Blended Bribes

by Jessica Beck

  “Hey. Are you calling about Gabby?”

  “I am,” I admitted. “How did you know?”

  “That seems to be the only time I hear from you lately, when you want something from me,” she said a little severely. I’d clearly neglected our friendship lately.

  It was time to start doing some damage control. “That’s fair. I’m sorry. I have no right to call to ask you anything. Are you free for lunch tomorrow? It’s been forever since we did that.”

  “It has,” she agreed a little coolly. “I’m working, though.”

  “I could treat you to the cafeteria food,” I offered.

  “Thanks, but since Barton Gleason left to run his own restaurant, we’ve gone back to the standard bland food we had here before. How’s he doing, by the way? Is there any chance his business will fail and he’ll come back to us?” Was there an air of hope in her voice as she asked the question?

  “Apparently he’s doing quite well,” I said. Emma had reported to me a few weeks ago that even the chef himself had been surprised by his own success, though one taste of his food would tell even the most common of palates that he was destined for greater things than a hospital cafeteria.

  “Good for him,” she said, sounding sincere as she said it. “Is he still dating your assistant?”

  “He is,” I answered. “Tell you what, I’ll bring us food from his place, if you’d like.”

  Penny sighed. “That’s all right. I’m sorry I was snippy before. You don’t have to bring me anything. I’ve been working a double shift, and I have to face another one tomorrow. Tell you what. If you’re serious about lunch, I’d kill for a cheeseburger from the Boxcar.”

  “You’ve got it,” I promised. “What time is good for you?”

  “Do you still close the donut shop at eleven?” she asked me.

  “Unless I sell out early,” I answered.

  She paused before speaking again. “Has that ever happened?”

  “Only on the rarest of occasions,” I said, “but I’m ever hopeful.”

  “Okay, eleven-thirty would be perfect, if you’re sure it’s not too much trouble.”

  “It’s no trouble at all,” I said. “You don’t mind me smelling like donuts, do you? I won’t have time to go home and shower first.”

  “Are you kidding? I’d consider that a plus. If you have any extras, I’m sure the nurses would greatly appreciate whatever you’re not going to need.”

  “That’s a promise,” I said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  I was about to hang up when she said, “Suzanne,” softly.

  “Yes?”

  In a lower voice, she said, “I didn’t tell you any of this, but she’s not doing great. They’re worried about a concussion, and there is some concern about her lungs, too. She’s unconscious at the moment, but if I know Gabby, she won’t give up without a fight.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate that,” I said somberly. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “What did Penny say?” Jake asked. “Did Gabby die?”

  I was lost in my thoughts as I stared at him. “Why do you ask that?”

  “The expression on your face,” Jake said. “Well?”

  “She’s still alive, but it doesn’t look good,” I said.

  “I’m sorry,” Jake answered, putting an arm around my shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  “No, but I will be,” I said as I stifled a yawn. “Listen, I hate to poop out on you, but it’s been a long day, and tomorrow isn’t going to be any easier. I haven’t had to get up early for nearly a week.”

  “Then let’s call it a night,” he said.

  “You don’t have to go to sleep just because I’m going to,” I told him.

  “I’m working with George on the lake house, remember? I’ll probably be asleep before you are,” he answered with a chuckle.

  “I’ll take that bet,” I said as I headed off to our bedroom.

  “There is no way in the world that I’m making that kind of wager with you,” he said.

  I didn’t need the alarm the next morning. As I lay there staring at the clock, waiting for it to go off, I finally decided to go ahead and get up before it woke Jake up. After all, I had to walk to work today since my Jeep was still on the other side of town. I got up quietly, but Jake didn’t even stir. The poor guy was still beat, and I wasn’t going to rob him of a single minute of sleep if I could help it. I’d become an old pro at getting dressed in the dark, and once I was in the kitchen, I turned on a light that was dimmed low, had a quick bowl of cereal, and then headed out.

