Perjury Proof

by Jessica Beck

  “She mentioned a few things that we’d already discussed with you,” I said, trying to spare her the embarrassment of rehashing the rumors we’d heard about her.

  “That makes the least amount of sense of all,” Gabby said. “Leanne was around Maggie nearly twenty-four hours a day. She wouldn’t need a secret passageway to get in to poison her.”

  “Not that I would do it anyway,” Leanne said. “The truth is that I’m lost without Maggie.”

  “I told you not to worry about it,” Gabby said as she patted Leanne’s shoulder. As she did so, she shot me a deadly look, and then she shifted it to Grace for a moment before dropping it. “Thank you for stopping by, but I’m sure you need to get home so you can get some rest, Suzanne. After all, you’ll be up before long so you can make your donuts again. I don’t know how you do it.”

  “It’s not work if you love doing it,” I said, but I wasn’t about to be ushered out so quickly. “Mrs. Preston, I was surprised to find you here.”

  “I called her,” Leanne said sheepishly.

  “Really? I didn’t realize that,” Gabby said. It appeared that it was a night full of secrets.

  “I just wanted to get some advice from her,” Leanne said.

  “What possible advice could a retired schoolteacher have for you that you couldn’t get elsewhere, and closer to home?” Gabby asked, clearly miffed that she wasn’t the be all and end all for her houseguest, and family member to boot.

  “It’s all perfectly innocent,” Mrs. Preston said. “I mentioned to her that I’d served some time in the school guidance counselor’s office, and she said that she might be interested in a career change now that Maggie was gone.”

  It sounded innocent enough to me, but Gabby certainly didn’t take it that way. “You are a pie maker, young lady.”

  “Sure, but that doesn’t mean that it’s the only thing I can do,” Leanne protested, rather weakly, though.

  “We’ll discuss it later when we’re alone again,” Gabby said. This time when she turned to Grace and me, the opportunity to extend our stay was clearly over.

  “Gabby’s right,” I said as I stood and put my nearly empty glass on the provided coaster. “I need my sleep if I’m going to be worth anything tomorrow. Good night, ladies.”

  As Grace and I started to leave, Mrs. Preston piped up, “I’ll join you. Thanks again for the tea.”

  “Certainly,” Gabby said icily. Clearly she was unhappy that Leanne had gone to her, and there might be a chill in the air between the two women for quite some time.

  At least she wasn’t upset with me.

  Once we were outside, I turned to Mrs. Preston. “What do you think is going to happen with Leanne?”

  “Gabby will find a way to tie her to that pie shop, one way or the other,” she replied. “I’m not saying it’s the worst thing in the world for her. I just thought she should consider her options before committing to anything now that Maggie is gone.”

  “That was sweet of you,” Grace said, but there wasn’t a great deal of warmth in her voice.

  Our former teacher looked surprised by the inflection behind the comment. “I help wherever and whenever I have the opportunity. I always have, and I always will.”

  After our former teacher walked away, Grace and I got back into my Jeep and took the short drive back toward our respective homes. “Were you implying something back there with Mrs. Preston?” I asked her.

  “I don’t know. It just seemed a little odd finding her there tonight. One might almost say it was all a little too convenient.”

  “In what way?” I asked, clearly puzzled by Grace’s reaction. “Don’t you believe her?”

  “Most of me does, but let’s say for one moment that she was the killer, and we’ve missed something. She might have come by Gabby’s to see if she could get some information out of her.”

  “But Leanne called her, remember?” I asked.

  “Yes, but there are ways of getting yourself invited places that sound as though it wasn’t your idea in the first place. I shouldn’t have to tell you that, Suzanne.”

  “Hey, Sally Jackson meant to invite me to that pool party in high school. It just must have slipped her mind,” I said, knowing full well what Grace was referring to.

  “Well, showing up in your swimsuit certainly reminded her,” Grace said with a hint of laughter in her voice. “Forget I said anything. I’m sure I’m just being paranoid.”

  “I’m not knocking you for it,” I said. “Being paranoid is the only thing that has kept us alive a few times in the past.”

  “And may it serve as well many times in the future,” Grace said as I pulled into her driveway. “So, where do things stand at the moment with our investigation?”

  I gave myself a few moments to ponder before answering. “My gut is telling me that it was either Crusty or Beatrice. I’m not saying that no one else could have done it, but they both just feel tainted by this in my mind.” I thought about mentioning what I’d seen in Beatrice’s purse earlier, or at least what I thought I’d seen, but I couldn’t figure out how to bring it up without sounding completely paranoid, something that Grace was already overly sensitive about.

  “I know what you mean,” Grace said. “The three ladies we spoke with tonight are less likely suspects in my mind too, but by this point we are usually able to narrow things down quite a bit more than we can now.”

  “The problem is that too many people had the motive, means, and opportunity to kill Maggie,” I said. “The truth of the matter is that I’m not quite sure how we’re going to break this case. Maybe we need to stir the pot even more than we already have.”

  “I don’t see how we can do that, short of accusing everyone we suspect of the murder, and see who reacts the most violently.”

