“We’ll never catch them on foot, Brenda.” He pulled his gun and aimed for the car.
“No don’t!” Brenda shrieked. “What if she’s in the trunk? What if you hit her?”
“You have to trust me, Brenda.” Detective Crackle stared into her eyes briefly, then aimed his weapon.
Brenda’s stomach lurched as he fired twice. She continued to run towards the car, which veered off to the right.
Detective Crackle had managed to strike both back tires. He ran a few steps behind her towards the car. The driver’s side door flung open, and Poppy tumbled out. She jumped to her feet and sprinted for the neighborhood that bordered the parking lot.
“Stop!” Detective Crackle shouted. “Get on your knees!”
Poppy spun around to face both of them. She let out a loud laugh that sounded more like a spasm than an actual laugh. Brenda ignored her as she ran straight for the car. She had no idea if Joyce was in the car, or if she was even still alive. But she knew that she had to find out. As she reached the car, she found the passenger seat was empty. Her heart dropped at the sight. Then she heard a noise from the backseat. She peered into it and saw Joyce curled up on the floor. She had a piece of tape over her mouth and her hands were bound as well.
“Joyce!” Brenda pulled open the back door and crouched down to free her hands. “Are you hurt? Did she hurt you?”
Joyce shook her head, and as soon as her hands were free she pulled the tape off her mouth with a subtle shout.
“Oh Brenda, I’m so glad to see you.” She threw her arms around her waist and rested her head against her stomach. “Please, just let me hug you for a minute.”
“Joyce, I’m so sorry.” She stroked her hair as she held her close. “I never should have let you go off on your own. I let you walk into danger!”
“No, you didn’t.” Joyce looked up at her. “I did what I wanted to do, I put myself in that danger. I never realized that it was Poppy, I didn’t think it would be her. I let her fool me. Mark had no idea what she was doing.”
“It’s okay now, that’s all that matters. You’re safe.” Brenda felt her muscles relax some as she caught sight of Detective Crackle arresting Poppy. “I was so scared.”
“So was I.” Joyce shuddered. “I have to admit that might have been too much adventure for me.”
Brenda helped her out of the car and looked her over from head to toe. “Are you sure you’re okay? She didn’t hurt you?”
“No, she didn’t. But she did kill Alexa, and she tried to kill Mark.” She held out her arms to reveal the writing scrawled across them. “She was more concerned with getting her message across than killing me.”
“I’m so sorry you went through that, Joyce.”
After Detective Crackle handed Poppy off to other officers, he walked over to them.
“Joyce.” He stared into her eyes. “The paramedics are waiting to look you over.”
“There’s no need, I’m fine. Just let me give you my statement so I can go.” Joyce ran her hands across her cheeks. “Honestly, I can’t wait to get back to the truck. I just want things to go back to normal as soon as possible.”
“I understand.” The detective reached up and tucked some of her hair back behind her ear. “I’m sorry it took us so long to find you.”
“You saved me.” Joyce caught his hand and held it with her own. “Thank you, Detective.”
“Don’t forget it’s Arthur. Call me Arthur, if you like.”
“Thank you, I haven’t forgotten.” Joyce gave his hand a light squeeze.
After they gave their statements, Brenda called Melissa. She knew that if she called Charlie to come get her, he would have to bring Sophie with him, and she wouldn’t want to try to explain things in front of her. It was almost closing time so she asked Melissa to close down the truck and pick them up from the grocery store. As they waited for her to arrive, Joyce filled Brenda in on all that Poppy told her.
“I can’t believe that she killed her best friend, all over her beliefs.” Brenda shook her head. “Don’t worry, Joyce, I could never do that to you.”
“Gee, thanks.” Joyce managed a smile.
When Melissa pulled up, she jumped out of the car and ran to embrace both of them.
“I heard what happened, are you both okay?” Melissa looked between them. Then she looked tentatively at the huddle of police officers.
“We’re okay.” Brenda eyed her. “Now Melissa, why don’t you tell me why you are so afraid of the police?”
“I’m not afraid, exactly.” Melissa shifted from one foot to the other. “The truth is, this is all my fault.”
“What do you mean?” Joyce studied her.
“I mean, I sent a message to Alexa suggesting that she come to the magazine event. I never thought she would. But maybe if I hadn’t sent that email, maybe she never would have come here and then—”
“Oh, sweetheart.” Brenda hugged her and shook her head. “None of this is your fault. She probably got thousands of emails. She came here because Country Grocery Place was opening here, not because you told her to come. I’m sorry you’ve been feeling that way all this time. You should have told me.”
“You’re right.” Melissa wiped her eyes as she pulled out of the hug. “It’s just that I enjoy working with you both so much, I didn’t want to do anything to risk that.”
“There is no risk, Melissa. We are happy to have you.” Brenda smiled at her.
“Yes, it’s good to know I’m not the only one that can burn donuts.” Joyce laughed.
“Oh, you mean today wasn’t the first time?” Brenda raised her eyebrows.
