The Sandy Bay Cozy Mysteries series Box Set

by Amber Crewes

  Jack walked to Otis and placed him in handcuffs. “You are under arrest for the murder of Chandler Washington,” he declared. “And I am taking you in.”

  ___________________________________

  One week later, Meghan, Pamela, and Trudy were sitting in front of Meghan’s laptop as they updated the bakery website together. Meghan had gotten more tips about SEO from Molly Owens, and the trio was completing the update as they munched on fresh muffins.

  “There. It’s done.” Meghan said with satisfaction as the page loaded. “We did it, ladies.”

  “Yes!” Pamela squealed. “Okay, now will you tell us what happened?”

  Meghan laughed. “Fine, fine,” she agreed. “Now that our work is all done, we can chit chat. Where should I start?”

  Trudy shook her head. “Tell us what happened when Jack took Otis in,” she demanded. “You’ve been tight-lipped all week, and we know you know what is going on.”

  Meghan nodded. “I’ve been under orders not to say anything,” she explained. “But the full story is hitting the news later, so I can talk about it now.”

  Pamela leaned in. “Tell us everything.”

  Meghan sighed. “It’s a mess,” she admitted. “Otis’ fingerprints were found on the dart that killed Chandler.”

  “No!” Pamela moaned. “He is so nice and so cute. How can he be a killer? Ugh, this stinks!”

  Meghan shook her head. “There is more,” she declared. “Otis surrendered the security cameras he keeps in his backyard and around his house. It turns out that the dart that killed Chandler was one that he threw by accident. He came home after a few drinks at the retirement party, and he was warming up for his nightly game. He tossed the dart, and he had no idea it killed Chandler. The tapes prove it; Otis couldn’t have known.”

  Trudy gasped. “Seriously?”

  Meghan nodded. “It’s been determined that it was accidental manslaughter. Otis didn’t mean to kill Chandler. It was a total accident.”

  Trudy shook her head. “That is awful,” she said.

  Meghan hung her head. “There is more,” she told them. “The tapes that Otis gave up? Well, they showed Officer Green committing a terrible deed of his own.”

  “No,” Pamela gasped. “What did he do?”

  Meghan leaned in. “He was cheating on his wife,” she said sadly. “And he was on the way to meet his mistress when the tapes caught him near Chandler’s house. That’s why he was around the scene of the crime.”

  Pamela’s eyes grew wide. “Oh my goodness,” she lamented. “That is terrible.”

  Meghan nodded. “It’s been a sad week in Sandy Bay for a lot of reasons,” she agreed. “But, I have some good news for us.”

  “What is it?” Trudy asked. “I think we need some cheering up after all of this bad news. Chandler dead, Otis charged with manslaughter, and Bradley a cheater...well, what is the good news?”

  Meghan could not keep the grin off of her face. “That influencer you mentioned last week?” she said to Pamela. “Well, her love of my lemon tarts got around to the local news station. They are going to do a news piece on the tarts and the bakery, and the anchors are coming over here tonight to shoot some footage for a feature on tomorrow’s evening news!”

  Pamela shrieked. “That’s amazing, Meghan!” she cried.

  “Congratulations, dear,” Trudy said. “You must be thankful for such a good piece of news. It’s well deserved.”

  Meghan nodded. She was tired from the events of the week, but as she looked around the bakery, at the business she had built from the ground up, she beamed. “It is a good piece of news,” Meghan told them. “In fact, it is truly sweet.”

  The End

  About Muffins and Coffins

  Released: May, 2019

  Series: Book 13 – Sandy Bay Cozy Mystery Series

  Standalone: Yes

  Cliff-hanger: No

  A murdered nonagenarian. A dirty fight to claim the deceased’s assets. Can a small town bakery owner ask the right questions to reveal the real killer?

  When Meghan’s most troublesome customer loses a relative, she’s torn between doing the right thing or minding her own business.

  As she discovers that the murdered victim left a mark, both good and bad, on several people in Sandy Bay, it becomes obvious that her demise might be outside the realm of the ordinary.

  Could the real motive behind the murder be linked to the deceased’s alleged wealth…or something much more sinister?

  The police can’t investigate a murder when there’s no evidence. Death follows life. With everyone dismissing the death of the nonagenarian as a result of old age, can Meghan separate assumptions from facts and solve this murder mystery?

  Muffins and Coffins

  1

  Meghan smiled sleepily as she awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside of her open bedroom windows. She sighed, inhaling the sweet, floral scent of the honey locust growing just below her second story apartment, thrilled that winter had finally ended and spring was making its first appearances in Sandy Bay, her adopted hometown in the Pacific Northwest.

  Still enjoying the sounds of the morning, Meghan snuggled further beneath her comforter. She reached over and picked up Fiesta and Siesta, her tiny twin dogs, and piled them both on her chest. “Good morning, babies,” Meghan murmured as she gave them each a kiss on the forehead. “It’s finally the weekend. Your mama only works a few hours this morning, so perhaps we will go for a little walk on the beach later.”

  Meghan giggled as Siesta licked her on the nose. Fiesta followed suit, and Meghan scratched her behind the ears. She inhaled, and caught the smell of fresh muffins coming from the bakery downstairs.

