Sugar Coated Sins

by Jessica Beck

  I looked around frantically for some indication of who had gifted the treat to us, but I couldn’t find anything. “Sorry to bother you,” I said, clearly a little distracted by the sudden appearance of baked goods.

  “Nonsense. You could never bother me,” she said.

  We both knew better than that, but I decided not to push it. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  I didn’t even wait for her to say good-bye.

  I dialed Jake’s number, and again, it went straight to voicemail as it had before. Maybe it was harmless. He could have gotten a note with the pie and thrown it away or absentmindedly stuffed it into his pocket. If that were really true, though, why did I have a knot growing in my stomach? I didn’t trust this, and what’s more, if Jake had taken a bite of the mysterious offering, it might already be too late. As I rushed out of the cottage, something fluttering in the bushes in the breeze caught my eye. I didn’t want to stop to see what it was, but then I realized that it could be important. After all, it could have blown off the pie when it had been delivered. My hands shook as I retrieved the crisp white paper and saw that there was a single word printed in block letters on the index card: ENJOY.

  I nearly died the moment I realized that it was written in the same handwriting as whoever had left that confession note fifteen years earlier.

  My husband and I were being targeted by a killer!

  Of course my Jeep was still down the road, sitting where I’d left it earlier. I had to go on foot, so I raced across the park toward Jake’s office. Please let him be there, I silently prayed with every step as I raced across the uneven ground. I pushed myself beyond my level of physical conditioning, ignoring the stitch in my side as I continued to sprint onward. If Jake ate that pie while I was going one iota slower than I was capable of, I’d never be able to forgive myself. I tried not to crush the note as I ran, but it was of secondary importance. Stopping Jake before it was too late was all that I really cared about at the moment.

  I finally burst into the police station, and the officer at the desk frowned at me, even though I was married to his boss.

  “What can I do for you, Mizz Hart?” he asked.

  “Jake. Is he in his office?” I asked between pants as I furiously searched for my husband. There he was! He was sitting behind his desk, but that wasn’t what shot a jolt of fear through me the instant I saw him. A slice of pie was in front of him, and what was worse, he was getting ready to put a forkful of it into his mouth!

  “He’s right back there,” the officer said, but I hadn’t waited for an answer. I rushed through the maze of desks and burst into Jake’s office. The fork was literally a scant inch from his mouth when I knocked it out of his hand.

  Instead of being angry about it, he looked a bit bemused in my direction. “Suzanne, I know you want me to drop a few pounds, but wouldn’t it be insulting not to at least taste the pie your mother brought us?”

  “It’s…not…from…her.”

  “What?” He was frowning now. “If she didn’t bring it by the cottage, then who did?”

  “The killer,” I said, finally catching my breath to complete a full sentence, even though it had only been two words long.

  Jake pushed the Tupperware container away from him. “How can you possibly know that?”

  “Look!” I held the one-word note up to him, and he studied it without touching it.

  “It’s in the same handwriting as the confession we found,” he said as he frowned at it.

  “I know that,” I said as I collapsed into his visitor’s chair. “What should we do?”

  “Stay right here, and whatever you do, don’t touch that pie.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it,” I said.

  Jake came back a minute later with an evidence bag. He then slid both the container and the fork into the bag before sealing it shut. “I’m going to have them rush this at the crime lab, so we’ll know soon enough if someone was trying to kill us.”

  “Given the matching lettering, can it be anything but an attempt on our lives?” I asked him.

  “Probably not. Still, I’d rather be sure.”

  “I’m not disagreeing with you. What should I do with the pie that’s still at the cottage? I can’t just throw it away, can I?”

  “No, I’ve got another bag we can use to collect it as well. Let’s go.”

  Before we left, Jake briefed Stephen Grant on what had happened, and then he put Stephen in charge while he was gone. “Are you ready?”

  “I am,” I said.

  We headed back toward home, stopping long enough for me to pick up my Jeep along the way. I didn’t mind walking the short distances I’d covered without it, but right now it was important for me to have transportation that didn’t rely on my own two feet. I shivered a little as I imagined what might have happened if I’d been too late to stop Jake from taking a bite of that pie.

  After Jake bagged the remainder of the pie in another evidence bag, he had a patrolman pick it up and deliver it to the crime lab.

  “They’ve promised to rush the testing, so we should know tomorrow morning if someone just tried to poison us or not,” Jake explained. “In the meantime, if you didn’t cook it or open it yourself, don’t trust it.”

  “Does that include eating out?”

  “Especially that,” he said.

  “Do you honestly think that someone might try to kill us if we go have dinner at Napoli’s?”

  “Suzanne, we have to take this threat seriously. What if one of the DeAngelis women were distracted just long enough for the killer to poison our meal? At least until we know one way or the other, we take all precautions, so that means if we’re going to eat, one of us has to cook.”

  “Well, it’s not going to be you. I’m not in the mood for chili.”

  Jake had one thing he liked to make, like many men I’d known. What was it about chili that appealed to them so much? Most of the time I could take it or leave it, especially in the summer months, but he could eat it year round.

  “Let me see what we’ve got in the freezer,” I said. “Does this mean you aren’t going back to work today?”

