Pumpkin Pie Brulee & Murder Read online

  Pumpkin Pie Brulee & Murder

  Susan Gillard

  Contents

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  Pumpkin Pie Brulee & Murder

  1. Practice Makes Dinner

  2. Icing and Invites

  3. Hot Oil

  4. A Wife’s Suspicions

  5. Fire Frank

  6. The Hospital Visit

  7. Airport Arrival

  8. Lavish Questioning

  9. The Other Couple

  10. Donuts and Dilemmas

  11. Bonnie’s Blues

  12. Sparky

  13. Kiki in the Kitchen

  14. The Porpoise Inn

  15. Yams

  16. More Caulfield Questions

  17. Traps

  18. Phone and Food

  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.

  Pumpkin Pie Brulee & Murder

  Practice Makes Dinner

  “Is the turkey in the oven or are they wandering around in here?” Amy asked, poking her head into her best friend’s kitchen.

  Heather laughed. “We might look like turkeys running around with our heads cut off, but it’s because we’re practicing for Thanksgiving.”

  “And we need all the practice we can get,” Lilly admitted.

  “Of course, somebody has spent more time on their tablet than stirring any dishes,” Heather said, teasing her daughter.

  “I’m not playing games on it or anything like that,” Lilly explained to Amy. “I’ve been talking to Nicolas. I want to make sure he’s all set for his visit.”

  “Then you got everything settled with the foster home?” Amy asked.

  Heather nodded. “It took a little doing, but he’ll be with us for the holiday.”

  "He's flying out Tuesday after school, and he'll be with us the whole weekend," Lilly said happily. "I've missed him so much since we moved, but I'm thankful he'll be here Thursday."

  “He can help us gobble up the food,” Amy said.

  “And if things go well he’ll be able to come back for Christmas. I mean, I do really hope he gets adopted and gets parents. Because it is a wonderful thing,” Lilly said, looking at her mom. “But I really wouldn’t mind it if it didn’t happen until after New Year’s.”

  Heather ruffled her daughter’s hair affectionately while Amy sniffed what was cooking on the stove.

  “So, what do you have bubbling over here?” she asked.

  “There’s no turkey today,” said Heather. “We’re saving that main event for Thanksgiving.”

  “I could never get tired of eating turkey,” Amy said. “Except maybe if it was right after eating turkey, but that’s because there’s tryptophan in it that makes you tired anyway.”

  “Eva and Leila have also agreed to cook the bird for us,” Heather explained, referring to their good friends who now also lived in an adjoining home.

  “That’s great,” Amy said. “Combined they probably have like a hundred and fifty years’ experience of doing it.”

  “You think they were cooking turkeys when they were toddlers?” Heather asked.

  “Maybe,” Amy shrugged, not wanting to check her math.

  “We were practicing making some side dishes to make sure they’ll be good for when we have a huge group of people at the table for dinner,” Heather said.

  “And Nicolas was helpful before too. He reminded us to melt the butter before we started,” Lilly added.

  “Really?” Amy said, giving her friend a look.

  "I know," Heather said. "But I'm an expert at making donuts and not at anything else. That's why I wanted to practice making the yams in advance, so I didn't ruin dinner on the holiday."

  “Let me see how they’re doing,” Amy volunteered.

  “Is that your way of saying that you want to eat them?” Heather teased.

  Amy checked on the yams and decided she definitely didn’t want to eat them.

  “I don’t think they’re supposed to be all black like that,” she said.

  Heather sighed. “I’m not used to the oven in the house. And I don’t usually make yams.”

  “At least you’re good at making donuts,” Amy said, patting her on the back.

  They checked the rest of Heather’s cooking and discovered that the green beans were no longer green, the stuffing had shriveled, and the biscuits were cut down to size.

  “I don’t understand,” Heather said. “Do I have some sort of mental block against making special dinners?”

  “Maybe you just have a special skill for making donuts?” Amy suggested instead. “And believe me, it is a skill that I appreciate.”

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t much help, Mom,” Lilly said.

  “It’s okay,” Heather said. “Why don’t you go laugh about this with Nicolas. But assure him we will have a wonderful meal when he’s here for Thanksgiving.”

  Lilly agreed and skipped away with her tablet to talk to her best friend. Heather turned to her own best friend.

  “What am I going to go?”

  “We have a few days to figure it out,” said Amy. “And maybe we can potluck it. Everyone brings a side dish. That could get you off the hook because you could bring donuts.”

  “I do have a nice Thanksgiving themed flavor I was going to bring anyway,” Heather said.

  “And I know how to make yams that actually look like yams,” Amy added.

  “Where were you when I started cooking?” Heather joked.

  “I was working,” Amy said putting on a pretend air of importance. “Jamie and I were putting up flyers. He’s opening his mobile pet grooming business right after the holiday.”

