Strawberry Murder: A Frosted Love Cozy Mystery - Book 13 (Frosted Love Cozy Mysteries)

by Carol Durand

  From behind her, Echo heard a familiar voice that sent adrenalin shooting through her veins at light speed.

  “I told you that Florida wasn’t the end of things between us, Echo. We’ve got some business to take care of,” Frank Capetti stated in a calm, sinister voice, his arms crossed over his chest as he stood in the middle of the road about 50 feet behind her. Toffee lunged at her leash, barking and showing her teeth, her coat standing up in an aggressive ridge that ran from her neck to her tail.

  “Control that animal or I’ll break its neck with my bare hands,” he called out, raising his voice to be heard over the din.

  Echo was terrified, both for herself and for Toffee. She had no idea what to do. Should she release their leashes so that they could either charge Frank or escape? Should she try to quiet the agitated animal so that she didn’t get hurt? Should she run?

  Fortunately, she never had to make any of those difficult and problematic decisions. Two uniformed officers ran out from the side of a house to the left, weapons raised, and when Frank darted to the right, he was intercepted by another cop who had been waiting behind a clump of juniper bushes. He struggled and fought, but was ultimately no match for the team of determined officers.

  Echo ran all the way back to Chas’s house, where he and Missy greeted her with open arms.

  “I was so scared,” she cried into Missy’s shoulder. “I have no idea how those officers knew exactly where to find me. I had sneaked out the back door on purpose and they found me anyway. It’s like they were guardian angels or something.”

  “Well, before we start attributing supernatural powers to my guys, you should know that they staged the whole “sitting out front and leaving the back unattended” thing in order to give Capetti false confidence. We figured that you’d get bored and sneak out, and we also thought that when you did, it was likely that Frank would be lying in wait for you, so we stationed officers throughout the neighborhood for those very reasons, and it turned out that sitting around in the bushes for several days and being patient paid off,” Chas explained with a wry grin.

  “Wow, I feel like an idiot,” Echo giggled, wiping away the traces of tears from her eyes and cheeks.

  “You shouldn’t,” the detective replied. “You did exactly what we expected you to do, which helped us catch the bad guy. That’s certainly not anything to be embarrassed about.”

  “I’m just glad that it’s finally over,” Echo shuddered.

  “Me too,” Missy agreed. “It’s been horrible looking over my shoulder and jumping at shadows, I’m ready for life to return to normal.”

  “Has your life ever been normal?” her boyfriend teased.

  Missy stuck her tongue out at him. “Just for that, mister, you’re making dinner,” she decreed.

  “In that case, into the car, ladies, we’re going out for Cajun tonight to celebrate,” he gestured to the door.

  “Don’t you have to go interrogate Frank or something?” Echo asked.

  “Nope, the officers on duty will file a report, and Capetti can cool his heels in a holding cell until I get darn good and ready to talk to him,” Chas grinned wickedly.

  “Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy,” she nodded appreciatively.

  Chapter 21

  Chas cradled little Cammie Melissa in the crook of his arm while the contented infant slept peacefully.

  “For someone with no experience, you’re pretty amazing with babies,” Missy observed with a tender smile. She loved seeing this sensitive side of the keenly intelligent detective who was accustomed to dealing with tough guys and criminals. Ben and Cheryl had reluctantly gone out to dinner for the first time since little Cammie came along, and had tasked Missy and Chas with babysitting. Ever the efficient manager, Cheryl had left a comprehensive list of instructions for the godparents, along with her cell phone number and strict orders to call if they needed anything.

  “It’s actually a lot like processing a crime scene,” he replied with a mischievous grin. “You de-escalate the emotional distress of the victim by providing support and comfort, you assess and fulfill physical needs, and after the scene has been contained, you send a team in to do clean-up.”

  Missy giggled at his analysis of procedures for babysitting, and quickly quieted when Cammie stirred, making all sorts of adorable baby sounds.

  “Have you ever thought about it?” she half-whispered, keeping a close eye on her slumbering god-daughter.

  “What? Crime scenes?” he teased.

  “No, being a daddy,” Missy asked, visualizing him in the role. “I bet you’d be good at it.”

  “A few times maybe,” he shrugged, gazing down at the sleeping child in his arms. “But I never had a relationship that was solid enough to think about seriously considering the prospect. I think if I ever really wanted kids, I’d actually just adopt. I can’t tell you how many unwanted kids I encounter in the course of my job,” he frowned. “What about you? Have you ever thought about it?”

  “Not really,” Missy admitted. “I took over the family business when I was seventeen. There wasn’t even enough time to date, much less think about babies, and that’s what my life was about for decades. Now that things are slowing down a bit, the thought crossed my mind, but honestly, I don’t think I’d have the energy to do it full-time. Babies are wonderful, but they’re an awful lot of work.”

  “It’s nice to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there,” he joked.

  “Exactly!” Missy laughed, so glad that he understood and didn’t think less of her for not having a ticking biological clock.

  The detective rose slowly to a standing position and headed for the nursery, placing little Cammie gently in her crib and switching on the baby monitor nearby. He placed his arm around Missy’s shoulders and they stood gazing down at the tiny pink face of their godchild, soaking in the sweetness of the moment, then turned and went back to the living room. Settling on the couch to watch a movie, Missy snuggled into his embrace, tilting her face up for a kiss.

  “Mmm…I could get used to this,” Chas murmured, burying his face in her hair.

  “What, babysitting?” Missy asked, her eyes closed, enjoying the moment.

  “No, I was thinking more along the lines of you and me, enjoying each other’s company.”

  “Well, we do that pretty often,” she observed with a smile.

  “I just can’t get enough of you, Missy Gladstone,” he said, his blue eyes capturing her gaze.