  He frowned before he spoke. “With this ongoing investigation, I really can’t afford not to. How about if I hang around until after we eat, and then I’ll head back in when you go to bed?”

  “You don’t have to babysit me,” I said. “I’ll be fine.”

  “I’m sure you will be, but actually, I’m kind of hungry. I skipped lunch.”

  “As a matter of fact, so did I,” I said. “I got so wrapped up in the investigation, I completely forgot to eat.”

  “Why don’t we have something quick, then?”

  I knew he was eager to get back to work. “How about a cheese omelet? They’re filling, and they have the added advantage of being quick and easy to make.”

  He grinned at me. “I’ll grate the cheese and make the toast.”

  After we ate, we both felt better, but I noticed that neither one of us had mentioned having dessert. That pie was still all too real a presence in both our minds. I couldn’t help wondering what the lab techs would find when they analyzed its contents. Had the killer used the same poison on Ben that they’d tried to use on us? If so, it might give us a clue as to how they’d come to acquire it, and that might in turn lead to where it could be obtained.

  Any new clue could be useful, as long as it was approached properly.

  After we cleaned up the kitchen, Jake kissed me, and then he asked, “Are you sure you’re going to be okay here by yourself?”

  “I’ll be just dandy,” I said.

  “I could always call your mother or Grace to come over,” he suggested.

  “Jake, I mean this in the most loving way possible, but get out of here and go back to work.”

  “I’m going, I’m going,” he said with a chuckle, and then he kissed me again. I didn’t mind the attention one little bit, but I hated that he was so concerned about my safety. I’d have to do better reassuring him
that I could manage just fine on my own.

  Jake had been gone eight minutes when there was a knock on the front door, and I had to wonder if I’d been a little too hasty sending him back to work. Just in case, I grabbed the baseball bat I kept by the front door before I answered.

  When I saw who it was, I put it away before I opened the door.

  It seemed that I was not going to be spending the evening alone after all.

  Chapter 18

  “Hey, Momma. Hello, Phillip. What brings you two by?”

  I stepped aside and let them in. Momma turned to her husband, who was holding something in his hands. “May I have that, please?”

  “That” was a dessert container. “It’s not pie, is it?” I asked, my heart sinking at the thought of getting one of my mother’s delicious treats and not being able to enjoy it.

  “No, you already have one of those. I made you a cake instead.”

  “Cake I can handle,” I said. “Is it chocolate, by any chance?”

  “What other kind would I bring you?” she asked as she pulled the top off the carrier. It was indeed a chocolate cake. That was something I knew that I could enjoy without any repercussions other than to my waistline.

  “Would you both like some? I’m having a big old slab, myself.”

  “Just a sliver for me,” Momma said. “Phillip?”

  “I’ll take a piece somewhere in between,” he said with a smile.

  “Let’s go into the kitchen,” I suggested. Momma carried the cake in while I got out plates, forks, and a knife. After I placed them at the table, I suggested, “How about a pot of coffee?”

  “Do you have any milk? One percent would be fine.”

  “Try as he might, he can’t get used to skim, but it’s better than the whole milk he used to drink.”

  “Dorothea, I switched to two percent before we even started dating.”

  “Of course. Sorry. I didn’t mean to imply otherwise.”

  What was this? My mother seemed a bit subdued, not her general go-to emotion. “Is something wrong?”

  “I’m afraid that it is,” Momma said. “I’ve done Phillip a grave injustice, and I’ve come to atone for it.”

  What could that mean? I knew my mother well enough to know that she would never cheat on him. She wasn’t that kind of woman. If she found someone else, which I greatly doubted that she would, I knew in my heart that she’d end it with her husband first. I’d been cheated on myself, so I knew just how devastating it could be.

  “Don’t keep me in suspense. Tell me what’s going on.” My slice of cake was forgotten for the moment, a miracle in and of itself. That’s how shaken I was by my mother’s news.

  “I presumed to preclude Phillip from any active form of investigation without consultation,” she said rather formally, a sure sign that she was indeed remorseful. “He is a grown man, as he so colorfully reminded me as this cake was in the oven, and if he chooses to help you or the police department, it’s his right. I’ve given him my blessing to do whatever he sees fit.” She looked at him, and all he had to do was raise one eyebrow to get her to add, “Not that he needs my permission in the first place.”

  “Okaaaay.” What else could I say? I was frankly stunned by her statement. My mother had the biggest heart of any one person I knew, but getting her to say that must have taken more than an act of Congress.

  “Thank you, Dorothea,” Phillip said.

  “You’re most welcome,” Momma answered, adding a smile. Less formally, she added to me, “Suzanne, there is a fine art to being a spouse that I’m afraid I need to be reminded of occasionally. I know that Phillip isn’t going to take any unnecessary risks, but I also realize that I can’t keep him safely locked away in a bubble, either. After all, I don’t chide you for your choice to investigate murder. What gives me the right to question his decisions?”

  “You just want to keep me alive,” Phillip said good naturedly. “Ordinarily I’d applaud that sentiment, but I’ve got to live my life, or I might as well be dead now.”

