Strawberry Donuts and Scandal Read online

  Strawberry Donuts and Scandal

  A Donut Truck Cozy Mystery

  Cindy Bell

  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

  Also by Cindy Bell

  About the Author

  Baked Strawberry Donuts

  Copyright © 2018 Cindy Bell

  All rights reserved.

  Cover Design by Annie Moril

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and locations portrayed in this book and the names herein are fictitious. Any similarity to or identification with the locations, names, characters or history of any person, product or entity is entirely coincidental and unintentional.

  All trademarks and brands referred to in this book are for illustrative purposes only, are the property of their respective owners and not affiliated with this publication in any way. Any trademarks are being used without permission, and the publication of the trademark is not authorized by, associated with or sponsored by the trademark owner.

  Chapter 1

  The hiss and bubble of the fryer caused a smile to cross Brenda’s lips. The Donuts on the Move truck had become like a second home for her. Its scents and furnishings were as familiar as her own kitchen, and the woman who stood across from her, her head bent to survey the crowd gathering beyond the open window of the truck, was as dear to her as her own family.

  “It’s getting crowded out there.” Joyce glanced back over her shoulder as a smile creased her lips. “It’s going to be quite a day.”

  “Yes, it is.” Brenda turned her attention to the window as well. She caught sight of a shock of bright green hair and the unmistakable bounce in the step of a familiar, young woman. “Here comes Melissa. We’re going to need her today.”

  “Guys!” Melissa’s voice traveled up the steps before she did, enthusiastic as ever. “Alexa Vue is going to be here!”

  “Alexa Vue?” Brenda raised an eyebrow as she watched the eighteen-year-old climb into the donut truck.

  “Sure, you can’t tell me that you haven’t heard of her.” She tugged a hairnet on over her short, green hair, then sighed. “She’s one of the most famous food vloggers ever.”

  “Vlogger?” Joyce studied Melissa with some surprise. “What exactly is that?”

  “Oh, a vlogger is kind of like a reporter, only instead of writing articles, she does videos, recording her thoughts, opinions, reviews, that kind of stuff. She then posts them on the internet.” Melissa stepped up beside Brenda. “What can I do to help?”

  “Pull these out in about forty seconds, I’m going to get another batch ready. We’re going to need a lot of donuts today.” Brenda wiped her hands on a towel and took a deep breath of the delicious smells in the truck. “I’m so glad we managed to get a spot at the food fair, and the possibility to be featured in the magazine.”

  “If Alexa Vue gives us a good review, we’ll almost definitely get into the magazine.” Melissa eyed the fryer.

  “Alexa Vue,” Brenda repeated the name and all of a sudden it sounded familiar to her. “Charlie mentioned her, I think. I think he’s worked with her at the newspaper before. Though I doubt they did any projects together. I’m not sure how a financial and political reporter would work with a food vlogger.”

  “Interesting.” Joyce grinned. “What did Charlie say about her?”

  “As I recall he said she was talented, but quite full of herself.” Brenda peered through the front window of the truck at the crowds gathering. Many were quite young, the same age or a bit older than Melissa. They’d hired Melissa to help with the truck when Brenda wasn’t able to be there. Melissa had also babysat for her daughter a few times, so they were already familiar with each other. Since Joyce didn’t bake, it was best to have another person who was able to take over things when Brenda wasn’t available. Still in training, Melissa showed a lot of promise. Her baking instincts were far better than Brenda had expected.

  “I imagine she is.” Melissa laughed, then lifted the donuts out of the fryer. “But she deserves to be. She went from zero to famous in under two years. She’s pretty amazing. Everyone tunes into her vlogs about new restaurants and old ones, too.”

  “Well, hopefully she likes donuts.” Brenda frowned as she looked over the donuts that were ready to go into the fryer and oven. “I feel like maybe we should have come up with something more modern for this crowd. Are they going to be satisfied with regular old donuts?”

  “There’s nothing regular about our donuts.” Joyce snapped her fingers. “Trust me, they’re going to get snapped up, and if this Alexa character doesn’t like them, then she’s lost her mind.”

  “She’ll love them.” Melissa gave Brenda’s shoulder a light pat. “Trust me. She’s a sucker for sweets.”

  “I hope so.” Brenda couldn’t ignore the subtle flutter in her stomach. Anytime an opportunity presented itself for the truck to gain some attention, she found herself nervous and excited. When Joyce had first approached her with the crazy idea of running a donut truck together, she’d hesitated. She’d been a stay-at-home mother to her daughter since the day she was born, and she wasn’t confident that she could handle helping Joyce run the business. However, with Joyce’s financial investment and her steady support for her baking, as well as Charlie’s eventual acceptance, Donuts on the Move was born. Now she couldn’t imagine her life without it.

