Chocolate Cheesecake & Murder: A Prairie Crocus Cozy Mystery, #2

By Miranda Brickett

Book 2 of the Prairie Crocus Cozy Mystery Series.
Clean, wholesome fun (& murder) for all ages!

 

Moving to quiet, scenic Prairie Crocus is the best decision Claudia Porter ever made.  She's settling in nicely - until someone from her past shows up unannounced.  Suddenly, unresolved issues can no longer be ignored.  The next thing Claudia knows, there's been a murder - and she's at the center of the scandal.  Is her idyllic new life about to be destroyed?

 

 

A fun, casual read with a thirty-something amateur sleuth. Set in a charming rural town on the Canadian prairies, this series has quirky characters, no profanity, and plenty of cats. Each book is a full-length, standalone novel.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Miranda Brickett
• Release date: Aug 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201362737

Book preview

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE & MURDER

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Miranda Brickett

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A Prairie Crocus Cozy Mystery

Book 2

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Copyright 2020

All Rights Reserved

Moving to quiet, scenic Prairie Crocus is the best decision Claudia Porter ever made.  She’s settling in nicely - until someone from her past shows up unannounced.  Suddenly, unresolved issues can no longer be ignored.  The next thing Claudia knows, there’s been a murder - and she’s at the center of the scandal.  Is her idyllic new life about to be destroyed?

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Released: September, 2020

Approximate word count:  50,000

Prairie Crocus Cozy Mystery Series

Book 2 

Standalone: Yes 

Cliffhanger: No

This is a work of fiction.  All characters and events are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons or situations is entirely coincidental.  All rights reserved.  No part of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author, the only exception being brief quotations in a book review.

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Copyright © 2020 Miranda Brickett.

Contents

Chapter 01

Chapter 02

Chapter 03

Chapter 04

Chapter 05

Chapter 06

Chapter 07

Chapter 08

Chapter 09

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 01

How did I get so lucky? Claudia Porter sighed contentedly.

She was lying in a field of clover, surrounded by tall prairie grasses and colorful wildflowers.  Her long red hair was fanned out around her and the midday sun was warm on her skin.  Though Claudia’s complexion was usually fair, she finally had some color after a summer full of outdoor activities.  In fact, she was glowing.

She looked healthy and she felt better than she had in a long time.  Leaving the city behind had been a leap of faith, but it had paid off.  Country living was without a doubt slower-paced.  But Claudia suspected there was more to it than that.  In her opinion, it was good for the soul.

There was nothing but blue sky above her. 

A light breeze made the leaves on the trees rustle gently.

Some of the leaves were already starting to turn orange and yellow.  Soon enough, they would be falling to the ground, leaving the trees bare as winter set in.  But Claudia wasn’t going to think about that on such a warm, beautiful day.  Instead, she was going to bask in the sun.

Suddenly something came hurtling out of nowhere.  The black and white object came flying through the air, headed straight for Claudia.  It collided with her stomach before she could even react, momentarily knocking the wind out of her.

Oof! she grunted with a start.

At first, she thought she had been accosted by a rogue soccer ball.  Then she got a better look.

Where did you come from? she demanded as her assailant pranced around on top of her.

Meow, came the unapologetic reply.

The friendly feline’s name was Cat.  Maybe it wasn’t the most original name in the world, but it suited the little critter quite well.  Once a stray, Cat had promptly chosen Claudia to be her human.  Claudia didn’t mind one bit.  The companionship was actually quite nice. 

Mrow? Cat asked, kneading Claudia’s belly pudge affectionately.

Yes, hello, Claudia said, scratching the top of the cat’s head.  You startled me, you know.

The cat didn’t appear to be at all concerned by the revelation.  She sashayed around on Claudia’s belly a few more times, eyes half-closed and nose in the air.  Then she promptly hopped down and made a beeline straight into a pile of dirt.

You’re going to get filthy, Claudia cautioned.

Cat paid her no attention.  She was too busy happily rolling around to focus on anything else.

Claudia smiled wearily and shook her head in defeat.  She knew better than to try to tell Cat what to do.  She would only be wasting her breath.  Her adventurous, stubborn little friend answered to no one.

