by Jessica Beck
“Okay, that was a little too easy,” he said softly. “Suzanne, what’s going on there?”
I couldn’t even lie to the man by omission, not that I tried, but maybe I could postpone telling him the truth until Grace and I could get started. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have my work in April Springs, and you’re needed there. It just makes sense.”
After a long pause, he said, “At least I know there’s not someone else. After what Max did to you, you’d never cheat on me; you’d cut me loose first. You’re not getting tired of me, are you?”
The poor dear. There was a real air of concern in his voice. I had to tell him the truth to ease his fears, no matter what the consequences might be for our investigation. “Of course not. There’s been a bit of trouble here. That’s all.”
“What happened?” It was his “cop-voice,” one I well recognized.
“First off, I’m not in any danger,” I said quickly.
“Okay, I don’t like the way this is going. Why don’t you just lay it out for me, and I’ll be the judge of that?”
“I’d be happy to, but I’m opening the donut shop in three minutes,” I said. “I don’t have a whole lot of time.”
“Fine. You can tell me when I get there. I’ll see you in three and a half hours.”
“Hold on. I’ll find the time,” I said quickly before he could hang up and put his plan into action. I knew my husband. If we left things as they were, there would be no dissuading him from joining me, no matter how much trouble his sister might be in. “Gray Vincent was murdered last night.”
“Gray? Who would want to kill that old hermit?” Jake asked.
“Nobody can figure that out just yet,” I said.
“He was a steady customer of yours, wasn’t he?”
I nodded, forgetting for one second that Jake couldn’t see me. “Yes, he was one of my regulars. Gray was an odd bird, but I liked him.”
“Is that why you feel obligated to dig into what happened to him?” my husband asked me.
“Does that surprise you?” I asked him, holding back the fact that Gray and I had interacted the day before, and furthermore, that he’d asked me for my help.
“No, but there’s more to it than that. I just know it.”
How did he do that? Could the man read my mind, or was I that transparent? “I spoke to him before the movie started last night. He told me he was in trouble, and he asked me if Grace and I might be able to help.”
“What kind of trouble was he in?”
“That’s what we were hoping to find out. We were supposed to meet up with him after the movie, but he was already gone. He left a note on his chair for us to meet him at his house, so Grace and I drove out there, but we were too late. He was already dead.”
“How did it happen?” Jake asked softly.
“It was bad. Somebody tied him up to a wrought-iron trellis and stabbed him in the chest.”
“How many times was he stabbed?”
“Just once, as near as I could tell. Why?”
There was silence on the other end for a few moments, and I knew that Jake’s cop brain was analyzing the information. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“I know. That’s why Grace and I are going to do a little digging on the side. Chief Grant came by the donut shop during our break earlier and told me that he didn’t mind if Grace and I snooped around a little. Oh, there’s something else that you should know.”
“I’m listening.”
“It appears that the man we all knew as Gray Vincent was a fabrication. He stole the name off of a dead man. Nobody knows who he really was at this point.”
“Has Grant run his prints?” I heard Jake sigh slightly on the other end.
“It’s being done even as we speak. Listen, there’s nothing to worry about from my end. Grace and I are going to see if we can make a list of the folks who might have known about Gray’s secret. There’s no need to worry, though. We’re not actively looking for a killer.”
“Unless someone in town did it,” Jake said. “I still don’t like it.”
“Which part?” I asked.
“The part where you and Grace risk your lives digging into a homicide,” he answered immediately.
“Let me ask you something. Do you honestly think that you’d be able to dissuade us if you were standing right here in front of me? The man asked me for my help, and I couldn’t manage to do it before someone killed him.”
“Because you never got the chance,” Jake snapped.
“That doesn’t change anything, and you know it.” I had a stubborn streak a mile wide at times, and my husband was well aware of it.
“I could at least be there as backup for you,” he offered softly.
“When your sister needs you there so desperately? Sweetheart, I appreciate the offer, and if things get dicey, I’ll call you, but Grace and I can handle this.” I just hoped that I was convincing. I had one more minute until the shop was set to open, and a few folks were already outside waiting to get in. Since I’d cut back on my hours of operation, I’d found that it had increased foot traffic, not limited it. People were odd, but I wasn’t complaining. Working less for more money was a situation I could happily find a way to live with.
“I still don’t like it,” he finally said.
“We’ll be careful,” I promised.
“And you’ll honestly tell me if you’re in trouble?” he asked, clearly not believing me, not that I could blame him, based on my past performance.
“I promise. Stay right where you are.”
“I will, but I want hourly updates,” he said flatly.
I laughed at the suggestion. “We both know that’s not going to happen.”
He joined me in my laughter, and I was happy we’d been able to interject a little humor into the situation. “What can I say? It was worth a shot. How about twice a day?”
