Waffles and Weekends Read online

  Copyright © Leena Clover, Author 2018

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, organizations and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Waffles and Weekends – Pelican Cove Cozy Mystery Series Book 5

  By Leena Clover

  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

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

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  Books by Leena Clover

  Strawberries and Strangers – Pelican Cove Cozy Mystery Book 1

  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CSW34GB/

  Cupcakes and Celebrities – Pelican Cove Cozy Mystery Book 2

  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CYX5TNR

  Berries and Birthdays – Pelican Cove Cozy Mystery Book 3

  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D7GG8KV

  Sprinkles and Skeletons – Pelican Cove Cozy Mystery Book 4

  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DW91NKG

  Gone with the Wings – Meera Patel Cozy Mystery Book 1

  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071WHNM6K

  A Pocket Full of Pie - Meera Patel Cozy Mystery Book 2

  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072Q7B47P/

  For a Few Dumplings More - Meera Patel Cozy Mystery Book 3

  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072V3T2BV

  Back to the Fajitas - Meera Patel Cozy Mystery Book 4

  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0748KPTLM

  Christmas with the Franks – Meera Patel Cozy Mystery Book 5

  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077GXR4WS/

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  Chapter 1

  Jenny King’s cheeks flamed with embarrassment as she observed her friend Heather over the rim of her wine glass.

  It was Valentine’s weekend and the four couples had met for dinner at The Steakhouse, Pelican Cove’s only fancy restaurant. Jenny, Heather and Molly were close friends. Jenny considered Jason Stone a friend too. He was the only lawyer in Pelican Cove and was currently dating another lawyer from the city. He had pursued Jenny for a while after she came to live in Pelican Cove. But Jenny had made her choice. She looked up into the blue eyes of her date. Adam Hopkins, the sheriff of Pelican Cove smiled back at her.

  Heather Morse cuddled with a man much older than herself. She had been dating Gianni Costa, Dr. Gianni Costa, for the past few months. The flamboyant fiftyish man had set up shop as soon as he moved to the small seaside town. He flirted outrageously with his patients, most of whom were older ladies who liked being flattered by the silver-tongued Casanova.

  Jenny watched as Heather engaged in behavior her grandmother would not approve of. Adam nudged her and cleared his throat.

  “What did you do last night?” Jenny asked her friend Molly.

  “Chris and I had a romantic dinner at home. We didn’t want to spend our first Valentine’s Day at a restaurant.”

  “We went for a canoe ride after that,” Chris beamed, looking lovingly at Molly. “Molly loves those.”

  Jason’s date spoke up.

  “We went to a hot new restaurant in town. I know the chef personally. He’s about to get his first Michelin star.”

  “The weekend’s going great, then,” Jenny said happily. “Don’t forget you are all coming to Seaview tomorrow.”

  “Isn’t it a bit cold for a barbecue?” Kandy, the city lawyer, asked.

  “We’ll have a fire going in the pit,” Jason assured her. “Seaview is a great place to be, any time of the year.”

  Jenny still couldn’t believe she was the proud owner of a sea facing mansion. Dumped by her husband of twenty years, she had grabbed her aunt’s invitation like a lifeline and come to visit her in the small seaside town of Pelican Cove. A barrier island off the coast of Virginia, Pelican Cove was the perfect place to lick her wounds. Jenny’s aunt Star had let her wallow for a few weeks and urged her to start working at the local café. Neither of them knew she was going to be a big success. Jenny had started baking and cooking with the local produce and turned the Boardwalk Café around. Tourists flocked to the café to taste the delectable treats Jenny created on a regular basis.

  “Your parties are legendary, Jenny,” Heather nodded. “Gianni and I can’t wait for tomorrow.”

  “Have you settled in at Seaview?” Molly asked Jenny.

  Jenny had been charmed by the big three story house adjoining her aunt’s cottage. She had bought the house with her divorce settlement and spent a big sum of money renovating it. The discovery of a skeleton in her garden had been unexpected. But Jenny had soldiered on and moved into the house with her aunt.

  “It’s a great house,” Jenny told her friend. “I’m loving it more each day.”

  “And having Adam there helps,” Heather remarked with a wink.

  When Jenny first came to Pelican Cove, Adam and Jason had both fallen for her. Jenny found herself pursued by two handsome, eligible men. They were as different as chalk and cheese. Jenny had chosen to date Adam, the more unpredictable of the two.

  “Adam’s living on the third floor,” Jenny said curtly. “It’s not what you think.”

  “Why do you protest so much?” Heather pouted. “I don’t care where he lives. By the way, as far as appearances go, you two live in the same house.”

  Adam grew uncomfortable. He tucked a finger in his collar and tried to loosen it. His roof had fallen in a few weeks ago and he had been forced to move out. Jenny had insisted he stay at Seaview until his house was fixed. Their living arrangement had set tongues wagging. Jenny told him she didn’t care what people said.

  “Let’s not talk about ‘appearances’, Heather,” Jenny fumed.

  “Simmer down, you two,” Jason Stone said lightly. He gave Jenny a knowing look. “Are you denying you and Adam are a couple?”

