Candy Canes and Cadavers Read online

  Candy Canes

  and Cadavers

  Sapphire Beach Cozy Mystery Series

  (Book 4)

  Angela K. Ryan

  John Paul Publishing

  TEWKSBURY, MASSACHUSETTS

  Copyright © 2019 by Angela K. Ryan

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.

  Angela K. Ryan

  John Paul Publishing

  Post Office Box 283

  Tewksbury, MA 01876

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  Cover Design © 2019 MariahSinclair.com

  Book Layout © 2017 BookDesignTemplates.com

  Candy Canes and Cadavers/ Angela K. Ryan. -- 1st ed.

  ISBN: 978-1-7340876-1-1

  A Note of Thanks from the Author

  I would like to warmly thank all those who generously shared their time and knowledge in the research of this book, especially:

  Jacki Strategos, Premier Sotheby’s

  International Realty, Marco Island

  Carol Buccieri

  Bella Stella Beads, Haverhill, Massachusetts

  Marco Island Fire Rescue

  Marco Island, Florida

  Any errors are my own.

  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

  Other Books in this Series

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Dura’s warm voice floated through the phone and tugged at Connie Petretta’s heartstrings. Although Connie’s dear, longtime friend was eight thousand miles away in Kenya, modern technology made it feel as if they were sitting across from one another.

  Excitement spilled from Dura’s words. “I’m so happy that our plan is coming to fruition.”

  Connie could picture her friend’s eyes dancing with joy the way they always did when she was helping others.

  Over email, Connie and Dura had hatched a plan for a special fundraiser the proceeds of which would go toward a project at Dura’s church, a church that Connie also attended during her two-year term of volunteer service after college. The parish had a nutrition center that drew hungry families when their situation became desperate, but, since the parish was poor too, the church had little or nothing to offer lately.

  During one of their online conversations, Dura was lamenting over their predicament, and the two women came up with an idea for a project they had affectionately dubbed Operation Chicken Coop. They would raise money to build and fill a chicken coop so the parish would have eggs to provide lifesaving food for local families. Any extras could be sold at the local market to cover other needs. The eggs would provide local families with much-needed protein and Vitamin A, both of which helped prevent blindness, as well as other issues connected with malnutrition, in children.

  “Did you receive the estimate I emailed to you?” Dura asked.

  “I’m looking at it right now.” Connie glanced through a printout of the estimate, which itemized the cost of building materials, chickens, vaccinations, and food. The labor would be donated by residents of the village. If they could raise four thousand dollars, they would be able to build a coop and purchase enough chickens to benefit many families in Dura’s village.

  “Do you think you’ll be able to complete all the earrings we’ll need and sell them before Christmas?” Dura asked.

  Connie ran a hand through her dark, shoulder-length hair. “It’s a tight timeline, but with some hard work and a lot of prayers, I think we can pull it off. If we sell each pair for twenty dollars we need to make and sell two hundred pairs of earrings in the two weeks between now and Christmas to meet our goal.”

  Fortunately, Connie’s Thursday evening jewelry-making class had committed wholeheartedly to spending the next two Thursday evenings, and as much time as they could spare at home, to creating the candy cane earrings, and Connie had already made fifteen pairs since the supplies arrived yesterday. With Christmas right around the corner, business was strong at Just Jewelry, which was Connie’s store where she sold her handmade creations, as well as Fair Trade pieces from Kenya and Ecuador. “We’ll get it done,” Connie said, trying to convince herself as much as Dura.

  Connie was thrilled to be working with Dura on this project. The two had been close friends since Connie’s postgraduate term of volunteer service. In fact, it was Dura who taught Connie how to make jewelry, instilling in her a lifelong passion for the craft. So much so that, last year, after inheriting a beachfront condo from her aunt and namesake Concetta Belmonte, Connie relocated to southwest Florida to open a jewelry shop, combining her love for jewelry making with her passion for humanitarian work. Dura was one of her Fair Trade artisans and her biggest supplier.

  As soon as Connie hung up with Dura, she resumed pacing the weathered hardwood floors of Just Jewelry, stopping at the front window every few seconds to check for her family, who were due to arrive from the airport at any minute. Between the fundraiser and her family’s visit her for Christmas, it would be a hectic couple of weeks. Connie couldn’t wait for them to see Just Jewelry. The grand opening had been in April, but this would be the first time her parents, sister, brother-in-law, and twin three-year-old niece and nephew would see the store. She didn’t know what she was more excited about: her family’s arrival, it being her favorite time of year, or the nutrition center project coming to fruition. Connie felt like a child on Christmas morning, and Christmas morning was still two weeks away.

  “Staring out the window is not going to bring them here any earlier,” Grace Jenkins, Connie’s friend, neighbor, and employee said. Grace had agreed to work that evening instead of her usual morning shift, so Connie could return with her family to Palm Paradise, the condominium building where she lived, and help get them settled.

