Chocolate Festival Felony

Mounds of chocolate and plenty of sampling are all but guaranteed when covering the Firefly Chocolate Festival. Sunni Taylor is happy to oblige. The main event of the whole cocoa-y affair is a chocolate sculpting contest. Soon after opening, the festival is marred by accusations of cheating and sabotage, intrigues that take a back seat to something much more disruptive—murder. Sunni has to put down the chocolate salted caramels and chocolate covered toffee and find out who killed the chocolatier. Oh, and here’s an interesting tidbit, dear reader. She won’t be working with her usual favorite detective on this case.

Are we to receive the entire gaggle of silly sisters and friends this afternoon?" Edward swept his long, lean figure away from the window. He had moved so fast some of his image still clung to the tiny sprinkles of dust floating in the air near the kitchen sink. Seconds later, all his particles came back together in one solid (well, semi-solid) picture.
He liked to complain about visitors, but I knew he enjoyed them. As I reminded him, it gave him something to gossip about after they'd left and the house was empty again. He considered it an insult that I compared him to 'chattering old women who hunched over their coffee cups speaking badly about everyone they knew, including each other, whenever the other's back was turned'. I, of course, pointed out that was exactly who he was and added in my feminist point that women weren't the only people who gossiped. He was proof of that.

Redford and Newman beat me to the front door. They nearly knocked Raine over as she entered with her usual pockets of dog treats. She laughed wildly as she handed out the goodies. My sister, Lana, tromped in with a little less enthusiasm. The dusting of gray in her hair looked far more than a dusting today. And the lines around her eyes assured me she was in one of her sullen moods. It was rare for my older sister to be anywhere close to the realm of glum. Her normal mode was high octane with a dash of turbo but not today.

I glanced at Raine to see if I could get an idea about what was going on. She shot back a confused shrug.

"Everything all right, Lana?" I closed the door behind them.

Lana sighed like a teenager who was just told she'd have to wear last year's dress to the prom. "Oh, everything is great, just peachy. Don't I look the very essence of peachy?" she asked. "Look at the gray on top of this head." She scrunched up her face and nose, hopped on tiptoes and stared at my hair. "Nope, don't see any on your head. I guess I was the only one blessed with the old lady genes. And look at this face." She pointed at her chin. "I loved Pop and I thought he was the most handsome Pop in the neighborhood, but now, when I look in the mirror, I see him. I'm growing old and starting to look like Pop. How is that possible? Oh, wait, I know. It's because like our dear old dad, I just work and work and when I'm done with work, do you know what I do?" she asked.

"Uh? Sleep?" I said, being the unhelpful younger sister.

Her laugh crisscrossed the entry, bouncing sharply off each wall before landing with a solid thud in the middle. "Sleep? I only experience that luxury when I've finished all my calls, emails and paperwork."

A light knock on the door let us know Emily had arrived with her chocolate samples. We were all invited to a taste testing of the delicious candies Emily was making for the Firefly Chocolate Festival. (Alas, it was quite the sacrifice, but I agreed to the task.)

"Raine, could you help Em with her chocolates." I nodded slightly toward Lana. "I'm going to get Lana a cup of coffee."

My sister followed along with heavy footsteps and a much more slump-y posture than usual. It always made me anxious to see my uber-confident, never flustered sister looking like a little kid who just got told Christmas was cancelled. Edward was still in the kitchen when we entered.

"Oh my, someone looks like their pony died. What's happened?" Edward asked. Gossipy old ghost that he was, he looked thrilled about the prospect of drama.

I scowled to remind him that I could not speak freely in front of Lana. Now that both Jackson and Raine were in on my major secret, Edward tended to forget that there was still a whole other world of people who had no idea he existed.

"Have a seat, Lana. I just brewed some coffee. Thought it would taste good between the bites of chocolate. Em said she made chocolate covered salted caramels." I hoped the reminder of the wonderful job before us would cheer her up. Instead, she plopped down on the kitchen chair as if she had no muscles in her legs to control movements.

"How pathetic is my life?" she muttered. "When Em asked me to join in, I wrote it down on my social calendar and realized that it was the only thing on my social calendar. Tasting chocolates with my sisters is the highlight of my year."

"Soo…" I said, slowly. "Is that a bad thing? I was so excited when Em texted about this event that I didn't even need to write it down. I knew I wouldn't forget."

The heavenly aroma of chocolate swirled down the hallway into the kitchen. Emily and Raine followed it, each with baking pans stacked two high. "I see the whole team is here. Myrna just pulled up to the house." Emily laughed lightly. It didn't take her long to notice Lana's mood. "Uh oh, what's wrong with Eeyore?" she asked, unfortunately.

"Hey, Em," Lana said weakly. "I'm just rethinking my entire existence and asking the question 'what's this all for?'"

Emily's smooth brow lifted. "It's for the Firefly Chocolate Festival. I thought that was obvious."

Raine snickered as she placed the baking trays on the table.

"I think our sister is questioning something far more existential than the chocolate festival." I placed the cup of coffee down in front of Lana. "There's a term for what you're experiencing, Lana. It's called burnout. And, frankly, I think we all saw this coming except you. You work too hard, and you never take a break."

Myrna entered the kitchen. "Hope you don't mind I let myself in, and if we're talking burnout at work count me in." Myrna took one of the empty seats and rubbed her hands together as she waited for the chocolates. "I've been waiting all day for this." She had mentioned she'd be dropping by after dance rehearsal. She was still wearing a pair of pink leggings and a long sweater.

Emily placed the trays on the table too. "I've been telling you for a long time that you need a full-time assistant."

