by Cindy Bell
Mice, Marriage and Murder
A Wendy the Wedding Planner Cozy Mystery
Cindy Bell
Copyright © 2015 Cindy Bell
All rights reserved.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and locations portrayed in this book and the names herein are fictitious. Any similarity to or identification with the locations, names, characters or history of any person, product or entity is entirely coincidental and unintentional.
All trademarks and brands referred to in this book are for illustrative purposes only, are the property of their respective owners and not affiliated with this publication in any way. Any trademarks are being used without permission, and the publication of the trademark is not authorized by, associated with or sponsored by the trademark owner.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
From the Author
About the Author
More Books by Cindy Bell
Chapter One
There were many things that Wendy enjoyed about being a wedding planner. She valued being part of such a special time in peoples' lives. One of Wendy's favorite perks as a wedding planner was getting to taste test the most delicious food that Oceanside had to offer. For the wedding she was currently working on, the bride and groom had insisted that not a dime be spared. They wanted the best of the best, so that of course meant that they had chosen Handley’s.
Handley’s was a catering service, but it also had a small café attached to the large kitchen. It was a delicious place to stop and grab a bite. It cost a pretty penny to dine at Handley’s, but luckily for Wendy, she had the opportunity to taste everything free of charge in order to confirm the menu for the wedding. As she parked her car in the parking lot outside the large building, she felt a rush of excitement. She was looking forward to seeing Oliver Handley. Wendy had worked with him before at Handley’s as well as when he was the head chef at a very exclusive restaurant at a resort in the area. She always enjoyed spending time with him, and he always had a brand new dish for her to try.
When Wendy reached the door of the café she noticed that there was a sign that said closed. She tried the handle and found it locked. With a frown she wondered if she had the wrong date or time for their meeting. She hoped not, as she needed to finalize the details. She pulled out her cell phone and called Oliver. It went straight to voicemail. Wendy shifted from one foot to the other and wondered if she should wait for him. She had a million other things that she could be doing. She double checked the date she had scheduled on the calendar on her phone. It was the right day and the right time. Wendy tucked her phone back into her purse and decided to look around to see if there was any sign of Oliver being there. Maybe the café was closed but he was out the back. As she walked around the side of the building she noticed that there was a side door. She tried the handle and found that it was unlocked. She opened the door and poked her head inside.
“Oliver?” she called out hopefully. The building was very large. On one side there was the café with its own kitchen. The rest of the building was more industrial with several ovens and kitchen areas. It was one of the reasons his catering service did so well. He could accommodate very large functions. When there was still no answer from Oliver, Wendy stepped inside. She was fairly certain he was somewhere in the building and just didn't hear her calling. She didn't think that Oliver would leave any doors unlocked if he or other staff members were not there. As she walked further into the kitchen area she spotted the walk-in freezer. She knew that Oliver had created a sample platter of mini-frozen desserts for her to look at. When he had made a similar one for a previous wedding it had been in this freezer. She didn't think Oliver would mind if she started by looking at the platter without him.
Wendy walked over to the freezer and reached for the door handle. She noticed that the door was latched closed. She hesitated for a moment, but then she pulled the latch back and with a firm tug pulled open the door to the walk-in freezer. She felt the icy blast against the skin of her cheeks. She had forgotten just how cold it could be inside this type of freezer. She shivered as she regretted not wearing a jacket. After a few moments of trembling she ducked back out of the freezer to see if there was a jacket that she could wear. She knew that usually there was a spare jacket for the employees to use. It was usually stored on a hook outside the freezer. She saw the hook, but she didn't see a jacket. Suddenly, she realized that Oliver must be inside the freezer, but then why was the latch closed on the door? She stepped into the freezer and she felt another icy blast.
“Oliver? Are you in here?” she called out. The freezer was large with different sections and lots of shelving. When she looked around she discovered something very strange. One of the metal racks that was used to store food had been completely flipped onto its side. Wendy frowned and stepped closer to it. There was quite a mess of frozen food items scattered around on the floor.
“Oliver?” Wendy asked with concern. She wondered if the shelving might have somehow fallen on him. She walked further in and noticed legs sticking out from one side of the metal rack. “Oh no,” she gasped as she rushed around the side of the rack. “Oliver? Can you hear me?” she asked as she tugged at the rack. When she was finally able to move it enough to see the person underneath, she realized it wasn't Oliver at all. She stared with shock at the face below her. His eyes were wide open. It was clear that he was no longer alive. Not only was the man dead, he was a man that Wendy knew.
Wendy couldn't believe her eyes. The uniform he wore identified him as an inspector for the health department, and revealed that he was indeed George Deveroux, the very man that Wendy had an extremely unhappy encounter with almost a year before. Wendy was reaching for her cell phone in her purse, when she heard some sounds at the freezer door. Her heart jumped. The closed latch on the door indicated that George was deliberately locked in the freezer. Did that mean someone was coming back to clean up their mess? If they found Wendy in the freezer, they might decide to get rid of her, too.
