Evil Éclairs

by Jessica Beck

  “I can do that,” I said. I didn’t want the influx of donuts to be a curse. “Call me the second you hear something.”

  “I will.”

  * * *

  When I walked back into Donut Hearts, I heard something clatter to the floor. Hurrying back, I found Emma looking as though she were ready to burst into tears. Half a dozen old-fashioned donuts were scattered on the floor.

  “Cleanup on aisle four,” I said with a smile as I grabbed a broom and dustpan. “Those can be slippery rascals, can’t they?”

  “How do you manage to do everything at once all by yourself?” she asked me.

  “You should have seen the mess I made when I got started in this crazy business. I got distracted the first time I made donuts and forgot to pull a batch out of the fryer. The place smelled like an arson-investigation scene for a week, and I had to throw away the clothes I’d been wearing. This is nothing, trust me.”

  “I feel a little better, then,” she said. “How’s George?”

  “It’s just a matter of wait-and-see now.”

  Emma nodded. “So far so good, though, right?”

  “That’s the way we have to look at it. Are you ready to get started on the yeast donuts now?”

  “It’s got to be better than this,” she said. “You’re not going anywhere anytime soon, are you?”

  I had to laugh. “Don’t worry; I won’t take off again until you’ve got things well in hand.”

  “Then you might be here for a while.”

  I patted her shoulder. “You’re doing great. Oh, by the way, we aren’t doubling the batch of glazed donuts today, after all.”

  “Didn’t they want them?”

  “It might be too much of a good thing,” I said. “We’ll hit them with the glazed tomorrow.”

  Emma and I cleaned the floor together, and then it was time to make the yeast donuts. The rhythm of the familiar work helped distract me from my dark thoughts, but I still kept waiting for my phone to ring as I worked.

  I knew most days that no news was good news, but the silence was driving me crazy. When I hadn’t heard anything by three minutes until we were set to open, I decided to call Penny to see if there was any change. When I couldn’t get her on the phone, I started to panic.

  Emma must have seen it in my expression. “What’s wrong, Suzanne?”

  “I can’t get Penny on the phone.”

  Emma pointed outside. “Maybe it’s because she’s out there waiting to get in.”

  I dropped the phone and raced outside. “Did something happen to George?”

  “No, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to alarm you. My shift just ended, so I thought you might like an update in person.”

  The relief spread through me. “Then he’s okay.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” Penny said, “but at least he’s not any worse.”

  “I’ve heard better news,” I admitted.

  “I’m willing to bet that you’ve heard worse, too. Sorry again for scaring you.”

  I took a deep breath, and then mustered a smile for her. “And I’m sorry about the way I reacted. It was sweet of you to come by in person. Come on in. Let me buy you a donut and a cup of coffee.”

  “Thanks, but I’m stuffed from the donuts you brought earlier, and the coffee would keep me awake when I need to sleep. How about a rain check?”

  “You’ve got it.”

  I was worried about who might update me now that Penny was off shift when she said, “I asked a friend of mine to let you know if there’s any change. She’s new to the hospital, but she’s our kind of people. She’ll call if anything happens.”

  “What’s her name?” I asked.

  “It’s Marsha Nichols.”

  It didn’t take a second for me to smile. “Don’t you two get grief hanging around together? I can’t imagine there not being jokes about small change.”

  “Pennies and Nickels kind of go together, don’t you think? If we can find staffers named Dime and Quarter, we’ll have the full set.”

  “You might as well smile, right?” I said to Penny. “Thanks for doing this. It means the world to me.”

  “It’s nothing,” she said.

  “Trust me, I’ve seen nothing, and this isn’t anything close to what it looks like.”

  After she was gone, I went back inside, flipping the sign to OPEN as I did and turning on the front lights.

  Emma was waiting for me by the door. “What did she say?”

  “No change,” I said, and then realized how that tied in with pennies and nickels. I started laughing, and the hysteria made me continue a little longer than I should have.

  “I’m worried about you, Suzanne. Why don’t you go home and catch a nap? I can do the heavy lifting around here now that the donuts are all made.”

  “I’m not that punchy.” I explained to her about pennies, nickels, and change, but she still wasn’t buying it. “I’ll be fine. Trust me.”

  “You’re the boss,” she said.

  “Good, I’m glad we got that settled. Now, if we only had a few customers, we could start selling donuts.” I missed seeing George there, who often came early to have a warm donut and some peace and quiet. Thinking about what had happened to him made me feel sad and guilty all over again, so I decided instead to focus on the task at hand. Since we didn’t have any customers yet, I might have time to play with some ideas I’d had for new donuts.

  “How are the dishes coming?” I asked Emma as I walked back into the kitchen, making sure to prop the door open so I could see if any customers came in.

  “I’m finished, at least until we get some customers.”

  “Then you take the register, and I’ll play with some ideas for new donut flavors we can offer. Care to chime in?”

  “No, thanks. I’ll leave that up to you.”

  “I have an idea. You like playing around with the coffees we serve, and I enjoy making new donuts. Some of them are pretty outlandish, I know. Why don’t we pick one day a week where we feature something really outrageous, along with our regular offerings, too?”

