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  “I think we might have some time,” Teeny said. “Looks like they’re experiencing some difficulties with the lights.”

  “The lights aren’t flickering because they’re having difficulties,” I said. “Flickering lights are the international symbol for the start of a play.”

  “I know, Chelsea. I’m joking,” Teeny said. “Gosh, sometimes it’s so easy to make you think I’m some kind of dumb blonde. Well I’m not. At least not all the time.”

  The lights flickered again. Miss May walked toward the theater. “Let’s get our seats.”

  If you’ve never seen a small town production of the Phantom of the Opera, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Phantom is a challenging play, to say the least. The parts require excellent singers, phenomenal actors, and world-class set design. Most small towns don’t have access to those things and the creative workarounds are extremely entertaining. OK, our town doesn’t have access to those things. I’m not so sure about yours.

  The sets for Pine Grove’s production of Phantom were mostly made of cardboard. The costumes had been borrowed from another small town production and they did not fit the actors well. Our local actors struggled to hit the high notes.

  Still, the play was entertaining. Possibly more entertaining than the Broadway production, because of how much I enjoyed seeing familiar faces on stage.

  Brian, the owner of the coffee shop in town, had several lines. He delivered them all perfectly. I clapped extra hard after his scene.

  Adam Smith, however, the lead in the play? He had worse luck remembering his lines. His performance was awkward and clunky. I wondered if Germany had been correct to deny Master Skinner the lead role. Skinner at least had charisma. Adam was odd and awkward.

  About halfway through the second act, there was a scene where Adam and the female lead, Zambia, had a romantic meal together. My eyes widened as they took stage together. I nudged Miss May. “I think this is the kiss. Coming up.”

  Miss May nudged Teeny and whispered the same thing. Teeny nudged whoever was next to her. The whole theater played a hushed game of telephone, waiting for the kiss.

  Adam and Zambia looked out at the audience, sensing the excited frenzy. Then Adam stood and took Zambia’s hands in his. Zambia stepped toward him. Adam wrapped his arm around her waist. She leaned forward. They kissed.

  The first five seconds of the kiss seemed normal. But the lip lock did not stop after five seconds. It did not stop after ten seconds. It did not stop after fifteen seconds. Twenty seconds into the kiss and people were hooting and hollering from the crowd. I looked over at Miss May and Teeny. They were cracking up with laughter. I looked back at Adam and Zambia in disbelief… The kiss was still going! Finally, the two separated. Adam wiped his lips. The audience erupted with laughter.

  An angry woman pushed her way out from the center of a row then stormed up the aisle, toward the exit. My eyes widened. “Is that…?”

  Miss May nodded. “That’s Dorothy. Adam’s wife.”

  Teeny covered her eyes. “I can’t look. Tell me when she’s gone.”

  The door slammed. “OK. She’s gone,” I said.

  Up on stage, the scene concluded. After another minute or so, Adam and Zambia exited stage left. The rest of the play continued without much drama.

  That is, until the end. Adam took center stage for the last scene of the play. He delivered a concluding monologue, pacing the stage. His character was upset for some reason or another, I don’t remember why.

  “Life is long,” Adam announced. “For some of us, it’s short. The sky is blue. But for some of us, it’s green.”

  Teeny nudged me. “What is he talking about?”

  I shrugged and pointed back at the stage. Adam opened a box of pastries and held a tart to his chest.

  “This tart is a symbol of my love. I shall break it in half. I shall keep part of this tart with me at all times to remember my love. She will stay with me always. And she will – –”

  Bang. Bang. The sound of a gunshot echoed in the theater. Adam doubled over, then fell backwards. He reached up to the sky and delivered his final line. “My tart. My heart.”

  There was a moment of quiet in the theater. Then applause rippled across the room. Seconds later, and everyone in the theater was on their feet for a standing ovation. Miss May, Teeny, and I joined the crowd. Yes, much of the play had been confusing and weird. But the finale had had a resounding impact. Cheers boomed throughout the theater. I saw an old woman wipe a tear from the corner of her eye.

  After a few seconds of the standing ovation, Zambia rushed out onto the stage, no longer wearing her costume. She knelt down beside Adam and screamed. “That wasn’t part of the play! He’s been shot. Adam has been shot.”

  Germany rushed out beside Zambia. He pumped on Adam’s chest. Listened for a heartbeat.

  Appreciation and applause morphed into unsettled shrieks and panicked conversation.

  It seemed Adam Smith, not his character, had been shot. Audience members rushed for the exit but Miss May, Teeny, and I stayed in our seats, necks craned, looking toward the stage.

  Police rushed toward the theater stage as audience members rushed toward the exits. I couldn’t look away from the stage. Germany’s hands were covered in blood. Zambia continued crying, rocking back and forth in stunned grief.

