Chili Cauldron Curse. Lynn Cahoon
Chili Cauldron Curse
Also by Lynn Cahoon
The Cat Latimer Mysteries
A Story to Kill
Fatality by Firelight
Of Murder and Men
Slay in Character
Sconed to Death
A Field Guide to Homicide
The Farm-to-Fork Mysteries
Who Moved My Goat Cheese?
Killer Green Tomatoes
One Potato, Two Potato, Dead
Novellas
Deep Fried Revenge
Have a Deadly New Year
Penned In
The Tourist Trap Mysteries
Guidebook to Murder
Mission to Murder
If the Shoe Kills
Dressed to Kill
Killer Run
Murder on Wheels
Tea Cups and Carnage
Hospitality and Homicide
Killer Party
Memories and Murder
Novellas
Rockets’ Dead Glare
A Deadly Brew
Santa Puppy
Corned Beef and Casualties
Mother’s Day Mayhem
A Very Mummy Holiday
Table of Contents
Chili Cauldron Curse
A Kitchen Witch Novella
Lynn Cahoon
KENSINGTON BOOKS
To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental
KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2020 by Lynn Cahoon
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
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First Electronic Edition: September 2020
eISBN-13: 978-1-4967-3046-6
eISBN-10: 1-4967-3046-1
Dedication
To the ones who volunteer their time to make our world just a little bit better.
Acknowledgments
I feel like I should acknowledge my long hours of watching different paranormal shows on television. Shows like Charmed, Supernatural, or even Dark Shadows. Or maybe the hours of reading Stephen King. But really, I should thank my husband for giving me the space to create my worlds. I also want to thank my editor for her wise words. And my agent for her gentle guidance in this crazy world of publishing.
Chapter 1
Mia Malone stood in front of the Magic Springs Food Bank, staring into the crowded space and trying not to breathe. For a small Idaho town, the powers that be had set the food bank up in a great space. However, the lack of attention to the place over the summer showed. Boxes filled the open floor plan. Metal shelving units sat empty, lined up against the wall. And somewhere, the smell of rotting fruit was making the building almost uninhabitable. She turned to her grandmother, Mary Alice Carpenter, who was holding a napkin over her nose.
“Something went bad somewhere.” Mia knew she was stating the obvious but she couldn’t stop the words from coming out. “How long has this food been here?”
“It’s been a warm summer. The Lodge trucks stop by every week and make a drop.” Tasha Newton sighed. She stood between Mia and Grans, and ran a hand through her graying hair. “It was just me when school closed and I wasn’t able to be here every week. I tried to keep up with it, but the parents of the school kids were our primary clients. Once they went out on summer vacation, I guess they forgot we had the supplies here. My hip replacement kept me