Jessica Beck - Donut Shop 18 - Dangerous Dough

by Jessica Beck

  “We both know that I’m talking about your husband. I don’t like him coming around asking me questions.”

  “Then answer them, and Jake will leave you alone.”

  “Let me ask you something? Does he really think I whacked Tyler?” Deke asked.

  “You certainly had motive, just about anyone who didn’t like him had the means, and the opportunity was there for the asking.”

  “Don’t you sound like Nancy Drew?” he asked sarcastically.

  It clearly hadn’t been meant to be taken as a compliment, but that was how I was going to take it. “Thanks. She’s wonderful, isn’t she? Which book of hers is your favorite?”

  “I’ve never read any of them,” Deke said after snorting in disgust.

  “You really should. They are excellent.”

  Deke shook his head as though this conversation was leaving him more and more puzzled. “What does he want from me? I’ve got the feeling that he won’t believe me if I just tell him that I didn’t do it.”

  “An alibi would probably help,” I suggested.

  “For when exactly, two or three days? Who has an alibi that will cover that kind of time frame?”

  “Actually, they’ve narrowed it down quite a bit further than that.” I wasn’t at all certain that I was supposed to be sharing that information with one of our prime suspects, but how else could I get him to talk to me?

  “I’m listening,” Deke said.

  I told him the time frame Jake had relayed to me, and to my surprise, he started laughing. “Did I just say something funny?”

  “Hilarious,” Deke said. “I couldn’t have killed Alex Tyler, and even better, I can prove it.”

  “How can you manage to do that?”

  “I was being hassled by his buddy during the entire time,” Deke said. “If you don’t believe me, just ask Craig Durant. He was busting my chops in Granite Meadows the entire time, so there’s no way I could have poisoned Alex Tyler all the way over here. I gotta tell you, that’s a real relief.”

  “Did Jake really bother you that much? How about Grace and me?”

  “You two I could deal with,” he explained. “It was your hubby I was worried about coming around and cramping my style. Let him know, would you?”

  “You bet,” I said. “He’s going to want to confirm that, you know.”

  “Let him,” Deke said. Then he wolfed down the rest of his donut, wiped his hands on his pants, and pointed back to my display. “I’ll take three more of those for the road.”

  “Do you really like them that much?” I asked.

  “What can I say? They taste better than they look.”

  If that were true, they must have been delicious.

  I took Deke Marsh’s money after I delivered his order, and the instant he was out the door, I grabbed my cellphone and called Jake.

  After seven rings, I was about to hang up when he answered. “This is Bishop.”

  “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

  “No, I was in the shower. What’s up?”

  “I just got alibis for Deke Marsh and Craig Durant,” I said.

  I could hear the storm brewing in his voice as he spoke. “Suzanne, did you shut the donut shop down, leave April Springs, and track down two of our suspects without me? Please tell me that you at least took Grace with you.”

  “I didn’t have to. Deke Marsh waltzed into the donut shop on his own. I guess I have you to thank for it, actually.”

  “How’s that?”

  “Well, it turns out that he didn’t mind the questions Grace and I asked him, but when you got involved, he decided to end your interest in him quickly if he could manage it.”

  “What’s that got to do with Durant?” Jake asked.

  “It seems that the two of them were together in Granite Meadows the entire time. Evidently Durant was hassling him about something,” I said. In a gentler voice, I added, “I’m sorry, but I had to tell him the time frame of the murder. It was the only way that I could get confirmation from him that he was somewhere else at the time.”

  “That’s fine,” Jake said. “I knew that it would get out sooner or later, so at least this was for a good cause.”

  “What are you going to do now?” I asked him as I wiped the counter with a dishtowel I kept up front for just that purpose. Coconut flakes were everywhere, and I had a feeling that I was fighting a losing battle trying to contain them, especially since the coated donuts were making their rounds on the carousel display.

