Mysteries of Treasure Cove Cozy Mystery Boxed Set Read online

  Mysteries of Treasure Cove Cozy Mystery Boxed Set

  Meredith Potts

  Table of Contents

  Murder and Chocolate Fudge Cake

  Murder and Layer Cake

  Murder and Chocolate Cake

  Murder and Citrus Cream Cake

  Murder and Cherry Cake

  Murder and Vanilla Cake

  Chocolate Cupcakes with a Side of Murder

  Murder and Chocolate Fudge Cake

  Chapter One

  “Who murdered Justin Anderson?” David Carlson asked.

  I stared into my husband’s soulful brown eyes. He was forty-seven-years-old, but just as attractive as the day I had first met him. Granted, I was a little biased. After all, he was the love of my life. To be fair, there was a lot to be enamored over. Not just his muscular body or his handsome square face. He also had a tender heart and a killer sense of humor.

  At that moment, however, his competitive streak really stood out. He stared at me, impatiently waiting for an answer.

  Much to his surprise, I turned the tables on him. “I was just about to ask you that question.”

  He squinted. “Why? Are you stumped?”

  I shook my head. “No. On the contrary, I have a very good hunch about who the killer is.”

  “Let’s hear it then.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to say your piece?”

  “You can go ahead. I’m curious to hear your thoughts on the matter.”

  “To me, it’s obvious that Lloyd Hendrickson is behind this.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “His flimsy alibi.”

  “Sabrina, let me remind you that none of the suspects in this case have strong alibis.”

  “I suppose you’re right. Even so, I don’t believe for a minute that Lloyd was out walking his dog at the time of the murder,” I said.

  “Neither do I,” David replied. “That said, even if he’s lying about his alibi, it doesn’t mean he’s guilty of murder.”

  “No. Although, he sure has a killer motive. After all, Justin Anderson didn’t just get the promotion that Lloyd wanted,” I said. “Justin was also sleeping with Lloyd’s girlfriend.”

  “That is all true. But again, it’s not proof.”

  “I’m aware of that. What is proof, however, is the discarded cigar that the forensics team found outside the building,” I said.

  David nodded. “I agree.”

  I continued. “Especially given the fact that the cigar was only half-smoked and was still fairly warm when the forensics team found it.”

  “Keep going.”

  “So, when you take into account that the crime scene smelled like smoke and that Lloyd is the only suspect who has a penchant for cigars, it’s pretty clear in my mind that he is guilty,” I said.

  David stared at me, but he remained quiet.

  I spoke up. “Don’t you agree?”

  David nodded. “I sure do. And I couldn’t have explained it better myself.”

  “Good. In that case, we just need to see if we’re right.”

  David turned his attention to the television in our living room. “We won’t have to wait long. The detective show is coming back from commercial break right now.”

  David and I watched intently as the fictional TV sleuth, Detective Tilden, wrapped up the case that we had been watching for the last fifty-two minutes.

  As expected, Tilden confronted Lloyd Hendrickson and ran down the same points that I had just made. After Tilden presented all the evidence, Lloyd broke down and blurted out a confession. Once Lloyd was arrested, the show wrapped up with a scene where the detective made some funny quips while enjoying his favorite dessert.

  A few seconds later, when the credits began to roll, David grabbed the remote control and turned off the TV.

  He looked over at me. “We did it again. Another case is in the books.”

  I chuckled. “If only real investigative work was as easy as they make it seem on TV.”

  David scoffed. “There’s a fat chance of that ever happening.”

  “You would know,” I said.

  My husband had been a detective with the Treasure Cove Police Department for nearly twenty-five years. During that time, he had solved dozens of cases. Unfortunately, none of them were as easy to crack as the ones in the police shows that we watched on television.

  “Sabrina, it turns out you know a thing or two about investigating murders too,” he joked.

  While David was a detective, my official job title was quite different. I was the manager of my family’s coffee shop. Although, in addition to making lattes, I had played the role of amateur sleuth various times in the past.

  But even though I had helped my husband out with a number of cases, I would be perfectly happy never investigating another murder in my entire life. The problem was, things never seemed to stay quiet in my hometown of Treasure Cove for long.

  Speaking of silence, just as I was getting wrapped up in my thoughts, I heard an alarm go off.

  I pulled myself out of my daze and grabbed my purse from the coffee table that was in front of me. I then reached into my purse, grabbed my phone, turned off the alarm, and glanced at my husband.

  “Time to pick up Jessica,” I said.

  Chapter Two

  As I drove over to the Northeast side of town to pick my daughter up from her friend Amelia’s house, I had the windows down in my car. It was a delightful evening and I wanted to breathe in the fresh air. When a light breeze sent a whiff of salty air in my direction, I couldn’t help but think how lucky I was to live so close to the Pacific Ocean.

  That was certainly one of the better perks of living along the central coast of California. No matter what part of town I was in, I was never more than twenty minutes away from the nearest beach. It also didn’t hurt that the weather in Treasure Cove was delightful throughout much of the year. That night was no different. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. As a matter of fact, when I looked up, all I saw was a blanket of stars.