  I hadn’t walked to work in a long time, and as I locked the cottage door behind me, I realized how much I’d missed it. There were sights and sounds at two-thirty in the morning that you couldn’t find later in the day. Nearly all of April Springs was still fast asleep, and I liked it that way. I considered walking through the park, but I decided I’d rather take the road instead. There was more light there, and besides, I could go past Grace’s place to see if she’d ever made it home.

  As predicted, there were no lights on at her home, but her car was in the driveway, so either the road was open again, or she’d been there when the fire had started in the first place. If I didn’t hear from her, after my lunch with Penny, I’d call her and bring her up to speed on my life.

  There was an eerie white glow in the sky that I hadn’t ever seen before, and as I turned the corner and neared my donut shop, I spotted the giant floodlights that had been set up around the rubble that had so recently been an upscale recycled clothing store. As a matter of fact, the lights were so bright that the front of my donut shop was lit up as well. I saw that there were four trucks parked on the street in front of Gabby’s place, and I wondered if there was any point in me even making donuts this morning. After all, if my customers couldn’t get to me, what good did it do for me to make anything?

  I found Chief Grant standing in front of the building that had once housed the now-defunct Patty Cakes Bakery. He was watching a skeleton crew of volunteer firefighters spraying hot spots where ReNEWed used to be as they sprang up, and every now and then, one of them would shoot some of their spray on the sides of the buildings that housed my donut shop and the former bakery. “How’s it going?” I asked him.

  “We’re just about ready to wrap things up. Give us another ninety minutes and we’ll be out of here.”

  “Did you find what caused the fire yet?” I asked him.

  “The fire inspector’s still poking around in there,” the chief said.

  “I don’t have anything ready at the moment, but if you give me an hour, I’ll have coffee and donuts for you and your team,” I offered. “I know how you feel about taking anything for free from the local merchants, but I’d really appreciate it if you’d make an exception this time.” After looking into his eyes, I asked him, “Chief, have you even taken a break since the fire started?”

  “No, I’ve been here the entire time.” He pondered my offer, and then he said, “Tell you what. I’ll split it with you. If you’ll provide the food and drink, I’ll cover your costs.”

  “You’ve got yourself a deal,” I said as I stuck out my hand.

  He laughed for a moment as he took it. “Thanks.”

  “Any word on Gabby?” I asked.

  “She’s still unconscious, and still in critical condition,” he said somberly.

  “Thanks for the info. Okay, I’ll see you soon,” I said as I headed into Donut Hearts.

  As I worked, I kept replaying past encounters I’d had with my business neighbor. We’d been through a great deal together, and though she was known for her sharp tongue around town, the two of us had somehow formed a tenuous friendship over the years. With ReNEWed gone and beyond resurrection and the woman herself fighting for her life, I knew that life around my little corner of April Springs would never be the same.

  I made extra cake donuts, not only for the law enforcement and fire crews still working next door but for the nurses at the hospital as well. The
re was no way I was going to risk going there empty-handed.

  Since I’d gotten an early start, I was finished with the cake donuts before Emma even made it in. It didn’t matter. The dirty pans, bowls, utensils, and other baking tools would be waiting for her whenever she got to the shop. I loaded up the cart we kept in front to collect cups and plates and then headed next door, being careful to lock the shop behind me. I wasn’t about to take a chance on allowing anyone to sneak in while I was handing out goodies.

  “Wow, that was quick,” the chief said the moment he saw me.

  “What can I say? Practice makes perfect,” I told him. “Should I distribute the coffee and donuts myself, or should I just wait here and hand them out?”

  “I don’t want to keep you,” he said.

  I glanced at my watch. “I have a break coming up anyway, so I have some time to spare.” I hadn’t mixed the yeast donut dough yet, but since I was ahead of schedule, it could wait.

  “Thanks,” he said as I handed him a cup of coffee and a lemon iced cake donut.

