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  GINGER SNAPPED TO DEATH

  a Cookies & Chance mystery

  by

  CATHERINE BRUNS

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  Copyright © 2019 by Catherine Bruns

  Cover design by Janet Homes

  Gemma Halliday Publishing

  http://www.gemmahallidaypublishing.com

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  RECIPES

  FREE BOOK OFFER

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  BOOKS BY CATHERINE BRUNS

  SNEAK PEEK

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  As always, thank you to retired Troy police captain Terrance Buchanan for answering my never ending questions. Huge kudos to beta readers Constance Atwater and Kathy Kennedy, who always make the book better with their comments.

  Karen Clickner-Douttiel provided the delicious recipe for gingerbread cookies and a very special thank you to the talented Kim Davis for use of her scrumptious candy cane brownie recipe.

  Last but not least, thank you, readers, for continuing to follow Sally's journey. May your Christmas and every other day of the year always be full of "good fortune."

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  CHAPTER ONE

  Josie beamed as she handed me an oblong gift-wrapped box. "It's just a little something, Sal."

  "But I thought we weren't exchanging Christmas gifts this year." Guilt consumed me as I tore off the green paper decorated with miniature Santas and the words Ho ho ho coming out of his mouth in a bubble. "Besides, you've already done so much—the baby shower, the gorgeous cake, and the car seat."

  Josie's blue eyes softened as she placed the dirty mixing bowl in the three-bowl sink. We were standing in the back room, or kitchen area, of my bakery, Sally's Samples. As head baker, Josie Sullivan's unique talent was the sole reason I still had a business after three and a half years. We'd been best friends since the age of eight, and she'd never once let me down.

  "I could say the same thing about you, you know," she said softly, her mouth quivering at the corners. "After all the stuff you've given my boys over the years, I wanted to do this. It really isn't a Christmas present, nor anything for your precious cargo, but I happen to think it's perfect. Careful when you remove the top—it's a bit hazardous."

  "What?" Puzzled, I unwrapped the package and lifted the lid to find a six-inch serrated silver cake server. The handle had been engraved in pink lettering with the words Property of Baker Sally Donovan.

  "Oh, Jos!" I gently lifted the server out of the box and examined it, careful not to cut myself on the sharp and shiny edge. "It's beautiful."

  Josie's freckles stood out as a wide grin broke across her face. "You did such a great job helping me with that wedding cake last week that I wanted to get you something special. I'm so proud of you, Sal. You've really come into your own as a cookie specialist, and now you can even bake and decorate cakes too."

  "Let's not get carried away. I'll never be as good as you." The fact that Josie had so much confidence in me was mind-boggling.

  She leaned across the wooden block table. "The server caught my eye last night when I was at the mall, and they were offering free engraving. You've worked so hard and deserve the recognition. I mean, three and a half years ago, you could barely bake a cookie without burning it. You've come so far."

  My cheeks burned at the compliment, and for a moment I couldn't speak. I'd always wanted to run my own business, and without Josie, it wouldn't have been possible. From the beginning, it had been clear to both of us that she would handle most of the baking and all the decorating, while I would wait on customers and manage the financial side of the business. "I never would have made it this far without you." My voice shook with emotion. "You've been my inspiration."

  Josie followed me into the storefront as I tried to find the perfect place to display the server. It was too pretty to keep in a drawer in the back room, and I wanted the entire world to see it. A two-tiered oak shelf was attached to the wall over the counter, which held my Keurig and espresso machines, cash register, and a supply of plastic bags and pink boxes for customers' goodies. My husband, Mike, had built the shelf for me. Actually, he had built almost everything in the bakery after a fire had destroyed my former one.

  There were already some special trinkets on the shelf, which consisted of a framed certificate we'd won on Cookie Crusades baking show a couple of years back, and a wooden cookie platter with the words Sally's Samples makes the best cookies painted in the center. My sister, Gianna, had given me the platter when my bakery first opened. I tried to reach up and place the server next to the platter, but my bulging belly wouldn't allow it.

  "Here, let me, little mama." Josie took the server from my hand and frowned. "Ouch." The blade had brushed against her palm, and she peered down to examine it. "Lucky it didn't break the skin. I forgot how sharp this thing is."

  "Did you hurt yourself?" I asked.

  She shook her head. "Nah. It's all good. Maybe this really is the best place for it. I don't want Mommy to open one of the drawers in back and slice her finger by mistake."

  We went back into the kitchen area. "You know me too well," I said. "I was clumsy before, but these days I'm ten times worse."

  "No, you're not. You're pregnant. There's a big difference. No one feels graceful and light-footed when they're expecting."

  "I haven't seen my feet for weeks."

