Tragic Toppings (7 page)

When Grace and I walked up to him, the police chief glanced at his watch and whistled softly. “I’m impressed,” he said.

“Thank you,” I said. “Why exactly are you impressed?”

“It took you forty-seven minutes to come out to see what was going on. I was betting you’d be back in ten.”

I offered him a grin. “I would have been, but Momma had baked a pie this afternoon, and you know how hard that is to resist.” It may have been mean of me to let him know that there was pie so close, but I wanted him to realize that Momma had originally meant it for him.

“Any chance it’s cherry?” he asked, a wistful look on his face.

“Apple,” I admitted.

“Even better.”

I nodded my agreement, and then I asked, “Have you found out anything about what happened to poor Tim?”

He seemed to consider my question, and then said, “I could give you a line about an active police investigation, but what’s the use? We don’t know anything new. The doc’s called the medical examiner, and we’ve collected about all the evidence here we can. Whatever happened, it’s clear that Tim double-crossed somebody, and I’m guessing the killer lives in April Springs.”

That assumption was beyond me. “How can you say that?”

He shrugged. “Come on, the significance of the Patriot’s Tree hanging can’t be lost on you. It’s a spot reserved for traitors. It always has been, and I’m guessing it will be until folks forget what happened here someday.”

I hadn’t even considered that, much to my dismay. Of course the location of the hanging was a symbol. But that begged the question, who had Tim betrayed?

“That’s absolutely brilliant,” I said, not fully realizing that I’d said it aloud.

He looked equally shocked by my admission. “Are you actually complimenting me, Suzanne?”

I grinned at him. “I’m just as surprised as you must be. Thanks for sharing that, Chief.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied. As Grace and I walked away, he added, “Tell your mother good night for me.”

“I will,” I said.

As soon as we were out of hearing range, Grace tugged at my arm and asked, “What was that all about?”

I admitted, “The man deserved a compliment, and I gave him one. I didn’t see the significance of the tree in Tim’s hanging, but his insight was spot on. It’s the only reason for taking a chance and doing it out in the open that makes the slightest bit of sense. Somebody was sending a message that betrayal is not acceptable behavior. I just wish I knew who sent it.”

“That makes two of us,” Grace said as we approached the house.

Momma was standing on the front porch waiting for us.

“I was coming right back,” I said. “You didn’t have to watch out for me.”

“I wasn’t,” she said. “Suzanne, you have a telephone call.”

“Is it Jake?” I asked.

She bit her lower lip, and then said carefully, “Actually, it’s Max.”

I shook my head. I knew why he was calling. The man hated having anyone upset with him, including his ex-wife. “Tell him I’ll call him back later,” I said. “I’m in no mood to deal with him tonight after what I’ve seen.”

Momma wasn’t buying it, though. She pushed the telephone toward me and said, “You need to deal with him, Suzanne.”

If there was anyone in April Springs who was less a fan of my ex than I was, it had to be Momma. She wouldn’t urge me to take his call unless she thought it was necessary. “Hand me the telephone.”

I took the phone from Momma and said, “This is Suzanne.”

“It’s Max,” my ex said.

“I gathered as much. What can I do for you, Max?”

“Listen, I just wanted to say I’m sorry about what happened this afternoon.”

I laughed. “Don’t flatter yourself, I was concerned about Emily. We aren’t married anymore. You don’t owe me any explanations, and even if you thought you did, I don’t need to hear them. We’re fine, okay?”

“Okay, if you’re sure.”

“I’m sure. Good night, Max.”

“Night.”

“What was that all about?” Grace asked, and I could see Momma wanted to hear the answer as well.

“You know Max,” I said. “He doesn’t like it when anyone’s mad at him.”

“Boys will be boys,” Grace said.

Momma added, “And some of them will never become men.”

SOUR CREAM DONUTS

This is a good, solid recipe that really shows the depth of flavor in these donuts. We like these iced, but they’re good plain, too.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon nutmeg

• Dash of salt

• ¼ cup sour cream

• ¼ cup buttermilk

• ½ cup sugar

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS

First, beat the egg, and then add the sugar, buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly, then set aside. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together, then add to the egg mixture in thirds until it is all combined. Roll the dough out to ¼ to ½ inch thick, then cut rounds and holes. Fry in 360-degree canola oil for three minutes, turning halfway through, then place on paper towels to drain. Powdered sugar can be applied immediately, but wait until they cool to add icing and sprinkles.

