Blended Bribes

by Jessica Beck

  “No, seven I can make happen,” she said with a smile. “Does that mean that we’re finished for the night?”

  I thought about how much time we had left, and how much energy I had. After all, I’d spent a long day making donuts, and then we’d chased clues down across two towns before having a pretty emotional reunion with Gabby. “I could probably squeeze one more interview in before we call it a night,” I said as I stifled a yawn. “Who would you like to talk to?”

  “Forget I said anything,” Grace answered with a grin. “If I’m laying out tomorrow, there are things I need to do in the meantime. Let’s go home, and we can get a fresh start tomorrow. How does that sound?”

  “It sounds good to me,” I said. “I still need to talk to Jake.”

  “Are you going to be all right?” Grace asked me. “I’m willing to be your sounding board, if you need one.”

  “Thanks, but I don’t want to lose my nerve by talking about it with you before I share my thoughts with him,” I said.

  “You’ll tell me what happened tomorrow though, right?” she asked me with a grin.

  “You know I will,” I said as I stopped in her driveway long enough to drop her off. As we’d driven past what had once been ReNEWed, I found myself still having a hard time believing that Gabby’s shop was gone. How long would it be before I looked at the space beside Donut Hearts and didn’t see it still there, or at least a ghostly memory of it?

  “I’ll see you in the morning,” Grace said. “Good luck.”

  I was happy to see Jake’s truck parked in front of the cottage when I got there. The last thing I wanted to do when I got home was to have to wait around for my husband to show up, but he was sitting on the couch waiting for me as soon as I walked through the door.

  Before I could say a word though, he beat me to it. “Suzanne, we need to talk.”

  I had a feeling that I wasn’t going to like what he had to say, based on his tone of voice and body language.

  What on earth was my husband about to tell me?

  “What’s going on?” I asked him as I sat down on the chair across from him.

  “I’ve got something to talk to you about, and I’d appreciate it if you’d hear me out without saying anything until I’m finished.”

  He looked so serious. “I can do that,” I promised.

  “I spoke with Chief Erskine again this evening, and I’m going to take the consulting job he’s offered me.”

  I started to speak despite my promise, but one look at Jake and I knew I had to let him say what he had to say. “Suzanne, I’ve given this a lot of thought, and it’s something I want to do. I know I’ve taken a stab or two at consulting in the past, and I’m not sure I want to do this on a permanent basis, but for the moment, it feels like the right time for me to dip a toe back into the water. We both know that I’ve missed being in law enforcement, and this just might be the best of both worlds. At least for this job I won’t be gone from home at night, and I still get to do what I love. I’ve kept saying no because I know how you feel about me putting my life in danger again, but I can’t live the rest of my life covered in bubble wrap. If I’m not taking chances every now and then, I don’t feel as though I’m even alive. I’m not one hundred percent certain that this is for me, but for now, at least for this case, it’s what I want to do. After that, we’ll play it by ear and see what happens.” He clearly felt better getting all of that off his chest, but I wasn’t about to speak until he asked me for my opinion. “Don’t worry about me putting George on hold with the remodeling project. He’s running low on money for the next supplies we need, and besides, I think he’d like to take a break. This shouldn’t take long, and by the time I help Chief Erskine wrap this case up, he’ll be ready to get back to work again.” Jake looked at me expectantly, but I wasn’t about to say anything until I was invited to comment. “Well? What do you think?”

  “I think it’s amazing,” I said. “I don’t know why you didn’t think I’d be all for it. After all, I get to do what I love to do. Why shouldn’t you?”

  “I know you’ve said that in the past, but I also know that you worry about me,” Jake said.

  “Of course I do,” I said. “You worry about me too, don’t you?”

  “You know I do, but I’d never keep you from making donuts, or digging into murder either, for that matter.”

  “Or even attempted murder and arson?” I asked.

  “So, you still believe the fire at Gabby’s place was deliberate?”

  “I know it was,” I said. “I’ve got to catch you up on quite a few things. Do you have the time, or are you going to start working tonight?”

  He laughed. “No, first thing in the morning will be soon enough.” After a momentary pause, he added, “Unless you need me for your investigation. Then I can tell Chief Erskine no.”

  “Thanks for the offer, but working with me and working with the police in an official capacity are two different things, and we both know it. Besides, I’ve got Grace.”

  “Yes, you do. So, bring me up to speed on what’s been happening.”

  It was clear that he felt relieved having gotten through the conversation with me. I couldn’t understand why he’d been worried. We communicated better than just about any other married couple I knew, but there were still times when we got things wrong. It just proved that we needed to keep talking, to keep working on our relationship, no matter how good it might be.

  “First of all, Gabby’s awake,” I said.

  He looked startled. “Since when? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I was about to, but you had your speech all ready, and you weren’t about to be interrupted,” I said with a grin.

  “Sorry about that,” Jake apologized.

  “You have nothing to be sorry about,” I said. “Gabby’s doing much better, but there’s a problem. She’s lost her recent memory, so she has no idea who hit her, or who started the fire.”

  Jake didn’t look all that surprised. “It happens more often than you might think. Sudden trauma like that can really rattle your brain. If she doesn’t remember anything, how is she so sure she didn’t start the fire herself?”

