Killer Cannoli (A Terrified Detective Mystery Book 2) Read online

  I sighed, understanding I had to protect my father from now on. My aunt, whose face was turned toward the window while she sniffed and wiped her eyes, would need kid glove care too.

  I also accepted there was unfinished business with Mr. Bucanetti. He was still a criminal and had only helped me for his own benefit. Someday he would go to prison for the rest of his life and I’d be the one to put him there. I’d gained another ally in this quest, his gorgeous nephew. Until it’s Bucanetti’s time, the flash drive and the copy stay with me.

  All these thoughts ran through my mind on a continuous loop, but came to a halt when Corrigan reached over and squeezed my hand. An understanding look flit across his face.

  I closed my eyes, a bittersweet smile on my lips.

  A Dessert Recipe…

  Panna Cotta (cold Italian custard)

  1C whole milk

  1Tbsp unflavored powdered gelatin

  3C whipping cream

  1/3 C honey

  1Tbsp granulated sugar

  Pinch salt

  Place milk in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Let stand 3-5 minutes so gelatin softens. Pour mixture into a saucepan and stir over medium heat only until the gelatin dissolves but the milk doesn’t boil. About 5 minutes. Add cream, honey, sugar and salt. Keep stirring until the sugar dissolves. 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into parfait glasses. Cool a bit. (I cover it completely with plastic wrap so a film doesn’t form.) Refrigerate at least 6 hours or until set.

  Top with grated dark chocolate before serving.

  Dear Reader,

  If you enjoyed this book, please recommend it to a friend. Even lend your copy to them!

  Reviews are always welcome. They help other readers discover your favorite books. If you do write one for The Terrified Detective: Plateful of Murder, please let Carole know. She’d like to thank you personally. Her email is: [email protected]

  Sign up for Carole’s Newsletter to get insider information, sneak peeks, contests and freebies, and to be the first to hear when her next book is coming out. Since these newsletters only come out a few times a year, you won’t be inundated with them. Also, rest assured, Carole doesn’t sell email addresses.

  The link for her Newsletter is: http://eepurl.com/8xC5L

  For more information on Carole, visit her website. www.carolefowkes.com

  If you enjoyed this second book in the Terrified Detective cozy mystery series, make sure you check out the first book in this series, Plateful of Murder, and the third, Bake Me a Murder, which are available now.

  Here’s an excerpt from “Bake Me a Murder”…

  Bake Me a Murder

  The Terrified Detective, Book Three

  Chapter One

  Monday, 8:00 p.m.

  People ask plumbers and carpenters for free help all the time. It’s a well-known fact. In response, these tradesmen either do the favor or learn how to refuse. A lesser known fact is, as a private investigator, nobody, except for the panhandlers at 9th and Euclid in downtown Cleveland, ever asked me for anything. So, when Ed Horwath, my sometime employee and full-time security guard at Triton Pharmaceuticals, requested my help, it shocked me.

  To explain, I better go back to the beginning, meaning from the start of this case.

  Since the Joey Corroza incident, Cleveland Police Detective Brian Corrigan and I had gone on two dates, enjoyable ones, I might add. For our third, my dad invited us to his place for dinner. Since my mother died he’d become a great cook and his manicotti was delicious. Aunt Lena, my late mother’s sister and owner of Cannoli’s, one of the best bakeries and cafes in the Cleveland area, had brought her chocolate chip caramel brownies.

  Brian and I had been in the kitchen doing the dinner dishes. When we returned to the dining room, Aunt Lena and Ed, who had been dating since that same Corroza case, sat at my father’s heavy, dark-wood dining room table. They were making eyes at each other while my father squirmed and cast his glances everywhere but at the two lovebirds.

  In a voice sharper than I believe he meant, he said, “Lena. Ed. Not in front of the kids.”

  Lena snorted and tilted her head toward Brian and me. “Frank, those two haven’t been kids for a long time.”

