Tres Leches & Murder: An Oceanside Cozy Mystery - Book 3

by Susan Gillard

  “Well, I never,” Rudolph Rodney said indignantly, without finishing the sentence.

  “What part of Sun and Fun does this fit under?” Amy asked. “Fun for him to be a jerk?”

  “What should we do?” Ryan asked.

  “I’ll have to go talk to him,” Heather said.

  “Great idea,” Amy said. “Let’s go.”

  “Not so fast,” Heather said. “I think you should stay here.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you get very passionate when you’re angry. And you already start out on a pretty high sarcastic level. And I need to calm him down and rationally persuade him to put his display away.”

  “Fine,” Amy said. “But if he doesn’t listen to reason, make sure to tell him that he leaves as bad a taste in my mouth as some of those gross medicines.”

  Heather nodding, acknowledging to herself that it was a good idea that Amy stay behind. Rudolph Rodney insisted that as her investor he should accompany her. Heather agreed to that but suggested that everyone else stay behind too. She didn't want to make it look like they were ganging up on the old man.

  “Good morning, sir,” Rudolph Rodney said, trying to keep his tone even as he approached Mr. Rankle.

  "Good morning," Mr. Rankle replied, jovially. "I see that you were visiting that new donut place. Do you need something to quiet your indigestion? I have many options to choose from."

  "I certainly do not," Rudolph Rodney said. "I am an investor in this fine establishment and its honorable owner. Her donuts are so delicious that I had them brought over all the way from Texas to share with people here. And quite frankly, I find this little display of your distasteful."

  “You’re entitled to your opinion,” Mr. Rankle said, dropping his smiling façade. “But here on this block, we find it distasteful for strangers to come in from off the island and steal our business.”

  "My donut shop won't take away from the sales of your sunglasses and snow globes," said Heather. "And if you really believe that all this stomach medication is necessary after eating my baked goods, then it would seem that I'd actually be creating more business for you. If, however, you are setting up this display just to hurt my feelings and my business, then I think it is something you might want to reconsider."

  “I like my display the way it is,” Mr. Rankle said. “I’m keeping it. And there’s nothing you can do about it.”

  “We’ll see about that,” Rudolph Rodney said. “I’m going to Town Hall and then perhaps to the police to register a complaint.”

  “Why don’t you take some heartburn tablets to go,” Mr. Rankle suggested. “You might need them if you’ve been eating her mainland recipes.”

  "Just wait until you are eating some humble pie or, even better, a humble donut," Rudolph Rodney said, before turning on his heel to make good on his Town Hall threat.

  “Mr. Rankle, don’t you think this is rather silly?” Heather asked. “Can’t you let my business be tested on its own merits instead of trying to sway customers against me? Can’t we both work together on this street?”

  “Can you please move out of the way of my display?” Mr. Rankle asked. “I’m expecting a surge in business today.”

  Heather thought to herself that with all her employees, staff and friends, she would have enough people to completely block this awful display from view. However, instead, she walked back to her shop, determined to keep her head held high. She would just have to do what she suggested should happen. She would let her donuts be judged on their own merits, and perhaps she would have to create her own street display.

  First Customers

  The grand opening did not go exactly as Heather had hoped, but it was not a complete disappointment. In order to combat Mr. Rankle’s sidewalk smear campaign, Heather came up with her own idea: sidewalk sampling.

  She had her staff quickly set to work baking donut holes to hand out on the street. She wanted passersby to have a taste of her donuts and be induced to come inside and buy a whole one or maybe several whole ones.

  “Did I mention I have the best job ever?” Digby asked as he came inside to get more donut hole samples to hand out. He had also been told that he could eat one every so often to assure others that what he was handing out would not make anyone sick. He was attacking the assignment with gusto and had been attracting some customers into the shop.

  "Just be careful," Heather warned. "You don't want to eat too many all at once that you'd get sick and tired of eating them. That would make the plan backfire completely."

  “Get tired of donuts?” Digby asked as if something so outrageous could ever be suggested.

  “All right. Enjoy the work then,” Heather said. “But let Nina have a turn after you.”

  Jamie and Ryan helping at the register really did help because it allowed Heather to show the others the different techniques for making the donut holes. She wanted them to be as tasty as their prized donuts.

  Heather was happy to see that not all of the other shop owners on the street were supporting Mr. Rankle’s efforts to undermine her. Heather’s new friend Bernadette from Bernadette’s Beachy Books made sure to stop by for the grand opening.

  “It smells as wonderful as I imagine Mr. Wonka’s factory would smell,” Bernadette said. She was a friendly woman with large glasses who couldn’t keep herself from making book references. “Though I am sorry about Mr. Rankle. He’s a regular Ebenezer Scrooge.”

  “We’re trying not to let it get to us,” Heather said.

  "I'm trying not to let it force me to go out and knock his tables down," Amy countered.

  “My assistant and I are telling everyone who comes into our store to visit you,” Bernadette said. “Nothing goes better with a good book than a donut snack.”

  Some other neighbors also visited the store, including Harmony from the yoga studio and Brogan from the hammock hut. Juan and Don who owned a taco restaurant also stopped in. They still were wary about newcomers on the block but didn't want Heather to think that they supported Mr. Rankle's exhibition. In fact, they were afraid that it might affect their business to because they were also nearby the display.

  The visit that warmed Heather’s heart the most was when Ryan brought their daughter Lilly in to see the grand opening. She told her mom that she was very proud of everything she was doing and that she was glad that they moved. Heather felt this validation from her daughter came a moment when she needed it.

  Another visit she was happy to see was from Eva and Leila’s new friend Betty Turner. She was accompanied by her son Theodore.

  "I'm so happy to meet you," Heather said. "Any friend of Eva and Leila's is a friend of ours."