  “It smells like Trudy is off to a great start this morning,” she said aloud, picturing her trusted middle-aged employee, Trudy, dressed in her apron and preparing the muffins. “She is such a rockstar on the morning shifts.”

  Meghan took another deep breath, detecting a hint of lavender as she closed her eyes. “I hope she is making the lemon-lavender muffins today. Those have been selling out like crazy.”

  Meghan lounged for a few more minutes, and then, as she heard Pamela, a local teenager she had hired a few months ago, greet Trudy downstairs, she peeled herself out of bed. She gathered her long, dark hair into a high ponytail and slipped into a pair of green cargo pants. She tied her apron on over her outfit and quickly surveyed herself in the mirror as she walked to her door. Meghan preferred a natural look; she typically did not wear a lot of makeup, and she smiled at her reflection as she passed the mirror.

  At twenty-eight, Meghan felt more beautiful than ever, inside and out; she had raven-colored hair that fell down her back in soft waves, a light smattering of coffee-colored freckles across her small nose, and enormous dark eyes with long lashes. She was also the founder and owner of Truly Sweet, a bakery that had quickly gained popularity in its first year of business, and she was proud of the hard work that had turned the bakery into a massive success. Meghan also had a serious relationship with Jack, a detective, and she fell in love with him more and more every day. She had a good relationship with her family, who lived in Texas, and she had developed several meaningful, close friendships in Sandy Bay.

  Everything had been falling in place for Meghan, and she was happier than ever. It would soon be her one-year anniversary of moving to Sandy Bay, and she was hoping to throw a party to celebrate. She had been weighing the idea for several weeks, and she was ready to share it with Trudy and Pamela. After brushing her teeth and applying a thin layer of lip gloss, Meghan walked downstairs and into the kitchen, excited to tell her employees about the party.

  “Good morning, ladies,” Meghan greeted them as she tucked a loose strand of dark hair back into her ponytail. “I have something I would like to share with you today!”

  Pamela turned to Meghan, her nose wrinkled in disgust. She held out her phone to show Meghan the screen. “Does it have anything to do with this?”

  Me
ghan peered at Pamela’s phone. It was opened to the bakery’s Instagram page. “Why are you showing me the Instagram page, Pamela? I told you that I liked the last few pictures you posted.”

  Pamela shook her head. “Look closer. I’m in the private messaging section.”

  Meghan squinted. “It’s a message about a funeral service,” she gasped. “They want to know if Truly Sweet sells coffins and provides funeral services.”

  Pamela nodded. “We’ve gotten five messages from different accounts this morning,” she explained, her face filled with confusion. “When I message the accounts back, they vanish off of social media. It seems like a prank.”

  Trudy stepped forward, her arms crossed over her chest. “The same thing has been happening with our Facebook page,” she told Meghan. “It’s the strangest thing; we’ve been getting message after message about the bakery offering funeral services.”

  Meghan bit her bottom lip, feeling deflated. She had wanted to bring up the idea for the party, but now, it was evident that this issue needed to take priority over the celebration.

  “What should we do, Meghan? Should we ask Jack to check this out?” Pamela asked earnestly. “He’s a detective. He can track down whoever is pranking us.”

  Meghan laughed. “It doesn’t seem like an emergency,” she patiently said. “But, I will give Jack a call. This is starting to feel like harassment, especially if it is coming from two forms of social media.”

  Meghan pulled her phone out of her pocket and gasped as she unlocked the main screen. A chain of emails popped up, each with the subject line FUNERAL SERVICES.

  “What is it?” Trudy asked, peering over Meghan’s shoulder. “Oh no! It’s the same thing. Why are people asking us for funeral services? We are a bakery.”

  Pamela’s eyes grew wide. “I’m creeped out, Meghan,” she told her boss. “Call Jack right now!”

  Meghan paused for a moment, trying to make sense of the emails and messages. “Do you think someone is pulling an April Fool’s Day prank?” she asked her employees. “I know it’s a week past April Fool’s, but what if…?”

  Trudy pursed her lips. “I don’t think so,” she answered. “In Sandy Bay, no one really takes April Fool’s Day seriously; I know they do some silly activities at the high school, but no one takes it too far.”

  “Yeah,” Pamela agreed. “A couple of my friends left balloons and silly string in a locker, but no one would be rude to businesses in town. That would be so dumb.”

  Meghan cleared her phone screen and began dialing Jack’s number, eager to hear his opinion on the matter. “Ugh, it went straight to Jack’s voicemail. I’ll have to call him later.”

  Trudy put her hands on her hips. “Well, we have about fifteen orders of muffins to fill before you are off for the afternoon,” she informed Meghan. “Why don’t we get started? Pamela and I will keep an eye on the social media pages for now, and you can pass along the word to Jack when you get ahold of him.”

  “That sounds good,” Meghan agreed as she stepped over to the sink to wash her hands.

  The three ladies baked two batches of muffins, trying to forget about the strange inquiries they had received. When the little silver bells attached to the front door chimed, Meghan sent Pamela out front. “Our first customer of the morning,” Meghan said cheerfully as she shooed Pamela into the dining room. “Go wait on them, Pamela.”

