A Special Delivery To Die For (A Rockcrest Cove Cozy Mystery Book 2) by Emily Page Page A

though that was all it needed to keep the frizzies at bay. Another glance in the mirror told her that the attempt was futile, another ill side effect of the weather turning. The summer months were definitely over, and the next few months were going to be a struggle against the elements in every aspect of her life.
     
    Opening the door just a crack in order to get her umbrella opened, she finally stepped out of the car and moved around to the passenger side door. Reaching in, she looked down at the floor and spoke to the canvas bag sitting there.
     
    “Astoria, you need to stay here.” She said. “I’ll only be a minute.”
     
    A white ball of fur appeared at the top of the bag and then disappeared again into its cavernous regions again. Repositioning her handbag over her shoulder, she knelt down to pick up the three pink bakery boxes sitting on the seat and shut the door with her hip. A quick glance at the sky told her that a fresh downpour would be arriving any minute. Like a carefully practiced balancing act, she made her way to the veranda just before the downpour began.
     
    Just before she reached the top step she felt that familiar tingle in her right hip and she was forced to set her packages down on the wrought iron table in order to grab her cell from her back pocket.
     
    “Hello?”
     
    “Hi Maddie, it’s Rachel.”
     
    “Yes, Rachel.” She answered as she cradled the phone in the crook of her neck and reached for the doorbell.
     
    “I just had a quick question about the order for Tiffany?”
     
    “Yes?”
     
    “Did she want delivery today or was she supposed to come in for a pick up? There’s no note on the order.”
     
    “Um, I think she wanted to pick them up.” Maddie answered, unsure. “Her event won’t be held at her house. Big secret thing, I guess.”
     
    “All right.”
     
    Maddie reached up to ring the doorbell a second time, but noticed the door was slightly ajar.
     
    “Hmmm…” she voiced inquisitively.
     
    “What’s wrong?” Rachel asked into the phone.
     
    Strange , Maddie said to herself. “I’m at the Stevens’ house to make the delivery and there’s no answer at the door.”
     
    “Maybe she’s around back,” Rachel said into the phone. “It’s a big house.”
     
    “Perhaps,” Maddie agreed. “Don’t hang up,” she cautioned, “I want to check it out.”
     
    “Hello?” she called out, quickly setting her cell to snap pictures and immediately took a picture of the front door ajar as she had found it. She called into the room again. “Hello?”  The house had an empty quality that echoed back to her that there was no one home. “Is anybody here?” she tried again, but still there was no response.
     
    She reached out and gave the door a tentative push and watched as it opened wider. “Hang on the phone a minute,” she said to Rachel. “Something doesn’t feel right here.”
     
    “Really?” Rachel asked.
     
    Gingerly, she picked up her packages off the table and stepped over the threshold into the cavernous entrance of the house. The foyer was a plain affair with a handy coat rack in one corner and a hat and umbrella stand in the other. Next to the stand was a small wooden bench, she assumed was used for people putting on their footwear before heading out the door. The room had that exotic Asian feeling with an ample supply of house slippers next to the shoe rack.
     
    “Um, I’m Maddie from the Cake’s Cradle with your delivery…”she said in a sing-songy voice.
     
    The silence in the house gave her the impression that it had been empty for quite some time. There was no sound from the upstairs or the back. She stood there in the foyer for just a moment while she contemplated whether or not to go further into the house. She thought about calling the police, but they weren’t going to come just because some silly old lady thought something was wrong.
     
    She could only see from the foyer into the spacious living room where the