by Jessica Beck
“He was getting too close,” Moore said as he stepped over Jake’s body. “Tonight, I’m taking care of loose ends, and you’re next on my list.”
I shook my head in anger. “I knew you were the one who killed Patrick Blaine,” I said as I kept staring at Jake. I had to help him if I could, even if it meant taking a chance with my own life. From the look in Moore’s eyes, I knew in the end it didn’t matter.
He clearly had no plans to leave me alive.
“Get away from him,” he snapped. “I’m going to drag him back into the kitchen, and you’re going to lead the way. If you do anything stupid, I’ll go take care of your mother after I’m done with you. If you cooperate, though, I’ll leave her alone. You wouldn’t want to be the cause of her death too, now, would you?”
He was just the sort of maniac to do it, too.
“I won’t give you any trouble,” I said.
He dragged Jake’s body back into the kitchen, and I followed them in. I positioned myself by the heavy maple rolling pin, but I knew I couldn’t swing it before he put a bullet or a blade in me. Still, if I got the opportunity, I was going to take it. I didn’t have any other choice.
Moore let Jake fall again as soon as they were through the kitchen door, and as the rogue cop turned to me, I said, “I always wondered how you managed to drop Patrick Blaine’s body so fast, and still be the first one on the scene. What did you do with the car you were driving?”
Moore almost smiled as he said, “I parked it in the garage behind Newberry’s. Nobody thought to look there, especially since that was my part of the search area for the abandoned vehicle. It’s still back there, covered with a tarp. I’ll move it after I’m through here.”
“Why dump him in front of the donut shop? You could have put the body anywhere, but you did it where someone might see you.”
“Think about it, Suzanne. I needed a perfect alibi, and I knew you were the only one who could give it to me at that time of the morning. I could dump him in the darkness, then drive back to where my squad car was parked. I made sure I was the only one patrolling in town, so I figured you’d be the only witness. I just didn’t expect you to flip your lights on when you did.”
“It took me a while to put it all together,” I admitted.
“From everything I’ve heard about you around town, I knew you wouldn’t give up until you found out who killed Blaine.”
Was Jake starting to stir? I had to keep Moore’s attention. Maybe then Jake would have a chance to distract him, and I could use the rolling pin to help. “If it’s any consolation, I just now managed to figure it out,” I said quickly. “Patrick knew you were on the take, didn’t he? Was it the investment firm or the construction company that was paying you to look the other way? That’s the only thing I haven’t figured out yet.”
“You’re pretty smart, but not that smart. If you don’t know, I’m not going to tell you.”
“I still can’t believe you killed him over money.”
He said, “The money was never the issue. Blaine caught me taking a payoff he never should have witnessed, and I had to get rid of him before he went to the chief with it. I tried to buy him off, but he wouldn’t budge. Can you believe it? The man made dirty deals on paper all day long, he gambled away every cent he had, but he witnessed one little collection and decided he owed it to his conscience to turn me in. I couldn’t let him do that, now, could I? He backed me into a corner, and I couldn’t see any other way out.”
I heard Jake mutter something, and then there was a clatter behind us. He’d managed to pull a few pans off the shelf. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to distract Moore. I grabbed the rolling pin, but instead of swinging it at his head, I suddenly realized I was too far away.
I could throw it, though.
But not directly at Moore’s head.
There was a better target right next to him.
I tossed the rolling pin into the scalding hot oil in the fryer, and it made a terrific splash of boiling liquid. Moore caught it in the face, and he slumped to the floor, clawing at his eyes.
It had been a direct hit.
I grabbed the phone and dialed 911, then picked up a knife to cover the downed cop, but he wasn’t a threat to anyone anymore.
I unlocked the front door and propped it open, then went to Jake’s side. He was slumped over, and I felt for a pulse, afraid of what I might find.
Was that a heartbeat, or was it just wishful thinking? I took a clean towel and pressed it against his chest wound, whispering to him gently as I waited for the ambulance to arrive.
A paramedic brushed me aside and started working on him as Chief Martin came in behind them.
“What happened here?” he asked gruffly.
“Your officer just tried to kill me, and he almost took out Jake, too. It was all because he was on the take.”
The chief looked down in disbelief. Moore wasn’t in any shape to answer as he lay there writhing on the floor.
Another paramedic started to tend to him when the chief put a hand on his shoulder. “Take care of him first,” he said, nodding toward Jake. “This one can wait.”
“He’ll be on his way to the hospital in thirty seconds,” the paramedic said.
“Then that’s how long you’re going to wait.” I half expected the chief to pull his gun when the paramedic refused and started to treat Moore, but he just turned his back.
“You and I need to talk,” Martin said.
“I need to go to the hospital with Jake,” I insisted.
“You can’t ride with them; they’re busy trying to save his life. Come on, I’ll give you a lift. What about the shop? Should we wait and lock it up?”
“I don’t care if somebody steals everything in it,” I said, and I meant it.
