by Diana Orgain | May 10, 2021 | Cooking up Murder, Sneak Peek, Uncategorized
Did you miss Chapter 1? Did you miss Chapter 2? Did you miss part one of Chapter 3? From Murder as Sticky as Jam Chapter Three Part Two “Are you ready to begin?” asked Leo. “I’m, ready when you are,” Mona said as she thought about Lacey and the circumstances surrounding Collin’s death. Was it a coincidence that Collin dies only a few weeks after Leo returns to town?” “Mona, did you hear the question?” Leo asked. “Can you repeat it?” Mona asked. “You told me that Lacey called you just before the fire, is, that right?” “It is, it should be on my cell phone, in the history.” “Good, I may need to see that at some point in the future, so don’t erase it.” “Fine. I have it right here,” answered Mona. “About the warehouse, you and Vicki both said you never used it, tell me about it,” prompted Leo. “The warehouse was part of the shop, but it wasn’t renovated, and the roof leaked. It needed some serious repairs and a good cleaning. I had high hopes that it would be stocked full of jams, jellies, and your sister’s honey products, but it doesn’t look like that is ever going to happen now,” Mona said; her throat constricted, and her voice cracked. Leo looked alarmed, and Mona regretted becoming emotional in front of him. She reached for a napkin to dab her eyes, but Leo pulled a handkerchief from his breast pocket. “Here,” he said, handing her the soft cloth. Their knuckles bumped, sending an electric jolt through Mona making her cheeks flush. She cleared...
by Diana Orgain | May 10, 2021 | Cooking up Murder, Sneak Peek, Uncategorized
Did you miss Chapter One? Did you miss Chapter Two? From Murder as Sticky as Jam Chapter Three Mona turned to Vicki and mouthed, “Murder?” Vicki was far less subtle, “Leo, that’s not possible!” she shouted. “There wasn’t anyone there today but Mona.” “The firemen discovered a body in the shop’s warehouse,” Leo said. “A body?” Mona repeated, still in shock. Leo nodded slowly. Mona frowned. “That can’t be right. The warehouse is all boarded up. We haven’t even had a chance to clean it …” She shook her head, trying to process her thoughts. How could someone have been in the warehouse? Vicki jumped in to say, “We weren’t using the warehouse. It was badly in need of repair.” “It was just me in the shop today, I swear.” Mona said. “There wasn’t anyone with me.” “You may not have been using your warehouse, but someone was there today,” Leo said. Vicki shook her head and said, “No, Leo. You must have it wrong, we would’ve known if someone was there.” Mona thought about her morning at the shop and quietly admit‐ ted, “Wait Vicki, it might be true, I mean I did have the music on while I was pricing stock in the front of the store. Someone could have been in the warehouse, and I may not have heard them. I just can’t imagine who would have been back there, it was a mess.” Leo provided the answer, “We were able to identify the remains as belonging to Collin MacInroy.” Vicki gasped, and Mona stared at Leo, “Collin was in our ware‐ house? What in...
by Diana Orgain | May 10, 2021 | Cooking up Murder, Sneak Peek, Uncategorized
Did you miss Chapter One? Did you miss part 1 of Chapter 2? From Murder as Sticky as Jam Chapter Two Part Two The ride home was a blur for Mona, the details hazy as Vicki drove and parked her car in Mona’s driveway. Somewhere on the ride home, the deep pain changed and became a numbness that made the events feel unreal. Turning the key in the lock, she pushed open the front door. Her purse fell from her hand onto the kitchen table, the keys left in the lock and Mona collapsed on the couch. Vicki grabbed the keys out of the lock and followed her inside. Mona stared up at the ceiling. It was the same as it had been that morning when she left home, the same plain white paint and antique ceiling fan that spun endlessly in circles during the warm months. But so much had changed since the morning she felt somehow offended that the ceiling had the nerve to stay the same. Mona lay on the couch, unmoving, until Vicki peered over her, blocking Mona’s view of the ceiling fan “Mona!!! Mona, are you in there?” Vicki asked. “Yup,” Mona heard herself answer, but her own voice sounded far away. “You are seriously as pale as a ghost. Should I take you to the emergency room?” “I’m fine,” Mona answered, quietly. Vicki kneeled down on the floor beside Mona and declared, “I’m going to make us a couple of stiff drinks. If you don’t look like part of the land of the living soon, I’m going to call an ambulance.”...
