by Jessica Beck
Her gaze was as cold a one as I’d ever seen in my life as I peeked around the dumpster. “Why are you doing this? You can drop the act, Clint. It’s obvious that you have wanted to be with me for years, but why did you have to kill Simon? We were on our way out. If you would have just waited a week or two, you could have acted on your feelings without killing someone!”
“I didn’t kill him!” Clint snapped at her.
“Well, neither did I!”
“And besides, what makes you think I want to be with you?” Clint asked indignantly.
“Really? Now that the playing field is wide open, you’re going to start acting that way? I’m not blind, Clint. I see the way you look at me.”
“Lady, have you ever got it wrong,” Clint said. “I came here to warn you, not to woo you.”
“Get lost, you creep,” she said, pausing only long enough to slap his face before she stormed off back inside the bar.
“I can’t believe that just happened,” Clint said softly to himself. “Let her hang, then. I did what I could to protect her from herself.”
Clint walked back to his car, and once he was out of sight, Grace asked me, “Should we follow him?”
“I’m not at all sure what good it would do,” I said. “It’s clear he thought Sherry was the killer and just as obvious that she thought he did it.”
“Do you think anyone’s going to show up at the donut shop at six?” Grace asked me.
“Most of the bait we dangled is gone,” I admitted. “Still, it wouldn’t hurt to hang out there and see what happens.” I’d used the method to lure a killer out into the light before, and hopefully it would work again. Besides, what else could we do at that point? I was beginning to wonder if we’d ever solve this murder. “We might as well head home.”
“Fine by me,” Grace said. “If it gets me away from this dumpster, I’m all for it. I’m not even hungry anymore. Hey, it just occurred to me that we never had a chance to ask Sherry if she was in April Springs this morning.”
I thought about going inside the bar, but I’d suddenly had my fill of murder suspects and questioning sessions. “If it’s all the same to you, let’s save that for another time. Right now I want to just forget about murder, at least for a little while.”
“I know just how you feel. You’ve had a long day, and the night isn’t going to be a short one. Do you want to head back and try to take a nap before the six o’clock appointed hour?”
“Would you mind?” I asked her, suddenly feeling the weariness not only of the investigation but of running Donut Hearts by myself all morning.
“I’ve got some paperwork I can do at home. Can you nap at my place?”
“I’m happy to bunk there at night, but if it’s all the same to you, I want to head back to the cottage. I’ll be safe enough there during the daytime.”
“I’m not sure about that,” Grace said after biting her lower lip for a moment or two.
“Well, that’s the great thing about being an adult. I don’t have to ask anyone’s permission to take a nap whenever and wherever I choose.”
“Okay, I get it,” Grace said, laughing. “You need a little alone time, though why you’d ever want to be away from me is beyond all comprehension.”
“I know. It’s crazy, right?” I asked with a smile. “Will you be okay without me?”
“I can always find something to eat once I get my appetite back,” Grace said happily.
“I wasn’t talking about food,” I said.
“Suzanne, when are we not talking about our next meal? That’s one of the things I love most about our relationship,” she answered.
“Me, too. That, and your sparkling personality, of course.”
“Of course,” Grace said, and then after a long pause, she added, “Right back at you.” After another moment of hesitation, she added, “I paused too long, didn’t I?”
“A little bit,” I said with a grin, “but that’s okay. I forgive you.” I glanced at my dashboard clock and said, “Let’s meet up again at four.”
“Do we get to eat at the Boxcar before our stakeout?” she asked me. “I’m sure I’ll be hungry by then.”
“Sure,” I said, doing my best to contain my laughter. Maybe she was right. Maybe what we discussed mostly was our next meal.
It was still better than talking about murder.
An hour later, after a brief nap on my own couch and a quick shower, I was ready to face the world again. In my opinion, naps for grown-ups were highly underrated.
“Are you ready to eat?” I asked Grace when she answered her door.
“When am I not ready for that?” she asked. “Have a nice nap?”
“You bet. What did you do?”
Grace grinned at me. “I decided to take one myself. You’re right. I do feel better.”
“Would I steer you wrong? Now let’s go grab something to eat so we can set up our stakeout in time.”
“I’m ready if you are,” she said, and then we headed over to the diner on foot. I didn’t want the presence of my Jeep to spook anybody, and besides, taking the shortcut through the park was quicker than if we’d driven, if you added parking into the mix.
“What are you two doing here?” I asked as we spotted Phillip and Momma at the Boxcar.
“I had a sudden craving for cobbler,” Phillip said as he pushed the empty bowl in front of him aside.
“Did you have ice cream with it?” I asked him as we joined them without waiting for an invitation first.
“I think it should be against the law not to,” he said with a grin. “If you’re in the mood, the peach is excellent today.”
“Thanks, but we’re both actually tired of dessert,” I said.
