by Jessica Beck
My problems would still be there come morning, or what passed for it in my life, and I needed to be fresh if I was going to handle things without getting myself killed.
The next morning, George was waiting for me when I opened at five-thirty.
“Why didn’t you call me last night? I could have helped when you were attacked.”
I shook my head. “I didn’t call you because I didn’t want to worry you. How’d you find out, anyway?”
“I talked to one of the men searching the park for the attacker last night. You know him, don’t you? The kid’s name is Grant.”
“He’s a customer of mine,” I admitted.
“Well, I’m glad he said something. Suzanne, from now on, you need to come clean with me and keep me in the loop, do you understand? It’s serious business.”
“Hang on a second,” I said. “I called Chief Martin, and he thought it was just a random mugging.”
George got close enough to me so I could feel the heat coming off him. “You know better, though, don’t you? You were warned to butt out. What do you think this guy’s going to do when he realizes you’re still digging into the murder? Do you honestly think you’re going to be so lucky next time? One man has died, Suzanne.”
It was clear I’d hurt George’s feelings by not calling him, and that just wasn’t right. “Listen, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to exclude you.”
He accepted my apology. “I’m just saying, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me everything. What did Bishop say when you told him?”
“I never called him,” I admitted. “It was so late when it happened, and all I wanted to do was go to bed.”
George handed me his cell phone. “Call him.”
“It’s too early,” I said.
“Would you do it as a favor to me?”
I shrugged. “I will, but I’ll use my own telephone.” I didn’t want George hitting redial later and calling the state investigator himself.
I expected to get his voice mail, but to my surprise, he answered on the first ring.
“Bishop here.”
“Hi, it’s Suzanne.”
“Hey, did you get my note yesterday?”
“Thanks, it was sweet of you.” I took a deep breath, then said, “I’m guessing you haven’t talked to Chief Martin yet.”
“Not since yesterday afternoon. Why, what’s up?”
I rubbed my forehead for a second, then said, “There was an incident in the park last night, and I thought you should know about it.”
“What happened? Are you all right? Where are you?”
“I’m at the shop,” I said. “Somebody grabbed me while I was out walking, but I managed to get away.”
“Did they say anything to you?” Bishop asked after a moment’s pause.
“They warned me to butt out, or I’d be next,” I admitted, hating to repeat the chilling words over the phone.
Jake’s voice went cold. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
“I’ve got nowhere else to be,” I said. “I’ve got a shop to run.”
“I’ll see you soon,” he said, then hung up.
I turned to George. “There, are you happy?”
“Not until he shows up. Until then, I’ll be at a table up front watching out for you. Don’t go out the back way, and don’t let Emma go there, either.”
“I’d say no if I could, but the advice is too good to pass up.” On impulse, I reached back into the case and grabbed a pumpkin donut and a small carton of milk. “These are on the house. Thanks for caring.”
“Sure,” he said gruffly. George fought hard to keep up a rough exterior, but I had an idea how soft he was on the inside.
Jake came in fourteen minutes later, and from his expression, it was clear that this morning, he was unhappy with me.
“You should have called me, Suzanne,” he said.
“Everything happened so fast,” I replied. “By the time I thought about it, I was nearly asleep.”
He looked around the shop, which was starting to fill up in the predawn rush. “Is there somewhere we could talk?”
“The only place with any privacy at all is my office.”
“Then let’s go there.”
I nodded. I didn’t care to broadcast our conversation for the world to hear any more than he did.
Jake followed me through the door to the kitchen, and I could see a few frowns on the faces of my patrons. They’d obviously been hoping for a show, but I wasn’t in any mood to give them one.
His presence intensified in the close proximity of my office. I took the main chair, and he leaned against the wall, looming over me.
“Now, tell me exactly what happened,” he said, giving me his full attention.
“Like I told you over the phone, somebody grabbed me, I fought back, and then I called Chief Martin.”
“Do you remember his exact words when he threatened you?”
“I’m not likely to forget,” I said as I felt his phantom grasp. “He said if I didn’t butt out, he was going to do more than hurt me. That’s when I got away.”
“How’d you manage to do that?”
“I dug my nails into his arm, and he let go. He had a heavy jacket on, so I doubt I made any marks on him.”
Jake took my hands in his. “That’s not going to help, is it? Your nails are really short.”
“Try making donut dough with a manicure,” I said.
He dropped my hands. “So, there’s not much chance you wounded him.”
“Probably not. I broke a nail, but I doubt it did any good. I got away, though. That’s all that counts. He won’t forget me soon.”
Jake studied me a moment, then asked, “Suzanne, are you sure it was a man?”
“No, I can’t be positive about anything,” I admitted. “To be honest with you, I was scared, and all I could think of was to try to get away. I tried to tell the chief that it could have been a woman, but he wasn’t interested in hearing any of my theories. I’m just glad I escaped.”
“You’re right. That’s really all that matters,” he said. There was a hint of softness in his voice when he said it.
