Murder So Sweet: A Frosted Love Cozy Mystery (Frosted Love Mysteries Book 3) by Carol Durand, Summer Prescott Read Free Book Online Page B

told her to do so immediately. When she and Toffee came trotting down the steps, the officer indicated that she should get as far away from the house as possible. When she reached her car at the curb, she asked again what was wrong.
    “Are you Melissa Gladstone?” he asked.
    “Yes, I am.”
    “Your store downtown is on fire. We were dispatched here to make sure that you were safe, and when we arrived, we saw a figure in your side yard. From the light of our headlights and sirens, we saw that someone with a jerry can was throwing some sort of liquid on the side of your house. Based upon what was happening downtown, we assumed that it was a flammable liquid and evacuated you and your dog. The perpetrator dropped the can and fled. We tried to follow, but they eluded us pretty quickly. My partner then confirmed that the jerry can that was left behind had contained gasoline, which is now all over the side of your house. The fire department is on the way to neutralize it. We also confirmed that the power lines to your home had been disabled,” he explained, as Missy’s eyes filled with tears. “Do you have somewhere safe to stay this evening, ma’am?”
    Missy nodded, overwhelmed. “My store…is it…?” she couldn’t finish the thought.
    “From what I understand, it’s most likely a total loss. The fire department is trying to save the buildings on either side of it at this point,” the officer answered gently.
    Missy burst into tears, sitting down on her haunches and wrapping her arms around Toffee’s furry neck. The cozy little shop that had been in her family ever since she could remember, the only legacy that was left after her parents were tragically killed, the enterprise that had fed and sustained her through the worst of times…was gone. The loss was unbearable, her sobs wrenched from the very depths of her being. Toffee whined sympathetically and licked her face. Some depraved soul had taken away the very thing that had been her reason for getting out of bed and facing another day after her parents had died, and they had tried to do the same thing to her home. She felt alone and afraid and hopeless, huddled on the dewy ground, her face buried in the sweet, silky fur of her faithful companion.

Chapter 12
     
    The acrid stench of smoke and ruined burned her nose as Missy stood on the sidewalk, gazing in disbelief at the charred ruins of the shop where she had spent the vast majority of her life. Hearing a gasp beside her, she looked up to see Ben, who had just arrived. She held her arms out and he went into them, embracing his boss and friend, sharing her sense of profound loss.
    “I just can’t believe it,” he sniffed, swiping at his eyes.
    “I know,” Missy shook her head, depressed and beaten.
    “What are we going to do?” Ben asked, feeling helpless.
    “We’re going to carry on,” she replied, her jaw set. “We’re going to concentrate on the Dellville shop while this one is being rebuilt, and we’re not going to let these psychopaths stop us.”
    “I’m with you, Ms. G., whatever you need, I’m there,” the loyal young man promised.
    “I know Ben, thank you,” she gave him another hug.
    Melissa Gladstone was furious. Whoever was behind all this was trying to hurt her in the most profound way possible and she was not going to take it sitting down. She had a feeling that this entire set of circumstances had come about due to her refusal to be intimidated into doing business with Thibedeaux and his thugs. If that was indeed the case, this nonsense was going to end today. She was going to march boldly into the Crawshack and give them a piece of her mind, telling these despicable bullies to back off once and for all. She hoped that, during the course of her conversation, someone would say something that would incriminate them. She’d share the info with Chas, he’d figure out how to charge them, and they’d end up in jail. She so looked forward to the day when all she had to worry