“Wendy?” Oliver called out. “Are you in there?” Wendy felt a moment of relief when she recognized Oliver's voice, but that relief faded as she considered that Oliver might somehow have been involved in George's death. If that was the case and she had walked into the middle of a crime, Oliver might just decide to swing the freezer door closed and slide the latch across. However, she couldn't hide out in the freezer, either. If Oliver locked it, there would be no way out. Wendy knew that she had to speak up before he disappeared.
“I'm here,” she called out to Oliver. “And I think we have a problem,” she added.
“What is it?” Oliver asked as he walked towards her. “Wendy, you must be freezing, why didn't you get the coat?” he asked as he took in the sight of her trembling form.
“Because it was in use,” she stumbled out.
“What happened here?” Oliver said crossly when he saw the rack tipped over on its side. “You should have waited for me, Wendy.”
“Oliver,” Wendy said
impatiently and pointed to the body beside the rack.
“What?” he looked beside the rack, and gasped. “Oh no,” he stepped closer. “Is that George Deveroux?”
“It is,” Wendy murmured, still trying to process what was happening. “Did you know he was in here?”
“Yes,” Oliver hesitated. “I mean no. I mean, he was here early this morning to do an inspection, but I didn't know he was still in here, or that he was dead,” Oliver stumbled over the words. “Have you called the police?”
“I'm doing that now,” Wendy said, finally snapping out of her state of shock. She pulled out her cell phone. Oliver sighed and shook his head slowly.
“We did not see eye to eye on matters, but I can't believe he is gone,” he frowned. “He came here to shut me down, Wendy,” he added, his voice trembling with rage. Wendy shifted uneasily as she looked into Oliver's furious gaze.
“Why would he shut you down?” Wendy asked with concern. Oliver only shook his head and shoved his hands into his pockets.
“Come out of the freezer, Wendy, you need to get warm,” he said in a strangely calm voice. Wendy realized he was right, she had been in the freezer far too long without a jacket on, but she still couldn't help studying his expression. He was so calm that it almost seemed as if something had snapped inside him.
Wendy stepped out of the freezer as she dialed the police.
“I'd like to report a death, possibly a murder,” Wendy said calmly into the phone.
“Murder?” Oliver snapped as he stepped out of the freezer behind her. “It's obviously an accident,” he insisted with frustration. “Why would you tell them it's a murder?”
Wendy looked at Oliver without responding as she gave the location to the police before hanging up the phone.
“Wendy,” Oliver demanded. “It was an accident!”
“The latch was slid closed,” Wendy explained.
“Wendy, it must have been an accident,” Oliver reiterated.
“Oliver, the police will figure out what it was,” Wendy said sternly. She stared at him for a long moment.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” he demanded. Wendy lowered her eyes and edged a little closer to the side door.
“Like what?” she asked nervously.
“Like you think I had something to do with this!” Oliver growled. His hands curled into fists. “You don't really think I did this, do you?”
“Of course not, Oliver,” Wendy said swiftly. “Please, just try to stay calm until the police get here.”
“The police,” he groaned. It was clear that he was beginning to panic. “What am I going to do?” he asked with desperation. “How am I going to get myself out of this one?”
Wendy was silent as he continued to bluster about his business and what would happen to it next. She knew that he had reason to be upset, but her mind was on George. Did he have a family? Would there be a wife or children receiving bad news soon? Her stomach churned as she narrowed her eyes. Had he been killed just because he was doing his job? Or was Oliver right and it was an accident?
Chapter Two
Wendy could hear the sirens from outside the building. She thought about going outside to meet the officers, but she didn't want to leave Oliver alone. She wanted to make sure that he didn’t run or compromise the crime scene. As she watched him pace back and forth, obviously in a state of anxiety, she wondered if she should be just as worried. After all, she had been the one to find the body. The side door banged open and two officers rushed inside. Wendy felt a sinking sensation as she recognized the officers immediately. It was Officer Polson and Officer Delaney. Both of whom she had met in an unfortunate incident when they had arrested her for murder.
The officers walked into the freezer as Wendy stood impatiently looking at the door. Officer Delaney walked out of the freezer after a few minutes and locked eyes with her for a moment, his stern gaze indicating that he would be speaking with her soon, before he shifted his attention to Oliver.
“Sir, is this your business?” Delaney asked.
“Yes, it is,” Oliver admitted. He stopped pacing and shoved his hands into his pockets. Despite the fact that he was in his forties, Oliver looked childish to Wendy in that moment. He was well-known and well-off, but he was now in the spotlight of a murder investigation.