I can’t believe it’s been nearly two months since I moved to Prairie Crocus, Claudia remarked as she took in the beautiful green countryside.  In some ways, it seems like I just got here.  But at the same time, it feels like I’ve been here my whole life.

Cat yawned and prepared to nap in her pile of dirt. 

I’m glad you find what I have to say so fascinating, Claudia said wryly. 

She sat up and picked a fallen leaf out of her fiery red hair.  A ladybug was crawling on the cuff of her blue jeans.  She carefully relocated it to a tall blade of grass before standing up.  She gave her navy floral print blouse a shake to get the dirt, grass and cat hair off.  Then she slipped her bare feet back into her well-worn sandals and looked around.

She hadn’t envisioned this life for herself. 

She was single and in her thirties. 

When she was young, she had envisioned marriage and babies.  Deep down, she still yearned for those things.  Though she didn’t want to admit it to herself, some days she feared she would never find a love to last the test of time or experience the joys and tribulations of parenthood.

But Claudia had to admit, she enjoyed her freedom.  She only had to answer to herself.  She only had to look after herself.  Had dependents or a spouse been counting on her to make ends meet, she probably never would have had the courage to start her life over.  It would have felt too risky to someone as cautious and methodical as Claudia.

But she had started her life over.  She had walked away from a teaching career she had loved - and a steady paycheck.  It had felt bittersweet at the time.  Claudia had essentially been forced to resign due to a toxic work environment where rumors and gossip had run rampant.  But, after taking her leap of faith, she had thankfully landed on her feet.

She had left the city and everything she knew behind.  She had started over on the outskirts of a sleepy prairie town, where she lived in a rundown old farmhouse she was slowly restoring.  It wasn’t glamorous.  It certainly wasn’t the life she had expected to be leading.  And she couldn’t be happier.

She didn’t know what her next steps would be, exactly. 

She was taking things one day at a time, which was terrifying for a planner like Claudia.  But a couple slow, deep breaths of fresh country air could do wonders to calm her nerves.  How could she be consumed with worry when she got to wake up each morning to a gorgeous view of open fields and a serene blue lake?

She turned her attention to the spacious farmhouse she now called home.

It had a sprawling front porch, large windows and a grand front entrance.  It must have been quite the prairie mansion back in its day.  Sadly, it had fallen into disrepair over the years - but Claudia was doing her best to restore it to its former glory.

She wasn’t doing it all herself - not by a long shot.  She had been fortunate enough to find Scott Anderson, a local thirty-something who was as handy as he was ornery.  Though his gruff demeanor could be off-putting to strangers, those who got to know Scott quickly learned that his bark was worse than his bite.

Claudia and Scott butted heads from time to time, but she was grateful he had come into her life exactly when she needed him.  His carpentry skills were exceptional and his eye for detail was

impressive.  Best of all, his fees were incredibly reasonable. 

With Claudia’s permission, Scott had turned an old barn at the edge of the property into his workshop.  He used the building to store his tools and various projects he was working on.  In exchange for the free storage, he charged Claudia next to nothing for his labor and allowed her to defer payments as needed.

It was the perfect arrangement, really.  Without Scott’s generosity and expertise, Claudia never would have been able to renovate the old farmhouse.  She owed him big time, and she tried to remind herself of that whenever he was being particularly grouchy.

Together, Claudia and Scott had transformed a neglected, uninhabitable farmhouse into something cozy and comfortable.  The amount of work they had done in a matter of weeks was truly astounding.  The renovations were the talk of the town.  Claudia wasn’t sure whether that was because they were so impressive or because there wasn’t much else to talk about.

Despite the improvements, there was a lot of work left to do.  The second floor, for example, was still unusable.  Sometimes the sheer magnitude of renovations that needed to be done felt overwhelming.  Unfortunately, Claudia didn’t have unlimited funds, time or energy to devote to them.  But bit by bit, the neglected farmhouse was coming back to life.  It was gratifying to witness.

Tomorrow, she was going to do some painting as soon as she finished tutoring at the library.  Claudia had taught Literature to high school students.  Helping elementary school children with their reading and arithmetic was foreign to her, but it was proving to be enjoyable.  It also brought in a modest amount of money, which she desperately needed.