  It took a lot of time and energy, but Brenda loved investing all of it. The only problem was, she felt pressured for it to be successful. Joyce sank a good portion of her savings into getting the truck and covering the first few months before it began to make a profit. She insisted all of the time that she was thrilled to have the truck, and their partnership, but Brenda still worried. She tended to worry, sometimes Charlie would call it her superpower. Sometimes he would roll his eyes, sigh, and give her a hug. That thought made her smile. The sound of a strong, gruff voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

  “Hello, ladies.” Detective Crackle’s familiar face hovered in front of the window. “I thought I’d stop by to check on you.”

  “You mean to get a free donut?” Joyce smiled as she turned to face him.

  “I would never turn down a donut, but I will be paying for it of course.” His eyes sparkled as his lips curved into a mischievous smile.

  “Coming right up.” Brenda nodded and boxed up a few donuts for him. “What are you doing at an event like this?” She turned back to hand him the box and caught his eyes locked to Joyce’s.

  “He came here just to see us, Brenda.” Joyce smiled and rested her elbows on the counter behind the window. “Isn’t that right, Detective?”

  “Well now, I did have a reason for being here. My boss asked me to check on the security that’s been set up. He wants things to be sealed up tight.” Detective Crackle took the box from Brenda. “Thanks so much, Brenda.” He tossed the money on the counter.

  “Thank you.” Brenda got his change. She only charged him for one donut.

  “Why is your boss so concerned about the security here?” Joyce straightened up again. “It’s just a little food fair that the magazine is hos
ting.”

  “Apparently, there have been rumors about protestors showing up here. He wants to make sure that things don’t get out of control.” Detective Crackle shrugged, then turned his sharp eyes over the people that still poured into the area. “It’s going to be quite a crowd, I can understand his concern.”

  “With you around, we shouldn’t have anything to worry about.” Brenda began to glaze some of the cooler donuts. “Should we try some different colors? What do you think, Melissa?”

  “Go for some pink. That’s Alexa’s favorite color. She also loves strawberries.” Melissa turned her attention to Detective Crackle. “I know she was involved in a few protests, maybe that’s where the rumors are coming from. I haven’t heard anything specific about it.”

  “That may be it.” Detective Crackle nodded, then looked back through the window. “If any of you need anything just give me a call.” He glanced at Brenda, nodded to Melissa, then gazed at Joyce for a lingering moment. “Anything at all.”

  “Thanks, Detective.” Joyce headed towards the counter that they used as a small office space in the back section of the truck. “I’m sure we’ll be fine!”

  Brenda sighed as Joyce’s dismissive tone rippled through the truck. Joyce and Detective Crackle’s oil and water relationship made for some tense moments. She turned to apologize to the detective. Instead of his weathered face she was greeted by bright blue eyes and a smile painted in black lipstick. She wore black cuff bracelets covered in spikes, and a lacy, black top that revealed ivory skin. Her bright red hair was perched on the top of her head in a messy bun. Next to her stood a young man.

  “Hi, is this donut truck organic and chemical free?” The woman blinked, then her smile spread even further to reveal dimples in her cheeks.

  “We don’t have any chemicals on the truck, if that’s what you mean.” Brenda tilted her head to the side as she tried to decide whether the young woman’s hair was dyed or natural. The shade of red fascinated her as it sparkled in the sunlight. She presumed it must have been dyed.

  “No, I mean, do you support the right to having clean and unadulterated food?” She frowned as she looked over the menu. “I don’t see anything about what charities you contribute to.”

  “Oh actually, we mostly contribute to the local food pantries.” Brenda cleared her throat, uncertain how to answer the questions. Most customers just wanted their donuts, they didn’t really want to know much about the business itself. The inquisitive, young woman waited, as if she expected to hear more.

  “It’s not an organic truck, but everything is homemade.” Melissa stepped up to the window and smiled. “Would you like to try a sample?”

  “No, I only eat organic.” She shook her head and walked off. The young man rolled his eyes and walked after her.

  “That was strange, wasn’t it?” Brenda glanced at Melissa.

  “Not for this crowd. Young activists are huge fans of this particular magazine, Restaurants Revealed, mostly because it gives so much information about the restaurants, food businesses and foods that it features.” Melissa grabbed one of the misshaped donuts that couldn’t be sold, and took a bite. “She doesn’t know what she’s missing out on.”

  “Speaking of which—” Joyce tipped her head towards the window as she stepped away from the counter at the back of the truck.

  Brenda turned back to find a long line of people. Once she had served them, she turned to Melissa.

  “Do you think these protestors will cause a lot of trouble?”

  “If you consider waving signs and shouting slogans trouble, maybe.” Melissa flashed her a grin as she wiped down the counter. “I’m just kidding. Honestly, I don’t know. Most of the time the protests are pretty peaceful, but it depends on the situation, too. With so many people attending today, and the tension over which businesses will get added to the magazine, I suppose anything could happen.”

  “You said Alexa was involved in protests of some kind?” Brenda began to make another batch of donuts. As she kneaded through the sticky dough she began to relax. Baking helped her journey to some of her favorite memories, which gave her a deep sense of peace.