  Adam Smith had been murdered. And it would be up to me, Miss May, and Teeny to find out to find the killer and bring justice to our small town, once again.

  Want to find out who killed Adam Smith?

  Shot Through the Tart is available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.

  You’re going to love reading the rest of this cozy because everyone loves a mystery with humor, intrigue and drama.

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  A Note From the Authors

  Dear Readers,

  Thank you for reading this holiday mystery. I can’t believe I’m writing the author’s note on Book 6 of the Apple Orchard Cozy Mystery Series. My husband Matt and I co-write these books. They have all been so much fun to write. The time has flown by.

  I remember the day Matt and I first learned about cozy mysteries. We were sitting at Commissary Coffee in Burbank, CA with our friend Christy.

  Do you know Christy? She is the author of “Mom and Christy’s Cozy Mysteries” and her books are great.

  Anyway, that day in the coffee shop Christy was all smiles.

  “These mysteries are so much fun to write,” she said. “But the best part is that the readers are SO nice!”

  Matt and I had never self-published a book before, so we weren’t sure what Christy meant.

  She explained. “They appreciate my writing. They’re never rude or unkind. They write me nice emails. And they LOVE mysteries so much it’s contagious!”

  At that point, Matt and I were very interested in writing cozies. We read a few books in the genre and loved that they were exciting but cute at the same time. So we started writing!

  It’s now about 18 months later. We’ve written six books and two novellas. And we have experienced first hand just how nice the readers in this genre are.

  I guess this is my long-winded way of saying THANK YOU for reading and reviewing. Thank you for hanging out on Facebook. Thank you for sending kind emails. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

  Since Matt and I started writing these books we have moved across the country. We spent a month living in Florida with my parents. Then we spent three months living with HIS parents while we looked for a place in NY. Finally, we moved into a new apartment and took up residence in Peekskill, NY – the exact kind of small town you might find in a cozy mystery.

  I’m writing this letter to you from my desk in our new “artist loft.” I’m looking at fifty foot high trees, and two big grass fields. My street is dotted with Victorian homes that were built in the 1800s. My favorite local coffee shop is filled with smiling faces. And my neighbors and I bake cookies for each other on an almost weekly basis.

  Living here is surreal
. In Los Angeles, Matt and I lived in one of the hottest parts of the city. Everyday we did battle with our apartment. We blocked out our windows with Styrofoam to keep out the heat. We wore gloves and hats INSIDE in the winter. And we took all the doors off our cabinets so little bugs would have fewer places to hide.

  Not very cozy, is it?

  Our life on the east coast is so much more beautiful. So much more comfortable. Our apartment building is brand new. We live a ten-minute walk from the Hudson River. And the changing seasons remind us every day that change is a good thing, something we should strive for and something for which we should be grateful.

  One of our goals for 2020 is to be able to fully support ourselves with cozy mystery writing. (We like to aim high.) That means you can expect a lot more books from us. Maybe even a new series or two.

  That’s an ambitious goal and it’s OK if we fall short. But the world of self-publishing has welcomed us in a way the entertainment industry never has.

  It’s been so rewarding, it feels right to keep pursuing this direction as long as there are readers out there who want to read our stories.

  Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU.

  I hope you all have a great day, week and year. Matt and I are grateful for each and every one of you.

  Best,

  Chelsea Thomas

  P.S. If you enjoyed this book, don’t be shy. Leave a review! Every review is a huge help to new authors like us.

  Also by Chelsea Thomas

  Thank you for reading CANDY SLAIN. If you liked it, I’ve got lots more stories from Pine Grove for you.

  Book one in this series, APPLE DIE, tells the story of Chelsea’s first murder mystery on the orchard. Chelsea is fresh off a rough break-up. But Miss May is determined to investigate, and Chelsea can’t help but tag along.

  The second book in this series, COOKING THE BOOKS, follows the murder of Pine Grove’s sleaziest ‘wealth manager.’ The guy swindled every business owner in town, so everyone had motive to kill. But it’s up to Chelsea and Miss May to find the murderer.

  Book 3, CANDY APPLE KILLER, features the most delicious caramel apples you can imagine. Oh. And a murder with a twist you’ll never see coming.

  Guess what? We’ve bundled all three of these books into a box set!

  Get the box set now.

  Already caught up on Books 1-3?

  Grab your copy of SHOT THROUGH THE TART (Book 7) today.

  CLICK HERE to get Book 7.

  About the Author

  Chelsea Thomas is married writing team Chelsea and Matthew Thomas. Chelsea and Matthew are screenwriters and mystery authors. They live and work in Peekskill, NY.

  For more information:

  www.chelseathomasauthor.com

  [email protected]

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