  Connie sighed. “I know. I should be making candy cane earrings instead. But I can’t sit still.”

  Ginger, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that Connie had also inherited from her aunt, looked up every so often from the plush rug under the glass coffee table in the store’s seating area. Connie and Grace had been scurrying around all afternoon, making sure that everything was looking its best, and sweet Ginger seemed to be wondering what all the fuss was about.

  Shortly after 6:00, two mid-sized cars pulled up in front of her store. Connie squinted as she peered into the passenger side window of one of the cars. She’d recognize her mother’s long, dark hair anywhere. Her family had arrived!

  Connie’s parents, Josephine and Greg, exited their car first. Connie smiled as her mother pointed excitedly toward the storefront, with a gentle breeze from the nearby Gulf of Mexico pushing back her hair. Connie’s father hopped out of the driver’s seat wearing a broad smile. The next to emerge from their rented cars were Connie’s sister, Gianna Bianchi, and brother-in-law, Gary, while their three-year-old twins, Noah and Hannah, still waiting to be freed from their car seats.

&nb
sp; Connie’s heart raced with excitement. Until she saw their faces, she hadn’t realized how much she missed them.

  Jo and Greg were the first in the store. Jo squealed as she ran over to Connie, who was already halfway to the door. The two women embraced until Greg eventually broke them apart so he could hug his daughter, as well. Shortly behind Jo and Greg were Gianna and her family. It was only a three-and-a-half hour flight from Logan Airport to the Southwest Florida International Airport, but with a couple of energetic three-year-olds in tow, Connie wasn’t surprised that Gi and Gary looked like they had just run a marathon.

  Connie bent down to embrace the twins as they ran into her arms.

  “How did these two do on the flight?” Connie asked.

  Judging from the weary expressions on their parents’ faces, Connie already knew the answer to that question.

  Gianna shrugged. “Could have been worse, I guess.”

  Connie hugged her weary sister and brother-in-law, then gave her family the grand tour of Just Jewelry. She began with the Fair Trade section, which she was most proud of. It contained an array of handmade jewelry from Kenya and Ecuador, some in muted earth tones and others in vibrant blues, greens, and oranges. Then they moved on to the rest of the store, including the circular checkout area in the middle of the store and the storeroom out back. Next, she brought them to the large oak table where she and her students created their jewelry masterpieces.

  “This dentistry cabinet is such an exquisite piece,” Jo said, referring to Connie’s creative storage solution for her beads and other jewelry-making supplies.

  Next, they took a moment to admire some of Connie’s handmade pieces on the displays beneath the driftwood accent wall, after which Connie ended the tour in the seating area by the Fair Trade section, where two delicate armchairs face a red loveseat.

  Connie and Grace brought out some iced tea, which Connie had brewed extra strong, anticipating her family’s travelling fatigue, and joined the others. Grace had been a friend of the family for more than ten years, so everyone was ecstatic to see her, as well.

  “I almost forgot how beautiful your jewelry is,” Jo said. “I’m glad you are sharing your talent with the world.”

  “I don’t know about the world, Mom,” Connie said. “But at least the residents and tourists who visit Sapphire Beach.”

  Gianna scanned the store as she sipped her tea. “I have to say, sis, that Mom’s and my decorating experience has rubbed off on you.” Jo and Gianna owned a home staging company back in Boston and were the professional decorators in the family.

  Connie smiled proudly. “I learned from the best.”

  When everyone finished their drinks, Connie offered to bring them back to Palm Paradise to settle in. Gianna, Gary, and the twins were staying at Connie’s, while Jo and Greg would sleep in Grace’s spare bedroom. Four houseguests would make it tight at Connie’s place, but she insisted. She wanted to spend as much time with her family as possible, and she was afraid if they stayed in a hotel, she wouldn’t see them as much.

  “You know where I keep the spare key,” Grace said to Connie. Then, to Jo and Greg, she said, “Just make yourselves at home. The refrigerator is full, and there is a bottle of wine on the counter.”

  “Thank you, Grace,” Jo said, embracing Grace. “We are so looking forward to spending time with you during this visit. It’s been too long.”

  In three separate cars, Connie and her family made the one-mile commute along Sapphire Beach Boulevard to Palm Paradise and lugged the suitcases upstairs.

  “I forgot how much stuff these little guys require,” Connie said, throwing a couple of duffel bags over her shoulders.

  While the others unpacked, Connie took the pan of baked ziti she had prepared that morning out of the fridge, put it in the oven, and made a salad. Within forty-five minutes, everyone gathered around the dining room table.

  They said the blessing together and dug into their dinner.

  “So, the play is Friday night?” Greg asked, directing his question to nobody in particular.

  The family had come a full two weeks before Christmas so that they could attend a production of “A Christmas Carol” at the Sapphire Beach Playhouse. Being a former actress, Concetta had served as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the theatre, and the play was being performed in her memory. Damian Pritchard, the executive director of the playhouse, had reached out to the family and personally invited them to opening night.

