Chloe Cook Cozy Mystery Bundle Read online

  Chloe Cook Cozy Mystery Bundle

  Kayla Michelle

  Table Of Contents

  Mattress Mart Murder

  Reunions Can Be Deadly

  Killer Finale

  Mattress Mart Murder

  Prologue

  Chloe Cook’s life would never be the same. How could it, after what had happened? Murder was not a word usually associated with Cape Cod. The Cape was a tourist town, known for its sandy beaches, cozy cottages, and ample summer fun for the whole family. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, vacationers flocked into the towns in search of a good time. Suddenly, with the discovery of a dead body, the whole place had been turned on its head.

  Homicides were almost unheard of in the Cape. Chloe always thought of murder as something that occurred in bigger cities like Boston or New York. Chloe’s hometown was too peaceful to be rocked by something so terrible.

  Apparently, she was wrong. As Chloe looked back, in the thirty-four years she’d been alive, she couldn’t recall ever hearing about a homicide taking place in town. That wasn’t to say one never happened, Chloe just couldn’t remember one.

  Unfortunately, it turned out there was a first time for everything. Chloe wished she could skip this dubious event in her life, especially because of the circumstances surrounding this murder. It was bad enough that a man’s life had been cut short, but there was no smoking gun to speak of. There were plenty of suspects to go around.

  Everyone had a talent. Apparently Marty Diamond’s was making enemies. This whole situation was a gigantic mess and occurred just as Chloe was trying to simplify her life. By the look of the crime scene, there were plenty of twists and turns ahead before this case got straightened out.

  Chloe didn’t want to linger much on the scene. It gave her the creeps being so close to a murder victim. She had to find a way to stomach it and keep her cool. There was a lot at stake. Not just in the sense that there was a killer on the loose. This crime affected Chloe on a personal level.

  Todd Thicke, the local police detective, had over half a dozen suspects on his list. Unfortunately, one of them happened to be a good friend of Chloe’s. There was no doubt in Chloe’s mind that her friend was innocent. Detective Thicke wasn’t so easily convinced.

  That left Chloe with no choice. If she wanted to prove her friend wasn’t guilty, she’d have to find the real killer herself.

  Chapter One

  One Day Earlier

  “How do I look?” Kristina Miller asked.

  When it came to makeup, Chloe Cook believed that less was always more. That a little bit went a very long way. The best makeup was the kind that looked nearly imperceptible. Chloe was a huge fan of the natural look. If makeup didn’t draw attention to itself, it was doing its job.

  Not everyone agreed with that approach, especially at Crissy’s Cape Cod Cosmetics, the company she worked for. The corporate office was all about the bottom line. They wanted to wring maximum dollar from every client. The company’s mission statement was literally “More clients, more sales, more money”.

  Chloe saw a fundamental flaw in that. When a sales rep constantly put their commission over the clients’ needs, it would eventually catch up with them. People were smart. They could spot when a representative had nothing but dollar signs in their eyes. The last thing a saleswoman wanted was a high turnover of clients. Yet that’s exactly what Chloe saw with so many of her co-workers.

  To Chloe, it wasn’t about selling the most makeup to each customer, but the right makeup to get her clients looking their best. Her sales philosophy was the belief that a happy customer would turn into a repeat one. Chloe was in the business of relationships. She wasn’t selling products, so much as herself.

  As a result, Chloe had developed a small, yet wildly loyal client base. Most of them had been buying beauty products from her since she started with Crissy’s Cosmetics ten years ago, and would stay with her for life.

  Even more, a number of Chloe’s clients had also become close, personal friends throughout the years. Kristina Miller was one of them.

  Today, Chloe was showcasing a creamy foundation. Chloe thought it was wonderful.

  “You look great,” Chloe replied.

  Kristina wasn’t convinced. “Really? But I have so little on.”

  “That’s the point.”

  Kristina bit the corner of her lip as she peered into the mirror.