But she wasn’t going to think about painting, tutoring or finances today, she decided.

Today, she was going to relax. 

She poked her head into the house just long enough to grab her car keys and purse from the entryway.  The scent of freshly baked blueberry muffins still hung in the air, making her mouth water.  She loved having a kitchen with plenty of counter space; it made baking a dream.

She tried to coax Cat into the house, but the stubborn beast wasn’t having it.  The former stray was affectionate and sweet, but still very much preferred to be outside rather than being cooped up indoors.  It made sense, Claudia supposed.  With such breathtaking views, who wouldn’t want to be outdoors?

After making sure Cat still had food and water on the front porch, Claudia hopped in her car and made the short drive into town.  She could have easily made coffee at home, but she was craving human interaction.  She knew she was bound to see some familiar faces at the coffee shop on Main Street.

Sure enough, as soon as Claudia walked in the front door someone called her name.

It sounded like music to her ears.

Maybe Claudia was a bit lonelier than she cared to admit.  After all, the farmhouse was awfully big for just one person.  She no longer had her usual work commitments, clubs and activities to keep her occupied.  And truthfully, she was still adjusting to being single.

But even loneliness felt different in a small town than it did in the city.  In Prairie Crocus, it was near impossible to be invisible in plain sight.  Like it or not, leaving the house was pretty much a guarantee that one would be roped into a conversation.

Claudia smiled and waved. 

She knew she was about to be inundated with local news and endless, monotonous talk of the weather, but she honestly didn’t mind.  In fact, she welcomed it.  And, she figured, something of interest was bound to happen sooner or later...wasn’t it?

Chapter 02

Emily Graham waved at Claudia frantically from the back of the coffee shop. 

Emily’s dark hair was pulled back in a messy bun.  Her billowy, oversized tunic skimmed over her curves, the white cotton fabric accentuating her end-of-summer tan.  Her white denim capris made her legs look miles long.  When she stood up, she towered over Claudia.

How’s it going? Emily asked as Claudia approached.

Not bad.  What are you up to today?

Wreaths!  I’m always making wreaths, Emily laughed.  I stopped in for a coffee just to have a break.  But I need to get home before too much longer and get back at it.  The wreaths won’t make themselves, although sometimes I wish they would!

I think your craft stand must be the most popular one at the farmers market, Claudia remarked.  I get it - the wreaths you make are absolutely gorgeous.  But by now, don’t you think pretty much everyone in town must have one?

People also buy them to give as gifts, Emily pointed out.  They make great housewarming presents.  And a lot of people like to have a wreath for every season and every holiday.  This Saturday, I’m going to debut my new collection of autumn wreaths.

Ugh, don’t say that.

Don’t say what?

Autumn.  I’m not ready for it yet, Claudia sighed.

Neither am I.  But like it or not, fall is right around the corner.  There’s nothing we can do about it, Emily shrugged.  Speaking of which, can I stop by and steal some pinecones from your yard?  They’ll be perfect for my wreaths.

Of course, take as many as you like.

Do you realize school is about to start up again? Emily blurted out.

Oh, I suppose it is.  It’s the first time in years I haven’t paid attention, Claudia confessed.  Now that she was no longer teaching high school English, it wasn’t something she needed to think about.  The realization was a strange one.

I don’t know how my summer vacation is over already.  Don’t get me wrong - I love teaching - but the end of the summer is always kind of bittersweet, you know?  I have to admit, I’m a little envious of you, Emily told her.  "Maybe I should resign."

And do what?

Sell wreaths? Emily shrugged.  Maybe if I put them on Etsy and jacked up the prices...

Wouldn’t you miss teaching? Claudia asked.

Probably, Emily nodded.  Do you?

Claudia contemplated the question for a moment before answering.  I think I’m still very much in transition, she tried to explain.  I may miss teaching later.  In fact, I’m pretty sure I will.  But right now, my head is still spinning from all the changes I’ve been through.

Quitting your job, moving to a new place, renovating a house...it’s a lot, Emily agreed.  But as I keep telling you, if you ever do want to teach again, don’t hesitate to put your name on the sub list.  We desperately need more substitute teachers around here!

I’ll keep it in mind, Claudia promised.

She was grateful Emily hadn’t mentioned the elephant