Devil’s Food Cake and Drama Read online

  Devil’s Food Cake and Drama

  A Chocolate Centered 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

  Chapter 16

  Also by Cindy Bell

  About the Author

  Devil’s Food Cake Recipe

  Copyright © 2019 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

  Silver light filled the room as the first hint of dawn struggled through the thin curtains that hung in the windows. Ally Sweet stretched in her bed and closed her eyes. She hadn’t been able to sleep much, and her body protested at the thought of getting up. But there were chocolates to be made, and a shop to open up for the day. An orange cat prowled along the bed and put her nose up to Ally’s nose.

  “And pets to be fed.” Ally smiled as she ran her fingertips across the top of the cat’s head. “Good morning, Peaches. You always brighten things up.”

  A snort and huff from beside the bed made Ally’s smile spread wider. “You too, Arnold.” She peered over the side of the bed at the pot-bellied pig curled up in his bed. “I guess you want breakfast?”

  Arnold snorted even louder, then jumped out of his bed.

  “If only I could have your energy.” Ally groaned, then stretched again. She had a lot to look forward to. She loved running the chocolate shop, and she always enjoyed interacting with her customers. She also looked forward to her boyfriend, Luke hopefully coming into the shop for his morning coffee. With this on her mind, she managed to climb out of bed.

  Ally muddled through feeding Peaches and Arnold, then grabbed a bagel for herself. While it toasted, she quickly showered and dressed for the day. As she brushed her hair back into a ponytail, she took a look in the mirror. Yes, she looked tired. If her grandmother saw her, she would know right away that she hadn’t slept. She grabbed her bagel on the way out the door.

  Lately, demand at the shop had increased. It had to do with the special guests that they had in town, and the fans that followed them. She’d been going into the shop an hour early in order to get a head start on keeping the chocolate supply up. She had ordered a special set of molds that represented different parts of a play that an acting troupe had decided to put on in Blue River. The decision proved to be quite popular with both visitors and locals who were excited about the opportunity to take a piece of the play home with them. She attributed it to the fact that the acting troupe had scored quite a popular actor to play the leading role in the play.

  As Ally unlocked the door of the shop, she felt a rush of peace. She smiled to herself as she gazed up at all of the wooden toys and carvings that lined the shelves. Some of them had been created by Luke, while others had been carved by local artists, and a couple had been collected while traveling. Stepping into the shop was as comforting to her as stepping into the cottage. Her surroundings evoked warm childhood memories, and more recent memories as well. Blue River offered everything she loved and not a trace of the upheaval she had experienced during her brief stint of city life.

  Ally flipped on the lights and headed straight for the kitchen. As she began melting chocolate, she heard a light knock on the large window that faced the street. Ally glanced through the door that lead into the front of the shop and saw Mrs. Bing’s hands waving wildly. She held back a laugh as she walked over to the side door and opened it up.

  “Mrs. Bing, it’s not time to open yet.”

  “I know, but I just couldn’t wait to tell you!” She wiggled her entire body and squeaked.

  “What is it?” Ally’s eyes widened as she wondered if the woman might literally explode from excitement. Mrs. Bing was another fixture of her childhood, a woman who had been visiting the shop since Ally was in diapers. She and her two friends Mrs. Cale, and Mrs. White, were as much family to her as her own grandmother.

  “Mrs. White is helping decorate all the sets for the play.” Mrs. Bing clapped her hands together and squeaked again. “Do you know what that means?”

  “That the sets will be beautiful?” Ally’s smile spread into a grin.

  “Yes, that too. But it means that she’s going to be seeing Martin Everly every day.” Mrs. Bing gasped and closed her eyes for a moment. “Can you imagine? He’s so dreamy!”

  “That’s wonderful, Mrs. Bing.” Ally held back a laugh as she watched the woman blush. “It’s so nice that he agreed to participate in the play.”

  “Yes, it is.” Mrs. Bing took a deep breath, then waved her hand in front of her face. “I have to calm down, sorry. I get a little overexcited. Anyway, is Charlotte here?”

  “No, I’m sorry. She isn’t coming in until later today.” Ally raised an eyebrow. “Did you need her for something?”

  “No, no. I’ll talk to her about it when I see her.” Mrs. Bing sniffed the aroma of chocolate that drifted out through the door. “I’ll be back soon for some of that delicious candy.”

  “I’ll have coffee ready for you.” Ally winked at her then closed the door. As she returned to the pot of melted chocolate, she couldn’t help but smile. The play had whipped everyone in town into quite a frenzy, thanks mostly to Martin Everly. He had made a name for himself as an actor both in plays and in some television shows. Compared to A-list Hollywood stars he wasn’t well-known, but he had been in quite a few shows and was quite famous. She poured the chocolate into the specialty molds and felt a spark of excitement. Not long ago she lived in a large city, she went out to clubs, everything about her life was fast-paced. Now, she looked forward to a small play that included a few locals. Yes, life was simpler, and so much sweeter. She placed the molds in the refrigerator to chill, then returned to the front of the shop.

