Expresso Messo: Sweet Home Mystery Series, #6

By Constance Barker

A missing redhead, a secret admirer's column, and special syrup

When one of Sweet Home's residents goes missing, Lily decides to put her sleuthing cap on. With her fiancé Eli and his father away on a fishing trip, it's up to Lily to unearth the how and why of the disappearance. But not before she and Jules discover some odd goings on at Reva's café. A secret admirer's column in Jules newspaper is also causing quite a stir at the local hair salon where Lily finds a nemesis of the porcelain kind.

Find out what happens when Lily dives deep into all sorts of crazy mischief.

Caffeine and sugar warning: This book contains visions of red velvet hot chocolate and raspberry lattes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: davenport
• Release date: Feb 3, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386582465

Constance Barker

Constance Barker lives in the Midwest with her husband and two Akitas where she can look out from her screened porch onto a wooded area brimming with activity. Since she was a young girl she read mysteries, often given to her by her grandmother. She loved figuring out who the culprit was and sometimes she was right and other times startled at who the author picked as the assailant. Now she enjoys writing mysteries herself. When she isn't writing stories, she can be found in her favorite vacation spot, Las Vegas or shopping for bargains.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

I was in the back room of Coffee Cabana, the shop I ran with my aunts Hildie and Essie, grabbing the rest of the Valentine’s Day decorations when I heard the bell over the front door chime. I didn’t hear their usual chatter so it must be a customer. Not wanting to leave someone out there too long I dropped the decorations on the counter in the back room and hurried out.

A cheerful looking woman stood reading the new Valentine’s Day menu, her eyes widening as she went down the list. Thanks to a brainstorming session with my aunts we had a few Valentine’s Day treats on the menu. All the businesses in the area were doing something special for the holiday so we thought it would be nice to offer new beverages for the customers. The woman stood straighter and smiled when she got to an item she liked.

What can I get you? I asked.

I’ll have a large red velvet hot chocolate.

Great choice. Did you want whipped cream and sprinkles with that?

She nodded so hard I thought I heard her neck crack.

And will that be for here or to go?

I looked around the empty shop. Having the company would be nice even though I didn’t chat with my customers while they drank. But before ten in the morning most people took their drinks and left, on their way to work. Except for some of the regulars who liked to come in and chat. They hadn’t arrived yet though I expected them soon.

To go, thanks.

I glanced in the display case for the baked goods. After the morning rush I was running low on the rolled waffle cookies and the special truffles I was giving away with every Valentine’s Day special drink. The drinks were selling well which had me thinking about flavors for St. Patrick’s Day, although I didn’t think green mint flavored hot chocolate would go over as well as the red velvet. I pulled out enough treats for her purchase then made the hot chocolate. If my aunts didn’t arrive soon with refills I’d have to resort to handing out chocolate chip cookies.

I topped the large red velvet hot chocolate with whipped cream and red and pink sprinkles. It was almost a shame to put the to go lid on it but I did that too then dropped a couple rolled waffle cookies and pink foil wrapped chocolate raspberry truffles into a small bag. I smiled at my customer and handed over her purchase. As the woman left two more customers came in and sauntered up to the counter, reading the menu as they approached. I recognized Bob and Penny Carver immediately and I thought it was cute how they still held hands. I hoped Eli and I were still that in love after years of marriage.

I wanted to do something special for Valentine’s Day but it could never be as good as the way he proposed to me. I had no idea and it seemed like the whole town had been in on it. Even my best friend Jules had been able to keep the secret.

This was our first Valentine’s Day as an engaged couple and I wanted it to be memorable. Not the most romantic person, I was drawing a blank on what to do and what to get him. It’s not my fault really. I’d been single for so long I hadn’t had to think about celebrating any holidays with a significant other even though I’d had my eye on Eli for a while.

I needed to enlist Jules’ help if I wanted to wow Eli with a surprise for the holiday. Maybe part of the surprise would be we’d celebrate before the actual day so on Valentine’s Day when everyone else was sitting in overcrowded restaurants we could just enjoy each other’s company. But I still had no idea what to do.

