Dark Chocolate Murder Read online

  But did that mean she couldn’t reopen the shop at a new location? Belinda turned to face Pierre and discuss the possibilities with him. “You know what I was thinking?”

  “What, sweetheart?” Pierre murmured.

  “I love being home during the day and taking care of Marc. But he’s going to start school next year. And I was thinking that maybe I could open up a new chocolate shop,” Belinda paused, pursing her lips thoughtfully. She had taken on a new responsibility as Marc’s stepmother and perhaps it would be hypocritical to open up a demanding new business. Maybe that would make her as selfish as Juliette. Just because Marc would be in school in September didn’t mean Belinda should be away from home so much. “Actually, never mind. Maybe I could make some chocolates for the restaurant. Remember when we met how you said you wanted me to make some chocolate mints exclusively for you? Well, I could do that. Opening a new shop would require too much work.”

  Pierre looked at her with a knowing smile. “Belinda, you know that wouldn’t be enough for you. Your chocolate shop is meant to be reopened! And there are plenty of places nearby in Nice where you could rent a storefront. I’m sure Crystal would be glad to help out again. And you know I’ll do everything I can.”

  “But, what about Marc? Wouldn’t he be spending too much time alone?” Belinda protested.

  “Not at all. Neither of us will be working 40 hours a week. I’m proving to you right now how much I want to be home more for you and Marc! And I know you’re going to be there for my---our---son. And Marc knows it too. I want you to make your dream come true. It got cut short by an evil person. So you just need to rebuild. Okay?” Pierre spoke levelly, and Belinda found herself unable to argue with his points.

  “Thank you for believing in me. And thank you for valuing my dream…”

  “I value you, Belinda. And valuing someone means supporting their dreams and goals.”

  Belinda snuggled closer to Pierre on the porch swing, gently swinging her legs to rock them back and forth. “I love you.”

  “I love you too,” Pierre whispered against her mouth before swooping in for a kiss. “Now we just need to find a storefront in Nice to open your chocolate shop. It can be even bigger than before, with more flavors. Doesn’t that sound sweet?”

  “Nothing could be sweeter than this,” Belinda said huskily, parting her lips for another kiss.

  Epilogue

  Six Months Later…

  The shelves were stocked with boxes of gourmet cookies, decorative tins of candy, and bags of malted balls. In the front of the shop stood a long chocolate bar with a dozen swivel seats. Glass display cases revealed more than one hundred varieties of truffles. Glancing at her watch, Belinda shivered with anticipation. Her new chocolate shop, located in the heart of Nice, was slated for grand opening in just two hours. Pierre and Crystal flanked her as a local photographer snapped a shot of the hard working trio.

  “I hope this picture makes it into the newspapers! It would be the perfect free advertising!” Belinda exclaimed, feeling her pulse erratically beat through her wrist.

  “I will ask them to include the photograph with a press release if you would like,” the photographer offered.

  “Yes, that would be wonderful! Thank you!” Turning to her husband, she admitted, “I’ve got a whole net of butterflies in the pit of my stomach.”

  In his characteristic calming fashion, Pierre replied, “Don’t worry. This chocolate shop is going to be a hit in Nice! You have an even larger customer base with the higher population here. And there are plenty of college students around who will come here for a cold drink after class.”

  “Yes, and I’m one of those students!” Crystal raised her hand proudly.

  Two weeks after the wedding, Crystal and Jean-Jacques had set the wheels in motion of an amicable divorce. Although he had been sad to lose her, Jean-Jacques understood why Crystal could no longer stay in the marriage. Since separating from Jean-Jacques and moving out of their Monaco estate, Crystal had enrolled in art classes at the University of Southern France. Studying drawing and painting filled Crystal with joy every day she attended class. She didn’t care at all that her skills weren’t marketable. Crystal was going to college for the experience itself and for the sense of personal accomplishment. Besides, having been promoted to the plum position of Belinda’s assistant manager at the chocolate shop, Crystal had no desire to find another job.

  Lenore and her Nubian prince, Crégoir, had fallen in love and endured a long distance relationship for a few months before he asked her to live with him in Nice. Now, newly engaged, the couple lived in a swanky condominium a few miles away from Pierre and Belinda’s home. The condo’s mortgage was mostly funded by his catering business but, little by little, Lenore’s poetry books were selling online. She had even earned enough money to hire a professional website designer to make her virtual bookstore gleam with professionalism. Belinda smiled as she reflected on her friend’s journey. It was hard to believe that Lenore had also dared to escape that stifling office back in Boston. And she had found love too! Belinda felt a surge of joy for her favorite poet and couldn’t wait to serve her some scrumptious chocolates in the shop.

