Susan Gillard
Eva's Delicious Mystery A Donut Hole Series Short Story Susan Gillard Guardian Publishing Group New York | Boston
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Susan Gillard
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright 2017 by Guardian Publishing Group - All rights reserved. All rights Reserved. No part of this publication or the information in it may be quoted from or reproduced in any form by means such as printing, scanning, photocopying or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright holder.
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Susan Gillard Chapter 1 Eva took a bite of her Cinnamon Crunch donut, freshly delivered by Heather that morning, and chewed, slowly, a frown wrinkling her forehead. “Goodness,” she mumbled. A gorgeous arrangement of pure white lilies sat on the coffee table in her living room, peering from a glass vase. The card hung from a string of silver ribbon tied around the neck, swaying lightly in the summer breeze which swept through her open window. She reached for the card, grasped it, then turned it over to read the print. The last time she’d received flowers had been years prior, from her dear husband. Eva blinked and squinted, bending slightly to get a better look at the sprawling handwriting. To dearest Eva, thank you for everything you’ve done. You are a wonderful human being. – A secret admirer. Eva smiled, the donut forgotten, but that grin froze on her lips. She read the card again, heart rate increasing. “Oh my,” she whispered, then let the card drop from her fingertips. The handwriting was identical to her husband’s, or rather, to what her husband’s had been. Come to think of it, Eva didn’t know anyone who would send her flowers anonymously. “Heather,” she said, “it’s got to be Heather.” She clicked her fingers and hurried to the old landline affixed to her wall. She snatched the receiver from the cradle and dialed Heather’s cell. “Eva?” Heather answered. “How are those Cinnamon Crunch’s treating you?” “Wonderfully, dear. I’ve just received a bouquet of flowers, and I wondered if you’d sent them,” Eva said. “No, but that’s a nice gesture. You don’t know where they’re from?” “No,” Eva replied, “the card says ‘secret admirer’, but –” Eva cut off an rubbed a sore spot on her chest. She’d spent many years alone, dreaming of her husband and the day she might see him again. “What’s wrong?” Heather asked. “Do you need me to come over?” “Oh no, dear, it’s nothing,” Eva said. “It’s just, the handwriting on the card is the same as Erich’s. He used to send me flowers, years ago before he passed.” She was breathless. “Eva, I’m coming over. You sound afraid.” “No, just shocked, liebchen. I never thought I’d see that handwriting again,” Eva replied, and strengthened her tone. Heather had enough donuts on her plate. She didn’t need to contend with Eva’s problems. “I’ll call the florist and –” “There’s an idea,” Eva said, “don’t call, dear, you go about your day. I’m going to go down there and talk to them myself. I want to know who sent these because we both know it can’t have been Erich.” And then she hung up. Eva patted at her hair, straightened her knee-length dress and slipped into her shoes. She’d get to the bottom of this.
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Susan Gillard Chapter 2 Eva marched through the entrance of Flighty Florists, her insides as crisscrossed as strudel pastry. Immediately, the scent of flowers in every variety wafted to her, bathing her in a sense of purity. “Lovely,” she murmured, then hurried forward to join the line at the counter. A man in a fancy schmancy suit stood at the front, paying for a single red rose. He grinned at the lady behind the counter, then hurried off. The customer in the line behind him, a woman with hair like spun gold, stepped up to her counter and rapped her knuckles on the wood. “You’d better stay away from him, Tara,” the blonde woman said. Her shoulders were bunched up to her ears. “Uh oh,” Eva said. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Goldie. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have customers to serve,” Tara, who had dark hair and an easy smile, said, gesturing in Eva’s direction. “I don’t care! You stay away from him, or I’ll make you regret it.” Goldie clapped once, then turned on her heel and marched out the front door. It slammed closed behind her. The young woman behind the counter watched her go, her lips downturned at the corners. “Every day,” she muttered, then cleared her throat, then turned to Eva and put up a radiant smile. “May I help you?” Eva had never been a gossip. She ignored the altercation and hurried forward. She fumbled in her bag, brought out the card, and placed it on the table. “I received a bouquet of flowers, and I’d like to know who sent them.” Tara picked up the card and studied it. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Schneider, but I can’t disclose that information. The sender wished to remain anonymous.” Eva’s heart skipped a beat. “That’s not good enough, I’m afraid. I don’t mean to cause problems, but I must know who sent this.” Tara shook her head and handed the card back. “I’m sorry. I can’t help you.” Eva sniffed but didn’t take the card from Tara’s palm. “I have to know,” she said, a stray tear dripping to her cheek. “Please, dear, I must know who sent it.” Tara’s eyes widened, and she dropped the card to the counter. “Don’t be upset,” the young lady said, then bent over her keyboard and typed a word. “I’ll check for you.” “But I thought you couldn’t?” “Miss Darcy doesn’t like it if we break the rules, but what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” Tara replied. She narrowed her eyes and scanned the screen. “Ah. Here it is. The flowers were sent by Jason Locke from Hillside Regional.” “Jason Locke?” That was the name of one of the nurses who’d helped her during her coma. “Yeah, I was working when he came in. I remember the guy. Tall, blonde hair. He said something about donuts.” Eva let out a long, low sigh of relief. Perhaps she’d overreacted to the sight of a handwriting similar to her husband’s. “It’s because of Heather’s donuts.” “Donuts?” Tara asked, then slid the card across the desk. Eva accepted it this time. “Yes, I give them a couple of boxes of Donut Delights donuts each week, as a thank you for their help after my accident.” Tara nodded. “Oh yum, I’ve heard of that place. I’ve never had any, though.”
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Susan Gillard “Maybe you should,” Eva replied. “In fact, let’s call Heather right now and ask her to bring over a box. You’ll just love the Cinnamon Crunch.” Tara grinned from ear-to-ear and picked up the phone. She gestured for Eva to have a seat at the counter, and Eva shuffled around to join her. A minor hiccup and everything was back to normal. She’d be back at her favorite table in Donut Delights, in no time. The End.
A message from the Author. Dear Amazing Cozy Mystery Reader, Thanks so much for reading Eva’s Delicious Mystery. I hope you enjoyed it. I just started a new cozy series called “Oceanside Cozy Mysteries” and it’s a best seller on Amazon! You can get my new releases for $0.99 every week when you join my mailing list. Just turn the page to sign up now! Stay Curious, Susan Gillard
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Susan Gillard
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