Chocolate Cadavers

  Chocolate Cadavers

  by

  Constance Barker

  Copyright © 2020 Constance Barker

  All rights reserved.

  Similarities to real people, places or events are purely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Thanks for Reading

  Catalog of Books

  Chapter 1

  Angie sipped at her cup of coffee in our last precious few moments before we had to deal with our other cousins.

  “You know they’re going to lord it over us that Aunt Isabelle probably left them her house,” Angie said.

  “Probably,” I said, loading cookies into the front display case. “I’m not looking forward to it either. I’m not sure what made those two so unpleasant.”

  I could hear Scooter and Masie arguing in the back. I could hear the arguing get louder and the click clack of Masie’s heels signaled that they were making their way towards the front of the bakery.

  “Scooter, you have to,” Masie begged. “We don’t have nearly enough guys.”

  “That’s not my problem,” he said, walking through the door. “Besides, I told you already that I’m seeing someone.”

  Masie rolled her eyes. “Right. The one who lives in Canada?”

  “No,” Scooter protested. “She works at Sam’s hardware store. If you’ve been there recently, you’ve likely met her. She’s very real, and so is our date Friday night. Go ask her yourself if you want.”

  Masie sat down next to Angie. Her retro dress was a stark contrast to Angie’s ultra-trendy pantsuit.

  Masie gestured to Angie. “Just look at her,” she exclaimed. “Don’t you want to meet someone like Angie? Just look at her. She’s perfect from the top of her head to the tips of her perfect pedicure. You’ll find someone as stunningly perfect and gorgeous as her at speed dating. You’ll have your pick because even with you, we won’t have enough guys.”

  “I already have someone better than Angie,” he said. “No offense, Angie.”

  “None taken?” She said, unsure of how to act.

  “Tell, me Scoots, did you win your girlfriend over with your wit and charm?” Masie asked.

  “Don’t you two have work to do?” I asked. “Even if my customers are family, you can still scare them away, you know.”

  “Yeah, I suppose we still need to do stuff for the Harvest Festival, Masie,” Scooter said, accusingly.

  “Unfortunately, you guys can’t wait on me for that,” I said. “Hopefully everything will settle down after the reading of the will this afternoon, but until then, I’m afraid you guys are on your own.”

  My great aunt Isabelle had died recently and the reading of her will was today. Cousins I hadn't seen for years would be there as my aunt had no children to leave her inheritance. Angie was the only cousin I did see more than just on a special occasion.

  The front door opened, and the bell chimed to signal a new customer. Logan walked in and waved. He was out of his police uniform, and that along with the sprinkling of freckles across his nose was making him look more boyishly handsome than usual.

  “Are you ladies ready to go?” He asked.

  “I think so,” I said. Angie nodded in agreement.

  I grabbed my jacket and headed towards the door. I turned back briefly to Scooter and Masie.

  “Harvest Festival, please,” I said before walking out with Angie and Logan.

  Logan drove us to the lawyers office. Unfortunately, Maxwell and Regina, my cousins, were already waiting outside.

  “They already look like they’ve won,” Angie whispered to me as we walked up to them.

  They smiled and waved at us, but nothing about it felt very genuine.

  “Angelica, Colleen, how are you?” Regina said. Angie and I exchanged a quick look. It felt odd to be referred to by our full names.

  “Oh, we’re alright given the circumstances of course. How are you two?” Angie asked.

  “We’re of course managing, given the circumstances,” Maxwell chimed in. He looked like he was trying to hide his excitement. “And you are?” He asked Logan.

  Logan shook his hand. “Logan Owensby.”

  “Do you work at the café as well?”

  “It’s actually a bakery,” I chimed in.

  “Right,” Regina said. “So you work at the bakery?”

  “Actually I’m a deputy sheriff,” Logan said.

  “Police? What are you two doing calling the police to escort you for a silly will reading?” Maxwell asked.

  “He’s here with me,” I clarified. “Off-duty.”

  Regina opened her mouth to say something else, but mercifully, we were called inside.

  We all filed into the lawyer’s office. There were chairs for us facing a desk where Aunt Isabelle’s lawyer sat with the signed will. Maxwell and Regina made sure to get seats right up front.

  Once we were all inside and settled, the lawyer cleared his throat.

  “As you are all aware, we are here to settle the estate of Isabelle Foster,” he announced. “We will start with the reading of the will. Please, hold any questions you have until the end.”

  He sat back down and used a letter opener to unseal the envelope. He began to read through the legal parts of the document before reading through what everyone was bequeathed. He went through each person’s name leaving jewelry, antiques, and sentimental things.

  My name was last.

  “To my niece, Colleen Foster, I leave my house—”

  “What?” Maxwell and Regina shouted out simultaneously.

  I sat up straight in my chair. I hadn’t expected this.

  Regina and Maxwell immediately began to argue with the estate lawyer.