“You promised you wouldn’t tell, Joyce.” Melissa blushed.
“Oh, it’s okay.” Brenda laughed. “Did I ever tell you two about the time I started a fire in the kitchen?”
The three walked off towards Melissa’s car, laughing, despite the ordeal they just endured. Brenda slipped her hand into Joyce’s and held it tight. It would be a long time before she would be willing to let it go.
The End
***
Thank you very much for reading Strawberry Donuts and Scandal. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. You can sign up for my newsletter to be notified of my latest releases so you don’t miss out on the special new release price at
http://www.cindybellbooks.com
Also by Cindy Bell
Donut Truck Cozy Mysteries
Deadly Deals and Donuts
Fatal Festive Donuts
Bunny Donuts and a Body
Sage Gardens Cozy Mysteries
Birthdays Can Be Deadly
Money Can Be Deadly
Trust Can Be Deadly
Ties Can Be Deadly
Rocks Can Be Deadly
Jewelry Can Be Deadly
Numbers Can Be Deadly
Memories Can Be Deadly
Paintings Can Be Deadly
Snow Can Be Deadly
Tea Can Be Deadly
Greed Can Be Deadly
Clutter Can Be Deadly
Wagging Tail Cozy Mysteries
Murder at Pooch Park
Murder at the Pet Boutique
Chocolate Centered Cozy Mysteries
The Sweet Smell of Murder
A Deadly Delicious Delivery
A Bitter Sweet Murder
A Treacherous Tasty Trail
Pastry and Peril
Trouble and Treats
Fudge Films and Felonies
Custom-Made Murder
Skydiving, Soufflés and Sabotage
Christmas Chocolates and Crimes
Hot Chocolate and Homicide
Chocolate Caramels and Conmen
Picnics, Pies and Lies
Dune House Cozy Mysteries
Seaside Secrets
Boats and Bad Guys
Treasured History
Hidden Hideaways
Dodgy Dealings
Ruffled Feathers
A Fishy Discovery
Danger in the Depths
Celebrities and Chaos
Pups, Pilots and Peril
Tides, Trails and Trouble
Racing and Robberies
Athletes and Alibis
Bekki the Beautician Cozy Mysteries
Hairspray and Homicide
A Dyed Blonde and a Dead Body
Mascara and Murder
Pageant and Poison
Conditioner and a Corpse
Mistletoe, Makeup and Murder
Hairpin, Hair Dryer and Homicide
Blush, a Bride and a Body
Shampoo and a Stiff
Cosmetics, a Cruise and a Killer
Lipstick, a Long Iron and Lifeless
Camping, Concealer and Criminals
Treated and Dyed
A Wrinkle-Free Murder
A Macaron Patisserie Cozy Mystery Series
Sifting for Suspects
Recipes and Revenge
Mansions, Macarons and Murder
Nuts About Nuts Cozy Mysteries
A Tough Case to Crack
A Seed of Doubt
Roasted Penuts and Peril
Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mysteries
Murdering the Roses
Dead in the Daisies
Killing the Carnations
Drowning the Daffodils
Suffocating the Sunflowers
Books, Bullets and Blooms
A Deadly Serious Gardening Contest
A Bridal Bouquet and a Body
Digging for Dirt
Wendy the Wedding Planner Cozy Mysteries
Chefs, Ceremonies and Crimes
Knives and Nuptials
Mice, Marriage and Murder
About the Author
Cindy Bell is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author. She is the author of the cozy mystery series Wagging Tail, Donut Truck, Dune House, Sage Gardens, Chocolate Centered, Macaron Patisserie, Nuts about Nuts, Bekki the Beautician, Heavenly Highland Inn and Wendy the Wedding Planner.
Cindy has always loved reading, but it is only recently that she has discovered her passion for writing romantic cozy mysteries. She loves walking along the beach thinking of the next adventure her characters can embark on.
You can sign up for her newsletter so you are notified of her latest releases at http://www.cindybellbooks.com.
Baked Strawberry Donuts
Ingredients:
Donuts
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup finely chopped strawberries
Strawberry Glaze
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup diced strawberries
Sprinkles for decorating (optional)
Preparation:
Makes 10 donuts.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a donut pan.
Melt the butter and set aside to cool.
Sieve the flour, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl.
Add the superfine sugar and mix together.
In another bowl mix together the melted butter, egg and vanilla extract.
Gradually add the egg mixture alternating with the yogurt, to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
Fold in the chopped strawberries.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared donut pan.
Bake for 8-10 minutes. The donuts are ready when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
To prepare the glaze heat the strawberries for about 10 minutes in a pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. The mixture should be the consistency of a thick sauce. It is okay to still have some strawberry pieces in the sauce. Cool slightly and puree in a food processor to a smooth consistency.
Gradually whisk the confectioners’ sugar into the strawberry mixture until the mixture is at the desired consistency and color.
Dip the donuts in the glaze to cover the tops completely. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Leave at room temperature to set.
Enjoy!!