Death by Chocolate Sundae: A Cozy Mystery (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

Brandon..sorry!”
     
    “Darn, I was hoping for an invite to one of your hen fests,” he jested.
     
    “Come on you two,” Paige said ignoring Brandon. “It will be fun. We’ll get a pizza, drink a bottle of wine, and try to figure out this whodunit.”
     
    “You had me at pizza and wine,” Stormi replied.
     
    “Alright,” I said. “Sounds good to me.”
     
    The rest of the day was uneventful except for customers streaming in to talk about Mr. Jenkins and the Parkers. Stormi, Paige and I discovered several more tidbits from customer gossip and promised to compare notes later that evening. Stormi and I each left the Shoppe separately to round up pajamas and a change of clothes for the sleepover at Paige’s house. It made me feel young again, like the pajama parties I attended in middle school. Wow, that seemed so long ago.
     
    I was actually happy at this stage of my life. I had my own business that I never thought possible only a few years ago. I loved my friends and while my family didn’t live around here, I knew they always had my back. The only thing missing was a partner. Although I knew I could handle life on my own, it did seem like something was missing.
     
    Unfortunately, it’s difficult to allow yourself to open up to another person once you’ve been burned. The emotional pain burrows deep inside you and the thought of letting another person in is terrifying. But the thought of not allowing someone in is also frightening as you might allow a special person to slip through your grasp. Of course, there were no prospects at this time, or so I thought. So right now, I was set to concentrate on my business and to figuring out who killed Mr. Jenkins in my ice cream Shoppe.
     
    That evening Brandon stopped by like he said he would and made sure we all left the Shoppe safe and sound. He was so different from the little guy who bugged Stormi and me when we were younger. I felt bad for him that his marriage didn’t work out. Stormi said it devastated him to find out his wife was cheating on him. That he couldn’t see himself with anyone else because he didn’t want to get hurt again. I knew exactly how he felt.
     
    We ordered two pizzas, one veggie and the other supreme. Sam joined us instead of locking herself away in her room to video chat with her friends. Sam was a great kid and a lovely girl. She was smart, hitting the honor roll every semester. She wanted to go to college to become a nurse. Paige wasn’t so sure about that, since nurses usually work long hours without the best pay unless they’re in larger cities, which meant Sam would move away. However, Sam wasn’t swayed by Paige’s argument and at least at this stage was adamant about becoming a nurse.
     
    We popped the bottle of wine and Sam drank grape juice from a wine glass so she’d feel included. We chowed down on the pizza and then settled back in our comfies to discuss the murder. Sam was first with her own pocket of information. She was wearing a purple nightgown with her long brown hair tied in the back. Paige had on yellow jammies and Stormi’s was white with red flowers. I had on my favorite pair of pink sweats with a pink t-shirt from my store that said ‘The Frozen Scoop’ since I didn’t have any PJ’s.
     
    Sam sat on the floor with her legs crossed. “When I arrived at the Shoppe the night it happened there was a small crowd already gathered.”
     
    “Who did you see?” I asked taking a sip of my wine.
     
    “I saw Mrs. Wendell walking her dog.”
     
    “Aha!” Stormi cried as she raised her glass of wine. “I bet it was that busybody who tattled on us to the police!”
     
    “What do you mean tattled?” Sam asked.
     
    “Honey, it wasn’t your Mother’s best moment, but we all sort of fell into nervous fits of laughter when trying to revive Mr. Jenkins,” Paige responded.
     
    “Oh…that sounds weird,” Sam declared.
     
    “You had to be there hon,” Stormi added. “It was just….well yeah it