Cookies and Condolences

  Cookies and Condolences

  Christian Cozy Mystery

  Donna Doyle

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  © 2019 PureRead Ltd

  PureRead.com

  Contents

  Introduction

  1. A Pinch of Excitement

  2. A Teaspoon of Planning

  3. Half a Cup of Hard Work

  4. A Dash of Surprise

  5. Half a Stick of Suspicion

  6. Two Heaping Tablespoons of Town Gossip

  7. An Ounce of Rivalry

  8. A Pint of Patience

  9. One Quart of Understanding

  10. Mix Well

  Other Books In This Series

  Boxset Reading Enjoyment

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  About PureRead

  Introduction

  A Personal Word From PureRead

  Dear reader,

  Do you love a good mystery? So do we! Nothing is more pleasing than a page turner that keeps you guessing until the very last page.

  In our Christian cozy mysteries you can be certain that there won’t be any gruesome or gory scenes, swearing or anything else upsetting, just good clean fun as you unravel the mystery together with our marvelous characters.

  Thank you for choosing PureRead!

  To find out more about PureRead mysteries and receive new release information and other goodies from Donna Doyle go to our website

  PureRead.com/donnadoyle

  * * *

  Enjoy The Story!

  1

  A Pinch of Excitement

  Sammy Baker pushed open the door of the plush law office in downtown Sunny Cove, her stomach swirling anxiously. She’d received a call from Rob Hewitt earlier that morning, and he’d refused to give her any details over the phone. “I think it’s much better if we talk about it in person.”

  That hadn’t sounded good. When Sammy had gone to him just over a month ago, she didn’t really think this project was going to go anywhere. If he had news and he wouldn’t say it over the phone, then he was trying to let her down gently. Sammy assured herself that it would be all right. Just because she couldn’t get it done this way didn’t mean that was the end of it. There would be other opportunities.

  Stacey, Rob’s secretary, barely looked up from her cell phone as Sammy walked into the lobby. “He said you can go right in,” she mumbled.

  “Thanks.” Sammy had to wonder why Rob wasted his money on an employee who did nothing but play games or text on her cell, but that wasn’t really any of her business.

  Rob, the most popular jock back when the two of them had gone to Sunny Cove High School together, was behind his massive oak desk as usual. The bank of windows behind him showed the drizzly rain that had been plaguing the town for the last few days, and they didn’t make the grim look on his face any more cheerful. “Have a seat,” he said, gesturing at the leather chair in front of his desk.

  Sammy sat, already feeling dejected. “I guess it didn’t go over well, did it?”

  The lawyer sat back, running his hand over his chin and meeting Sammy’s eyes with his own bright green ones. “You know, starting up a business like this isn’t a very easy thing to do. It’s going to take a lot of money, but it’s not the kind of thing that really makes money.”

  “I know. I knew that going in, but I just really thought it was worth trying. Austin has been so cagey over the winter with nothing to do. I was hoping I could get him some jobs shoveling snow, but we just haven’t had that much this year. You were right with what you’d told me before, that I couldn’t put it all on my shoulders. I love volunteering, and I love seeing how happy Austin is when he completes a job, but there just isn’t enough time in the day to get it all done.” Sammy knew she shouldn’t feel so dejected. She and Rob had done what they could.

  Rob smiled. “Fortunately, the grant committee isn’t concerned about how much money we’ll make.”

  “What?” Sammy lifted her head and felt her mouth drop open. “What are you telling me?”

  His smile increased. “Ever since you came to me and asked if Austin could pick up trash outside my building, I’ve been trying to think of ways we could truly help him. I really thought this grant and the business we talked about would be the answer, but I admit I was a little nervous about whether or not we would get approved. It turns out we did, and I can happily tell you that Sunny Cove Services is going to become a real thing.”

  Sammy was out of her seat, her fists in the air and a grin on her face. “That’s so exciting! Praise the Lord! I can’t believe this!” She’d been shocked that Rob was so willing to help her find a long-term solution for Austin and people like him. Sunny Cove Services would act as a contracting company that would hire out disabled adults looking for work. The types of work they would do at first would be very simple, but as the company was built up and more equipment was acquired, they would be able to do assembly projects and shred documents.

  “You’d better believe it, and you’d also better believe that we have a lot to do to get this place up and running.”

  “Where do we start?” Sammy was so excited she couldn’t even remember what came next.

  “The first thing we need is a place to open this business. I have a place in mind, and if you have the time I’d love for you to come look at it with me.”

  “Absolutely!” Sammy’s heart was thundering in her chest as all the dreams she had for Sunny Cove Services came swirling to the forefront of her mind. There were so many things she knew Austin would be capable of if he just had the right training and someone to guide him. It thrilled her even more to know they would be helping people like him all through their area.

  Rob led the way out to his car, a sleek black luxury sedan, and opened the passenger door for her. “I took the liberty of making an appointment to see this place, because I figured you’d be just as excited as I am.”

