Susan Gillard - Chocolate Frosted 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 2016 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

Chapter 1

The colored lights strung along the back fence and in the lower-hanging branches of the trees cast a subtle glow over the assembled guests. Heather sat in a folding chair at one of the long, white tables that had been brought in for the occasion in the back of Cousin Alberto's pickup.

All around her, friends and family members of the Reyes family sat at the tables or stood along the fence enjoying Tia Teresas 75 th birthday celebration. And what a celebration it was! The party had been going on for three hours, and it showed no signs of stopping. One of the young adult cousins, whose name Heather couldn't remember, and his band were providing the live music. Several of the older women were preparing the delicious food in the kitchen, and the younger women were moving swiftly back and forth from kitchen to yard with pictures and platters and trays, making sure everyone's plate and cup stayed full.

Several igloo coolers holding ice and cans and bottles of various beverages sat against the fence, and two of the long, white tables, covered with tablecloths, held a greater variety of desserts than Heather had ever seen. She had visited the dessert tables more times than she should have, she knew, but she just couldn't resist the amazing array of confections.

"Are you having a good time?" Uncle Ed at least she remembered somebody's name among all the many people she had been introduced to leaned toward her and smiled.

"I'm having an amazing time," she said. "I'm so glad Maricela and Angelica invited me."

"We glad you come," he said. "You our family now too."

"Thank you," she said. "I'll be right back. I just want to go check and see if there's anything I can do to help in the kitchen."

Uncle Ed tried to wave her back into her seat. "No, no, you guest. You not have to help. You sit and enjoy."

"Thanks, but I'll be right back," she said, turning and heading inside the house.

As she pushed open the back door from the patio, she could hear the voices of the women working in the kitchen as they laughed and conversed in Spanish. Feeling awkward because she only understood a few word, Heather approached the kitchen and waited for someone to look up and acknowledge her.

Almost immediately, one of the women saw her, then turned and said something over her shoulder. Angelica turned away from a pot she was stirring on the stove and came over to Heather. "You having good time?" she asked.

"I'm having a marvelous time," Heather said. "I just wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help in here."

"No, we got it," Angelica said. "We don't need anything."

"But I feel guilty just letting you guys do all the work serving everybody," Heather said. "Are you sure there isn't something I can do?"

One of the older women, who was busily assembling tamales, leaned toward Heather and waved a corn husk at her. "We like doing this. Don't worry about it. If you want to help, you can take these tamales out and see who wants more." She gestured to a tray piled high with the steaming food.

"I'll be glad to," Heather said, picking up the tray. "Angelica, have you seen Maricela?"

"She went to call Gustavo," Angelica said. "He not here yet."

"I take it he's supposed to be?" Heather asked.

"He says he might be late, but he not supposed to be this late. She call him and see where he is."

"Okay. I'll just take these out and put them on the table."

At that moment, Maricela returned to the kitchen, shoving a cell phone into her pocket. She frowned. "He's not answering. I have no idea where he is or why he's not here yet."

"Was he supposed to bring something?" Heather asked.

"Yes, he was supposed to pick up the big present for Tia Teresa and bring it out here. She cant open her presents if the big one's not here."

Heather thought of the three long tables outside in the yard that were already piled high with brightly wrapped boxes and colorful gift bags and wondered what more there could possibly be to add to the huge assortment of gifts. Aloud, she said, "Do you need me to go pick up anything?"

"No," Maricela said. "He already picked it up. He just hasnt brought it home yet.

"Well, I hope he gets here soon," Heather said. The tray of tamales in her hands was growing heavy. "I'm just going to go put these outside. I'll be right back."

"No hurry," Maricela said. "Go enjoy yourself. He'll be here soon."

Heather returned to the back patio and walked over to the side of the yard, carrying the tray. She wasn't sure where to set it down, because the tables were already laden with food. Another woman saw her predicament and shoved some trays aside so that Heather could set down the tamales. Heather nodded and smiled her thanks before heading back to sit by Uncle Ed.

When she saw that her previous seat was now taken, she stood for a while leaning against a tree and watching the band. But her thoughts weren't on the music. Why did it bother her so much that Gustavo had not yet arrived? Despite the lateness of the hour, people were still arriving every few minutes. Maybe he just hadn't made it. Things happen. Traffic happens. Plans change.

But a niggling suspicion still lingered in her mind. Surely for something as important as this party, Gustavo would have made it a point to be here on time. Even if hed been caught in traffic, he shouldn't have been more than a few minutes late. And if something dire had happened, surely he would have called. Or at least, he'd be answering his phone now.

Heather mentally shook herself and tried to pay attention to the music so that she could see if she could pick out any Spanish words here and there. But she wasn't having any luck. The words all seem to flow together, and the music was up-tempo, with a catchy beat. Her high school Spanish was all but forgotten, so it wasn't doing her much good here.

The cell phone in Heather's back pocket vibrated. She had put it on vibrate so that she would know if someone tried to call or text her. Otherwise, she never would have heard it with the music going full blast.

Heather slipped the phone out of her pocket. Glancing at the screen, she saw that the text was from Ryan Shepherd, her boyfriend. She read the text. Call me. Now.

She frowned. Such an abrupt, demanding text was not like Ryan at all. Worry fluttered in her chest. Was something wrong?

Heather threaded her way through the chairs, tables, and guests and back into the house, cell phone in hand. Without stopping to speak to the women in the kitchen, she headed down the hall, as if she were looking for the bathroom. At the end of the hallway, next to a closed door that she assumed led to a bedroom, Heather tapped the phone icon on the text message screen to call Ryan.

He answered after one ring. "Are you alone?" he asked.

"No," she said, "I'm still at the party."

"Are you where you can talk privately?"

Heather glanced up the hallway. Though she could still hear the chatter in the kitchen, it looked like she had the hallway to herself for the moment. "I am for now," she said.