Mayhem in Christmas River: A Christmas Cozy Mystery (Christmas River Cozy, Book 2) by Meg Muldoon Page A
Authors: Meg Muldoon
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the doors to the front.
I had a visitor.
“I’ve heard so much about your pies, I just couldn’t resist stopping by and trying a slice.”
Stephanie Calder stood there, a pair of large, movie star-style glasses propped atop her flowing mane of red hair. She was wearing a tightfitting t-shirt with a long necklace, and even in such casual attire, she looked striking.
Sheriff Trumbow, who was sitting in a corner booth digging into his usual fattening pecan pie, couldn’t seem to pull his eyes away from her. He had a dazed, smitten look on his face that kind of made my skin crawl.
“Oh,” I croaked. “Well that was nice of you.”
I wiped away a stream of sweat that was running down my temple. It seemed like every time I saw her, I just so happened to be a sweaty mess.
I suddenly noticed the impatient line of people standing behind her, so I signaled her to follow me over to the side of the pastry case.
“It looks like business is pretty good,” she said.
“Yeah,” I said. “It can get busy in here sometimes.”
I wiped my sweaty palms on my apron.
“So,” I said, clearing my throat. “What can I offer you?”
“What would you recommend?” she asked.
“The Moundful Marionberry pie’s always a winner this time of year,” I said. “The Marionberry is a specialty of Oregon. It only grows here.”
Internally, I was shaking my head at my poor attempts at small talk.
“Sounds great,” she said. “I’ll take it.”
I reached under the heated pastry case for the pie tin. I placed a big slice on a plate along with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. Then I handed it to her.
“Yum, yum,” she said.
She smiled nervously, and I realized that she was here for more than just the pie.
“Listen, I hope you didn’t get the wrong impression the other day,” she said, lowering her voice slightly. “I mean, I know it looked like… but that’s not what it was. Not at all.”
“I know,” I said. “Daniel told me that you’re in town looking for someone.”
“Yeah,” she said. “Dan’s been a real big help so far. He’s a really good guy.”
I dug my hands into the pockets of my apron.
“He is,” I said.
“I’m glad to see him looking so happy these days,” she said. “I’m sure you have a lot to do with that.”
“Well, that’s nice of you to say,” I said.
I suddenly remembered what Daniel had said the night before about us going out to dinner.
Maybe I could iron all this out myself.
“Listen,” I said. “How about I cook us all up dinner tonight? Pastry’s really my thing, but I make a mean steak. You guys can catch up, and I can hear about what Daniel was like in his 20s.”
She smiled, the corners of her eyes wrinkling slightly.
“I’d absolutely love that.”
Chapter 26
“He’s really good at his job, you know,” Kara said from behind a pair of dark sunglasses. “He really made me feel like they’re going to catch this bastard.”
Soft flute music floated through the air. The pedicurist placed Kara’s left foot down on the edge of the foot bath and started scrubbing the heel of her other one.
Kara sighed and pressed a button on the chair control. The seat’s leather back started vibrating.
I sat next to her in another pedicure chair, my legs crossed. I’d never been the pedicure-type. I’d never get used to strangers massaging and scrubbing my feet. Plus, being stuck in a room that smelled heavy with brain-killing chemicals for half an hour wasn’t exactly my cup of tea.
But I wanted to take Kara out for a relaxing afternoon. And being the high-maintenance gal that she was, there was nothing she loved more than a good pedicure at her favorite spa downtown.
“Daniel will make a great sheriff,” she said. “He’s very competent.”
I nodded in agreement and flipped through an issue of People Magazine.
“Did he tell you who he thought might have done that to your shop?” I asked.
“You mean who he thought was behind the
I had a visitor.
“I’ve heard so much about your pies, I just couldn’t resist stopping by and trying a slice.”
Stephanie Calder stood there, a pair of large, movie star-style glasses propped atop her flowing mane of red hair. She was wearing a tightfitting t-shirt with a long necklace, and even in such casual attire, she looked striking.
Sheriff Trumbow, who was sitting in a corner booth digging into his usual fattening pecan pie, couldn’t seem to pull his eyes away from her. He had a dazed, smitten look on his face that kind of made my skin crawl.
“Oh,” I croaked. “Well that was nice of you.”
I wiped away a stream of sweat that was running down my temple. It seemed like every time I saw her, I just so happened to be a sweaty mess.
I suddenly noticed the impatient line of people standing behind her, so I signaled her to follow me over to the side of the pastry case.
“It looks like business is pretty good,” she said.
“Yeah,” I said. “It can get busy in here sometimes.”
I wiped my sweaty palms on my apron.
“So,” I said, clearing my throat. “What can I offer you?”
“What would you recommend?” she asked.
“The Moundful Marionberry pie’s always a winner this time of year,” I said. “The Marionberry is a specialty of Oregon. It only grows here.”
Internally, I was shaking my head at my poor attempts at small talk.
“Sounds great,” she said. “I’ll take it.”
I reached under the heated pastry case for the pie tin. I placed a big slice on a plate along with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. Then I handed it to her.
“Yum, yum,” she said.
She smiled nervously, and I realized that she was here for more than just the pie.
“Listen, I hope you didn’t get the wrong impression the other day,” she said, lowering her voice slightly. “I mean, I know it looked like… but that’s not what it was. Not at all.”
“I know,” I said. “Daniel told me that you’re in town looking for someone.”
“Yeah,” she said. “Dan’s been a real big help so far. He’s a really good guy.”
I dug my hands into the pockets of my apron.
“He is,” I said.
“I’m glad to see him looking so happy these days,” she said. “I’m sure you have a lot to do with that.”
“Well, that’s nice of you to say,” I said.
I suddenly remembered what Daniel had said the night before about us going out to dinner.
Maybe I could iron all this out myself.
“Listen,” I said. “How about I cook us all up dinner tonight? Pastry’s really my thing, but I make a mean steak. You guys can catch up, and I can hear about what Daniel was like in his 20s.”
She smiled, the corners of her eyes wrinkling slightly.
“I’d absolutely love that.”
Chapter 26
“He’s really good at his job, you know,” Kara said from behind a pair of dark sunglasses. “He really made me feel like they’re going to catch this bastard.”
Soft flute music floated through the air. The pedicurist placed Kara’s left foot down on the edge of the foot bath and started scrubbing the heel of her other one.
Kara sighed and pressed a button on the chair control. The seat’s leather back started vibrating.
I sat next to her in another pedicure chair, my legs crossed. I’d never been the pedicure-type. I’d never get used to strangers massaging and scrubbing my feet. Plus, being stuck in a room that smelled heavy with brain-killing chemicals for half an hour wasn’t exactly my cup of tea.
But I wanted to take Kara out for a relaxing afternoon. And being the high-maintenance gal that she was, there was nothing she loved more than a good pedicure at her favorite spa downtown.
“Daniel will make a great sheriff,” she said. “He’s very competent.”
I nodded in agreement and flipped through an issue of People Magazine.
“Did he tell you who he thought might have done that to your shop?” I asked.
“You mean who he thought was behind the
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