Strawberries & Chocolate & Murder Read online

  "Why did you go to her house that day?" Heather asked.

  “Were you borrowing a cup of sugar?” Amy joked.

  "Stephanie had lent me a top to wear if I got a date for Valentine's Day. I was returning it because it didn't look like that was going to happen."

  “Did she lend you things often?” asked Heather.

  “She was trying to help me. She was giving me advice on how to attract guys. What to wear, what to say, that sort of thing,” said Sara. “I’ve never been really good at getting men interested.”

  “But Stephanie was?”

  "Men were always fawning all over her," Sara said. "She practically needed to swat them away. She always had dates. She received lots of Valentine's gifts in the mail this week too."

  “She received gifts in the mail?” Heather asked for confirmation.

  “That’s right,” said Sara. “I told her how lucky she was that she was getting candy in the mail. All I ever got were bills.”

  “So, the heart-filled candy boxes that were found in her house were delivered to her in the mail?” asked Heather. “They weren’t given to her in person while she was out.”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” Sara said. “I do know that several candy boxes came in the mail though. They arrived throughout the week.”

  "That would make those Valentines more serious," Heather thought aloud. "Some of the people who sent her candy needed to know her mailing address.”

  “Was it the candy that killed her?” asked Sara. “When I first saw her through the window, I knew that something was wrong. I thought that she was sick or something. It wasn’t until later that I was told that it was murder.”

  “I’m afraid it was the candy that killed her,” Heather said. “It had been poisoned.”

  Sara stopped eating her chocolate donut as she thought more about her poisoned friend. She wiped her hand clean on a napkin and then threw it into her garbage can. It was so full that the napkin fell down on the ground. Sara picked it up and forced it in better.

  “Sorry if I seem a little messy,” Sara said. “The garbage truck doesn’t come around until tomorrow.”

  “That’s all right,” said Heather. “But we do have a few more questions. Do you know anyone who would have wanted to hurt Stephanie Jordan?”

  “No, not really,” said Sara. “It must have been one of her dates or somebody who wanted to be a date. That’s the only thing that makes sense.”

  “Do any of her dates stand out to you as someone who may have caused her trouble?” asked Heather.

  “I don’t know for certain,” said Sara, trying to think. “She did have many dates. I guess someone that she did see several times was named Russ. I think she also saw a Derek. Maybe one of them didn’t like that she was seeing other people at the same time?”

  “Do you know any of their last names?” asked Heather.

  Sara shook her head. “She never told me last names. If she said a name, she said it in passing. She liked to tell stories, but she didn’t always mean for them to be linked to certain people.”

  “Have you heard of a Perry or a Charlie or CDB?” Heather continued.

  “No,” said Sara. “But now that I think about it, there was one guy that Stephanie was a little afraid of.”

  “Afraid of?” asked Amy. “That seems important.”

  "I don't have specifics," Sara said. "I wish I did. There was just one day where she mentioned how scary men could sometimes be. I asked her what she meant, and she brushed me off. She wouldn't tell me who she was referring to."

  “But there’s a good chance it could have been her killer that she was referring to,” Heather said, frowning.

  “Oh, I hope you catch the man that did this,” Sara said.

  “We will,” Heather promised.

  “Stephanie was so good to me,” said Sara. “She was really helpful, giving me advice on how to get a boyfriend.”

  “Don’t worry,” Heather said. “We’ll make sure that we get her killer behind bars now.”

  Home Sweet Home

  "Do we smell donuts?" Eva asked as she and Leila entered Heather's kitchen.

  “I doubt you smelled them from next door,” Heather teased her senior friends and neighbors. "But I do have some Strawberries and Chocolate Donuts I'd love to share with you."

  “You caught us,” Leila said. “We just figured that you probably would have some donuts here. You always do.”

  "And we'd meant to visit you," said Eva. "I feel like we haven't spoken in days. Did you find a restaurant for you and Ryan to have your romantic dinner at?"

  “Yes. We’re going to an Italian restaurant on the beach tonight that sounds lovely.”

  “We’re looking forward to babysitting Lilly,” Eva said.

  "But speaking of her, she was the one to let us inside, and she was acting strangely," said Leila.

  “She’s creating some Valentine’s Day cards that we’re not allowed to see until she’s finished,” said Heather. “She’s being very secretive about it. But I’m just happy that she’s still focused on the arts and crafts side of things and isn’t going boy-crazy yet.”

  “I suppose she is approaching that age,” Eva said.

  "But I'm quite a good deal older than her, and I still like my arts and crafts," Leila joked.

  Heather put some donuts on plates for her friends, and they gathered around her table.

  “I’m really looking forward to a candlelit dinner with Ryan. It’s all I really want this week. We’re both busy so often that we rarely have time for romance. But I’ve told you about my Valentine’s Day plans – even if they are happening a little before the actual day. What are your plans?”

  “Vincent is trying to sweep me off my feet,” Eva said. “He’s suggested hot air balloon rides and yachting and going away for the weekend. But I want to keep thing low-key. We haven’t been dating very long.”

  “But Vincent seems like a very romantic fellow,” Leila said. “You’re going to have to come up with a suggestion more exciting than going for a walk in the park.”