Makes 6–8 donuts and holes

CHAPTER 5

Momma moved to the couch and picked up the latest mystery novel she’d been reading. She’d gotten interested in crafting mysteries, and was devouring them at an alarming pace. “Don’t they all kind of run together if you read them so quickly?” I asked.

“Nonsense. This series is about candles, the last one I read featured quilts, and the next series I’m tackling centers around cardmaking. They couldn’t be any different.” She set the book aside. “I’m happy that Emily’s turned up, but we’re still left with poor Timothy’s murder. The two of them had a special bond, you know.”

“Tim and Emily? I didn’t know that.”

She nodded. “He’s been an honorary uncle to her since she was born. Tim and Emily’s father were friends since they were boys, and Tim had looked out for her ever since.”

“How did I not know that?” I asked.

She smiled slightly at me. “You don’t know everything that happens in April Springs.”

“Hey, I’m just glad that one of us does.”

Momma sat there for a moment, and then said softly, “I’m going to miss Tim.”

“The town’s going to miss him, and I am, too,” I agreed. “I don’t know what we’re going to do without someone to take care of things around here.”

Momma waved a sheet of paper in the air. “Perhaps we won’t have to. I found this in the mailbox when I got home.”

I took the flyer from her and read it.

“Handy Andy at your service, new to April Springs. I’m bonded, licensed, and suited to do any home repair, from wet basements to leaky roofs. If you want a real dandy, it’s time to call Andy.”

There was a phone number below it, and a pencil sketch of a man holding a toolbox dashing around.

It was unsettling reading the advertisement after what had happened to Tim. How odd that we learned of a new handyman the same day our old one was murdered. Was Handy Andy’s timing one of the biggest coincidences of all time? I couldn’t help wondering if there was the slightest chance that the new handyman had decided to eliminate his competition before he got started with his new business in April Springs. On the face of it, it sounded like total nonsense, but Tim was dead, and someone had killed him. I couldn’t ignore any suspects in my search for the truth, no matter how trivial their motive might be. Tomorrow, I was going to give Andy a call and see how much he knew about Tim Leander’s demise.

In the meantime, I needed to get to bed if I was going to get any sleep at all before it was time to make my donuts yet again. I’d been hoping for a call from Jake before bedtime, but if he was somewhere off the beaten path, he might not even have any cell phone reception. For the moment, I’d have to be content that I had a boyfriend, someone who cared deeply about me, and a man that I cherished in return. I’d gone to sleep plenty of nights with nothing but hopeless despair in my heart, so nodding off now should be a snap.

*   *   *

I was awakened by my telephone the next morning at 1:29, a full minute before I had to get up.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Jake said, and I felt the sleep wash away from me.

“Jake. I miss you.” His voice sounded a bit hoarse, as though he’d spent more than a little time yelling the day before. I just hoped he wasn’t getting sick.

“I miss you, too,” he said after clearing his throat. It was much better now, and I realized that I’d probably overreacted. I had a tendency to do that when we were apart. “Why don’t we do something about that?”

There was a happy tone to his voice now, a bit playful. “What happened with your case? I thought you were trying to catch a train robber?” I said.

I could hear his grin even over the phone. “Well, ma’am, we got a posse together and tracked those varmints down,” he said in his best western drawl.

This was great news. “How on earth did you find them?”

“We utilized excellent police investigating techniques in our pursuit of the suspects, and took advantage of all the benefits modern science has to offer to today’s law enforcement agencies.”

“So, you got lucky?” I asked with a laugh.

“Mostly we just followed the trail of broken branches and bushes. Neither one of this pair could be considered an excellent woodsman, so tracking them down was just a matter of time.”

“Where were they hiding?” I asked. I loved it when Jake was in a good mood, and he was practically giddy as he spoke.

