that it didn’t feature this new donut,” said Amy.

  “And what special flavor is this?” Rudolph Rodney asked. His eyes were twinkling with anticipation.

  “This is the Nutella Crunch,” said Heather.

  “It’s a crunch you’d like to munch for lunch,” said Amy. “Or anytime for that matter.”

  “It’s a chocolate donut base that has a Nutella filling. Then it’s covered with a Nutella-inspired frosting. The crunch comes from the toppings. It’s a chocolate crunchies recipe I created combined with toasted hazelnut pieces.”

  “Sounds like a solid investment,” Rudolph Rodney said good-naturedly.

  They each picked up a donut and had a bite. Even though there were different types of chocolate involved in the dessert, it didn’t seem overwhelming. She loved how the Nutella combined with the chocolate cake. With the crunch on top, it blended perfectly. She didn’t have to voice her opinions about her creations because her friends were already doing so. When they finished complimenting the snacks and taking a second helping, they started talking about other matters.

  “I do have some other news I thought I’d mention,” Rudolph Rodney said. “It’s not business-related. It’s about my nephew.”

  “How is Roadkill Rodney?” asked Heather.

  Amy shook her head. She still couldn’t get over the man’s name. However, they had actually met Roadkill Rodney before they met his uncle. They had briefly considered him a suspect in a crime, but later on became fond of him when he became one of the residents of Hillside, Texas.

  “He’s doing well,” said Rudolph Rodney. “He and Cicada Katie just told me something exciting.”

  “Are they getting engaged?” Amy asked, not sounding enthusiastic. “It seems that everyone is getting engaged these days.”

  “No. They’re adopting a pet together,” he replied.

  “That’s great,” Amy said, sounding happier. “Jamie and I recently adopted a dog, and we couldn’t be happier about it.”

  “Well, you know those two, they wouldn’t be quite happy with a usual sort of pet,” Rudolph Rodney said.

  “Don’t tell me they’re adopting roadkill,” said Amy.

  “No,” Rudolph Rodney said. “They’re going to get a tarantula.”

  Amy cringed. “I’d want to keep them out of my house.”

  “To each their own,” Heather said. “But I’m definitely more of a dog-person, and a kitten-person now too.”

  “I wanted to get them a gift when I heard they were getting a pet,” Rudolph Rodney continued. “I do want to support him. And so, I looked into it, and it seems like spiders like to hide in their environment.”

  Amy shuddered. “I don’t want to think of them hiding on me. And then popping out.”

  Rudolph Rodney thought it best to ignore her and continued. “So, I found a carpenter to make some hiding spots for them. Actually, I had to talk to my main rival to find the best carpenter for the job. Though Sidney Wallace thinks of us as rivals more than I do. And it will be worth it. The wood shapes will be a little fancier than branches, and I ordered the couple’s initials to be carved into one.”

  “That sounds like an amazing gift for them,” Heather said. “I’d be interested to see what they look like when finished.”

  “I’m not,” Amy muttered. “It will make me think of spiders lurking.”

  “I’m picking them up from Mr. Mapleson first thing tomorrow,” Rudolph Rodney said, smiling. “I’d be happy to show them to you before I mail them out.”

  Amy was still muttering about spiders, but Heather happily accepted his offer. She assured him that if he came by in the morning, he would be able to have more of the Nutella Crunch Donuts. He promised that he would be there as he licked the icing from his fingers.

  However, Rudolph Rodney would never keep that appointment.

  No Show

  “Should we be worried?” Heather asked. It was after lunchtime, and Rudolph Rodney still hadn’t come by the shop to show them the woodwork. It wasn’t like him to be late. He always kept his appointments. Even when there were problems with the three-family house that he provided them with as part of a bribe to move to Florida, he had acted promptly to fix any issues. If he were late, he would always call. He was a perfect gentleman.

  “Maybe something came up?” Any suggested. “He is a busy man.”