  Pamela returned a moment later, her face pale and her hands shaking. “What is the matter?” Meghan asked, seeing the shock on her face.

  “It’s an old man,” Pamela stammered. “And he asked if we sell coffins.”

  2

  The next afternoon, Meghan accompanied her friend, Karen Denton, to the fruit market. The weather was beautiful, and Meghan was delighted that some of the vendors had moved their stands outside. Meghan wore her favorite sunglasses, enjoying the warm air.

  “It was so strange,” Meghan explained as she browsed through a display of peaches. “I went out into the dining room to see what was going on, and the old man was just as confused as I was. He couldn’t remember who had told him, but he swore that he had heard that Truly Sweet was doing funerals.”

  Karen raised an eyebrow. “That is utterly strange, Meghan. The entire situation is strange.”

  Meghan shrugged. “I haven’t received any other communications about funerals since the man came into the bakery yesterday. Jack told me that it was probably just a prank, and that we shouldn’t worry.”

  Karen shook her head. “What a silly prank to pull,” she scoffed as she examined a plum. “In my seventy-three years, I have never heard of something so ridiculous.”

  Meghan smiled, as she did every time Karen reminded her of her age. At seventy-three years old, Karen had more energy than anyone Meghan knew, and she was in excellent shape. Karen frequently ran marathons, lifted weights, and was arguably the healthiest person in Sandy Bay.

  “This is what I have been looking for!” Karen exclaimed as she held up a bright green apple from a straw bin. “I have a new juicer at home, and I’ve been dreaming of an apple-Carle smoothie.”

  “A juicer, huh?” Meghan asked. “Is it hard to use?”

  Karen shook her head as she gathered ten apples into her paper sack. “Not at all; the fellow at the store told me it would only take a few minutes to make as much juice as you could ever want.”

  Meghan licked her lips, imagining fresh fruits and healthy ingredients to make delicious smoothies. She wondered if the bakery could sell smoothies; they already sold coffee and tea, and perhaps smoothies would appeal to a new demographic of customers.

  “Excuse me!”

  Meghan cringed as she accidentally walked right into Sally Sheridan, one of Sandy Bay’s oldest and grumpiest residents. The contents of Mrs. Sheridan’s purse spilled, and Meghan dove to collect the items. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Sheridan,” Meghan apologized as she gathered Mrs. Sheridan’s things. “I didn’t see you.”

  “You are so clumsy, Meghan Truman,” Mrs. Sheridan cackled as Meghan gave her back the purse. “I was standing right in front of you, and you walked right into me. I don’t know how you manage to be such a clumsy girl.”

  Meghan shook her head. “I don’t know either, Mrs. Sheridan. It’s something I am working on,” she admitted. “I hope you are having a good afternoon otherwise? This weather is so pleasant.”

  “It’s too hot for my taste,” she grumbled.

  “But you said this winter was too cold,” Karen replied playfully. “Aren’t you happy that the sun came out?”

  “It’s too bright,” Mrs. Sheridan declared. “It’s either too hot, or too cold. Never just right.”

  “Nothing is ever just right for you, Sally Sheridan,” Karen muttered under her breath as Meghan jabbed her in the ribs with her elbow.

  “What was that?” Mrs. Sheridan squawked.

  “Oh, nothing,” Karen said as Meghan gave her a look.

  “Well, I must be going. I am off to see my Auntie at the nursing home,” Mrs. Sheridan informed them.

  Meghan and Karen’s jaws dropped in unison. “Your Auntie?” Meghan asked. “You have an Auntie?”

  Mrs. Sheridan narrowed her eyes. “Yes? She’s my dad’s sister, and she lives at the nursing home on Apple Street.”

  Meghan tried to regain her composure, but she was shocked that Mrs. Sheridan, whom she believed to be the oldest woman in Sandy Bay, could have an Auntie.

  “We have spectacular genes in my family,” Mrs. Sheridan stated. “My Auntie is nearly one hundred years old. I hope to live to that age myself.”

  “And I am sure you will,” Meghan politely offered as Mrs. Sheridan smiled. “What is your Auntie’s name?”

  “Lucy,” Mrs. Sheridan said. “Lucy Hudson. She was a teacher for over fifty years in Sandy Bay. Karen, I’m sure you knew her.”

  “I did know Mrs. Hudson,” Karen confirmed. “I was her student. I didn’t realize she was your aunt, or that she was still…. around.”

  “You m
ean alive,” Mrs. Sheridan giggled. “She is alive and well. You should stop by and visit her sometime; I am sure that she would love it. Anyway, I am off to the fish market for some tilapia. Meghan, I might drop by tomorrow for some muffins. I think Auntie would like some.”

  “Sounds great,” Meghan said as she waved goodbye.

  “Ugh,” Karen shuddered as Mrs. Sheridan hobbled away on her cane. “I didn’t realize Lucy Hudson and Sally Sheridan were related, but now that I do know, it makes complete sense.”

  Meghan laughed. “What do you mean by that?”