Doughnuts and Disaster Read online

  Doughnuts and Disaster

  C. A. Phipps

  Copyright © 2019 by C. A. Phipps

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Also by C. A. Phipps

  Books by Cheryl Phipps

  Doughnuts and Disaster

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  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

  Epilogue

  Thank You

  Recipes

  Doughnuts

  S’mores

  Peanut Butter Cookies

  Eclairs and Extortion

  About the Author

  Also by C. A. Phipps

  The Maple Lane Cozy Mysteries

  Apple Pie and Arsenic

  Bagels and Blackmail

  Cookies and Chaos

  Doughnuts and Disaster

  Eclairs and Extortion coming soon!

  C.A. Phipps also writes as Cheryl Phipps.

  Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter. There’s a free recipe book waiting for you. x

  Books by Cheryl Phipps

  High Seas Weddings

  Against the Tide

  Waves of Passion

  Kisses on the Sand - Coming 2019

  Sycamore Springs Series – Romantic Comedy

  Jack and Gill

  Adam and Eve

  Samson and Delilah - Coming soon!

  Prossers Bay Series - set in New Zealand

  Prossers Bay Boxed Set – Books 1-3

  Doc’s Town

  Finding Liam

  Seducing Megan

  Saving Stephanie

  Emily’s Wish

  Billionaire Knights Series

  Billionaire Knights Books 1-3

  Restless Billionaire

  Ruthless Billionaire

  Reluctant Billionaire

  Reckless Billionaire

  Resident Billionaire

  Millionaire - Family Ties Series

  The Millionaire Next Door

  The Millionaire’s Proposal

  The Millionaire’s Seduction

  Doughnuts and Disaster

  The threat was real.

  Her best friend could die.

  Can Maddie save her in time?

  The call surprised her. Maddie had been baking jelly doughnuts for her best friend’s salon for a year. Now, the order has been canceled. What does this mean? Is it the first sign of the apocalypse? Her friend adores the doughnuts, and now Maddie must get to the bottom of this mystery.

  What is going on?

  Angel loves her days in the salon, and her clients enjoy sweet treats she orders from her best friend, Maddie, but there’s just one problem, the stress of a killer in town has taken her appetite.

  And this isn’t the only thing worrying her.

  Why would Angel’s ex-husband be back in town?

  Maddie’s boyfriend, the sheriff, hasn’t been able to crack the string of murders. She may need to give him a gentle hand with this one.

  You’ll love the clues aplenty in this cozy mystery because everyone enjoys figuring out the riddles.

  The Maple Lane Mysteries are light, cozy mysteries featuring a quirky cat-loving bakery owner who discovers she’s a talented amateur sleuth.

  Chapter One

  “I’ll start on the dresser with my china. That way I can be assured, it will not only be clean, but safe.”

  To take the sting out of her words, Madeline Flynn’s Grandmother smiled at Luke Chisholm one of the two interns in the bakery. Gran, Maddie’s not so silent partner, loved a good spring clean, and no amount of putting it off or waiting until it was actually spring was going to stop her.

  In fact, winter was fast approaching the small town of Maple Falls, outside of Portland, Oregon, and there were other things Maddie would rather be doing. As well as running her blossoming bakery, which included training her interns, she was busy planning a cooking class for the would-be bakers in town.

  “I try not to be too clumsy, Gran.”

  Luke, small step-ladder in hand, had been ready to help, and now he didn’t know what to do. Maddie grinned at him as she flicked her long, blonde braid over her shoulder and loaded fresh bread into the wicker baskets on shelves by the opening into the kitchen.

  “Of course you do, and since you must have a light touch with your baking to be so good, I’m sure you’ll be as careful as you can be. Besides,” Maddie looked pointedly at Gran, “you are not climbing on anything to dust that top shelf.”

  Gran straightened her pristine white apron, emblazoned with the bakery logo. “Stop acting as though I’m old. Nearly seventy is hardly over the hill these days. Actually, Jed was just saying yesterday at the community center, how seventy is the new sixty.”

  Maddie snorted, while Gran raised her eyebrows. Jed Clayton was a good friend of Gran’s, and Maddie was sure the man had a crush on her grandmother, which was disturbingly cute.

  “All I’m saying is don’t tempt fate when you have plenty of nimble younger people to do things for you.”

  Gran sighed, her argument interrupted when the doorbell chimed.

  A colorfully attired Angel entered, singing, “Good morning, everyone.”

  Her best friend brought the sunshine inside, regardless of what the weather was doing beyond the front door. Dressed in a pink wrap-around smock and jeans, the uniform of her hair salon, her hair piled on top of her head in some elaborate concoction, she always looked immaculate. Maddie couldn’t resist brushing some flour off her apron.

  “I need doughnuts. The morning has been never-ending, and if I’m going to make it to lunch, then you better bring me three of them.”

