Custard Crime: Donut Mystery #14 (The Donut Mysteries)

by Jessica Beck

  “You’ve got to be kidding,” I said. “Sophia, don’t change a thing. You’re beautiful just the way you are right now, and I know a dozen men who would be glad to verify that fact.”

  She started to grin, but Angelica scolded me. “None of my daughters need any more reasons to be conceited about how pretty they may or may not be. I was talking about that smile you had. It’s the look of a woman in love.”

  “I can’t deny it,” I said as I sat back at my place.

  “And why would you? It’s a wonderful way to feel.”

  “I’ve been in love before,” Sophia protested.

  Angelica just shrugged. “Maybe with boys, but that’s the way a woman looks when she’s in love with a man.”

  I chuckled softly. “This is all so delicious, Angelica. Thank you.”

  “Having you with us is thanks enough,” she said.

  After Grace and I both ate until we could eat no more, we left Napoli’s kitchen, but not before taking two massive containers filled with food with us.

  “This is too much,” I said to Grace once we were outside.

  “Speak for yourself. I think it’s perfect. I’m going to invite Stephen over for a snack when we get back to April Springs. Are you going to share yours with Jake?”

  “He’s welcome to all of it, but I’m afraid I won’t see him until tomorrow.” I was a little sad about that fact, but it would pass. After all, he’d be back at the cottage that night even if I wasn’t around to greet him, and that was more than I could say when he was working on cases in the far reaches of our state.

  As I drove back home, I asked Grace, “So, we have three people left on our list of suspects. Should we share our thoughts while we’re driving about Conrad, Julie, and Robby?”

  “It’s as good a way to pass the time as any,” Grace said.

  “Okay, let’s tackle Conrad first. He had two reasons to want Evelyn dead, the loan and his love life. If he really was with Violet all along, he might have wanted Evelyn out of the way if things were getting serious with Violet.”

  “Can you imagine choosing her over Evelyn?” Grace asked. “She’s a bit of an obsessed stalker psycho type, isn’t she?”

  “Who knows? Maybe that’s what Conrad likes.”

  “My mother always said that there was a lid for every pot,” Grace said. “We never got an alibi out of him, did we? Do you think Jake’s had any better luck?”

  “If he has, he hasn’t told me about it. What about Julie?”

  “If she’d been set to inherit everything of Evelyn’s, I would have an easier time believing that she could have killed her.”

  “True, but she didn’t know that she wasn’t in the will yet, did she? If she acted on the assumption that she was set to inherit everything, it might have spurred her to action.”

  “Maybe,” Grace said. “What about Robby?”

  “At least he had an alibi, even if it was one that can’t be substantiated. Working alone in his garage isn’t exactly hanging out in a crowd, is it?”

  “No, but you know how I feel about alibis. Only guilty people seem to have them.”

  “Do you honestly think Robby killed Evelyn over a tree?” I asked.

  “I don’t feel like we should focus on the tree. It could have easily just been the last straw in a fight between them that could have been brewing for years.”

  “I suppose,” I said. “If you had to rank them right now, what order of likelihood would you put our suspects in?”

  “As far as I’m concerned, they’re all in a dead heat. Then again, if we hadn’t heard Violet’s alibi, I’d have been convinced that she did it, too. I hope Jake can find this Digger fellow.”

  “You don’t believe her story?”

  “I don’t think Angelica lied to us,” Grace said, “but her source could have been lying to her.”

  “Jake will check it out, I’m sure.”

  We were finally in April Springs, and as I passed the donut shop, I looked fondly over at the old railway depot that was now such a big part of my life. There were so many stars that had aligned perfectly to make it all possible, and buying the place had changed my life forever. I’d been in the pits of despair after Max had cheated on me, and in a rush, I’d moved in with Momma and started my own business. Both decisions had been some of the best ones I’d ever made. The donut shop had given me back my independence and self-esteem, while moving back to the cottage where I’d grown up had allowed me to reconnect with my mother in a way that I never would have done otherwise.

