Sweet Suspects (The Donut Mysteries) (8 page)

“I know, and I’m so sorry,” he said.
 
“I wish that I’d been there with you.”

“It’s okay,” I said, feeling instantly better just talking to him.
 
He had that effect on me, and it was one I hoped never went away.
 
“I sincerely hope that it’s something I never get used to, though.”

“I know that
I
still haven’t,” Jake said, something that reassured me immensely.
 
If my boyfriend wasn’t inured to the sight of dead bodies in his job by now, then most likely I never would be, either, and I took a great deal of comfort in that fact.
 
I hoped that murder
never
became that mundane to me.

“Were you just calling to say hello?” I asked him, purposely lightening my own tone.

“Is there a
better
reason that you can think of?” he asked, matching my attempt at levity.

“You could always just call to tell me that you love me,” I said.
 
“I never get tired of hearing that.”

“And I don’t ever tire of saying it.
 
Suzanne, be careful.
 
I love you.”

“I love you, too, and you be careful yourself, mister,” I said.

After we hung up, I realized that I suddenly felt better.
 
Grace and I were no closer to finding Zane Dunbar’s killer than we had been before, but I’d spoken with Jake, and that had been enough to take away some of the burden I’d been feeling from the murder.
 
It was nice having him in my corner, even if he
was
clear across the state.

I still had a little time before Grace and I were due to meet up again, so I decided to pop back home and take a shower before we had lunch.
 
Since I’d made the donuts that morning even though I hadn’t sold any, I still had the scent of them on me, and while I knew that a great many men found the aroma enjoyable, I decided that, all in all, I’d rather be clean.

“Suzanne, what are you doing home so early?” Momma asked me as I walked into the cottage we shared on the edge of the park.
 
She was at her desk in the living room going through a mound of papers.
 
There was a fire crackling in the hearth, and soft classical music played in the background.
 
All in all, it was exactly what a home should be, and I was happy to be a part of it.

“I didn’t work the counter at the donut shop today,” I told her.

“What happened?” Momma asked, a look of concern spreading quickly across her face.

“Haven’t you talked to Chief Martin today?”

“Phillip’s been tied up with a fresh murder,” she said.
 
“Suzanne, tell me that you’re not involved with this one, too.”

“I’d like to, but I can’t,” I said as I kissed the top of her head.
 
“It was Zane Dunbar from my high school class reunion.”

“You never had anything to do with that boy,” Momma said.

“He’s hardly a boy now, not that it matters.
 
I didn’t, but it turns out that he and Grace had a history, and the two of them argued last night before he was murdered.”
 
I brought her up to date on how I’d found the body across from the donut shop, and what Grace and I had been up to since then.

After I finished, Momma nodded.
 
“Of
course
you two have to investigate.
 
Is there anything I can do to help?”
 
My mother had taken Grace under her wing ever since Grace’s parents had died.
 
She considered her one of her own, which was just fine with me, since Grace was the closest thing to a sister that I’d ever have.

“We’re just getting started,” I said, “but thanks for the offer.”

“And is Phillip being reasonable with you?” Momma asked further.

“The chief is being great,” I said.

She nodded happily.
 
“That’s good to hear.”

“Though I have a hunch that it’s got more to do with you than with me,” I said with a smile.

“Nonsense.
 
He told me just last week that he’s come to respect your ability to investigate crime.”

I had to admit that it was nice that he felt that way.
 
Grace, and even George, had contributed immensely to my investigations in the past, and I took any acclaim that
I
got as praise for my team.
 
“That’s nice to know,” I said.
 

“I still can’t believe that you just shut Donut Hearts down entirely.”

“I didn’t,” I admitted.
 
“I made all of the donuts earlier, but Emma and her mother are still working the front.
 
Grace and I have more work to do, so I decided to let them close up for me.”

“That’s still a huge step for you,” Momma said.
 
“Maybe someday you’ll even find a way to take a vacation.”

“Jake and I have been talking about taking a long weekend away the next time he finishes up with a case.
 
There’s a cabin in the mountains that sounds perfect.”

“Then by all means, you should do it.”

