by Jessica Beck
The First Time Ever Published!
The 15th Donut Mystery
From New York Times Bestselling Author
Jessica Beck
LEMON LARCENY
Other Books by Jessica Beck
The Donut Shop Mysteries
Glazed Murder
Fatally Frosted
Sinister Sprinkles
Evil Éclairs
Tragic Toppings
Killer Crullers
Drop Dead Chocolate
Powdered Peril
Illegally Iced
Deadly Donuts
Assault and Batter
Sweet Suspects
Cinnamon Sins
Deep Fried Homicide
Custard Crime
Lemon Larceny
The Classic Diner Mysteries
A Chili Death
A Deadly Beef
A Killer Cake
A Baked Ham
A Bad Egg
A Real Pickle
A Burned Out Baker
The Ghost Cat Cozy Mysteries
Ghost Cat: Midnight Paws
Ghost Cat 2: Bid for Midnight
Jessica Beck is the New York Times Bestselling Author of the Donut Shop Mysteries, the Classic Diner Mysteries, and the Ghost Cat Cozy Mysteries.
To Garnet, Ruby, and Phyllis.
Three women, all jewels!
LEMON LARCENY by Jessica Beck; Copyright © 2014
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Recipes included in this book are to be recreated at the reader’s own risk. The author is not responsible for any damage, medical or otherwise, created as a result of reproducing these recipes. It is the responsibility of the reader to ensure that none of the ingredients are detrimental to their health, and the author will not be held liable in any way for any problems that might arise from following the included recipes.
Chapter 1
My late aunt’s old house, which had seemed so homey and comfortable earlier that day, had somehow been transformed in the darkness during the storm into something that suddenly had menacingly sharp teeth.
“Hello? Is anyone there?” I called out into the night as I opened the front door to the storm. Where was Momma, and what was keeping her? Was she waylaid somewhere by the squall, unable to get back to me, or had something much worse happened to her?
“Momma? Are you there?”
Too soon, the wind and the rain forced me to close the door and go back inside.
That’s when I heard a noise coming from the attic.
Was someone up there?
It sounded as though someone was clawing at the door, trying to get out.
My first instinct was to run outside to my Jeep and drive away from Maple Hollow straight back to the safety of my donut shop in April Springs as fast as I could go, and if I hadn’t been staying at the house with my Momma, that was exactly what I might have done, but I couldn’t leave her alone to deal with this mess by herself in a place that was turning out to be brimming with malice.
“For land’s sake, Suzanne. You’re a grown woman,” I chided myself out loud, hoping that it would give me an ounce of courage to investigate the noise upstairs. As I started up the steps, I held the flashlight in my hand so tightly that my fingers were hurting, so I eased my grip. Momma had warned me that this old house lost its power easily during thunderstorms, and she’d armed us both with flashlights when we’d first arrived. Mine was two feet long, cold steel that was heavy in my hands. I might not need it to light my way, but it would make one heck of a weapon if I needed one.
I just hoped that I didn’t have to use it.
As I made my way up the creaking old wooden stairs toward the attic, the boards moaning with each step, I prepared myself for what might be up there.
And then, for an instant, the whole world exploded in light and sound as lightning struck so close I could smell the ozone in the air. I was blinded by the light and deafened by the noise from the explosion, and in the next instant, my world was plunged into absolute darkness.
I didn’t trust myself to go any farther up the stairs quite yet, so I pivoted and sat down on the closest step and waited for my eyes and my ears to recover from the recent onslaught. After a minute, my senses began to slowly return, even though I was plunged in a different kind of darkness now as my sight and hearing began to come back.
At least I had still my flashlight, so I wouldn’t be in total darkness for long.
I flicked the switch, and a faded, flickering yellow light greeted me.
It might have been a good idea to check the batteries when I’d first gotten it, but I hadn’t done more than turn it quickly on and off when Momma had handed it to me. I’d been certain that she’d been exaggerating that I might need it.
Clearly I’d been wrong.
Then I heard the clawing noise coming from above me again.
It took a great deal of courage to climb the remaining steps in the fading light from my beam, but I managed to force myself upward somehow. Was this crazy? Should I be running away instead of walking toward that ominous sound above me?
Then there was a loud banging sound below me, and I heard something fall over in the darkness.
“Momma? Is that you?” I called out.
There was no reply yet again, and my question was met only with ominous silence.
Wonderful.
Now I had scary noises coming from above and below me.
And I didn’t have the slightest idea what I should do about my situation.
Chapter 2
Earlier That Day
“Momma, what brings you by the donut shop?” I asked my mother as I boxed up the last half-dozen donuts we hadn’t managed to sell that day. I was finally in the routine of running Donut Hearts every day again, and my life was getting back to normal, whatever that meant. The man in my life, Jake Bishop, was off on an assignment in his role as state police inspector, though he’d left reluctantly. It seemed that he’d gotten used to being in April Springs, and I’d loved having him there with me, but duty had called, and he’d had no choice but to answer.