  “You can’t do this,” Regina cried out.

  “This has to be a mistake,” Maxwell said.

  I looked over to Angie. Even she looked like she was about to argue.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Logan said, getting up and pulling me towards the door. I quickly followed.

  We rushed out of the room, through the lobby, and out the door. However, as soon as we got outside, there was another obstacle.

  Daniel. My ex-husband.

  “Coco,” he called out as he started walking towards me. “I heard the will reading was today. You know whatever you get you have to split with me, right? It’s only fair.”

  Logan put an arm up to block Daniel from me. “Listen, pal, I don’t know who you think you are, but I know the law. She doesn’t have to sha
re anything with anyone.”

  He looked surprised at Logan. “Who do you think you are?” he asked. “You know what’s right, Coco.”

  I opened my mouth to answer, but the ruckus I had tried to leave in the room was following us.

  “Coco, we just want to talk about the house,” Regina called out.

  “You got the house?” Daniel said, stepping forward.

  “Hey, back off, buddy,” Logan said, trying to push him back once again.

  Daniel wasn't going to be persuaded that easily. My ex was known for his temper and another man pushing him away from me wasn't going to work for him.

  “Hey buddy, what's your problem?” Daniel asked.

  “I'm not your buddy and you're being a jerk to Coco, so back off,” Logan answered.

  “You don't tell me what to do.” Daniel's eyes turned red. I knew that look and I shivered inside. I didn't want Logan to get hurt.

  Daniel pushed Logan's shoulder hard. But in a blink of an eye, Logan grabbed his arm and pulled it behind Daniel's back. He whispered something in Daniel's ear as Daniel yelled from the pain.

  Before I knew it, I was surrounded. Logan was doing his best to keep Daniel away from me, but his voice mixed in as my cousins surrounded us.

  Logan let Daniel go. “Stay away from Coco.” Logan grabbed my arm and ushered me out of the building. I was glad to have a protector...although I could have done that fancy arm maneuver myself. Well, maybe.

  I don’t know what Aunt Isabelle was thinking when she wrote that will, but she caused more chaos in death than she ever had in life.

  Chapter 2

  I was still a little shaken by the confrontation with Daniel outside of the lawyer’s office and the tension with the rest of my family didn’t help. I headed to the bakery early the next morning certain that things would have gone a lot worse if Logan hadn’t been there to step in and run Daniel off. Another reason I was starting to fall hard for the man in uniform, other than his charm and protectiveness, of course.

  I was pleasantly surprised to see that Masie and Scooter were even earlier than I was on starting the day. The smell of coffee and pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls wafting out at me as soon as I stepped across the threshold of the bakery. “Now, that’s a great smell to walk into on a cool October morning,” I called out to them.

  “Yes, it is.” Masie said, rubbing her hands on the apron she was wearing with little pumpkins all over it.

  “Rushing Halloween, a little bit, aren’t you?” I pointed at the apron, then grinned.

  “You can never rush Halloween,” Scooter said, placing a mug of coffee in front of me. “Drink up boss lady, it’s gonna be a busy day.”

  “Never mind Halloween.” Masie shooed Scooter away, so she could sink down in the booth I had plopped down in. “Tell us about the will reading. I heard from a little birdie that things didn’t go so well.”

  “This town is worse than a full-blown gossip column.” I shook my head, then told them everything from the will reading to the problems with Daniel afterward.

  “Wow, The Grove is famous around here.” Masie said, looking awed at the prospect of me owning such a property.

  “Tell us everything.” Scooter said, refilling our mugs and sitting down in the booth with us.

  “Well, it’s not a mansion.” I laughed. “But it is sprawling and old and I would think it has a lot of secrets to tell the right person.”

  “Oooh, perfect for Halloween.” Masie clapped her hands. “Maybe we should have a Halloween party up there.”

  “Hold your horses, Elvira,” I said, putting up a hand to stop her. “It’s going to take a lot of work to get that house in shape. I did hear a story growing up that Aunt Isabelle won the house in a game of chance.”

  “Now that’s intriguing.” Scooter said. “We’ll go with you for your walkthrough of the place if you want. I’d love to see it.”

  “Yes, me too.” Masie added.

  “That would be great guys.” I said, shivering a little at the thought of going through the old house alone. “I could certainly use your support.”

  After that, the bakery started filling up with the first customers of the day and we were steadily busy selling pumpkin spice lattes, small chocolate cakes decorated with pumpkins on top with orange iceing and other fall food until well into the afternoon. After the slow down, I took off my apron. “Anyone want to go over to the fairgrounds with me to check on our booth for the Harvest Festival?”

  “Sure,” Masie and Scooter said together.

  After a quick call to Rose who wanted to meet us there, I turned on the closed sign and we loaded up and headed to the fairgrounds. The Harvest Festival was a big deal in our town, and I was looking forward to the fun of running the booth, as well as the money our baked goods would bring in. The sun was already setting when we met Rose at the entrance to the fairgrounds and set out to find our booth.

