True Confections: A Valentine’s Day Mystery Short Story

Feb 9, 2015 | 2015 Articles, Mysteryrat's Maze, Sunny Frazier, Terrific Tales

by Sunny Frazier

Except for that one incident with the Godiva chocolates, my marriage would have been perfect.

My wife wasn’t beautiful, but she was intelligent and rich, qualities a man looks for when he climbs the corporate ladder. My marriage had survived the seven-year-itch twice before I hired Marvella to be my secretary. She had a figure that would make any man re-think his marriage vows. She swiveled in her office chair with hips designed to drive men wild. She lounged seductively on the patio during her endless smoke breaks. Before long, I was drawn into my first affair.chocolate

Marvella wasn’t demanding. She simply adored me so much that she thought I’d look better behind the wheel of a Corvette rather than a Taurus. She hinted that she wanted a diamond tennis bracelet, although she never held a racquet in her hand. My cash reserves were soon running low.

Marvella pointed out that murdering my wife was the logical solution to my marital and monetary problems. Between my wife’s inheritance and the sizable insurance policy, I’d have plenty of money. Marvella told me to find a fool-proof method, but didn’t want to know the details in case the cops came calling.tennis bracelet

Committing adultery is one thing–committing murder is quite another. I knew my wife’s habits but now I studied the details of her daily routine. I asked questions, went out with her more often, even took her shopping to see what she bought. Surprisingly enough, I rediscovered all the reasons why I married her in the first place.

Her passion was candy. There were caramels on her nightstand, buttercreams next to her reading chair and nougats near the TV. Valentines Day was around the corner. Deadly bon bons would do the job.

Finding just the right poison was difficult. What I needed was a lethal liquid, something I could inject in a piece of candy without disturbing the outer appearance. I found a recipe for liquid nicotine on the internet. When my wife left for three days at a health spa, I shredded cigarettes, soaked the tobacco and boiled the mass down to a potent liquid.

On February 14, I placed the tainted box of Godiva chocolates and a long stemmed red rose on the dining room table and left for work. I stayed away from the office all morning to make sure that Marvella and I weren’t seen together. I’d kept her in the dark on the exact date of the murder.

At one o’clock I phoned home. My wife picked up on the second ring.chocolate

“Did you find the box of candy, sweetheart?” I sputtered.

“You’ve been so romantic lately,” she purred, “that I’ve been dieting. So I dropped by the office and gave the candy to your secretary. She seemed delighted when I said they were from you. She ate a half a dozen pieces before I left.”

It was supposed to be the perfect murder–and in some respects, it was.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & short stories, and Valentine’s Day mystery short stories, in our mystery section.

Sunny Frazier worked with an undercover narcotics team in Fresno County for 17 years before turning her energies to writing the Christy Bristol Astrology Mysteries. Based in the San Joaquin Valley of California, the novels are inspired by real cases and 35 years of casting horoscopes.

28 Comments

  1. I loved this, Sunny

    Reply
  2. I loved it! I have no imagination, didn’t even think it would back fire on him! I’m not eating candy this Valentine’s Day!

    Reply
  3. Hilarious. Sharp and to the point. Loved it.

    Reply
  4. Very good.

    Reply
  5. Very clever, Sonny. Just the perfect ending.

    Reply
  6. Sunny, great twist! I loved the story. Thanks for the early Valentine’s Day treat!

    Reply
  7. Actually, I read a very small article in the LA Times about a man and his mistress who tried to poison the wife by injecting chocolates with liquid nicotine. You know I clipped and saved it until the right contest came alone. Oh, and there is a site called Jolly Rogers where I got the recipe for making the poison.

    When life hands you that kind of material, you just run with it!

    Reply
  8. Great story, Sunny. However, it may make me think before I scoff down all those chocolates I am so fond of.

    Reply
  9. Great story, Sunny. I’m trying to decide if I want to share it with my wife or not. But, it certainly will make me think as I scoff down all the chocolates I am so drawn to.

    Reply
  10. Perfect!

    Reply
  11. Loved it. The surprise ending just made the story. Thank you.

    Reply
  12. Thursday, January 22, 2015

    I loved this. Sort of “flash fiction,” but the perfect story arc and perfect ending. I never could write short-short stories. This was perfect.

    Reply
  13. Great story, Sunny. Love the twist ending. I can see why this story has garnered awards. Happy Valentine’s Day.

    Reply
  14. Great story, Sunny, with a great surprise ending. I’ll be sharing this with my writing students this week, as a Valentine’s Day present from you. XXX

    Reply
  15. Love it! Death by chocolate and fun twist!

    Reply
  16. I’ve always loved this story. Nice to read it again.

    Reply
  17. Great story! I really enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  18. LOL I loved the twist you used. Great story!

    Reply
  19. Love it! Now I hope I don’t get chocolates for Valentine’s Day.

    Reply
  20. Great story, Sunny. I hoped the guy learned his lesson; probably not.

    Reply
  21. Thanks everyone! I enjoyed sharing with you.

    Reply
  22. Great story. Good job. I got a lot of chocolates for Mother’s Day (even though I’m a step mom). Glad I’m reading this now. I may not ever look at chocolate candy the same again.

    Reply
  23. Great story, sweet revenge.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

SUBSCRIBE NOW!

podcast