  “That’s perfect,” said Heather. “I bet a lot of pets will get dirty trying to steal cranberry sauce or things like that. He should have a strong opening.”

  “I hope so,” said Amy. “It means a lot to him. And Rudolph Rodney is invested in him. Literally. He invested in the business. I know it might put you in an awkward situation if things don’t work out.”

  "Don't worry about that. He's invested in both our businesses, but he knows what he's doing. He knows how to balance business and friendship, and he'll be understanding. He's a stand-up guy. Actually," Heather said, getting an idea. "I should see what he's up to this week. With his nephew in Texas, he might not have any Thanksgiving plans. I should see if he'd like to join us."

  “Hopefully he’ll be thankful that he decided to get involved with us all,” Amy muttered.

  “I’m sure he will be,” Heather said. “As long as I don’t offer him what I cooked today.”

  They both laughed. Then, they heard happy barking and meowing. Heather's husband had returned home. Their dog and kitten were excited to see him but were also excited by the bags of take-out food that he was carrying.

  “I should have known something was wrong with my cooking,” Heather said. “If Dave and Cupcake weren’t begging for scraps.”

  Ryan kissed his wife and announced
that he had brought home tacos for everyone.

  “That’s nice,” Heather said. “Did Lilly call you and tell you that I burned dinner?”

  “Well, no,” Ryan said.

  Amy snickered. "He just knew you were going to burn it and took precautions."

  “Fine,” Heather said. “Fair enough. I’ll stick to making my donuts.”

  “Whatever the food is, I’ll be happy to spend it with my friends and family," Ryan said.

  "Eva and Leila are making the turkey," Amy informed him.

  “Thank goodness,” Ryan said.

  Heather rolled her eyes, pretending she was annoyed, but truly she felt the same. She couldn’t wait to celebrate Thanksgiving in her new home with all her loved ones nearby. She just hoped that no crime would get in the way of their celebrations.

  Icing and Invites

  “I am so thankful I got this job,” Digby said, as he eyed the newest donut that Heather had created.

  Heather smiled at her staff. She was thankful for them as well. They balanced each other well and kept Donut Delights – Key West operating smoothly. Digby was the first employee she hired. Though he might be dramatic at times, he was great with people and a huge fan of the donuts. Luz was a maternal figure who gave good advice. Nina could be nervous but was precise in the kitchen, and Janae was a bundle of energy who always found helpful things to do.

  “I have two pieces of good news,” Heather said. “The first is that we will be closed on Thanksgiving so everyone can spend time with their families. And the second is that you can all now sample one of these Pumpkin Pie Brûlée Donuts.”

  They all grabbed an orange donut and happily took a sample. Heather explained the dish as they ate so they would be able to tell customers about them.

  “The cake base is meant to be pumpkin pie flavored. It’s pumpkin with a touch of traditional spices like nutmeg.”

  “And it’s still so moist,” Luz said. “Just like a pumpkin pie.”

  “And then the top is a crisp and sugary topping that has been caramelized like a traditional Crème Brûlée. It’s a little tricky to put on a donut, but I hope you’ll agree it’s worth it.”

  The loudly agreed that it was worth it, and then happily followed Heather’s instructions to learn how to make the new flavor for themselves.

  “I bet we’ll sell a ton of these,” Digby said. “If I don’t eat them all first.”

  “Let’s make enough for both of those things,” Heather said. “And everyone will be welcome to bring some home for their own holiday feast. Does anyone have fun plans?”

  “My children are coming home for Thanksgiving,” Luz said. “I cannot wait. I was having a lot of trouble with the empty nest until I started filling my time making delicious donuts. But I am so happy that they are all finding their way home."

  “I’m going to spend Thursday with my family too,” Nina said. “I’ll probably travel with my parents to see my sister.”

  “My friends and I aren’t too keen on traveling,” Digby said. “So, we’re planning on having our own holiday together. Just a low-key thing.”

  “It’s still better than my plans,” Janae said. “I don’t know what I’m doing yet.”

  “If you still don’t have plans on the day of, please stop by my house for dinner,” Heather offered. “I don’t like the idea of anyone being alone on Thanksgiving, and there are so many people at my house that one more won’t make any difference.”

  “Thanks,” said Janae. “I might take you up on that.”

  They continued to make the Pumpkin Pie Brûlée Donuts, and then Heather headed to the front of her donut shop. Rudolph Rodney dropped by to try the new week’s flavor and gratefully accepted the Thanksgiving dinner invitation with a tip of his hat.

  Heather was still in a good mood as she handed donuts over to cheery customers and was joined by Amy who was tired of handing out flyers.

  “I’ve worked very hard today,” Amy said. “Handing out flyers is harder than handing out donuts. Everybody wants a donut.”

