Chocolate Truffle Mystery Read online

  ENDORSEMENTS

  

  “A delicious and delightful story with a large helping of fun and a dash of romance.”

  ~ Jennifer Beckstrand, award-winning author

  of the Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series

  “I'm ready to pull up a chair in The Sweet Shop, savor a slice of cinnamon bread, and dig into this juicy mystery.”

  ~ Dana Mentink – award-winning author

  of the Love Unleashed series

  “A delightful story you'll not want to put down until you finish it. You will turn each page and wonder what will happen next. Naomi Miller is a talented and wonderful author, and I can't wait to read more of her stories.”

  ~ Molly Morris Jebber, author

  of Two Suitors for Anna

  “Blueberry Cupcake Mystery” is a warm and cozy mystery just right for reading in one sitting. This short novella is sweet in more ways than one and will not only whet your appetite for a bit of mystery but might just tempt your taste buds with its descriptions of The Sweet Shop’s offerings.”

  ~ Vine Voice

  “A sweet, refreshing novella that will satisfy your sweet tooth as you weave your way through the crumbs to find the “whodunit”.”

  ~ Reviewer

  BOOKS BY NAOMI MILLER

  

  Blueberry Cupcake Mystery

  Christmas Cookie Mystery

  Lemon Tart Mystery

  Pumpkin Pie Mystery

  Chocolate Truffle Mystery

  Sophie Finds A Family

  Sophie Celebrates Thanksgiving

  Sophie's New Home

  (coming soon)

  COPYRIGHT

  Chocolate Truffle Mystery

  Copyright © 2018 by Naomi Miller

  1. Fiction / Religion & Spirituality / Christian Books & Bibles / Christian Fiction. 2. Fiction / Mystery, Thriller & Suspense / Mystery / Cozy. 3. Fiction / Christian Books & Bibles / Literature & Fiction / Amish & Mennonite.

  2018901793

  S&G Publishing, Knoxville, TN

  www.sgpublish.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, without written permission of the publisher, except for brief quotations in printed reviews. Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible (KJV)

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental

  Cover, graphics and formatting by Expresso Designs

  First Edition 2018

  To God be the Glory…

  A NOTE FROM NAOMI MILLER

  

  Chocolate Truffle Mystery was a fun story to create. I enjoyed writing about Mrs. Simpkins' and Mr. O'Neal's experiences, especially how they came to be together. I thought Valentine's Day would be the perfect time to reveal what happened to cause the rift in Lemon Tart Mystery... as well as their adventure during Pumpkin Pie Mystery, when everyone was speculating on why Mr. O'Neal left town unexpectedly. I hope this story wraps up these mysteries in time for a new one that's coming soon in Peach Cobbler Mystery!

  I would never have imagined, when the Lord called me to write Amish fiction, that I would be writing a continuing saga about the community of Abbott Creek. But when readers asked what would happen next, that's just what I found myself doing—and I love it. I love the characters and situations found in the Amish Sweet Shop Mystery series. I hope that many more stories will be written and that readers will continue to enjoy reading about Katie, Travis, Freida, Hannah, and all the other friends and neighbors found in this series.

  This series isn't one that causes goose bumps, along with heart-pounding or stomach-clinching reactions. You can find them everywhere. . . these stories are fun to read, full of love, joy, compassion, forgiveness, and friendship.

  As with any work of fiction, I’ve taken license in some areas of research as a means of creating circumstances necessary to my characters or the plot. I've created fictional characters in a fictional town. Any inaccuracies in the Amish, Mennonite, Irish or English lifestyles portrayed in this book are completely due to fictional license.

  God bless you!

  ~Naomi

  GLOSSARY

  The German/Dutch dialect spoken by the Amish is not a written language. It is solely dependent on the location and origin of each settlement. The spellings below are approximations.

  ach = oh

  allrecht = all right

  appeditlich = delicious

  bopli/boplin = baby/babies

  bruder/bruders = brother/brothers

  buwe/buwes = boy/boys

  danki = thank you

  Dat = dad

  Englischer = non-Amish person

  freind/freinden = friend/friends

  froh = happy

  Gott = God

  Gudemariye = Good morning

  gut = good

  hochmut = pride

  jah = yes

  kaffe = coffee

  kapp = cap

  kumme = come

  Mamm = mom

  naerfich = nervous

  nee = no

  schweschder/schweschders = sister/sisters

  verrickt = crazy

  wunderbaar = wonderful

  

  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

  1 Corinthians 13:13

  

  For Ann

  — ONE —

  Monday morning began just like any other Monday—with one exception. Valentine's Day was two days away and there was much to be done if the Sweet Shop was to be ready on time.

  Over the past two weeks, Katie Chupp, with the help of her co-worker Gwen Davis, had been baking more and more special treats for the upcoming holiday, most of which were quickly snapped up by the residents of Abbott Creek.

  Orders had been coming in for cookies, cakes, and candies. There were almost as many orders as they had prepared for Christmas. Katie was especially thankful that she had a willing—and helpful—assistant.

