Sweet Masterpiece - The First Samantha Sweet Mystery (25 page)

Sam hesitated. She loved the book, loved
looking at the artist’s sketches.

“This woman, you must understand, knew
Cantone in his younger years. She . . . how do I say this
delicately? . . . she probably was his lover, lived with him, in
those dark times after his wife died. Most likely, she watched him
with pencil in hand as he made many of those sketches.”

“Oh. Then you are absolutely right. She
should have it.” Sam took a step back.

“I had a feeling you might say that.” He
reached into the inside pocket of his jacket. “That’s why I
accepted this on your behalf.”

He pulled out a long white envelope and
handed it to Sam.

“What’s this?” She pried up the flap. Inside
was a check with so many zeros in the figure that it took her
breath away.

“It—it’s too much. I can’t take this.” She
started to hand it back but he raised his palm.

“But— How can it be—”

“The book is worth it to her. And she’s a
woman who can afford it. Trust me.”

“But—what about the visitor’s center, the art
school? Wouldn’t it be better spent there?”

“I’ve already told you, we have plenty for
those projects. We want you to have this. Surely there’s something
you can use the money for?”

Her eyes welled up. “Yes, there is something
I’ve dreamed of for a very long time.” And she knew the perfect
location. The tears spilled, dripping off her chin. “I’ll put it to
good use.”

He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and
dabbed at her face while she stood there helplessly. “Come, my
dear. Let’s have some of that beautiful cake you made.”

What’s Next For Samantha Sweet?

Sam’s dream of opening her own pastry shop is
coming true, but in the midst of opening Sweet’s Sweets Sam finds
herself in the middle of another mystery.

Among the items Sam has carted off to the
thrift shop from one of her break-in jobs is a heavily
blood-stained garment that raises a lot of questions. The sheriff’s
department takes over but the clues are elusive. Sam’s new man,
Deputy Sheriff Beau Cardwell, has a tough time convincing his boss
to treat the coat as evidence of a murder—it’s an election year and
Sheriff Padilla doesn’t want bad press before he’s securely back in
office.

But Sam has other tools at her disposal. A
wooden box which came into her possession weeks earlier seems to
give her the ability to see beyond the obvious. And when she begins
to get strong impressions about some of the guests at her store’s
grand opening gala, she figures out which course Beau should take
in the investigation. Things heat up from all directions as Sam and
Beau begin to work out the puzzle.

Watch for

Sweet’s Sweets

The Second Samantha Sweet Mystery

Coming in 2011