by Jessica Beck
I felt my heart suddenly drop to my feet. “Jake, you’re scaring me. Did something happen to Grace?”
“It’s not Grace,” he said. “I’m afraid it’s George. He’s been in an accident.”
* * *
“Is he okay?” I kept replaying my friend’s last words in my mind. I’d sent him off on an investigation, and something very bad appeared to have happened because of it.
“It doesn’t sound like it,” Jake said. “He’s in the hospital. That’s all I know. Before he lost consciousness, he said your name twice, and that he had to talk to you. Grab your jacket and let’s go.”
I kissed Momma good-bye, and then followed Jake to his car. As we drove to the county hospital, neither of us said a word. I knew I needed to tell Jake what George had told me, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Finally, just as we entered the parking lot, I knew I didn’t have any choice.
“Jake, George was working on something for me connected to Lester Moorefield’s murder. I’m the reason he’s in there.” I looked up at the brick hospital and shuddered. Nearly everyone I had ever known who’d gone in there hadn’t made it back out alive. I just hoped that George wasn’t going to be added to the list.
“What was he doing?” Jake asked.
“I don’t know,” I said, fighting back the tears. “He called before you came and said he’d found a new angle that could blow the case open, but when I pressed him for details, he wouldn’t say anything except that it was dangerous.”
I expected a scolding, but Jake didn’t say a word, and I was glad for that.
As we walked into the building, Jake took my hand and finally said, “We can talk about this later, but all that matters right now is George.”
We walked to the front desk and Jake said, “We’re here to see George Morris.”
The woman stationed there checked her computer, and then said, “I’m sorry, but he’s not allowed to have visitors.”
Jake flashed his badge. “It’s important.”
She nodded solemnly, and then said, “I understand that, Officer, but he’s still in surgery.”
“What exactly happened to him?” I blurted out.
“He was in some kind of accident.”
“Do you happen to know what kind?” Jake asked.
“It doesn’t say. You can wait over there if you’d like, and I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything.”
Jake and I took a bench seat by a window. It looked out onto a tranquil garden, and I wondered how many people had sought solace there over the years for the people they’d just lost.
Jake sat silently for nearly two minutes, and then he jumped up. “Somebody’s got to know what’s going on around here.”
I started to get up when he waved me back down. “Why don’t you stay here and wait in case someone comes out to tell us what happened. That way we won’t miss anything.”
“I hate just sitting here helplessly.”
“Suzanne, there’s nothing we can do. As soon as I find out anything I’ll come back and tell you. If you hear something before I do, call me.”
“Okay,” I said.
I was still sitting there five minutes later when I heard a familiar voice say, “Suzanne, is something wrong with your mother?”
I looked up to see Penny Parsons, an ER nurse who loved donuts, standing over me. I stood as well. “No, I’m here for George Morris.”
She nodded. “I heard he had an accident.”
“What exactly happened?”
“He was crossing the street, and someone ran him down. They didn’t even stay at the accident scene. If an ambulance hadn’t just finished responding to a false alarm in the area, he wouldn’t have made it.”
“Is it that bad?”
She frowned as she considered her next words. “From what I’ve heard, it’s not good. He was in surgery the last time I checked.”
“Could you ask again?”
Penny nodded. “I know you two are close. Hang on a second.” She went to the woman at the front, had a brief conversation with her, then tapped a few keys on the computer keyboard. Her face never changed its expression as she read whatever was written there, and I knew at that moment that I’d never play poker with her. I had no idea if the news was good or bad when she walked back to me.
“It’s touch and go right now,” she said without preamble. “The next forty-eight hours will be critical. At least he’s coming out of surgery.”
“Can I see him?”
“Suzanne, he wouldn’t know you from Betsy Ross right now. He’s in rough shape. Give me your cell number, and I’ll keep you posted with updates. There’s no reason you need to hang around here. Unless I miss my guess, you’re going to have to get up in a handful of hours anyway.”
“I’ll close the shop,” I said. I had never done that before, but I didn’t know how I’d be able to work with George upstairs fighting for his life.
“You could do that,” Penny said, “but it might be a better idea if you kept busy. If you really want to help George, flood the nursing station with donuts.” Penny was smiling to show that she was kidding, but I realized it wasn’t a bad idea. I knew that the hospital staff was full of professionals who took care of all of their patients as best they could, but if a donut or two or ten dozen would make George’s life the slightest bit easier, I’d do it.
“Okay, you’ve got a deal.”
She looked surprised that I’d taken her seriously. “Hey, I was just kidding. Trying to lighten the mood, you know?”
“I know, but you’re right. I need to keep busy. Sitting around here is driving me crazy, so I might as well be productive.”
Jake spotted me talking to Penny, and he rushed up to us. “Has there been any change in him?”
“She’ll bring you up to date,” Penny said as she disappeared through a set of nearby doors.
“I couldn’t find out anything,” Jake said. “Tell me you know something.”
I brought him up to speed, and after I was finished, I swear I caught a hint of relief on his face.
“Was there any good news in what I just told you?” I asked him.