We rode to the hospital in relative silence. It was pretty clear that the chief was just as shaken by having a bad cop on his force as I was. “It answers a lot of questions,” he finally said. “I’ve heard rumors that one of my men was taking bribes to look the other way, but I just couldn’t bring myself to believe it.”
“You mean Moore was one of your suspects, too?”
The chief shook his head. “No, I guess I was blinded by loyalty to my men. I owe you an apology.”
In better days, I might have reveled at the admission, but the words were dead to me at the moment. “I just hope Jake is going to be all right.”
“Believe me, I do, too.”
We made it to the emergency room as they wheeled Jake by on a cart. A doctor was working on him as they moved, and I worried about the flurry of activity around him.
Chief Martin said softly, “It’s going to be a while. Why don’t I grab us both some coffee, and we can wait together.”
I nodded, and he guided me to a chair in the waiting room before going off in search of coffee. I barely noticed him when he got back.
“I said, take it,” he repeated, and I realized there was a cup almost under my nose.
“Thanks,” I said as I took a gulp. My hands were shaking so badly I could barely hold the cup. “I don’t know what’s wrong with my nerves.”
“I’ve seen a lot of good people go through that,” he said. “You were calm when it counted, that’s all that matters. Did you actually throw a rolling pin at him?”
“No. I knew it would be hit or miss if I aimed for him, and I had to stop him fast. The rolling pin was the heaviest thing around, so I tossed it into the oil. I wonder if I blinded him.”
“If you did, it was no less than he deserved,” Martin said.
An attendant came out a few minutes later, then said, “It was close, and there’s going to be some scarring, but I think his eyes will be fine.”
I asked, “His eyes? What are you talking about?”
The attendant said, “Naturally I assumed you were here with the police officer. I thought you’d want to know.”
“He’s not fit to wear the uniform,” the chief said, his voice full of disgust. “How’s th
e state policeman?”
“Not as lucky,” the attendant said, before he was called away.
“What did he mean by that?” I asked the chief.
“It’s too soon to worry yet,” he said.
“Don’t you have somewhere else you should be?” I asked. “There’s a crime scene you need to take care of. Chief, you don’t have to babysit me.”
He shook his head. “My best man’s on it right now. There’s nowhere else I need to be at the moment.”
I couldn’t believe how nice he was being to me. The ER doors burst open, and my mother came in. “Thank you for calling me, Phillip.”
“You’re most welcome, Dorothy. Now, if you two will excuse me, I’d better get back to the donut shop.”
“Thanks for everything,” I said.
He tipped his hat. “Just doing my job.”
George arrived shortly afterwards, but by the time dawn broke, we still hadn’t heard anything about Jake’s condition. There would be no donuts today, but that didn’t seem to matter.
All I cared about was Jake pulling through.
A doctor in scrubs finally walked out, and approached us. I wasn’t sure what the chief had told them, but it was clear someone had instructed him to keep me informed.
“Ma’am, you’re with Officer Bishop, aren’t you?”
“I am,” I said. “How is he?”
“He was lucky, if you can ever call getting knifed in the chest a matter of luck. We were able to take care of most of the muscle damage. He’s going to be off his feet for a while, but I don’t see any reason he shouldn’t make a full recovery.”
“Can I see him?” I asked. I had a thousand questions for him, but none more important than to find out if I’d been the cause of him getting stabbed.
“Not until later today. After three, I think he might be able to have one visitor, but that’s the soonest possible.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
“Don’t thank me. You should thank whoever got him in here in time. He’d lost a lot of blood, and in another ten minutes, he would have been gone.”
After he left, I turned to Momma and said, “Let’s go.”
“You’re right. Home is where you should be.”
“That’s not where I’m headed,” I said. “If the chief is finished with the crime scene, I’m going to make donuts.”
She looked at me as if I’d lost my mind. “Suzanne, be reasonable. Nobody expects you to provide donuts today. You’re being ridiculous.”
I grabbed my mother’s hands in mine. “You don’t understand. I have to make donuts right now, or I’ll never be able to go back into that shop again. I’ve got to wipe out the memories of what happened, and replace them with good ones.”
George overheard me, and said, “I’ll give you a ride. Come on.”
“My daughter will come with me,” she said, still trying to protect her cub.
“Let’s all go,” I said. “If we can get in there, the donuts will be on me.”
We formed a little caravan and drove back to Donut Hearts. There was only one squad car parked there, and I was surprised to find Chief Martin on his hands and knees scrubbing the floor. The splashed oil had already been cleaned up, and he was nearly finished with the dining area.
“Chief, you didn’t have to do this,” I said. “What about your crime scene?”
“We expedited it,” he said as he stood. “I couldn’t let you come back to what was here, not after what my force put you through, so everyone off duty came by to help clean up. It should be ready for you tomorrow, if you’re up to coming back so soon.”
I was sure the disappointment showed on my face. “Does that mean I can’t make donuts today?”
Momma said, “Please, Phillip, it’s important.”
The chief nodded. “The place is yours. I just thought . . .”
My mother took the pail from him, and the rag he’d been using. “We appreciate this more than we can express.”
