by Jessica Beck
“I know you’re right, but let’s not rush this, okay? I just want to take it all in one last time.” I wasn’t sure what Jake had been expecting, but the city had really grown on him in our brief time there.
“We can always come back again, you know,” I said, grinning.
“Maybe so, but this will be our only honeymoon,” he answered a little wistfully.
“Who knew that under that tough-cop exterior lay the heart of a poet?”
“Shh, don’t tell anybody,” he said with a smile. “I don’t want to jeopardize my tough-guy image.”
The flight back was crowded, and there were no upgrades for us this time. Even with the proximity of so many other passengers on board, though, nothing could take the glow off our brand-new start as a married couple.
At least not until we saw my mother standing there waiting for us in the parking lot beside my Jeep.
Chapter 3
“Momma, what is it? Did something happen while we were gone?” I asked her as I rushed toward her. “Is it Phillip?”
“No, not really. Well, in a way, I suppose that you’d have to say yes. To be honest with you, at this point I’m not even sure what’s happening,” she said, clearly worried about something. It appeared as though she was fighting back tears, something very unlike my mother’s usual behavior.
Jake touched her arm lightly. “Take a deep breath, Dot, and tell us what happened.”
Momma did as he suggested, and after a moment, she seemed to be more collected than she’d been before. “It’s Chief Tyler.”
“What about him?” I asked. The man who’d taken over the April Springs police department hadn’t made all that good an impression on me in the brief time that we’d known each other, and I had to wonder how he was involved in my stepfather’s current situation. “Is he making life hard for Phillip now that your husband is officially retired?” It was hard for me to call the man by his given name, but now that he was retired, I didn’t know what choice I had. I couldn’t very well go on calling him Chief after he’d left the job.
“Suzanne, he’s dead.”
“What are you talking about? What happened?” Jake asked. The former state-police-investigator part of him was in full gear now. Though Jake had quit his job less than a few weeks before, I knew that it would take a great deal more time than that for him to get adjusted to civilian life, if he ever managed to do it at all.
“That’s what’s so puzzling. At first it appeared that he’d had a heart attack and passed away in his squad car, but it now seems that’s not what happened at all.”
“We’ll get into that in a second. What I want to know is who’s in charge of the force right now?” Jake asked.
“Stephen Grant is the acting chief at the moment,” Momma said. The young officer had been the interim boss at one point during the transition between Chief Martin and Chief Tyler, but it had been pretty clear that he wasn’t ready for the job yet.
“Seriously?” Jake asked. “I didn’t think he’d be put in charge again so quickly.”
“What choice did George have?” she asked. “Someone had to take over.” George Morris was the mayor of April Springs, and, as such, he had the authority to appoint a temporary chief if the current one was unable or unwilling to serve, something that seemed to be happening with increasing frequency lately in our little town.
“He could have always asked your husband to step back into the job,” I suggested. While I’d never been Chief Martin’s biggest fan, I truly believed that he was a decent law enforcement officer, all in all.
“That’s where it gets tricky. Somehow Stephen Grant has it in his head that my husband might be involved in Alex Tyler’s death.”
I was about to ask how that was possible when Jake said, “I’m beginning to believe that this is too complicated to go over in an airport parking lot. Can we discuss this once we get back in town? You can follow us, or we’ll follow you.”
“Actually, I’ll need a ride, since I don’t have my car with me,” Momma said. “Vince Jenkins was coming here anyway to fly to see his daughter, so I caught a ride with him. I thought it would be easier that way.”
So much for easing into our new lives together on the drive home. What could I do, though? I couldn’t exactly refuse my mother’s request. Besides, we needed to be briefed on the situation before we stepped back into it.
“Then let’s go,” Jake said as he stowed our bags in the back of the Jeep.
“Would you like to drive?” I asked my new husband as I offered him the keys to my vehicle.
He managed a smile before he replied. “Thanks for offering, but it’s your vehicle. I don’t see any reason anything has to change just because we’re married now.”
I kissed him soundly, forgetting my mother for a moment. “Really, because I can think of at least a thing or two myself.”
He smiled gently. “So can I, but let’s focus on figuring out what happened while we were gone before we get into that.”
Momma started to climb into the back when Jake said, “You take the passenger seat up front, Dot.”
“Jake, I hate to do that to you. I know that you’ll be cramped back there, and that’s one of the best things about being so short. I fit just about anywhere.”
“Nonsense. I’m not about to let my brand-new mother-in-law ride in back,” he said as he leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I’ll be fine.”
After Momma got into the front seat beside me, I started the Jeep, and the three of us headed back to April Springs. Once we were out of the heavier traffic around the airport, I turned to Momma and said, “Now tell us everything.”
“So much has happened that I honestly don’t even know where to begin,” my mother said.
“I’ve always felt that the beginning is as good a place to start as any,” Jake said. “What happened after we left?”
Momma nodded. “That’s right. I forgot that you both missed all of the fuss. It started just after you two took off for the airport.”
“What happened?” I asked.
