MERINGUE AND MURDER CANDY SHOP MYSTERIES #5 WENDY MEADOWS Copyright (c) 2018 by Wendy Meadows All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.   This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author's imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.   Printed in the United States of America CONTENTS Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Thanks for reading Be the First to Know About the Author Also by Wendy Meadows CHAPTER 1 I t was a nice brisk fall afternoon. The leaves were shades of red and gold, and the breeze was blowing through town carrying the ones that had fallen. Margaret and her son, Zach, were eating lunch and planning their afternoon after a lazy morning doing a whole lot of nothing. "I thought we should take advantage of the candy store being closed and take a little trip together," Margaret suggested. "Sure," said Zach. "Where would you like to go?" "It's a surprise," said Margaret. "Help me with the dishes. We can take my car." After Zach helped his mom with the lunch dishes, he told her he needed to get a quick shower. Margaret took a cup of coffee out to her backyard and sat at the table. She thought about her upcoming Thanksgiving candy promotion. When she first opened Nichols' Candy Shop, she had bought all of her candy from a distributor. Now Margaret had a couple of large displays of homemade candies. She had created a seashore motif with crab and shell candies for the tourists that summer and they had been a hit with both the tourists and the local townspeople. Margaret was glad her business had taken off. After the summer tourists left, she had been concerned that she would need to close her shop for the winter. If that happened, Margaret wasn't sure what she would do. Her shop was still new, and she hadn't made enough money to tide them through till spring. Fortunately, word of mouth and good reviews had kept her customers coming in. She was happy to be in a town that took care of one another. Everyone watched out for everyone else. Margaret saw movement in the kitchen. Zach appeared at the back door with a mug of coffee. He walked across the lawn, sat down next to Margaret, and asked about their mystery trip. "Give me a chance to guess where we are going," Zach said. "Nope," said Margaret. "You will see when you get there." Zach shook his head, and Margaret laughed. "Is David coming with us?" asked Zach. David was Margaret's boyfriend. Recently, though, things had been a bit precarious. David had discovered he had a young daughter, and Margaret wanted David to take all the time he needed to get to know little Ariel. This meant less time together for David and Margaret, but Margaret was insistent that David have a strong bond with his daughter. Margaret and David were still seeing each other but they had dialed it back a bit. Margaret was getting to know Ariel better also. David had thought it best if his daughter assumed that he and Margaret were just close friends. Margaret's heart broke a little, but she realized David's daughter was the most important thing in his world at the moment and she understood. "No, he and Ariel are going to the zoo," said Margaret. "I told him I wanted to spend some time with you. This way, David and Ariel can have some time alone and get to know each other better." "Okay," said Zach, finishing up his coffee. "Are you done with your coffee? I can take your mug inside." "Thank you," said Margaret. She stayed seated for a few more moments, breathing in the cool air, and then followed Zach into the kitchen. "Ready?" she asked. "Yes," he said. "I can't wait to find out where we're going." Margaret and Zach got into her car and headed away from town. They paralleled the ocean for a bit and Margaret heard the gulls flying over the car. Margaret turned, and they drove out in the country for a few minutes. All the fields were brown, and the farmers were pulling up the last of the corn. Margaret drove for a while longer and then pulled off the road. She drove up a long driveway. Zach had been on his phone so he didn't see the sign beside the driveway. He looked up when Margaret stopped the car. The sound of dogs barking filled the car even with the windows closed. "Where are we?" asked Zach. "We are at the local animal shelter," said Margaret. "Oh, cool. But what are we doing here?" "I thought we could take a look around," said Margaret. "Now don't get too excited. I am not coming home with a dog today. We have to get the house ready and buy some food and toys. And," she reminded him, "we need to be sure to choose one I'm not allergic to." "Okay!" said Zach. He dashed around the car and went toward the door of the shelter. Just then the door opened, and a tall blonde woman appeared. "Hello, Margaret," she said. "Hello, Sylvia," Margaret said. Margaret introduced Sylvia to David. Sylvia ran the animal shelter. She was also one of Margaret's customers at the candy store. The barking got louder as they approached the door. Sylvia held it open for Margaret and Zach. "Come in," said Sylvia. "You're just in time. The dogs have finished eating and it is time to exercise them. If you would like to choose one I can get you set up in the play yard we built for the dogs to run about." "Thank you," said Margaret. "Well, Zach, which one do you want to see first?" Zach was beaming. He walked along the pens until he spotted a medium- sized terrier mix. "Can we play with her?" Zach asked Sylvia. "Of course," said Sylvia. "Let me get her out on a leash." Sylvia walked to the far wall and pulled a leash down. She made the dog sit and then opened the pen. She clasped on the leash and led the dog back outside. Zach and Margaret followed her. "So she knows how to sit?" asked Margaret. "Yes," said Sylvia. "We train all of our dogs to know basic commands like sit, stay, and heel." "That is impressive," said Margaret. "They have a better chance of being adopted if they know those commands," said Sylvia. "As you probably know, we are a no-kill shelter. I rescue and re-home many dogs each year. I've been doing this for about ten years now and I've got some tricks up my sleeve." They came up to an enclosed play area. There were seats and numerous toys. Sylvia gave the leash to Zach and opened the gate. The dog trotted in, followed by Zach and Margaret. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Let me know if you want to see any others," said Sylvia. Zach had found a Frisbee and was throwing it to the dog. She caught the Frisbee and brought it back to Zach. Margaret smiled. The dog seemed well behaved and anxious to play. Every time Zach tossed the Frisbee, the dog would run after it. Sometimes the dog managed to catch the Frisbee midair. Zach laughed and patted the dog when she came back. "So, do you like her?" Margaret asked Zach. "Yeah, she is fantastic. I think she would be a great dog to take to the beach. I bet she likes the water," said Zach. "She sure does," said Sylvia. She was carrying another dog. This one was a small puppy that looked like a Chihuahua. "Oh my goodness, she is adorable," said Margaret. "Here, hold her," said Sylvia, handing Margaret the puppy. The black and white dog looked at Margaret with shining, happy eyes. Margaret caught her breath. "What kind of dog is she?" asked Margaret. "She is part Chihuahua and part dachshund," said Sylvia. "I see my other baby and Zach are getting along." "Yep. Zach loves dogs. I don't think we can take one home today, but I wanted to see what dogs you had here," said Margaret. "These two are good friends," said Sylvia, taking the puppy from Margaret and putting her on the grass. The terrier mix raised her head and darted over. She knocked down the puppy and then helped it back up using her snout. Margaret and Zach laughed. The older dog got a small toy and took it over to the puppy. The puppy grabbed the toy in its teeth and started shaking its head. The older dog took the other end and played a gentle game of tug-of-war with the puppy. Everyone laughed. Zach knelt down and the terrier ran over to him. The puppy followed, occasionally stumbling while trying to keep up with the older dog. "We got the puppy as a part of an abandoned litter. We matched the puppies with the older female dogs in order for them to have some one-on-one attention. The puppies bonded nicely with the female dogs. These two love to be together. Their cages are side by side," Sylvia said. "That is wonderful," said Margaret. "Also, if someone wants the older female but they won't be home all day to keep her company, the puppy provides entertainment for the older dog," said Sylvia. Margaret grinned. "Is that a hint?" "Absolutely," said Sylvia, laughing. "I'm a little concerned about getting a puppy. I don't want to be up all night training a puppy to go outside," said Margaret. "This one is crate trained already," said Sylvia. Margaret shook her head. "You drive a hard bargain."