Chaos at the Compound is the second book in the Cookie Cutter Cozy Mystery Series.
BLURB
Connie Acosta is officially a resident in the fifty-five and older
community her best friend Sara Mazza lives in. Her baker's kitchen is
almost complete and she has met Vic, another resident who is crazy about
her. Meanwhile, Sara finds herself in the mist of a love triangle with
Vic's friend Jack and Warren, a police officer at the local station.
When Sara received a call from her friend at the clubhouse saying there is a dead body floating in the outdoor pool, the women rush there to check things out, getting themselves involved in another investigation, especially when Sara finds a few blue pills scattered in the grass that she didn't turn into the police.
Who said seniors can't get into trouble and fall in love again.
When Sara received a call from her friend at the clubhouse saying there is a dead body floating in the outdoor pool, the women rush there to check things out, getting themselves involved in another investigation, especially when Sara finds a few blue pills scattered in the grass that she didn't turn into the police.
Who said seniors can't get into trouble and fall in love again.
EXCERPT
After a long cold snowy winter and a chilly spring, the
clear blue sky and warm weather of late spring brought all the residents back
from their winter homes. The leaves popped out on the trees just like the snow
had on the branches. Flowers of different colors began sprouting out throughout
the community, just waiting for the deer to find them. Bunnies and chipmunks
came out of hibernation and were out every morning like clockwork, searching
for food.
Connie
Acosta walked out onto the deck with her cup of coffee, taking all of it in.
Watching the bunnies hopping around the back in full sight was one of nature’s
delights and this morning was no different. Since moving in with her best
friend Sara Mazza, her life had turned around. Her divorce was final and she
had to decide on what to do with her house on Staten Island. Maybe now was the
time for her to sell her house and buy her own place in the community.
“Good
morning.” Sara walked onto the deck and sat across from Connie. “It feels like
summer.”
“I
know and I’m loving it. The best part is how quiet it is here. It makes my
thinking become so much clearer.” Connie sipped her coffee. “That’s why I’m
contemplating that maybe it’s time for me to find my own house, giving you back
your privacy.”
Sara
stood. “No. I won’t hear of it. We have our business to build. There’s no time
to start packing and unpacking. I think what we need to do is transform my
house into a workstation for both of us.”
“And
how do you plan on doing that?”
“My
idea is to make the sunroom into my studio. I can put tables around the room to
put the platters to dry and buy a worktable to put in the center of the room
with storage room on either side for my paints. I saw the table I wanted in an
antique store on route nine, and they deliver.”
“That’s
wonderful. It takes care of your workspace, but what about mine. I really need
a double oven to get at least two trays in at a time.”
“And
I figured that all out last night.” Sara leaned to her side and took out a
piece of paper from her pajama bottoms. She unfolded the paper and placed it on
the table for Connie to see.
Connie
lifted the paper off the table to get a closer look at it. “What are you
planning to put an extension on the house?”
“Nope.
That’s where the garage comes in to play. If we take half the garage, you can
have a big stove and plenty of space
to lay out your cookies.”
“Yeah
and freeze my ass off in the middle of the winter.”
“And
I have that all figured out too. My neighbor used to be a contractor. He said
we can put a wall up to separate the other half of the garage from the kitchen,
and he would insulate and sheetrock, making it into your own kitchen.”
“When
did you have time to talk to your neighbor?”
Sara
laughed. “Last night. He’s always up late because he takes his dog out at one
o’clock for the last time before he goes to sleep.”
“What
scares me is that you have your neighbor’s schedule down to a science. I think
you’re turning into a true senior citizen.”
“Never.
There are people who live here in their late eighties and bounce around like
they are teenagers, so keep your thoughts buried.”
“Thank
God for that.” Connie smiled. “So when do you want to start?”
“Immediately.
I thought we’d have an early dinner, stop at the antique store and then go look
at the ovens.”
“That
works. I have an idea of what type of oven I’m looking for. I can’t believe
this is going to actually happen. This has been our dream since we were kids.”
“Dreams
do come true.“
The
phone rang. Sara reached into her pajama bottoms and answered. “Hello.”
Connie
watched Sara’s expression change from smiling to her mouth opening wide as she
walked back into the house. Connie thought back to her first day she arrived
when Sara told her a wild goose chase story about missing pictures in the
clubhouse, which mysteriously reappeared. Connie thought it was a joke until
she witnessed it with her own eyes. The whole incident helped her to forget
about her ex-husband who had humiliated her in front of all her friends,
cheating on her, having babies with multiple women, and topped it off by
selling enhancement drugs to the kids on the football team in order to win
games and championships, putting the players’ health at stake.
“You’re never going to believe this,”
Sara said, closing the screen door behind her and leaning against the deck.
“Did
something happen?” Connie moved her chair into the sun, turning toward Sara.
“Hannah
at the clubhouse just called and told me she just got to work and discovered a
body face down in the pool.”
“No
way. I’m assuming the person is dead.”
“Yes.
The police are down there right now investigating. What do you say? Are you
in?”
“And
what exactly are we going to do?”
“We
are going to find out who it is and why he’s dead. I can’t believe someone
would jump into the pool and drown in three feet of water.”
KAREN'S SOCIAL MEDIA
And now the trouble begins. A murder is always a way to disrupt plans.
ReplyDeleteYes it is. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteWho is it and what happened? Enjoyed the excerpt!
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Delete