“I’ll bring you up to speed before I go to bed every night. That’s the most I can promise and follow through on. What do you say? Do we have a deal?”
“Why do I suddenly feel as though I’m buying a used truck?” he asked with a soft chuckle.
“I’m worth a great deal more than that, or you married the wrong woman.”
“There are things in my life that I’m not sure of, but that will never be one of them,” he said, and I felt the truth permeate his voice. I was so happy that we’d found each other, for the millionth time for the thousandth reason.
“Now, I’d love to stay on the line and chat, but I’ve got donuts to sell. That call was good timing, by the way.”
“I knew it was the one time of day that I’d be sure to catch you,” he said. “Will it hurt if I tell you to be careful, Suzanne?”
“That never hurts,” I said. “Good luck with Sarah and her situation.”
“Thanks. I’m afraid that I’m going to need it.”
“My, but don’t we lead interesting lives?”
“As long as we’re together, in spirit if not in fact, then I’m okay with everything else,” he said.
It was a sweet way to sign off, and I found myself smiling as I went to the door and unlocked it.
The smile didn’t have much time to exist.
One of my early visitors was not my biggest fan, and the feeling was most assuredly mutual. Over the years we’d found ways to get along, but it was always a trying experience.
What on earth was Gabby Williams doing at the donut shop, especially this early in the morning?
“Hey, Gabby. Fancy seeing you here. What happened, did you get a craving for a donut all of a sudden?” I asked her as she made her way to the counter. She was a stylish woman who owned the gently used clothing store, ReNEWed—which happened to be next door to me—but she didn’t
often come by Donut Hearts for donuts. As a matter of fact, not ever, at least not since one of my customers had pelted her shop with heavily iced treats.
“I’m not here for your tasty little death-bombs, Suzanne.”
“So, you admit that they are tasty,” I said with a hint of a smile. Any broader, and it would make Gabby dig her heels in, and I might never learn why she was really there. It was a fine line I was dancing, but I’d done it with her before.
“It’s about Gray Vincent,” she said softly and solemnly.
That took the wind out of my sails immediately. “What about him?”
“Do you really want to discuss it out here in front of everyone?” There were half a dozen customers in the shop, with more heading our way.
I shook my head. “I do not. Let’s go into the kitchen.”
She looked in that general direction with clear distaste. “I’d rather do this outside, if you don’t mind. I have no desire to see how the sausage is made.”
“Making donuts is a lot prettier than that,” I said, but I wasn’t going to push the point. “I’ll meet you out front in thirty seconds.”
“If it’s thirty-one, I’m leaving,” she said as she exited the building.
I knew that it wasn’t hyperbole, either; Gabby usually meant what she said.
I found Emma in the kitchen, up to her elbows in soapy water. She was singing along with whatever was playing on her iPod, and I had to tap her on the shoulder to get her attention. “Can you watch the front for a few minutes?”
“Absolutely,” she said as she rinsed off her hands. Once upon a time she’d been reluctant to interact with our customers directly, but lately she’d been coming into her own, easy and confident after assuming my duties far too many times recently.
“I shouldn’t be long,” I said.
“Take your time.”
As I headed for the front door, I saw Gabby walking away.
Blast that woman, if she weren’t so useful to me, I would have let her storm off, but unfortunately, I wasn’t in any position to turn down any help I might be able to get.
“Hang on,” I said breathlessly as I burst outside. “According to my watch, I made it in time.” That was an outright lie, but I decided to own it. Besides, Gabby wouldn’t have come to the shop if she didn’t have something worth sharing. The woman loved knowing things that other folks didn’t, and she rarely passed up the opportunity to hold that over me.
“Barely,” Gabby said reluctantly. “I heard that you were the one who found Gray’s body last night. Is that true?”
“It is,” I said, not being able to stop myself from shivering a little at the memory.
“It must have been awful for you,” she said sympathetically.
“I’ve had better nights in my life,” I admitted.
“Does that mean that you and Grace are going to investigate?” she asked me, piercing me with her gaze.
“I know you think we’re crazy to do it, but honestly, do we have any choice? You don’t happen to know why we were there in the first place, do you?”
Gabby frowned, clearly unhappy about not knowing something that I did, for a change of pace. “No. Now that you mention it, Gray was notorious about his privacy. Why were you and Grace there in the middle of the night?”
“He asked us for our help, but before we could offer him the least bit of assistance, somebody killed him.”
The information rocked Gabby back on her heels. “You’re right. You really don’t have any choice, do you?” Her confirmation of our motivation surprised me. There was always more to this woman than I realized, and she rarely failed to do something that made me reevaluate my opinion of her on a fairly regular basis.
“We don’t think so,” I agreed. “What do you know about Gray?”
“If you’re asking if I know why someone would want to kill that harmless old man, I’m afraid that I can’t help you.”
