Five-minute Cozy Mini Mysteries by Martin Loretta

Author:Martin, Loretta
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-09-18T00:00:00+00:00

Solution: Lethal Landscape

Gladys described footprints “clearly indicating” the killer left, meaning prints going in one direction— away from the door. The sheriff’s notes, however, mentioned “uneven footprints.” Some impressions were superimposed due to the killer arriving and leaving, but several undisturbed prints showed one foot sinking deeper into the snow than the other. That would happen only in the case of someone who limped—someone like Maggie Pierce.

Secret Bunny

Esther, is anything wrong?” Mrs. Hardy, the head librarian, asked during a lull at the public library’s front desk. Once again, she’d caught Esther Garcia gazing absentmindedly while clients waited in line.

Esther was preoccupied with the curious events of the past six days. While leaving for work, she’d found a total, so far, of three Easter baskets left on her front porch overnight, the donor anonymous. Each basket contained a hand-printed note: “From a bunny ‘hopping’ to win you over.”

The first basket contained a cellophane-wrapped lamb cake. The second one was filled with a dozen fresh-cut daffodils. Inside the third was a hollow chocolate bunny in a gold foil box.

“Obviously a secret admirer, and Easter’s next week. It’s a love story in the making,” Mrs. Hardy, who loved romance novels, gushed after Esther explained.

“They must have been left after I’d gone to bed. I wonder who it could be.”

“Someone too shy to come forward,” she said before her attention was required elsewhere.

As usual, Esther spent her lunch break at Bonner’s Diner with her best friend, Winifred (“Winnie”) Davenport, whom she’d told about the anonymous gifts.

“I bet it’s Gerald,” Winnie said, referring to the diner’s owner.

“That’s crazy. We’ve been friends for years. He and Carlos went to school together,” she said, glancing at Gerald sitting at the register reading a book.

“Am I the only one who thinks you should have someone special in your life again?”

Three years ago, Esther’s husband, Carlos, died from a sudden heart attack. Now most of her time was spent with work, volunteering, yoga, gardening, and her book club.

“Winnie, I’m still getting used to being a widow.”

“Speaking of widows, maybe it’s Everett Dyson. His wife died last year. As a pastry chef, he’d know his way around a lamb cake.”

“But why Easter? Why now?”

“Spring fever? New beginnings?”

“The secrecy’s so weird.”

“What about that new guy across the street from you? You met him, right? He’d know you’re in bed once your lights go off. Eeeww, a night-walking basket case!”

She’d had had no reason to mention that the other day, as she was heading out for work, her new neighbor, Farley Holmes, flagged her down to introduce his partner, Devin Pierce. The two held hands and wore matching robes.

“Um, I doubt it. I’d better get back to work. I’ll figure it out later.

“Okay, Ms. Sherlock, let me know when you cracked the case.”

Saturday morning, Esther and Everett ended up next to each other in the post office line.

“Do you know anything about Easter baskets left on my porch during the night?” she asked.

“Well, I could be your bunny, if the job’s open.”

“That’s not an answer.

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