“Suzanne, we need to talk,” my mother said in a voice filled with grave sadness. I instantly put the box I was filling down on the counter and hurried to her. I’d heard that tone of voice enough in the past to know that something was wrong.
“What happened? Is it the chief?” Another thought suddenly struck me. “Please tell me that nothing happened to Jake.” Those were the two worst-case scenarios that I could think of. Momma had married our chief of police recently, and technically, she was still a newlywed. While Jake and I weren’t engaged, let alone married, he was just as important to my life as the very breath I took. He’d been shot in the line of duty not that long ago, and while he’d managed to make a full recovery, I still woke up at night sometimes in a cold sweat thinking about how close I’d come to losing him.
“It’s not that. As far as I know, they’re both fine,” Momma said as she managed a slight smile before it disappeared altogether. “I’m sorry, Suzanne. It’s your Aunt Jean.”
Though I didn’t see her much these days, Aunt Jean had been a constant and joyful presence in my childhood, always there to offer me fun and escape when I needed it.
She was very different from both of my parents, possessing the most telling trait of being eccentric to the point of hilarity in a rather serious world. My mother had always liked to call her sister quirky, but I always thought that she was delightful. Aunt Jean was always ready to drop whatever she was doing to play with me, and she was never afraid of looking silly; she was the perfect adult, full of whimsy, full of life. “What about her?”
“I’m afraid that she’s gone,” Momma said.
Gone? How could a woman with so much life be gone? As I hugged my mother, the tears streaming down my cheeks, I suddenly realized that I’d taken my aunt’s presence in my life for granted. I couldn’t imagine a world without her in it. “What happened?” I asked through my tears. “Did she have a relapse?” Aunt Jean had been sick over the past few years with some kind of cancer. That was about all that I knew, since no one shared many details about it with me, no matter how much I’d asked.
“What can I say? You know that my older sister hadn’t been well for quite some time, and she shouldn’t have been rattling around in that old house alone. It appears that Jean took a tumble down the steps early this morning.” As Momma patted my back softly, she added, “I’m so sorry for your loss, Suzanne.”
“I’m sorry for yours, too,” I said, realizing that my mother had lost someone just as important to her as well, and here she was comforting me.
“Don’t get me wrong, I loved my sister; there was never any doubt about it, but you two were kindred spirits from the very first moment that she laid eyes on you. She loved you very much, Suzanne.”
My mother’s words gave me great comfort. As I pulled away and dried my tears, I said, “I loved her, too. What can I do to help?”
“That’s why I’m here,” Momma said. “I’ve already heard from her attorney, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise to either one of us that Jean left most specific instructions.” She smiled again then, for just a moment. “That woman loved telling me what to do all of her life, so why should things be any different after she’s gone?”
“Are you in charge of settling her affairs?” I asked her. I knew that there were a few other cousins and assorted family members spread out all over the country, but no one had been as close to my aunt as Momma and I had been, even though we hadn’t seen each other in a few months. I remembered the last time I’d visited her, driving the hour to her place in the mountains after work one day with a dozen of her favorite donuts, pumpkin spice cake. How she’d laughed when I’d shown up unexpectedly in Maple Hollow that day.
“Actually, we both are,” Momma said. “She’s left instructions that the two of us are to spend the next three days in her home getting things sorted out. If she were still alive, I’d remind her that we both have businesses to attend to here in April Springs, and that it wouldn’t be fair to ask you to abandon your donut shop to do this.”
“Nonsense. I’m sure that Emma and Sharon will be delighted to take over in my absence. When do we need to leave for the mountains?”
“You really don’t have to do this, you know,” Momma said. “I can handle things by myself. I know how much she is asking of you, Suzanne, so you should feel free to stay here.”
I smiled as I replied, “We both know better than that, Momma. Give me one second. I’ll be right back.” I went into the kitchen to find Emma finishing the last of the dishes, and as usual, she was listening to her iPod as she worked.
I tapped her on the shoulder, and once I got her attention, I said, “My aunt just died.”
Emma’s smile vanished instantly as she hugged me, wrapping her soapy hands around me and holding me tight. “Oh, Suzanne. I’m so sorry. I know how close you two were.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that. Listen, I need a favor.”
I started to explain the situation to her, but she nodded vigorously before I could even finish. “Of course. Mom and I would love to do it.”
“Don’t you need to call her first and ask her if it would be okay with her?”
Emma shook her head. “She’s already instructed me that if you ever need us, we’ll be there for you. How soon do you need to leave?”
“I’m afraid that it has to be immediately,” I said.
