Susan Gillard - Blueberry Spangled Murder

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Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the authors 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.

Table of Contents

How annoying would it be if I broke into my own rendition of Shes a Grand Old Donut ?

Heather chuckled at her best friend Amys adaptation of the classic patriotic song but then replied, I dont think we want our customers to hear us calling the donuts old.

True. Even if theyre grand, no one wants a pastry they think is stale. Of course, if they get a whiff of these yummy treats, theyll know theyre fresh from the oven. Or fresh from the decorating table.

Heather admired her latest creation, a Stars and Stripes Donut. She and her staff had been kept busy making them for Memorial Day weekend. She was proud of how festive they looked but even prouder of the taste.

I think were just about finished, Heather said, smiling as she counted the red, white and blue donuts.

Then I think we should celebrate and have a snack ourselves, Amy said. She picked up a fresh donut and started singing This donut is my donut ignoring the refrain of This donut is your donut to match the song.

Just make sure you dont sing that song when you deliver to the VFW Hall, Heather said.

Of course, Amy agreed. Any songs I sing there would strictly be canon.

She kept humming and started swaying with her donut dance partner. Heather laughed again. She picked up a donut herself to enjoy the fruit of her labor. She enjoyed a bite and then enjoyed the thought that these patriotic creations of hers were going to be appreciated both near and far. Nearby, they would be eaten by Hillside residents in her shop and as refreshments after Memorial Day ceremonies to honor the fallen. They would also be traveling far as Heather had filled online orders. One large batch was traveling to Tennessee, and another was going all the way to Chicago.

Her thoughts were swirling about all the online orders they had filled for the holiday and about all their travels when her assistant Jung walked into the kitchen to update them on the last order.

The Stars and Stripes are all loaded into the trunk. Do you want to see them off?

I cant help myself, Heather nodded. Its not that I dont trust you all

Jung cut her off before she could finish. But theyre your babies, and you need to see them get on the road. We understand. Dont worry, boss.

Heather followed him outside and saw that the refrigerated truck had been filled correctly and was all set to go. Heather gave the delivery driver the all clear and watched as the truck drove away. Maybe it was silly to wave goodbye to them and wish items made of sugar good luck, but she didnt care. A lot of hard work and care had gone into creating them, and she watched until the truck turned the corner.

Then she turned to her staff that had gathered nearby.

Her assistant Maricela looked to Heather. Does this mean what I think it means?

It does, Heather said. All our orders are filled. Great work! Everybody go inside and get a donut to celebrate.

They didnt have to be told twice. Heather followed them as they piled inside and picked up their prizes. She appreciated the compliments they gave her on the taste but appreciated seeing their happy faces even more.

The whole staff (of five assistants and an Amy) had come in to help with the busy time filling orders, and Heather told them they were free to have seconds after all their hard work.

Is everyone all set to describe the flavor if a customer asks? Heather asked.

I am, Angelica said. But why dont you tell us the official version?

Maricela nodded. Youre so good at describing them.

Im not sure if thats a compliment. Or if this is just because no one wants to stop eating to give the description.

Which is a compliment in its own right, Amy pointed out.

True, Heather said. Truth be told, she was happy to oblige. She liked talking about her donuts as much as she enjoyed baking and eating them. The Stars and Stripes Donut makes use of the red, white and blue color scheme. The icing is vanilla. Classic white vanilla covering it all over, and then red and blue striped across it. If you notice the sprinkles on top are all in the shape of stars. The base is also vanilla but to give it some extra flavor, there are raspberry and blueberry swirls in it.

As she was eating her donut, Emily Potts was still writing down the description that her boss gave. She loved to take notes about the flavors, and Heather appreciated how studious she was.

Add that theyll real delicious to that description, Jung said.

Her other assistant Ken finished his donut and grabbed his camera. He was a wonderful photographer and took pictures for the Donut Delights website. He must have decided he needed to snap a photo now before these Stars and Stripes all disappeared.

Heather smiled as she looked around the room. She was so grateful for her staff. They felt more like family than workers. She started to have second thoughts about taking the next day off.

Are you sure that you will be all right without me tomorrow?

After the craziness of her last few cases, Heather had been looking forward to a relaxing day of BBQ-ing with her loved ones. However, she didnt want to abandon her staff if she was needed.

Well be fine, Maricela assured her. Most people will have ordered their donuts in advance, so we wont be slammed tomorrow. And we split up the day so its fair and everyone has some time off.

If youre sure, Heather said.

Were sure, Angelica seconded. You dont have many days off just to relax. Usually, if youre not here, its because you have to help with a grisly murder case!

And after last Memorial Days events, you deserve a break, Ken said.

Heather had to agree with that. Last Memorial Day weekend, their favorite regular customer and close friend Eva Schneider had been attacked outside her home. Luckily she had survived and would be joining Heather for this weekends festivities.

Well be fine, Emily said looking up from her notes and smiling.

Heather was touched that her staff was so supportive. She told them that they were all finished for the day and that she and Amy would finish cleaning and closing up.

This also gave the besties time to talk about any last minute prep they might need to do for the barbecue the next day. Amy told her how her boyfriend Jamie was overthinking what dish to bring to the event. Even though he and Amy were becoming more serious and were going to move in together, he still felt relatively new to the group and wanted to impress the Shepherds. Amy said that at first, she tried to reassure him that anything he brought would be fine, but now she enjoyed trying all the different types of macaroni salad and Jell-O shapes he had been creating.

Heather was excited that her family and close friends would all be able to get together for a relaxing day. Even her Detective husband was able to have the day off. It was only if something really terrible happened that he would get called into duty.

It was a beautiful day to be outside. The oppressive Texas summer heat hadnt caught up with them yet, and a soft breeze was blowing.