  “Is it going to be big enough?” The two of them had discussed the fact that they would need plenty of space to allow room for work area and supplies. That had been one of Sammy’s main concerns, since many of the buildings in Sunny Cove were smaller, older places.

  “I think so. Its downtown, so nobody should have a problem finding it or getting to it. The best part is that it’s available immediately.” Rob pulled up next to the Stargazer Theater.

  “What are we doing here?” Sammy was instantly confused. She looked around, expecting one of the nearby downtown building to have a “For Rent” sign on it that she’d missed.

  “Come on in and you’ll see.”

  The theater didn’t open until later in the evening during the week, but the front door swung wide and a tall brunette welcomed them. “Rob! It’s so good to see you!”

  “Sammy, I think you know Sonya McTavish. She was a few years ahead of us in high school.”

  “Oh, Robbie. You don’t have to point that out. Come on in.”

  Rob gave Sammy an innocent shrug and gestured for her to precede him.

  “I can’t tell you how happy I am that you called,” Sonya said as she sauntered across the patterned carpet in the lobby. “I was happy to take over the theater after Daddy went to jail, but it’s always bothered me that I have this big, useless space.” She opened a door off to the left.

  Sammy understood what was going on even before she went inside. She’d been in this part of the Stargazer only once before, when she’d helped uncover an underground gambling
den that Sonya’s dad had been running in secret. The crap tables, roulette wheels, and slot machines had been removed, leaving only a large space with tall ceilings.

  “It was the first place that came to mind. Does this section of the building have its own outside access?” Rob stood in the center of the room, turning slowly as he examined it.

  “Right over there. It hasn’t been used for as long as I can remember, so the lock might need to be replaced.”

  Rob put his chin in his hand. “Not a problem. And do you have any issue with some remodeling? I’m thinking we pull out the old carpet and put down linoleum, replace the paneling with drywall, and get some better lighting in here. Really make it look professional, you know?”

  “Certainly.”

  “It looks like this old bathroom could easily be converted into a larger one with stalls,” Sammy called as she explored the space, the excitement building inside her once again. “And there would be plenty of room for some big shredders and some nice, spacious work tables.” It was hard to see past the red carpet with gold swirls, but the longer they spent here the more she could see this working.

  Sonya slid her catlike eyes from Rob to Sammy and back again and smiled. “Sounds like you two have quite an idea brewing here.”

  “We do, and the grant money will be in shortly. We want to get started as soon as possible.”

  Sammy didn’t think she’d seen Rob look that happy since he made the winning play for the football championship their senior year. He’d seemed the most unlikely person to get involved in a project like this, but Sammy was beginning to understand that he wasn’t the selfish, materialistic person she’d known back in school.

  Sonya shrugged. “Well, you’re the lawyer. Draw up a contract and I’ll sign it. I don’t expect much in rent. I’m sure there’s some sort of write-off for housing a non-profit under your roof, and I’d much rather see something good come of the space.” She frowned slightly at an old sconce on the wall that had been painted a very tacky shade of gold. “You know where to find me if you need me.” She slunk out the door, leaving the two of them alone.

  Sammy turned to Rob, unable to stop the grin that had completely taken over her face. “Well, what do you think? Do we need to look anywhere else?”

  Rob shook his head. “We can if you want to, but I don’t imagine any other space will be more ideal. We won’t make a ton of noise, but even if we do there’s extra soundproofing in the walls to keep the theater goers from hearing us. It’ll take some remodeling, but I imagine any place would. I say we jump on it before Sonya changes her mind and brings in something that’ll make her a lot more money.”

  “Great! Let’s do it!”

  “Sounds good to me, but there are a few more things we need to figure out.”

  Sammy was so ready to dive headfirst into this venture, and it was hard to slow down and make sure it was all done the right way. “Okay. What did you have in mind?”

  “First of all, we need a manager. You can’t run this place and still work at the diner, and you mentioned that you didn’t want to leave Helen.”

  “I really don’t.” Sammy gave a thought for her boss, who’d been so kind to give her both a job and an apartment when she’d moved back to Sunny Cove from New York. Sammy had quickly proven her baking skills and was currently selling her goods out of the diner as well as acting as a waitress, dishwasher, and anything else Helen needed. It was a nice arrangement between the two of them, and Sammy couldn’t leave it.

  “How do you feel about letting me hire a manager? I’ve got a lot of experience in hiring people.”

  Sammy started to nod her enthusiasm, but she stopped as soon as she remembered what Rob’s secretary was like. “We could always make it a joint effort.”

  “Oh, I get it,” Rob said with a laugh. “If you’re worried about Stacey, you can forget about it. My full-time secretary is pregnant and was put on bed rest. Stacey is my cousin, and she’s just filling in until Miranda gets back.”

  A sense of relief fell over Sammy. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get into your business.”