  “We can call it Take a Chance Tuesday,” she said, instantly warming to the idea. “If we bundle them as a special, we might get a lot of customers.”

  “I’m game if you are,” I said. “I’ve got some wild ideas in my Donut Book that I’ve been too timid to try.” I kept a recipe book in back for my old favorites and new ideas, all in the handwriting style that Emma claimed not to be able to read. I knew I should make a copy of it somewhere and store it in a safe place, but I never seemed to get around to it. Life had a habit of getting in the way of my best-laid plans.

  Customers started trickling in soon after, and I hadn’t made many additions to the book. I hoped later I’d be able to remember what I meant by three-layer donuts and Bismarck madness.

  My phone finally rang. “Hello?”

  “It’s me,” Jake said.

  “Oh,” I replied, trying my best not to sound disappointed.

  “I’ve had warmer greetings from felons I was transporting across the state,” he said. “Are we having a problem I don’t know about?”

  “No, we’re good,” I said. “I was just hoping the call might be an update about George’s condition. You haven’t heard anything, have you?”

  “That’s why I was calling you. You’ve got some kind of secret network for finding these things out. What’s the last you heard?”

  “He made it through surgery, so now it’s just a matter of wait-and-see,” I said.

  “That’s good news,” Jake answered.

  “Why don’t you swing by and I’ll treat you to a donut?”

  “You know how cops feel about donut shops,” he answered. “There’s a natural affinity. I’ll try to come, but I can’t make any promises. If I don’t, save me a couple and I’ll get them tonight.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said, “did we have plans?”

  “Did I forget to ask you? Suzanne, I’d be delighted to go out with you tonight, i
f nothing gets in the way between now and then.”

  “Be still, my heart. You’re going to sweep me off my feet with smooth talking like that.”

  He chuckled, a sound I was growing to love. “You know me. My job is full of conditional promises. If I have to cancel, I’ll call you. Otherwise, I’ll be by at six.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “That’s going to be a surprise,” he replied. “Don’t worry. It will be fun.”

  After he hung up, I couldn’t help but smile. It was good having Jake in my life, and even my ex-husband was starting to realize that this was real. Max had had his chance with me, and he’d blown it. Moving on with Jake was the best thing I could have done, and according to Momma, I’d taken my own sweet time coming to realize it.

  * * *

  A tall, handsome man with stormy brown eyes and a little too much weight on him came into the donut shop a little after eight, but instead of getting in line behind the other customers, he stood to one side while I waited on everyone there. There was something familiar about him, but that happened to me a lot. When you worked at the front counter of the donut shop, it wasn’t all that unusual to run into just about everybody in April Springs at one time or another.

  When the line finally faded away, he approached me. “Suzanne Hart?”

  That voice was definitely familiar.

  “Yes?”

  “Nancy told me you wanted to see me.”

  So, this was her alibi. “Thanks for coming by. You know my name. What’s yours?” I asked as I extended my hand.

  “A friend of Nancy’s,” he said, ignoring my hand.

  He was going to be a tough customer, obviously. “Let me assure you that I won’t share what you tell me with anyone else.”

  “A donut confessional,” he said as a slight smile spread across his face. “Nancy and I were together that night.”

  “Is there anyone who can verify that, or is there any other way to prove it?” I asked him.

  “You don’t believe me?”

  “I don’t know you,” I replied, “but even if I did, I would have to have more proof than just your word.”

  He stared hard at me, then said, “Forget it. I can’t help if you’re going to be unreasonable.” The man leaned in closer toward me and added, “Don’t make trouble for me. If my wife hears one word of this, I’ll be back for you.”

  He was gone before I had a chance to even react. There was no doubting the threat he’d just made. How did he expect me to stop other people from talking? I didn’t even know his name! Still, I was going to be even more careful until this murder case was resolved. I couldn’t afford to duck this man for the rest of my life.

  Max came in while I was still contemplating what I’d just heard. “What was Frank doing? Did something happen while he was here? He nearly knocked me over on his way down the street.”

  “Frank who?” I asked.

  “Wheeler. He did just leave here, didn’t he?”

  “How do you know him, Max?” My ex-husband had a wide array of acquaintances, but I’d never imagined he’d be friends with one of my suspect’s alibis.

  “We did a play together in Charlotte once. I haven’t seen him in years, though. He kind of dropped off the map.”

  “What sort of man is he?”

  Max frowned. “Coming from me, this is probably going to sound odd, but he always had an eye out for his next conquest. No woman in our cast was ever safe from his advances, and not many had the steel to say no to him.”

  “I imagine he gave you a run for your money, then,” I said.

  Max shook his head. “No, ma’am. Deep down, that man is cruel. I might not have made the best decisions in my life, but I was never intentionally mean. If I were you, I’d stay out of his way, Suzanne.”

  “Thanks for the advice. What can I get you today?”

  “Six bear claws,” he said.

  As I boxed them up, I asked, “Feeling a little peckish, are we?”

  “I owe these to someone,” he answered as he paid me.

  “Even you have to admit, that’s a curious debt.”