  “I understand that,” Momma said a little sternly. “Didn’t I just say something to that very effect?”

  “Who wants that cake now?” I asked, hoping to defuse a little of the tension in the air. I had a feeling that the two of them must have had some grief battling this out. The former sheriff continued to surprise me. He’d done everything in his power to court my mother, no matter how reluctant she’d been at times, and once they’d married, I’d been a little fearful that her strong personality would overwhelm him completely. To my surprise, though, he’d grown stronger in their relationship and more than held his own these days.

  “That sounds perfect,” Phillip said with a smile. “I had to smell it the entire time that it was in the oven, and it just about killed me to see her pack it up once it was cool enough. I told her that she should have made two.”

  “That’s exactly what you need,” my mother said with a laugh of her own. “You get enough of my baked treats as it is.”

  “That’s impossible,” he said as he kissed her. I hadn’t wanted to see them fighting, but I couldn’t say that seeing them make up was that much better.

  At least the coffee was ready, which gave me a worthy distraction. After I poured two cups and delivered them, along with Phillip’s milk, we all took our seats and enjoyed the cake.

  “Who was it that plied you with treats earlier, Suzanne?” Momma asked me as she finished her sliver of cake. That serving size would have only made me angry that I didn’t have more, but it seemed to satisfy her just fine.

  “It’s not important,” I said quickly, and then I asked, “Is this a new recipe? It’s got quite a punch of chocolate, doesn’t it?”

  “Don’t change the subject, young lady,” Momma said sternly. “It’s the same recipe I’ve always used. Who brought you pie?”

  “I wish I knew,” I said. I fully realized that she’d hear the story soon enough, so perhaps it would be better if I told her myself. “It was anonymous.”

  “I don’t know that you should eat something without knowing where it came from,” Momma said with a frown.

  “That’s the thing. We thought it was from you. That’s why I called.”

  “So, someone left you a pie without any reason or explanation?” Phillip asked with a smile. “That’s a delivery list I’d love to get on.”

  “Not this one, I’m afraid.” I took a deep breath, and then I explained, “We believe that the pie came from whoever it was who killed Benjamin Port fifteen years ago.”

  Phillip and Mother both frowned at the news, not sure if I were joking or not. To their credit, I had been known to push the outer boundaries in the past. Momma finally accepted it at face value. “Is that really true? Did you eat any of it?”

  “No, once I figured out that it wasn’t from you, I just managed to stop Jake from taking a bite.”

  “How could you know that it came from the killer and not just some random pie maker?”

  “It was delivered with a note,” I said, “though it had flown off into the bushes by the time I found it.”

  “What did it say?” Momma asked gravely.

  “ENJOY.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Phillip asked. “Is Jake having the pie analyzed? Of course he is. Has he gotten a report back yet?”

  “No, but we’ve been promised something first thing tomorrow morning. I’m taking it as good news myself.”

  “How is that possibly good news?” Momma asked. “A killer tried to poison you, and you’re looking at it as a victory of some sort?”

  “Dot, it means that one or the both of them has somehow managed to rattle the killer. They’ve found their murderer. All they have to do now is narrow down the list of folks that they’ve already spoken with.”

  “Easier said than done, I’m afraid,” I said.

  “Well, I don’t see any reason for you to keep it to yourself,” Momma said. “Who exactly has made it into your group of suspects?”

/>   I debated hedging my answer, but actually, I had two sharp minds I could tap. Why not share the information with them? “In no particular order, we’ve got Ben’s sister, Lisa; girlfriends Hilda Fremont, Gabby Williams, and Hillary Mast; and Judge Hurley. Oh, we just added Jan Kerber’s name to the list as well.”

  “Wow, you’ve both been busy,” Phillip said. “I understand the sister and the girlfriends, especially if they didn’t know about each other, but what motive could you possibly have for a judge and our Register of Deeds?”

  “Evidently Ben took advantage of the judge after buying a valuable book from him that he didn’t know was significant.”

  “Yes, I can see the judge being upset about that,” Momma said. “He’s renowned for his temper, so what others might take in stride he might easily escalate to a capital crime. What about Jan?”

  “That’s what we’re still trying to figure out,” I said. “We found her initials and an early-morning appointment erased from Ben’s datebook the day before the murder.”

  “Have you asked her directly about it yet?” Phillip asked me.

  “No. It’s new information, so we’re still trying to figure out how to handle it.” I just realized that I hadn’t told Jake about the discovery, given that I’d had more important information about the possibly poisoned pie. I’d have to correct that as soon as possible.

  “Would you like me to ask around for you?” Phillip offered.

  I hated to turn him down after my mother’s recent declaration, but I wasn’t ready to ask him for help just yet. “Can I think about it first?”

  “Suzanne, if you’re worried about how I’ll feel, you don’t have to be concerned. I’ve accepted the fact that, as you said so eloquently before, I’ve married a lawman, whether he holds any particular badge at the moment or not.”

  “It’s not that,” I said. “We just need more time to come up with a plan. If we run into any roadblocks, can we have a raincheck on your offer, Phillip?”

  “Certainly,” he said succinctly. “I just wanted you to know that I was available.”