  “Yes, maybe that’s not the best game plan after all,” I said. “Tell you what. Let’s both sleep on it and see where we are tomorrow after I close Donut Hearts for the day. Are you free again?”

  “As long as you need me,” she said. After a moment, Grace added, “You know, you could always stay here with me tonight if you don’t want to be at the cottage alone.”

  “Thanks, but I’m so beat I suspect that I’ll be asleep before my head hits the pillow.”

  “Even with all of that sweet tea in you? Between the caffeine and the sugar, I’ll be bouncing off the walls all night.”

  “I can’t afford to stay awake,” I admitted. “I’m going home and going to bed. Shoot, I might not even stop long enough to change into my pajamas.”

  “Please do that at least,” Grace said with a smile.

  “Good night, Grace,” I said.

  “Good night, Suzanne. Sweet dreams.”

  “Right back at you,” I said.

  I started to turn on the lights in the cottage when I got there, but something stayed my hand. I had heard a rustling in the bushes outside my door when I’d gotten home, or at least I thought I had. Was someone out there? Could the murderer have grown tired of my incessant questions and decided to do something to shut me up once and for all? The old me might have gone outside with a baseball bat to confront whoever might be lurking outside, but I’d been through too many situations where such behavior had nearly been the end of me.

  So I did the only sensible thing I could think of.

  I called the police.

  Chapter 17

  I had to give Stephen Grant credit. Within two minutes, he had not only gotten to my place, but he was outside with a flashlight looking around the cottage with two other officers. I’d started to open the door to join them when he’d motioned for me to stay right where I was.

  After ten minutes, his two officers got back into their squad car and drove away while Stephen climbed my porch steps.

  That was clearly my cue to join him.

  “Did you see anything?” I asked h
im anxiously.

  “No, nothing out of the ordinary,” he replied.

  “I’m sorry I wasted your time,” I apologized. “I know you have better things to do than to chase down my imaginary visitors in the middle of the night.”

  Chief Grant shook his head. “That’s not the way that I see it. Suzanne, you did exactly the right thing. Just because we didn’t find anything doesn’t mean that someone wasn’t out there. When there is a killer on the loose, I’d rather you be safe than sorry.”

  “I guess I do have a reason to be a little jumpy,” I said as I yawned. “Anyway, thanks for coming out. It was probably nothing more than a raccoon looking for food.”

  “Just in case it wasn’t, though, I’ll have either Darby or Rick patrol your way every fifteen or twenty minutes for the rest of the night.”

  “That’s not necessary,” I said, suddenly feeling very foolish about jumping at shadows, no matter if there might be justification to see boogey men wherever I looked or not.

  “Maybe not, but it’s happening anyway.” He grinned at me as he added, “Besides, if anything happened to you while Jake was away, your husband would have my hide.”

  “Yes, Jake has a habit of being overprotective when it comes to me,” I said. “Listen, I’ve tried not to butt into your personal life, but you need to give Grace another chance.”

  The chief of police shook his head as he rubbed his chin. “Suzanne, she didn’t do anything wrong. It’s all me.”

  “Don’t you think I know that?” I asked him sternly.

  “Wow, that was kind of harsh.”

  “Maybe that’s what you need right now, Stephen. She loves you, and I know you love her, too. So what if you have an important job that takes up a lot of your time? Grace isn’t a child. She can live with that. What she can’t live with is your inability to show her how much you care about her. That is something totally within your power to change, and if you don’t, you’re going to regret it for the rest of your life, because you are never going to find a woman as good as the one you’re about to lose from sheer stupidity on your part.”

  The chief of police took my words like body blows, and I felt a little bad for beating him up so badly, especially when he’d made it a point to come to my rescue so quickly, but the words needed to be said, and if I lost him as a friend, it was a price I was willing to risk.

  “Yeah,” he finally said, after looking as though he wanted to cry. “I’ve been thinking the same thing. I just don’t know how to fix things. They’ve kind of gotten out of hand at this point. I really messed up. I do love her, you know.”

  “Then go tell her, you idiot!” I said, smacking the chief of police on the forehead. Ordinarily I wouldn’t advise that kind of behavior toward an officer of the law, but if anyone deserved a good clout, it was Stephen Grant, whether he was our chief of police or the president of the United States. “It’s not too late right now, but it might be tomorrow.”

  “I’ll wake her up if I go there this late,” he said, grasping at one last excuse not to do what we both knew was right.

  “Even if that were true, I’ve got a hunch she won’t be too upset after she hears what you’ve got to say for yourself. Besides, you know Grace. She’s probably still up. Now be a man and go tell her how you feel. That’s an order.”

  Chief Grant finally managed the ghost of a grin. “Okay. Thanks. I guess I needed that.”

  “It was my pleasure. Now go!”

  He saluted me as his smile broadened. “Yes, ma’am.”

  I didn’t think I’d be able to go to sleep after all that excitement, but exhaustion is the best sleeping pill there is, at least as far as I was concerned. Before I knew it, my alarm was giving its shrill call, and it was time to get up and go to work, despite what might be happening in the world around me. I got dressed, grabbed a quick bite to eat for breakfast, and then I walked out my door, only to find another car in my driveway.