“I hope to, but I don’t think it’s going to be anytime soon.
 
He’s up to his chin in a pretty gruesome case in Wilmington.”

“Do I want to know about it?” Momma asked.

“No, you’re better off not hearing any of the details.
 
Anyway, it might be awhile before he’s off again.
 
I’m not here long myself.
 
I just wanted to pop in, take a quick shower and change my clothes, and then I’m heading out again.”

“Should I make you something for lunch?” Momma asked as she started to get up.

“Thanks, but Grace and I are going to grab a bite to eat out together.”

“That sounds lovely,” Momma said, and I realized that she usually spent her days all alone.
 

“You’re welcome to join us, you know,” I said.

She pursed her lips, and then Momma said, “It’s tempting, but I have a dozen account statements I need to go through by five this evening.”

“Are you having trouble with one of your investments?” I asked her as I looked down at the stack of documents on her desk.

“I’m not sure yet.
 
Either one of my partners has had an extraordinary run of bad luck lately, or he’s stealing from me.”

“And you can tell which it is just by those statements?” I asked.

“You’d be amazed what tales numbers can tell,” she said.
 
“You don’t have to keep me company, or worry about me at all.
 
I’ve got more than enough on my plate as it is.”

“Good luck with it,” I said, and then I headed upstairs.
 
I loved my shower at the cottage, and the fact that I had the small upstairs to myself.
 
In many ways it was like having my own suite, since no one else ever came up there unless Grace was sleeping over in the guest room next door to mine.
 
I’d been reluctant to move back in with Momma after my divorce from Max, but it had been a blessing in disguise.
 
We’d grown beyond the mother-daughter stage into roommates and friends, something that I cherished.
 
Sure, she was still overprotective of me at times, but mostly we got along just great.

Twenty minutes later, I came back downstairs, washed, shampooed, and wearing clean clothes.
 
It was almost as good as a nap, not that I had time to take even the shortest one of those.
 
Grace would be waiting on me, and I needed to get going.

“I’ll see you this evening, Momma,” I said.
 
“Do you have any plans?”

“Phillip is taking me out if he can make the time for it.”

“Don’t you mind being an afterthought like that?” I asked her.

“Believe me, he is most attentive normally, but I understand when he’s working on a murder case that his attentions have to be divided.
 
I’m sure that you’ve learned the same lesson with Jake.”

“I could be wearing a nightie made of bacon, but if he’s thinking about a case, he wouldn’t even notice me,” I said with a smile.

“And do you mind that?”

“Honestly, I’ve come to expect it,” I said.

“As have I.
 
Thus are the perils of dating a lawman,” she said.

“I can live with it,” I said.

“As can I.
 
If we don’t go out, I’ll put something together for us both for dinner,” she said.

“Don’t go to any trouble on my account.
 
If I get hungry, I’ll just raid the fridge and the freezer.
 
There’s enough food to feed an army stored there.”

“Help yourself then.
 
I’d say to be careful, but you’d just roll your eyes, so I’ll tell you happy hunting instead.”

I rolled my eyes in exaggeration as I said, “Momma, you know that I’d
never
do that.”
 
After kissing her cheek, I headed back out to the Jeep.
 
It was time to take the short drive down the road to Grace’s so I could pick her up for lunch.
 
I had a few new things to tell her since I’d seen her last, and I was really interested in getting her take on Candy.

All of those thoughts flew out of my head though, as I pulled into Grace’s driveway.

She was out on her wide front porch, but she wasn’t alone.

Billy Briscoe was there, and he didn’t look very happy.

It appeared that I’d arrived just in time.

Chapter 7

“Billy, what’s going on?” I asked him as I walked up the steps.

“Suzanne, this doesn’t concern you,” Billy said as he looked at me.

“Funny, but that’s not really your call to make, now is it?”
 
I glanced at Grace and asked, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she said.
 
“Billy was just leaving.”

“No, Billy was not,” he said.
 
“I’m not finished with either one of you.
 
I didn’t kill Zane Dunbar, and the sooner you and the cops understand that, the better off
everyone
is going to be.”

“Billy, you’re not
threatening
us, are you?” I asked him innocently.

