by Sandi Scott
Inside JuJu’s Bakery was a huge glass counter half-filled with doughnuts while the other half was full of crispy chicken strips. The smell of the two distinct foods was intoxicating. People were bustling behind the counter filling pink doughnut boxes one after the other in an assembly line fashion.
From the sound of their banter, Georgie wondered if they were all related. The sounds reminded Georgie of her own children bickering and smack-talking and laughing with each other when they did their chores.
Finally, Georgie was greeted by the wide, toothy grin of JuJu herself.
“Hey, honey. What can I get for you?”
“I’ll take your Morning Glory.” Georgie pointed to the blackboard that had a Morning Glory described as a glazed doughnut with two strips of chicken.
“Coming right up, sweetheart. You want this to go?”
Georgie looked around and saw several small tables for two that were vacant.
“I think I’ll eat here.”
“Wonderful. Just take a seat, honey, and I’ll bring it right out to you.”
As soon as Georgie was comfortable at a table in the window, she heard an all too familiar voice—and it wasn’t just familiar to her.
“Hey, detective!” JuJu squealed. “I haven’t seen you in while. How ya doin?”
“Can’t complain, JuJu. No one will listen.”
“Ain’t that the truth? Coffee?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Stan cleared his throat. “I see that pretty lady over there sitting by herself. Can I have her bill, please?”
“Oh, of course, detective. Lucky lady.” JuJu let out with a deep, genuine laugh that made Georgie’s cheeks turn red. “Here, you might as well finish the job and serve her order, too.”
Within seconds Stan was standing next to Georgie, steaming chicken strips and a delicious looking glazed doughnut on a plate in his hand.
“Morning Glory?” he offered Georgie the plate.
“You’ve bugged my car, haven’t you?” Georgie couldn’t believe he walked into JuJu’s by accident. “You’ve got a GPS hidden on there somewhere!”
Chapter 10
“Better than a GPS” Stan set the food down in front of Georgie, pulled a napkin from the dispenser on the table, waved it open, and gently placed it on her lap. “Aleta called me and told me you were following up on a lead on this side of town.”
“What?” Georgie scratched her head and tried to look confused. She ended up looking more like she’d been drinking. “I’m here for some chicken strips and doughnuts. Isn’t that obvious?”
Stan sat down across from Georgie and pulled the plastic lid off of his coffee.
“You might be able to fool other people, Georgie, but I can tell when you are lying.”
“Excuse you! I don’t lie. Embellish, maybe? Exaggerate? Sometimes. But I am no liar!” Georgie quickly took a bite of her doughnut, worried she wouldn’t enjoy it due to Stan’s interrupting her train of thought. Immediately she realized that the only thing that could ruin this delicious doughnut was if her tongue had been completely removed. “Holy cow! Have you tasted these?”
Stan smiled and nodded.
“I have got to get some for Aleta and Emily.”
“So, did you learn anything on your adventure?” Stan took a sip of coffee.
“No, it was a dead end.” Georgie took a bite of chicken strip and rolled her eyes before looking at Stan and offering him a bite. He accepted and chewed while Georgie told him about Paul Lee.
“Well, it was a good try.” Stan wiped his mouth with a napkin. “So, other than Samantha’s murder, did you have fun at the event the other day? Did you see any of your old friends?”
“A couple. The bruncheon was kind of fun except that Clara Lu’s makeup is made with bugs. Call me old fashioned, Stan, but I like my makeup to have chemicals and dyes in it—not legs and wings!” Georgie shivered.
“Bugs? Well, maybe one of those women killed Samantha because she didn’t tell the perp about the main ingredient until after they had it slathered all over the perp’s face.”
“Then I think you’d be looking at a case of justifiable homicide.”
Stan chuckled, but Georgie could see there was something else on his mind. She waited and watched as he fidgeted in his seat and looked out the window. Finally, he spoke.
“Any old boyfriends there? I know you had quite a long list of broken hearts in that school.”
