Cappuccino Twist (12 page)

Outraged, I watched as he clamored back to his black Audi and left me standing out in the pummeling rain.  With tires screeching at the shrill decibel of a dog whistle, the jerk rolled back into the storm as I trembled violently inside my jacket.  Fighting back insulted tears, I hopped into my car and slammed the door so hard that the rattling windows could have cracked the whole Richter Scale.

Chapter 1

5 Weeks Later

Deep Dish Delights Pie Shoppe

“Mmmmm, these smell absolutely divine,” Lori murmured, sliding a pair of Cling Peaches pies out of the oven.

“Don’t do that!” I scolded my younger sister as she dipped her finger into one of the pies to taste.  “I swear, sometimes it’s like you’re 12 rather than 28!”

She shrugged lightly, popping her finger into her mouth and mumbling, “This is a test pie.  We always have at least one test pie per batch, and Becca, honey, this is the one.” She winked and grabbed two forks from the cupboard.  “And just so you know, sometimes it’s like you’re 92 rather than 32!”

Halfway between a frown and a grin, I grabbed a fork from her and sank it deep into the piping hot pie.  “Oh wow, you’re right.  I think this is our best peach pie ever.  Even better than the blue ribbon one at the county fair last year if I do say so myself!”

“Don’t I know it!” Lori replied tartly, making a beeline to the freezer for a tub of vanilla ice cream.

“Just 5 more minutes of break time, Lori.  Then it’s back to work.  We have a ton of Mother’s Day orders to fill,” I said authoritatively.

“You’re right.  We’ve had a lot of requests for your Sticky Pecan pie today,” Lori muttered through a mouthful of syrupy peaches as she handed me a scrap of paper.

I sighed heavily, snatching the dog-eared paper out of her hand.  “How many times have I told you to put the orders on my pre-printed menu sheets?  We have a system around here, Lori!” As I picked up a whisk to playfully swat my scatter-brained baby sister on the rump, the chiming of bells in the front of the shoppe interrupted me.

“Customer,” Lori announced, giggling and shoving another truckload of our “test” pie into her mouth.

I shook my head as I made my way to the storefront, fretting over how many expensive ingredients had been wasted on “test” pies since I had opened my doors to the public two years ago.  But that’s what happens when you have your family work for you…everyone wants a piece of the pie,
literally
.

“May I help…” My words evaporated like milk as I recognized the dashing face of my customer…

Amazon.com: Deep Dish Lies eBook: Anisa Claire West: Kindle Store

HUNGRY FOR A BIG BUNDLE OF
CULINARY MYSTERIES?

CHECK OUT THIS COZY ANTHOLOGY

SWEET AS PIE CRIMES

Amazon.com: Sweet as Pie Crimes eBook: Anisa Claire West: Kindle Store

INCLUDES 3 MYSTERIES:

DEEP DISH LIES

A PASTRY THIEF IN PARIS

CUPCAKE SHOP CLUES

PLUS

30 DESSERT RECIPES…

LEARN HOW TO MAKE

ORANGE ESSENCE CHOCOLATE CREPES,

CHUNKY S’MORES CUPCAKES, & MORE!

Special Preview of Anisa Claire West’s

CHAMPAGNE DECEPTION

Milan, Italy

A Black, Moonless Night in May

Inside the art gallery, Coretta put the finishing touches on a tray of Italian hors d’oeuvres set on a table lined with bottles of the finest champagne.  It was eight o’clock precisely, and the gallery was about to open its doors to introduce her paintings to the world.  Swallowing a breath of nervousness, Coretta smoothed the fabric of her scarlet cocktail dress while listlessly twirling her shoulder length mahogany hair.  It was time to open the doors to the public; she couldn’t wait another minute longer.

With trembling fingers, she unlocked the doors and opened them wide for the avid art lovers who stood queued up in the balmy spring air.  Immediately, they pushed through the doors, clamoring to reach the walls and place early bids on her best paintings.  Coretta smiled in stark disbelief; this kind of fame and popularity were completely new to her.  A few months ago, she couldn’t even get an art dealer to look at one of her paintings and now here she was with a gallery opening devoted to her work.  Discreetly, she pinched her forearm, giggling silently as she observed the customers fight over her paintings.