He was clearly tongue-tied by my mother’s praise.
“Sorry about everything,” he mumbled.
My mother kissed him lightly on the cheek. “Nonsense. It’s not how you start something, it’s how you finish.”
They walked out together, and I looked through the open door at my kitchen, the scene of so much distress. Could I ever work there again? Was it time to sell the place and move on to something else?
No, I couldn’t bring myself to do that. Making donuts wasn’t just what I did, it was a part of who I was.
George came back in from my office, wearing the tall chef’s hat I’d gotten as a gag gift from Emma and trying to tie an apron that barely covered his girth.
“I’m ready to get started. What’s first?”
“We’ll measure the flour, just as soon as I top off the oil in the fryer,” I said.
I was back, and it felt good making a batch of donuts, almost as if things were back to normal. George and I made a batch of cake donuts with Momma watching us, giving us tips I didn’t need as we worked. There wasn’t time to make the yeast ones, but the cooking was symbolic, and the donuts tasted especially good when we ate them.
After we cleaned up, I boxed up a dozen donuts, and headed back to the hospital.
“I can’t believe you brought me donuts,” Jake said when I walked into his room.
“I’m sorry, but they won’t let you have any. Not until at least tomorrow.”
“That’s just cruel,” he said. “If I can’t have any, why did you bring them?”
I smiled down at him, trying to ignore the bandage covering most of his chest and the drip tube in his arm. “I wasn’t taunting you,” I said. “I didn’t know. I’m going to leave them at the nurses’ station. I figure they’ll need a treat after putting up with you.”
I leaned forward and kissed him lightly, being careful not to disturb anything.
“What was that for?”
“For protecting me,” I said.
“Are you kidding? From what the chief told me, you’re the one who took care of me. That was quick thinking, chucking the rolling pin into the oil.”
“It was natural for me; I’ve been working with that fryer for years. I had a good idea what kind of impact it would make when it hit. I couldn’t have done it without you, though. You pulled those pans off the shelf, and that gave me the time I needed to grab the pin and toss it.”
He smiled. “So we’re both heroes.”
“Not quite. I need to ask you something. Are you lying here with a hole in your chest because of something I did? I’ll never be able to forgive myself if it is.”
He shook his head. “I did that all on my own. I was worried about you, so I decided to stake out the donut shop in case somebody dropped by. Moore tried to tell me the story about Grant attacking you, but I didn’t believe it for a second. I talked to Grant about his arm, and he told me that he was cutting a tree branch when it snapped. It scratched him up pretty badly, and I guess Moore decided to use it divert the suspicion away from himself. I’ve got to admit that while I was sitting out there in the darkness watching your back, I’d decided I needed to focus on Moore. To be honest with you, he got me before I could do anything about it. I don’t know why he dragged me from my car to your shop. Showing off, I guess. He wanted someone to see how clever he’d been taking out a state cop, and since he was . . . you know.”
“I know what you’re going to say, so I’ll finish it for you.”
“You don’t need to,” he said softly.
I ignored him and said, “Since he was going to kill me anyway, what harm could it do? Only you were too stubborn to die, and that’s what saved us both.”
“I guess we were both lucky this morning,” he said.
“I’m just glad it turned out all right.”
He frowned. “Hey, are those donuts fresh?”
“Would I ever bring you stale donuts, even if you can’t eat them?”
“That’s what I mean,” he said. “I can’t believe
you made donuts today.”
I started to stammer. “I knew you weren’t going to be able to see me until later, and I had to get back on the horse again, you know?” I looked down at him and saw that he was smiling. “What are you grinning about?”
“I’m just glad you’re not giving up the shop after what happened.”
I smiled at him. “Don’t worry, it will take more than that.”
A nurse came by and said, “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to leave.”
I handed her the boxed donuts. “Could I bribe you with these for one more minute with him?”
She took the offering, then grinned. “I suppose we can make an exception, just this once.”
After she was gone, I said, “Where does this leave us?”
“I think the case is pretty well wrapped up.”
“I’m not talking about what happened today, and you know it.”
He shrugged, and I saw him wince from the pain. “Let’s just take it a day at time and see, okay?”
I kissed him again, then said, “Okay, I get the hint. I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“Bring chocolate sprinkles next time. I love chocolate sprinkles.”
I laughed at him as I left his room.
It would be good having someone in my life again, if that’s what Jake was becoming. There were a thousand reasons why we shouldn’t even try to work out some kind of relationship, I knew that better than anyone else, but there was one factor that overruled all of the rest.
I felt better about myself when I was with him than I did when we were apart.
And really, what other reason did I need?
Tomorrow’s delivery would be overflowing with chocolate-sprinkle donuts.
I couldn’t think of a better way to let him know that I cared.
INDEX OF RECIPES
16
A GOOD BEGINNING DONUT
36
SUZANNE’S PUMPKIN DONUTS
65
MAMMA’S HOMEMADE WAFFLES
95
EASY FRIED APPLE PIES