Cinnamon Swirl and Suspicions

  Sticky Sweet Cozy Mysteries, Book 3

  Allyssa Mirry

  Summer Prescott Books Publishing

  Copyright 2019 Summer Prescott Books

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication nor any of the information herein may be quoted from, nor reproduced, in any form, including but not limited to: printing, scanning, photocopying, or any other printed, digital, or audio formats, without prior express written consent of the copyright holder.

  **This book is a work of fiction. Any similarities to persons, living or dead, places of business, or situations past or present, is completely unintentional.

  Contents

  1. Grand Plans

  2. Cruel Coworker

  3. Surprise Visit

  4. Chicken Soup and a Crime Scene

  5. Comforting a Friend

  6. The Shop and Suspicions

  7. Statements

  8. Divide and Conquer

  9. Stories

  10. Teaming Up

  11. Staking Out Suspicions

  12. Stopping by the Shop

  13. Trina Talk

  14. The Boss and the Beach

  15. Sitting in the Sand

  16. The Plan

  Epilogue

  Also by Allyssa Mirry

  Author’s Note

  Contact Summer Prescott Books Publishing

  1

  Grand Plans

  “Thank you all for coming in a little early today,” Lydia said.

  She smiled appreciatively at her employees, who were all gathered near the counter of Doherty’s Taffy and Treats. She was proud of the team that she had assembled and was looking forward to their staff meeting.

  Kelsey and Jeff had been hired before she officially opened the shop a few weeks ago. Kelsey was still in high school and enjoyed acting in plays. Jeff was a few years older and was a surfer. They both had a love of salt water taffy and, surprisingly, helping uncover clues when Lydia found herself part of an investigation.

  There were also two new taffy-makers that were joining the group. Annette was an older woman with long silver hair and the ability to crochet adorable sea creatures that were being sold in the “trinket” side of the shop. Lydia had also finally had a successful employee interview and had hired Quinn, who was having her first day at work that day. Quinn was home from college, where she was an English major. She was rather quiet but was sweet.

  “What’s on the agenda?” Kelsey asked. “Are we learning how to make a new flavor this morning?”

  “Is it really complicated?” Jeff asked, looking nervous. “Is that why we had to come in early?”

  “I’m sure we could manage it,” Annette said, continuing to crochet. She liked to work with her yarn when there weren’t customers in the shop so she could keep her shelves full. She just needed to make sure that her creations didn’t get sticky if she needed to send taffy through the puller machine.

  Quinn just looked wide-eyed from person to person, unsure what to expect from her work with the sugary substance.

  “I do have a new taffy flavor that I want to teach you all called cinnamon swirl taffy, but I don’t think it will present too much of a challenge. And I think adding the swirls is a lot of fun. It will be a good candy to train Quinn how to make on her first day,” said Lydia. “But, no, that’s not why I called this meeting. I actually wanted to talk to you all about our grand opening.”

  “Aren’t we open already?” asked Jeff. “I know we might not have called when we first opened the doors grand. Someone was trying to frame you for murder, and it hurt business. But since then, we’ve had happy customers.”

  “Yes. We have been open, and business has started picking up lately, but I still feel like we should have an official Grand Opening Event,” Lydia explained. “It will show that we’ve moved past some hard times, and we’re looking ahead for summer. We’ll advertise and introduce all the locals who don’t know about us to the shop.”

  “It would be a much better introduction than some of those headlines that were written about it,” Kelsey said with a nod.

  Lydia tried not to think about the local paper. One of its reporters was best friends with her main competition on the boardwalk, the owner of an ice cream shop who had always acted as frosty as the snacks she sold. The reporter, Brie Rankin, seemed to relish writing stories that would shed the taffy shop in a bad light. She had eventually reported that Lydia had been cleared of suspicion when the killer who used poisoned taffy as a murder weapon had been caught, and she had gleaned over Lydia’s involvement in exposing the murderer of a local surfer. However, Lydia still didn’t trust what might appear in the papers.

  “It will be a great event,” Lydia promised them. “We’ll have demonstrations of our taffy making process. Customers can already see most of our work through the window into our kitchen, but we’ll make sure that we’re cooking different types of taffy all day.”

  “I love it,” Kelsey said. “And I can perform for the crowds, too. I’ll showcase the flavors and say things like: the secret ingredient isn’t salt water, but love.”

  “This will be a nice way to let everyone know about your revolving list of flavors and how there are always new things to try,” Annette said, nodding happily.

  “We’ll get balloons and banners, and it will be a blast,” said Lydia. “But I’ll need everyone’s help to make it a success.”

  “We don’t mind helping. Especially if it’s for something like a party,” said Jeff.

  “When are we going to have it?” Kelsey asked.