  “It’s not as interesting as you might think,” he said as he collected them and left. Max’s words left me a little shaken. He had never been one to be intimidated by anyone, but it was clear that Frank Wheeler had managed to do just that. I was going to add him to my list of suspects. I’d have to ask George … For a moment, I’d forgotten my friend was laid up in the hospital fighting for his life. I had grown so used to going to him with questions, but even if I never got another ounce of help from him, I’d still miss him terribly. He was so much more than a customer; he was my friend. I fought the urge to call the hospital and check on him again. Penny had assured me that her friend would let me know the second there was the slightest change in his condition, and I trusted her.

  Nine minutes later when my telephone started ringing, I nearly broke it as I flipped it open, hoping against hope that it was good news for a change.

  THE LAST RESORT DONUT

  A friend of mine loves these donuts, but I’m not a big fan of them myself. If you’re desperate and don’t have many supplies on hand, you might want to try these, but trust me, I’d have to be pretty desperate to make them myself. If nothing else, they’re pretty easy to make. Consider yourself warned!

  INGREDIENTS

  • ½ cup boxed biscuit flour

  • ½ cup milk (or water if you don’t have milk on hand)

  • 1 tablespoon sugar (white)

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  DIRECTIONS

  Heat canola oil to 360 degrees while you mix the batter. Mix everything together until the batter is smooth.

  When the ingredients are incorporated, take a teaspoon of batter and rake it into the fryer with another spoon. If the dough doesn’t rise soon, gently nudge it with a chopstick, being careful not to splatter oil. After two minutes, check, and then flip, frying for another minute on the other side. These times may vary given too many factors to count, so keep a close eye on the donuts.

  Makes around eighteen small donuts.

  CHAPTER 16

  “Hey, Suzanne,” Jake said when I answered. “Just touching base again.”

  “No change so far,” I said. “I was just fighting the temptation to call and see if anything’s happening myself.”

  “It’s a tough urge to resist, but you have to trust your friends,” he said. “Let me know if anything comes up.”

  “I’ll do it,” I said. “Where are you?”

  “I’m just finishing up in Hudson Creek.”

  I had to laugh at the thought of Jake interviewing the taciturn builder again. “How’s old Vern doing? Is he being any more cooperative than the last time you spoke with him?”

  “A part of me wishes he was guilty, but his alibi checks out. I can’t bring myself to say that he’s innocent of anything.”

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Jake, did you just tell me I could eliminate one of the suspects on my list?”

  He laughed softly. “I could never do that, Suzanne. Officially, I can’t sanction your investigation, and it would be wrong of me to help you in any way, and we both know it. Right now I’m just acting as your boyfriend, telling you about my day.”

  “I appreciate your sharing, more than I can say. Do you want to hear about my day so far?”

  “Sure, why not?” he asked.

  “I had the most interesting customer today. His name is Frank Wheeler, and he came by to alibi Nancy Patton. When I didn’t believe his story, he openly threatened me.”

  That got a growl from Jake. “What exactly did he say?”

  “He warned me that if his wife found out he was cheating on her, he’d be paying me another visit.”

  “I can be there in twenty-two minutes,” Jake said. “In the meantime, I’ll have the chief send someone over to keep an eye on you.”

  “Slow down,” I said. “I appreciate the thought, but the threat wasn’t immedia
te. There’s no use standing guard outside the donut shop.”

  That seemed to mollify him a little. “I don’t like anybody threatening you.”

  “I wasn’t all that fond of it myself,” I admitted. “But what can you do?”

  There was a rough edge to his voice as he answered, “More than you might think. Don’t worry about this guy. I’ve got him covered.”

  “Max was pretty shook up when he ran into him, and he doesn’t scare easily.”

  “Did you bring Max into this, too?”

  “He’s the one who identified Wheeler for me,” I answered. “Max bumped into him as Wheeler was leaving the donut shop.”

  “Good enough. I am going to have a chat with this Wheeler fellow myself.”

  “Be my guest,” I said. “I don’t want him back here any more than you do. Funny, but I could swear I’d seen him before. I just can’t put my finger on when.”

  “Could he be a customer?”

  “That’s what I thought at first, but I’m beginning to doubt that.”

  “Don’t worry,” Jake said. “It will come to you. I’ll see you soon.”

  “Thanks for calling.”

  “It’s my pleasure.”

  After we were off the phone, I crossed Vern’s name off my list. I didn’t need to know the specifics of why he was no longer a suspect. If Jake considered him a dead end, I knew that I could, too. That still left a host of people who could have wanted Lester Moorefield dead, but at least I was making some headway, even if it was through the auspices of my boyfriend’s investigation.

  Just before closing, Emma came out, drying her hands on a dishtowel. “I’m all done in back,” she said. “Are we ready to clean up?”

  I glanced at the clock. “Eager to get out of here?”

  She smiled. “I’ve got a lunch date, but I can hang around as long as you need me to, Suzanne.”

  “Is this that same mysterious new man in your life?” My assistant was always falling in love, hard and fast, and she usually crashed that way, too. I watched all of it without an ounce of envy. Having Jake in my life was better than I could have imagined, but it had taken us some time to find each other. I just hoped that Emma had that kind of luck eventually, too.