  As I drew closer to Amelia’s house, I found myself thinking of something else I loved about my hometown—the distinct lack of traffic. A little less than thirty-thousand people called Treasure Cove home. I could usually get from one end of town to the other in less than fifteen minutes. Even in the summer, when the tourists flocked here in droves, there were no traffic jams to be had. That was fine by me.

  Make no mistake, though. While Treasure Cove was a small town, it was far from boring. In addition to the beach and the boardwalk, it also had a revitalized Main Street and a large selection of Victorian-era homes. More than a few people had referred to Treasure Cove as being picturesque. I certainly couldn’t disagree with that assessment.

  A few seconds later, I made a right turn on Eldridge Road and picked my ten-year-old daughter, Jessica, up from her friend’s blue Victorian-style home.

  Jessica was bursting with excitement as she got into the car. I couldn’t help but smile as I gazed at her. Whenever my daughter’s eyes lit up, I was reminded of how much she looked like me. After all, we both had long brown hair and hazel eyes. We also both had trim figures. Although, hers came naturally. I had to put in some serious time at the gym to keep my weight from creeping up. Then again, at forty-seven-years-old, I couldn’t realistically expect to still have the same metabolism that I had when I was younger.

  Looks aside, Jessica and I shared a lot of the same personality traits as well. We were both kind and caring people who loved cracking a good joke from time to time. That said, there was one thing that sometimes got us both into trouble. You see, we each had a stubborn streak.
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br />   Luckily, at that moment, I didn’t see any stubbornness in her eyes. Instead, she was filled with joy.

  “I guess you had a good time at Amelia’s, huh?” I asked.

  “Mom, you won’t believe what happened,” Jessica said.

  “I’m all ears.”

  “A new Daisy Clue book is coming out soon.”

  Daisy Clue was the main character in a series of young adult detective books that Jessica absolutely adored. She just couldn’t seem to get enough of Daisy Clue.

  “How exciting,” I said.

  “I can’t wait,” Jessica said. “Can we buy it the first day it’s out?”

  I nodded. “Sure.”

  Jessica clapped. “Yay.”

  It was great to see her so animated.

  “You know, one day I’m going to be just like Daisy,” Jessica said.

  “Is that so?” I asked.

  Jessica nodded. “It’s going to be great.”

  The idea of Jessica becoming a real-life detective one day wasn’t new. When she was five-years-old, her teacher asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. She did not hesitate with her response. Jessica wanted to be just like her father.

  At first, I didn’t think much of it. Why would I? She was only five back then. But in the subsequent years, she hadn’t budged an inch. That was quite surprising. Especially given the fact that each of her friends had all changed their minds a number of times. Jessica was just different.

  Which was exactly what gave me cause for concern. Now, don’t get me wrong. I knew a lot of parents would be over the moon that their child wanted to follow in their footsteps. The problem was, I just happened to know how dangerous those footsteps were.

  Naturally, as a mother, I didn’t want anything bad happening to my daughter. So, I found myself in an uncomfortable position. Of course I wanted my daughter to follow her dreams. But secretly, I also hoped that her dreams would change when she got older. In the meantime, a little reality check wouldn’t hurt.

  “You know, real detective work is a lot different than how it is portrayed in books,” I said.

  “Uh-huh,” Jessica said.

  “I’m serious. It’s a lot harder,” I said.

  “Right,” she said.

  Jessica fidgeted in her seat. She clearly wanted me to talk about something else, but I was determined to finish my thought first.

  “You should listen to me. It turns out I have some experience in this area,” I said.

  An annoyed look came to her face. “I know, Mom.”

  I continued. “It can get really hairy sometimes.”

  “Mom, I’m not going to change my mind.”

  “We’ll see,” I said. “Did you know that when I was a kid, I wanted to be a professional figure skater?”

  Jessica shook her head. “No.”

  “I did. And now look at me. I haven’t even put on a pair of skates in decades,” I said. “It turns out a lot can change when you grow up.”

  “Mom, stop,” Jessica said. “I know what you’re doing.”

  It was amazing how much I was turning into my mom. I could still remember the look on my mother’s face the first time I worked on an investigation. She was so worried that something terrible would happen to me. Meanwhile, Jessica was just a kid. She was years away from ever getting near a case. Yet, I was wrestling with plenty of anxiety of my own. Talk about getting a taste of my own medicine.

  I decided to change the subject. “Hey, why don’t you tell me what this new Daisy Clue book is about?”

  Just hearing the name Daisy Clue was enough to distract my daughter. Jessica’s eyes lit up again as she replied. “Right. So, this really valuable amulet goes missing at an antique fair in Daisy Clue’s hometown of Cedar Junction, and Daisy set out to discover who took it. Isn’t that a great plot?”

  I nodded. “It sounds intriguing.”

  “It’s going to be a page-turner.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “I’m sure I am. The Daisy Clue books always are. Why would this one be any different?”

  “Good point,” I said.

  A few minutes later, we arrived home at our green Victorian-style house on Avocado Drive. From there, Jessica changed into her pajamas and headed off to bed. Meanwhile, my husband and I stayed up a little while longer before turning in for the evening.