  “I’d like to do it one week from today. Next Saturday.”

  “I think we could handle that,” said Annette. The others all nodded enthusiastically.

  Lydia let out a sigh of relief. She thought that her employees would be on-board with her plan, but it was pleasing to see how excited they were for the event. After a difficult few weeks, it would be nice to focus on giving the taffy shop the true welcome to the boardwalk that it deserved.

  “My friend Trina is supposed to come in and help me with the planning. She’s great with preparing parties,” Lydia said. “But we’ll have to decide on our menu and put up the decorations. We’ll also have to put up a lot of flyers to announce the Grand Opening and will advertise online. I guess I should put something in the local paper too.”

  Kelsey clapped her hands joyfully. “This is going to be so much fun!”

  “I better make sure I have enough sea creatures for Saturday,” Annette said, picking up the speed on her crocheting.

  “I’m sure I’ll be ready to help by then,” Quinn said quietly. “I’m a fast learner.”

  “I’ll invite all my friends,” Jeff added. “I’m sure I can get them to come and try some delicious taffy.”

  Lydia thanked them all for their support and then checked the time. She had been expecting her friend to join them already. Trina was now officially late.

  Though Trina had seemed very excited to help plan the big event, Lydia wasn’t worried. She knew that Trina had to deal with some early morning appointments at the salon where she worked. They must have run longer than she expected.

  Lydia decided that she would show her staff how to make the cinnamon swirl taffy while they waited and they could discuss any ideas they had for Grand Opening as they worked. Quinn took to the work easily, and she fit in with the others. They all picked up quickly on how to combine the two different colored salt water taffy mixtures after it had been pulled and how to roll it until it formed the swirl design that would epitomize the cinnamon swirl. Then it was stretched until the taffy was the proper thickness and cut into bitesize pieces.

  Her employees were enjoying a tasty sample of all their hard work when Trina finally entered the shop. She looked so frazzled that Lydia didn’t tease her about the lateness.

  “Is everything all right?” she asked her friend.

  Trina shook her head, and her long wavy reddish hair cascaded down her back. “I’ve had a really hard day, and it’s barely nine a.m.”

  Hearing about the time, Kelsey hurried to flip the sign on the shop from “closed” to “open.”

  “Would a hug and a piece of taffy help?” Lydia offered.

  Trina nodded and accepted a hug from her best friend. As she squeezed, she said, “it was so crazy this morning. We were helping a dance team get ready for their competition before they had to get on the road. Everyone was stressed, and I think I ended up covered in hair glitter.”

  She let go and frowned at Lydia. “And I think I got it on you too.”

  “I don’t mind facing glitter for a friend,” Lydia said. “Though we might have to stay away from the kitchen until I make sure it’s all off. I don’t want that added to the cinnamon swirls.”

  “My coworker, Rhonda, was being a witch too. I’m surprised she didn’t start flying around the shop on a broom,” Trina said. “I’m really starting to hate her.”

  Lydia handed her a piece of candy. “Enjoy a taffy, and then if you’re up to it, we can discuss the grand opening. That should be a happy topic of conversation.”

  Trina nodded and accepted the swirled taffy. She made a happy noise as she chewed and Lydia hoped she had helped turn her friend’s day around.

  Unfortunately, they had an unexpected guest. A woman with large hair stormed inside the shop, slamming the door behind her.

  “Are you here, Trina?” she bellowed.

  2

  Cru el Coworker

  Trina’s mouth was full of taffy as the woman yelled at her. She chewed angrily.

  “Why did you think you could just leave the salon like that?” the woman bellowed.

  “This must be your charming coworker,” Lydia said. “Welcome to Doherty’s Taffy and Trinkets. Would you like a piece of taffy? Maybe it could improve your mood?”

  “Taffy,” the woman said with a sneer. “That disgusting candy that Trina is always putting samples out for the customers? No, thanks.”

  Lydia was starting to think that Trina’s description of the woman had been apt. She certainly wasn’t making a good impression on the taffy shop employees.

  Trina finished chewing and took a step towards her coworker. “Rhonda, what do you think you’re doing here? You can’t follow me around outside of work and harass me.”

  “It seems I have to follow you outside of work because you’re never there,” Rhonda said with attitude.

  “I work full-time,” Trina said.

  “Getting all the best shifts,” Rhonda said angrily. “You spend some time with those dancers, and now you get the day off. I’m supposed to take a fifteen-minute break and then slave away for the rest of the day, snipping dead ends and advising against bangs.”

  “What’s wrong with bangs?” Quinn asked softly, touching her own.

  “I came in to deal with that group as a favor,” Trina retorted. “I asked for the day off because I’m supposed to help plan an event. And I think it’s ridiculous that you chose to spend your break bothering me instead of getting a coffee. Have you been wearing your curlers too tight? Because I think it’s starting to affect your mind.”