He stood there a second, then asked, “Is there any chance that you’re going to stop digging into this?”
“I can’t,” I said softly.
He looked as though he wanted to cry. “Listen, you’ve got to let us handle this. It’s too dangerous for you.”
I thought about lying, I swear I did, but something made me tell him the truth. “He was my friend, and besides, my neck’s on the line, and no one else’s. I’m motivated.”
“To do what, get yourself killed?”
“Don’t you understand? I don’t have a choice.”
He shook his head. “I’m not getting through to you, am I? You’re putting your life in jeopardy.”
“I’m being as careful as I can, but I’m not going to sit around here waiting for the killer to come after me next.”
I wasn’t sure what he said; it was spoken softly and nearly under his breath.
“What was that?” I asked, seeing if he had the guts to repeat it.
“I said that stubborn streak of yours is going to get you in trouble one of these days.”
He started for the kitchen, and his escape, as I called out, “Jake, I’m not trying to drive you away.”
“You surely could have fooled me.”
“Jake?”
He stopped. “What?”
“I’m sorry. I should have called you last night.”
“Yes, you should have.” He smiled as he said it, and I felt my heart flutter again. At least we were back on good terms, something that had become surprisingly important to me.
After Jake was gone, I sat there a second, trying to catch my breath before I rejoined my customers out front. The worst part was, he made perfect sense. If I had a lick of brains, I’d do what everyone was advising me to do.
But there wasn’t a hole in all of April Springs big en
ough to hide me, and even if there were, I wouldn’t use it.
I had donuts to make, and a killer to catch, and I wasn’t going to be able to do either one if I was in hiding.
MOMMA’S CHEESY CHICKEN
INGREDIENTS
4 chicken breasts; skinned, deboned, and pounded thin
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, cut into long rectangles
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into long rectangles
Coating
4 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated and divided in half
4 oz. Italian bread crumbs
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
And
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Cooking spray
DIRECTIONS
Lay the chicken breasts on a sheet of foil, then spray each with the cooking spray just enough to coat.
Lightly sprinkle the Italian seasoning over each breast, then take ½ oz. of Parmesan mixed with ½ oz. Italian bread crumbs and spread out over each breast. Then, to each breast, add on one of the narrow ends 1 oz. cheddar rectangle and 1 oz. mozzarella rectangle.
Roll each chicken breast into a cylinder, being sure to keep the cheese inside. Lightly coat the outside of the rolled breasts with cooking spray, then sprinkle each with the ½ oz. of Parmesan and ½ oz. Italian bread crumbs mix.
Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees, and cook the chicken breasts until they are no longer pink inside, approximately 30 minutes.
This cheesy chicken is great together with a salad, cooked baby green peas, and a fancy rice dish.
Serves 4.
CHAPTER 11
When I walked back out front, George motioned for me to join him. I wasn’t in any mood to rehash my conversation with Jake, but I owed him that much, since he’d gone to so much trouble to help me.
“What’s up?” I said as I refilled George’s coffee cup.
“I’ve got an idea how to find out who attacked you last night,” George said. “I think you must have scratched him. Or her.”
“I appreciate the offer, but he was wearing a coat, and my nails aren’t that long to begin with. I broke one, but I doubt there was any skin under it.”
“But you could have bruised his arm,” George said. “Isn’t it worth trying to figure out who might have done it to you?”
“If you can come up with a way to look at some forearms without causing suspicion, I’m all for it, but I’m afraid it’s hopeless.”
George took a sip of coffee, then he said, “Don’t worry, I’ll come up with something plausible, or I won’t do it.”
“I should hope not,” I said.
George stared outside for a minute, then asked, “Suzanne, do you still have that parking ticket you found in Patrick Blaine’s house?”
“Sure, it’s at the house. Why do you want to see it?”
“I keep thinking that it might be significant. I’d like to see if it’s the same kind of ticket used in April Springs, or if it’s some kind of novelty blank meant to be a joke.”
“I’ve never had a parking ticket, so I couldn’t say,” I said. “Would you like to swing by and get it this afternoon? It’s at home, on the desk in my room.”
“Is your mother there?” George asked. “I’d rather find out now if it’s another dead end, or if it might actually be a real lead.”
“Okay, let me call her.”
“Don’t wake her on our account,” George said.
“Are you kidding? She gets up at five because she likes to, if you can believe it.”
I made the call, then hung up and turned to George. “She’ll put it in our mailbox, since she’s going out in a few minutes.”
George stood. “I’ll be right back, then.”
I put a hand on his arm. “Do you really think it’s important?” I was starting to feel guilty about how dismissive I’d been of my discovery.
“Probably not, but I’d rather know, one way or the other.”
After he was gone, a rash of customers came into the shop, and Emma and I were busy filling orders long after George returned.
When things finally slowed down again, I approached him. “Was I right? Was it just a gag?”