  “Are those still your new favorites?” I asked him.

  “For the moment,” he admitted. He took a healthy sip of coffee and then a substantial bite of donut. “That’s amazing. There’s nothing like a hot donut fresh out of the glaze, is there?”

  “One chain has made its living off them,” I admitted, “but my customers rarely get to sample them quite so fresh.”

  “That reminds me,” he said as he put his paper cup down on the cart and retrieved his wallet. “What do I owe you?”

  “Twenty bucks should cover it,” I said.

  One eyebrow arched as he scanned the cart, which was loaded down with donuts, not to mention the large urn of coffee. “Suzanne.”

  I lowered my voice. “My profit margins are pretty good, but if you tell anybody I said that, I’ll call you a liar to your face,” I said with a grin.

  “This may cover your supplies, but we both know you have a lot of bills that aren’t covered in that twenty.”

  “I was opening the shop anyway,” I said, “so it’s not like this is costing me much in heating and electricity.”

  “Those cups and plates have to cost at least twenty bucks all by themselves.”

  “Look at them closer,” I said with a grin. “Is it anywhere close to Christmas right now?”

  “No,” he admitted.

  “I bought them at Cheap Cheeps in Union Square,” I admitted. “They practically paid me to take them.”

  “I love that place,” he admitted. “Okay, I appreciate you doing this.”

  “It is my pleasure,” I said as some of the workers started noticing what we were up to. “Come and get it while it’s hot,” I called out to them.

  The hose went off and headed to the ground in an instant, and the officers patrolling the perimeter joined us as well. Before I knew it, they nearly wiped out everything I’d brought. “Wow, that was like a horde of locusts,” I said with a grin after they’d all fueled up.

  “They clearly love your treats,” the chief said as he finished his second donut, a blueberry cake that he’d managed to snag before they were all gone.

  “It doesn’t hurt that they were all starving,” I said as I looked around. “Where’s Harley?”

  “The fire chief is at the hospital,” Chief Grant said.

  “Is he okay?” I asked. I couldn’t bear the thought of him being hurt, too.

  “He wrenched his back carrying Gabby out of the building,” the chief said softly. “He wouldn’t go get it looked at until one of his guys finally forced him into his truck practically at gunpoint. He’s not a young man anymore.”

  “You’d never know it by the way he saved Gabby,” I said.

  “It’s crazy what you can do when the adrenaline’s flowing,” the chief said. “Thanks for doing this. Are you sure I can’t give you a little more cash?”

  “We’re good,” I said.

  I wheeled my empty cart back to Donut Hearts just in time to see Emma unlocking the front door. “I wasn’t sure we’d be open,” Emma said.

  “And yet you came in anyway,” I answered with a grin. I saw someone in the shadows behind her, and in a soft voice, I said, “Emma, don’t turn around, but someone’s following you.”

  “It’s Dad,” she said softly. Ray Blake and I had nearly come to blows before I’d left to see Autumn, and the man had every right to be gun-shy around me. It didn’t help that somehow my history of investigating murder had preceded me when I’d gotten to Autumn’s place, all courtesy of Ray’s newspaper stories in the past hinting about my involvement in solving crimes in the past.

  “He’s afraid of you.”

  “Really? Your father is smarter than he looks,” I said loudly. After what had just happened to Gabby, I was in no mood to deal with him at the moment. “Are you ready to get to work?” I asked her as she held the door for me and I wheeled the cart inside.

  “Ready, willing, able, and raring to go,” she said. “Welcome back. How’s your old roommate?”

  “Don’t call her old to her face.” I grinned for a moment. “She’s doing okay. Thanks for asking,” I said, not really wanting to get into it with Emma. I was in the mood to make more donuts, which was a good thing, because that was what was on my to-do list next.

