Free The Diva Steals a Chocolate Kiss by Krista Davis

chocolatier. Had he crossed the wrong woman? If his behavior toward me was standard, a wife might have been driven over the edge. Or maybe he was single and totally inept with women. Maybe I was being too hard on him. The poor man was dead.
    I unlocked my front door, scooped Mochie up, and held him tight. His purring calmed my nerves.
    Exhausted as I was, I had trouble falling asleep that night. I kept thinking of the tomato-faced man and wondering what had happened to Joe.
    I had almost drifted off when I sat bolt upright in bed. Cheryl Maiorca and Lori Speer! The two recipe winners claimed to have returned to the site of the party. What if one of them killed Arnaud while the others left? It wouldn’t have been difficult. There were so many of them! It would have been easy enough to hang out in the guesthouse and kill Arnaud during the party or the cleanup. No one would have noticed a thing.

    In the morning, the sun shone in a clear blue sky, making the events of the night before seem impossible. I knew they were true, though.
    I lingered in the shower, glad that I didn’t have to rush off anywhere. The contest winners had the day off to explore the area on their own. Dressed in a sleeveless pink cotton shirt, a white skirt, and cushy sandals, I walked downstairs with Mochie and put on the kettle for tea.
    Mochie sat next to his food bowl, watching me with interest. I debated whether his look meant fish or chicken and decided shredded chicken in gravy sounded good. I was spooning it into his dish when I heard tapping on the window of my kitchen door.
    Nina was early. I hadn’t even started the quiche yet. She had probably heard about the murder and wanted to know more.
    I swung around with a big grin but stopped dead when I saw Mitch Ross peering through the window in my door.

CHAPTER SEVEN
    Dear Natasha,
    I bought chocolates for my girlfriend on the anniversary of our first date. I thought it was a very romantic gesture. But I found most of them in the trash a few days later and overheard her telling her girlfriend that they weren’t very good. What gives? Chocolate is chocolate.
    —Confused in Chocolate Bayou, Texas
    Dear Confused,
    Are you a coffee drinker? You probably have a favorite coffee. Like coffee, chocolate starts from beans, which can vary in flavor and quality. Chocolate goes through a long process before it ends up in a pretty box. Sugar, milk, cream, and other ingredients are added because raw chocolate is bitter. Your girlfriend probably has a refined palate like me. Next time, pony up for the expensive stuff and don’t be swayed by the prettiest box!
    —Natasha
    Glad I wasn’t still in my bathrobe, I walked to the door and opened it.
    Mitch’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he appeared uncomfortable. He tugged at the collar of his navy blue golf shirt. “I apologize for dropping by unannounced.”
    “No problem.”
    “You can’t imagine what we’ve been through with Joe missing. I’m afraid none of us are at our best right now.”
    I invited him in.
    The kettle whistled. “Would you care for a cup of tea?”
    “Yes, thanks. Don’t worry, I won’t stay long.”
    I poured tea for the two of us. “Milk, sugar? Lemon?”
    “Milk and sugar, thanks. I don’t think I’ve ever been in this house. I like the old fireplace in the kitchen. Gives it a special touch. Seems like no two houses in Old Town are alike.”
    I handed him a mug of tea and perched on the edge of a chair next to the fireplace.
    He sat opposite me in the matching chair. “I’m told that you’re pretty good at solving murders.”
    I didn’t respond. I barely breathed as I waited to hear what he wanted.
    “I’d like to hire you to find Joe.”
    Didn’t see that coming. In fact, I found it rather interesting that he wanted me to locate Joe, but he didn’t mention the murder in Joe’s guesthouse. And then I realized what he had implied. “You think Joe has been murdered?”
    Mitch held up his forefinger. “Now, I