Frankly, I was disappointed with the answer. “I was kind of hoping that’s why you were here.”
“I may not know who the killer might be, but that doesn’t mean that I still can’t be useful to you,” Gabby said. “Someone we both know rather well was closer to Gray than anyone in town realizes. She might be able to help you.”
“Don’t keep me hanging. Who exactly are you talking about?”
I thought Gabby was going to hold onto the name a little longer, but she must have seen the desperation in my eyes. “Suzanne, you and Grace need to speak with Gladys Murphy.”
“Trish’s Gladys?” I asked. Gladys’s name was a surprise to me. She was fairly good behind the grill, though not as good as Hilda Fremont, but to be fair, not many people were. “What has she got to do with this mess?”
“She’s been dating Gray recently,” Gabby said. The gleam in her eye about knowing something that I didn’t was back where it belonged.
“I don’t believe it,” I said flatly.
Gabby looked at me sharply. “You’re not doubting my word, are you?”
“Of course not,” I said quickly. I knew better than to offend Gabby when it came to the information she shared. It was rarely, if ever, wrong, though usually not so freely given. “I just never put them together.”
“Why do you think he came out to Movie Night in the first place?” Gabby asked. “From what I gather, he and Gladys just broke up, and it was bad on both sides.”
“You’re not suggesting that Gladys killed him, are you?” I asked, dumbfounded by the mere thought of it.
“I’m not suggesting anything of the sort!” Gabby snapped. “I’m just saying that if you’re looking for insights into the man’s life, Gladys is the person you should be talking to. She’s working the lunch shift at the Boxcar today, but if you get to her before eleven, then she might be able to help. I happen to know that she sits in the park for a half hour, rain or shine, before every shift.”
“How can you possibly know that?” I asked.
“I’ve seen her out there countless times, as I’m sure you have yourself.”
I had, but I hadn’t put it together with her work schedule at the Boxcar Grill. “But I don’t close the shop until eleven,” I protested.
“Suzanne, I’m not here to make your life easier,” Gabby said, which was true on so many levels. “The logistics of your investigation are up to you. I just thought you might be able to use the information.”
“I do, and I greatly appreciate it,” I said. “How do you happen to know Gladys’s schedule?”
“My dear girl, you should know by now that there’s little that goes on in April Springs that I don’t know,” Gabby said, trying to sound mysterious.
The problem was that it was true.
Gabby had sources I could only dream of. I liked to pride myself on the fact that I had my finger on the pulse of our quaint little town, but Gabby was the true operator among us. “Thanks.”
“My pleasure,” she said. “I hope you catch whoever did this. I liked Gray Vincent.”
“Romantically?” I asked, regretting the question as soon as it left my lips.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Gabby said, and then, without another word, she walked to her shop.
I was going to have to get Emma to cover for me for the half hour before we closed. This was too good of an opportunity to pass up.
As I went back into Donut Hearts, I couldn’t imagine the conversation I’d be having with Gladys in a few hours, but at least I had some time to prepare myself for it.
Chapter 8
I could barely contain myself until it would be time to leave the donut shop to speak with Gladys, but it wasn’t time just yet, and I had a real job to perform at Donut Hearts. I knew I wasn’t exactly saving lives by selling donuts, but the world was a happier place with me in it than not, and I coul
d live with that. I arranged with Emma to take over at ten thirty, but I hadn’t been able to track Grace down as of yet. I would have loved it if she could be with me when I spoke to Gladys, but if I had to, I’d do it without her.
After a rather full morning of dodging questions about what I’d seen the night before and selling lots of donuts almost as an afterthought, I glanced at the clock and saw that I had only another half hour before I was due to leave the donut shop in search of Gladys.
The only problem was that I still hadn’t heard from Grace.
Where was she, and what was she doing that was so consuming that she couldn’t return my call? I decided to try her number again.
It rang four times, and then it went straight to voicemail.
I was about to leave a message when my phone beeped, and I saw that Grace was trying to call me back.
“Hello?” I asked.
“Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. I was following one of my reps around in a hotel, so I had my phone on mute so she wouldn’t know that I was tailing her.”
“What on earth were you following her around for?” I asked.
“I’ve had a few complaints about her absences over the last several days, and I wanted to see for myself why she was missing her appointments.”
“What was she doing, carrying on a secret affair during working hours?” I asked.
“That I could have excused. No, she was interviewing with two of our competitors looking for a new job.”
“Wow, how fast did you fire her?” I asked, knowing Grace wouldn’t put up with something like that. Apparently I was wrong.
“Are you kidding? I offered her a ten percent bump in pay on the spot and another three days’ vacation not to leave. She’s too good to just let go.”
“So you bribed her to stay?” I asked incredulously.
“Isn’t that what salary and benefits are for?” she asked me. “Anyway, I got your message, and I’m in. I’ll be there before you leave the shop.”