Free Sucker Punch by Sammi Carter

nothing beats a rolling pin for getting the crumbs to the right consistency.
    When the crackers were ready, I set them aside and opened a package of bamboo skewers. I pulled several containers of homemade marshmallow from the storage room, and melted dark chocolate on low heat until it was silky smooth and ready for dipping.
    Maybe it’s because we live in the mountains, but S’Mores Pops are a local favorite. Every classroom with a Valentine’s Day party scheduled had a corresponding order for thirty pops. If I did nothing else between now and the fourteenth, I’d barely keep up with the demand for those.
    I was crazy for even thinking about getting involved with Vonetta’s production, but the idea still danced around at the back of my mind all morning. Trying to shake it off, I slid three pieces of marshmallow onto each skewer, drizzled chocolate until each trio was completely coated, and then sprinkled cracker crumbs over the chocolate. But no matter how hard I tried to concentrate on the recipe in front of me, the drama at the Playhouse was never far from my thoughts.
    Of course, it didn’t help that everyone in town knew that Laurence Nichols was around, or that every customer who walked through the door had some bit of gossip to share. We heard that Laurence had been seen dining at Gigi, that he’d flirted with the clerk at the post office, and we even picked up claims that he’d purchased artwork or antiques from half the businesses in town.
    Far from packing up and slinking out of town, it seemed he was going out of his way to make his mark on Paradise. Between picking up on gossip and wondering how Vonetta was feeling now about all of it, I had a hard time concentrating on the work I should have been doing.
    I was still trying to convince myself to ignore the talk when I took Max for his walk that evening. The cold front was still firmly settled in our valley, so I bundled up in layers, wrapped the scarf my mother had sent for Christmas around my nose and mouth, and headed into the glacial night air.
    Five minutes later, I opened the door of the Playhouse and stomped the frozen snow from my boots before leading Max into the lobby. According to the call-board I’d just happened to notice the other night, the production team would be meeting tonight to discuss scenery. I wasn’t even sure why I’d stopped in, but I hadn’t been able to stay away.
    Last time I was here, the building had been bustling with activity. Tonight, it felt deserted and a little creepy. I laughed at the way my imagination could fly off in all directions with very little provocation, but I also decided not to leave Max in the box office. I didn’t intend to stay long, and only a handful of people would be here. Max would be fine sticking with me.
    We started off in the rehearsal hall, but the room, like the lobby, felt completely deserted. “Vonetta?” I called softly. “Are you here?” My voice bounced off the walls, and the echo only added to my uneasiness.
    If they weren’t in the rehearsal hall, they must have been meeting in the auditorium—which I supposed made sense if they were discussing scenery. Still a little creeped out by the silence, I kept up a steady stream of chatter as Max and I followed the dark hallway that twisted past the green room, turned at the prop room, and circled around the wardrobe and shop area.
    The shops, if you could call them that, were areas of one large room separated by temporary walls. Each space was designated for work on the lighting, props, or scenery for the current show. Of course, there were always a few old things hanging around, but Vonetta kept most of the stuff she wasn’t using in a storage space on the edge of town.
    Two small rooms in the midst of the chaos were routinely turned into makeshift offices, one for the director and one for the stage manager. I suspected that Laurence outranked Colleen in this case, and that he’d claimed the second office for himself. I glanced