  “Jenny’s just being a good friend,” Adam protested. “I would have come and lived with you, Jason. But you didn’t offer.”

  Dr. Gianni Costa looked bored with the conversation.

  “Basta!” he exclaimed. “How about another round of drinks? They are on me.”

  He ordered an expensive bottle of wine for the table. Dr. Costa had plenty of money and he believed in spending it.

  “I am looking forward to this party at your home,” he told Jenny. “I want to see this spot where they found that skeleton.”

  “There’s nothing to look at there,” Jenny said bluntly. “We put a water fountain on the spot.”

  The bottle of wine arrived and Dr. Costa and Heather drank most of it. He insisted on getting the check.

  “My treat,” he told the others. “You can pay next time.”

  Heather stumbled out of the restaurant with the good doctor, both of them swaying a bit.

  “I hope y
ou’re not driving,” Adam said anxiously. “Can I give you a ride somewhere?”

  He had opted to be the designated driver for the group.

  “We want to walk home,” Heather slurred. “It’s such a beautiful night.”

  “Not more beautiful than you, my pet,” Gianni Costa murmured.

  He clutched Heather’s hand in his and waved goodbye to the group.

  “Ciao friends,” he cried with a big smile on his face. “Heather and I have our own little party planned.”

  He took a couple of steps and stumbled. He let out a burp and Heather giggled.

  “You’re totally wasted, Heather,” Jenny clucked, shaking her head. “Maybe we should see you home safely.”

  “I’m going to Gianni’s,” Heather whispered in her ear. “You go have fun with Adam.”

  There was another round of goodbyes and the group finally dispersed. Adam drove Chris and Molly home.

  “You think she’ll be alright?” Molly asked Jenny.

  “She’s thirty five, Molls, not thirteen,” Jenny said with a sigh. “I think she can take care of herself.”

  “Heather’s changed a lot, hasn’t she?” Chris muttered.

  Chris Williams had been in love with Heather Morse since third grade. Everyone knew they had an understanding. Heather had shocked everyone the previous summer by deciding to date other people. Chris had found himself falling for Molly, the shy, soft spoken librarian. Chris and Molly found they had a deep connection. They were very much in love.

  “What does Heather see in Gianni?” Jenny wondered, her frustration evident in her voice.

  Jenny and Adam watched a movie after getting home. Adam had let her pick Casablanca in honor of the special weekend.

  Jenny hummed a tune as she mixed some batter for her special waffles the next morning. The café opened a bit later than usual on Sunday. Most of her regular customers turned up for breakfast, eager to indulge in whatever sinful treat Jenny dished up.

  Jenny greeted Captain Charlie as she threw open the doors of the café. He was her favorite customer, always first in line when the café opened.

  “Got those waffles?” he asked her. “I’ve been dreaming about having them for breakfast.”

  Jenny brought out a platter with hot waffles drizzled with a fresh berry sauce. Captain Charlie smacked his lips as he cut into his food.

  “Delicious!” he pronounced after the first bite.

  “Do you want chocolate sauce too?” Jenny asked him. “Or some chocolate covered strawberries? I saved some for you.”

  Jenny chatted with people as she offered them a choice of fresh berry sauce or melted chocolate to top their waffles. Some opted for both.

  Jenny’s friends began walking in around eleven. They were an odd group of women, young and old. Betty Sue Morse, Heather’s grandmother, was the unopposed leader of the pack. She was a force to reckon with even in her eighties. Jenny’s aunt Star and café owner Petunia Clark formed the rest of the old guard. Jenny, Molly and Heather provided the young blood, although at 45, Jenny was much older than Heather and Molly. The ladies called themselves the Magnolias and met at the café every morning.

  Betty Sue was busy with her knitting as usual. All the Magnolias were dressed warmly because they wanted to sit out on the deck. The café’s deck sat right on the sand, facing the Atlantic Ocean.

  “How was Valentine’s Day?” Betty Sue’s voice boomed. “I hope you girls are behaving yourself?”

  Molly blushed prettily, making Petunia and Star laugh.

  “Chris and I can’t wait for the barbecue at Jenny’s,” Molly said. “You are coming, aren’t you, Betty Sue?”

  “Of course I am,” Betty Sue nodded. “I am looking forward to it.”

  “Why don’t you invite John?” Star asked.

  John Newbury was Betty Sue’s estranged husband. Betty Sue turned red at the mention of his name.

  “Why would I do that?” she sputtered.

  “It is Valentine’s weekend,” Star teased. “Don’t you want to spend some time with your honey?”

  The older ladies proceeded to tease Betty Sue mercilessly. Jenny thought it was cute how Betty Sue broke out in a sweat every time her husband was mentioned.

  “Where’s Heather?” Molly asked innocently.

  Jenny shook her head meaningfully and tried to warn Molly. But Betty Sue had already heard her.

  “She’s fast asleep in her bed,” Betty Sue complained. “Wouldn’t budge. I had to take Tootsie for her walk myself.” She looked at Jenny and Molly inquiringly. “How come you two look so fresh? Didn’t Heather get any sleep at all last night?”