  “Maybe I wouldn’t feel so crazy if you would actually be there to do some work once in a while!”

  “If you have a problem with my schedule, take it up with the boss,” said Trina with her hands on her hips. “Don’t follow me into a boardwalk shop and cause a scene.”

  “You think this is a scene? You haven’t seen anything yet!”

  Trina turned away from her to face Lydia and the rest of the taffy staff. Annette was holding out one of her crochet hooks to ward off the angry woman from approaching. Jeff and Kelsey were standing still, stunned at the outburst. Quinn was trying to hide behind the wrapping machine.

  “I’m really sorry about this,” Trina said.

  “Hey!” Rhonda cried, grabbing Trina’s arm. “Don’t turn your back on me.”

  “Don’t touch me,” Trina demanded, pulling away.

  “Is there a problem here, ladies?” a voice asked.

  Lydia was grateful to see her brother walking in through the shop door. Though Leo was dressed in a casual suit, his detective badge was clearly visible on his belt. He surveyed the situation but looked ready to act.

  “I think Rhonda was just leaving,” Trina said. “And she doesn’t have any plans to come back here.”

  “There’s no need to come here,” Rhonda agreed. “Trina tries to push enough of this gross candy down our throats at work. That is - when she deigns to give us her presence.”

  “Again, if you don’t like the schedule, talk to Felisha,” said Trina.

  “This is going to stop,” said Rhonda. “I’m not going to let you get away with doing whatever you want anymore.”

  “Well, I’m not going to let you interrupt my friend’s place of business anymore or make accusations against me,” Trina retorted.

  “Ladies,” Leo said. “I think you both need to calm down.”

  Rhonda stared at Leo’s badge for a moment, but then turned back to Trina one more time. Her voice was like venom when she said, “I’ve been being nice about this, but I’m about to get mean.”

  Leo walked further inside the shop and closer to the women. Rhonda turned on her heel and exited.

  Trina balled her fists up. “She’s slowly but surely making my job miserable. I could just kill her.”

  Lydia put an arm around her friend. “It’s okay. She’s gone now. You had great timing today, Leo.”

  He shrugged. “I had just wanted to get some free taffy while I told you that I think I found a new realtor to sell Aunt Edie’s house.”

  “That’s great news,” said Lydia. “And of course, you’re welcome to all the taffy you want.”

  “Someday you’re going to regret saying that,” Leo said with a smirk. “Especially if I grab enough for Detective Grey too.”

  “I think he helped to catch some killers who were after me too, so he’s entitled to taffy,” said Lydia. “And besides, he’s normally so serious that it’s nice to see him enjoy something lighthearted like candy.”

  Leo grinned and started perusing his options for taffy to take with him. Her employees had started to relax after Rhonda’s departure and began talking about what had happened and assuring Quinn that outbursts like this were unusual.

  Trina sighed. “This day is going from bad to worse. I’m exhausted from work, and my coworker is insane.”

  “Yeah. I don’t know what her problem is,” Lydia said, supportively. “I know how hard you work at the salon and that your customers love you.”

  “Rhonda wants my shifts and has been more vocal about it lately. She’s been unpleasant to work with lately, but I never expected her to follow me outside of work like this.”

  “Do you want to have a girl’s night tonight?” Lydia offered. “You always bring a bottle of wine and takeout to me when I have a bad day. I’d be happy to return the favor.”

  “I’d love that, but I’m supposed to go out with Carl tonight. That is if he doesn’t cancel on me again. Something is going on with him too, but I don’t know what. Just when I think we’re starting to get more serious, he pulls away.”

  “I’m really sorry. I wish there was something I could do.”

  “How about we have a girl’s night tomorrow?” Trina suggested. “If Carl backs out on me tonight, I’ll just take a hot bubble bath, and we can complain about it tomorrow.”

  “Deal.”

  “Now let’s start talking about your Grand Opening so I can get my mind on something else,” said Trina. “Do you want to have a ribbon cutting that day? It might be a nice ceremonial thing. And you know that I have a ton of scissors.”

  “I think that would really make things special,” Lydia agreed with a nod. “This Grand Opening is going to be spectacular.”

  Trina smiled. “With me and your sweet staff involved, nothing can go wrong.”

  3

  Surprise Visit

  The next day, Lydia was feeling good about how things were progressing with plans for the grand opening. She and Trina had made flyers, and her staff promised to start hanging them up around Ocean Point. They knew what decorations they should order, and found the proper ribbon that they would ceremonially cut. Lydia had even called the local paper to place an ad for the event and luckily did not have to go through Brie Rankin to get it approved.

 

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