  “Yes, she staged a few protests against a farm that still uses pesticides on its produce. I mean, I think they all do in some form, but this particular farm uses one that is considered especially dangerous. It’s a terrible thing, really. So many people have no idea what they are putting into their mouths and bodies.” Melissa’s eyes lingered on the swift movements of Brenda’s hands. “You know it would be pretty easy to make some organic donuts, all we need to do is replace a few ingredients.”

  “No way. These are donuts. Just donuts, that’s all. I like to keep things simple.” Brenda brushed some flour across her hands to free some of the sticky dough.

  “Brenda, we should listen to Melissa. She’s more in touch with the youth around here. It doesn’t hurt to cater to a new demographic.” Joyce moved some glazed donuts to the display shelves, careful not to interfere with the detail of the decorative glaze.

  “I guess you’re right about that.” Brenda laughed. “The only youth I’m in touch with is my six-year-old.”

  “I understand not wanting to overdo it. I can get a little excited about things.” Melissa grabbed a piece of paper. “What if I just make a sign about how the truck is all homemade and supports local food suppliers?”

  “All right, I guess that would be okay. But don’t put anything about being vegan, because we use dairy products in the donuts. Plus, I don’t want to do anything to take away from Vanessa’s truck.” Brenda winced as she looked across the truck at Joyce. “Remember when she went after the salad van?”

  “Oh yes.” Joyce held in her laughter. “She was quite irate.”

  “Okay, don’t worry I’ll be careful about what I say. You’re not going to regret this, I’m sure it will get Alexa’s attention. She doesn’t strictly only eat organic food, so hopefully she’ll try some donuts.” Melissa set to work creating the sign.

  Brenda sank her hands into some fresh dough and let her mind drift. Business began to pick up so much that Brenda had to skip making another batch of donuts and instead focus on the line of customers. Once Melissa added the sign to the outside of the truck, even more customers lined up at the truck. Surprised that it worked so well, Brenda turned around long enough to give Melissa a thumbs up, then turned back to find a phone pointed at her face. Behind the phone, stood a woman with bright pink streaks in her blonde hair. She began to speak even before Brenda could smile at her.

  “I’m Alexa Vue, and I’m about to find out everything I can about Donuts on the Move. Who am I speaking with?” She lowered the phone enough to meet Brenda’s eyes.

  Brenda noticed that she wore spiked, black cuff bracelets as well. Though her eyes were brown, they seemed to shine with a hint of gold as they locked on to her.

  “I’m Brenda,” she stammered out her name. “My friend, Joyce and I run this truck.”

  “Oh, how sweet. I just love female owned businesses. So, tell me all about your product. How careful are you about what you put into your food?” Alexa aimed the phone directly at her again.

  “Well, we make sure to use quality ingredients.” Brenda cleared her throat, which felt as if it might grow too tight for her to take a breath.

  “But are your ingredients organic and pure?” Alexa raised her eyebrows behind the phone.

  “No, not organic, as for pure, well I’m not sure how to define that—”

  “Never mind, can you please let our viewers know why they should take the time to eat at your truck?”

  Brenda stared blankly into the back of the phone. She couldn’t think of a single thing to say. As the seconds ticked by her heartbeat raced and she wondered if she would ever be able to speak again.

  “It’s okay, Brenda, you know everything about Donuts on the Move.” Joyce’s warm touch rubbed along the curve of Brenda’s shoulder.

  The moment she felt it, Brenda took a deep breath.
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br />   “Yes, of course. Donuts on the Move not only provides delicious fried and baked donuts, but it also guarantees friendly service and the option for custom donut requests.” The more Brenda spoke about the business, the more relaxed and cheerful she became. By the time she finished, Alexa had lowered her phone.

  “Okay, I think I have enough now.” Alexa frowned as she skimmed her gaze over the donuts on display. “How can I be sure these are fresh?”

  “They were just made, we put the time the batch came out above each display shelf.” Brenda tipped her head towards the small signs over each shelf. “However, I have some just about to come out. If you would like one of those it will only take a few minutes to cool and frost them.”

  “That’s all right, I’ll just take two of those.” Alexa pointed to two pink, strawberry donuts in the display case.

  “Great choice.” Brenda smiled and put the donuts in a bag. “On the house.” She handed them to Alexa.

  “Thanks.” Alexa nodded as she pulled one out. She took a bite as she turned and walked away. Like Melissa had said, she obviously didn’t insist on eating organic. Brenda noticed that a group of about ten people followed after Alexa. She hadn’t even seen them standing there before.

  “I don’t think that went well.” Brenda wiped the sweat from her brow and began to breathe at a normal pace again.

  “You did just fine, Brenda.” Joyce slung her arm around her shoulders. “I’m sure she was quite impressed.”

  “I think so, too.” Melissa stuck her head out through the front window of the truck as she watched the woman walk away. “By this time tomorrow, Donuts on the Move is going to be trending!”