Amber Crewes [Crewes - Finger Foods and Missing Legs

FINGER FOODS AND MISSING LEGS

A Sandy Bay Cozy Mystery

By

Amber Crewes

Published by Pen-n-a-Pad Publishing in 2018

All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Pen-n-a-Pad Publishing

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

CONTENTS

Released : October, 2018

Series : Book 6 Sandy Bay Cozy Mystery Series

Standalone : Yes

Cliff-hanger : No

Meghan Truman is ecstatic when she discovers shes won an all-expense paid trip to Paris for a Food and Baking convention. Shes never been to Europe and is looking forward to the sights, smells and people.
Her trip takes a very sour turn when one of the chief conference speakers is reported missing and subsequently found dead in her hotel room. Meghan is shocked when shes informed she has been identified as a person of interest who the police want to speak to.
With her European trip in danger of turning into her worst nightmare, she must quickly identify who had the most to gain from the victims demise and absolve herself of any link to the murder before her hopes of landing a lucrative deal with an interested investor fades into nothing in the city of Love.

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MEGHAN TRUMANS HANDS SHOOK as she pulled a bulky yellow envelope out of the mailbox. She had been eagerly awaiting this correspondence for weeks , and as she carried the envelope inside of Truly Sweet, her bakery, Meghans dark eyes grew wide in excitement.

Finally, Meghan whispered as she reverently placed the envelope on the front counter. The news I have been waiting for.

Meghan! Meghan, can you come help me?

Meghan stifled a sigh as Trudy, her new assistant, called out to her from the kitchen. She peered at the envelope, her heart thudding in her chest as she admired the elegant handwriting on the front proclaiming it to be hers .

Trudy, can it wait? Meghan asked as she ran her fingers along the edges of the yellow envelope. I have some mail I need to read; Ive been waiting for this letter for months, and its finally here.

Meghan heard a loud crash from the kitchen, and she begrudgingly left the envelope on the counter to tend to Trudy. Her new assistant had been working at Truly Sweet for only a few weeks, and usually, the two women got along well; while Meghan was a twenty-seven year old transplant to the Pacific Northwest, and Trudy had lived in Sandy Bay all of her life, the pair worked well together, and Meghan was thrilled that she had help at the bakery. Truly Sweet was the only bakery in Sandy Bay, and while Meghan loved running her business, it was hard work, and Trudy had proven to be an asset to the business.

Whats going on, Trudy? Meghan asked as she burst into the kitchen. Are you alright?

Trudy was a mess; she was covered in flour, and there were bowls and cutlery scattered on the tiled floor. I had a little fall, Meghan. Im alright. Just a little trip.

Meghan laughed in spite of herself. You poor thing, she said kindly. Let me help you up; Ill give you a hand, and we can tidy the kitchen before the morning crowd comes in.

Trudy smiled. Sorry, boss. Ill be more careful next time.

The two women worked together to clean the kitchen, both exchanging jokes and stories as they swept the flour from the cracks of the floor, scrubbed the dishes, and put things in order.

There! Meghan said thirty minutes later as they surveyed their work. Much better!

Trudy grinned. I have news for you, Meghan; its never a boring day at Truly Sweet, thats for sure.

Meghan gasped. News! News! I had forgotten. The news Ive been waiting for arrived today, Trudy. I have to go open that envelope!

Meghan raced back to the dining area to retrieve her envelope. Trudy followed behind her, and she clucked as Meghan tore open the yellow paper. I havent seen you this excited since that sweet Jack Irvin asked you to be his girlfriend a few weeks ago, Trudy said as Meghan shook with excitement. You were adorable, Meghan; I had never seen someone so happy to be off the market.

Meghan beamed. Jack Irvin, a local detective, was everything she had dreamed of in a boyfriend; he was handsome, intelligent, confident, ambitious, and kind, and Meghan had grown quite fond of him in the five months she had lived in Sandy Bay. Jack had helped Meghan through some unexpected troubles with the bakery, and Meghan was thankful for his support.

You were jumping around the bakery like a little girl after he asked you. He is a catch; Ive watched Jack Irvin grow up, and that boy is a sweetheart. Youre a lucky girl, Meghan, but Jack is a lucky guy, too! You two are a cute couple.

Meghan grinned. I do feel pretty lucky, she admitted. When I moved to Sandy Bay from Los Angeles all of those months ago, I didnt know what would happen; opening the bakery was a challenge, and making new friends in town was certainly daunting, but now, I am so happy. I have a thriving business, wonderful friends, an amazing assistant, and a new boyfriend.

Trudy winked. And hopefully some good news. Open that envelope, Meghan! Im dying to know whats in there.

Meghan ripped open the top of the envelope and began to read the letter aloud.

Dear Meghan Truman,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected to attend the LeBlanc St. James Food and Baking Convention in Paris, France. You have been selected from a pool of over ten thousand finalists, and we are elated to extend this invitation to you to join us in Paris for the convention.

All of your expenses will be taken care of at the LeBlanc St. James Food and Baking Convention; we have enclosed a voucher for your airfare, as well as your reservation information for your complimentary stay at Grand Htel du Palais Royal, a five-star hotel located in one of the citys finest neighborhoods.

We look forward to seeing you at the convention. Thank you for your interest in the event.

Je vous remercie,

The Selection Committee of the LeBlanc St. James Food and Baking Convention

Meghans jaw dropped. Im going to Paris, Trudy! Meghan screamed as she began jumping up and down. Im going to Paris !

Two weeks later, Jack packed the last of Meghans suitcases into the trunk of his undercover car. Are you sure you need three bags? Jack asked as he held the passenger door open for Meghan. Thats going to be a lot to keep track of in Paris.

Meghan shrugged. Ive never been to Europe before, she said giddily. I want to look my best in Pa-reeeee!

Jack laughed as he settled into his seat and began driving toward the airport. I dont know if Ive ever seen you so excited. Its adorable, Meghan. Im so happy for you.

Meghan blushed. Thanks, Jack. And thank you for taking me to the airport today.

Jack reached over and took Meghans hand. Thats what boyfriends are for, right? Anyway, it just means I get to spend more time with you. This might sound a little silly, but Im going to miss you while you are away.

Meghan bit her bottom lip, feeling her face grow hot as Jack looked at her. She could feel butterflies in her stomach, and she felt her lips turned upward into a smile as Jacks blue eyes stared at her. Im going to miss you too, Jack. We havent been apart for more than a few days, but I know that well manage this week with no problem. We can chat every evening, and I can even put some postcards in the mail for you.