  “A walk in the park could be very romantic,” Eva protested.

  “It’s going to be their first compromise as a couple,” Leila said. “I’m excited to see how it plays out.”

  Eva scoffed at her friend in mock annoyance.

  “And what are your plans, Leila?”

  “While Eva is off on a whirlwind romantic adventure—”

  “It’s not going to be whirlwind!”

  “I plan on visiting our friend Betty. We’ll enjoy some chocolate together.”

  Heather must have made a face because Leila asked what was wrong with her plans.

  “I’m sorry,” Heather said. “That sounds like a lot of fun. Make sure to send my best wishes to Betty. I’m afraid the talk of chocolate had just gotten me thinking about my latest murder case.”

  “Oh dear. Don’t say that,” Eva said.

  “Not killer chocolate?” said Leila.

  "I'm afraid so," said Heather. "Somebody sent the victim a box of chocolate, and one of the candies was laced with cyanide. Amy is about to come over with Miss Marshmallow, and we were going to try and see if we could decipher who any of the victim's suitors were."

  “Did you say suitors?” asked Eva. “In the plural form?”

  "That's right," said Heather. "She received several Valentine's gifts. There were five boxes of candy that were found in her home, and any one of those gift-givers could also be a poisoner.”

  “She ate from all of the boxes?” asked Eva.

  “That’s right,” said Heather. “We don’t know which was the last one that she took a candy from. It appears she really liked a candy called Nut Nougat. They were eaten from all the boxes. And I think that flavor would have been able to hide the cyanide taste pretty well.”

  Leila shuddered. “I hate to think of delicious things turning against you like that.”

  “Heather, are you ruining their snacking by talking about murder?” Amy asked,
entering with a long-haired prissy dog.

  “I didn’t mean to,” Heather said.

  The dog, Miss Marshmallow, seemed to give Heather a reproachful stare. That is until Dave ran into the room.

  Heather's white mixed-breed dog had been with her through thick and thin. She loved her canine companion very much. Miss Marshmallow was less impressed with Dave's antics. She stuck her nose up in the air as he used his to sniff around.

  “Maybe those two will be each other’s Valentines?” Eva suggested.

  Dave wagged his tail. Miss Marshmallow decided she was bored with this discussion and went to take a nap in the corner.

  Amy shrugged and sat down at the table, taking a donut for herself.

  “Heather really wasn’t ruining our snack time,” Leila said.

  “That’s right,” Eva agreed. “We like to help whenever we can. Even if it’s just to listen.”

  “What annoys me about the case is that we don’t have any addresses and barely any identities for who sent her the candy,” said Amy. “Who is CDB supposed to be?”

  Heather shook her head. “I don’t know. But the lab is checking the boxes for fingerprints and traces of DNA. Maybe we can determine a sender’s identity from the evidence there."

  Heather’s cell phone began ringing. Seeing that it was Ryan, she joked, “He must know that we’re talking about the case.”

  Then, she answered the call and Ryan told her, “We found Russ Mindhorn. We’re going to bring him in for questioning. Do you and Amy want to be there?”

  “Do strawberries pair well with chocolate?”

  Ryan chuckled but correctly realized that she meant yes.

  Heather hung up and explained to the others that she had to run.

  “We’d be happy to start watching Lilly a little early,” Eva assured them.

  “Maybe she’ll even show us the cards that she’s working on,” said Leila.

  “Maybe?” Heather said, not feeling confident.

  “Sure,” Amy said. “And maybe Russ Mindhorn will confess to murder when we talk to him.”

  The First Suitor

  “What is this all about?” Russ Mindhorn asked.

  He was seated on one side of the table in the interrogation room, while Detective Peters, Ryan, Heather, and Amy were seated on the other.

  “It’s a box of candy,” said Heather.

  “Did I break some sort of postal code?” asked Russ. “Is there some sort of law against sending chocolates in the mail?”

  “Only when they contain cyanide,” answered Ryan.

  “Cyanide?” Russ asked, looking genuinely shocked. He was a small man with big glasses and flat hair.

  “That’s right,” said Detective Peters.

  “Did you send a box of candy to a Miss Stephanie Jordan?” Ryan asked.

  “Stephanie – is she? Tell me she’s not,” Russ started. “Is she okay?”

  “I’m afraid not,” Ryan said. “She was murdered.”

  Russ Mindhorn removed his glasses to wipe the tears from his eyes. “I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it. How can she be dead?”

  “Did you know her well?” asked Heather.

  “Stephanie and I used to work together. I was transferred to another office about a year ago to help bring their profits up. Once I accomplished this task, I asked to come back here – both because of the beaches and because of Stephanie.”

  “You were a couple?” asked Ryan.

  "Not exactly," said Russ. "But we were friends, and she knew I cared about her. I thought if she knew that I was coming back for her, she would see me in a more romantic light. I know that she dated a lot, but that she never found anyone worthwhile. I could be worthwhile."

  “When I spoke to your office, they said that you were coming back to work there, but they weren’t sure you were in town yet,” said Ryan.