  “That toaster oven was defective, and she knew it. She was going to donate it, along with a few other things. They would fix it, that’s part of what they do, but she put a note on it saying that it was a fire hazard, and Chief Lane thinks he saw it sitting beside several boxes of clothes when he rescued Gabby from the shop.”

  “He thinks?” Jake asked.

  “That’s what he told us, but as he said, he was kind of busy at the time saving Gabby’s life,” I replied.

  “So, who are your suspects? Do you have motives for them? How about alibis?” Jake was clearly gearing up for being in full-on investigative mode, and I knew that Chief Erskine of Union Square was going to get more than he was hoping for in my husband. Jake had some serious credentials when it came to solving crime; there was no doubt about that.

  “Buster Breckinridge has got to be right up there. He had reason to hate Gabby and me because of our testimonies in court,” I said. “He could have thought that burning ReNEWed down would also take out Donut Hearts too, which wasn’t far from being the truth. He claims to have been working for Manny Wright at the time, another of our suspects, but there are holes in both their alibis. Manny has been dating several women in the area, supposedly all exclusively, and Gabby was one of them. Another one was Mindy Fulbright, who evidently had a fight with her over the man, though Gabby doesn’t remember any of it. Finally, we’ve got Tyra Hitchings. She’s got a temper, and she found out how much Gabby was profiting off of the things she’d been selling to her, and they had words about it soon before the fire. We don’t have alibis for the ladies yet, so that’s right up at the top of our list of things to do tomorrow morning.”

  “That’s right, it’s Emma and Sharon’s day at the donut shop,” Jake said. “Will Grace be able to get off work to help you with the investigation?”

&n
bsp; “She’s calling in sick,” I said with a grin.

  “Okay then, I won’t worry about you. When are you two meeting? Any chance you’ll have time to have breakfast with me before you get started?”

  I bit my lower lip. “Sorry, but Grace and I are meeting at the Boxcar Grill at seven,” I said. “You’re more than welcome to join us.”

  “As much as I love being a part of the Three Musketeers, I think I’ll pass,” Jake said. “Besides, I should probably get to Union Square early. I want to go over the files Erskine has on the robberies so far.”

  “Do you think it’s one man?” I asked him.

  “I’d be surprised if it weren’t,” Jake admitted. “One person, anyway. Suzanne, crime doesn’t have any gender requirements. It might just be a woman.”

  “You’re right, I should have said one person, but I know that better than most,” I said. “Aren’t armed robberies usually committed by men, though?”

  “Usually,” Jake allowed, “but certainly not always. Anyway, I need to dig into it before I even know enough to have an opinion.” He stood and stretched. “I’m glad we cleared that up.”

  “Before we call it a day, do you have any tips for us in our interviews and investigation tomorrow?” I asked him. I wasn’t above taking help wherever I could get it, especially from my husband. His years of experience in law enforcement were worth a great deal to me, and his insights were almost always on point.

  “I’m sure you and Grace can handle it,” he said. “I’m worried about Gabby, though. If you two are right, and someone attacked her and then set that fire, she’s not safe.”

  “We’ve got that covered,” I said. “Her cousin Bo and his friends are standing guard around the clock in front of her room, at least for the next day and a half.”

  “Are they cops?”

  “No, but they’re truly big and scary guys,” I said. “I doubt any of our suspects would risk anything with them around.”

  “So, you’ve got a tight deadline,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to push your suspects a little harder than you’re usually comfortable doing. Sometimes you take it a little too easy on them.”

  “That’s why I’ve got Grace,” I said.

  “I know, but there are times that she pushes too hard,” he said with a frown.

  “So, between the two of us, we’re in perfect balance,” I answered with a grin.

  “It doesn’t work that way,” Jake replied. “Watch your backs, okay?”

  “We will,” I said.

  “What does Chief Grant think about you two meddling in the situation?”

  “That’s what’s so exasperating,” I admitted. “He’s taking the fire inspector’s word that it was an accident, at least he was the last time I spoke with him, so he’s given us the okay to do a little digging on our own.”

  “You need to cut him some slack, Suzanne,” Jake said. “He’s got a dozen things on his plate at the moment. It’s a tough job, and I should know. I had it for a while, remember?”

  “I’m not likely to forget,” I said.

  As we got ready for bed, Jake asked me, “Have you heard from your mother lately? How’s Phillip doing?”

  “She came by the donut shop on a mission of mercy for him. According to her, he’s sore and cranky,” I admitted. “Momma’s got her hands full, too.”

  “She’ll be able to handle him if anyone can,” Jake answered. “Should I pop in and see him? I’m going to be tied up in Union Square for the next few days, but I might be able to chisel out a little time to pop in on him if she thinks it might help.”

  “I believe right now all that he wants is to be left alone.”

  “I can respect that. Let your mother know that I’m here if she needs me.”

  I kissed my husband good night and was thankful yet again for the first case that had brought him into my life. I didn’t mean Patrick Blaine’s murder; that had been a terrible thing, but it had brought us together, and for that I would be eternally grateful.