Grace, who had been looking a little unsettled before, finally smiled.

“Of course not,” Billy said, trying his best to be friendly.
 
“It’s just so unnerving having people think that I’m a killer.”

“Tell me about it.
 
Since you’re already here, would you mind sharing with us what you told Chief Martin earlier?” I asked.

Billy stared at me for a second, and then he shook his head and laughed as he brushed past where I stood on the steps.
 
“I didn’t come by to answer your questions,” he said.
 
“I’ve said my piece, and now I’m going to go.”

“There’s no need to rush off,” Grace said with a smile, and it was good to see that she was back completely.

Billy just waved as he got into his car and drove away.

“What did I miss?” I asked Grace as I joined her on the porch.

“It seems that Billy Briscoe doesn’t like being on anybody’s list of suspects.”

“Why?
 
What did he say?”

“About what you’d expect,” Grace answered.

“Do you think that he could be the killer?” I asked her.

“I don’t know, but he hasn’t done anything to take his name off the list, that’s for sure.
 
Who knows one way or the other at this point?
 
We both know that it’s pretty miserable being a murder suspect.
 
Maybe he’s just overreacting to that, not that I can blame him.
 
It might be nothing.”

“Then again, it might be something after all.
 
Maybe we should dig a little harder into his relationship with Zane,” I said as my stomach rumbled a little.
 
“After we have lunch, of course.”

“I’m kind of hungry,” Grace said.
 
“Should we walk over to the Boxcar, or should we drive?”

The day was finally warming up, and the clouds were beginning to break up.
 
“Why don’t we walk?
 
It will give me a chance to bring you up to date on what’s been happening with me since we last spoke.”

Grace looked surprised by my comment.
 
“Suzanne, we haven’t been apart
that
long, and I can see that you’ve showered and changed.
 
What else did you have time to do?”

“Let me tell you all about it,” I said, and then I proceeded to bring her up to speed on my conversations with Candy, George, and finally, Jake.

Grace whistled softly.
 
“Do you think Candy’s smarter than she looks?”

“She puts on a good act, but the girl’s not stupid, at least when it comes to manipulating people.
 
She looks like cotton candy on the outside, but I’ve got a hunch that there’s a jawbreaker just below the surface.”

“Then we need to dig into her past with Zane, too,” Grace said.
 
“We’ve got a lot to do, don’t we?”

“Don’t worry,” I said as we neared the Boxcar Grill.
 
“We’ll still have time to eat.”

“That’s a relief,” Grace said with a smile.

“I didn’t realize that you were that hungry,” I said.

“I’m not, but I know how you get when
you
are,” she answered with a grin.

“I’d argue the point with you, but we both know that I’d be wrong.”

“Then let’s go see what Trish has on the menu today, shall we?”

“After you,” I said as I followed her up the steps to the converted railroad car that served as Trish’s dining room.
 
It was still relatively empty, given the fact that it was approaching eleven.
 
There were a handful of diners already there, but Grace and I still had plenty of tables and booths to choose from.
 
Trish was at her usual station up front by the cash register, and her face lit up when she saw us.
 

“Three for lunch?” she asked with a broad smile, her perennial ponytail bobbing up and down as she spoke.

“Actually, there’s just the two of us,” I said.

“And I make three.
 
I’d like to join you, if you don’t mind.
 
I’m ready for a break, so you two couldn’t have picked a better time.”
 
She hesitated before she answered, “Unless you need to be alone to discuss something important.”

“What have you heard, Trish?” I asked her.

“A little bird came in earlier telling me that you two were looking into Zane Dunbar’s murder,” she explained.
 
“I hope that wasn’t supposed to be a secret.”

“If it was, it’s out now,” I answered with a grin.
 
“Do you mind telling me who told you?”

“I’d like to keep his identity secret, but I am willing to say that he’s a cop on the force.”

Most likely it was Officer Grant.
 
There wasn’t much he missed, and I had a hunch that he would make a good chief himself someday.
 

“That’s good enough,” I said.
 
“We’d love to have you join us.”
 
I turned to Grace and asked her, “Wouldn’t we?”

“We would,” she agreed.