  Maddie studied her in fond amazement. A woman who looked like a goddess and downed doughnuts like they were crackers while maintaining a figure to die for, was very annoying. Or it would be if Angeline Broome wasn’t so darned loveable and the least vain person she had ever met. “I’ll package them up for you.”

  “Only two, please. I’ll eat one right away if you don’t mind?”

  Maddie handed her a strawberry-flavored, iced doughnut in a napkin and put the other two in a bag then rang up the sale. Angel had already dropped the correct amount on the counter and delicately wiping her mouth, but the doughnut in her hand was barely touched.

  Angel smiled, but for once it didn’t quite reach her eyes, and Maddie knew her friend was troubled.

  “Something’s wrong. Tell me what’s happened.”

  Angel waved the doughnut tragically in the air. “I don’t know where to begin, sugar.”

  “Now I’m really worried.”

  Angel took a deep breath as she gave a quick glance to Gran and Luke. They were all friends in the room and had been through a lot together, so Maddie waited.

  “It’s Brad. He’s coming to town.” With a heavy sigh, Angel slipped her uneaten doughnut into the bag.

  Madeline felt as though she had been punched in the stomach, so Angel must
be sick at the prospect, and it was no wonder she’d lost her appetite. The usual morning doughnut purchase had been nothing more than a habit.

  “Maple Falls? After all this time? But, why?” she blurted before she could hold it back. Angel never held a grudge, even though her ex had mistreated her, but in Maddie’s eyes he wasn’t worthy of forgiveness.

  “That’s exactly what I asked him when he called. I don’t know how he got my private phone number, and he was downright cagey about all his reasons, but apparently, he wants to make amends.”

  “Wow. Are you going to meet him?” There was so much more Maddie wanted to add, but this wasn’t her decision to make.

  “I am. I don’t particularly want to, but I can’t have Brad coming to the salon. A ranting man would be so bad for business,” Angel half-joked.

  Maddie shook her head. This was no laughing matter.

  “Depending on what frame of mind he’s in, if he wanted to embarrass you, he would.”

  “Exactly.” Angel nodded. “The fact is, he’s letting me pick the place and time, which isn’t like him at all. At least not how he used to be. As worried as I am, I do feel hopeful that he’s changed as much as he says he has.”

  Maddie knew that Angel was trying to be brave about this. Heck, she had suffered more than most and always decided to put a good spin on things when bad stuff happened. This just happened to be Angel’s worst nightmare come back to haunt her.

  Having escaped her abusive marriage several years ago, she had blossomed into a woman who’d regained enough self-confidence to start her own business, and she had never looked back.

  “When is he coming?” Gran had ceased her cleaning and now joined Maddie at the counter.

  Angel looked pained. “Monday.”

  Maddie gasped. “So soon?”

  Gran gave her a stern look, and appreciating that her worries weren’t going to help the situation, Maddie tried to make up for her outburst.

  “Why don’t we head out to Grandad’s cabin for the weekend and relax? I’ll invite the other Girlz, and we can put some things into place so that one of us is always nearby when you decide on where and when to meet up with Brad if you’d rather not be alone.”

  ‘Girlz’ was the name Gran, and then the town, had adopted for Maddie, Angel, and Suzy because the three of them had been inseparable ever since they met at high school. With Laura, Maddie’s other intern, joining the group and fitting in so well, they were now a band of four.

  “Relax? I’m not sure I can. My stomach’s been in knots since he called, but it’s so thoughtful of you, and maybe it’s worth a shot. What about Ethan?”

  Ethan Tanner was the Sheriff and Maddie’s boyfriend.

  “Don’t worry about Ethan. He’s helping Detective Jones with a case in Destiny that’s proving difficult. Besides, Ethan would most likely prefer anything to being cooped up in a cabin with the four of us, especially if the weather turns. We can have a proper Girlz weekend. Laura’s making a delivery right now, but when she gets back I’ll ask her, and meanwhile, I’ll ring Suzy.”

  “I think it’s a wonderful idea. You Girlz will have fun together,” Gran encouraged them.

  Luke made a small noise. He stood like a statue atop the step-ladder, his face full of concern for Angel. They often forgot he was around, listening to women’s talk that probably made his ears burn, but Luke rarely gave an opinion. Still a teenager, he was too young to remember how life had been for Angel when she was married.

  Noticing her glance, he flushed and went back to removing teapots from the top shelf without a murmur.

  Angel wrestled her nibbled doughnut from the bag and took a bite. “It will be wonderful to spend time together with no interruptions. Our sleepovers were legendary.”

  Gran laughed. “I do remember you Girlz not wanting to sleep a wink if you could help it. I guess it will be more of the same, and out at the cabin you won’t be keeping anyone else awake.”

  Angel put her hand on Gran’s. “Do you want to come? You know we’d love to have you there.”