“Why would I tell you? Just so you could go do a background search and put a squad on them to issue a couple dozen tickets?” Georgie took another big bite of doughnut. Just then a thought hit her—“Jet was there.”
“You dated a guy with the name Jet? What was his last name? Liner?”
“Very funny.” Georgie decided she didn’t want to tell Stan anything more about Jet. The fact that Samantha had a crush on Jet her entire high school sojourn had almost completely slipped Georgie’s mind. No doubt Samantha’s designer clothes and stylish jewelry put her in a completely different league than Jet even if she was lying dead in the bathroom. “No, his name was Jet Nordan. He was interested in Aleta.”
“Really? You mean to tell me, the way you look, that no one came up to you and said they always had a crush on you, or always wanted to ask you out, but were too shy? Not a single fellow?”
“Stan, you watch too many Lifetime movies.” Georgie finished her doughnut and offered the last few bites of chicken tenders to her ex-husband. “Now, are you going to follow me home, too?”
“You want me to? You know, Georgie, I don’t have to be back at the office for a couple of hours. It looks like a good day to snuggle up underneath some covers and leave the wolf at the door. What do you say?”
Georgie looked out the window to a pleasant sunny day.
“Come on, Georgie. Haven’t I suffered enough?”
“Nope—not nearly enough!” Georgie walked up to the counter where JuJu was wiping down the glass. “You want to take this man off my hands? He’s a good guard dog, but he’s got the tendency to roam, and he’s not quite housebroken.”
“Honey, I got me one of them dogs. He’s in the back watching The View while my doughnuts be burning in the grease.” When she laughed her eyes became crescent moons. “The man never listens to me, but he’ll listen to those five fools.”
Georgie joined in the laughter and ordered a dozen doughnuts with a dozen chicken tenders to take to Aleta and Emily.
“I’ll take the bill, JuJu,” Stan said as he pushed himself up from the small table. With the sunlight shining behind him from the picture window, Georgie thought he looked at least ten years younger than he was. It was a darn shame he was still so good looking.
“That’s not necessary.”
“I know it’s not. Just because we aren’t married anymore, Georgie, doesn’t mean I can’t do something nice for you.”
Georgie took the two boxes and thanked JuJu before she turned and looked at Stan. She had no idea how close he was to taking advantage of her hands being full, slipping his arms around her robust body, and pulling her in for a kiss. But, he held back. As much as he’d pour into that kiss, it wouldn’t mean a thing if Georgie responded with a slap across the face or a severe scolding in front of everyone.
“Can I help you take those to your car?”
“Do I have a choice?”
After loading the treats in Pablo’s front end trunk, Stan stood in front of the car door, leaning against it with his arms folded.
“I have to go, Stan. I’ve got plans.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you do,” he said sadly. “Georgie, you do know that I’m sorry. A day doesn’t go by that I don’t regret leaving you and the kids. I was stupid. I had a treasure right in front of me and had to lose it to see that.”
“That’s usually how it works,” Georgie said softly. She reached up and touched Stan’s cheek. The stubble from his whiskers scratched her hand, and she smiled at the memory of it against her cheek. “Thanks again for the doughnuts. Do you want to come t
o Emily’s office and have some? You know how much she loves to see her Uncle Stan.”
Stan grinned that slight, sexy grin that Georgie knew meant he was touched but too macho to admit it.
“No, I’ve got to get back to work. Samantha Alfred’s killer isn’t going to waltz into the station and sit on my lap.”
“I wouldn’t think so.”
“Promise me you won’t hang around this neighborhood anymore? I know it’s got some nice areas, but there is still a rough element around here. Don’t make me worry.”
“I promise—straight to Aleta’s office.”
“Good girl.”
“Be careful out there, Stan. Just because I don’t want to crawl under the covers doesn’t mean I don’t care.”
Just then a young man in droopy jeans and a T-shirt snickered as he walked past.