Lana tilted her face up to Emily. "Look who's talking? You've got the farm and the full-time blog and recipes and chocolate festivals." She waved her hand over the trays of goodies, then sat forward with the first smile since her arrival. "Oh my gosh, is that chocolate covered toffee?" She reached for a square of toffee. The chocolate coating was smooth and glossy and dotted with tiny chunks of almonds.

I settled everyone with a glass of water for palate cleansing between treats and a cup of coffee to help savor the deliciousness. Lana's dilemma was still being discussed as I sat down to join everyone. Edward had vanished, but I had no doubt he was still in the kitchen. Raine glanced around rather conspicuously several times, hoping to catch a glimpse of her incorporeal crush. She still hadn't mastered the art of being subtle in Edward's presence. Lana was too steeped in her own woes to notice, and Emily was busy placing homemade peanut butter cups on plates. She'd topped the massive chocolate cups with flaky sea salt and chopped peanuts.

Myrna smiled at Raine. "Are we expecting someone else?" she asked.

Raine realized she was being obvious. "No, I was just checking out the kitchen. I'm thinking of doing a remodel in mine." Raine flipped her face toward Lana. "You need to take some time off." Raine picked up the peanut butter cup. All reasonable conversation in the kitchen ended and a series of blissful moans followed.

I licked a bit of chocolate off my fingertip. "Em, these are the best."

"Just divine," Myrna cooed.

"But you haven't tried the other three samples," Emily noted.

"Yes, and those will be the best too, but this peanut butter cup is beyond description. You've even put a smile on Eeyore's face."

Lana had her eyes closed as she savored the taste. "So good." Her brown eyes opened. "I think I'll close down the business and just work as Emily's full-time taste tester." It seemed Emily's treats had popped Lana out of her pity party. "Yep, my mind is made up. Official taste tester in Emily's kitchen. I'll just call all the clients penciled in for the next six months and tell them they'll have to find a new party planner because I'm going to spend the rest of my days eating delectable goodies."

"Why don't you just black out some days on your calendar," Raine suggested. "That's what I do when I need a break from the Tarot cards and tea leaves. I draw a thick black line around days on the calendar, and that reminds me not to schedule any appointments on those days."

"That's a good idea." I finished the peanut butter cup but was going in with a fingertip to pick up all the crumbs left behind. My phone rang on the counter behind the table.
Emily was still on her feet. She glanced at the phone. "It's Jackson." She picked up. "Hey, Jax, it's Em. Sunni is busy licking chocolate off her fingertips. Hold on just a second."

I wiped clean my fingers and took the phone. "You are missing our chocolate extravaganza, but I'm sure I can persuade Em to leave some treats behind for you."

"That would be greatly appreciated, which leads me to my reason for calling. I'm going to come over after work." He paused. "I've got a big surprise."

"Oh really? A big surprise?" The phrase yanked everyone's attention toward me. I shrugged to let them know I had no idea what the surprise would be. "Then I'm looking forward to seeing you."

"Ah, I see, otherwise, you wouldn't have been looking forward to seeing me?"

"Well, you know me with my busy social calendar. Just hurry with the surprise. See you later."

"Ok, and save me some chocolates. Bye."

I hung up. The girls were still staring at me. "What surprise?" Raine asked.

"If I knew then it would no longer be a surprise. He didn't say."

Lana sat forward. "It's a ring. He's going to propose. I have been designing this wedding reception in my head since you two got serious. I'm thinking a pink and gold theme, with lots of roses and shiny pink and gold balloons."

Myrna gasped with excitement and dropped her peanut butter cup onto the plate.

"He's not bringing a ring. And that sounds more like a sweet sixteen birthday. Let's not get ahead of ourselves," I said briskly before the unsubstantiated rumor took off around the room like a rocket.

"But what else could it be?" Emily asked. "How was he acting? Was he—what's the word—"

"Cagey?" Raine asked.

Emily shook her head. "Don't think that was the word I was looking for. Was he nervous or hesitant?"

"No, he was just his usual self, only he said he had a big surprise."

Lana slapped the table. "Silver and teal. They look great together, and we'll hire some food trucks with an assortment of foods for guests to choose from. The food truck thing is all the rage right now."

"Yes, well you'll be lacking an actual bridal couple because, and, I'm not sure why I'm having to point this out, there's been no proposal."

"I agree with your sisters and Raine," Myrna said with no factual evidence to back up her agreement.

Emily placed a piece of toffee on each plate. She was wearing a giddy grin. "I think the girls are right. Jax is going to propose."

"Preposterous," Edward said from the hearth. I kept my cool and ignored him, but Raine's face popped up excitedly. Both Lana and Emily twisted back to see what she was looking at.

Lana turned back around. "Don't tell me you're seeing ghosts again, Raine." She giggled as she pushed the toffee between her lips and took a loud, crunchy bite.

Raine gave me an apologetic smile. She was still new to the whole Edward popping in and out thing, so it was easy to forgive her. I'd gotten myself into more than one awkward predicament with Edward suddenly showing up while I had guests.

"I think we should continue with our important task of eating chocolate." I picked up the toffee. It was a weighty little square, brown sugar toffee robed in thick dark chocolate. I was about to take a bite when the previous topic of conversation finally settled in on me. I looked at the others "Do you really think it could be a ring?"

They cheerily nodded and nibbled chocolates, visions of wedding fairies dancing in their heads.

"Absolutely preposterous," Edward said again. This time Raine kept her cool, but I was losing mine. Were the girls right? Was Jackson going to propose?