  As Ally straightened the toys that lined the shelves, she recalled the buzz of excitement she felt when she stepped onto the stage for the first time as a child. It wasn’t anything that made her want to do it again, but it was nice while she experienced it. The elementary school talent show taught her two things, she loved to sing, but she didn’t love a room full of people staring at her while she did it. While Ally didn’t mind a little attention now and then, most of the time she preferred to blend into the background. Being invisible made it much easier to read the faces and intentions of those around her. When her cell phone buzzed, she checked it and found a text from Luke.

  Can’t wait to see the play with you. Just closed a case, so I should be free.

  Ally smiled at the thought, however she didn’t let
her hopes get too high. She knew that with Luke’s job, he could be called away at a moment’s notice. Still, it warmed her heart to think he wanted to spend the evening with her. She sent him a text in return.

  I’m looking forward to it, too.

  The sound of the bell over the door cut her text short. She looked up as she tucked her phone into her pocket, and spotted her grandmother as she entered the shop.

  “Morning Ally.” Charlotte smiled at her granddaughter as she stepped farther into the shop. The sight of Ally behind the counter always gave her a jolt of happiness. For some time she wondered if Ally would even be interested in taking over the shop, now that she had, she felt their already close relationship, had grown even closer. “It smells great in here, as always.”

  “Doesn’t it?” Ally sniffed the air and smiled in return. “If only we could find a way to bottle it, we’d make a fortune.”

  “We should work on that.” Charlotte laughed as she approached the front counter. “How did your morning go?”

  “Pretty well. Mrs. Bing is incredibly excited that Martin Everly is coming to Blue River.” She poured her grandmother a cup of caramel and cream, one of her favorite coffee flavors.

  “Oh, I don’t doubt it.” Charlotte laughed. “Thanks, sweetheart.” She blew across the top of the coffee. “The whole town is excited. I have to admit, I’m pretty impressed that the acting troupe was able to get him to be in the play. He seems like such a busy person.” She leaned against the counter. “It will certainly give us all something to talk about for some time.”

  “Charlotte!” Mrs. Bing called out louder than the bell over the door could ring as she stepped into the shop. Mrs. White and Mrs. Cale trailed a few steps behind her.

  “Morning.” Charlotte turned to face her three friends. “Bright and early I see.”

  “Always.” Mrs. White smiled.

  “Oh, these two don’t know the value of sleeping in.” Mrs. Cale waved her hand at Mrs. Bing and Mrs. White. “I keep telling them, there will be candy left, let me sleep, but no!”

  “It’s important to wake up early.” Mrs. White shot Mrs. Cale a sharp look. “It is healthy for the body to rise with the sun.”

  “Maybe for your body.” Mrs. Cale perched on a barstool at the counter. “The only thing healthy for my body is coffee, coffee, and more coffee.”

  “Enough. None of that matters right now.” Mrs. Bing grabbed Charlotte’s hand and looked into her eyes. “Charlotte, you absolutely have to say yes.”

  “Say yes to what?” Charlotte studied the woman’s wide eyes, and red cheeks. Clearly, she was worked up about something.

  “The play still needs background actors, and I signed us both up to audition this afternoon.” Mrs. Bing squeezed Charlotte’s hand. “You absolutely must go with me.”

  “Wait, what?” Charlotte’s mind spun as she shook her head. “No thanks, I have no interest in being on stage.”

  “You can’t say no.” Mrs. Bing let go of her hand and crossed her arms. “The only way I’m going to get in is if you are there with me.”

  “Why would you think that?” Charlotte frowned. “You’ll get in on your own just fine.”

  “No, rumor has it that the acting troupe is favoring local business owners to be part of the play. They think the more well-known the person is in the community, the more people will buy tickets. Who is more well-known than Charlotte Sweet?” Mrs. Bing glanced around at the others in the shop. “Am I right?”

  “She’s not wrong, Mee-Maw.” Ally grinned. “I think you’re more of a celebrity around here than Martin Everly.”

  “Nonsense!” Charlotte huffed and walked around behind the counter. “We’re far too busy for me to even consider it.”

  “That’s not true, Mee-Maw. I can handle the shop, and if I get a little behind, I can always do a few extra hours to catch up.”

  “Ally!” Charlotte’s tone sharpened slightly. “As I said, we’re far too busy.”

  “And she said you’re not.” Mrs. Bing pouted. “Won’t you do this for your friend?”

  “She’s right, I heard about it on set.” Mrs. White accepted a cup of coffee from Ally with a smile. “Mrs. Bing’s best chance of getting noticed for a role as an extra is if she goes in there with you.”

  “This is so silly.” Charlotte shook her head.

  “At least say you’ll think about it?” Mrs. Bing met her eyes and held them. “Please, Charlotte, you know us old ladies don’t have that much excitement left in our lives.”