“There’s an abandoned hunting camp deep in the woods, and we found them huddled around a fire trying to stay warm. All the wood around them was green, and they were so desperate, they were just about to start burning money when we got to them. If I didn’t know any better, I could swear they were almost happy to see us when we showed up. They didn’t even put up a fight.”

“I thought they were on four-wheelers. What ruined their getaway?” I asked, keeping an eye on the clock. It was too precious having time with Jake before work, and if I had to push harder at the donut shop to be ready to open in time, then so be it.

“Turns out they wrecked one of their four-wheelers trying to get back to the highway, and one of the bandits broke his leg in the process. That was bad enough, but then the other machine wouldn’t carry both of them and their loot. It broke down, and they barely managed to get to the camp before they wore themselves out. They’re both in custody; one in the Buncombe County jail, and the other in the hospital in Asheville, and if you ask me, the two of them needed a little time apart anyway after their big adventure together.”

“And you woke up early just to tell me before I had to go to work? That is so sweet.”

“Don’t give me too much credit,” he said, laughing. “I haven’t even been to bed yet.” He paused for a moment, and then said, “Suzanne, I know you need to get going, but I wanted to ask you something before you headed off for work.”

“Fire away,” I said as I got up and started making my bed.

“Do you have any plans this afternoon?”

I wanted to tell him about Tim, and my team’s impromptu investigation into his murder, but I didn’t have the heart to ruin our chat. Besides, we hadn’t exactly come up with our next step. “I’m not really sure. Why, what did you have in mind?”

“If you’re interested, I’d love to take you out to an early dinner. How about five?”

“That sounds wonderful! It’s a date,” I said. That could still give me time to look into what had happened to Tim. “Try to get some sleep. I want you wide awake for our date.”

“I’m heading off to bed right now. I just wanted to catch you before you got busy at the donut shop.” He tried to stifle a yawn as he said the last bit, and I could hear just how tired he was in his voice.

I glanced at the clock and saw that I was already going to be late. “Well, your timing is excellent. I can’t wait to see you, Jake. Thanks for calling.”

“Good-bye for now,” he said.

“Good night,” I added, and we hung up.

As I took a quick shower and then got ready for work, I wondered if I had any right to dig into Tim’s murder. After all, when I’d been accused of doing something to Emily, I’d had a stake in finding out what had happened to her. No one was pointing a finger at me about Tim’s death. Did I have the right, or the justification, to look into it?

Maybe, just this once, I’d take a pass leading an impromptu investigation.

Then again, Tim had been a good friend to me, to Grace, and to the rest of April Springs. He would be greatly missed, and clearly he meant more to some folks than I’d realized. Apparently his relationship with Emily was especially close, and I wondered how she was dealing with the news of her honorary uncle’s murder.

*   *   *

As Emma walked into the donut shop at her regular time—half an hour after I arrived—she said, “Good morning, Suzanne.” She paused a moment, put on her apron, and then studied me for a second. “You look really happy today. What’s going on?” My employee must have noticed something different about me, though I couldn’t have said what it might be. I’d been working on my cake donuts, and had things going at a steady pace.

“Why do you say that?” I asked as I scraped the remnants of flour into the trash from the counter where I’d been working.

Emma laughed. “Oh, I don’t know. It could be because there’s a grin on your face that you couldn’t hide with a mask.”

“Guilty as charged,” I said as I finished wiping down the kitchen counter. “Jake’s back in town, and we’re having an early dinner this evening.”

“I thought it might be because of our ad in the newspaper this morning,” Emma said.

“That’s right,” I said. I’d nearly forgotten about our plans for the day. Our Take-a-Chance-Tuesdays where Emma offered an offbeat roasted blend and I tried to come up with an outlandish donut to match it hadn’t really taken off yet, so we’d decided to put an ad in the
April Springs Sentinel.
Emma’s father, Ray, had given us a great deal on it, setting us up with a cheap graphic designer and offering us his best advertising rate. I hadn’t seen the ad myself, promising Emma that she could handle everything concerning our experiment herself. I figured it couldn’t hurt, and it gave Emma a sense of satisfaction by contributing to the business.