  She laughed and lifted a tray of gingerbread men she'd finished decorating. The room was filled with the scent of sweet frosting and molasses. A light snow had fallen earlier and coupled nicely with the twinkling lights Josie had run around the front porch of the bakery. It certainly gave the place a Christmassy air. "Isn't today your due date?"

  "Yesterday was," I corrected her and rubbed my belly with satisfaction. I'd been waiting for nine months to meet my son or daughter. Mike and I had decided not to find out the baby's sex. It was our first child, and we wanted to be surprised. "It could be anytime now."

  "Well, in that case, go home. I'm officially firing you." She fille
d a piping bag with frosting and started to decorate another tray of gingerbread men.

  I burst into laughter. "Oh, really?"

  Josie looked ready for action, her auburn hair pulled back into a neat bun behind her head and the pink Sally's Samples ball cap carefully positioned over it. Her matching pink apron was immaculate, like her decorating. She was slim and trim in jeans and a red sweater and ready to conquer the world.

  I was quite the opposite in a wrinkled Sally's Samples T-shirt and black maternity pants that had started to feel snug the last couple of weeks. I'd bought them online during my first month of pregnancy, partially because of the company's motto: "No matter what your size, these pants will take you to the very end." Baloney. They were one stretched seam away from a tear and an embarrassing moment.

  That didn't bother me though. I could deal with an oversized body for a few more hours or days if necessary. My pregnancy had been a relatively easy one, despite my 40-pound weight gain. My poor sister Gianna had had terrible morning sickness from day one during hers, but it had been the opposite for me.

  Everyone constantly said that I glowed and looked radiant. I'd never been happier in my entire life. Mike told me that I grew more beautiful every day, and I loved him all the more for it. My Grandma Rosa said I was a pure ray of sunshine. But when my darling outspoken father had seen me yesterday in a red and white sweater, he'd jokingly asked if Santa Claus had come early. He had a knack for always saying the wrong thing, but I think he meant it as a compliment. At least I hoped so.

  "I feel fine," I protested. "Actually, I've never felt better. Don't they say that you get a sudden burst of energy right before you go into labor?"

  Josie snorted back a laugh. "Yeah, right. I was sick as a dog the entire nine months with each kid." Josie had four boys whose ages ranged between three and twelve. "When I hit the eight-month mark, all I wanted was to sleep 24 hours a day. What's you're secret?"

  "No idea. I'm excited about the baby. And happy. So happy, Jos."

  She smiled warmly. "Well, you deserve to be. You've waited a long time for this to happen, Sal. No one deserves it more."

  "Thanks." I picked up a tray of fortune cookies to put in the display case out front.

  Josie grabbed the other side of the tray. "Put that down. You're not supposed to be carrying anything."

  "Oh, stop being silly. The tray is light."

  "Don't argue with me," she said firmly. "Go home. I talked to Mike earlier, and he agrees with me that you should stop working today."

  I struggled not to roll my eyes. "Yes, I know. He and I have this discussion every single night. You're both way too overprotective."

  "And you're way too stubborn. Let go."

  Josie gave a tug on the tray at the same time that I relinquished my hold. The fortune cookies flew into the air, somersaulted, and fell to the floor with the tray, accompanied by a loud bang.

  "Crap," Josie mumbled as she got down on her hands and knees to pick them up. When I started to bend my knees to help, she held up a hand. "Sal, I'll get the rest. You might hurt yourself."

  Good grief. Everyone was treating me like an invalid. Yes, I was heavy and moved slow these days, but I felt fine. And I wasn't surprised that Mike had called Josie. He'd pointedly told me this morning before he left the house that he wanted me to stop working today, and I'd refused. We'd almost gotten into a fight, and we never argued.

  "Why can't I continue to work if I feel good? What's the big deal?" It didn't make sense to me. My Grandma Rosa had recently regaled me with stories about how my grandfather treated her during her pregnancy with my mother. Grandpa, who had passed away when I was a toddler, hadn't been the type to fuss over a woman or give her any special treatment. He'd been old school, born in Sicily, and it was simply the way his generation behaved. Still, it had appalled me when she'd mentioned how Grandpa had her shoveling snow right alongside him, at nine months pregnant. When she went into labor, he'd dropped her and her suitcase off at the hospital entrance and gone back to work. If she could survive all that, the least I could do was carry a tray of fortune cookies into another room.

  The entire batch was ruined, but at least fortune cookies weren't costly to make. They were more time consuming than anything but our customers loved to receive a free one with each purchase. As I picked up a cracked one, I couldn't resist pulling the strip out, and I burst into laughter when I read it. "Did you mix up a couple of words on this one, Jos?"

  She shot me a questioning look. "Why, what does it say?"

  I read aloud. "'You better watch out—Santa Claus is coming…for you.' Shouldn't it be 'to town' instead?"