  We were at Grace’s place soon enough, and as I stopped the Jeep, I saw that Officer Grant was already on the front porch waiting for her. “We’re still on for tomorrow after I close the shop, right?” I asked her as she got out and retrieved her takeout from Napoli’s.

  “Yes, but I might be a little late. I’ve got to do some spot-checking on one of my sales reps. It appears that she’s been shirking her duties lately.”

  “Unlike you, working half days,” I said with a grin.

  “Hey, I’m salaried. I was told specifically by my boss that I didn’t have a set schedule.”

  “I wonder if she meant it the way you’ve taken it?” I asked with a smile. “Not that I’m complaining. I couldn’t do this without you.”

  “Well, you probably could, but it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun,” she said as she closed my door. “Good night.”

  “Night. Have a good evening.”

  “Oh, I plan on it,” Grace said.

  I waved at Officer Grant as I started to drive off, who waved back at me with a grin.

  It had been nice that Grace had someone waiting for her.

  The cottage was dark when I got home, and as I went inside, I flipped on enough lights downstairs to delight the power company. After stowing all of the food I’d taken from Napoli’s, I sat down and wrote Jake a note before I headed upstairs to read.

  Hey, Jake.

  Sorry I missed you. Hope your trip was productive.

  There’s food in the fridge from Napoli’s, and you’re welcome to whatever you find there.

  Wake me if you want to chat. If you don’t, though, I’ll see you sometime tomorrow.

  Boy, this crime-fighting really gets in the way of our together time, doesn’t it?

  Let’s hope that one of us catches the bad guy soon!

  All my love,

  Suzanne

  I propped it up near the front door so he’d be sure to see it, and then I turned off the lights and made my way upstairs. After a quick shower, I changed into my pajamas and curled up in bed with a good book, the latest from my book club. Jennifer had called me a few days before, and we’d scheduled another meeting for the following week. I had ten days to get through this month’s edition, and it was big enough to double as a doorstop. If I was going to contribute anything to the conversation, I’d better at least crack the book.

  I must have fallen asleep during the prologue, because when I woke up later to my alarm, the book was still open across my stomach. As I pushed it aside, I realized that I’d have to tackle it sometime when I wasn’t so tired from work and detecting.

  I just wasn’t sure when that might be.

  Chapter 22

  After I got ready for work, I tiptoed down the stairs, only to find a light on in the kitchen. Had I left it on, or had Jake? When I walked in, I was surprised to find him sitting at the table, an empty plate pushed off to one side and a stack of folders spread out across the tabletop.

  “Good morning,” I said as I kissed him lightly. “You didn’t have to get up for me.”

  “I haven’t been to sleep yet,” Jake admitted as he stretched a little. “Thanks for leaving me dinner.”

  “Did you get enough to eat?” I asked as I poured myself a cup of coffee and grabbed a chair. I didn’t have a lot of time to linger, but I did have a little, and I planned on taking full advantage of it.

  “Plenty. I can’t imagine your dinner, if those were just the leftovers.”


  “Don’t ask,” I said. “I hope your trip was at least productive.”

  “Very,” he said as he pushed a folder away.

  “Care to bring me up to date? I did give you a lead or two, after all.”

  Jake frowned, and then he shrugged. “Why not? For starters, Beatrice’s alibi checks out.”

  “You actually talked to that married weasel? I hope it was in front of his wife.”

  “No, he was alone. Evidently she decided to leave him when she found out about the way he’d been behaving.”

  “Good for her,” I said.

  “The funny thing is, he kept asking me if I thought he could get Beatrice back.”

  “What did you tell him?”

  “That I was a state police investigator, not Dear Abby,” Jake said. “Anyway, she’s off our list, and so is Violet.”

  “Does that mean that you found Digger?”

  Jake nodded, and then he shook his head. “That man could use some tips on personal hygiene. He was more than happy to confirm that he’d been with Violet during the time of the murder. He kept trying to give me graphic details about their encounter, but I finally managed to shut him up.”