  “Have you ever known him to pass up an opportunity to get a donut?” Heather asked.

  “Good point. But he was just in the news. Maybe this led to sudden business.”

  “Maybe,” Heather admitted, drumming on the counter at Donut Delights. “But I’ll tell you what. I’ll feel a lot better if I give him a call.”

  However, when Heather didn’t receive an answer to her phone call, it didn’t end up making her feel better.

  “I’m sure he’s fine,” Amy said.

  “I don’t know,” Heather said. “I’ve got a bad feeling.”

  Amy frowned. “Then, we should go look for him. Your gut is rarely wrong.”

  Heather nodded in appreciation. She made sure that her assistants were prepared for the rest of the day and then left with Amy.

  “Let’s visit his house first,” Heather said.

  She had been there a few times for social visits with her husband, Ryan. As she drove there this time, she tried to keep the attitude light. She knew that it was likely that Amy was right, and that Rudolph Rodney had gotten busy with a business matter.

  However, she knew that this sinking feeling in her stomach wouldn’t disappear until she saw that her investor and friend was safe.

  They arrived at his house, and Heather walked up to the door, hoping that her fears would be relieved. However, like when she called his cell phone, there was no answer. They peered in the window and confirmed that he didn’t seem to be at home.

  Heather let Amy drive them back towards Donut Delights. After dealing with so many murderers on her cases, she couldn’t help but fear that something terrible had happened. She tried to convince herself that she was being irrational, but it didn’t work. She was worried.

  She put a brave face on as they parked and said, “Maybe another Nutella Crunch Donut will make me feel better. Chocolate does have that effect.”

  “Here’s something that always makes you feel worse,” Amy groaned. “Mr. Rankle is outside.”

  Heather turned and saw that their curmudgeonly old shop neighbor Mr. Rankle was outside of his store, Sun and Fun Novelties. They had gained an uneasy peace with him recently, and Heather hoped that he would no longer try to sabotage their business because he hated that they weren’t “locals.”

  “Maybe we can go inside with him seeing us,’ Amy said.

  However, Heather decided to walk right towards him instead. He grimaced but then grudgingly waved.

  “Hi, Mr. Rankle,” she said. “How are you today?”

  “I’ve been better. But at least I’m walking on my own again.”

  “You remember my investor Rudolph Rodney, don’t you?” Heather asked. “You haven’t by any chance seen him today, have y
ou?”

  “Nope. Haven’t seen him on the street,” Mr. Rankle replied. “Why?”

  “He was supposed to meet us earlier,” Heather said.

  Mr. Rankle began shuffling off towards his door and grumbling. “Having you for friends is bad luck. How many dead bodies have you stumbled upon? He’s probably been murdered in some back alley somewhere.”

  Amy put a hand on her friend’s shoulder.

  “Mr. Rankle is just a grumpy old man,” she said. “I’m sure it’s not true.”

  “I think we should check and see if he picked up those wood pieces that he was supposed to,” said Heather. “He mentioned the carpenter was a Mr. Mapleson, right?”

  They tracked down Mapleson’s Woodworks quickly and approached the shop.

  “There’s only one car here,” Amy pointed out.

  “Rudolph Rodney likes to walk places on the island when he can, and what he was picking up here didn’t sound like it should be heavy,” said Heather, thinking aloud. “I hope this Mr. Mapleson can tell us if he did come here today and maybe where he went.”

  They entered the shop and stood in the main area of the room. It was filled with different pieces of furniture and wooden decorations. However, there didn’t seem to be any people inside.

  “Mr. Mapleson?” Heather called.

  There was no response.

  “Maybe he’s on a lunch break?” said Amy.

  “I guess we’re not going to get any answers now,” Heather grumbled. “Let me try calling Rudolph Rodney again before we get back in the car.”

  Amy nodded and admired a rocking chair while Heather took out her cell phone and dialed. A ringing sound soon greeted them.