The Sweet Taste of Murder: An Angel Lake Mystery Read online

  THE SWEET TASTE OF MURDER

  CEECEE JAMES

  Contents

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Also by CeeCee James

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2016 by CeeCee James

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  ~For my Family…333~

  CHAPTER 1

  The mercury hovered a gnat’s eyebrow below 96 degrees on this unseasonably warm May day. In the shade of a striped umbrella outside the Sweet Sandwiches Deli, Elise and Lavina split a plate of macaroons with their sweet tea.

  “Come on. You know you’ve always wanted to.” Lavina waggled long nails at Elise, her crazy red hair spilling around the silk bandana she wore to tame her curls. “Those tickets are just for the taking!”

  The tickets she referred to were for two free passes aboard the Norwegian Cruise ship. Her sugar daddy had just given them to her. At least Elise called him sugar daddy, but Lavina would call him her long-term boyfriend—who happened to be twenty-six years older than her own thirty-four years.

  “Age doesn’t matter,” Lavina always told her. And, after seeing how happy Lavina was, Elise guessed she was probably right. Lavina was always sharing stories about cruises, Island hopping, and expensive gifts. But even with their expensive lifestyle, those two would always settle back like homing pigeons, watching Dancing With The Stars, over ice-cream.

  Unlike Elise, who watched T.V. alone.

  There was just one troubling thing. Elise had never met Lavina’s boyfriend. She only knew him as Mr. G.

  Today, Elise had barged into Sweet Sandwiches to search out her best friend. This shop was Lavina’s baby, who’d purchased the business over three years ago. In a twisted irony, the high maintenance socialite liked deli meat, and was happy to don the rubber gloves and cut roast beef, sandwich-thin, whenever the customer ordered it.

  Elise didn’t have any room to talk about job choices. She was still searching for one after her husband of ten years left her for his secretary. Elise didn’t know which part of Mark leaving was worse, that he left her in such a stereotypical way, or that he took the blender. Elise loved that thing and had been planning to use it for many more years to try and lose some weight.

  Turns out separation was a much better alternative–-over 195 pounds, and fifteen of that dropped off from her own body.

  Still, after hearing how happy Lavina was with Mr. G on their last trip, Elise wouldn’t mind seeing some of the weight return in the form of another man. But Elise wasn’t holding her breath. It was time to get back on her two feet and figure out what the rest of her thirties was going to look like.

  “Come on. You have to go!” Lavina cackled and continued to wave the cruise pamphlet. “Mr. G is busy that week, and I’d rather die than go by myself! I need my wingman!” She grabbed Elise’s arm. “Please, please, please, please.”

  Elise stared at her nails. “When was the last time you had your nails done?” Lavina’s manicure was perfect as usual, but Elise liked to yank her chain.

  Lavina frowned as she looked at them. “Last week. Why? You think they’re grown out already?”

  Elise swatted at a fly trying to do the Cupid Shuffle on one of the cookies. “Just kidding you. They’re perfect, just like everything else about you. Anyway, I’ve gotta get going.” She watched the fly buzz away, squinting up at the cerulean blue sky.

  “Where are you off too?”

  “My first job back in town. Dog walking.”

  Lavina raised her eyebrows. “You know what people are going to say. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. They still have their nose out of joint since you left Angel Lake for that lawyer.”

  “Let them say it.” Elise shrugged, pushing her dark hair off her shoulders. She had left Tennessee all starry eyed after falling for a big city lawyer who’d just happen to be eating in the restaurant she worked at. She’d let Mark sweep her off her feet and into New Hampshire for the last ten years.

  People had called her a trophy wife since he was eight years her senior. And it turned out to be too true. Brought out on special occasions, but otherwise, she had been left alone in their four-story Victorian built house.

  She remembered clearly the day she’d read the text message. Mark’s phone had been sitting out on the kitchen counter as he poured himself a drink. It buzzed, and Elise couldn’t help but look at it.

  Her name was Stephanie.

  Elise had sunk onto the Victorian couch, one she never wanted, forced into her life along with a suffocation of silks and gaudy baubles, and pressed her fingers to her forehead. So overwhelmed. Scared. Angry. Betrayed.

  She looked at her left hand now, smooth and white, showing a fresh indentation on the third finger. Softly, she rubbed at it before standing. “Let them say it,” she repeated. Then, hugging her friend and getting a blast of the scent of hairspray, she continued. “As long as I have you, Vi, I’m good.”

  “Oh you have me,” Lavina retorted with a chuckle. “I suppose along with a few canine friends, I guess.”

  * * *

  At the grocery store, Elise scanned the cereal shelf. Ever since she’d been married, Mark had kept them on a strict food diet. Steel-cut oats for the morning, followed by a green smoothie.

  Her eyes lit up when she saw the familiar red box with the leprechaun. Why not. I do what I want to do. She grabbed the box and turned it over. Her elation plummeted at the ingredient list. Over eighteen grams of sugar.