From the darkest corner of the gallery, Coretta continued to watch in awe as the elegant art lovers fussed over her labors of love.  Emerging from the shadows and strolling over to the buffet table for a glass of champagne, Coretta scanned the room for her lover.  They had quarreled earlier when he
misplaced three paintings that she had planned to feature in the display, and now she wanted to make amends.

Coretta selected a flute of champagne and lifted the delicate glass to her lips, indulging in a sip.  The icy bubbles rolled smoothly across her tongue, and she closed her eyes, savoring the moment.  She pressed the rim to her lips for a second sip when a strident beeping assaulted the hushed atmosphere of the gallery and the lights simultaneously dimmed to black.  The recently opened gallery contained no back-up generator, and the entire space was immediately as dark as the moonless spring sky.  The glass of champagne slipped out of Coretta’s fingers and crashed onto the floor as she jumped in fright.

Groping in the blackness, Coretta bumped her knee against a metal table and squealed with pain as the group on the other side of the room became agitated.  The sounds of bodies bumping into each other and glasses crashing to the ground elicited a scream from one woman and grumblings in Italian from several of the other guests.

Coretta spoke up and addressed the crowd in her most authoritative voice: “I apologize for this inconvenience.  Apparently, there has been some sort of electrical failure that has caused a blackout.  I would advise you to take out your cell phones and use the lights from those devices until I can find some candles.  A candlelit art reception, not bad, right?” She spoke lightheartedly, trying to allay the concerns of her guests.

As a handful of people dug into their pockets for their cell phones, Coretta felt a body press against her backside.  “Excuse me,” she murmured to whomever had collided with her.  The moment she spoke, a gloved hand smacked against her face and covered her mouth while a menacing arm pressed into her belly and knocked the wind out of her.  Gasping for air, she wriggled in the death-grip of the gloved man, frantically biting on his covered hand to get him to release her.  As her teeth sank into the thick fabric, his grasp tightened even more around her waist until she thought her ribs would shatter.

Roughly, the man dragged her backwards towards the darker recesses of the gallery.  Lighting the way with a tiny flashlight clenched between his teeth, he pushed Coretta down the stairs into the cellar…

Amazon.com: Champagne Deception eBook: Anisa Claire West: Kindle Store

Dear Reader:

Thank you for reading
Cappuccino Twist. 
I hope you enjoyed reading about Marlena’s sleuthing & romance with Eduardo!  I welcome your feedback and make an effort to
personally respond
to every email I receive.  Write to me at
[email protected]
.

Happy Reading!

Cordially,

Anisa Claire West

Titles Available by

Anisa Claire West

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

& COZY MYSTERY

A Pastry Thief in Paris

Cappuccino Twist

Champagne Deception

Cookie Dough Crook

Cupcake Shop Clues

Dark Chocolate Murder

Deep Dish Lies

Hotcake Homicide

Hot Fudge Fraud

Northern Moonlight

Wild Autumn

FANTASY

Silver Goddess Series:

Island Tango
, Book 1

Orca Dance
, Book 2

Leopard Rhythm
, Book 3

Mermaid Gold,
Book 4

Silver Goddess
, Books 1-4

HISTORICAL ROMANCE

Eternal Melody

ANTHOLOGIES

Chocolate Covered Crimes

Exotic Daydream

Passion’s Raindrops

Sweet as Pie Crimes

Tasty Crimes

About the Author

Anisa Claire West graduated with honors from Yale University and also holds a Master of Arts degree in Literature and Teaching.  Learning about cultures is Anisa’s passion, and she has studied more than half a dozen languages including French, Arabic, and Italian.  A certified yoga instructor, Anisa embraces mind-body fitness, animal advocacy, and a
compassionate lifestyle.  She also enjoys sweet treats and has sampled more than a few of the coffee & mocha recipes included in this book!