  “Bless you. As much as I’m delighted by the offer, I’m sure you don’t want me there cramping your style, and you know I like my sleep. Besides, someone has to feed Big Red if you all are going to be gone overnight. He’ll be out of sorts as it is with Maddie leaving him.”

  As if just mentioning his name was a summons, the large Maine Coon cat appeared in the doorway. Maddie didn’t usually allow him inside the shop, but he had access to the bakery kitchen, beyond where they did the cooking and preparation, plus the apartment upstairs. He waited, a paw extended as though all he needed was one word to enable him to step across the invisible line.

  There were times he was permitted—when the shop was closed, or her particular customers came in and called out for him. Animal lovers enjoyed his sassy company, but Maddie did not want to get in trouble with the health department. It worked out fine since somehow Big Red understood.

  “Come see Angel,” she called to him.

  The shop was empty of customers right now so it couldn’t hurt, and he would look to her if someone came in. Incredibly intelligent, Big Red had helped out in a couple of mysteries since they’d moved back to Maple Falls last spring. Some people might think this unbelievable but not Gran, her friends, or anyone who’d been involved.

  Even the handsome sheriff had been skeptical until he’d seen Big Red in action. Acceptance was vital to Maddie and Ethan’s relationship because the big ball of fur was important to her and she trusted his judgement.

  Not that it was smooth sailing when Ethan and Maddie wanted to touch each other. Big Red loved to sit between them, and even a small kiss would sometimes get them a look of disapproval.

  She felt flushed at the thought of kissing Ethan, and Angel raised an eyebrow. A southern girl from head to toe, despite having moved here at a young age, Angel was her best friend and too astute to miss any emotion that crossed Maddie’s poor poker face.

  “What's that look for, sugar?”

  “Just wondering if, rather than stay behind, Big Red might appreciate a trip to the cabin.”

  Gran snorted. “You know he’ll have the wildlife going crazy with his nosiness, which seems to have increased with age. Leave him with me at the cottage. The forest will be safer that way.”

  Maddie sighed. “I guess that’s true. It’s just that he’s become clingy lately and hates me going anywhere without him.”

  Angel gave a genuine laugh,—loud for a woman her size. Hearing it inevitably made a person feel happier.

  “Is it any wonder? The things you’ve been involved in recently have been enough to frighten us all. Big Red wants to take care of you, especially, because he loves you terribly. Even more than food, and that’s saying something.”

  “Hah! He doesn’t love anything more than food,” Maddie argued.

  “Well, you come a pretty close second,” Angel conceded.

  Big Red growled.

  “Oh, hush, you big baby. You know it’s all true,” Gran told him. “Anyway, I think it’s time for tea.”

  Gran emigrated with Grandad when they were recently married. She loved her adopted country, but she still had a hankering for her beloved England, which included an addiction to tea. In her book, any excuse was a good one to have a cuppa and perhaps a bite to eat.

  She’d also made it her lifelong quest to search out and purchase any tea sets that made her think of a specific person. She then insisted that this was the set they use every time they visited.

  Going out to the kitchen, with Big Red on her heels, she put the kettle on. This had been sent from England by her brother after the original one she’d brought when she’d emigrated finally died a natural death several years ago. Luke brought her the required cups and saucers.

  Angel called back to her, “Thanks, Gran, but I’ve been away longer than I should have been. I appreciate you all taking the time to chat. The two of you always make me feel better about things. I’m sure meeting with Brad will b
e fine, and I’m looking forward to spending the weekend with you and the Girlz, Maddie.”

  “You’re usually open Saturdays. What will you do with your clients?” Gran called from the kitchen.

  “I have a couple of easy-going ladies from the retirement community I can leave with Beth since they’re only wash and sets. She’s doing so well that I had no qualms about already asking them if it’s okay for her to do it instead of me—and giving them a discount to sweeten things. I’d planned to be doing accounts while she worked, so I’m doubly grateful for the excuse to play hooky.”

  “Brilliant, and I agree, any excuse to put the accounts off is a good one. I’ve been thinking I should make the most of my free weekends since Gran and I made the decision to open on Saturdays starting this spring when the tourists come back to town.”

  “You’ve certainly been talking about it long enough, and it will be nice to know I’ll have fresh doughnuts six days a week. I might have to cancel my Friday order.”

  With a wiggle of her eyebrows, Angel blew them a kiss and headed back to her salon two doors down. Maddie felt so much better seeing her wolf down the remainder of the doughnut as she went—a sure sign that she was indeed feeling better.

  Chapter Two

  Saturday turned out to be a stunning day. The crispness in the air meant they would light a fire in the cabin tonight, but the clear sky heralded beautiful weather. Maddie had packed the night before and left the cooler full of food and drink for the short stay, including a few bottles of wine, in her walk-in chiller.