A Sweet Death Read online

  A Sweet Death

  A Stoneybrook Mystery

  Eryn Scott

  Kristopherson Press

  Copyright © 2018 by Eryn Scott

  Published by Kristopherson Press

  All rights reserved.

  www.erynwrites.com

  [email protected]

  Facebook: @erynscottauthor

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  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.

  Cover by Mariah Sinclair

  Recipes by Marisa McClellan, creator of Food in Jars

  For peace, love, and chocolate.

  Contents

  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

  Chapter 26

  Recipes

  Untitled

  Also by Eryn Scott

  About the Author

  1

  Hadley James flipped the sign on the jam kitchen door to Closed and pulled her wool sweater tight around her shoulders. The wind threatened to bite through her layers, proving fall had settled over the valley—if one needed more evidence than the blanket of oranges, yellows, and reds covering the foothills. The low clouds dimmed what little sun there was, adding a layer of haze to the air.

  Instead of hopping on her bike and pedaling home, however, Hadley turned onto Main Street. She had one more stop to make that afternoon. As she walked, the wind ruffled the pages of the newspaper in Mr. Jacobson’s lap where he sat on a bench a few yards in front of her. Even though the temperature made her wish she’d brought a jacket, it was the headline of his Cascade Ridge Chronicle that turned her blood to ice.

  It sat in huge block letters along the top of the page.

  MISSING TEEN FOUND DEAD

  A shiver wound around Hadley, one that had nothing to do with the dropping mercury. The county had been abuzz about the eighteen-year-old boy who’d gone missing last week in the larger city twenty minutes north. It appeared things hadn’t ended well.

  “A real shame,” Mr. Jacobson said, startling Hadley.

  She glanced over at him, realizing she’d stopped walking to stare at his paper.

  She raised her hand to her chest. “It’s just awful,” she said, moving to sit next to the octogenarian. “Have they caught the person responsible?”

  The old man shook his head. “Article says McKay’s got his deputies on it. As of now it sounds like it’s connected to a drug ring. Just glad we don’t have to worry about things like that down here.”

  Hadley sighed. She knew their small town wasn’t perfect, but it was nice to know they didn’t have kids disappearing and showing back up dead.

  “Paul heard anything about the case?” Mr. Jacobson asked, referring to her twin brother, a local deputy sheriff.

  “If it happened up north, no. McKay rarely lets him get involved in much outside of Stoneybrook.”

  “Another shame, if you ask me. That brother of yours should run the whole county.”

  Placing her hand over Mr. Jacobson’s, Hadley smiled. “He’d love you for saying that, but I think he’s content down here.”

  Sheriff Mark McKay—or M&M as the locals called him—had always been as ornery as he was wide. Hadley guessed some of his sourness might have to do with being in charge of the whole of Grande County. She was glad her brother didn’t have to deal with that stress.

  “We’re happy having him.” Mr Jacobson nodded as Hadley stood.

  She waved and moved in her previous direction up the street, reminded of her current errand. Her twin brother was the reason she was out in the biting wind in the first place. Their birthday was only a week away, and she still hadn’t gotten him a present.

  To be fair, she normally didn’t put something so important off until this late, but she knew exactly what she was going to get him and exactly where to get it.

  In years past, Paul’s gift had required much more time and thought, but this year was a breeze. For twins who were so close, there had been a few occasions when one or the other had grossly misread hints the other had dropped about gifts, resulting in awkwardness all around. To avoid any more instances of someone going way bigger—or way smaller—with their gift than the other, they’d devised a theme system to keep them on the same page. Last year’s theme had been transportation—Paul gave Hadley her pink bike, complete with a basket, while she’d given him new seat covers for his truck. This year, the theme was sweets—they tried to balance the years, positioning a simpler theme in between two more extravagant ones.

  This being one of those small years, Hadley had planned to pick up a box of Paul’s favorite chocolates from the local candy shop. A pink sign touting candy and fudge hung just under a blue-and-white awning at the end of Main Street, across from Hadley’s preferred coffee shop. The awnings were a Stoneybrook staple, and each business had its own color to match with the white stripes. Bright colors ran the whole length of downtown.

  Hadley had always wondered if the decorations might look tacky elsewhere, even dated. But matched with the smart brick buildings, and the gorgeous hanging baskets the local floral society kept going year-round, the awnings only added to the cute, quaint atmosphere of the small town.

  A bell jangled, signaling Hadley’s arrival as she pushed her way inside and out of the blustery weather. Along with the warm air of the shop, the sweet smells of chocolate, caramel, and taffy curled around her, beckoning her forward.

  “Good afternoon,” called a voice from the back kitchen.

  Even though the words were a greeting, the morose tone with which he delivered them made Hadley’s shoulders sag in sadness.

  Dennis Larson, Hadley thought, his name akin to a groan. A wave of guilt washed over her for thinking of him in such a negative manner.