What can I get you two? I asked when Mr. and Mrs. Carver smiled at me indicating they’d made their decision. At least someone in this place could decide on something.

We’ll have that delicious sounding raspberry latte, Mr. Carver said.

Will that be for here or to go?

They looked at each other and nodded. For here.

Some kind of psychic ability that develops when you get married I wondered. I set about making their drinks.

You can have a seat and I’ll bring it over, I said. When it wasn’t busy I didn’t mind bringing the drinks over. It gave the place a special, personalized touch.

They took a table by the front door sitting beside each other. They chatted quietly and I wondered what they were talking about. What did married couples talk about? I doubted it was much different from what couples who were dating talked about.

Ever since Eli’s proposal my mind seemed to spin out of control. Various thoughts whisked into my head and out again, just like wondering what married couples did or didn’t do. I felt like I was on a whirlwind ride and sometimes I wanted to get off and other times I wanted it to last forever. Maybe this is what it’s like to be in love. I shook off my head in the clouds thoughts and resumed making Bob and Penny’s drinks.

With their drinks made I pulled out the cookies and truffles to go with their festive purchase and put those on a plate. Carrying two mugs in one hand and the plate in the other I walked slowly to their table so I didn’t spill anything. I would need to make sure I didn’t fill the mugs so high the next time. I didn’t want to have to mop the floor every time someone got a drink to stay.

Here you go, I said as I placed their order on the table.

Thank you, they said in unison.

You’re very welcome.

Mrs. Carver took a sip of her drink and a bite of her cookie. This is delicious, Lily. I love the hint of raspberry. She waved the cookie around and took another bite. And this is divine. Your aunts sure have a talent for baking.

They did. And for that I was grateful. I liked being able to offer my customers more than caffeine filled drinks. The variety of baked goods wasn’t good for my waistline but until Eli went away with his dad on a fishing trip I’d been doing pretty well avoiding the treats my aunts brought in every day.

They should be by any minute with more. They’ll be glad to hear our customers like them.

I left the Carvers to their drinks and went back to the counter. As if on cue my aunts Hildie and Essie breezed in arms laden with replacement cookies and truffles as well as their usual muffins.

Just in time! Your truffles and cookies are going fast. I rushed out from behind the counter to help them carry the trays in.

With a huff Hildie placed a large tray of cookies on the counter. Essie snuck in between us to relieve herself of the pink foil wrapped chocolate raspberry truffles. I grabbed a confection, unwrapped it and popped the smooth chocolate into my mouth. The fruity raspberry flavored treat melted on my tongue. I loved the burst of freshness from the fruit.

If you didn’t eat as many as you gave away we wouldn’t have to replace them so fast, Essie scolded.

I swiped another one before she could slap my hand away. It wasn’t my fault. The old girls were amazing bakers, never failing to surprise me with their confections. And the customers loved getting the cookies and chocolates with their Valentine’s Day drinks.

I’m not that bad. This is my second one of the day. Okay so maybe it was my second one that hour.

They’re for customers, Essie’s tone broached no arguments so I stopped myself from stealing a cookie.

Leave her alone, Hildie said. Maybe she’s eating to compensate for Eli being away.

Hildie! I said.

What? You have been moping around since he want away with his dad.

My aunts weren’t ones to pull punches and Hildie was right. I hadn’t been engaged to Eli that long and though I was indifferent to Valentine’s Day for the most part, I had been looking forward to spending the day with him this year. If I could figure out what to surprise him with. The longer I couldn’t get in touch with him the more my insecurities bubbled to the surface. Deep down I knew I had nothing to worry about but my long single life was still fresh in my mind.

I’d been looking forward to a quiet, somewhat romantic evening with him when he reminded me of his trip with his dad. I didn’t let my disappointment show at least not to him but my aunts were perceptive when it came to my mood. I guess I didn’t need the lead up to Valentine’s Day to be with him as long as he was here for the actual day. Or a day before the day would be better. Whatever I came up with I knew I wanted to spring it on him the