  Connie nodded. “The play opens on Friday night, but we’ve also been invited to a Christmas party at Damian’s home tomorrow night.” His parties were legendary. Damian, who would play the role of Scrooge this season, owned a beautiful Gulf-front mansion. Concetta often came home to Boston for Christmas but would always make it a point to remain in Sapphire Beach until after Damian’s party. Anything that Concetta enjoyed that much had to be special.

  Greg and Gary exchanged a glance.

  “Sounds like fun,” Greg said. “But Gary and I have decided we’d rather stay home and watch the twins while you ladies and Grace go to the party. It’s not really our thing. We’ll do something fun with the kids instead.”

  “That’s not a bad idea,” Gianna said. “It will save us from having to find a sitter on short notice.”

  “In that case,” Connie said, “let’s not waste their invitations. I’ll invite Elyse and Stephanie.” Elyse had been Connie’s realtor, and the two had become fast friends when Connie relocated, and Stephanie, also a good friend, was Grace’s daughter.

  “Why not invite your cop boyfriend instead?” Jo asked.

  Detective Zachary Hughes wasn’t exactly Connie’s boyfriend. They went on a first date last March, and, due to a miscommunication and both of their unusually busy schedules the past few months, they hadn’t yet made it to their second date.

  “Mom, I promise to introduce you to Zach before you leave, but please remember that we’ve only been on one date.”

  After a long day, everyone decided to call it an early night. Connie and her parents cleaned up so Gianna and Gary could put the twins to bed. Then, they all retired for the evening. Connie took advantage of her free time to make some candy cane earrings with materials she had brought home. She was bound and determined to make this fundraiser a success.

  Chapter 2

  Connie was awakened early Thursday morning to the sound of musical laughter floating through her bedroom and four tiny hands shaking her shoulders. Hannah and Noah were kneeling over her on her bed.

  “Guys, it’s not even 6:00 AM.” She had been planning to wake up a little early to play with the twins before heading into the shop, but not quite this early. However, since they clearly were not going to permit her to sleep any longer, she tackled them onto the bed and tickled them until their giggling turned into a roaring pitch. Their precious laughter melted both her heart and her fatigue.

  Connie put some waffles in the toaster for the twins and made herself a protein smoothie and a strong cup of coffee. After breakfast, Connie and the twins played in the living room until Gianna and Gary woke up, and her parents made their way over.

  Ginger followed her to the door as she left for work, so Connie bent down and scratched the dog’s head. “You’ll get more attention if I leave you home today, sweet girl.”

  Before leaving, she glanced back at her sister, Gary, and the twins, who were chatting away as Jo and Greg sipped their morning coffee. She did enjoy her peace and quiet, but she had to admit, her condo felt more like a home with everyone there.

  Connie arrived at Just Jewelry without a minute to spare and was thrilled to see Grace’s note that she had sold seven pairs of candy cane earrings the night before. Grace had undoubtedly been talking them up, but they still had a long way to go to meet their goal. Connie didn’t waste any time getting to work.

  At the oak table, she set up the tools and materials she would need to make more earrings. She began each earring by cutting a piece of 22 gauge wire, straightening it, then
making a loop at the bottom with her round nosed pliers. Next, she strung the red, green, and clear Swarovski crystal beads until she had added all but three. Then she strung the silver-plated ear wire loop, the piece that attaches the earring to the ear, and added the remaining three beads. Finally, after making another loop at the top, she bent the earring into a candy cane shape. When both earrings were complete, she attached them to an earring card and set aside the newly completed pair. With a little practice under her belt, she was getting fast. Each pair took less than ten minutes to make.

  After lunch, Connie posted some pictures of the earrings and information about the fundraiser on her website and social media accounts to help spread the word. When she finished, she closed her laptop and gazed out the front window, trying to think of creative ways to advertise.

  It turned out the answer was right in front of her. Literally. She could use her display window to promote the earrings.

  Connie stepped outside to study the Christmas display that she and Grace had created after Thanksgiving. A small, artificial tree, which sat on a blanket of faux cotton snow, was decorated with an assortment of necklaces and bracelets that hung from its branches like ornaments, and wrapped jewelry-sized boxes sat beneath the tree as if awaiting Christmas morning.

  The rest of the window contained various jewelry displays, featuring an assortment of her best red and green pieces scattered throughout. Right in the center of the display was the perfect spot to add the candy cane earrings.

  Within her boxes of Christmas decorations out back, Connie found a miniature red Christmas stocking and laid it on the cotton snow with earrings spilling out. Each pair was attached to a black velour earring card, which provided the perfect backdrop for the red, green, and clear crystal beads. Then she added a printed description of the chicken coop project to an antiqued gold frame and placed it next to the stocking. She stepped back to admire her handiwork, pleased with the finished product.