  There was no cause for alarm, though.

  It was a police cruiser, and Darby Jones was leaning against the driver’s-side door, clearly waiting for me.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked him as I walked toward the police officer.

  “I’ve got orders to give you a police escort to your place of work,” he said in an official manner.

  “That’s completely unnecessary,” I said, though I felt a little relieved having him there all the same. “Have you been here all night?”

  “No, but Rick and I have been taking turns checking up on you. You’ll be happy to know that we believe we’ve found your culprit.”

  “Really? Did you arrest someone?” Could the case really be over that easily?

  “No, I didn’t want to take a wild animal into custody. I gave him a stern warning to keep away from your place, though,” Darby said with a grin.

  “Was it a raccoon after all?”

  “No, but a skunk is even worse,” he said.

  “And you actually confronted him? You’re a brave man,” I answered with a grin.

  “Hey, we serve and protect around here. Are you ready for your escort?”

  “You’re not going to use your siren and lights, are you?”

  Darby shook his head. “No, that might be pushing it. Is that okay with you if we skip that part?”

  “I suppose so,” I said, pretending to be disappointed. After all, it was three o’clock in the morning. I doubted anyone would welcome a show at that hour.

  As I drove by Grace’s place, the lights were out, and there was only one car, hers, in her driveway. I wondered how that particular conversation had gone with the police chief, but I knew that I wouldn’t have to wonder long. Grace would tell me all about it in eight hours when she came by the shop so we could start sleuthing again.

  Darby pulled in right beside me when I got out of my Jeep.

  “You’ve done your duty, Officer. There’s no need to see me to the door.”

  “I’m just following orders, ma’am,” he said with a grin. “Do you mind if I have a look around inside first?”

  “No, that’s fine,” I said, though I thought it was unnecessary. The front door lock looked to be intact, and I knew that getting in through the back way would take a tank, that door was so thick and heavily bolted. After I unlocked the front door and flipped on a few lights, Darby motioned me to go back outside, but I pointed to a nearby couch and sat in front instead. After all, I knew that I’d be safer there than I would have been standing around outside waiting for him to finish his search. Darby shrugged as he disappeared into the kitchen, and three minutes later he was back. It wasn’t that big a space to investigate, after all.

  “All clear,” he said.

  “Sorry I can’t offer you any coffee, but if you come by later, you can have a cup, and a fresh cake donut, too.”

  “I might just take you up on that,” he said. “But for now, I have to get back out there.”

  “Thanks again,” I said as I unlocked the door to let him out.

  “Thank the chief,” Darby said. “It was all his idea, not that I minded. See you later, Suzanne.”

  “Bye,” I said.

  After the door was safely locked behind him, I got to work. When times were crazy in my life, for whatever reason, I found great solace in the routine of making donuts. There was something calming and tranquil about the experience as I got lost in the patterns I repeated nearly every day of my adult life.

  Those patterns were interrupted, however, when my cell phone rang.

  There was only one person who could be sure that I was awake at this hour, and I was dying to speak with him.

  “Jake! What are you still doing up?” I asked him, laughing as I said it. “I miss you, you big goof.”

  “Well, you won’t have to for much longer,” he said, matching my tone of joy. “This time tomorrow, I’ll be back in April Sprin
gs where I belong.”

  “You’re not quitting the case, are you?” I asked him. “If you are, I hope you’re not doing it because of me.” I knew that no matter how hard he’d been working lately, Jake had been thriving by getting back to some kind of work, an opportunity to feel as though he was useful again. He’d missed it in his short retirement, and I doubted that he even realized how much until he’d gotten back into a routine that was all his own.

  “We cracked it, Suzanne,” he said with a laugh. “At first, I thought Mr. Armitage was crazy hiring us and keeping us on his payroll, but a few things started to fall together, and we caught a lucky break. One of his former employees was planning to do some very bad things, but we stopped him just in time. The man had enough weapons in his trunk to supply a small army, and he was getting ready to use them when we caught him.”

  “Was anyone hurt?” I asked.

  “Well, his ego was a little bruised because we caught him before he could do anything,” Jake said, “but that was it. He’s in police custody now, and we all just got bonuses for a job well done. Suzanne, I know that lottery money is just about gone, but you won’t have to worry about making ends meet for quite a while. Our boss was very generous.”

  “Why wouldn’t he be? After all, you saved his life,” I said, proud of my husband yet again.

  “Well, it wasn’t just me. We had a pretty strong team.”

  “Fine, you’re all great guys,” I said. “When exactly are you coming back?” I wanted to ask him to come home straight away, but I knew I couldn’t do that.

  “That’s the thing. I’ve been up thirty-six hours straight, and I’m in pretty bad need of some sleep. First thing in the morning we’re all giving statements to the local police and the FBI, but I should be home in time for dinner tomorrow night. Let’s go out and celebrate. How about Napoli’s?” he asked me.

  “I’d love to, but I’m afraid they’re closed,” I said.

  “For good?” he asked, the heartbreak clear in his voice.