Pistachio Peril: A Cookie's Creamery Mystery by Kathleen Suzette

Author:Kathleen Suzette [Suzette, Kathleen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2025-05-18T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 10

It was later that afternoon when Veronica Duvall strolled into the ice cream shop, her large sunglasses perched atop her head like a crown and her floral sundress swaying with every confident step. The brass bell above the door jingled cheerfully, but something about her entrance made me pause. There was a lightness in her stride I hadn’t seen before.

Three customers were still in line, and I was dipping a rainbow sherbet cone for a little girl wearing a pink ruffled bikini and dragging a soggy beach towel behind her like a cape. Her mother, tanned and smiling but clearly ready for a nap, waited patiently.

Chloe glanced over at me, catching the same thing I had—Veronica didn’t just look content. She looked victorious. We didn’t say a word to each other; we just quickened our pace, anticipating finding out something important from Veronica.

I handed off the sherbet cone to the little girl, who accepted it with wide eyes and an excited squeal. Her mother thanked me and turned to Chloe, who passed her a small brown bag of cookies and rang up her order.

“Have a great afternoon,” I said, offering a smile as they left.

The next customer, a man in swim trunks and flip-flops with a sunburned nose, stepped up and ordered a double scoop of mint chocolate chip in a waffle cone. I got to work, trying to stay focused, but my thoughts were tangled up in what Estelle had told us earlier. Veronica had seemed unmoved by Joe’s death, and now here she was, all smiles, like she’d just won the lottery.

I tried not to look at the clock, though I could feel its pull. There was still at least another hour left on my shift, and I was already dreaming about kicking off my shoes and putting my feet up. My feet were sore, and I was pretty sure my ponytail was going limp.

When it was finally her turn, Veronica approached the counter with a cheerful bounce in her step.

“Hello, girls!” she said brightly, her eyes twinkling.

I forced a smile, studying her carefully. “Hi, Veronica. How are you doing?” Her demeanor practically glittered, and I couldn’t help but wonder what had her floating instead of grieving.

“I’m doing fantastic,” she said with a laugh, placing her hands on the counter. “You won’t believe this, but I was reading up on the laws about a spouse dying, and even though we weren’t exactly blissfully married, it turns out I really am going to inherit everything Joe owned.”

I blinked. Chloe’s head turned slightly in my direction, and I could feel her eyes on me.

Veronica continued, entirely undeterred. “I mean, I knew we were still legally married, but I didn’t realize how much that would matter. Apparently, it matters a lot.”

I tried to keep my expression neutral. “Well, that’s good news.”

“I think I’ll take a scoop of spumoni, one of pistachio, and hmm... how about one of Rocky Road?” Her grin widened. “Can you believe it? It’s a happy day, and I think three scoops are in order.

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