  “Speaking of,” Heather said with a smile.

  Eva and Leila, their friends who were also quite possibly Donut Delights' biggest fans, had entered the shop. The senior ladies were followed by an older man with a bowtie.

  “Is that Vincent?” Amy asked.

  “I guess our advice that he should try and be friends with Eva instead of pursuing her romantically is working out,” said Heather.

  She put some donuts on plates and brought them over to the ladies favorite table.

  “Pumpkin Pie Brûlée Donuts?” Eva asked. “Tres bien.”

  "You speak French?" Vincent asked. "Ooh, la la."

  They all giggled and then tried the donuts.

  “I think I’ll need another slice,” Leila said. “Who am I kidding? I want the whole pie.”

  Heather pushed the plates of donuts towards her friends and heard about their adventures on the beach as they joined a power walking group.

  “And so now we are entitled to more donuts,” Eva joked.

  Heather and Amy recapped their recent activities of baking donuts, handing out flyers and preparing for Thanksgiving dinner.

  “It’s so nice that you’re going to be all together for the holiday,” Vincent said. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do.”

  “You don’t have any family in the area?” Leila asked.

  “I have a brother. Sometimes in the area, and sometimes not. But we don’t really get along anymore,” he said.

  Heather was about to offer another invitation to dinner when Eva spoke. “I think that the community center is having an event for seniors. I’m sure they’ll have some lovely food for you there. And I think a few ladies from the power walking group will be there too.”

  He nodded and said he would consider it.

  Before Heather had a chance to unravel the mystery of her friend's behavior, her phone rang, and she was presented with another mystery.

  “Shepherd,” she said.

  Ryan was on the other end of the line. “Heather, do you think you and Amy will be able to get away from the shop for a while?”

  “Of course, we can. Do you want us to come to a crime scene?” Heather asked.

  “It is a crime scene,” he said. “But whether it was an accidental death or something more sinister remains to be seen.”

  “We’ll be right over,” Heather said.

  “If you can,” said Ryan. “Wear rainboots.”

  Hot Oil

  “I’m really worried about wearing these rainboots,” Amy said. “Do you know why?”

  “Because we’re going to a potential crime scene?” Heather guessed.

  “And it’s not raining,” Amy said.

  Heather nodded. She was feeling equally as dubious as they arrived at the address Ryan had given her. She wasn't sure quite what to expect, but was still surprised when they arrived.

  It was a two-story beach home that had been a bright white. While other yards were sandy this one had a grass and flowery front yard – or, at least, it used to. Both the house and the yard were charred, and yet somehow the ground still looked wet.

  “What happened?” Amy asked.

  “I don’t know,” Heather admitted. “Maybe the fire department had to come.”

  “Whatever happened, it doesn’t look like a good start to the holidays,” Amy said.

  Ryan found them and led them to the crime scene where they were joined by his partner Miguel Peters. Detective Peters was a young officer and was sometimes insecure, but was always very determined to solve crime. He had been taking measurements of the discoloration on the ground for his thorough notes but stopped to greet the other investigators.

  “I’m glad to see you, but I hope you didn’t bring any donuts,” he said. “For the first time ever, I’m not in the mood for them. I don’t want to think of anything deep fried.”

  "Uh oh," Amy said. "I don't like the sound of this case from the get-go."

  “Why don’t you
catch us on what you know so far?” Heather said.

  "Well," Ryan said. "We know that a man is dead. He was attempting to deep fry a turkey in his front yard, and something went wrong. The oil shot up, hurting the chef and catching the yard on fire. The medical examiner will let us know the exact cause of death, but the unsuccessful frying definitely caused it one way or another."

  “The victim’s name is Craig Caulfield,” Detective Peters said, consulting his notes. “His wife, Jocelyn, said that he wanted to test out his frying technique before Thanksgiving when the family arrived, but apparently it didn’t go very well.”

  “I bet this makes you feel better about your own meal preparation,” Amy joked to her friend.

  Detective Peters continued, “One of his sons was outside helping at the time. Chris Caulfield is at the hospital now. He was far enough away from the oil that it didn’t hit him, but he did get some burns while trying to rescue his father. He should be okay though.”

  “That’s some good news,” said Heather. “That this wasn’t a double homicide. Or are you thinking it was an accident?”

  “Good thing it wasn’t a double accident,” Amy amended.

  “That’s what we have to figure out,” Ryan said. “Cooking accidents do happen often, and we have heard horror stories before about dangerous frying methods.”

  “Even though his wife was really upset, she did give us some information,” Peters said. “She said that the victim was very conscientious about his cooking. He didn’t just decide to throw something into a fryer. He did research and knew the precautions to take. She seems to suspect foul play.”