  “So, then there were three.”

  “Two, actually. Hadn’t you heard?”

  “No, I don’t have a clue as to what you’re talking about.”

  Jake scuffled through the folders and pulled one out. “Officer Stephen Grant, taking initiative after his regular shift, decided to canvass all property owners facing Robby’s garage. One woman, a Mrs. Edna Peacock, was birdwatching all morning and happened to spot Robby working in his garage through an open doorway at the time of the murder. Can you imagine having a last name like Peacock and being a birdwatcher, too? What are the odds?”

  “I imagine she might have taken up the hobby because of her name,” I said. I knew Edna slightly, and to say that she was a little off was understating things. For one example, she’d taken the Peacock moniker all too literally. Not only did she have an abundance of peacock figurines spread throughout her home, but she favored wearing clothes featuring images of the bird itself. I’d asked her once where she’d found them, and she had boasted that she’d made them all herself.

  “Should I believe her?” Jake asked.

  “If Edna said it, then it’s true. I’ve never had reason to doubt her word, nor have I ever heard anyone say a cross word about her.”

  “So, now we have two viable suspects left,” Jake said. “That’s what I’ve been doing with these folders. I keep staring at the information, but I’m still not certain what I’m looking for. In my gut, I believe that Conrad Swoop did it, especially after what I just found out about him.”

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  Jake took a sip of his own coffee, and then he said, “We’re dancing that fine line again, Suzanne. I uncovered something during a background check that isn’t public knowledge.”

  “Don’t tell me, then,” I said with a smile. “It’s fine.”

  My refusal just seemed to confuse him. “That’s it? You’re giving up that easily?”

  “What can I say? I know when I’m on precarious ground.”

  Jake nodded. “Thanks for that. Tell you what. Can you hang around for one second? I need to get something out of the bedroom.”

  I glanced at the wall clock. I was pushing things as it was, but that was okay. So what if I had to rush a little when I got to Donut Hearts? “Sure, I can spare a minute or two.”

  Jake nodded, and then he tapped a folder three times before he left the room. As he’d touched it, he made eye contact, and I knew that whatever was in there was what he’d been talking about.

  The moment he was gone, I opened the folder and found a police report.

  Conrad Swoop had been arrested for assault three years earlier. It had taken Jake some time to dig it up because Conrad had given the cops an alias at first, and it had muddied the trail.

  So, one of our suspects had a police record and a history of violence.

  It was as big a red flag as I could imagine.

  Jake coughed just outside the door, and I closed the folder and looked away.

  “Sorry about that,” he said when he walked back into the room.

  “What did you get out of the bedroom?” I asked him with a grin.

  He laughed, knowing that I was just teasing him. “To be honest with you, I forgot what I was going in after.”

  “Don’t worry about it. That happens to me all of the time. So, what are you going to do? It seems pretty obvious, doesn’t it?”

  “That’s what troubles me. It’s almost too easy. There’s got to be something that I’m missing.” He brought out another paper and handed it to me. “Look, Julie is in debt up to her eyebrows. If she was counting on getting that money from Evelyn’s estate, it could have driven her to murder. When I look at the evidence one way, I think Conrad must have done it, but when I examine it from another angle, I’m sure that Julie is just as likely guilty.”

  “Jake, this isn’t one of your normal cases. Things don’t have to be overly complicated. If you have a gut feeling about it, then that’s what you should act on.”

  “Do you and Grace have any theories?” he asked me.

  “We think it’s a coin toss at this point,” I admitted.

  “Do you still feel that way after what I just told you?” he asked as his gaze darted to the folder holding the police report of Conrad’s arrest.

  “I’m just as confused as you are,” I admitted. I glanced at the clock again and saw that I was truly late now. “I’d love to stay and chat, but there are donuts that need to be made.”

  “Go. I’m glad that my insomnia at least gave me a chance to see you.”

  “Right back at you,” I said. I gave him a quick kiss, and then I headed out into the darkness. It looked as though Conrad Swoop was most likely our bad guy. After all, he had two motives, and an arrest record to boot.