“Can you tell me what happened here?” Delaney asked as he stepped closer to Oliver. Officer Polson was still in the freezer and she could hear him barking into his radio a request for the medical examiner and a forensics team.
“I don't know,” Oliver gasped out. “I was here this morning, and George…”
“You know the victim?” Officer Delaney asked and whipped out his notepad.
“I do,” Oliver nodded. He looked over at Wendy who was dialing someone on her cell phone. “We both do.”
Delaney shot a look in her direction, then refocused on Oliver. “How do you know him?” Delaney pressed.
“He is an inspector for the health department,” Oliver explained with a slight sigh. “He was here to do an emergency inspection.”
“And he got trapped in the freezer?” Delaney suggested as he made a note on his notepad.
“No, I don't know,” Oliver groaned. “He was here early this morning. I was surprised by the visit. We had words…”
“Words about what?”
“He was the same inspector that temporarily shut down a restaurant I used to run,” Oliver explained. “So, seeing him again, it just brought up some frustration for me.”
“I see,” Delaney nodded. “Continue.”
Wendy was listening closely to every word that was spoken. She was quite familiar with the situation that Oliver was talking about.
“Well, I told him to look all he wanted, I had nothing to hide. I told him I would be in my office if he needed me. I went to my office. That was a long time ago. I thought he had left,” he shrugged.
“You didn't think it was odd that he didn't come back to your office to discuss his findings?” Delaney questioned.
“I guess I was hoping that it meant he had found nothing. I mean, there was nothing to find, so I just assumed he had left,” Oliver frowned. “I got caught up in paperwork and lost track of time. That's why I wasn't here right away when Wendy arrived.”
Delaney again looked over at Wendy. She grimaced and hoped that Brian would answer the phone. She had a feeling that she was going to need his help.
“Are there any other staff here?” Delaney asked.
“No, they don’t arrive until late this morning,” he explained. “The café is closed for breakfast today.”
“So, when exactly did you find the body?” Delaney asked.
“I didn't,” Oliver admitted. “I realized I was late for my meeting with Wendy so I came out here to check and see if she was here. I saw her car in the parking lot and assumed she must be inside somewhere. I heard some noise in the freezer, so I opened the door, and she was inside. She had found the body.”
“Interesting,” Delaney cleared his throat. He made another note on his notepad. “Can anyone confirm that you were in your office?” Delaney asked. “Were you on the phone with anyone? On an internet chat?” he suggested.
“No,” Oliver sighed. “I was so annoyed by the visit that I didn't answer my phone, and I just tried to distract myself with paperwork.”
“I see,” Delaney said again.
Wendy hated those words. They made her very uneasy. Finally, she heard Brian pick up the phone.
“Good morning, Wendy,” he said warmly.
“Brian, there's been a murder,” Wendy said quickly. “I'm right in the middle of it.”
“Why does that not surprise me?” Brian asked with mild sarcasm.
“Brian, I'm serious,” Wendy said impatiently. “I'm not sure what to do here. I was the one to find the body and I was also alone when I did.”
“Oh boy,” Brian sighed. He was silent for a moment, as if considering options. “All right, I'll be right there. Do
n't say anything to anyone. Hopefully time of death will be able to rule you out as the murderer.”
“I'm betting that the medical examiner can't begin to pin down time of death until the body thaws,” Wendy explained. She watched as the medical examiner along with a small forensic team walked into the building. They were followed by another familiar face, Detective Dunn. She did not look happy to see Wendy. Wendy turned away from her and Delaney and tried to concentrate on what Brian was saying.
“Thaws?” Brian repeated with disbelief. “What do you mean? It's over seventy outside.”
“He was inside a walk-in freezer,” Wendy glanced over her shoulder at Delaney and Dunn as they spoke quietly. “Polson, Delaney and Dunn are here,” she added nervously.
“Just don’t answer any questions until I get there. I'll be there in a few minutes, Wendy, I promise,” his voice cut off as he hung up his phone.
Wendy hung up hers and tucked it into her purse. She could see that Oliver was talking to Detective Dunn. Officer Delaney was steadily staring at her. He was as intimidating as she remembered. He wasn't a large man, but his features were cold and sharp. When he looked at her, whether he was smiling or not, she felt as if he was accusing her of something. But maybe she was just paranoid because he had previously arrested her. The moment she met his eyes, Wendy regretted it. She took a slight step back and looked away, but it was too late, he was already walking over to her.
“Wendy,” he said brusquely. “Mr. Handley informed me that you were the one to find the body.”
“I'm sorry, I'm not supposed to say anything,” Wendy explained nervously.
“You're sorry?” Officer Delaney laughed a little. “Who exactly is telling you not to speak to the police, Wendy?” he stepped closer to her, in a way that she truly did not enjoy. “Let me guess, your private eye boyfriend?”