  “No, it’s completely fine. I’ve had lots of complaints about Stacey, so you’re not the first to notice she’s less than attentive. I wish I’d never hired her, but she needed a job and I owed my aunt a favor. I’m perfectly happy to let you approve the final candidate.”

  Sammy felt a little silly for judging him like that. It wasn’t the Christian thing to do. “No, that’s okay. You probably know a lot more about this kind of thing than I do.”

  “It’ll take some time to find the right person, but in the meantime we need a contractor to get this place fixed up. You know anybody?”

  “Not offhand, but I’m happy to find one if you’re going to locate a manager for us. Deal?” Sammy extended her hand.

  Rob smiled and shook it. “Deal, partner.”

  2

  A Teaspoon of Planning

  “Okay, you see how the tops of the cookies have just started to brown a little bit? That means they’re done. Do you want to pull them out yourself?”

  Austin nodded enthusiastically and reached into the oven.

  “Wait, wait! You need an oven mitt!” Sammy snatched one off the counter and handed it to him.

  His dark eyes fell to the floor. “I’m sorry. I messed up again.”

  “Don’t you dare think about it that way!” Sammy rubbed his arm affectionately. After spending so much time with Austin, she was starting to feel a real sense of responsibility for him. His Uncle Mitch was his guardian, but the old man didn’t have the time, patience, or energy to teach him what he needed to know. “I just don’t want you to get hurt. And that’s exactly why you’re here doing this with me instead of doing it on your own. Now, just put on the oven mitts and then you can take the cookies out. Then I’ll show you how to move them to a wire rack to cool.”

  “My favorite cookies are the ones with sprinkles,” Austin said as he carefully removed the hot pan from the oven. “Can we put sprinkles on them?”

  Sammy smiled patiently. “We were going to put icing on these cookies, remember? But we can put sprinkles on the next batch.”

  “You mean we can make more?”

  “Of course. I always need lots of baked goods to keep the diner stocked, so it won’t hurt to make a few extras.” Sammy had been on a real cookie kick lately, churning out chocolate chip, oatmeal, and sugar cookies by the panful. Fortunately, they’d been selling just as well as her other goodies. Helen had warned her that it would be difficult to let Austin into the kitchen to help, but Sammy was determined to try. There weren’t any other jobs she had for him at the moment, and it was best to keep him busy so he didn’t get himself into trouble.

  “Will you teach me how to make a cake? Bakeries in Germany sold birthday cakes in the 1400s.” Austin had a knack for memorizing random facts he heard on documentaries that he watched with his uncle, and he seemed to enjoy sharing those facts with others.

  “Is that so?” Sammy fetched a spatula from a drawer and handed it to him. “I’m sure we can make a cake sometime.” The idea got her mind churning once again. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the upcoming Sunny Cove Services ever since her meeting with Rob the day before, and her project notebook on the subject was quickly filling up.

  “Sammy! There’s someone here to see you!” Helen called through the kitchen door.

  “Be right there!” She turned to Austin, who looked disappointed that she had to go. “Don’t you give me that puppy dog look! We’ll have plenty more chances to bake, and I’ll make sure I set some of these cookies aside for you to take home once they’ve cooled. Here, why don’t you go sit down with a sandwich and take a break?”

  Austin did as he was told, giving only one longing glance at the cookies before heading into the dining room with his sandwich.

  Just Like Grandma’s was bustling with customers for a midweek afternoon, a sight that made Sammy’s heart happy. She liked to know that Helen was s
till getting such good business, even if Sammy’s job here wasn’t exactly how the older woman had probably envisioned it when she’d hired her. Helen needed someone with baking and waitressing skills, but Sammy spent far more time with the oven than she did on the floor. The fact that she was selling boxes and bags of her rolls, buns, breads, cookies, and cakes from a table in the back corner probably didn’t help, but Helen didn’t seem to mind.

  Sammy felt it only made matters worse that she was taking time out of her day to interview contractors, but Helen had been very generous about that as well as soon as she knew what Sammy had up her sleeve. “You go right ahead, dear. The world won’t stop just because you sat down for a minute, and the good Lord knows we need a place like that around here.”

  The man waiting for her was dressed simply in a worn polo and khakis, and he carried a plain manila file folder in one hand. He was an older man with a fringe of a gray beard around his jaw line, and he shook her hand warmly. “I’m Harold Woodland.”

  “It’s so nice to meet you, Mr. Woodland. Let’s find a place to sit down.” Sammy guided the contractor to an empty table, eager to see what he had to say about the project. “Did you get a chance to go look at the space?”

  “Sonya was kind enough to let me in. It’s definitely going to need some work to get it all shaped up, but I think we can make it happen within your timeline.”

  “Wonderful to hear!” Sammy sat forward as he pulled a few papers out of the file folder. “I can’t tell you how excited I am about opening this place up.”