“The accident’s not related to the murder investigation,” Jake said.
“How could you possibly think that? What if George uncovered something that the killer knows would condemn them?”
“That happens in the movies, not in real life,” Jake said.
I couldn’t believe he was saying that. “You can’t be serious.”
“Even though it was most likely an accident, you should be careful. Can I give you a ride, or are you going to wait around here?”
“I need to go back home. Penny’s going to let me know if there’s any change. I’ll be getting up early to make donuts.”
Jake nodded his approval. “I’m glad you’re going to work. You can’t do anybody any good sitting around here.”
We drove back to my place in near silence, and Jake kissed me briefly before he left.
No matter what he said, I still believed that what had happened to George couldn’t have been an accident. Sure, I was still going to make donuts every day, and I planned to flood the hospital with as many as they would take, but that didn’t mean I was going to stop investigating.
* * *
Momma was waiting up when I got home. “How is he, Suzanne?” She had known George a long time, part of the advantage—and curse—of living in a small town.
“He just got out of surgery. That’s all they would tell me. It was a hit-and-run, but I don’t know much more than that. I’m going to try to get some sleep so I can make donuts tomorrow.”
Momma looked surprised by the news. “Why didn’t you stay at the hospital?”
I was ready to snap, not wanting to justify my behavior to her, but then I saw the concerned expression on her face. “A friend of mine is going to keep me updated, and she suggested that if I wanted to make sure George got the best care possible, it might not be a bad idea to bribe the nurses with donuts. Actually, she
was just teasing, but if it helps him the least little bit, I’m going to do it.”
“What a marvelous idea. If you’d like, I’ll deliver the first batch for you.”
That’s what I loved about my mother. Sometimes, usually when I least expected it, she really stepped up. “Thanks, but I want to do it myself.”
She understood. “If you need me, you know that I’m never more than a telephone call away.”
“I know,” I said as I kissed the top of her head. “Now I’m going to see about getting a little sleep.”
I looked at the clock and saw that it was just past ten. If I was lucky, I was going to get three hours of sleep tonight. I’d made do with less in the past, but never by choice. I could have easily handled it when I was in my twenties, but those days were gone. I had a nap in my future, but not until I took care of business.
The alarm woke me much too soon, and I decided the only way I was going to be able to function at all was to take a cold shower and drink lots and lots of coffee. The second part wouldn’t be so hard. I’d given Emma the power to take over our coffee operation at the donut shop, and she’d jumped at the chance with great enthusiasm. No doubt the blend of the day would have enough caffeine to scrape barnacles off a pier, but for once, she wasn’t going to hear any complaints from me.
I was ten minutes late getting to the donut shop, and though Emma wasn’t due for another twenty, the lights were on in the kitchen when I approached the front door. In the old days I would have barged on in, but after what happened to George, I was on edge. It was worse when I called Emma’s number and it went straight to voice mail, a good sign that she was most likely still in bed asleep. I grabbed my phone and dialed 911. “This is Suzanne Hart over at the donut shop. Could you send someone to check things out? I’m out front, so tell them not to shoot me.”
My attempt at humor was lost on the night dispatcher. “Don’t go into the building until someone from our department arrives.”
“That was my plan all along.”
Four minutes later, much to my surprise, our chief of police himself showed up. “Chief Martin, you didn’t have to come yourself.”
“I couldn’t sleep, so I was at the station. Hand me your keys.”
So much for pleasantries. I did as he asked, and after he silently unlocked the door, he said softly, “Wait here.”
“Not a problem.”
The police chief drew his gun, and as he pushed the kitchen door open with his free hand, I marveled at how calm he seemed. He was gone thirty seconds, but I swear, I aged three years waiting for the sound of a gunshot.
He came back out, with Emma on his heels.
“Boy, you were serious about my not working any overtime, weren’t you? I would have left without a police escort,” Emma said.
“What are you doing here? You’re never early.”
She smiled at me. “I wasn’t sure I’d see you today. Dad told me what happened to George, so I decided to come in and make the donuts myself.”
“Is your mother here?” She always helped Emma out during those rare times I had to be away.
“No, I decided to wing it myself. How hard could it be? You do it once a week without me. I thought I’d return the favor.”
The chief interrupted. “If you two don’t need me, I’ll be going.”
“Thanks for coming so quickly,” I said, meaning every word of it. The chief and I had shared a few bad experiences in the past, but it was nice to know that I could still count on him in times of need.
“No need to thank me. It’s just part of the job,” he said.
After he was gone, I locked the door and turned to Emma. “Should I go, too? It looks like you’ve got things under control.”
She shook her head. “I’d rather you didn’t, but if you have to, I’ll squeak by. I just wish I could read your handwriting. How many ounces of pumpkin am I supposed to use?”
I followed her back into the kitchen and looked at the recipe. “I wouldn’t use any, since these are for applesauce donuts.”
She took the recipe from me, peered at it a moment, and then said, “You seriously need to get these on a computer so I can read them.”
“Why would I do that? If you can read them without me, you won’t need me anymore.”