  It wasn’t Dennis’s fault he was so depressing—necessarily—but the man seemed more miserable than any person she’d ever met. A perpetual frown sat on his pinched face, and his shoulders hunched so much that his posture almost looked like the top of a question mark. For someone who owned such a bright, happy shop, Dennis was in a constant state of gloom.

  Hadley forced a smile when he walked out from the candy kitchen.

  “Hi there, Dennis.” She clenched her teeth tight in an effort to keep her grin in place since seeing the man’s miserable expression made her feel like frowning.

  “Hadley.” He dipped his head forward. “What can I do for you today?”

  She unclenched her teeth. “Oh, I hoped I could get some of your caramel and marshmallow chocolates for Paul, but I’m not in a hurry; I can wait until Miranda gets here.” Hadley checked her watch. It was just a few minutes to three.

  While tourists often entered the shop during the day, Stoneybrook natives waited until the afternoon when the high school let out. That’s when Miranda, a local senior, took over the front of the house, so Dennis could go make candy for the last few hours of the day. The young woman, as sweet as the candy she sold, offered a lovely contrast to Dennis’s sullen
attitude. Most of the town concurred he was better behind the scenes.

  At Hadley’s mention of Miranda, Dennis’s face fell. A minute ago, she would’ve sworn no person could look sadder, but he managed the feat. The sight made her want to wail.

  “Miranda’s not coming,” he said in a clipped, almost angry way.

  Hadley blinked. “You didn’t fire her, did you?” Her hand flew up to cover her mouth. She hadn’t meant to be so crassly candid.

  But Dennis didn’t seem offended. Instead, he placed his hand on the counter, calming down. After a moment, he shook his head.

  “Did she quit?” Hadley asked, quieter this time.

  “She was supposed to be here an hour ago.” His gray eyes flashed up to meet hers. “She has early release on Fridays, but still hasn’t shown.”

  “And you called her?” Hadley took a step forward, worry pushing her toward him.

  “I called six times. She’s not answering.” The brief bout of anger she’d witnessed ran its course, and Dennis settled back into his normal mode of deep depression. The bell rang behind Hadley, but being too focused on what Dennis had just told her, she didn’t acknowledge the new customer.

  “Huh,” she said. “That doesn’t sound like her. Did you tell Paul?”

  “Tell me what?” Paul asked.

  Hadley whirled around to see her twin brother standing just inside the sweet shop front door.

  “Miranda didn’t show for work today,” Hadley said, pushing her dark hair out of her face—the only physical features the two of them shared.

  If the locals hadn’t known the James kids since they were born, most of them wouldn’t believe the two were related, let alone twins. Her brother dwarfed her, standing a foot taller than her respectable five foot five. His height, matched with his dark, full beard, had led to their high school friends nicknaming him Paul Bunyan, after the mythical lumberjack. As his best friend, always by his side, Hadley had earned the less flattering moniker Babe, after the blue ox.

  To this day, she reached a new level of irritation each time someone compared her to the blue bovine.

  Paul cleared his throat and stepped forward. “Miranda is actually what brought me in here.” Hadley’s brother looked away from Dennis and back at her. “Wait, why are you here?”

  Hadley’s face flushed with heat. “Uh ...”

  He cocked an eyebrow at her. “You wouldn’t have left my present until the last minute, would you?”

  She sputtered. “Certainly—I definitely … yeah.” At the admission, her gaze dropped to the floor.

  She knew a week wasn’t last minute for most people, but she and Paul were planners and usually had their gifts picked out for weeks, if not months, before the day.

  Paul’s loud laugh pulled it back. “You’re too easy to tease, Had. I haven’t gotten yours yet, either. Sweets year is a cinch.”

  Hadley smiled, relieved for a moment. Until she remembered what Paul had said just a few moments ago.

  “Wait, you’re here because of Miranda?” She stepped forward, clutching at her brother’s wrist. “Is she okay?”

  The signs of laughter left Paul’s features. He shook his head then returned his attention to Dennis. Hadley followed, finding Dennis frowning down at his hands as he stood behind the counter.

  “Mr. Miller, Miranda’s mom called in this morning. She’s missing.”

  Hadley’s heart raced in her chest, making her dizzy. Missing? Not the high schooler who helped everyone satisfy their sweet tooth with an equally delightful smile.

  “Since when?” Hadley asked. A pit formed in her stomach as her mind went to the story of the missing teen from Cascade Ridge.

  “Apparently last night. She stayed at a friend’s house, but when her mom got a call from the school asking why Miranda was absent, we found out from the friend she never actually spent the night. They'd lied to cover their true plans.”

  “Whoa,” was all Hadley could manage at the news.

  Paul took a step forward, reaching for the notepad in his back pocket. “You haven’t heard from her today, have you?”

  Dennis picked at something on the spotless countertop near the register. “Nope. I’ve tried calling her, but she hasn’t answered.”