“Excellent.
 
Do you need menus, or do you know what you want?” Trish asked.

“I feel daring.
 
We’ll have what you’re having.”

Trish frowned.
 
“Are you sure?
 
It’s not on the menu, and you might not like it.”

“Why not?
 
We’re feeling adventurous today,” Grace said.

“Good enough.
 
Let me go place the order, and then I’ll join you.
 
Find us a good table near the front, okay?
 
I still have to run the register.”

As we took a table front and center, Grace asked me, “What do you suppose we’re having for lunch?”

“I haven’t a clue.
 
I just hope that Trish isn’t on one of her crazy diets.
 
If she is, we might be having anything.”
 
Trish was in the same boat as I was, a good fifteen pounds over my ideal weight, but she was much more aggressive about fighting it than I was.
 
I was beginning to accept it since Jake seemed to be so pleased with me being curvy, but Trish was something else entirely.
 
She’d go on these crazy diets for a few weeks, fall off the wagon for a month, and then she’d start something else entirely.

Maybe it was a bad thing to admit about myself, but I was hoping we were in the wagon phase where anything good and fattening was fair game.

A few minutes later, she came out carrying three identical plates, each holding a small scoop of cottage cheese, a canned pear half, and a single leaf of lettuce.

Our bad luck; we’d gotten the timing wrong.

As Trish hesitated at our table, I wanted to change my order, but I decided that if she could eat it, then so could Grace and I.
 

Besides, we could always sneak away later for something more substantial.

“Be right back,” Trish said as she moved past us and put the plates down in front of three older women wearing brightly colored clothing.

“That was close,” Grace said softly with a sigh.

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” I answered before Trish came back our way.

“Two minutes,” she said as she passed us holding two fingers up.

I wasn’t sure that was a good thing, since I doubted it would take all that long to make duplicates of the sparse meals that we’d just seen delivered.

As Trish came out of the kitchen, there was a broad smile on her face.
 
Her tray held three cheeseburgers, heaping mounds of French fries, and chocolate shakes on the side.
 
I didn’t realize that I was holding my breath until she put the food down on our table.
 
“I know that the milkshakes might be a little too overindulgent for the two of you,” Trish said, “but I felt like a treat, and you both said that you’d try anything.”

“I’m willing to make the sacrifice,” I said with a grin.

“If you don’t want yours, I’ll take it,” Grace responded with a smile of her own.

“I don’t care how you divvy up
your
meals,” Trish said as she sat down with us.
 
“As long as you both keep your hands off my plate and my drink, we’ll be fine.”

“That’s a deal,” I said as I pulled my plate closer.

It was everything I’d hoped for in a lunch, and more.
 
“Wow, I don’t think I’ll be able to eat again for weeks,” I said.

Grace laughed.

“What’s so funny?” I asked her.

“You say that all of the time, and yet you still manage to find a little room for something a few hours later.”

“What can I say?
 
I must have a speedy metabolism,” I said.

Trish laughed.
 
“You two are good for me; you know that, don’t you?”

“What’s going on?
 
Are you a little down?” I asked her.

“No, I’m fine.
 
It’s just nice to see you both, that’s all.”

“Agreed,” we said in near unison.

After we were finished, I started to pull out my wallet when Trish said, “Put your money away, Suzanne.
 
This one was on me.”

“We can’t do that to you,” I said.

“Sure you can,” she answered.

I turned to Grace.
 
“What should we do?”

“Listen to the lady, and then bring her a dozen donuts tomorrow.”

Trish protested, “If you bring me donuts, you know that I’ll just eat them.”

“Good.
 
That’s what they’re for,” I said.

“Tell you what,” Trish said.
 
“If I let you pay, will you skip the donuts?
 
I’m starting a new diet tomorrow, and I can’t afford the temptation.”

“It’s a deal,” I said, “but if you change your mind later, the offer is always open.”

“You’ve got it, but I have high hopes this time,” Trish said.

“You can do it,” I said.
 
“We have faith in you.”

“Thanks,” she said as we all approached the register.
 

I paid for our lunches as Grace asked, “Who said this was going to be your treat, Suzanne?”