“Phillip and Alex got into a pretty heated argument,” Momma said, “and I’m afraid that there were several witnesses to it.”
“What could they possibly have had to argue about?” I asked her.
“Actually, it was you,” Momma said.
“Me?” I was shocked that my name had even come up between the two law enforcement officers. “What did I have to do with it?”
“Phillip told Alex that he was being too hard on you and that he needed to take your input seriously. Alex told him that had been one of the main problems with the police department before, that amateurs were even allowed to have opinions in ongoing investigations. Things got rather heated, and I was afraid they might come to blows if it kept up. Stephen Grant had to step in between them, and I got Phillip out of there as quickly as I could manage it, but the argument certainly made an impression on everyone who was there.”
“You still haven’t told us how Tyler died,” Jake said softly from the backseat. I’d moved my seat as far forward as I could to accommodate his long legs, but I was afraid that it hadn’t been enough.
“As I said, at first everyone thought that it was a heart attack.”
“He was so young, though,” I said.
“I told you that was just at first. It was only after they checked more thoroughly that they found the poison in his system.”
I had a sudden sinking feeling in my gut. “He wasn’t found eating one of my donuts, was he?” My treats had been used as a murder weapon before, and I hoped and prayed that it hadn’t happened again.
“There were no donuts in his system,” Momma said, and I felt a sudden burst of relief.
It turned out to be short lived, though, as Momma continued, “The coffee he’d been drinking had been poisoned.”
“Do I even have to ask where he got it?”
“The cup was from Donut Hearts,” she admitted, and that’s when I felt that sinking feeling all over again.
; “This can’t be happening,” I said.
“Take it easy, Suzanne,” Jake responded. “There’s no reason to jump to any conclusions. There’s no reason in the world anyone would think that Emma or Sharon could be involved in the murder.”
“Actually, that’s not entirely true,” my mother said softly.
“What are you talking about?”
“Four hours before the new chief of police’s body was found in his squad car, he had a pretty intense argument with Emma in the donut shop.”
This was getting worse by the minute. “What were they fighting about?”
“Apparently he asked her out on a date, and when she refused him, he got a little belligerent. He threatened to shut the shop down for health code violations, and Emma dared him to go ahead and try. He took his coffee and stormed off, and a little later, Stephen Grant found his body in the squad car.”
“That’s just perfect,” I said.
“Why do you think I met you at the airport?” my mother asked us. “You’ve got to do something.”
My attention was on the road, so I didn’t see who Momma was looking at, but I just assumed that it was me. “I’ll do what I can,” I said.
“Suzanne, I know that ordinarily you’re quite capable of investigating murder on your own, but we have an expert at our disposal now.” I saw her turn in her seat as she looked at my new husband. “Jake, what do you say? Will you do it?”
“Sorry. I’d love to help out, but I’m retired now,” he said without much hesitation.
“Nobody’s asking you to step in and be the police chief,” Momma said, “but we all know that Stephen Grant is in over his head when it comes to murder.”
“I can appreciate that, Dot, but remember, I don’t have any standing in the case,” Jake said.
“That’s never stopped me before,” I replied, glad at the prospect of Jake digging into this. Momma was right. While I’d had my share of success in the past solving a few murders, my husband had made a career of it. Only just recently retired from the state police as a special investigator, he would be perfect for the job. “Come on, it’s fun from our side of the law.”
“I wouldn’t exactly call it fun,” he said. “I like having the authority to compel folks to cooperate with my investigation.”
“I’ve got that covered,” Momma said with the hint of a smile.
“How did you manage that?” Jake asked her.
“I’ve already spoken to George. The mayor told me that all you need to do is say the word and you will be the April Springs Interim Special Investigator.”
“That title didn’t even exist yesterday, did it?” Jake asked skeptically.
“See, what did I tell you? You’re an excellent detective,” Momma said with a smile. “Jake, I wouldn’t ask you to do this if it weren’t important. It’s killing Phillip to be suspected of murdering his successor, even if it is just idle gossip and Stephen Grant’s speculation at this point. You’ve got to do something.”
“Momma, even if your husband weren’t a suspect, my employees and friends clearly are,” I chimed in. “You need to do this for our family, Jake. We need you.”
Jake was silent for some time, and I knew better than to speak while he was mulling something over. At one point I saw that Momma was about to say something, but I gave her a quick head shake, and she stifled it quickly. She might know a great many more things than I did, but no one in the world knew my husband as well as I did. That might not even be true, but I was going to assume that it was until I was proven wrong.
After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke. “Let me get this straight. Stephen Grant will be in charge of the police force in general, correct?”
“Correct,” Momma answered.
“And my duties will consist solely of finding Alex Tyler’s killer.”
“That’s the way that I understand it,” she replied.
“Fine, but I’m going to have to call my former boss before I take this on,” Jake said.