  Jenny hastily changed the subject.

  “Did Chris give you a gift, Molly?”

  Molly leaned forward and showed them a new pair of earrings she was wearing. The ladies exclaimed over the heart shaped jewelry.

  “Did Adam get you anything?” Molly asked.

  Jenny smiled and shook her head. She hadn’t expected fancy jewelry but she had hoped Adam would get her a memento of some kind. He had brought her breakfast in bed, along with a posy of her favorite roses from the garden at Seaview. Jenny told herself she didn’t need fancy gifts. She had received enough of those from her ex-husband. They had meant nothing in the end.

  She felt her heart skip a beat and looked around. Adam strode along the beach and ran up the café steps.

  “Hello ladies,” he greeted them.

  His eyes softened as they met Jenny’s. Adam looked apologetic. Jenny knew that look. She braced herself for what Adam would say next.

  “Where is Heather?” Adam asked Betty Sue.

  “Don’t ask!” Betty Sue said with a roll of her eyes. “She’s sleeping like the dead.”

  “Funny you should say that,” Adam said tersely.

  The Magnolias were staring at him now.

  “Spit it out,” Star said. “You have some bad news.”

  “Gianni died in his sleep last night.”

  A collective gasp went through the group.

  “Are you sure?” Molly burst out. “Maybe he’s just passed out.”

  “I am sure, Molly,” Adam said with a sigh. “I need to talk to Heather.”

  Jenny sat down with a thump. They had all seen Heather go home with Gianni Costa. She had probably been the last person to see him alive. One of the last people, Jenny corrected herself.

  “How did he die?” she asked Adam fearfully.

  Adam’s brow furrowed as he answered her.

  “It’s too early to say, but looks like he was drugged.”

  Betty Sue had put her knitting down for a change. She had been trying to get a word in.

  “What does Heather have to do with that flashy doctor? She barely knew him.”

  Chapter 2

  Jenny walked to the police station with a wicker basket on her arm. The lunch rush at the café had died down and she was off to have lunch with Adam. She had packed chicken rolls and slices of carrot cake.

  Adam Hopkins sat with one leg propped up on a chair. He was a veteran who had been deployed in war zones. He had been shot in the leg and still struggled with the old injury. He had a mercurial temper which flared every time his leg bothered him.

  “How are you, Jenny?” He had a special smile for her.

  Although Adam and Jenny lived in the same house, their work schedules were such that they barely saw each other.

  “Hungry?” Jenny asked, unpacking the basket.

  Adam took a big bite of the roll and gave her a thumbs up.

  “Yum! What is it?”

  “It’s a new Asian style chicken recipe I am trying out,” Jenny explained, taking a dainty bite of her own sandwich.

  They made some small talk while they ate. Adam finally polished off the last bite of cake and wiped his mouth with a tissue. He gave Jenny a grave look.

  “I got some news about Mrs. Bones.”

  ‘Mrs. Bones’ was the nickname Jenny and the girls had assigned the skeleton that had been discover
ed in Jenny’s backyard. For a long time, Jenny and her friends had believed that the skeleton belonged to a missing girl from the area. That theory had been shot down. Now Jenny suspected something else.

  “Tell me, quick.”

  “It’s a woman, as you already know,” Adam began. “A woman about fifty years old. She’s been buried for thirty some years.”

  “Anything else?” Jenny asked with bated breath.

  “They found a broken collar bone, probably a childhood injury.”

  Jenny’s eyes shone with excitement.

  “Finally, something we can verify. Betty Sue might know about this.”

  “Do you really believe that’s Lily?” Adam asked.

  Jenny nodded sadly. The tragic history of Seaview flashed before her eyes. Seaview had been home to the Davis family, one of the pioneer families of Pelican Cove. Old man Davis had lived there with his entire family. A big storm had wiped out most of them, leaving only his daughter Lily, his son’s wife and his grandson alive. Ann Davis, the son’s wife, had taken her baby and Lily and moved away. Lily came back thirty years later with her husband and children. But tragedy struck again. Lily lost her daughter to a freak virus. Then Lily herself disappeared one night. The general impression in town had been that Lily abandoned her family and ran away with another man. As more information surfaced about the skeleton, Jenny was sure Lily had met an untimely end.

  “She’s the only fiftyish woman who went missing from these parts,” Jenny reminded Adam. “And no one heard from her again.”

  “You know what you are implying?” Adam asked, leaning back in his chair.

  He pulled a bottle of pills from a drawer and tried to unscrew the top. Jenny took the bottle and opened it for him.

  “Lily was killed,” Jenny said flatly. She looked impatient as Adam popped a couple of pills in his mouth and washed them down with a sip of water. “That’s obvious, isn’t it? She didn’t bury herself in my garden.”

  “You may be right,” Adam continued. “Someone bashed her head in.”

  “Poor Lily,” Jenny mumbled.

  “One more mystery for you to solve, huh?” Adam teased.

  “Aren’t you going to tell me to stay out of it?” Jenny asked with surprise.