Only 3 Days Until Release

An Excerpt from Donuts, Deception, and Death.


 

Daisy poured their coffee, excited to delve into Dianne’s treat. “What do you have for me today?”

“I made a carrot raisin muffin. It’s semi-healthy but still delicious.”

“Sounds good. As long as you didn’t put any jalapeños in it.”

Dianne gasped. “For that quip, I’m making you a jalapeño cake for Halloween.”

Daisy chuckled. “Oh, please don’t.”

“You’d love it. I’m a better cook now and won’t use two fresh jalapeños in the recipe.”

“Is that how many you used?”

Dianne chuckled. “It might have been three or four, I couldn’t say. I put way—”

A crash sounded outside, and they both jumped. Daisy set her mug on the table and moved to the window, staring out at her neighbor’s house. Anger and resentment mixed with worry.

“What is going on?” Dianne had slipped in beside her, concern shining in her eyes.

“I don’t—” Screaming cut Daisy off.

Dianne whipped out her phone, ready to call the police if things got worse. They both stepped outside and heard more yelling from Shania’s place.

“Ugh, that’s the B&B, isn’t it?” Dianne asked.

Daisy only nodded. She’d already had one round with Dianne over the name of the B&B that had opened right next to her two weeks ago. She didn’t want to get into another argument. She knew Dianne meant well, but Daisy wanted to solve it low-key.

“Really, call a lawyer,” Dianne said as she stepped close to the door.

Another crash sounded and glass sprayed from an upstairs window as a chair flew out onto the lawn next door. Both Daisy and Dianne jumped and yelped.

Daisy hesitated, making sure her sister followed before she made her way up her driveway, walking past the bushes separating their properties. Daisy lifted one hand and chewed on her nails as worry wove through her.

“Don’t get involved,” Dianne warned.

Daisy glanced over her shoulder, meeting her sister’s gaze. “It sounds bad.”

“I don’t care. Do not get involved. I’m calling the cops.”

“Do you think we—”

The front door flew open, and a couple raced out carrying their bags. “You are the most disgusting pervert I’ve ever met. You’ll see me in court!” the man yelled as he hefted his suitcase into the back of the car.

“Now listen—” the sound of the guy’s car horn cut Shania off.

He stood from his driver’s side and shouted over the hood of his car. “You are sick. Sick, evil, disgusting pervert.”

His female companion closed her car door, anger seeping from her as she jerked her hand up to wipe her eyes with a tissue.

“We should have gone over,” Daisy said.

Dianne frowned. “Maybe.”

“Something bad happened.”

Dianne pursed her lips. “She’s dangerous. Going over would have only helped if you could use this to get her to change her business name.”

The man and woman drove off, spraying dirt and grass as they sped across the lawn, their car bumping over the curb on the road. Daisy moved closer to Shania, worry spreading. She feared real violence would break out if that guy came back. Maybe she’d been foolhardy to step closer, but even neighbors who were jerks needed help sometimes.

Daisy glanced at the porch and flinched at the anger Shania shot her way. Just when Daisy thought Shania would march over and confront her, her neighbor turned and slammed the door. There’d been no friendly wave, no smiles given. Instead, Shania proved once again why Dianne had been right about what course of action to take.

Dianne bumped her shoulder. “She’s an angry woman, but at least she has good fashion sense.”

“What?”

“That dress with that brooch, it looked good.”

Daisy cocked her head to one side. “I didn’t notice.”

“I’ve never seen one similar. The brooch looked like a beautiful pineapple with colorful leaves shooting out the top, like a rainbow. I wish you were friends with her so I could find out where she got it. By the way, why is she mad at you?”

Daisy lifted her hands. “No clue.”

“I love you, sis, but you need to do something. Call a lawyer. I wish we knew what had made that guy so angry. He actually tossed a chair out the window. I mean, dang, over the top much?”

Daisy hated conflict. She hated the idea of having to have an argument in front of others. To her, court cases were structured arguments in public. When Travis died, she’d had to go to court to keep his inheritance. One of his distant relatives had wanted the money, though Daisy had never heard of them. When Travis’s parents died a few years earlier, he’d not had any family to lean on. Not one of his relatives called or stopped by. No one came out to help with the upkeep of their house while he dealt with getting everything taken care of. Daisy had cleaned the house, and David, her brother, had mowed the lawn. Travis would have been alone if it hadn’t been for her family.

It pissed her off that the jerk had dragged her to court for a squabble that never should have happened. The man wanted money, and thankfully the court had sided with her.

Maybe she had the right to go to court over this matter, but she knew they could solve it without bringing in others. If only Shania would listen to her.

“I know. I just…I don’t think it’s time yet,” Daisy said.

“She won’t change the name of her business. Plus, she’s a mess. Just look at her.”

Daisy glanced to Shania’s property, then back to her sister. “How do you know she won’t change it?”

“People don’t leave good businesses the way that man stormed out of there. Have you ever even had one customer leave angry?”

Daisy pursed her lips. “One couple left angry at each other. They gave a great review, but they were barely speaking to each other when they took off at the end of their vacation.”

Dianne grabbed her hand. “That was on them. She’s not going to listen to you. Let’s go in. Our coffee will be cold.”

She followed Dianne inside, hating the feeling of doom lodged in her gut. Her neighbor seemed dangerous and damaging to her business. But the idea of taking her to court turned Daisy’s stomach. If they went to court and the judge ruled in Shania’s favor, what would that mean for Daisy? She could rebrand, but it would take a lot to make it happen, and she would lose customers.

 

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