  Don’t care… so worth it.

  “Wow, Elise… didn’t think I’d be seeing you around here.”

  Elise looked up, startled at the unexpected voice. A tall man in dark police gear strolled up to her.

  “Oh, my.”

  Brad Carter. The last time she’d seen him he’d been hitching his belt tighter around pants that threatened to fall off his skinny hips. She’d been leaving for college and waved out the window as the bus pulled from the curb.

  “It’s been a long time!” She injected a confident note in her voice.

  Wait. What was still in her hands? The cereal? She casually set it back on the shelf and took a step in the direction of the Grape Nuts.

  “You putting that back?” He grinned. “Seem to remember you always bringing a box to the camp-outs. You ate it around the fire like it was dessert.”

  “You still remember that?” Elise chuckled, and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Good memories. Sometimes makes me sad to be an adult now.”

  “So, you back for a while?” His tone was casual as he shook a chilled Starbucks coffee drink.

  “Still drinking those, huh? I’m her
e for a bit.”

  “Like you already know, old habits die hard.”

  “You got me there. Wow, Detective huh? You’ve definitely made a few changes.”

  He looked down at his badge, his bicep flexing under his shirt. “A few changes huh? Don’t tell me you still remember me as a pimply faced skinny teenager. Damn, has it been that long?” He looked at her, and his eyes narrowed. “It has been that long. Look at you.” A slow grin spread across his face.

  She snorted. “I guess I was skinny and pimply faced back then too.”

  “Nah. You were beautiful. You’ve always been beautiful. Used to get me tongue-tied back in the day.” He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry to hear about you and your husband.”

  Inwardly, Elise cringed. Apparently, the gossip mill was still alive and strong in Angel Lake. She nodded and put on a brave smile. “Better to find out now, I guess.”

  His eyes flicked towards hers. “He’s a rotten scum-bag if you don’t mind.”

  Elise couldn’t help smiling at his response. “I’ve called him worse.”

  He rocked back and forth on his heels, then cleared his throat. “Well, I should be going. Enjoy your Lucky Charms. I won’t tell anyone.” He gave her a wink and headed down the aisle.

  She shook her head. The reality of being back in her hometown just smacked her full in the face. Everyone must know about Mark. That he’d cheated. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Time to put your big girl panties on,” she muttered, then lunged for the Lucky Charms.

  CHAPTER 2

  Elise’s first stop that morning led her to Ms. Perkins’ house, her old school teacher as well as the first person to hire her since she’d been back in town.

  “Well, look at you, Elise. I swear I ain’t seen you in a month of Sundays. I’m so glad you are back. How’s your mama?” The white-haired woman beamed up at Elise from a height of nearly two feet shorter. Her wrinkled cheeks were tinged the same apple-pink of her checked shirt. Elise leaned down to give her a hug and breathed in deeply. She smelled faintly of baby powder.

  “Glad to be back, Ms. Perkins. Mom and Dad are good and enjoying their retirement down in Florida.”

  “Please, dear. It must be at least twenty years since I was your third-grade teacher. You’re all grown up now. Call me Rose.”

  Elise nodded even as her stomach shifted uncomfortably. What was it about calling people by their first name after years of only knowing them by their last? It felt so strange.

  “Rose. Okay, then. I just want to thank you for this opportunity. Your dog is amazing.” She bent down to scratch the neck of the Pekinese. “And thank you for the recommendation.” She had two more dogs to walk thanks to her old school teacher.

  “My pleasure, dear. Just a little something to hold you over until you get back on your feet. Or, who knows? Maybe the start of a new venture. And I know my pup just loves it! I haven’t been able to walk him as much since my hip surgery.”

  Elise made what she hoped was the appropriate noise in response. The Pekinese, a sweet little boy named Horace, licked her hand. “Actually, I’ve always wanted to own my own kennel and groom shop. This is a good start.”

  “I always knew you could do anything you put your mind to, even as a little girl. I think the only thing that ever held you back with was caring what other people thought.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. You were such a cute little thing. It made me sad to watch you ease back and stand in the shadows as your friends led the way.” Rose patted Elise’s elbow, which was nearly as high as she could reach. “But we all change, dear. It’s called growing up.”

  * * *

  Outside house number two, Elise checked on the lead fastened to the newest dog’s collar. The sweet Golden Retriever, whose retired mother named Frodo, looked up at her panting. “What are you laughing at?” she asked, with a half-smile. “You’re such a happy boy.”

  Her other charge, a brindle pug, promptly twisted her leash around until it was caught in between her legs. She let out a high-pitched squeal and jumped, trying to untangle herself.

  “You did this to yourself, Winnie,” Elise murmured and bent over to free the leash.