  At least it would all soon be over, and my life could get back to normal, whatever that entailed these days. That meant that Jake would go back to his old job, and I would be left alone in the cottage.

  Maybe I shouldn’t be in such a hurry for it all to end after all.

  “That day just flew by,” Emma said as we locked the front door of the donut shop a little after eleven.

  “Really? I thought it dragged by, myself,” I said.

  “Maybe it’s because you’re in charge again, but I just love coming to work these days. No worries, no responsibilities, and most of the pay.”

  “It’s not a gold mine, is it?” I asked her. “How do things look in back?”

  “I’m ready on my end. You do the reports, and I’ll finish up out here. We’ll be out in record time. Is Grace coming by?”

  “No, I got a text message from her half an hour ago. She got hung up in West Jefferson, so I won’t see her until later.”

  “Does that mean that you need a sleuthing buddy?” Emma asked with a smile. “You know that I’m always ready to step in if I’m needed.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate the offer, but it’s not necessary.”

  “So, are things winding down in the investigation?” Emma asked.

  “That depends. Is my assistant asking, or the newspaper owner’s daughter?”

  “Point taken. I withdraw the question,” Emma said, and then she smiled to show that there were no hard feelings.

  As she finished sweeping the floor and wiping down the tables, I worked on the report. Counting the money, I held my breath as I compared totals, but we were perfect for the day. That gave me more satisfaction than it probably should have, but I didn’t care.

  There were two-dozen donuts left, and as I finished filling out the deposit slip, Emma asked me, “Do you have any use for these today?”

  “I was just going to drop them off at the church, but I’ve got a feeling they could use a break.” Oftentimes we gave our extras away to help feed those who couldn’t afford our treats otherwise, but eve
ry now and then I got the distinct impression that my offerings could be a little too much sometimes. “If you’d like them, they’re all yours.”

  “Thanks, I just might,” she said. “It’s not what you think.”

  I grinned at her. “What do I think?”

  “That I’m giving them to some random guy.”

  “I wasn’t thinking that at all.”

  “Really?” she asked.

  “Really. If he’s good enough for our donuts, then he’s bound to be anything but random. Is this someone new that you’re seeing?” Emma liked to change young men like some women changed shoes, early and often.

  She just shrugged, but I recognized that smile.

  “Tell him I said hello,” I said.

  Her smile brightened even more. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “I’m sure,” I said as I looked around. “If everything in the kitchen is as clean as it is out here, you can go ahead and take off.”

  “Thanks.”

  Once she was gone, I took one last look around, turned off the lights, grabbed the deposit, and headed out myself. I missed having Grace there, but I knew that her job didn’t allow her to take off at will, no matter how it felt sometimes. That didn’t necessarily mean that I was going to get into trouble on my own, though. Things were squarely in Jake’s hands now, and as far as I was concerned, most of my work was done. We were all fairly confident that Conrad was the killer, but even if Julie had done it, he’d catch her soon enough.

  I was in line at the bank to make my deposit when something occurred to me. While Grace and I had been searching Evelyn’s house, we’d been interrupted before we’d had a chance to look very thoroughly. One thing in particular intrigued me. What if there was proof that Conrad had borrowed that money from Evelyn hidden somewhere inside? He’d been denying it all along, but that didn’t mean that it hadn’t happened. If there was a note in Evelyn’s journal, or even on a memo pad somewhere in that house, it would go a long way toward helping Jake make sure that Conrad was arrested for Evelyn’s murder. It might be a long shot, but what did I have to lose? Grace was out of town, and Jake was hard at work, so why shouldn’t I take a chance and see if there was anything else at Evelyn’s place that might tie Conrad to her murder? I made the deposit, and then I drove to Evelyn’s house. I still didn’t want to be seen going inside, so I parked down the block and walked back through the rear yards. The key was where we’d left it, so after going inside, I quickly punched the security code from my last visit.