Slaughter of the Wedding Cake (Sandy Bay Cozy Mystery Book 19)
Page 16
Jackie wrinkled her nose. “My voice isn’t good…”
Kirsty huffed in frustration. “This is for a good cause, girls,” she informed Meghan and Jackie. “The donations are being given to the local homeless agency, and with the holidays just around the corner, it is important to think of others.”
The image of the homeless man on the corner from earlier flashed through Meghan’s mind, and she nodded emphatically. “Yes, you are right,” she said to Kirsty. “We’ll both be there.”
Kirsty tossed her blonde hair behind her shoulder and smiled haughtily. “That’s what I wanted to hear,” she told both ladies. “Wonderful. Just bring something for the homeless folks who attend. You can even bring something store-bought, Meghan. Just make sure you have something for them, as well as your donation. Toodles, girls! See you at the Christmas carol.”
Jackie rolled her eyes as Kirsty sashayed out of the boutique. “How did we just get roped into that?”
Meghan shrugged. “Kirsty is right,” she told Jackie. “It’s the season of love and giving. I can whip up a batch of cookies to take with me, and we’ll both go. Besides, it’s only for a few hours, and it’s for a great cause. What could go wrong?
On the evening of the event, Jack picked Meghan up from the bakery. His blonde hair was smoothed down with gel, and Meghan thought he looked handsome in his green Christmas sweater.
“Thanks for going with me tonight,” Meghan said to Jack as she leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss him softly on the lips.
“Of course,” he replied. “It’s a good cause, and I’m proud of you.”
Meghan smiled. “It will be fun. It’s always good to give back.”
Jack and Meghan drove to the Sandy Bay Community Center, and as he helped Meghan out of the car, her eyes sparkled with joy. “Look at the decorations,” she cried, pointing to a ten-foot high Christmas tree positioned outside of the main entry. “It’s beautiful.”
Jack playfully swatted Meghan on the arm. “Don’t you know by now that Sandy Bay knows how to celebrate?”
Jack took Meghan’s hand as they entered the massive main room. Meghan saw Kirsty assembling carolers onto bleachers, and she waved at Jackie from across the room. “I’m going to go get settled. Can you put my cookies on that dessert table over there?”
Jack nodded, taking the bag from Meghan’s hands. “Of course. You go have fun!”
Meghan scurried over to where the singers were corralled, but as she began to ascend the stairs to her row on the bleachers, she heard a shout. Meghan turned to see four men shoving each other next to the dessert table.
“I want all of those cookies. You ate too much cake.”
“Don’t be selfish. My kids need some food too.”
“This stupid party was the only way to get some good food, and I’m going to take what I want.”
Meghan saw one of the men reach into the bag and take out her cookies. From his tattered clothes and greasy hair, she presumed he was homeless. She watched in horror as he threw her cookies onto the floor.
“I’ll be right back,” Meghan whispered to Jackie as she took off across the room. “Hey, sir? Sir? I only made enough so that each person could have two cookies.”
The man scowled, but he nodded at Meghan. “Sorry. I was just excited.”
Meghan felt a hard tap on her shoulder. She heard Jack’s deep voice coming toward her. “Don’t you touch her!”
Meghan’s heart beat faster as she turned around. Jack ran to her side, but as she made eye contact with the man who touched her shoulder, she gasped.
“What do you think you are doing?” Jack demanded as he stepped between Meghan and the man. “Keep your hands off of my girlfriend.”
The man chuckled, winking at Meghan. “Who do I think I am? Meghan, honey? Wanna tell ‘em?”
Meghan’s jaw-dropped. “Daddy,” she whispered. “Daddy, I can’t believe you are here.
Click here to find out what happens next in Jingle Bells and Deadly Smells, the 10th book in the Sandy Bay Cozy Mystery Series!
ALSO BY AMBER CREWES
The Sandy Bay Cozy Mystery Series
Apple Pie and Trouble (Book 1) – OUT NOW
Brownies and Dark Shadows (Book 2) – OUT NOW
Cookies and Buried Secrets (Book 3) – OUT NOW
Donuts and Disaster (Book 4) – OUT NOW
Éclairs and Lethal Layers (Book 5) – OUT NOW
Finger Foods and Missing Legs (Book 6) – OUT NOW
Gingerbread and Scary Endings (Book 7) – OUT NOW
Hot Chocolate and Cold Bodies (Book 8) – OUT NOW
Ice Cream and Guilty Pleasures (Book 9) – OUT NOW
Jingle Bells and Deadly Smells (Book 10) – OUT NOW
King Cake and Grave Mistakes (Book 11)– OUT NOW
Lemon Tarts and Fiery Darts (Book 12) – OUT NOW
Muffins and Coffins (Book 13) – OUT NOW
Nuts and a Choking Corpse (Book 14) – OUT NOW
Orange Mousse and a Fatal Truce (Book 15) – OUT NOW
Peaches and Crime (Book 16) – OUT NOW
Queen Tarts and a Christmas Nightmare (Book 17) – OUT NOW
Rhubarb Pie and Revenge (Book 18) – OUT NOW
Slaughter of the Wedding Cake (Book 19) – OUT NOW