  “I’m going to get confirmation that it’s true, and then I’m going to strike two names off my list. Good work, Suzanne.”

  “Like I said, I didn’t do anything. He walked into Donut Hearts of his own accord first thing this morning.”

  “Maybe so, but you saw an opportunity, analyzed the situation, and then you acted. That’s pretty much all I’ve ever done in my entire career.”

  “Don’t give me too much credit,” I said.

  “Isn’t it okay for me to be proud of my wife?” he asked gently.

  “It’s more than okay, it’s encouraged. Let me know if you find out that Deke was lying to me.”

  “I don’t think he did. It would be too easy to prove, one way or the other. We’re getting closer. I can feel it in my gut.”

  “Me, too. Are you still coming by after the shop closes this morning?”

  “I’ll be there. Is Grace free to go with you again?” he asked.

  “She’s making the time. So, we’ll all meet up here a little after eleven and head off to Granite Meadows.”

  “In separate vehicles, though,” Jake said. “I can’t have you ferrying me around in your Jeep all the time, and the three of us can’t ride all that comfortably in my truck.”

  “You could always upgrade to something nicer, you know,” I said.

  “Why would I want to do that when it’s perfect for me now? I’ll see you later.”

  “I’ll be here selling donuts and solving crime, because hey, that’s what I do,” I said with a laugh.

  “That’s the woman I fell in love with,” Jake replied before hanging up.

  I wished that it really were that easy. I wasn’t kidding myself. Deke had come forward because of the pressure that Jake’s presence had put on him, not because of anything that Grace and I had done. There were some real advantages having a cop—one of any kind—on our side, and I wasn’t silly enough to take the credit myself.

  Still, we’d eliminated two suspects at once, and that was never a bad thing.

  The only problem was that it still left us with three more: Maisie and Shannon for us and the Granite Meadows chief of police for Jake.

  Frankly, at that point, I didn’t have the foggiest notion which one the killer might be.

  Chapter 22

  “Suzanne, did you realize that you had a flat tire?” Grace asked me as she walked into the donut shop a few minutes before closing.

  “What? No. When did that happen? It was fine when I drove over here this morning.”

  “Well, it’s flat now,” she said. “Do you need to call someone?”

  “Call someone about what?” Jake asked as he walked in soon after Grace came in.

  “I’ve got a flat tire,” I said as I grabbed my cellphone.

  “Who are you calling?” Jake asked me.

  “Somebody to fix it. I can’t drive around on a flat tire,” I said.

  “Hang up the phone. I’ll take care of it myself.”

  “Jake, I’m sure you’ve got more important things to do with your time than change the tire on my Jeep.”

  “As a matter of fact, right now, that’s my top priority.”

  I could tell instantly that I wasn’t going to win this argument. For some reason, it appeared that this was a matter of pride for him. All and all, I was just as happy to let him do it. Honestly, it was nice having someone looking out for me. I threw him the keys and smiled. “The spare’s mounted on back.”

  “I know where it is,” Jake said. “I’ll
have it done in a jiff.”

  “As long as a jiff is less than twenty minutes, then we should be fine,” I said with a laugh.

  “Start the clock,” he said as he left the building.

  Grace started smiling the moment he was gone. “What’s that smile for?” I asked her.

  “I just enjoy having him around,” she said.

  “That makes two of us. So, did you manage to break free this afternoon, or do you have to go back to work?” Grace’s job hours were flexible, but they weren’t entirely fluid at times.

  “I took the entire day off, so I’m all yours,” she said.

  “You didn’t need to take the whole day,” I protested.

  “Are you kidding? I wanted to sleep in. The first half of the day was for me; the second half is for you and our investigation.”

  “Good. If everything goes as planned, then we should be able to get out of here as soon as Jake finishes changing my tire. Emma’s already got most of the dishes, glasses, mugs, and trays cleaned and ready for the next day. I’ve got less than a dozen donuts left to deal with out here, a report to run, a deposit to make, and then we’ll be ready to go.”