“What are you giggling at? You know what I’m talking about—I can tell! It’s rough when someone just wants you for your body. Am I right?” Georgie said making the man laugh louder and nod in agreement.
Stan shook his head, the smile never leaving his face as he pulled her car door open for her.
“I do forget how well you can handle yourself. I’ll call you later.”
Without another word, Georgie pulled out of JuJu’s parking lot and sped toward the office. This time next week, Emily would be comfortably set up in her new space with the stress of moving, of losing documents, and of uncoordinated staff over, then she could get back to the business of business.
As Georgie drove, she thought about Jet Nordan. A few minutes later, Georgie wondered, Why exactly was Jet at Clara Lu’s event? She pressed down on the accelerator to get to the office and talk it out with Aleta.
“JET NORDAN?” ALETA said. “What about him?”
“Well, if I remember right,” Georgie said as she spread out the doughnut and chicken boxes with tiny napkins on a small card table that was in the kitchenette, “Samantha Alfred had a crush on him in high school.”
Aleta stood for a second and thought.
“You are right. She did. I can remember her talking about him in debating club. He was a jerk, though. Well, wait, he was actually kind of on the dumb side. So maybe he never put two and two together. That wouldn’t surprise me at all.” Aleta bit into a chicken tender. “This is heaven.”
“Best breakfast ever invented. Anyway,” Georgie continued with a mouth full of food, “Jet was at Clara Lu’s event. We spoke to him. Samantha is found dead. He is nowhere to be seen.”
“But what would be his motive? And why would he do it in a crowded place and risk being seen?”
“Well, we just established that brains aren’t really his strongest asset. So why there and then, I couldn’t say until we had him in custody.”
“We aren’t going to have him in custody, Georgie. We aren’t cops.”
Another voice interrupted the sisters.
“You are as good as any of the police officers I’ve known,” Emily said as she finally joined them in the small kitchenette.
“Hey, girl,” Georgie said, getting a sweet kiss on the top of the head from her niece. “How’s everything? It won’t be much longer, and you’ll be done with all this moving business.”
“I just got off the phone with my new landlord, and he is allowing me to move in earlier. By this time tomorrow, I’ll be up and running. I can’t take this anymore: people calling in sick because they don’t want to work out of boxes, files being misplaced, and phone calls not being returned!” Emily fussed. “It’s exhausting!”
“You know, when you are too easy on the staff, Emily, they think they can act like friends and not employees. Friends don’t help friends move,” Aleta instructed her daughter. “Why do you think I never hired your aunt to work with me?”
“Because you were afraid I’d do too good of a job.” Georgie huffed.
“Because we’re too close. Would she ever take orders from me? She won’t even stay out of the bad part of town when I ask her to, let alone do some filing or call some clients back.”
“It’s true, Emily. I don’t listen to your mother. It’s because I love her that I never listen. See what I mean?”
Emily laughed.
“I wish I could hire you guys to work with me. I’d love to see you both every day. But, I have the feeling I’d weigh three hundred pounds within six months. Aunt Georgie, where did you get these doughnuts? They are better than Krispy Kreme’s!”
After Emily left to finish a few last minute phone calls, Georgie looked at Aleta. “So, what do you say we pay our old friend Jet Nordan a visit tomorrow?”
“I’m in if you are. But how do we find him?”
Georgie tapped her bottom lip. “I doubt anyone at that event flew in to attend. It wasn’t that great. I’ll bet most of those folks were local. I’ll try the White Pages first. It isn’t like we’ll have to go through a dozen Nordans before we find the right one.”
“That’s true.” Aleta helped herself to another doughnut. “I’ll get his address. Let’s go tomorrow. I know Emily won’t need me while movers are working.”
Satisfied with their plan, the ladies leaned back in their chairs and enjoyed the remaining food.
“So, how long did it take before you called Stan to tattle on me?” Georgie asked casually when she had swallowed the last delicious morsel.
“It was the first thing I did when I got in the office,” Aleta said matter-of-factly.