  “Oh please!” Mrs. White chuckled. “You are really laying it on thick.”

  “No excitement left?” Mrs. Cale grinned. “You must be forgetting about Thursday night bingo.”

  “I heard there was a fist fight last week?” Ally raised an eyebrow as she handed Mrs. Cale her cup of coffee.

  “Yes, things got a little out of hand.” Mrs. White frowned. “But you know those two ladies have had a rivalry for quite some time. Those games get so heated.”

  “Bingo?” Ally glanced over at her grandmother. “I think we’ve been missing out, Mee-Maw.”

  “Now listen, if you want to play cutthroat bingo, and be in plays, that’s your business.” Charlotte smiled. “I am perfectly content to spend my evenings at home, in the quiet, with a cup of tea, and my favorite book.”

  “Is that book titled Jeffery?” Mrs. White cut a glance in Charlotte’s direction.

  “Okay enough!” Charlotte laughed.

  “Listen, just come with me.” Mrs. Bing reached for Charlotte’s hand. “I don’t want to try out alone.”

  “You should go, Mee-Maw. It’ll be fun.” Ally winked at her.

  “I’ll think about it.” Charlotte smiled.

  Chapter 2

  A few hours later, Charlotte found herself in borrowed clothes, and surrounded by eager thespians.

  “I can’t believe that you talked me into this.” Charlotte gave Mrs. Bing a sidelong glance. “I should be at the shop with Ally right now, not standing here in this ridiculous get-up.” She flounced the long, peasant skirt she wore.

  “I told you we have to look the part. Even the people in the background can make or break a play.” Mrs. Bing stood on her toes as she attempted to see past the crowd of people collected around the front of the stage. “I think just about all of Blue River is in here today.”

  “Now, that you might be right about.” Charlotte laughed as she gazed at the sea of people. “Are all of these people here to try out as extras?”

  “No, there’s only a few of us. But apparently Martin Everly is signing autographs today.” Mrs. Bing pursed her lips. “Not that I’ll ever be able to get to the front of that line.”

  “Sure, we can.” Charlotte looped her arm around Mrs. Bing’s. “If it’s an autograph you want, it’s an autograph you will get.” She began to make her way through the crowd. When they neared the stage, Charlotte caught sight of Martin. For a brief second, he took her breath away. He was so handsome, with short, black hair and bright blue eyes. He had a presence about him with his tall, muscular frame. All of a sudden Charlotte got very nervous about auditioning for the play.

  “Charlotte, are you all right?” Mrs. Bing peered over at her. “You’ve gone a bit pale.”

  “I’m fine.” Charlotte forced a smile to her lips. “But I think this was a mistake. Get your autograph, Mrs. Bing, but I’m not going to try out to be an extra.”

  “Why? We’ve worked so hard, we found just the right outfits, did our make-up, we—”

  “Hello there.” Martin smiled as he offered his hand to Mrs. Bing. “Would you like an autographed picture?”

  “Oh, would I!” Mrs. Bing gulped and took his hand.

  “Wonderful, but I’ll need that hand back to sign it.” He gave his hand a light tug.

  “Of course, so sorry.” Mrs. Bing giggled and released his hand.

  Charlotte watched as he scrawled his name across a glossy photograph, then handed it to Mrs. Bing.

  “Here you are, lo
ve.”

  “Thank you so much!” Mrs. Bing grinned at Charlotte.

  “And you?” Martin looked towards Charlotte.

  Charlotte stared up at him, where he stood on the stage. She didn’t really want an autograph, but she didn’t want to offend him.

  “Charlotte, do you want an autograph?” Mrs. Bing nudged her with her elbow.

  “Okay, thank you.”

  “Are you going to be in the play?” He crouched down and peered at her outfit.

  “We’re trying out as extras.” Mrs. Bing grabbed Charlotte’s arm. “Aren’t we, Charlotte?”

  “Well, I—” Charlotte began.

  “You’re in. Both of you.” Martin snapped his fingers. “I’ll make sure of it.”

  “Oh, thanks but I—” Charlotte attempted to speak up, before Mrs. Bing interrupted.

  “Thank you so much! You won’t regret it, we’ll be the best extras you’ve ever seen.” Mrs. Bing grinned as she looked over at Charlotte.

  Charlotte sighed, then managed a smile for Mrs. Bing. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to get more involved in an activity outside of making chocolates. But she wasn’t so sure that being on stage would be the best place for her.

  “I guess we’re in.”

  * * *

  After a rush for boxes of chocolates, Ally began to take inventory of what she had left.

  She looked up from the clipboard in her hand in time to see a familiar face peer through the front window of the shop.

  “Christian.” She smiled at him as he stepped inside. “Hot on the trail of a big story?”

  “Maybe I am, maybe I am.” He walked towards the front counter. “Or maybe I was just lured in here by the scent of coffee and chocolate, and that brilliant smile of yours.” He paused in front of the counter.