Welcome to Tuesday Tales, powered by a small group of authors, where word prompts inspire passages in the books we’re writing. Today’s word is flower. My snippet is from a cozy mystery set in fictional Glisten, Georgia. When you finish reading, make sure to visit all the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.
“Yes, I was absolutely horrified by the murder.” Still am. I bolted up and began my usual pacing back and forth.
Her voice sounded high and jittery. “Did you tell Mrs. Douglas about it? What did she say?”
“Naturally she’s upset. It’s one more worry on her plate. Did the police question you, Kitty?”
“Did they ever!” She huffed. “Thank my lucky stars I have an alibi or I’d be at the top of their list. The two of us always riled each other up big time. And I suppose my behavior at the meeting at Tea Thyme the other day didn’t shine a good light on me. That was a stupid payback on my part. Sometimes my bad angel gets the best of me. For God’s sake, Peri, I didn’t know she was going to be murdered!”
I sighed. So Twinkle Toes had an alibi. She chattered for another fifteen minutes before I could gracefully end the call. She wrapped up with a promise. “I’ll be back to work directly I’m better.”
Left to myself, I fell into a routine. Up early for coffee and the cookies Luella had stored, checking Jack’s and my notes about the upgrade projects, murder doodles handy in my back pocket to whip out in case the most vociferous of the Tea Thyme spirits got on my case.
The first order of business was to get Brady Pryce back on the job. It was satisfying to see his various crews resume work, not all at once but with organized staging. The roof was finished by the end of the second day. On the third morning, I awoke to the sound of manly busy bees planting flowers and shrubs to turn the grounds into a showcase for the upcoming soft grand opening. That event would occur on the first day of Pumpkin Fest. Brady had scheduled a crew for next week to provide specialized treatment for the hardwood floors. Thank goodness the electrical upgrades had already been completed. The tearoom would see added amenities, such as a self-serve cart for sweeteners and the like and a set up behind the counter for a new industrial coffee maker. Robin was excited about the lattes and cappuccinos in her future.
I also took the opportunity to speak to Brady about the murder. “It’s got to be a bit hard on you. Didn’t you date her at one time?”
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed the piece inspired by the word flower. If you haven’t done so already, check out the other excerpts at Tuesday Tales.
Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Spirited Stories
All rights reserved, copyright @ 2024 Flossie Benton Rogers
Love the busy bees image of the men landscaping. Excellent post. I can see you’re pulling all the threads together. And, then, just when I think you’re almost done, along comes a new suspect.
It would be wonderful to have a small brigade come in and redo my landscaping. Out with the old, and in with the new colorful blooming plants!
It certainly would.
Poor guy. I would think that would definitely be hard.
Another great snippet, Flossie!
Nice to see you, Mae! Thanks for stopping by.
Very nice. Things are moving right along. In the story and on her renovations as well. Jillian
Love the banter between Kitty and Peri. It gives a great deal of background about the relationships. Also love the updates to the house and how it will impact the soft opening. Great job!!
Aha! Brady dated the murdered woman?? So he’s a new suspect? Awesome! You keep pulling rabbits out of the hat! I love the “twinkle toes” reference. I love this story. And I can’t wait until the upgrades are completed. I feel like I could stroll over there for a chai latte. Such great writing, Flossie.
The last sentence is a great cliffhanger. Two thumbs up.
I like how you tie together the part of ‘real-life’ details, along with investigating the murder. Much as real life, a combination of things. And a new suspect just reared its head too!
Great snippet.