Lavender and Lies
Lavender and Lies
Port Danby Cozy Mystery #11
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 345+ 5-Star Reviews
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Synopsis
Synopsis
There's a new man in town, Lionel Dexter, an eligible, handsome bachelor who has taken up residence in a Chesterton mansion. He quickly wins over many hearts, including Kate Yardley's, the stylish, man crazy owner of the Mod Frock Boutique. Much to everyone's chagrin, it turns out Lionel is quite the scoundrel. Soon, jealousy and heartbreak flood the town. When the town's newest hot commodity winds up dead, Lacey joins her boyfriend, Detective Briggs on a quest to find the killer. Could it be a jilted lover or was there more to Lionel than broad shoulders, graying temples and a blinding white smile?
There's a new man in town, Lionel Dexter, an eligible, handsome bachelor who has taken up residence in a Chesterton mansion. He quickly wins over many hearts, including Kate Yardley's, the stylish, man crazy owner of the Mod Frock Boutique. Much to everyone's chagrin, it turns out Lionel is quite the scoundrel. Soon, jealousy and heartbreak flood the town. When the town's newest hot commodity winds up dead, Lacey joins her boyfriend, Detective Briggs on a quest to find the killer. Could it be a jilted lover or was there more to Lionel than broad shoulders, graying temples and a blinding white smile?
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "I loved the latest in this series!! I love all the characters, the plots are always very good and I love her writing style. I feel like I know these people (and that is a good thing.)" - Amazon Reviewer
Book 11 of the Port Danby Cozy Mystery series
Chapter 1 Look Inside
Chapter 1 Look Inside
My feet practically pranced along the sidewalk, an unusually enthusiastic stride for a Monday morning, but the beautiful day required it. For me there was nothing more invigorating and uplifting than a crisp fall day with an azure blue sky. The air was filled with a brisk salty scent and the comforting aroma of Les's pumpkin spice coffee. Monday or not, there was just no way to be gloomy when we were surrounded by swirls of autumn. It was late enough in the season that most of the brilliant yellows and oranges had darkened to reds and browns. Soon, most of the color would be gone, leaving behind only the hearty verdant green of the tall pines on the outskirts of town. Then, winter would rear its frosty head and trigger our instinctual quest for coziness. Briggs always found it humorous that I looked forward to the inconvenient ice and wind of winter, but as I'd explained to him many times, bitter cold always brought with it the promise of hot cocoa, roaring fires and cuddles under thick, flannel blankets. And that was never a bad thing. Even he had to admit the cuddling under thick blankets was a definite check on the positive side when it came to winter.
My tall, perpetually handsome neighbor, Dash, came around the corner from the Coffee Hutch just as I reached the door to my flower shop. Kingston recognized him instantly and hopped along the sidewalk toward him in hopes of garnering a treat.
Dash stopped and stared down at my pushy crow. "Sorry, buddy, this extra coffee is for your mom."
I squeaked a little in excitement. "I hoped that was the case, only I didn't want to assume and make an—well, you know." I reached for the hot cup of coffee. Fragrant molecules of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg clung to the curl of steam hovering over the cup. I took a sip and made the obligatory sigh. "So yummy." I peered up at Dash. He was wearing a blue and green flannel shirt, a good look for him. Although, everything looked nice on him. Now that Briggs had finally accepted that Dash and I were friends, Dash and I had grown closer again. He was, after all, my neighbor, and frankly, there was nothing more disagreeable and awkward than disliking your neighbor. Dash had brutally betrayed Briggs some years earlier and I would never feel quite the same about him, but it was much more pleasant being on friendly terms. Life was just too short for anxiety and dismay.
I took one more sip. "Les is the king of coffee roasters."
I turned back to unlock the door. Kingston elbowed, or winged, past us and headed for his perch in the shop window. The entire store was bathed with the perfumed scent of gardenias. Ryder and I had spent the last week making arrangements for a wedding, and the gardenias were what I liked to call the main event in the bridal bouquets.