“No, it’s real enough,” George said. “I think somebody on the April Springs police force was meeting with Blaine, and they didn’t want anyone else to know about it.”
“I don’t get it,” I said. “Why go to so much trouble? Wouldn’t it have just been easier to call him and set up an appointment?”
George studied the ticket. “You can’t be sure who’s listening on the other end, can you? Here’s the thing. If you saw someone slipping a note under a driver’s windshield, you’d think something was going on, but if it was a cop putting a ticket there, nobody would pay the least amount of attention to it. It’s really pretty clever.”
“I guess. But I’m still not sure what it means.”
George stood. “I keep wondering if it has something to do with the dirty cop I keep hearing about. I’m just not sure how it’s tied to Blaine, but I’m going to find out. Let me do more digging, and I’ll get back to you later.”
After he was gone, I grabbed my jacket and told Emma, “I’ll be back in an hour. Can you handle things until I get back?”
“You know I hate running the shop without you,” she said.
“Come on, it’ll be good practice for you when I go on vacation this summer.”
Emma frowned. “You haven’t taken a vacation in two years.”
“Don’t you think it’s time, then?”
I swear she looked like she was going to cry. I quickly said, “Take it easy. I was just kidding.”
“The thought of making all of those donuts by myself is just too much,” she said. “I don’t mind helping you, but I can’t imagine doing it all alone. How do you do it on my day off?”
“I know it’s hard to believe, but somehow I manage. See you in an hour.”
“I’m setting one of the alarms in back the second you walk out that door,” Emma said.
I walked out onto the sidewalk, wondering where to look next, when my neighbor Gabby spotted me. She was putting out a sandwich sign near the sidewalk proclaiming special deals, something she trumpeted every day. Honestly, how special could it be if she never missed a day?
“Suzanne, where are you off to this morning?”
I hadn’t planned it, but seeing her gave me an idea. “Actually, I came over to talk to you. Do you have a minute?”
“For you? Always.”
I followed her inside, realizing that if I wanted the scoop on what was going on in April Springs, I didn’t have to go farther than next door.
“Do you have time for tea?” she asked.
“I’m sorry, but I shouldn’t leave Emma alone any longer than I have to. If it weren’t so important, I never would have left her.”
“She’s a sweet child,” Gabby said, “but the young lack our stability and dedication, don’t you think?”
I wasn’t about to get into Emma’s personality and character description with my gossiping neighbor. “I need your in-depth knowledge of April Springs,” I said. “Only someone with your keen sense of what’s happening can help me.”
Gabby looked at me with a stony glance. “Honestly, do you think idle flattery will get you information that a simple request would not? Suzanne, were you under the impression that I wasn’t aware that the entire town thinks I’m nothing but a gossiping fishwife?”
I didn’t even know how to sidestep that one. “I wouldn’t put it like that.”
“No, of course you wouldn’t. You’re kinder than that, but you’d be in the minority, and we both know it. I’m nosy,” she said, “and I don’t mind who knows it. I don’t have much of a life of my own, and watching the twists and turns people’s lives take keeps me interested in getting up every day. Is that honestly such a bad thing?”
I thought about all of the times I’d heard Gabby say something malicious and intended
to draw blood, making it a bad thing, indeed, but it wasn’t the most prudent time to bring that up now. I decided to ignore the question completely, on the grounds that I didn’t want to get struck by an errant thunderbolt for lying. “As I said, I need your help.”
She nodded. “I will, if I can, and you know it.”
“I’m looking into a possible connection between Patrick Blaine and anyone on the April Springs police force. Have you ever seen him chatting with any of them around town?”
She thought about it a moment, then nodded. “As a matter of fact, I did see him speaking with an officer once after dark in the park here in town. I thought it looked odd at the time, but I’m afraid I just dismissed it out of hand.”
“When did this happen?”
She stared at the ceiling of her shop for a full minute. “Unless I’m mistaken, which I highly doubt, it was two nights before the man was murdered. Do you think that’s significant?”
“It might be,” I admitted. “You didn’t happen to see who it was, did you?”
“All the officers on the force look alike, the way they’re dressed in uniforms. It wasn’t the chief, but that’s about all I can say for sure.” She paused, then added, “I can ask around, if you’d like.”
“Don’t do anything too obvious,” I said. “I’d hate for you to get the wrong kind of attention.”
She patted my arm. “Dear child, I’ve been snooping so long, I’ve got it down to an art form. No one will even realize they are being grilled. Give me an hour, and I’ll come find you next door.”
I nodded. “Thanks, Gabby. I mean it.”
She took my hands in hers. “Yes, I can see that you do.”
When I left her shop, she was already on the telephone. Could it be that I’d been underutilizing a deep source of information about the activities of the residents of April Springs?
I glanced at my watch and saw that I had forty-one minutes of freedom left. How should I use it? Then I noticed a school bus parked in front of Donut Hearts. One look inside, and I saw that Emma was swamped behind the counter, a gaggle of elementary school students all vying for her attention at the same time.