Chapter 11
“I don’t think I’ve ever been to this part of town,” Georgie said. “You’re sure about the address?”
“It was the only Nordan in the phone book. I think our chances of finding him are pretty good.”
“Well, I’m thinking maybe you should do the talking.” Georgie downshifted, putting Pablo in first gear as she slowed down to check the addresses. “He was eyeballing you at the event.”
“What?” Aleta was appalled. “No, he wasn’t!”
Georgie puffed out her chest and lowered her voice. “‘I think it was your sister’s cheering that made us players want to win so badly,’ seems rather flirty to me!” Georgie rolled her eyes.
“Well, do you expect me to say—'Hey, Jet, my sister and I think you might have been the person who killed Samantha! How ‘bout it? Can we get your confession while we dial 911?’”
“No,” Georgie turned left, “but we should see how he responds to knowing about her death. So, just act like a damsel in distress and say, ‘Jet, I’m so scared that whoever did it might come after me. I haven’t been able to sleep a wink since it happened. I just wish I had someone at home to protect me.’”
“You’ve got to be kidding!” Aleta’s voice was full of dismay.
“We both know he’s not filling out his MENSA membership, Aleta. With a guy like that, a little sweet-talking will go a long way.”
“So, why don’t you do it?”
“Because, for some reason, he was all about your conservative, modest business, and not interested in my more voluptuous and eye-catching business. Catch my meaning?”
“I guess.” Aleta stretched her mouth wide and yawned.
“What is the matter with you?” Georgie was curious, “You’ve been yawning this whole trip. What did you do last night—and with whom?”
“I worked at the office with Emily, that’s who!” Aleta shook her head. “Em needed some last-minute help getting things ready for the movers. She was crying and swearing, and the poor thing hasn’t slept more than four hours for the past several nights. Plus, she’s afraid she’s screwed up several accounts because she can’t get the numbers right. She thinks she’s misplaced some documents that would make everything come together. It’s just a mess. I don’t want to say anything to her because it is her business, but I don’t know what she is doing to cause so much backtracking and double-checking.”
“Maybe she needs a vacation?”
“Well, a change is as good as a rest. I’m hoping once she’s in the new space and unpacked she�
�ll feel better. I know she’s probably already there getting her office in order.”
As Aleta continued to worry about Emily, Georgie kept an eye on the house numbers. They were on the right street but still had a few blocks to travel. The homes became further apart. They were separated by bigger plots of land that were the beautiful prairie type of landscapes found in the Midwest. Tall grass with wild shrubs and thin new trees grew randomly across the vast space. There was a railroad track off in the distance being used by a freight train with three engines. It had to be pulling at least one hundred cars.
“Did you ever wonder what’s in those cars that they pull?” Aleta asked. “Some of them you can see cars or coal, but those round ones always look sort of dubious.”
“Yeah. That’s probably because they are toting toxic waste or radioactive stuff that is highly flammable, toxic if inhaled, and hazardous to touch.”
“How long have you been keeping that rant inside?”
“Ever since I saw the movie The Stuff. Okay, it looks like our friend’s house should be up around this little patch of new houses.” Georgie pointed straight ahead.
As they got near they could see that this was a new subdivision. About ten houses were there and more were being built. Jet Nordan’s house had a boat hitched to the back of a truck in the driveway.
“This is a pretty nice crib for an ex-high school football player,” Aleta mused.
“Crib?” Georgie asked. Just as she was about to tease Aleta some more, they saw the garage door start to open. “Quick, get out of the car. Go sweet-talk him.”
“What do you want me to do, tuck and roll? I’m not going to jump out of the car. Pull in behind the boat, then he can’t get out.”
“Brilliant!” Georgie exclaimed and did just that.
As the ladies got out of the car, they saw a rather disheveled Jet Nordan coming out of his garage. He was wearing cargo shorts and a well-worn T-shirt that showed off his rather big belly.
“I didn’t notice that when we saw him at the event,” Aleta whispered.