It wasn't an easy week, considering just how fragrant gardenias are, especially if you're cutting, pruning and manipulating them to fit in a bouquet. My hypersensitive nose prompted me to leave the shop to clear my head at least five times. Fortunately, my perfectly wonderful floral assistant, Ryder, stepped in whenever the perfume overwhelmed me.
Dash had put down his coffee to search for the treat can on the work island. "I think if I walk out of here without giving that bird a snack, he'll shun me forever."
I smiled. "You're probably right. King is very good at the whole cold shoulder routine. The can is on the second shelf, below the ribbon spools." I pulled off my coat and carried my things back to the office. I turned on my computer and headed back out.
Dash was talking to Kingston, letting him know that he would always carry a treat in his pocket from now on, for emergencies. The crow was already far too absorbed in breaking open the peanut shell to hear the promise.
"So it's official," Dash said, sounding slightly sad.
"What? That my bird really only cares about treats?"
He laughed quietly. "No, I was talking about Britney. She's going back to Paris. She got the internship with the big pastry chef." Dash wasn't the type of person to frown, but he was definitely close to it. Dash and Elsie's niece, Britney, a beautiful, young woman and extremely talented baker, had been dating for months. The best word to describe the relationship was tumultuous. Britney had come on far too strong in the beginning, and it had scared Dash off a bit. He was convinced he didn't have deep feelings for her, and his occasional indifference to her had riled Elsie up good. I'd found myself, far too often, in the center of the entire mess. But now, it seemed Dash was genuinely sad to see Britney go.
I walked over to him and patted his arm. "Guess it's that old saying—you don't know what you have until it's gone."
He nodded. "That pretty much sums it up. Still, this is a great opportunity for her, and we're going to keep in touch. Who knows, it might not be the end for us. Might just be a new beginning for her."
"Well put."
The bell on the door clanged. Normally, I would have been surprised to see Kate Yardley, owner of the vintage clothing boutique, walking into the flower shop on a Monday morning, but it was easy to surmise that she had spotted Dash walking in behind me. Kate was beautiful, fashionable, successful and slightly standoffish. We had never become good friends, but we occasionally spoke like familiar acquaintances. She was also interminably in love with Dash. They had dated briefly and had seen each other off and on, but he was not interested in anything serious or permanent. Kate, on the other hand, was in constant pursuit of something very permanent, namely a husband. In the past year, she had been in and out of engagements with four different men. I wasn't sure whether to consider it absurd or sad. I couldn't understand why she had such a difficult time with it all, but her ongoing obsession with Dash probably wasn't helping matters.
This morning, Kate's attire was unusually subdued. She'd forgone the usual mod, flashy clothing for a simple pair of jeans and a pale blue sweater. Her only nod to the vintage style she always wore so well was a giant pair of silver hoops in her ears.
She shuffled in on short black boots, brushed back the hair from her shoulder and glanced instantly at my other visitor. "Oh, Dash, hello, I didn't see you there," she said lightly, along with a not so subtle flutter of her lashes.
"Morning, Kate, good to see you," Dash said politely back.
"Hello, Pink, beautiful morning isn't it?" Now I was sure her visit was a scheme to see Dash. She never called me Pink, and she certainly never brought up the topic of weather. She was not big on frill or friendly conversation, but it seemed today I was in for a treat. She hopped up on a stool in front of the work island.
"What can I get for you, Kate?" I asked. "Ryder planted some fresh herbs in decorative pots—" I was just about to point them out on the shelf across the way when she jumped right into her main purpose for the visit.
"Actually, I just wanted to let you know that you might have a new customer this afternoon." She spoke loudly enough to make sure Dash, who was giving Kingston another peanut, could hear. Her eyes flicked his direction as she spoke to make sure he hadn't left.
"That's nice to know," I said. "A friend of yours? I'll be sure to give her a special deal."
"It's a man," she corrected briskly, with another glance Dash's direction. "My new boyfriend, Lionel."
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