Free A Deadly Delicious Delivery (A Chocolate Centered Cozy Mystery Book 2) by Cindy Bell Page A

there. Even though they didn’t always get along they were still sisters and were close. I mean Aunt Stephanie knew she would get her money when Mom died,” Shirley said. “Aunt Stephanie hated her old job and she hated managing the convenience store even more. Especially because Mom could retire early.” All of a sudden Ally remembered that she knew Stephanie because she worked at the convenience store.
    “How funny it will be when they read the will?” Mark said.
    “What’s so funny about the will?” Ally leaned closer.
    “Oh nothing.” Mark shrugged with a slight grin. “Now, if you don’t mind, we’re trying to enjoy our meal.”
    Ally was reminded that Mark was not interested in being very friendly to her.
    “All right, I’ll be on my way. Again, I am very sorry for your loss, and if there’s anything…”
    “Please, don’t.” Mark glared at her. “Don’t offer to help us when it was chocolates from your grandmother’s shop that killed our mother. I’m trying to be civil here.”
    Ally nodded and edged away from the table. She stepped out of the café and right into a mess.
    “Who in the world thinks it’s okay to leave a pig outside a café?” Stephanie stomped a foot against the sidewalk. “That ugly, smelly thing belongs on a farm, not a sidewalk.”
    “I’m so sorry, I just stepped in for a minute.” Ally cringed when she saw that Arnold had dug his snout into a flower pot. There was soil and flowers scattered everywhere.
    “Get him out of here before I call the pound!”
    “That won’t be necessary, I’ll clean up the mess.” Ally smiled slightly.
    “And who will repair my morning? Here I am trying to grieve the loss of my sister and I have to deal with running into this pig.”
    “I’m very sorry. I’m sorry for your loss as well.”
    “I bet you are. Aren’t you the same person that brought the chocolates to the open house? The chocolates that my sister ate?” She raised her voice, which drew the attention of everyone around her. “The chocolates that were poisoned?”
    “That’s not true. The chocolates we brought to the open house were not poisoned,” Ally insisted.
    “Oh then, I guess the police got it wrong?”
    “No, there were poisoned chocolates, but not from our shop.”
    “Oh, of course not. Because everyone here knows that Myrtle bought any old chocolates. Only that was not the case at all. In fact, the only place she bought chocolates from was your grandmother’s shop.”
    “Stephanie, I’m sorry that your sister passed away, I really am, but it was not our chocolates that killed her.”
    “Well, I guess we’ll just see about that when we find out who gets taken away in handcuffs, won’t we, Ally?” She raised an eyebrow. Ally was a little surprised that Stephanie knew her name. She cleared her throat and tugged at Arnold’s leash.
    “I’m sure that the investigation will lead to the truth.”
    “I’m sure it will.” Stephanie brushed past her and into the café. As Ally did her best to clean up the mess Arnold had made she hoped that her grandmother was having better luck.
     
    ***
     
    Charlotte pushed open the door to the nail salon. It was teeming with customers. One stood out because of her regal posture and odoriferous perfume. “Ruth?”
    “Hmm?” The woman spun around with a toothy smile. When she saw Charlotte her smile faded. “What is it that you want?”
    “I just wondered if I could speak to you for a moment.”
    “Sure.” She stepped away from the crowd of women she was chatting with. “What is this about?”
    “To be clear, Ruth, I’m hoping that you can give me some insight about Myrtle.”
    “Tragic.” She shook her head.
    “I couldn’t help but notice that you were pretty upset with Myrtle at the open house.”
    “Wouldn’t you be upset if someone was saying bad things about you to the entire world?”
    “Freely Lakes isn’t the entire world.”
    “It might as well be. Everyone tiptoed around Myrtle like