  Chapter 4

  “It’s crazy what happened to Gabby, isn’t it?” Paige Hill asked me a little after nine. Elfin in appearance, Paige’s wispy blond hair was stylishly done up with old-fashioned typewriter key–faced barrettes. I’d been getting a steady stream of customers wanting the inside scoop about ReNEWed burning to the ground, but so far, there wasn’t anything new to report. As far as I knew, Gabby was still unconscious, and the fire inspector hadn’t reported his findings to the police, at least as far as I knew. Of course, Chief Grant was under no obligation to tell me anything.

  I just liked it better when he shared with me.

  “It is,” I admitted as I boxed up a dozen donuts for The Last Page. “What’s your book group discussing today? I’m not even sure which one is meeting.”

  “It’s the SFC today,” she said.

  “The SF probably stands for science fiction, but what about the C?”

  “It stands for classics,” she said. “They’re doing one of Robert Heinlein’s books this morning.”

  “Like Glory Road? I loved reading that book when I was a teenager,” I admitted. I’d mostly devoured mysteries in my youth, but I’d ventured into the world of science fiction as well on occasion, and there weren’t many more traditional than Heinlein in my eyes. “Or are they doing Stranger in a Strange Land? That’s what he seems to be mostly remembered for these days.”

  “As a matter of fact, they’re discussing A Door Into Summer,” she said. “Have you read it?”

  “Yes, I’m a huge fan of that one, too.”

  “You should come over and join the group,” Paige said. “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.”

  I didn’t even have to think about it. “I’d better not. Thanks for the offer, but things are a little crazy here at the moment.”

  Paige shrugged. “When aren’t they, Suzanne? Come on, I know you miss your group. Have you heard from any of the ladies recently?”

  I shrugged. “I get emails from them every now and then,” I admitted. “After the festival, I was hoping that we’d start right back up where we left off, but we can’t seem to get it going again. Maybe our book club’s time has just passed us by.”

  “Don’t let that happen,” Paige insisted. “Why don’t you push them into coming back? If you don’t want to hold it here, you could always do it at my shop.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “I’ll think about it.”

  “If you decide to try again, I’ve got just the traditional mystery series for you. Have you ever done a Carolyn Hart novel? I just reread Death on Demand for the seventh time, and I’ve got to tell you, it gets better every time I read it. Also, I’ve heard that she’s a delightful lady in real life, which
is always an added bonus in my book. Anyway, I really enjoyed it.” She paused a moment and then asked, “I never thought about it before, but are you two related, by any chance?”

  “I don’t know, but I’d like to think there’s some distant connection. I admire her work greatly. I’ve read that book, and I loved it too, but it’s been a while. I’ll have to think about it,” I said.

  Lowering her voice, she asked, “How’s Gabby doing? I’ve been asking around, but nobody seems to know anything.”

  “Same here. I’m going by the hospital after I close Donut Hearts,” I admitted. “Maybe I’ll be able to get a little more info then.”

  “If you do, let me know, okay? We all need to stick together,” Paige said.

  “I will.”

  I figured our conversation was finished, but then I realized that there was obviously something still on Paige’s mind. “Was there anything else?” I asked her.

  “No, never mind,” she said after a moment or two of hesitation.

  “Paige, what is it?”

  “I’ve just spent the last few hours wondering why someone would want to burn Gabby out,” she said in an even more subdued voice.

  “Does that mean that you don’t think it was an accident?” I asked her softly.

  “I suppose it could be, but I can’t help but wonder.”

  “About?” I asked her.

  “Suzanne, a few days ago, I was taking a walk around town, following the old abandoned railroad tracks, and on my way back to the bookstore, I glanced over at the backs of Donut Hearts, ReNEWed, and Patty Cakes.”

  “We all share a parking area back there,” I said. “What about it?”

  “There’s more than that. It was hard for me to figure out which building was which if I hadn’t already known. There’s no real signage on any of the buildings in the back.”

  “What’s your point?” I asked her.

  “Can we be absolutely certain that if someone torched ReNEWed, they weren’t really trying to set fire to your place instead?”