I let my gaze shift from the road to my rearview mirror momentarily. “Jake, you don’t work for him anymore. You don’t have to ask him permission for anything.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Suzanne. When it comes to foul play that involves a law enforcement officer, the state police investigative unit has priority and jurisdiction. I can work around the edges, but the heart of the case will be handled by one of my former coworkers. I just hope it’s not Simpson.”
I’d heard him mention the man’s name a time or two in the past, and it had never been flattering. “Can you get him to assign one of your friends? How about Terry Hanlan?” I’d gotten to know Terry earlier, and it would be comforting to have him around.
“No, he’s working a case in Franklin at the moment,” Jake said.
“How could you possibly know that?” I asked him.
“I texted him the moment that your mother suggested that I investigate this murder,” he answered.
“Wow, that was pretty slick. I didn’t even realize you had your phone on you. I thought it was in your carry-on luggage.”
“It was, but I slipped it out after we landed. Mandy’s tied up, too. Don’t worry. I have a few other friends on the force I can call.”
I started to say something when I realized that Jake had meant right now. He started speaking, and it took a moment to realize that he wasn’t talking to us. From what I heard of his side of the conversation, it wasn’t going particularly well, and when he finished the call, I saw him scowling into the rearview mirror. “Well, that couldn’t have gone worse.”
“What happened? Was he unhappy about your new assignment?”
“Are you kidding me? He was ecstatic,” Jake said.
“Why is that?” Momma asked.
“It’s given him the perfect opportunity to stick it to me again for leaving.”
“I’m not so sure that I like the sound of that,” I said. The idea of someone bullying my husband didn’t sit well with me at all. When I’d been married the first time to Max, I could remember bristling right alongside him over a bad review, but it had been nothing compared to the way that I was feeling now.
“It goes with the territory,” Jake said. “The worst of it is that he’s assigning Simpson to the case. He’ll be in April Springs first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Then we’d better get busy before he gets here,” I said. “Momma, do me a favor and call Grace.”
“I could always help you again this time,” my mother said. “After all, this case has a direct link to my husband.”
Momma and I had worked on one murder case before, but that had been under special circumstances. While we’d proved to be an effective team, I still preferred Grace’s assistance over my mother’s. I just didn’t know how to tell her that without hurting her feelings.
Fortunately, Jake saved me from having to do it. “Dot, I’m sure that Suzanne appreciates your offer, but Phillip is the very reason that you shouldn’t be involved in this investigation. It’s bad enough that one of Suzanne’s employees is a suspect, but the fact that one of the men who used to work under your husband now suspects that he might be involved in the murder just makes things even worse. The best thing for you to do in this case is to keep a low profile.”
I could tell by the set of my mother’s jaw that she wasn’t particularly fond of the advice she was getting, but to her credit, she decided to take it anyway as she turned to me and said, “Fine, but if you and Grace need me, I’m never more than a phone call away.”
“I know; I’m counting on it,” I said. I made a note to myself to thank my husband for stepping in so graciously and saving me from having an awkward conversation with my mother.
Momma dialed Grace’s number for me and put it on speaker. When my best friend answered, I said, “Hey, Grace, it’s Suzanne.”
“Hi! Welcome back! April Springs has been positively dead since you left.” After a moment’s hesitation, she added, “Given what just happened to our new head
lawman, I should have probably come up with a better choice of words. But you haven’t heard about that yet, have you? How was Paris?”
“It was everything I imagined, and more,” I said, and before Grace could say anything else, I added, “We’ve already been brought up to speed. I’m on speaker right now. Momma met us at the airport, and the three of us are driving back to April Springs together.”
“Wonderful,” Grace said after a moment, no doubt reviewing our conversation to see if she’d said anything she might have to apologize for. When she concluded that she hadn’t, she asked, “So, I have a hunch you’re not calling to tell me that you’re back. Are we investigating this murder?” Grace sounded almost eager as she said it, and I wondered yet again about how seriously she took our investigations. There was a part of me that was afraid she believed it was all some kind of game, even after we’d been faced with the prospect of dealing with cold-blooded killers in our past.
“Unofficially, as always. Jake is going to be the super special chief investigating deputy investigating it for the police department,” I said.
Momma quickly corrected me. “Actually, his official title is April Springs interim special investigator.”
“Woohoo. Aren’t you special! I want the first business card you get after they print that title up,” Grace said. “Congratulations, Jake. Or should I offer you my sympathies instead?”
“To be honest with you, it’s still too soon to tell,” Jake answered amiably enough.
“Okay. Keep me posted, though.”
“Will do.”
I decided that was enough banter for one telephone call. “Grace, I haven’t asked anyone’s permission to do this yet, but of course I’m planning to dig into this myself, so no one who knows me should be surprised by that fact.” As I said it, I looked at Jake and smiled. He had the presence of mind to just smile back instead of arguing with me. “Are you free to lend me a hand?”
“I’m not, but I can be,” she said. “I’ve got some vacation time I’ve been dying to burn. When do we get started?”
I glanced at the clock on the dash and saw that we were less than half an hour from getting home. “How about forty-five minutes? Does that give you enough time to get yourself free?”