  My dad responded, “They still don’t need to see a fiftyish woman and her young man playing cootchy-coo with their eyes.”

  I laughed. “It’s okay, Dad. We’re all adults here. Besides, there’s only six years’ difference between them. I think I can speak for Brian, too, when I say we’ve both seen worse things.”

  My attention drifted to the brownies stacked on a serving plate. A wistful pang hit me. If I’d inherited my dad’s metabolism, I could have downed half the pan and arm-wrestled anyone else for the remainder. Since I put on weight like other people put on clothes, I’d have to restrain myself and only have one. Or two. I consoled myself with staring into Brian’s blue eyes. I have to admit, my eyes couldn’t resist traveling past his cute dimples down the full length of his hot body. My Aunt Lena had no qualms about her robust figure. She snatched the biggest brownie. But she cut it in quarters and fed it to Ed as he gazed at her. Okay, this was one of the worst things I’d seen.

  I glanced at Brian in case he had a notion to do the same, but he was staring at his phone. He then frowned and excused himself.

  As if on cue, Ed’s phone rang too. His voice boomed. “Hey buddy, what’s going on?”

  I couldn’t hear the other man’s exact words but he sounded pretty upset. Ed turned pale and lowered his voice. “Slow down, Merle. When did this happen?”

  He listened for a moment. “Okay, I’m going to give the phone to a private investigator I work with, Claire DeNardo. You tell her what you told me.”

  Ed held his phone out in my direction.

  I waved my arms like windshield wipers and shook my head. I was on a date and didn’t want to think about business. But Ed’s eyes pleaded and I broke down. “This is Claire DeNardo. How can I help you?”

  Plateful of Murder

  Claire DeNardo is scared of a lot of things. Ordinary objects like roller coasters and men's hairpieces make her knees knock loud enough to be a band’s rhythm section. Unfortunately, the only job Claire can find is working for her Uncle Gino in his seedy detective agency. Until now, her cases have all been middle-aged men with trophy wives who needed watching. But when Gino retires and leaves her in charge, Claire quickly gets swept up in a murder case despite her fears. Both the client who hired her and the handsome police detective want her off the case. When the wrong person is charged, it’s up to the terrified detective to summon all the courage she can to find the true killer.

  Available now on Amazon

  Bake Me a Murder

  Private Investigator Claire DeNardo reluctantly takes on a case presented by her part-time employee, Ed. Ed’s cousin, Merle, is searching for his former girlfriend, a topless dancer who ran with a rough crowd. But it’s too late. The woman has been killed and Merle, who is now Claire’s client, is arrested. When Claire digs into the victim’s past, she uncovers a thriving illegal drug trade. Her fears about this case double when she learns about the mobster who is behind the unlawful business. All this while dodging Police Detective Brian Corrigan’s determined efforts to get her off the case and into his arms.

  Available now on Amazon

  Acknowledgements

  I want to thank my husband, Greg, for his support, ideas, and patience. Nikki Salupo and Joanne Moore both stepped up when I needed their help most. Patience Jackson, Rae-Dawn Brightman, and Bill Payne lent their expertise to my efforts. Huge thanks goes to Kathleen Baldwin, whose advice, assistance, and reassurances made the publishing of this book possible.

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2016 by Carole Fowkes

  eBook conversion by Ink Lion Books

  Cover by Kathleen Baldwin

  Copy Edited by Michelle Morrow

  Release date: January 2016

  All Rights Reserved

 
; No part of this book may be reproduced, downloaded, transmitted, decompiled, reverse engineered, stored in or introduced to any information storage and retrieval system, in any form, whether electronic or mechanical without the author’s written permission. Scanning, uploading or distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without permission is prohibited.

  Please purchase only authorized electronic versions, and do not participate in, or encourage pirated electronic versions

  Table Of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Plateful of Murder

  Bake Me a Murder

  Acknowledgements

  Copyright

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Plateful of Murder

  Bake Me a Murder

  Acknowledgements

  Copyright