  Chapter 16

  For a split second, I was surprised when I woke up the next morning for the second time and Jake was already gone. When I’d woken up at 2:30, out of habit more than need, he’d been softly snoring beside me, and then, at six a.m., I’d felt his lips lightly brush my forehead as he said good-bye. When Jake was on a case, he was an early riser, though not as early as I usually was, but then again, no one in their right mind got up in the middle of the night without a very good reason.

  I grabbed a quick shower and got dressed, and then I drove to the Boxcar Grill. Grace and I would need a car for our investigation today, and her employers frowned on her taking her company vehicle out on personal business, especially when she was supposedly sick at home.

  Grace was already sitting at a table when I got to the Boxcar.

  “You actually beat me here?” I asked her with surprise after I greeted Trish and made my way to the table.

  “I’ve been getting up early in the morning and walking through the park,” she admitted.

  “Since when? I’ve never seen you do it,” I said as I looked at the breakfast menu. I felt like pancakes, but the ones I’d gotten at the Blue Ridge Café with Autumn would be tough to beat, no matter how good Hilda’s might be.

  “I just started this morning,” she admitted, “but I can see doing it every day.”

  “That sounds good,” I said as I kept scanning the menu. Eggs? No, I didn’t feel like them, or an omelet, either. I knew I could always get a BLT, but that didn’t sound good to me, either. I certainly wasn’t going to have oatmeal or cereal. I was perfectly capable of making those things for myself at home.

  It took me a second to realize that Grace had been talking to me as I’d been debating what to eat.

  “Earth to Suzanne. What are you thinking about?”

  “Food, what else?” I asked. “What were you saying?”

  “I asked you if you’d like to join me on my walk on your days off,” she said.

  “Sure, why not?” I couldn’t imagine it lasting more than a few days, but even if it became part of my routine on my days off, I’d welcome it. Not only would I get to spend quality time with Grace, but it also might help me keep my weight in better check. I knew from experience that cutting back on my donut sampling wasn’t going to work. To be fair, I had to try the things I made. How else could I sell them in good faith to my customers? At least that was the lie I told myself with every bite.

  “It’s a deal, then,” Grace said with a smile. “Now, what sounds good? Waffles. I haven’t had them in forever, and I hate getting my old waffle iron out of the closet. I dropped it the last time I used it and nearly broke my toe. How about you?”

  I pushed my menu aside. “Waffles sound good to me, too.” They did, as a matter of fact. They were close enough to pancakes without being them, and not eggy at all, at least not if they were done right. I was happy that particular dilemma was solved. Now I could focus on other matters, like who had struck Gabby from behind and left her for dead in a fire they’d started themselves.

  After we ordered, Trish vanished into the kitchen, and a few minutes later, she was back with our food. After placing two large glasses of orange juice in front of us, she set down our plates absolutely hidden by large stacks of waffles resting on each.

  “Maybe we should have split an order,” I said as I looked down at the daunting meal, with bacon on the side of each plate as well, as though there was any risk that either one of us wasn’t going to get enough to eat. I didn’t know how I was going to manage a third of the food and still be able to function well enough to drive, let alone interview our suspects and track down clues.

  “You can always take what you don’t eat home with you,” Trish said. “Are the three of us still on for lunch today?”

  I’d forgotten all about my promise to her, but when I thought about it, hadn’t we fulfilled my pledge the day before? After all, we’d all had lunch together then, so I just kind of assumed that had taken care o
f the obligation. I couldn’t bring myself to say it, though. Trish looked so eager for it to happen that there was no way I was going to disappoint her. “You bet.”

  She lowered her voice. “Listen, I heard Gabby was awake, so if you get tied up, I’ll be happy to take a rain check.”

  “Thanks, but I can’t imagine us not being able to carve out at least a little time for you later.” As I poured some syrup on top of the already buttered waffles, I added, “If I even have an appetite for the rest of the day after eating this.”

  “I have faith in you both,” Trish said happily as she went up front to take the money from one of her customers.

  Grace asked me softly, “Am I crazy, or did we not just have lunch together yesterday?”

  “I know, but I didn’t have the heart to say no to her. Do you?”

  “No,” she readily admitted. Looking at her plate with dread in her gaze, she added, “I know I walked this morning and everything, but I’m not afraid to admit that I’m in way over my head here.”

  “Eat what you can, and we’ll take the rest with us,” I said.

  The waffles were amazing, laced with cinnamon and nutmeg, and I found myself eating more than I thought I possibly could.

  “So, where do we start this morning?” Grace asked me after finishing a delicate bite. At the rate she was going, we’d be there all day.

  “I was thinking we should go back to Union Square to the Garden Center,” I admitted. “That way we can kill two birds with one stone.”

  “If we can get either one of them to speak with us, that is,” Grace allowed. “Neither man seemed all that cooperative yesterday, and I can’t imagine they’d be any better today. What’s our angle going to be?”

  “I thought it was pretty clear, given what’s happened. Now that Gabby’s awake, whoever tried to burn her out is going to be especially jumpy, so I say we press every last one of our suspects as hard as we dare. We know she’s lost the memories she needs to name who did this to her, but they won’t.”