  The man’s statement was as brief as it was dismal.

  Paul scratched a hand across his beard, a gesture that meant something frustrated him. “And when was the last time you saw her?” Paul prodded further.

  “She closed for me last night,” Dennis said.

  Paul’s eyebrows lifted with interest. “What time was that?”

  Hadley almost scoffed. The whole town knew the candy shop closed at seven on weeknights and five on weekends. She cleared her throat as she realized Paul was doing his job as a deputy.

  “We locked up at seven and were out of here by eight.” Dennis ran a finger along the edge of the glass display case.

  “And did she talk about her plans for the rest of the night?” Paul asked, scratching down notes in his pad.

  “Not a word.”

  Paul waited until Dennis nodded before asking, “Did she seem okay? Anything seem to be bothering her?”

  The older man paused, but shrugged. “I don’t think so. She seemed normal.”

  Paul closed his notepad. “Call me if you hear anything.” The pointed look he shot Dennis before leaving could've melted chocolate.

  Hadley followed her brother out the door, glancing back at the frustratingly frigid candy shop owner.

  Paul stopped outside the shop, holding his notebook like he was about to throw it into the street.

  “Hey, everything’s going to be okay.” Hadley placed a hand on her brother’s arm.

  He ran a hand over his jaw. “It’s not, Had. A girl is missing, and as of right now, that man was the last person to see her.”

  2

  A chill skittered down Hadley’s spine as she remembered the headline she’d read earlier about the teen from Cascade Ridge. She had a terrible feeling she’d been wrong to think Stoneybrook was immune to such serious problems.

  She paced in front of the candy shop as she tried to come up with a plan. They had to find Miranda.

  Facing her brother, she asked, “Have you talked to Kelsey yet?”

  Miranda Walters and Kelsey Morrow had been inseparable for as long as Hadley could remember. She’d babysat the missing girl when she was younger, and watching little Kelsey often meant watching Miranda too. Now the girls themselves were seniors in high school, and their whole lives were before them.

  “Kelsey wasn’t the person Miranda was supposed to stay with last night.” Paul shook his head.

  “What?”

  “Miranda’s mom said they got in some sort of fight and haven’t talked to each other in months.”

  Hadley sighed. Keeping up with town goings-on was hard enough without trying to follow the trials of teenage fights and romances. To be honest, Hadley hadn’t been staying current on regular town business either. She’d been busy selling her house and moving into a new one, over the last few months. And with her parents moving her grandmother in with them from Oregon, she knew it wasn’t about to get any less hectic.

  “So if it wasn’t Kelsey, who was she supposed to stay with?” Hadley asked.

  “Cassandra Lee.” Paul cocked an eyebrow.

  Hadley’s lips parted in surprise. “The Lees?”

  Paul nodded.

  The Lees were one of Stoneybrook’s more infamous families. They were part of the small population of people who moved from Cascade Ridge down to Stoneybrook. And while a few others had done the same to get away from the big city, the Lees had a different motive; they were rich up north and wanted to be even richer down in the valley.

  To the Lees, money was all about power, and no one abused it more than their only daughter.

  “Hanging with that mean girl doesn’t sound like Miranda at all.” Hadley furrowed her brow. “We need to talk to Kelsey.”

  Paul rubbed the back of his nec
k. “I agree, but I’m afraid it might have to be more of a you situation instead of we. I’ve got to talk to the Lees as soon as I can. Timing is tight with missing persons cases like this. Our window of opportunity for finding her …” He trailed off, clearing his throat instead.

  But the word alive rang in Hadley’s thoughts regardless.

  “Gotcha. I’ll go talk with Kelsey and give you a call if I find out anything.”

  Hadley waved to her brother as he climbed into his truck and it rumbled to life. Once he’d pulled out onto Main Street, she walked the rest of the way down to the Seven Stones restaurant where Kelsey worked as a hostess evenings and weekends.

  The large restaurant sat at one end of Main Street, tucked up right next to the rushing Cascade River. From that point, the river pulled away from downtown little by little, so by the time one reached the other end of downtown—where Fenton Park and the town hall building sat—a line of trees hid the river from sight.

  Seven large rocks balanced on top of one another in an artistic cairn next to the entrance, acting as all the signage the business needed. There was a diner a block from downtown, a farm-to-table restaurant that only opened for dinner, and finally, a breakfast-only joint, but Seven Stones’ full-service bar and off-site microbrewery made it the most popular destination in town.

  Since it was the middle of the afternoon, the place was quiet when Hadley pulled open the large wooden doors. There were a few people hanging out at the large oak bar and one or two tables of late lunchers just finishing up. A sign stood next to the hostess podium, telling guests to seat themselves. Sounds of dinner prep spilled out from the kitchen, which took up a large portion of the middle of the inside space. At a booth in the back corner, a teenage girl sat rolling silverware. Every few seconds, she dabbed at the corners of her eyes with the back of one hand.