  Danki Gott, for bringing the Davis family to our community. Gwen is such a blessing to me. I don't know what I would have done the past couple of months without her help. Please bless her family with gut health, supply their needs, and keep them safe.

  Only a moment or two after Katie had finished her prayer and went back to work, Travis Davis opened the back door and walked in.

  “Hiya, Katie-girl. Hey, Gwennie.”

  “Gudemariye, Travis.”

  “Hey, big brother. I'm almost ready to go.”

  “Good. You don't want to be late to school,” he teased his younger sister. “Katie, I'll come back to pick up the morning deliveries after I drop off Gwen. See ya in a bit.”

  “Allrecht.”

  After Travis and Gwen left, Katie went back over the list of supplies she would need to fill the orders for the next few days. Then she double-checked the customer orders that still needed to be filled.

  Katie turned at the sound of the swinging double doors, followed by her newest co-worker's voice.

  “Appeditlich treats for families and friends. I love selling all these delicious treats!” Bella was practically dancing as she pushed through the swinging doors to the kitchen.

  Katie smiled at Bella's use of the Pennsylvania Dutch. Many of her plain neighbors would just shake their heads when Englischers used their words, but Katie thought it was sweet that Bella was taking the time to listen and learn—and most importantly, using them correctly around Katie.

  Bella Stanton had moved to their small community a few days before Thanksgiv
ing. She had applied for a job at the bakery almost immediately and to Katie's delight, was dependable and a hard worker.

  “Gudemariye, Bella. I hope you had a gut weekend. Did you get some rest yesterday?”

  “Yes, I actually rested most of the day. For some reason I was more tired than usual.”

  Katie frowned thoughtfully at Bella's comment. “I still think it would be a gut idea for you to make an appointment with a doctor. You think I didn't see how long it took you to get over that stomach bug you had, but I did.”

  Katie had been meaning to talk to Bella about her health, but had put it off during the holidays. Then in January, Bella had asked for time off. When she returned, she seemed to avoid everyone. Katie was more than a bit worried about her.

  “Bella, please. We need to have a chat. Although you keep telling me you are allrecht, there have been many times it was all I could do to not send you home to lie down. By Christmas you seemed to feel better, but you still seem to tire so easily. I really think you should see a doctor.”

  “Well,” Bella looked down as she spoke, not meeting Katie's eyes. “I probably should have shared with you that I saw a doctor last month when I visited my parents. Everything is fine. I feel better than I have in a long time.” She turned away then suddenly.

  “Do you think I should make more coffee? We've already had more customers today than usual.” Without waiting for an answer, she went on quickly. “Yes, I'm going to make more coffee.” And before Katie could comment, she was heading for the storeroom.

  Katie watched the door, waiting for her to emerge while thinking about how, when the bakery had opened only a few short years ago, they had not offered drinks, but so many customers had requested coffee, Mrs. O'Neal had finally made it available, as well as individual bottles of water and juice.

  When Bella emerged, she did not give Katie a chance to say anything, moving quickly through the kitchen and then on to the front of the bakery. The double doors swayed silently a moment before coming to rest.

  Katie watched for a moment, thinking over what had just happened. She had been worrying for some time now—and it was clear that Bella had no intention of talking with her about those concerns.

  When she had kumme to work in November, Katie had been grateful for the help, but hesitant about becoming too attached to the young woman—especially since Bella had requested several days off just after the new year. When she had learned that Bella left town, Katie wondered if she would return—or simply go back to wherever she had come from. And Katie had hoped she would return, but resigned herself to losing a gut worker.

  When she asked Ada Mueller, the woman had simply stated that Bella was off visiting family. Nothing else was said.

  Which was another odd thing about the situation. Mrs. Mueller had always been considered the town gossip; she could ferret out details on what was going on with people faster than anyone else.

  Mrs. Mueller had been coming into the bakery for years. She would buy a cup of kaffe and a danish. Every day she'd sit at the same table for an hour or so. And when her freinden came in, they'd stop, sit down and chat awhile.

  Katie wasn't certain when it had stopped, but it seemed to be just after Thanksgiving. Most mornings Mrs. Mueller still came by for kaffe and a danish, but she rarely sat down at a table unless there were no other customers around. Whenever one of her freinden came in, if she was sitting at a table, she would greet them, but after a minute or two, she would leave.

  Katie couldn't remember the last time she had heard Mrs. Mueller gossiping about anyone.

  I wonder what could have happened to her. . . I do hope no one was unkind to her, although that seems unlikely. She doesn't even chat much with Bella when she comes by, although Bella is still renting a room from her. Perhaps they eat dinner together and that is when they do their chatting.

  Still, it seemed strange that Mrs. Mueller had changed so much. Sometimes it seemed like she was avoiding people. What on earth could have happened to cause such a thing?

  When Bella had returned to Abbott Creek, she'd looked even more troubled than when she had first showed up in town, although she seemed froh to be back.

  Katie had wanted to ask Bella about her trip, but didn't want to appear nosy. And for a time after her return, Bella seemed aloof and distant, though only a very short time. Since then, she had been happier and more friendly each day.

