Deadly Pumpkin Slice (A Sinful Sweets Cozy Mystery) Read Online Free PDF Page A

the first set of pumpkin pies out of the oven when Levi walked through the front door. “Hi Maple,” he crooned.
     
    “This is it, get something out of him,” Grace whispered and Sydney went to the counter.
     
    “Hey Levi. How’d Wendy like her visit to the city and meeting with the state legislators?” Sydney asked, remembering her first customers from the previous morning.
     
    “Morning Sydney. She loved it. But I think it scared her out of politics for life!”
     
    Sydney was surprised to see him back to his usual self and not at all distracted like the previous day.
     
    “All it took was one visit?” she asked.
     
    “Yeah. All the budget talks were enough to scare her off. They got to sit in on a session and I think most of them ended up just surfing on their phones.”
     
    “That’s all it’d take for me, too,” Sydney agreed. “What can I get you today?”
     
    “What do you have for muffins?”
     
    “We have pumpkin—everything pumpkin right now!—and apple cinnamon. If you put in a request, I could make something different for tomorrow.” He seemed to flinch when she mentioned pumpkin.
     
    “I’ll take an apple cinnamon. And a coffee.”
     
    “Coming right up.” As Sydney turned her back to fill the coffee cup he’d handed her, she remembered that he’d ordered half a dozen pumpkin pies a week earlier. “How’d those pies go over that you ordered last week?”
     
    “They were a hit! Thanks. That’s why I had another one yesterday. I don’t know what you do, but it’s magical the way you can get the perfect bit of sweetness into each one. I’m just a little pumpkined out today.”
     
    Maybe he knows about the poisoned pies , Sydney thought to herself, making sure not to reveal anything in her expression.
     
    “Glad to hear they were a success. Who’d you get them for? I can always surprise someone with another one for their birthday or something,” Sydney asked, trying not to be too obvious that she was checking his story.
     
    “Leah and I were celebrating our forth wedding anniversary and our parents came over to celebrate with us. Her mom’s gluten free so it was extra nice that she could enjoy them.”
     
    “I’m glad to hear it. What about the kids?” Sydney asked, realizing that with six adults, Wendy wouldn’t have been able to have dessert.
     
    “She’s not a pie kind of person, something about the texture. We got her one of your delicious donuts.”
     
    Sydney remembered now, there had been a donut with his order.
     
    “Happy to hear I can provide something for everyone,” Sydney said with a smile. “Hey, did you hear about Aaron’s death?” she asked, realizing she’d have to be more direct to get him to tell her about his relationship with the deceased.
     
    “Just heard it on the radio this morning. It’s a shame really.”
     
    “You guys grew up together, right?”
     
    “Yup, over in Westhedge.”
     
    “You still kept in touch with him?”
     
    “Not since he egged my parents’ house in college as some Halloween prank.”
     
    Sydney was surprised by his calm demeanor after the fight she’d seen them have years earlier. She wasn’t quite ready to cross him off her suspect list, but she’d have to dig deeper to find out what else had happened in their past.
     
    Four more customers came in. “Have a great day,” Levi said with a smile and turned to go.
     
    “Thanks, you too!” Sydney responded cheerily. “Morning,” she greeted her new customers. “What can I get you?”
     
    Sydney took orders, constantly on the lookout for Allison. By noon, she wasn’t hopeful Grace would be able to question the librarian.
     
    For the second day in a row, just before closing, Sydney was surprised by who entered. Mia walked in, childless. It was rare that she didn’t have Aiden balanced on one hip, chasing after Ariel while Addison was at school.
     
    “Mia, what brings you in today?” Sydney asked. Since Mia had handed the