Sweets, Sleuths, and Scoops: A Pumpkin Hollow Candy Store Mystery by Kathleen Suzette

Author:Kathleen Suzette [Suzette, Kathleen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2025-09-23T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

Later that afternoon, we stopped by Frankie’s flower shop. I pushed the door open and we stepped inside, and the warm fragrance of roses, lilies, and freshly cut greenery hung in the air. Buckets of blooms in every shade imaginable filled the cooler. Frankie’s shop had always been a cheerful place, making even the grumpiest customer smile. That was the Frankie I knew, and I found it difficult to believe she could have murdered anyone. But the thought of her fingerprints being found on the wire spool nagged at me.

Frankie was at the counter, waiting on a customer —a woman with a spray of daisies clutched in her hand. Frankie gave us a little wave, and I smiled, lifting my hand in return. She looked the same as always, her dark hair pulled back into a tidy ponytail, her apron smudged faintly with green from stems she had cut. I wanted to believe that a woman who created beauty all day long couldn’t possibly harbor the kind of darkness it would take to kill someone.

Christy and I wandered over to the display of candles, arranged on a small table near the front window. The ginger jars and farmhouse-style labels gave the section a cozy charm. I picked up a cinnamon and nutmeg scented one, twisted the lid off, and inhaled deeply.

“Oh my gosh, this smells so good.” The scent was warm and spicy, reminding me of baking cookies on a cold afternoon. I held it out to Christy, who leaned closer and closed her eyes as she breathed in.

She gave a dreamy smile. “I think I’m going to have to get that one. It smells so good.”

I chuckled and handed it to her before picking up another candle with a tan label. “Oh my, if you want to smell cookies baking, you’ve got to try this one.”

She leaned in again and groaned happily. “Oatmeal raisin cookies. I can actually smell the baked oatmeal in it. Wow, Devon’s going to have a fit when I bring home a bunch of candles. I can already hear the lecture coming.”

Her grin was contagious, and I laughed. “Be sure to tell him it’s all my fault.” I set the candle down and picked up another, this one labeled sugar cookie. The scent made my mouth water. “Oh wow, this is it. I have got to get this candle.” I clutched it like a prize and then reached for one marked plum cobbler. The fragrance was sweet and fruity, with just a hint of something buttery underneath. “I don’t know how they make these smell so good. I can actually smell the cobbler in this one.”

Christy chuckled and shook her head. “Right? We’ve got to learn how to make candles like this. Maybe we could be a candy and candle shop.”

I gave her a mock-stern look. “No. We’re going to stay in our lane and make candy, and then we’ll come down here to buy candles. That way, we get the best of both worlds.

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