Banana Split (47 page)

Chapter 1

It was the cold that woke her.

Sadie reached for the plush blanket, as soft as kitten’s fur, so she could pull it up to her chin and settle back in for a couple more hours of sleep; the fire she lit in the evenings always burned out in the early morning hours, inviting the autumn chill back in. But instead of finding the comforting softness she expected, her hand brushed across rough stone and rubbed gritty sand beneath her fingers. A breeze passed over her, rippling the silky fabric of her blouse that afforded no protection from the cold night air.

She wasn’t in her apartment. Why not?

Then she began to remember.

Her body tensed as equal amounts of confusion and memory swirled together, like two children trying to talk over each another as they both explained their version of events. From the bits and pieces of her recollections, she knew she was in the New Mexican desert. She’d been at the Balloon Fiesta, the annual hot air balloon festival in Albuquerque. She’d been selling cupcakes—Lois’s Tres Leches Cupcakes to be exact—but then . . . then something had happened. Someone had brought her here, far away from the tourists and balloonists and anyone else whom she could call to for help.

The Cowboy.

But he’d been sent by someone else. Langley? Standage? She wasn’t sure. But she knew the Cowboy had brought her here to kill her. He said she’d crossed a line.

What line?

Why couldn’t she remember everything?

She must have made a run for it. How had she gotten away? They’d come after her—the Cowboy and the man he worked for. And then . . . then . . .

What had happened then?

Sadie attempted to sit up, but her head spun, causing her to lie still again. Then she rolled to her side and used a rock, gray against the blackness behind it, to pull herself up, though her joints and muscles screamed in protest. As her eyes traveled up the side of the hill above her, she could make out the scraggly silhouette of brush against washed-out desert dirt. She looked toward the bottom and saw that the hill she was on continued for several more yards, ending in an arroyo. She’d come to a stop at a ledge of sorts near the middle of the incline. Perhaps the rock she’d used to help her sit up had stopped her. None too gently, it seemed.

Once sitting, she put a hand to her throbbing forehead and gasped in pain at her own touch. She pulled her hand back. Even in the minimal light of the crescent moon, she could see the contrast between her pale skin and the dark smudge on her fingers. Knowing the stain was blood made Sadie’s throat tighten and her hand shake from something other than the cold. Where was she?

Fear began to take over. It was hard to breathe, and her body seemed to involuntarily curl in on itself though her back and hip protested. Everything hurt.
What had happened?
How long had she been here?

“She went this way,” a voice said from somewhere above her, the words carried to her on the wind. Another voice answered the first, but Sadie couldn’t make out what was said. She didn’t need to. What she needed to do was hide. Quick. Though she couldn’t remember everything, she knew that if they found her—whoever
they
were—she’d never get back to Santa Fe.

Sadie knew firsthand how well the desert could hide a body.

Discussion Questions

1. Have you read other books by Josi Kilpack? If so, how did this book compare?

2. What did you think about the opening chapter? On a scale of 1 to 10, how intense did you feel the scene of Sadie finding Noelani’s body was?

3. At the beginning of the book, Sadie agrees to go snorkeling with the Blue Muumuus simply because she doesn’t want to reject another invitation. Have you ever felt pressured to do something you would never have considered otherwise? Was it a positive or negative experience?

4. In this book, Sadie is involved in an internal battle with growing anxiety and depression. Have you or someone you know struggled with this? Did Sadie’s journey feel authentic?

5. The police seem eager to attribute Noelani’s death to a drug overdose. Do you feel that law enforcement tends to dismiss or gloss over drug-related crimes? Why? As a society, do we tend to be less-sensitive to victims of drug-related crimes?

6. Was there a particular scene or element of the book you particularly liked? Disliked?

7. Mr. Olie says that CeeCee is one the best foster parents he has in the program. What qualities does she possess that make her a good foster mom? Do you think the foster care program helps or hinders a child’s development?

8. Have you made any of the recipes in any of the books in the Culinary Mystery series? If so, what did you think? What additional recipes would you have included in the book?

9. How did you feel about the revelation of whodunit? Was it a satisfying ending?

10. Did you use the QR code or visit the website www.ldsliving.com/story/67270-banana-split-secret-chapter to read the “Story behind the Story” of Noelani and Charlie? If so, what did you think?

11. Did you read the first chapter of
Tres Leches Cupcakes?
Do you have any predictions as to what will happen in that book?

About the Author

Josi S. Kilpack grew up hating to read until she was thirteen and her mother handed her a copy of
The Witch of Blackbird Pond.
From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and accredits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began her first novel in 1998 and hasn’t stopped since. Her seventh novel,
Sheep’s Clothing,
won the 2007 Whitney Award for Mystery/Suspense, and
Lemon Tart,
her ninth novel, was a 2009 Whitney Award finalist.
Banana Split
is Josi’s fifteenth novel and the seventh book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series.

Josi currently lives in Willard, Utah, with her wonderful husband, four amazing children, one fat dog, and varying number of very happy chickens.

For more information about Josi, you can visit her website at www.josiskilpack.com, read her blog at www.josikilpack.blogspot.com, or contact her via e-mail at [email protected].

Other Books by Josi Kilpack

Her Good Name

Sheep’s Clothing

Unsung Lullaby

Culinary Mysteries

Lemon Tart

English Trifle

Devil’s Food Cake

Key Lime Pie

Blackberry Crumble

Pumpkin Roll

Tres Leches Cupcakes
(coming Fall 2012)