A Mouthful of Murder: A Frosted Love Cozy Mystery Book 4 (Frosted Love Mysteries) by Carol Durand, Summer Prescott

Chapter 1
     
    Melissa
Gladstone nodded appreciatively from her safe spot on the sidewalk. The sweet
little cupcake, cookie and muffin shop, Missy’s Muffins and More that she had
inherited upon the untimely death of her parents was being rebuilt after a
devastating fire, and seeing it rising from the ashes was a profound relief.
Her second shop, Crème de la Cupcake, in the nearby town of Dellville, had
opened shortly after the fire, and was doing very well, with early morning
customers lining up before the 6 a.m. opening time for coffee and a cupcake on
the way to work.
    The
Dellville shop was thriving under the watchful eye of Ben Radigan, Missy’s
former assistant, who had been promoted to Manager. The new girl, Cheryl, that
she had hired was working out well too, not just as an assistant, but as a
sweet addition to the painfully introverted Ben’s dating life. Things had
finally settled down for Missy, after a couple of hair-raising adventures, and
she looked forward to a peaceful time of ‘business as usual’.
    Satisfied
that work was progressing well in LaChance, she guided her little blue car to
the two lane highway that led to Dellville to check in with Ben and Cheryl.
    “Hi,
Ms. G.!” Cheryl called out upon her arrival at Crème de la Cupcake. “You just
missed the tail end of the morning rush. Ben’s in the back, loading up trays,
because we sold out of almost everything that we had up here,” the bubbly
brunette reported happily.
    “Well,
that’s certainly good to hear,” Missy smiled at her enthusiasm.
    The
bell jangled behind her and she turned to see Clara Clements, the elderly owner
of the ice cream shop across the street, shuffling in.
    “I
saw your car pull up and decided to come over and say hello,” Clara announced
with a cheery wave and broad smile.
    “I’m
glad you did! You look like you’re in good spirits today,” Missy observed,
going over to give the tiny woman a hug.
    “Oh
yes dear, I really, really am,” she nodded. “I have a buyer for the ice cream
store! She’s coming in from California this week, so I’ll show her how everything
works, then I’ll be headed to Florida at the end of the month.”
    “Oh
wow, congratulations, Clara!” Missy exclaimed. “That’s great! If the new owner
needs anything, you be sure to tell her to come over and see me.”
    “You
know I will, dear. I think you two will hit it off immediately. She’s about
your age, single, no family that I know of.”
    “Hmm…that’s
interesting. What on earth brings her from California to Dellville, Louisiana
if she doesn’t even have family here?”
    Clara
edged closer and lowered her voice. “Well, I couldn’t figure that out either,
but I’m thinking that there’s something…or someone, that she was definitely
ready to leave behind.”
    Missy
nodded thoughtfully. “Well, if that’s the case, I hope she makes a wonderful
new start here. This town may be small, but it’s friendly.”
    “Exactly
my thought!” the kindly woman agreed. “I’d better get back across the street –
just wanted to share my good news.”
    “I’m
glad you did, I’m happy for you.” They hugged again and Clara shuffled back
across the street.
    Missy
went to the back to check on Ben, and when she came back out to the front of
the shop, satisfied that he had things well under control, she was delighted to
see Detective Chas Beckett coming in the door.
    “What
great timing!” she beamed at the handsome detective, standing on tiptoe to give
him a quick kiss on the cheek. “I was just about to go to lunch. Join me?”
    “Yes,
I’m starving,” Chas agreed, holding the door open for her. “I can tell you
about Cora Nesbitt’s mystery while we eat.”
    “Oh
good, I’m looking forward to that, the poor dear.” Cora Nesbitt provided Missy
with fresh peaches every summer, and the muffins and cupcakes that she made
from them were legendary. A few weeks ago, shortly after the shop in LaChance
had burned down,