  She slid the loop over her hand before turning to Horace. He pushed against her legs impatiently. “My goodness, are you ready for a walk?” That was a key word and set all three dogs lunging forward. She grunted as she tripped. “Fine, then. Let’s get out of here.”

  Rose’s earlier comment skirted the edge of her thoughts. Was it true that she always stayed in the shadows? Had she always been afraid to take the first step, content to let other’s lead?

  Her life with Mark sure had been safe enough. At least, she thought it’d been.

  The dogs scurried forward tails wagging with pleasure and tongues hanging out. Both of her arms remained outstretched as they pulled her down the sidewalk. “Boys! Girl! Hold your horses!” She attempted to whistle, but could barely pucker, her mouth so dry from the effort of keeping up.

  In unity, the three noses began sniffing along the ground. The hair on Frodo’s back spiked up while the little dogs emitted high-pitched whines of excitement. In the next instant, Elise’s arms violently jerked across each other as the dogs split directions.

  “I’m the boss!” she cried weakly.

  A deep laughed rumbled, nearly at her ear. Mr. Henry, who once ran the town’s only gas station years ago, appeared from behind the hedge he was trimming. “Looks like you have a handful.” His white-whiskered face creased into a smile.

  “Oh, you could say they are a little energetic.”

  He came around the hedge and the dogs swarmed him, sniffing his shoes eagerly.

  “Winnie! Horace! Frodo!” Elise hollered, as she tried to skirt the old man.

  Mr. Henry held out a hand for the dogs to inspect. It was soon covered in slobbery kisses.

  “Yeah, I’d say they are a mite energetic.” He chuckled as he wiped his hand on the front of his overalls.

  “I’m so sorry. Here,” she offered her shirtsleeve. “Wipe your hand on this.”

  “What? Do I look like I can’t handle a little doggy slobber? It’s fine. Friendly bunch.” He patted the Pekinese on the head. “Such a beautiful day made even better by happy dogs.”

  Just then a squirrel made its appearance. All three dogs dove for it. The leashes twisted along both sides of Elise’s legs, and she fell backwards, landing on her butt with a loud squeal.

  Mr. Henry blinked. His cheeks quavered with an effort to hold back a laugh. “Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine.” Elise blew a hank of hair from her face.

  “You just need to show them who’s the leader.” He took the leashes from her and wound them up. In moments, he had all three dogs sitting. Elise climbed to her feet.

  “Now, don’t you let them pull you. Keep them walking right here by your side. And if they do pull, you just make them sit and see you’re the big cheese.”

  Elise took the leashes and wrapped them around her hand as he’d shown her. “Thanks for the help!”

  “You got this. Enjoy the beautiful day.” With a nod, he retrieved his pruners and turned his attention back to the hedge.

  Elise could swear he was chuckling as she left.

  Dignity bruised, she headed down the sidewalk again. “You guys are feeling a little pesky today, but I’ve got you this time.” she muttered. The dogs walked next to her, tails wagging and ears alert. Feeling more in control, she steered them to the trail that hemmed in the town’s park.

  Ford Park. A smile crept across her face as she entered the shade of the trees. She’d always loved this trail when she was a kid. Just shy of two miles long, it encircled the man-made Angel Lake the town was named after. Many summer days had found her there with Lavina sunbathing out on the grass.

  They were nearing the back side of the trail that ran behind the business district. Every now and then when the dogs got too rambunctious, she made them sit by her side before conti
nuing.

  A familiar rumble vibrated through the ground indicating a train was on its way. Through the trees, Elise could just catch a silvery glint of the railroad tracks that ran on top of the berm.

  Horace stopped, and his entire body quivered. He turned his tan-colored head back toward her and whined.

  “It’s okay, buddy. It’s just the train. I won’t let anything happen to you.” Elise scratched his ears. He stretched his neck and sniffed the air. His black nose flaps moved in and out.

  The other two dogs began sniffing. In the distance, the train blasted its horn in staccato bursts ending in one long note. Elise looked over her shoulder, but it was still out of sight.

  All three dogs whined now and twisted their leashes around her legs in an attempt to move in different directions.

  The horn blasted again, closer now.

  “Come on, pups.” Obviously, they weren’t happy about the train for some reason. Elise led them off the path and down towards the lake.

  The grass was thick and cool here. She sat down and immediately Winnie scurried into her lap. Frodo paced beside her before trying to climb in too. “Frodo, you’re not a lap dog.” Elise tried to push the big dog away, but he collapsed on top of her folded legs.

  Next to them, Horace stiffened. A low growl curled from his throat.

  The hair prickled at the back of Elise’s neck. She peered through the woods towards the tracks.

  The train was closer now, its horn still blaring. Elise tried to recall any other time the train had done this.

  Like a rifle shot, the screech of the train’s brakes overpowered the sound of its horn. Sparks flew as the metallic scream ripped through the air. All three dogs howled in sympathy.