  “You really think this looks good?” Kristina asked.

  “Kristina, you know me. When I say something, I mean it,” Chloe replied.

  Kristina laughed.

  “What’s so funny?” Chloe wondered.

  “You’re just the opposite of the sales team where I work at the Mattress Mart. They believe that peak pressure yields peak profit, and they aren’t afraid to squeeze the commission check out of you with a vice grip to prove it,” Kristina replied.

  “Remind me to buy my mattresses from somewhere other than Marty’s Mattress Mart from now on. I prefer a gentler touch.”

  “I know. That’s why I love buying my beauty products from you.”

  “I guess I should cancel that course I was going to take on high-pressure sales then,” Chloe joked.

  “Absolutely. Chloe, please don’t ever change.”

  “Now if I could just find a handsome man to say that line to me,” Chloe replied.

  “Tell me about it. By the way, if you think that the sales guys at my job are high pressure when it comes to hocking mattresses, you should see what they’re like when they’re trying to get a date.”

  Chloe grimaced. “Ugh. Is it as bad as I think?”

  “It’s probably worse.” Kristina started imitating one of the greasy salesmen from work. “Come on girl, you’ll never get a better deal than me…guaranteed.”

  “Gross. Someone needs to tell men that the way to a woman’s heart is not through a sleazy pickup line.”

  “Speaking of, you should expect to hear a number of pickup lines when you come to the Mattress Mart barbecue tomorrow.”

  Kristina had a love-hate relationship with her job at the Mattress Mart. She loved that it gave her enough money to pay her bills. She hated, well, pretty much everything else about the job. It was a family run business, which was great if you were part of the family. If you weren’t, it was tough to get a promotion, pay raise, or even respect some days.

  Kristina had been toying with leaving for a while. The problem with trying to find work in a tourist town was that so many of the positions were seasonal. That didn’t do Kristina any good. She needed a year-round gig, and those were in short supply. While she waited for another one to pop up, she was stuck in a holding pattern.

  The annual employee appreciation barbecue was the following day. Normally Kristina would have invited her boyfriend to come, but seeing as she didn’t have one, she invited Chloe instead.

  “Way to sell it, Kristina. I can’t wait to get hit on by the men from work you’re always complaining about,” Chloe deadpanned.

  “Don’t try to back out. Just think of all the new clients you can recruit. This barbecue could lead to some good money for you,” Kristina insisted.

  “Or, it could just lead to some big headaches.”

  “You know I need you there for moral support. You’ll be the only ally I’ll have,” Kristina said.

  “Well, when you say it like that, how can I possibly refuse?” Chloe joked.

  “Seriously, you’re going to be there, right?”

  Chloe could see that Kristina was frantic for her to say yes. If her friend felt like she needed her to be there that much, should couldn’t say no.

  “Of course,” Chloe said.

  Kristina smiled. “Great.” />
  Chapter Two

  Things were anything but great at the barbecue the next day. The basics of a good party were in place. A nice spread of food had been laid out with barbecued ribs, burgers, chips, potato salad, hot dogs, and plenty of apple pie. There was a bouncy castle set up for the kids, as well as a game of horseshoes and croquet for families. Meanwhile for the adults, the alcohol was flowing freely. On the surface, it had the makings of a good time.

  All was not what it seemed. There was an unmistakable tension in the air. It ended up rattling both Chloe and Kristina shortly after they arrived. For Chloe, it came as a complete surprise. As she looked into Kristina’s eyes, she realized it was an all too familiar feeling for her friend.

  So much for Chloe’s festive mood. The party was as lively as a vigil. It was as if everyone was going through the motions, putting on fake smiles and pretending they were enjoying themselves when they were really just waiting for disaster to strike. The question became, would it?

