Free Sweet Revenge (Cocoa Narel Chocolate Shop Mysteries Book 1) by Morgana Best Page B

tell Carl what had happened. I all but ran up his path and banged on his door.
    Carl flung the door open. “I have a door bell, you know,” he said grumpily. He looked like a zombie from a movie. His hair was ungroomed and sticking out in all directions and his eyes were puffy and red. He peered at me for a moment before speaking. “Narel, whatever’s happened? Is Mongrel okay?”
    I burst into tears and only manage to utter one word, “Coffee!”
    Carl half dragged, half led me into the kitchen where he switched on his coffee machine. “What’s happened?”
    I managed to regain my composure. “Do you remember Ridgewell Dugan from high school?”
    “Of course I remember him,” Carl said. “He was one of the more nasty Populars.”
    “Well, he’s dead.”
    Carl’s jaw dropped open. “What do you mean?”
    “Dead as in, no longer alive or living.”
    Carl’s jaw dropped even lower.
    “I went on a walk like you suggested,” I continued, “and right by the creek, I saw a body. It was Ridgewell Dugan. He’d been murdered.”
    “Murdered?” Carl said. He stroked a purring Louis the Fourteenth.
    I nodded furiously. “Yes, he was definitely murdered, because he was facedown in the grass and there were two arrows sticking out of his back.”
    Carl clutched his throat. “Was it an accident?”
    I frowned. “If it was an accident, then someone else did it, because he couldn’t accidentally shoot himself self in the back with arrows.” My breathing was coming hard and fast and I felt somewhat nauseous. “And what’s more, those detectives have already had me down to the station to give my statement. I was the one who found the body.”
    Carl put the cat on the ground and then sat down hard on a seat. “You’re kidding! You found his body?”
    “Yes,” I said. “It was such a shock. I’ve had way too many shocks. First Guy exploded, and now I find Ridgewell Dugan’s body with arrows sticking out of his back. And what’s more, I haven’t had any coffee yet.” I held back the tears with some difficulty.
    Wisely, Carl poured me some coffee and then poured some for himself. I drank it as fast as I could, given how hot it was. “Oh, that’s better,” I said. “I almost feel like a human again. Can I have another one please, Carl?”
    Carl duly obliged. “I just can’t tell you how shocked I am,” he said, pouring himself another coffee.
    “How do you think I feel?” I said. “I was there when Guy’s car blew up and I discovered Ridgewell’s body. The funny thing is, I haven’t seen Guy or Ridgewell in years, not since high school, and then they suddenly both turn up in town, and then they are both murdered! And I haven’t seen Mandy since high school either, and now she’s in town. What’s going on?”
    Carl slapped himself on the forehead. “Oh silly me! Narel, there’s something I haven’t told you. I meant to tell you, of course, but it just slipped my mind. I don’t know how it slipped my mind, but it did. You’ll think I’m really silly when I tell you.”
    “Out with it, Carl, or you’ll be the third murder victim!” I said.
    “There’s a high school reunion this weekend.”
    I gasped. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
    Carl winced. “I wasn’t keeping it from you, honestly, Narel. I really did intend to tell you. I just can’t imagine how it slipped my mind.”
    I shook my head. “Well, that explains why they’re all back in town,” I said, “but it doesn’t explain why they were murdered. Carl, I’m really worried. Do you think someone’s trying to set me up? I was there when Guy was killed, and Ridgewell was murdered right near my house.” Carl made to speak, but I held up my finger at him. “And there’s more. There were arrows sticking out of Ridgewell’s back, and you remember the one thing that I was really good at in high school?”
    Carl looked a little confused. “Yes, of course. You were very good at consuming huge amounts of chocolate. Everyone