  "I start next week, but I wanted to move in early," Russ explained. "I wanted to get my affairs in order. And frankly, I wanted to be in town for Valentine's Day, so I could tell Stephanie how I felt."

  “Why did you send her the candy?” asked Heather.

  “I thought it was something sweet to do,” he answered. “And I thought based on the response she gave me it might help me to figure out how to proceed with her. If she were really distant or didn't seem to remember who I was, there would be no point in proclaiming my love for her. I hoped she'd be thankful and tell me how much she missed me. Then I could tell her how I was coming back to the office."

  “And what was her response?” asked Heather.

  “I didn’t get one,” said Russ. “But the present should have only arrived yesterday. That’s not enough time for a thank you card to get back to me.”

  The investigators exchanged a look.

  “You said that your gift arrived yesterday?” Ryan asked.

  “That’s right,” said Russ. “But I don’t understand how the candy could have killed her? It was all wrapped up when I sent it. I don’t see how anyone could have tampered with it.”

  “Is it possible that you were the one who murdered her?” asked Ryan.

  “Of course not!” Russ said. “I was in love with her.”

  “Perhaps you didn’t like that she kept going on dates after you left?” Ryan suggested.

  "That could be rough," Detective Peters agreed. "You're in love with someone, and she doesn't know. Then she's wooed by somebody else."

  “I would never have killed her. No matter what,” Russ said. “I can’t believe that she’s dead. I can’t believe that you think I did it. I can’t believe that my candy could have somehow done this.”

  “Very unbelievable,” Amy muttered.

  “Do you know anyone who would want to hurt Stephanie Jordan?” Ryan asked.

  “No,” Russ said. “She was such a lovely person. I don’t know why anyone would want to harm her.”

  “What about the other guys who were interested in her?” asked Heather. “You mentioned that she dated.”

  “I don’t know too much about them,” Russ said. “Except that they didn’t make her happy.”

  “Do you know any of their names?”

  Russ shrugged helplessly. “No. Not really.”

  “What about a Charlie P.? A Perry or a Derek?” asked Detective Peters, consulting his notebook.

  “I might have heard of a Derek,” Russ said. “I think said that she went to school with a Derek and he lived here. I don’t know if she dated him or not.”

  “Thank you,” Ryan said. “We’ll check out that lead.”

  “Do you happen to know anyone with the initials CDB?” Heather asked.

  “No,” Russ said. “But if these are all people that she began dating recently, I wouldn’t have heard about them.”

  “I’m sure you can understand that in a case of poisoning, the window of time that the killer could have executed their plan is more open than in more direct forms of murder,” Ryan said. “We’ll be looking very closely at all suspects’ whereabouts for an extended amount of time before the murder.”

  “I’ll tell you everything I can,” Russ said. “I want to prove I didn’t do it so you can focus on finding whoever really did. He took away my chance for happiness with Stephanie. I can’t believe someone altered my candy to turn them into a weapon.”

  "We're not certain it was your candy," Heather said. "But one of the boxes of candy in her home contained the poison that killed her."

  “It’s slightly reassuring to know that it might not have been my gift that killed her. But it still hurts to know I’ll never see her again,” said Russ. “Officers, please catch whoever did this.”

  “We will,” said Heather.

  The Restaurant on the Beach

  “This has been a long day.”

  “You can say that again,” said Heather.

  "A very long day," Ryan amended. "But I'm glad I get to end it here with you. This place is lovely."

  Heather nodded. After their interrogation, they arrived later
than they wanted to at Bella's Italian Restaurant on the beach. However, they were both pleased to have made it. They could hear the gentle lapping of the waves on the sand mixing with the music of a violinist wandering the restaurant. There were candles on the table, and the smells were delicious.

  “All I’ve wanted this week was to have a candlelight dinner with you,” Heather said. “This is the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day.”

  “Based on how good the food from the menu sounded when we ordered, I have to agree,” said Ryan.

  They held hands and smiled at each other.

  “There’s just one thing spoiling it,” said Heather.

  “You can’t stop thinking about the case either?” asked Ryan.

  “Why don’t we just get whatever is bothering us about it off our chests? The questions and the inconsistencies. Then, we can focus on our wonderful meal.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” said Ryan. He thought for a moment and then said, “I suppose what bothers me the most is that it seems like we have suspects because there were five boxes of candy at her house, but we don’t know who all of these five people are.”

  Heather nodded. “It’s almost like a tease saying you should have found these other four men by now.”

  “What do you think about Russ Mindhorn as a suspect?” Ryan asked.

  “Until we talk to the other men who sent Stephanie Jordan chocolate, I don’t think we can rule him out. But he did look truly surprised and upset when we told him that she was dead. If he is the killer, he’s also a great actor.”

  “We have encountered them before though.”

  “That’s true,” Heather agreed. “And if he moved back to Key West to be near her, he did have expectations that their relationship would turn romantic. If he found out that wouldn’t be the case, he might have snapped.”

  “It might be a similar motive for Derek, Perry, Charlie P., and CDB,” Ryan sighed. “I wish we knew who they were.”

  "If this Derek is someone that Stephanie Jordan went to school with as Russ Mindhorn said, then that should give us a way to track him."