“We both know better than that.”
“What happened to your confidence in handling it all by yourself?” I asked.
“I was bluffing,” she answered with a big grin. “I’m really glad you’re here.”
“Let me get a cup of coffee, and we can get started. It smells wonderful, by the way. What is it?”
“You don’t want to know, but it tastes heavenly.” She paused for a second, and then added, “It might be a little strong, though.”
Coming from her, it would probably take rust off a battleship. “That’s good. I need something to pep me up.”
“Then you’re in luck.”
I poured myself a cup, and after my first sip, I was afraid my ceramic mug was going to melt before I had a chance to finish it.
But it managed to put a pep in my step. I just wasn’t looking forward to crashing later.
As I started mixing, I explained the plan to Emma. She nodded. “So, we’re making double batches of everything this morning. Got it.”
“Don’t say anything about what it’s costing us. If we break even today, I’ll be a happy camper. We’re doing this for George.”
“For George,” she echoed, and we started getting busy.
* * *
By four, we had the first batch of old-fashioned donuts ready, and I had the batter mixed for the second batch. I boxed up our offerings and asked Emma, “Are you sure you’re okay with me leaving you?”
“I’ve got it covered,” she said. “Just be sure to come back as soon as you can.”
I grinned at her. “You can do it. I have faith in you.”
“I’m glad, because that makes one of us.”
CHAPTER 15
The hospital parking lot wasn’t exactly empty as I drove up in the darkness, but it was pretty sparse. There was plenty of parking, so I took a space near the front door and grabbed the eight boxes of donuts Emma and I had just made. I wasn’t sure how I was going to be able to get the front door open when I saw the large red button for wheelchair access. I hit it, glad that it was there, and walked through the slowly opening doors.
The guard at the front desk looked surprised to see me.
“Can I help you, ma’am?”
“I’m here to see the nurses taking care of George Morris,” I said.
“I’m sorry, but you can’t go up there.” He didn’t look like he enjoyed delivering the news, but his sympathy only went so far.
“Has he taken a turn for the worse?”
He glanced at the screen. “I’m sorry, it doesn’t say.”
Okay, if that wasn’t going to work, maybe I could try another approach. “Could you page Penny Parsons for me?”
He looked at me for a second, and then he smiled and said, “I can’t seem to find her number on my call sheet. Maybe a donut would refresh my memory.”
I wasn’t afraid to use donuts as bribes. I’d learned early on that they could be a wonderful way to grease the wheels. I put the boxes down on his desk, and then flipped open the top one. “I’ve got chocolate iced, pumpkin, blueberry sprinkles, plain, and double-dipped strawberry.”
He looked into the box as though he didn’t believe me. “Any glazed?”
“You can catch me on my next run,” I said. “These are all old-fashioned.”
I started to close the lid when he smiled at me again. “Don’t be so hasty. I like old-fashioned, too.” He grabbed one of the chocolate-iced donuts and put it on his desk. After a quick call, he said, “She’ll be right with you. If you’d like to wait over there I’d be glad to guard these for you.”
I smiled at him. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but why put temptation in your path? I can handle them myself.”
Penny came out frowning, but it disappeared into a grin when she saw me. “I was wondering who would be visiting me this time of morning.” Then she spied the donuts. “Suzanne, I feel guilty even joking about that. You didn’t have to make those for us.”
“It was my pleasure. Any change?”
“No,” she said. “We haven’t even updated the postings for a while.”
“Have you heard how surgery went?”
She lowered her voice. “You didn’t hear this from me, but we nearly lost him twice on the table. He’s a tough old bird, though, and he pulled through okay. We’ll see what happens next.”
“Is he awake?”
“They haven’t brought him around, and when they do, he’s not going to be very helpful. In a way he’s lucky. If he’d been hit a few inches either way, he might not be here.”
“What’s the best-case scenario?” I asked, deeply troubled by the thought of my friend fighting for his life.
“If he gets through the next two days, he’ll spend a month recovering. It’s pointless to guess right now.”
“Will you see that these get properly distributed?” I asked as I tried to hand her the donuts.
“Hang on a second.” She turned to the guard. “I need a cart.”
“Right away,” he said, and a minute later he returned with a black metal cart. I put the donuts down, and then asked him, “Do you want one for the road?”
“I’d better not,” he said after some hesitation.
“Go on. We won’t tell.”
It was all the prodding he needed. He grabbed a double-dipped strawberry donut this time, and thanked me. “These are the best donuts I’ve ever had in my life.”
“Come by Donut Hearts. We’re open seven days a week.”
As Penny took the cart, I said, “I’ll be back in three hours with the glazed donuts. If anything happens between now and then, call me.”
“Suzanne, you honestly don’t need to bring us any more treats. We’ll take care of George. I promise.”
“Don’t think of it that way. It gives me something to do instead of pacing around the lobby, and if it brightens your lives for a moment or two, then that’s even better.”
“I understand that you want to do this, but at least wait until tomorrow for the glazed donuts. You don’t want to overwhelm them.”