“Then I’ll do the deposit after I finish cleaning up here,” Emma said as she pulled away and wiped her hands on a towel. “Go on, and don’t worry about a thing here. We’ve got it covered.”
“Why don’t you start tomorrow? I can do all of that today before I leave. After all, we’re only talking about ten minutes of work.” There was more to it than that, though. I wanted a last taste of my usual routine before I left it all behind. Besides, doing my daily tasks might help me grasp the enormity of my aunt’s sudden demise. “Thanks, Emma, and thank your mother for me, as well.”
“It’s absolutely our pleasure. We’re both just glad we can help,” she said.
I walked back out front to find Momma peeking inside the box of donuts I’d abandoned. “You’re welcome to have one, if you’d like.”
“Thank you, but I was just curious. You don’t happen to have any pumpkin spice donuts left, do you? I suddenly find myself craving the taste of one.”
I frowned. “Sorry, but we’re all out.” Pumpkin spice had been a seasonal favorite at first, but it had become such a favorite choice for my customers that I’d recently started making them year-round. “I could whip up a batch, if you’d like.”
“No, don’t be silly. There’s no time for that,” she said a little wistfully. “So, are you all set?”
“I will be in about ten minutes,” I explained to her. “Is the chief coming with us, too?” I asked her, almost as an afterthought. Sometimes it was hard to remember that just about wherever Momma went these days, her husband wasn’t far behind.
“No, he’s got to work, so it’s going to be just us girls,” Momma said. “Besides, I didn’t invite him. This is something that the two of us need to do together.”
“Thanks for that,” I said with the hint of a smile. While I was fine with the chief most days, it would be welcome to have just Momma and me doing this together. “When do we leave?”
“I’m already packed, and my bags are in the car,” she said, “so that’s entirely up to you.”
“I need ten minutes to finish things up here, and then I can stop by the bank to drop off the deposit, go back to the cottage to grab a quick shower, and then I’ll throw a few things into a bag. Should I pick you up at your place in half an hour?”
Momma smiled at me. “What gave you the impression that you were going to be the one driving us?”
“I just assumed I was,” I said. “Why, what’s wrong with my Jeep?”
“Nothing, nothing at all, but if you don’t mind, let’s take my new Subaru, shall we? That mountain road is steep, so we want to be able to be sure that we make it.”
“Don’t worry. My Jeep can handle it,” I protested. My vehicle might be getting up there in years, but I was still fiercely loyal to it.
“Absolutely, but a dependable working air conditioner would be nice to have, even if we are going to the mountains, don’t you agree?”
“Okay, you can drive,” I relented. “So then, you’ll pick me up?”
“I’ll see you at the cottage soon,” Momma said, and then she hugged me again before she headed for the door. It hadn’t been all that long ago that we’d lived there together, ever since my divorce from my ex, Max as a matter of fact, but Momma had moved across the town to start her new life with the chief, so I’d taken over the cottage completely on my own. It had been the first time in my life that I’d ever lived alone, and while it could be lonely at times, I mostly found myself enjoying the solitude after dealing with the public at Donut Hearts most days. “Thank you for doing this,” my mother said before she slipped out. “I know that it’s not the most convenient thing in the world for you to do to drop everything and come with me, but to be honest with you, I wasn’t looking forward to handling things by myself.”
“You can count on me. As long as I’m around, you won’t ever have to,” I said as I lightly kissed the top of her head. Though I towered over my mother, she was still the strongest person I’d ever known. If she needed me, I’d be there for her, no questions asked.
After all, that was what it meant to be family.
And I was determined to fiercely hang onto what was left of mine with both hands.
Chapter 3
“I still can’t believe that she’s gone,” I said from the passenger seat of Momma’s new car as we headed up the mountain toward my aunt’s home. “How terrible is it that a fall ended up killing her instead of the cancer she had last year?”
“If that’s really what happened, don’t think for one moment that the irony would have been wasted on Jean,” Momma said with the whisper of a smile. “She always appreciated the twists life threw her way.”
“I’m not so sure that she would have enjoyed this one all that much,” I said. “I guess I’m really all that’s left, aren’t I?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, your folks have been gone a long time, and my dad and his people, too. I know that there are some distant family members spread out all over the place, but basically, that just leaves the two of us now that Jean has passed away,” I said.
“Don’t forget, Suzanne. I still have Phillip,” she said.
“I know that,” I answered quickly. I wasn’t discounting him.”
“Good. It’s important that you don’t.”
“Honestly, I wouldn’t dream of it,” I said sincerely as Momma drove on. Sometimes my mother’s spouse was a sensitive subject between us, but I wasn’t about to let it be an issue between us today. “I took Aunt Jean some donuts a few months ago. When was the last time you saw her?”