  Glancing over at the bar, Belinda beamed to see Marc contentedly sipping a glass of chocolate milk. He blew bubbles through the straw and giggled, droplets of the drink splashing onto his face. Since Belinda had moved into Pierre’s countryside home as his wife, Marc had been thriving. He still spent some weekends with cousins Xavier and Mathieu, but he spent more time under the caring tutelage of Pierre and Belinda.

  One month into the marriage, Marc had begun calling Belinda “Maman.” It had happened one afternoon when Marc was riding his new bicycle with training wheels. When one of the tires climbed over a sharp edge on the sidewalk, the bicycle went tumbling, and Marc had fallen hard onto the concrete. With Pierre at the restaurant, Belinda had been the one to wash and bandage Marc’s cuts that day. As she dressed his wounds, he had whimpered in a shaky voice, “Merci, Maman.” Belinda’s heart swelled as she recalled how naturally the word had flowed from little Marc and how she was truly his mother, having signed legal adoption papers.

  Belinda proudly inventoried the display cases, counting each truffle and arranging them in an artful, eye-pleasing manner. For her new boutique, she had kept tried-and-true classics like the Lavender Essence and All-American Peanut Butter and Jelly truffles. Belinda had also figured in several new recipes including one born out of her time in Ventimiglia, Italy: the Gelato Experience boasted fruit and nut extracts from authentic Italian gelato, all encased in a silky bittersweet chocolate robe.

  Conspicuously missing from the display case was the infamous truffle labeled Fatally Sweet. She couldn’t possibly recycle that name after the horrific poisoning of François and Collette Debauche. Even though Belinda knew the deaths were not her fault, and the culprit would remain permanently behind bars, she felt compelled to do something in honor of the murdered couple. So Belinda had pledged to donate ten percent of her profits to a scholarship fund established in the names of François and Collette Debauche. It was a small but significant way to keep their memory alive. After setting up the scholarship fund at a local college, Belinda had modified the Fatally Sweet recipe and renamed the truffle Dark Elegance.

  The fatal---and fateful---truffle was not the only thing to be renamed. Instead of the clumsy store name, Belinda’s Chocolate Boutique, the new Mrs. Pierre Cédaire had chosen a name that reflected everything she had worked to achieve in the past year. She hadn’t consulted anyone about the name of the shop, not even Pierre, because she knew unequivocally that she had made the perfect choice.

  As the door swung open and the bells chimed above, Lenore walked into the shop, glowing in a floral sundress and mauve high heels. Gazing around, Lenore placed her hands on her hips, and shook her head with pride. “Belinda, your shop is amazing! Congratulations! And it looks like I get to be your first customer today!”

  Belinda smiled radiantly
and cordially addressed her first customer:

  “Bonjour, welcome to Sweet Freedom.”

  *****

  Dear Reader:

  Thank you for reading Dark Chocolate Murder. I hope you enjoyed escaping to the French Riviera while delving into Belinda and Pierre’s chocolate-covered romance! I welcome your feedback and make an effort to personally respond to every email I receive. Write to me at [email protected].

  Happy Reading!

  Cordially,

  Anisa Claire West

  Titles Available by Anisa Claire West:

  ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

  Champagne Deception

  Dark Chocolate Murder

  Deep Dish Lies (To be Released: Summer of 2013)

  Hot Fudge Fraud (To be Released June 1, 2013)

  Northern Moonlight

  FANTASY

  Silver Goddess Series:

  Island Tango, Book One

  Orca Dance, Book Two

  Leopard Rhythm, Book Three

  Mermaid Gold, Book Four

  HISTORICAL ROMANCE

  Eternal Melody

  About the Author

  Anisa Claire West graduated with honors from Yale University and also holds a Master of Arts degree in Literature and Teaching. Learning about cultures is Anisa’s passion, and she has studied more than half a dozen languages including French, Arabic, and Italian. A certified yoga instructor, Anisa embraces mind-body fitness, animal advocacy, and a vegetarian lifestyle. Anisa spent a semester abroad in Paris during her college years and enjoyed revisiting the beautiful French language in Dark Chocolate Murder.

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Two Hours Later

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  The Snow Drift

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  The Following Afternoon…

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter T hirteen

  Ventimiglia, Italy

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Epilogue

  Titles Available by Anisa Claire West

  About the Author