  “Wow, there are more people here than I thought would be.” Rose said, peering through the dusk to find the number for our booth and hers.

  “Everyone wants to get a head start on setting up this year.” I checked the piece of paper I’d been given when I signed up earlier that week, then pointed us in the right direction.

  “Oh, my booth is right beside yours.” Rose said, clapping her hands.

  “Yep.” I said, inspecting my booth to see if it had enough shelf space and outlets for coffee pots and warming trays. Leaning down, I noticed a power cord trailing out of the back of the booth. “I’m going to see where this cord leads. I’m not sharing power with other booths. That’s a fire hazard waiting to happen.”

  I tugged on the cord, knowing by the resistance that it was connected to something I couldn’t see in the growing dusk. Picking the cord up, I followed it around the back of the booth to see where it led.

  “Wait, I’ll come with you.” Masie called. “You shouldn’t be going back there alone. There could be snakes or anything else lurking.”

  Shaking my head at Masie’s thoughts, Halloween always brought out the scary fears in her. I stopped watching where I was going and hit the ground with a thud that knocked the breath out of me for a second. “What the heck?” I said, pulling myself to my feet and peering into the darkness. Taking out my phone, I flipped on the light, and a shriek left my throat. I had tripped over a body, and from the look of the red stain blossoming on the front of his white shirt, I had the feeling my ex would never be bothering me again.

  Masie, Scooter and Rose came running at my scream, skidding to a halt at the sight in front of them.

  “Is he dead?” Rose ventured closer to the body, kneeling to feel for a pulse, then scampering back to us, freaking out more than a little. “Coco, he’s dead... like dead dead.”

  Masie put her hands on her hips. “How is dead and dead dead any different?”

  “It's the freaking blood that makes him really dead,” Rose answered as she jumped back and forth.

  Scooter ran to call the police, while we all stayed with Daniel, unable to stop from freaking out even more. Minutes later, I saw Logan’s comforting form walking towards me, him being the first to arrive on the scene. Soon the entire ground was swarming with cops, their floodlights lighting up the area around the body.

  “Umm, Logan, maybe you shouldn’t be here.” One of the rookie cops on the force said. “You did get in an altercation with the victim less than 24 hours ago. You don’t want to compromise the investigation, sir.”

  Logan ran a hand over his chin, thinking. “Yeah, you’re right.” He gave me a hug. “I’ll meet you at the bakery after you’re done here. It’s going to be fine.” He kissed me on top of the head and left us to answer the questions of the lead detective that would be handling the case.

  “Coco, you don’t think Logan will be a suspect, do you?” Masie asked, still more than a little shocked at what I had literally stumbled over.

  “I don’t know.” I answered her, shaking my head. The wheels were already turning. There was no way I w
as going to let Logan go down for this, but I had to be careful. I had sworn not to get into any more investigations. But if push came to shove, I couldn’t let Logan lose his hard-won reputation as a fair and decent cop. “There are many, many people who would have liked to see Daniel dead.”

  “I know.” Masie said, laying a hand on my shoulder. “You just have to be careful that you don’t become a suspect in yet another murder.”

  Chapter 3

  Still in a state of confusion over the murder, I decided to leave Scooter in charge of the bakery as I sorted myself out. He had offered to take control a few days ago, and I told him I would think about it. When I approached him to inform him of my decision, he was already beaming.

  “I’m glad you agree that I’m the best person for the job.” Scooter puffed his chest out as he glanced sideways at Masie.

  She rolled her eyes and looked at me with a pout across her lips. “Are you sure Scooter can handle such a big responsibility? He can’t even handle his giant ego.”

  I nodded, wondering what it would take for my two co-workers to finally squash their ongoing competition to become the best baker. “Scooter asked first.” Masie sighed, but knew that there was no point fighting further.

  She changed her tone as the reality of the situation slowly hit her. “Are you going to be okay Coco? This is all very sudden, with Daniel and everything else going on.”

  With a sigh, I put my head in my hands. I was completely overwhelmed, but made sure to take Logan’s suggestion to leave the bakery in someone else’s hands for the time being. “I’ll be fine, I just have to take some time to deal with that and with the house.”

  As I left the bakery in Scooter’s capable hands, I hurried out to examine the house that Aunt Isabelle left me. On the drive there, the weight of the latest murder hit me and my head began to pound. I was surprised we didn’t have newspaper reporters knocking on everyone’s door in this town with the amount of crimes that have been occurring lately, but I was glad that we didn’t.

  My thoughts raced, but my mind eventually settled on Logan. I wished he would have been able to come with me to the Grove. However, as a definite suspect in Daniel’s death, I assumed it would be best for him to keep his distance from me for a while to avoid suspicion. Still, I missed him, and decided to call Rose to vent my frustrations.