“Suzanne, I don’t know about Grace, but we need to get you to the hospital immediately. Something is clearly very wrong with you,” Momma said with a fake stern expression.
“If you’d had the day we’ve had, you’d understand,” I said. We’d stopped and chatted with Trish at the front and ordered two deluxe cheeseburgers, fries, and Cokes, one of my favorite combos to get there.
“What have you two been up to this afternoon?” Momma asked us once we were seated.
“We’ve been baiting a trap, and in about an hour, we’ll see if we catch anything,” I explained.
“I presume you’re using yourselves as the lure,” she said with clear disapproval in her voice.
“Not really,” I said. By the time I finished explaining our plan to them, Trish brought our food and slid the plates in front of us.
“Thanks, Trish,” we said in unison.
“Wow, it’s almost as though you were twins,” she replied with a grin. “Phillip? More cobbler? Come on, you know you want it.”
“Stop teasing him,” Momma said. “He’s had enough, and he knows it.”
“As much as I hate to admit it, she’s right,” my stepfather agreed. “That doesn’t mean that it wasn’t delicious, though.”
“You don’t have to tell me. I’ve had seconds myself.”
“With ice cream, I hope,” Phillip said.
“Do you even have to ask?” Trish asked with a smile. She slid the check under his bowl and then took one out and put it between Grace and me. “Holler if you need anything.”
“You bet,” I said, and Grace and I dug into our meals. The first bite of burger was its own nirvana. Trish had found a local supplier for grass-fed beef, and her deluxe burgers had gone up a dollar with the change. Some folks had howled about the price increase, at least until they tasted them.
I thought the new version of burgers was worth more than she was charging, but I wasn’t about to mention that to her.
“Who is supporting you?” Momma said as she waited for me to finish a bite.
“I’m a grown woman, Momma. I know the donut shop doesn’t make much, but it’s enough to get by on.”
“I’m talking about this evening,” she said with a frown.
“She knows that, Dot,” Phillip said as he grinned at me.
“I know that she knows,” Momma said. “Is the chief going to be with you? Or has Jake made it back early, by any chance?”
“We’re not trying to capture a killer,” I said. “We just want to see if anybody shows up. We’ll tell the chief if we get any results.”
“That’s not sufficient,” Momma said.
It was clear she was about to further scold us when Phillip spoke up. “Dot, I’d be more than happy to go with them.”
“This is getting to be a habit for you, watching out for us, isn’t it?” I asked him.
“I just thought you could use some company,” Phillip replied. “Dot has a business dinner this evening, so I’m just going to be by myself anyway.”
“I told you that you were welcome to join us,” Momma answered.
“No, thanks. When you start haggling over prices, my eyes start glazing over, just like yours do when I tell you about a crime from two centuries ago. Just because we’re married doesn’t mean we have to enjoy everything the other one does.”
“I’m well aware of it,” Momma said as she suddenly stood. “Since you’re going to all be in good hands, I’ll leave you to each other.”
“Don’t go away mad, Momma,” I said.
“I’m not angry, dear child. I’m just in a rush.”
“Hey, that one’s ours,” I said as she grabbed both checks.
“Too late,” she said with a grin, and then she leaned over and gave her husband a quick kiss. “Don’t wait up for me.”
“I’ll probably be on guard duty again tonight,” he admitted. “After we see if the trap is sprung, I’m planning on heading home and catching a nap before I take up my post again.”
“It’s really not necessary,” I said.
“I know that. I want to do it; I don’t feel as though I have to. Let an old retired cop feel useful again, would you?”
“Don’t look at me, Suzanne. I sleep better knowing he’s out there myself,” Grace said.
Her answer surprised me. I hadn’t realized that she was worried, so I certainly wasn’t going to run my stepfather off until things settled down.
“Be that as it may, I hope you are all careful,” Momma said, and then she was gone.
“I really was going to pay for our meal,” I said after she’d left the diner.
“Sometimes it’s better just to sit back and let it happen,” Phillip said. “Now, where are you going to wait for the bad guy? You’re not actually going to be inside the donut shop itself, are you?”
“I thought we might,” I admitted.
“If it were me, I’d talk to Paige and see about putting two chairs near the front window of the bookstore. You’ve got a clear view of Donut Hearts from there, and you’re out of the line of fire in case things get ugly.”
“What about the back of the donut shop?” I asked.
“That’s where I’ll be,” he admitted.
“I’m not about to let you take all of the risks of my plan.”
“Fine. We can trade places. I just thought you might like the AC.”
“Grace and I will wait far enough behind the shop to be in the trees there beyond the parking lot. If we see anything, we’ll call you.”
“Makes no difference to me,” Phillip said.
Grace grinned at him. “That was your plan all along, wasn’t it?”
“No, ma’am. I’m still happy to take either point.”