  “We don’t have to sell all of the donuts first, do we?” she asked me.

  “Of course not.” I glanced at my watch and then added, “You know what? I think I’ll go ahead and lock up. You can sit over there if you’d like. I won’t be long.”

  “You know me; I don’t mind sweeping,” Grace said as she grabbed a broom.

  It was different than when Jake had done it. For one thing, sweeping had been next on the list then, while I was nowhere near ready for it now. For another, Jake was methodical in everything he did, while Grace was more hit or miss, especially when it came to cleaning. I took the broom right back from her. “As much as I appreciate your offer, we have an order we do things in around here. The tables get cleaned first, the chairs get put up, and only then do we do the floor.”

  “Got it. Tables. Chairs. Floor. I think I can handle it.”

  She reached for the broom again, but I wouldn’t let it go. Instead, I repeated, “Remember. It’s tables, chairs, and then floors.”

  “I’ve got it,” she said as she grabbed a dishrag and started wiping the tabletops down.

  I was tired fighting her, so I flipped the sign to show we were closed and locked the front door. While I ran the day’s reports, I looked in on Emma in back. “How’s it going?”

  “Almost got it knocked out. Is there anything else to do up front?”

  “Just this,” Grace said as she carried in the last tray that still held donuts.

  “Hey,” Emma said with a smile. “I didn’t realize you were out there.”

  “I’m pitching in,” she said proudly.

  I managed to hide my smile from Grace, but not from Emma.

  “Let me take that for you,” Emma said as she reached for the tray. After depositing the last of the donuts into an empty box, my assistant slid the tray into the soapy water, cleaned it, rinsed it, and then put it in the rack along with the rest, where they’d be waiting for me in the morning. I used to put everything away at closing in the past, but Emma and Sharon had shown me that it made more sense just to leave things where they were more easily accessible the next morning.

  “I’ll be out front waiting and raring to go,” Grace said.

  After she was gone, Emma said softly and with a grin, “Funny, I didn’t know that you were hiring extra help.”

  “Trust me, this is strictly on a voluntary basis.” I looked around the kitchen and was happy to see that it was spotless. “You may have to do things over out front tomorrow morning.”

  “Got it,” she said.

  “Well, everything looks good back here. You can take off if you’d like.”

  “Thanks, Boss,” she said, and then she traded her apron for her jacket and scooted out of the shop.

  I grabbed the box of leftovers and headed out front to rejoin Grace.

  “Everything okay out here?” I asked her.

  “Right as rain,” she said. “Your cash register stopped working, though. Is that a problem?”

  “No, it just means that the report is finished,” I said as I tore off the tape. After comparing it with the cash in the till, I was pleased to find that it balanced perfectly. “We’re good to go as soon as we lock up.”

  “Then let’s roll,” Grace said proudly.

  I could tell in an instant that things hadn’t been done they way that I preferred, but all in all, it was good enough. Besides, making things right again would give Emma something to do in the morning while I was making the cake donuts.

  “Okay by me,” I said. “Thanks for pitching in.”

  “It was my pleasure.”

  Grace and I left the donut shop, and then I paused outside just after I’d locked the door. “Hang on one second. I’ll be right back.”

  “Did I do something wrong?” she asked.

  “Not at all,” I said. “I just want to make sure that I turned the deep fryer off. Jake and I had to come back over here last night so that I could double-check it. I’m getting forgetful in my old age.”

  “The scary thing is that you’re not that old,” Grace said with a smile.

  “I’ll be right back.” I went inside, did a quick double check of everything, and saw that I’d shut Donut Hearts down properly after all.

  “So, what was the verdict?” Grace asked as I rejoined her out front.

  “It turns out that I was worried over nothing,” I admitted. After the door was locked, I glanced over at Jake, who was standing there frowning at my tire. Had he not even changed it yet? At least the spare was beside it.