  For Kristina’s sake, Chloe hoped not. Kristina already dealt with enough stress at work. The last thing she needed was to get a taste of it at a work party. Then again, the terms ‘work’ and ‘party’ did not go well together. To a lot of people, a party was meant to forget about work. To cut loose. Yet at this party, the opposite was true. Having to hang out with people she didn’t like and pretend she was enjoying herself was not what Kristina considered a good time.

  “Thanks again for coming,” Kristina said.

  “Friends take care of friends,” Chloe replied.

  “I thought the saying was ‘family takes care of family.'”

  “There’s enough room for both sayings. Just like there’s enough room for a little fun. After all, this is a party,” Chloe insisted.

  “And how festive it looks,” Kristina joked.

  “Yeah. I am getting an aggressively anti-festive vibe from this party. Why does it seem like everyone is waiting for the other shoe to drop?” Chloe asked.

  “Because when Marty Diamond is around, it’s only a matter of time before things get disastrous.”

  Under normal circumstances, when someone said the word disastrous in that context, Chloe would think they were exaggerating. This time, it seemed like an apt description of the situation.

  Chloe needed to find a silver lining, anything to lighten the mood.

  “Look on the bright side,” Chloe said.

  “Which is?” Kristina asked.

  “You can’t go wrong with free pie.”

  Kristina laughed. “At least you’re focused on what’s important in life.”

  “I dare you to eat a slice of pie and not have a smile on your face afterward.”

  Kristina took Chloe up on that dare. And they both ate like there was no tomorrow!

  ***

  Chloe was right. The pie was able to bring a smile to Kristina’s face, at least temporarily. Kristina then became distracted looking at a man standing across the party. Chloe didn’t recognize the guy, but she did know who he was talking to. The mystery man was deep in conversation with Kristina’s boss, Marty Diamond.

  Marty was wearing his customary tuxedo, which looked even more ridiculous at the barbecue than it did when he roamed the Mattress Mart in his TV ads. Marty was a tall, skinny man in his late fifties with short black hair, brown eyes, and an angular face.

  Kristina was watching the conversation with great interest. Chloe could see her friend stressing out. When Kristina began to grimace, Chloe decided to take action.

  A distraction was in order. “Good pie, huh?”

  Kristina answered without taking her focus off the mystery man. “Uh huh.”

  The mystery man was tall and slender, with black hair, glasses, a goatee, and an oval face. He looked to be in his early twenties.

  “Want another slice?” Chloe asked.

  Kristina shook her head. “I’m watching my weight.”

  “That’s not all you’re watching. You’ve been pretty interested in that guy over there. Who is he?”

  “That’s the interesting thing. I have no idea who is he.”

  Chloe turned and saw Marty Diamond shaking the mystery man’s hand. It didn’t end there however. The mystery man then pulled Marty in for a hug. They both seemed to be in cheery, celebratory moods.

  Meanwhile, across the way, Chloe turned back to Kristina.

  “He seems to know your boss pretty well,” Chloe pointed out.

  A concerned look crossed Kristina’s face. “Apparently. Which is odd, because I’ve worked at the Mattress Mart for four years, and I’ve never seen him before. You’d think he would have come in at some point.”

  “You could always ask Marty who he is,” Chloe suggested.

  Kristina grimaced again. “Then I’d have to talk to Marty, and I try to do that as little as possible.”

  “That’s unfortunate because he’s coming right over here.”

  There was a chance Marty was approaching to make small talk, or to thank Kristina for four years of service at his company. After all, it was an employee appreciation barbecue. Chloe got the sense the conversation would be far different in nature. Apparently Kristina was thinking the same thing because she was tense as could be all of a sudden.

  “Uh oh. This has bad news written all over it,” Kristina muttered.

  Marty wasted no time when he reached Kristina.

  “We have to talk,” Marty demanded.

  Those were words no employee ever wanted to hear. When a boss gave a worker a promotion or a raise, they never started the conversation with ‘we need to talk’. No, when those words were uttered, criticism was sure to follow.