“Just don’t get caught up reading, mister. We might need you,” I said, realizing that if my stepfather found a book of old crimes, he might be no good at all to us.
“It’s a deal,” he said.
Once we were headed out the door, I told Trish, “Here’s your tip.”
She refused the money. “Your mother already took care of that, too.”
“Of course she did,” I said as I put it back in my pocket. I turned to Phillip. “You’re right. Sometimes it’s best to not even put up a fight.”
“That’s been working out for me so far,” he said as he glanced at his watch. “You two better take up your positions, and I’ll head over to Paige’s place.”
“Let us know if you see anything suspicious,” I said.
“You do the same.”
Once we’d split up, Grace said, “I still think he’s getting the better part of the deal.”
“That’s fine with me. If someone’s going to make a move, they’ll probably do it in back anyway.”
“Do you really think this is going to work?”
“What do we have to lose at this point?” I asked.
As we were walking to our post, I saw the mayor approach on foot.
“Give me a second,” I said to Grace. “I need to chat with George.”
“I’ll be back in the woods somewhere,” she said as she pointed.
“Don’t worry. I won’t be long.”
“You’re back soon,” I told George. “How was Charlotte?”
“It’s a wonderful city, full of vibrant life and lots of new experiences, and anyone should be thrilled to have the chance to live there,” he said.
“Is that you talking or Cassandra?” I asked him.
“They are her words,” he admitted.
“So, what did you think?”
“There are too many people, too many cars, and not enough trees,” he said. “I can’t do it.”
“I’m sorry,” I said as I stroked his shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“We didn’t break up, Suzanne. She’s coming up here next week to give small-town living a try. If that doesn’t work out, maybe she’ll end up commuting. I’m not letting her go that easily.”
“Good for you,” I said.
“What are you two up to?” he asked me.
I didn’t want to get into explaining our trap. There just wasn’t time. “I’ll tell you tomorrow,” I promised.
“That sounds as though there’s a story there.” Instead of pressing me on it, though, he nodded. “I can’t wait to hear it later.”
As he walked away, I said, “For what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re staying.”
“So am I,” he said with a grin. “Thanks for the advice.”
“What are friends for?” I asked as I headed off to rejoin Grace on our stakeout.
By seven, we realized that our trap had failed. I was about to call Phillip when I saw him sneaking through the woods toward us. “Time to throw in the towel?” he asked us softly.
“I guess so,” I said. “Oh, well.”
“Suzanne, just because it didn’t work doesn’t mean that it wasn’t a good idea.”
“Thanks. Are you heading home?”
“I am, but I’ll be by Grace’s place in a few hours,” he said.
“Thanks for backing us up and standing watch over us,” I told him.
“Yes, thanks so much,” Grace echoed.
“You are both quite welcome. See you soon.”
We left our hiding spot together, and as Phillip headed to the cottage he shared with Momma on foot, Grace and I started off for her place.
“What now?” she asked me.
“We spend the evening coming up with a new plan,” I admitted.
“You said you were going to call Jake tonight, remember?”
“I know,” I said, not wanting to recount the attack to him and then having to explain why my phone call was coming nearly twenty-four hours later. “Can we go to your place and get something to drink first?”
“You’re not just putting off the inevitable, are you?” she asked me with a grin.
“Of course I am,” I said with a shrug.
“Good enough. I just wanted to make sure that you knew it.”
“Oh, I know it better than you do. Do you have anything cold and icy to drink at home?”
“I’ve got a few things that might work for you,” she said with a smile.
“Any chance one of my choices is lemonade?”
“No, but we could always make some. I’ve got sweet tea, though.”
“That sounds good, too,” I said. “Though the time it took to make fresh lemonade would at least postpone the phone call a little longer.”
“Suzanne, put on your big-girl pants and make the call.”
“After I get something to drink, I promise, I will.”
Chapter 20
I took my sweet tea out onto the back deck so I could call Jake in private. I wasn’t particularly excited about what I had to tell him, but what choice did I have? My aching shoulder reminded me that whoever had killed Simon Reed wasn’t playing around. I knew that Jake would take the assault personally. I just hoped that he wouldn’t be angry that I’d held the information back from him for so long.
Maybe it would go to voicemail and I’d be spared telling him immediately.
As I put my tea down on the top rail of the deck, a nail poking up that I hadn’t seen cut my wrist in a long, straight line. It was deep enough to draw blood, though not much. I grabbed the paper towel I’d wrapped around the glass to keep the condensation off my hand and dabbed at the blood. It hadn’t been a deep jab, but it had still left an angry scratch four inches long. I was relieved that I wouldn’t have to get a tetanus shot. I’d needed one the year before after stepping on a rusty nail in the park.
And at least it allowed me to delay my call a little longer.
I went back inside.