  As Grace and I approached him, I said, “Listen, I know this isn’t your forte, so why don’t I call someone to do it for me?”

  “Why would you do that?” Jake asked. “I just changed it myself.”

  “Then why are you scowling at my new tire?” I asked him.

  “Mostly because it’s anything but new. Suzanne, your spare is hardly better than your flat tire.”

  “It will hold, though, won’t it?” I asked him.

  “For a day or two, but we need to get you a new one. There’s a problem with this one, too,” Jake said as he thumped the extra tire with his fist.

  “I know. It’s flat.”

  “It’s more than that,” Jake said as he pointed out a three-inch slash on the side of it. “You didn’t get this by driving. Someone intentionally slashed your tire.”

  “Why would anyone do that?” I asked him as I studied the thin, straight line that had split the rubber. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “You said that Deke Marsh came by here earlier, right?” Jake asked.

  “What? When did that happen? What did he want?” Grace asked her questions in rapid-fire order. I wasn’t at all sure how she expected me to answer them as quickly.

  “I’ll tell you on the way to Granite Meadows,” I said, and then I turned back to Jake. “He was here, but he was also delivering up an alibi. It wouldn’t make any sense for him to slash my tire. Besides, who cuts only one tire? Everybody I know carries a spare. If you’re going to send someone a message, you have to at least cut two.”

  “Maybe someone stopped him before he could finish the job,” Grace said.

  “Maybe,” I said uncertainly. “This isn’t going to stop me. You two realize that, don’t you?”

  “I never dreamed that it would,” Jake said. “You both need to be careful today, though.”

  “Aren’t we always?” I asked him.

  Jake frowned, and then he said, “Maybe we should stick together after all. We can take my truck, since Grace can’t really use her company car for things like this anymore.”

  “Jake, we both know that we probably have a better chance of getting there on my bad tire than in your truck,” I said. “Besides, we need to split up. The police chief isn’t going to talk to you with us around—he’s already proven that—and the women are
n’t nearly as likely to talk in front of you. We really don’t have much choice.”

  “Everything you’re saying makes perfect sense,” Jake said, “but that doesn’t mean that I have to like it.”

  “There’s nothing to worry about. We’ll all be within a stone’s throw of each other if any of us needs help,” I said as I kissed him quickly. “Do you want to follow us, or should we follow you?”

  “I’ll go ahead,” Jake replied. “You still have to stop by the bank, don’t you?”

  “It will just take a second, but you go ahead. That way we can see you broken down at the side of the road easier so we can pick you up and give you a ride.”

  “My truck has more miles left in it than your Jeep does,” Jake said proudly.

  “Only time will tell if that’s true or not, but I can’t imagine it working out that way. See you soon. You be careful now, you hear?”

  “I was just about to say the same thing to you,” Jake replied.

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah, we’ll all be careful,” Grace interjected, clearly impatient to get started. “Let’s just go already.”

  “We’re going,” I said, and after waving good-bye to Jake ahead of us, Grace and I headed toward the bank and then on to Granite Meadows. We needed to make something happen, and soon.

  We were down to our last three suspects, and only two of those belonged to Grace and me.

  If you looked at it one way, the odds were with us.

  We just had to find a way to crack one of our remaining suspects.

  Chapter 23

  “Who should we tackle first?” I asked Grace as we drove back to Granite Meadows again.

  “That depends,” she said. “Do you have a favorite?”

  “Are you asking me which one of them I like the best? Between Maisie and Shannon, it’s not exactly a race. Maisie might be a little obsessed with Alex, but Shannon seems downright icy.”

  “I wasn’t asking you which one you wanted to have over for a slumber party,” Grace answered. “I mean which one of them do you think might have done it?”

  “At the moment I’m leaning toward Shannon, but Maisie clearly has a touch of crazy in her. We can’t forget the police chief, either. He could have done it himself to hide something he didn’t want the world to discover.”