Death at the Cafe (17 page)

She busied herself with church duties for a while, before the phone rang.

“Vicar?”

“Yes, Philippa?”

“I’ve completed the reports.”

“Wonderful! Thank you ever so much, Philippa.”

“Of course, Vicar.”

“Was there anything else?”

There was a pregnant pause before Philippa spoke again.

“Well, I’m dreadfully ashamed to bring it up…”

“What’s the problem?”

“It’s just that I like to know my portion sizes. Waste is a terrible sin, after all.”

“I’m not sure I follow you, Philippa.”

“Well…”

Annabelle waited for a few moments before urging the church secretary again. “Do tell me, Philippa. You’ll have me awfully worried if not.”

“Well, it’s the cupcakes.”

“The cupcakes?”

“Yes.”

“What about them?”

“The walnut cupcakes. The ones I laid out this morning.”

“Yes, I know.”

“How many did you eat? Oh, I’m so ashamed to ask.”

Annabelle struggled with her memory for a moment, then said: “I believe I had two. Yes. That’s it. I certainly had two.”

“No more than that?”

“No. Definitely just two. Why?”

“You’re sure you didn’t have three, Vicar? I feel so embarrassed to ask. Do forgive me.”

“I recall our chat perfectly, Philippa. I had two cupcakes – one with each cup of tea.”

“I see,” Philippa said, trailing off into a note of disappointment.

Annabelle sighed, and quickly checked her watch. “Was there anything else Philippa? I really must be off.”

“No, no. That’s all, Vicar,” Philippa said, her dismay apparent.

“Very well. I’ll speak to you later today then. Thank you very much for the reports.”

“Of course, Vicar. Thank
you
very much.”

Annabelle pondered the call for a few moments before remembering her appointment at Woodlands Manor. She rushed out of the church and back into her car. It was turning out to be a rather eventful day, and it had barely begun.

Once again, Annabelle headed out to the discreet lane that led through the trees and into the luscious grounds of Woodlands Manor. Just over an hour had passed since her last visit, and her curiosity had only grown in that time. She found herself chomping at the bit to see this mysterious newcomer for herself; this meditating nobleman, the source of so much conjecture in Upton St. Mary.

She spun the Mini around the fountain, bringing it to a stop with a confident flourish of the brakes. She climbed out and marched up the steps to the intimidating doors. They were so tall that even Annabelle, with her five foot eleven inch frame, felt tiny in their presence. She thumped the knocker again and stepped back.

The youthful face of the blonde girl appeared as she opened the door and smiled as she recognized the Vicar. She was just about to speak when she was interrupted by a wild, bloodcurdling scream, echoing down through the mansion from somewhere above. The gentle smiles of both women froze and then disappeared. Their expressions turned to horror as their eyes locked, and they found themselves stunned, shaken, and shocked by this absolutely beastly sound.

To get your copy of
Murder at the Mansion
, visit the link below:

http://cozymysteries.com/murder-at-the-mansion

Books by Alison Golden

FEATURING INSPECTOR DAVID GRAHAM

The Case of the Screaming Beauty (Prequel)

FEATURING DIANA HUNTER

Hunted (Prequel)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alison Golden was born and raised in Bedfordshire, England. She writes cozy mysteries and suspense novels, along with the occasional witty blog post, all of which are designed to entertain, amuse, and calm. Her approach is to combine creative ideas with excellent writing and edit, edit, edit.

She is the creator of the Reverend Annabelle Dixon cozy mysteries, a charming, fun series featuring a female vicar ministering in the beautiful county of Cornwall, England. She also produces a Jersey-based detective series featuring Inspector David Graham and the Diana Hunter series, set in Vancouver.

Her books’ themes range from the humorous and sweet to harder hitting suspense. They are recommended for readers who like to relax and unwind with their books, who enjoy getting to know the characters, and who prefer the tougher side of life implied.

She is based in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and twin sons. She splits her time traveling between London and San Francisco.

For up-to-date promotions and release dates of upcoming books, sign up for the latest news here:
http://cozymysteries.com
.

Thank you for taking the time to read
Death at the Cafe
. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review because word of mouth is an author’s best friend and very much appreciated.

Thank you,