  “Good,” she whispered.

  They fell asleep about halfway through the movie, and were snuggled up and snoring softly when Cheryl and Ben came home after their date. Rather than disturbing them, Cheryl placed a light blanket over the couple. Ben switched off the baby monitor in the living room and the new parents headed to bed.

  “Think they’ll ever be doing this?” Ben asked his wife as they pulled the covers up to their chins.

  “The family thing?” Cheryl asked, then nodded. “Yeah, in their own time and in their own way, I’m sure they will.

  Chapter 22

  “Missy! You have to try this!” Echo came charging into Crème de la Cupcake clutching a bowl of something green and gooey, and thrust it toward her best friend. She’d been spending a lot of time creating new flavors lately, and Missy had tried them all.

  “That really looks like something from a horror movie,” the cupcake artist commented, handing her friend a vegan bran muffin that she had saved from the morning rush.

  “You have to try it and tell me what you think. It’s really good for you,” she assured her skeptical friend, who was eyeing the bowl suspiciously. “Hurry before it melts!” she ordered.

  “Okay, first…never tell me it’s good for me, that’ll automatically make me think that it tastes terrible, and second, give me the spoon, I don’t want it to get mushy,” Missy held out her hand.

  She plunged her spoon into the primordial mass and scooped a bite up and into her mouth. “Oh my goodness…it seems familiar, but I can’t plac
e it,” she exclaimed. “It’s delicious, what on earth is it?”

  “Pistachio, kale and basil rice dream with vanilla bean,” Echo announced triumphantly. “It’s a variation of your favorite flavor, I just knew you’d love it!”

  Missy stared at her for a moment. “You put kale in ice cream? That seems so wrong,” she teased. “And it actually tastes good, who would’ve guessed?”

  The front door opened and a rugged-looking man in jeans, a t-shirt that hugged an amazing physique and a baseball cap strolled in. Echo’s eyes widened appreciatively.

  “Hey Melissa,” the Grecian god with a deep-South accent touched the brim of his hat in greeting and headed back toward the kitchen.

  “Hey Rodney,” Missy replied, noting her friend’s star-struck expression with amusement.

  “Who’s your gorgeous friend?” he asked, giving Echo a long, slow once-over, thumbs hooked in his belt loops.

  “Wouldn’t you like to know,” Missy shot back.

  “Yes ma’am, I would,” he nodded, his look giving Echo goosebumps as he disappeared into the kitchen.

  “Who was that?” Echo demanded, as soon as the finest specimen of a male that she’d seen in a long time was out of sight.

  “That’s my new cameraman, Rodney,” Missy grinned like a Cheshire cat. “Hands off, young lady. The last time one of the crew had a crush on you, it didn’t end well,” she gave her friend a pointed look.

  “Oh wow, Missy. Too soon, way too soon,” Echo groaned. “Besides, it wasn’t the cameraman who was the problem last time,” she reminded her.

  “I’ll concede that point,” she shrugged, shoveling a huge bite of ice cream into her mouth.

  “I guess you’re right though. I need to just stay away from men for a while,” Echo said woefully.

  “Want me to get you his number?”

  “Yes, but don’t be obvious about it,” she directed. The two friends looked at each other and burst into giggles, Missy holding up her hand to keep from spitting out her ice cream.

  “Am I going to have to separate you two?” Chas inquired, choosing that moment to come in the front door.

  “It might be best. For the good of society – we can be pretty unruly when we get going,” Missy laughed.

  “I never would have guessed,” he replied dryly, kissing her.

  “Hey you two, none of that,” Echo protested. “Lonely single girl here,” she lamented.

  “Not if you play your cards right,” Rodney appeared in the doorway, leaning against the jamb and looking fabulous.

  Echo blushed to the roots of her hair and giggled nervously.

  “I’m thinking a double date, you, me, Blondie and Captain America over there, whaddya say?” he asked, strolling over to tower above the radiant redhead.

  “I might be persuaded,” Echo said faintly, staring up at the tall, muscular hunk with unadulterated admiration.

  Missy and Chas looked at each other and shook their heads.

  “Here we go again,” the detective who had secretly loved the Captain America reference remarked, amused.

  Ever the helpful best friend, Missy piped up, “Hey Rodney…do you like ice cream?”

  “It’s one of the purest joys on the planet, ma’am,” he drawled, totally serious.

  “Echo, I think you have something to show Rodney then, don’t you,” she hinted.

  “I like the sound of that,” the cameraman didn’t miss a beat, seeming to delight in making the redhead’s delicate skin blush continually.

  “Follow me,” she said, somewhat breathlessly, getting out of the cupcake shop before Missy could embarrass her further.

  She and Chas watched them go, feeling accomplished.

  “Think that’s a good idea?” the detective asked.

  “I think it’ll take her mind off of the past few weeks,” Missy admitted. “And for now, that’s all she needs.”

  Confident for the moment that her friend was happy, Missy twined her fingers with Chas’s, grateful to have found such an amazing man.

  “What?” he asked, seeing the dreamy look in her eyes, and drawing her close.

  “You’re pretty wonderful, you know that?” she said softly, gazing up at him.

  “Must be the company I keep,” he murmured before kissing her. “I love you, Missy,” he whispered against her mouth.

  “I love you too, Chas…more than anything.”

  “Okay folks, no time for that, we’ve got a show to film,” Robin, the production assistant called out loudly, making Missy blush and Chas chuckle. “And just where in the heck is my cameraman?”

  A letter from the Author

  To each and every one of my Amazing readers: I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let me know what you think by leaving a review!

  I’ll be releasing another installment in two weeks so to stay in the loop (and to get free books and other fancy stuff) Join my Book club.

  Stay Curious,

  Carol Durand