  Little did I know what awaited me in the morning.

  Chapter Three

  Our cute little corgi, Sebastian, had no interest in subtlety. When he wanted to go out for a walk, he made no bones about it.

  That particular morning, he wasn’t going to let me sleep even a minute longer. He jumped up on the bed and barked twice. It was times like that when I wished I was a heavy sleeper. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. David, on the other hand, was snoring up a storm on the other side of the bed.

  I could have nudged my husband awake, but I elected to let him sleep. I got out of bed and headed into the kitchen to grab Sebastian’s leash. As I looked down at the little stumpy ball of fur with his cute satellite dish ears, I couldn’t help but smile. Especially when I saw how much he was wagging his tail at me.

  “You’re lucky you’re cute,” I said. “Although, the problem is, you know just how adorable you are. And you use it to your advantage.”

  Our old corgi, Snickerdoodle, used to do the same thing. Poor Doodle. Rest in peace. I still missed the little stumpy guy. Heaven had claimed him a number of years ago. That said, he lived a good life. He was seventeen-years-old when he passed away. That was an impressive age for a dog. Even so, I wasn’t ready to say good-bye to him. But life didn’t ask me what I wanted.

  After a few months of grieving Snickerdoodle’s death, David and I adopted Sebastian from the local shelter. The little guy had been waking me up early for a walk ever since.

  I attached the leash to Sebastian’s collar, took him for a walk around the neighborhood, and then returned home to feed him. By that time, David was out of bed. My daughter, however, was not. So, I walked down the hallway and woke Jessica up. While she got ready for school, I packed her lunch and prepared a quick breakfast.

  A few minutes later, David, Jessica, and I ate some scrambled eggs and toast before heading out. While I drove Jessica off to school, David headed to the police station to start his work shift. Once I dropped Jessica off at Treasure Cove Elementary School, I made my way to Daley Buzz Coffee Company. Not just for a jolt of caffeine. My family owned the place.

  In addition, for the better part of two decades, I had been the general manager of the café. Recently, I had decided to promote my assistant manager to run the day-to-day operations of the shop. Meanwhile, I oversaw the big-picture things—like the monthly profit and loss reports. Ugh. I hated paperwork.

  Unfortunately, there was a fair amount of paperwork that required my attention that morning. Before I headed into the back office, however, I was going to finish my latte and chat with my two closest friends, Kelly and Shannon.

  Kelly Hogan was a curvy, bespectacled, blue-eyed, forty-six-year-old with wavy blond hair. She was also really worked up that morning. “You won’t believe what happened.”

  Meanwhile, Shannon Marlowe was a petite, forty-seven-year-old, redhead who had freckles dotting the cheeks of her round face. She grimaced and replied, “What is it?”

  “Melissa Maxwell came into the crystal shop and asked me to perform a circle of protection enchantment on her,” Kelly said.

  Kelly offered a number of different ethereal services at the crystal shop that she owned with her husband. The intention of a circle of protection enchantment was to ward off danger. So, for our friend, Melissa Maxwell, to have requested that enchantment, gave me concern.

  “Was Melissa just being cautious? Or did something happen to her?” I asked.

  “She’s just going through a rough patch,” Kelly said.

  Poor Melissa. Bad luck seemed to follow her everywhere she went. Sometimes her problems were professional. Other times t
hey were personal. Occasionally, they were of the romantic variety. And, of course, she had her fair share of familial problems as well. I was beginning to wonder if life was ever going to give her a break.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” I said.

  “Yeah. I hope things get better for her soon,” Shannon said.

  Kelly bit the corner of her lip. “Unfortunately, the cosmos do not appear to be in a generous mood these days.”

  Shannon’s nose scrunched. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Let’s just say I’m glad she got that circle of protection enchantment,” Kelly said.

  While Kelly’s response remained vague, I tried to clarify things for Shannon.

  “Melissa’s brother has been having some work problems,” I said. “And some marriage problems.”

  “That’s a whole lot of problems,” Shannon said.

  My eyes widened. “It sure is.”

  Shannon exhaled. “I wish I could say I was surprised.”

  I squinted. “Why aren’t you?”

  “Come on, Sabrina. You’re the last person who should be asking me that. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I love Treasure Cove. But it isn’t exactly a normal small town,” Shannon said.

  I opened my mouth to respond, but Shannon talked over me.

  “Am I wrong?” she asked.

  “You have a point,” I said.

  “You bet I do,” Shannon said. “I mean, think about all of the crazy things you’ve seen investigating murders over the years.”

  “I’d prefer not to,” I said.

  “Fair enough. The point is, weird things just happen in this town,” Shannon said.

  “Which is all the more reason to be glad that things are peaceful right now,” Kelly said.

  “I couldn’t agree more,” I said. “As a matter of fact, I’d be happy if things stayed this way forever.”

  “Who wouldn’t? But I think we all know there’s a fat chance of that happening,” Shannon said.

  “I, for one, am going to pray for the best,” I said.