by Diana Orgain | May 10, 2021 | Cooking up Murder, Sneak Peek, Uncategorized
Did you miss part one? From Murder as Sticky as Jam Chapter One – Continued Leo Lawson, Vicki’s older brother, was tall, dark and handsome. He’d been the first boy Mona had a crush on back in school, and she’d never gotten over him. In high school, he’d broken her heart when he started dating, Lacey, the head cheerleader. But shortly after gradua‐ tion, he’d left Magnolia Falls, to join the military, and now he was back after eight long years. She knew he worked at the Magnolia Falls PD, but she hadn’t seen him, yet. Not properly anyway. She’d ducked out of the grocery store a few times, when she’d seen his patrol car pull into the parking lot. And there’d been the time, she snuck out of the back of the bookstore on Main Street, when she’d heard his voice asking the clerk for the latest police procedural. But she hadn’t spoken with him, yet. She’d been in the hospital with tonsillitis during his homecoming party, and she’d missed him twice at Vicki’s due to bad timing. As she waited for the water to boil, she printed out the inventory list and the pricing guide and headed back to the shop. With a pricing gun in her hand, she priced all the blackberry jam and then began working on the strawberry. Thoughts of Leo filled her mind and she daydreamed about seeing him at the grand opening. What am I going to wear? Mona thought in a panic. Looking around the shop, she wondered if she would have time to go shopping and pick out something...
by Diana Orgain | May 10, 2021 | Cooking up Murder, Sneak Peek, Uncategorized
Did you miss Chapter 1? From Murder as Sticky as Jam Chapter Two Without saying a word to Lacey, Mona ran to her car and jumped in the driver’s seat. Jamming the gear shift into drive, she tore out of the parking space, driving like a racecar driver speeding towards Jammin’ Honey. Praying as she drove, she ran a red light and a stop sign. Frantically hoping that it was not her shop on fire, although she had a sinking feeling with each passing block that she’d arrive to find the place, her dream fully engulfed. How could this happen? Fear gripped her heart as she saw a police barricade surrounding the street where Jammin’ Honey sat. The barricade prevented her from driving any closer to the scene of the fire, but she didn’t need to be any closer to realize the awful truth. My shop is on fire! Her heart raced, and a wave of nausea broke over her as she parked the car. Flashing red lights, smoke and the crackling of fire consuming her building created a surreal scene that would be etched into her memory for the rest of her life. Running down the street toward the fire, she was stopped by a police officer she didn’t recognize. He held her back from getting any closer to the structure fire that was her lifelong dream being destroyed right in front of her eyes. “It’s my shop,” she wailed. The officer nodded. “Is anyone in there?” Mona shook her head. “No. Just my…just…my…inventory.” Her knees felt weak. “And my recipe book, too.” Yellow and orange flames...
by Diana Orgain | Apr 27, 2021 | Cooking up Murder, Sneak Peek, Uncategorized
From Murder as Sticky as Jam Chapter One Soft jazz played in the background as Mona Reilly bustled around the empty shop. In just a few days, in time for the Memorial Day weekend, would be the grand opening of her shop Jammin’ Honey, but only if she finished the prep work in time. Memorial Day weekend was the official opening of the summer tourist season in the scenic mountain town of Magnolia Falls. Mona knew it would be the perfect time to open the doors to the shop that had been only a dream a few months ago. Tucking a strand of glossy black hair behind her ear, she sat down at the café table by the window to catch her breath. Picking up the Magnolia Falls Gazette, she read the report on the front page about the grand opening. Pride filled her chest with warmth as she read the article once more. She couldn’t believe this was happening. It’s real, Mona thought, her nerves kicking up a notch. A pair of tourists stopped out front and peeked through the window. Mona jumped to attention; her shop was supposed to open in a few days. She had to get a move on. Where’s Vicki? Mona wondered. It was a quarter past ten and she hadn’t heard from her best friend and business partner, Vicki Lawson. Vicki was an organic beekeeper and was the honey part of Jammin’ Honey. Mona reached for her cell phone to call Vicki, but the phone buzzed in her hand before she could dial. She saw from the caller I.D. that it was...
