Trick or Murder: A Bite-sized Bakery Cozy Mystery, #12

By Rosie A. Point

A witch, a haunted house, and a murder… Halloween has never been this spooky!

It's Spooktober in Prattlebark Village, Vermont, and Bee and Ruby, dressed up like vampires for fun, are super excited to spend some time interacting with the locals. Especially, since they get to take part in all the trick-or-treat festivities. Their excitement soon turns to horror when a dead body is discovered in the Haunted House in the town square.

It's murder on the spookiest night of the year, and suspects abound. This time, there's actual photographic evidence, but with suspects around every corner and in Halloween costumes, this might be the toughest case yet.

Can Ruby and Bee solve the mystery before the killer strikes again? Find out in this Halloween Spooktacular of a cozy mystery. Grab your copy today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rosie A. Point
• Release date: Mar 4, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224975709

Book preview

1

O ne order of bloodied vampire teeth donuts, I said, and set down the tray on the treats table in Prattlebark Village’s town square.

Thank you, dear, Sara Robertson said. These are a great help. She was dressed up as Frankenstein’s bride, and she admired our donuts with her green fists on her hips. The center holes of the donuts were outfitted with candy vampire teeth and dripping in raspberry jelly. You two look great.

Thank you! So do you.

Halloween had finally arrived, and the townsfolk who had once been so paranoid now wandered the streets in costumes of every kind. It was a Halloween extravaganza: a haunted house had been set up in the center of the square, there were treats tables, stalls where the local restaurants sold their delicious food, and roving groups of trick-or-treaters, both adult and child alike.

Bee scratched underneath her black wig, shutting one eye. This thing is so itchy.

You look fantastic though.

I think I need more blood. Bee pulled a compact out of her oversized black handbag. She flipped it open and checked her pale makeup, her vampire teeth, and the two trickles of fake blood that ran down her chin.

We had dressed up as twin vampires, both with long black hair and matching black velvet dresses that swept to the floor. Bee was a little taller than me, but we’d pulled off the dual costume perfectly, if I did say so myself.

What would you like to do first? I asked, searching the crowd of zombies, clowns, fairies, and superheroes. We could compete in the pumpkin carving contest. Or, ooh, get one of those trick-or-treat bags and head over to the houses. I heard they’re giving out TP in case we want to trick.

That sounds fun, Bee said. But I was thinking⁠—

Happy Halloween! A mummy popped up in front of us. You two look great!

Oh hey, Vera! I love your costume, I said.

Vera, the mummy, was one of the newer visitors staying at the Oaken Branch Guesthouse. She’d wrapped her blonde hair out of sight, but the mummy’s fabric strips didn’t flatter her figure. She was in her forties, portly, and kind. She’d been the life of the party at every dinner this week so far.

Her brother, Jack, wore a screaming ghost mask, and remained silent, shadowing her as he always did. Taller than most men, he stooped a lot of the time and hardly ever spoke. Rumor had it, he was cared for by Vera because he was unable to look after himself.

Isn’t this amazing? Vera fiddled with a loose swatch of fabric at her wrist. Not my costume, I mean, it’s a real pain in the neck. I didn’t think this through. You know, I haven’t had a sip of water since I put it on two hours ago. The last thing I want to do is go to the ladies’ room in this. She gestured to herself, grimacing.

Troublesome, Bee agreed.

What are you two going to do first? Vera asked, turning to study the activity in the square and streets. There’s so much going on, I can hardly decide what would be the most fun. What do you think, Jack? What do you want to do?

Her brother didn’t lift his mask or speak but shuffled to stand beside her.

Pity welled up inside me, and I couldn’t help but like Vera even more. The fact that she lived with her brother, took him on vacations, and cared for him was amazing to me. How many people out there could say they would do the same for their spouses, let alone their siblings?

Come on, Jack, there must be something you’d like to do, Vera said, patting her brother on the arm. We’re leaving in a few days. You don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to have fun, do you?

Where are you going? I asked.

Oh, nowhere in particular, Vera replied, smiling at me and readjusting another of her bandages. We’re on a cross-country road trip on the way to see our aunt in Wisconsin. She’s one of our last living relatives.

Jack bowed his head. She’s nice, he said, in a low grumble.

It was the first time I’d heard his voice, and I stiffened. It was incredibly deep and grating, but his words slurred together a little.

She’s lovely, Vera agreed. We’re very excited to go see her. But we promised ourselves we’d experience all the best parts of the country along the way, didn’t we, Jack?

He grunted.

And this Halloween event is definitely an opportunity like that. Vera tapped her chin.

Bee grabbed an orange paper plate with spooky bats and placed a vampire donut on it. She paid for it then handed the plate over to Vera. Try this and tell me what you think. I wasn’t sure about the raspberry jelly. I thought maybe strawberry would be better?

I think it’s delicious, I said. Bee’s outdone herself again.

Vera split the donut in half and took a bite of it. Oh wow, it’s great. Try some, Jack.

Her brother took his half of the donut and lifted the bottom half of his mask, exposing blond stubble and thin lips. He took a bite of the donut and chewed. Good, he said.

It is, isn’t it? I’m going to come by the truck tomorrow and stock up on some treats for when we leave, Vera said. But first. Halloween. OK, so what are we going to do?

A cacophony of screams broke out from the haunted house, and a group of terrified costumed people burst out of the right-side door. They stopped, laughing and gasping for breath, while a man in a wizard’s outfit handed them pictures of the moment they’d had their hearts scared out of their chests.

Now, that looks fun, Vera said.

Jack pointed at the haunted house and nodded.

Guess we know what we’re doing, Vera said. Thanks for the donut, you two! The pair walked off to the haunted house together, disposing of the paper plate in a trash can.

We have to go too, Bee said. I’m in the mood for a scare.

I wonder what our picture will look like, I replied. Two vampires screaming. It’s going to be hilarious.

We joined the queue of people waiting to go in the haunted house. Vera and Jack were in the group before ours, but we traipsed in a couple minutes later. The inside of the haunted house—set out like a witch’s—was dark, with glowing red eyes peeking out from corners, and the