  Kristina tried to stall him. “Boss, this is my good friend Chloe Cook.”

  Marty didn’t even feign interest in meeting her. He kept his eyes on Kristina.

  “I have something important to talk to you about,” Marty continued.

  Chloe came up with an idea. She decided to try and appeal to Marty’s insatiable hunger for profit.

  “Did I mention I’m in the market for a new mattress?” Chloe said.

  Marty took Chloe’s bait without hesitation. Chloe could practically see dollar signs in his eyes as he turned to her.

  “What kind of mattress are you looking for?” Marty asked.

  “I’ve heard good thing about the Cloudipedic.”

  “I hope so. It’s the best mattress on the market,” Marty replied.

  “Is it true it’s like sleeping on a cloud?” Chloe wondered.

  Cloudipedic mattresses were the most expensive around. They promised an unrivaled sleeping experience. Selling a mattress like that meant maximum profit.

  Chloe could see Kristina breathing a sigh of relief as Marty began to launch into his sales spiel. The distraction could not have come at a better time. She was able to disappear into the bathroom without Marty even noticing.

  “You’ve never experienced anything like a Cloudipedic. It’s practically a cure for insomnia,” Marty said.

  Talk about laying it on thick. Was there anything he wouldn’t say to make a sale?

  “That’s impressive,” Chloe replied.

  “Not as impressive as our price. Did you know that Marty’s Mattress Mart has the lowest prices in town?”

  Chloe had gotten Marty moderately worked up, but she knew how to really send him into overdrive.

  “Even lower than Walter Gold’s prices?” she replied.

  Nothing like the mention of Marty’s chief rival to get him hot and bothered.

  “You don’t want to buy a mattress from Walter Gold,” Marty insisted.

  “Why not? He has really low prices.”

  “I’ll tell you a secret, for your ears only. Walter has guys that go around town picking up used and discarded mattresses from the side of the road, inside dumpsters, and at garage sales. They then take the mattresses back to their warehouse, refurbish them, and sell them as new,” Marty explained.

  “No way,” Chloe replied.

  Marty
nodded. “Oh yeah. Walter’s a real sleazy guy. You’d never see those kinds of shenanigans at Marty’s. All our mattresses are direct from the factory, guaranteed.”

  “That’s good to know.”

  “So, what do you say, are you ready to become the latest highly satisfied Cloudipedic customer?” Marty asked.

  Chloe had become a little too convincing as a decoy customer.

  Marty was determined to make the sale.

  Chloe had to do some deflecting. “I’d have to actually try the mattress out at the showroom first.”

  Marty wouldn’t be deterred. “I’ll tell you what, come by the Mattress Mart tomorrow. We offer zero percent financing for twenty-four months, same day delivery, and a ten-year warranty.”

  By that point, Chloe was desperate to find an exit from the conversation. Luckily, one walked by.

  Chapter Three

  Marty’s son, Stewart Diamond, strolled past holding hands with a woman. This was apparently enough to draw the ire of Marty. He immediately dropped the mattress talk and berated his son.

  “What’s she doing here?” Marty barked.

  Stewart was a nebbish, bespectacled man in his mid-twenties with short, scruffy brown hair, matching brown eyes, a beard, and a deer in the headlights look. It was incredible to think Marty and Stewart were even related. They couldn’t be more different. Marty had confidence to spare. Stewart meanwhile was a total pushover.

  That was all too apparent in their demeanor. Still, even though Stewart looked uncomfortable in his own skin, a new side of him came out when his father insulted the woman he was with.

  Stewart barked back. “Lucy has a name, and she deserves respect.”

  Lucy had shoulder length black hair, bangs, a lean body, and an eye-catching face. Stewart and Lucy made for an odd pairing, mostly because Lucy seemed so out of his league. It wasn’t often a geeky guy like Stewart landed a girlfriend like Lucy. They didn’t just run in different circles, they also clearly seemed from different classes.