  Josie shrugged as she dumped the rest of the cookies into the trash. "I ordered a bag of messages from the novelty shop. We've been so busy lately with the holiday rush that I didn't have time to make my own this week. Sorry. I should have asked you first."

  "Don't be silly. You know that's not necessary." Even though we worked side by side, I never knew how she managed to get so much done on a daily basis. The thought made my head spin.

  Josie pointed at the door that led to the alley. "Okay, getting back to what I said. You're fired. Go home. Or better yet, go to your parents' house, mooch dinner from your grandmother, and then go home and cuddle with your man. Call me when you go into labor. Are you having any contractions?"

  "No. Some lower back pain and my ankles are swollen, but that's about it."

  "Well, I don't expect to see you tomorrow. Let me rephrase that. I will not be seeing you tomorrow."

  "It's not that simple," I argued. "This is my business. I just can't abandon it for an entire month. I'll bring the baby in with me."

  She rolled her eyes. "We're not having that discussion again. You have no idea how tired you're going to be when that baby gets here, which is why you should rest up now."

  Josie knew what she was talking about, but I refused to admit that I couldn't handle a baby and the bakery. I did intend to enjoy my child and bring him or her to work with me. There was an empty apartment upstairs that I planned to use for that purpose. As much as I trusted Josie with the business, I couldn't stay away for that long. The bakery was also my baby. I'd find a way to make it all work.

  I grabbed my coat and my purse. "Okay, stop badgering me. I'm leaving. Happy? And yes, you will see me tomorrow, at least for part of the day."

  Josie blew out an exasperated sigh. "Sal, you are the most stubborn—"

  I blew her a kiss. "Love you. Have a great night." With a laugh, I shut the door behind me and slowly made my way over to my car, thankful for my flat but ugly rubber-soled boots. I'd stopped caring about making a fashion statement when I'd been in my fourth month. As I settled myself behind the wheel—not an easy task these days—I thought about how lucky I was to have such caring people in my life.

  Mike had texted while I'd been talking to Josie. My husband owned a one-man construction company that kept him busy almost every day of the year. He was currently finishing up a couple of jobs and then not taking on anything new until after Christmas next week. He wanted to be at home with me and the baby for a few days. The thought of the three of us sharing Christmas together always brought tears to my eyes. It was a dream that was finally coming true.

  I dried my eyes with a tissue and then placed the car in drive, slowly proceeding down the alley. It was only five o'clock, but the sky had already darkened. My hometown of Colwestern, located in western New York, was always festive looking at this time of year. Christmas lights sparkled from every direction. Josie had decorated the small fir trees in front of the bakery with colorful lights, and the bagel shop across the street had their giant, plastic Santa Claus on the front porch, like every year. The sub shop down the block had an enormous silver star that flashed on and off from the top of their building. I loved seeing these familiar treasures every year. Christmas had always given me a special feeling, but this year it was more than usual.

  We'd had snow earlier today. It had only been a couple of inches
, but enough to turn the area into a winter postcard scene. I turned on the radio and smiled when I heard my favorite Christmas song playing, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree." Although my singing voice was horrible, I sang at the top of my lungs as I drove down a side street with Peacock's Dry Cleaners to my right. Life couldn't be any more perfect right now.

  The traffic light changed to yellow as I approached. I probably could have made it but decided not to tempt fate. The dry cleaners closed at four, and the building was dark except for one dim light inside. There were no Christmas lights or decorations of any kind, and I shook my head in disgust. The entire building appeared forlorn and lonely. Lawrence Peacock was about my grandmother's age, and everyone knew that he would never retire. He'd owned the business for as long as I could remember and grumbled every year that Christmas did nothing but make the electric company richer.

  The inside of the car was stuffy, so I rolled my window down partway for some air. As I waited for the light to change, the baby kicked. I smiled and sighed, reaching a hand down to my belly. I would never get tired of feeling that little person move inside me.

  "Hey there. You are going to come out before Christmas, right? Your daddy and I can't wait to meet you."

  "Get out of the car!"

  Puzzled, I looked up to see a man standing next to my car door. A gun was pointed at my head, and the man at the other end of it was none other than Santa Claus.

  My entire body froze with shock as I stared into a pair of listless dark eyes that eerily resembled the night. I tried to speak, but words stuck in my throat.

  "Are you freaking deaf, lady? I said to get out of the car!"

  Okay, he didn't actually say freaking—it was a word ten times worse. But that was the least of my worries. My hands, stuck to the steering wheel at the ten and two o'clock positions, had started to shake. A shot rang out, and I screamed. The bullet had gone through my front passenger window, which shattered on impact. Another Santa was standing directly in front of my vehicle. Holy Christmas. I was being carjacked by the big red man himself.