  Dear Gott, please bless Mrs. Mueller and Bella. Keep them both safe. If something has happened to Mrs. Mueller, please protect her and help her to be a blessing to those around her. And whatever Bella's reason for moving here, I pray you will guide her and help me to be a freind to her.

  — TWO —

  At the sound of the back door opening, Katie turned, expecting Travis to step through the doorway. Instead, she found herself looking at the sweet face of her boss, Amelia Simpkins.

  Nee, it's Mrs. O'Neal—and has been for months. Why can't I think of her as Mrs. O'Neal. . .

  “Good morning, Katie.” She practically sang out the words, a sweet smile on her face.

  A moment later, Andrew O'Neal followed his wife, quietly closing the door behind them. “And a fine morning to ye, Katie-girl. I'm just dropping off Amelia before heading over to the cafe to check up on Sean.”

  During the past two years, Mr. O'Neal had teased Mrs. Simpkins repeatedly, addressing her as “Milly” when he knew it aggravated her. Since their surprise marriage in November, only once had Katie heard him refer to his wife as Milly.

  Of course, the teasing continued. Mr. O'Neal enjoyed teasing family, friends, and customers. And the people in the community expected no less from him.

  Indeed, it would not seem normal if he stopped his good-natured teasing. It was as much a part of him as breathing, or so it seemed to Katie.

  After he had given his bride a kiss, lingering a bit longer than Katie would have expected, he winked at Katie as he waved a goodbye and left.

  She turned toward her boss, not a bit surprised to see that Amelia's face was flushed as she stood looking at the doorway. Even though she had only been watching their goodbye, it felt to Katie as if the room was several degrees warmer.

  With a small laugh, Amelia turned to Katie. “Whew! That man can really kiss. Who would have thought?”

  Katie laughed. She had noticed how often the newlyweds kissed in the kitchen area. And even occasionally when they were in the front room, Andrew would kiss his wife goodbye before leaving. But those were brief—chaste even—unlike what Katie had just witnessed in the kitchen.

  She was glad to see her boss so froh, but since everything had happened so quickly, Katie felt as if she had missed so much. . . She had been hoping to get her boss to talk about her trip. And since Amelia and Andrew had pretty much kept to themselves after returning from New York, there had been little chance to do so.

  When Amelia came to the bakery, she worked in her office for an hour or so, until Andrew came back to persuade her to leave with him, always suggesting a drive or a trip to someplace.

  It was wonderful to see them both enjoying each others' company so, but Katie's romantic heart still wanted to know more about it all—how Mr. O'Neal had found Mrs. Simpkins in New York, how they had made up and decided to get back together—not to mention, why they had made the decision to get married so suddenly.

  Freida had only gone on about how terribly romantic it all was, which Katie understood. . . She just wanted to know more about it all as well.

  “You seem very froh, Mrs. Simpkins—oops. I mean Mrs. O'Neal.”

  “Oh, my dear. I cannot ever remember being this happy. My marriage to Henry was wonderful, but it was an arranged marriage. We barely knew each other in the beginning. In time I learned to love him. So much so, that I was completely lost when he passed. But as much as I loved Henry, I've never loved, or been loved, or known love, as much as this marriage has brought me.” Amelia paused to wipe a tear from her eye.

  When she looked back at Katie, the flush on her
cheeks was even deeper than before. “I'm sorry. Perhaps I shouldn't have said all of that.”

  Katie shook her head quickly, intent on reassuring her dear boss. “I am just froh that you both worked everything out.” She breathed a prayer for help and went on. “I don't mean to pry, but no one really knows what happened last summer.”

  “Well. . .“ Amelia started to answer, but Katie rushed on. “And honestly, I've been wanting to ask how it all worked out. But I wasn't sure if I should ask or even if. . .” She left the words hanging there, worried that she might have gone too far.

  Mrs. O'Neal reached out, placing a hand gently over Katie's. “Katie dear, of course you can ask.” She shook her head a little and then smiled as she went on. “It's not that we don't want to talk about it. To tell the truth, we have been selfish since we returned. We've stayed away from everyone. We've been enjoying just being together—without anything coming between us.”

  “That doesn't sound selfish to me. That sounds sensible. I don't think it's selfish to spend time building a life together.” Katie smiled, a thoughtful look in her eyes. “I think it is a very gut idea. It is just what I would like to do when I marry. . . if I marry.”

  “If you marry? Well, of course you will marry someday.” Mrs. O'Neal shook her finger a little at Katie, and then, a moment later she smiled as if she had a delightful secret. “Why, I fully expect you will be happily married—and perhaps sooner than you think.”

  “Nee, I don't know. Right now it is difficult to think of it all working out. I mean, I would have to be courting.” Looking thoughtful, she went on. “And there is no one in our community that I can see myself courting.” And before Mrs. O'Neal could speak, she added, “Although my parents speak of it often.

  “Why wouldn't it work out? I thought perhaps you were already courting. I mean, it's pretty obvious to everyone how you both feel. We've been wondering when. . . Wait, are you talking about boys in the community or boys in your church?”