  “I’m very glad to have a friend like you after tasting those delicious donuts that they brought to me yesterday. We couldn’t wait to have some more, could we, Teddy?”

  “That’s right,” Theodore said. “Mom loves sweets. This will probably be her new favorite place.”

  "Eva and Leila have already claimed their new regular table, and I'm sure they'd love to have you join them," Heather said. "They should be in soon."

  Betty said she would love for that to happen. She explained how it was sometimes hard for her to make friends because she had to go to physical therapy a few days a week and one of the days was Wednesdays, which was the most popular day for activities at the senior center. She also had to go Thursday evenings and would have to go there later that day, and so wanted to enjoy some donuts before she started all her exercises.

  She had some mobility issues that she was improving through therapy, but she was currently handling them with the use of a walker and the help of her son on long trips.

  It was clear how much she appreciated her son. They lived in the same house together, and he was her caretaker when needed. Theodore seemed a bit embarrassed by attention when his mother complimented him.

  He turned the attention back to her by telling them what a card shark she is, how she taught him to play cards, and how that’s how the t
hree ladies became friends. Finally, there was someone who could give his mother a run for her money in gin rummy and bridge.

  There was suddenly a loud musical ringing. Amy jumped.

  “Wait,” she said. “Am I hearing things?”

  “No,” Theodore said. “Mom. It’s your phone.”

  “I’m sorry,” Betty said, digging in her purse. “I have trouble hearing my phone sometimes.”

  “Sometimes,” Theodore teased.

  Betty batted her son away playfully and answered the phone. When she hung up, she said, "That was Eddie. Your brother made better time with his drive than he thought. He just arrived in town."

  “Great,” Theodore said, trying to mean it. “I guess we’ll get going then. Wouldn’t want to miss a minute with the bro. Do you want to bring him some donuts?”

  “Does a royal flush beat a straight?” she retorted.

  Theodore laughed. “We’ll take a dozen.”

  Heather brought them their donuts. She was handing out donuts for the rest of the day and felt that it had been a decent day at the shop. If it had been a regular business day, she would have been quite content with it. However, knowing that Rudolph Rodney had put a decent amount of effort into grand opening advertising, she felt a bit disappointed.

  It was clear that Rudolph Rodney felt the same. He was pleased and proud of Heather's quick thinking with the donut holes but was annoyed that Mr. Rankle's sidewalk display had affected their business. He was also annoyed that his visit to Town Hall or the police station had not helped alleviate the problem. Hopefully, Mr. Rankle would grow tired of his display and put it away for the next day.

  “Oh well,” Heather said to herself. “I’ll deal with problems as they come up. Luckily, I don’t have any investigating to do so I can focus entirely on a strong start for the business.”

  This was true for a little while.

  A Resolution to Relax

  After a long day on her feet working at the shop and after putting Lilly to bed, all Heather wanted to do was take a hot bath. Unfortunately, the current problem with their house involved the tap on their tub, so she wasn't able to.

  Instead, she curled up on the couch with her other doggy best friend, Dave. He appreciated the attention and allowed her to hug him and pet his white fur even though she didn't have any donuts that he could beg for and slobber over.

  “Am I interrupting anything?” Ryan asked, entering the room.

  “I don’t mean to make you jealous with the other man in my life,” Heather laughed. “You’re welcome to scratch his belly with me too.”

  Ryan joined them, and Dave was in doggy heaven. His foot twitched appreciatively as they pet the sweet spot on his tummy. Then they let him fall into a happy sleep between them.

  “I think I’m going to fall asleep as quickly as that when I get into bed,” Heather remarked.

  “The rest of the day was as crazy?” Ryan asked.

  "It could have been busier," Heather said. "And I think we managed well with the hand we were dealt today, but it was stressful. It makes me sad to know that someone wishes for our failure, even if it's someone as cranky as Mr. Rankle."

  “I don’t mind him wishing it,” Ryan said. “But I don’t like his acting on it. Is there some way to get him to put away that heartburn display?”

  “Rudolph Rodney said that because it doesn’t mention us specifically and because it’s on his property, the town can’t make him take it down. I’m hoping he gets bored with messing with us tomorrow and stops it. If not, we’re going to have to figure out a way to make him be reasonable,” Heather sighed.

  "I wish there were more I could do to help," Ryan said.

  "You're a great help," Heather assured him. "You and Jamie working the register saved me when I needed to come up with a Rankle damage control plan. And Lilly loves the extra time you've been able to spend with her. The pets love it too. Right, Dave?"

  Dave snored on cue.

  “Thanks,” Ryan said. “I needed to hear that. “I feel like I haven’t been doing much lately.”

  “That’s okay,” Heather said. “You’re entitled to a vacation. After all, how many cases did you break in Hillside one right after another?”

  “Around sixty,” Ryan said. “But I had some help.”

  He gave his wife a kiss.

  “You’ll be an official detective again soon and will be solving all sorts of cases,” Heather assured him. “It’s all right to enjoy the time off and relax.”

  “You don’t get to do any relaxing,” Ryan pointed out.

  “That’s true,” Heather said. “It seems like I’m always running around with one thing or another. But I am going to do some relaxing tonight. Even if I can’t take a hot bath, I’m going to relax. I think I’ll take a hot shower instead. Then, how about we pop in a movie and enjoy a good film and snacks until we’re ready to fall asleep?”

  “That sounds perfect,” Ryan said.

  However, before they could execute their plan, there was a knock on the door. Heather opened it to see Eva and Leila, looking very pale. She ushered them into the living room, and handed them both a donut for comfort before asking, “What’s wrong?”

  The fact that they didn’t immediately start eating their donuts told her that the answer would be that something was very wrong.

  “It’s Betty,” said Eva.

  “Something terrible has happened,” Leila said.

  “Oh no,” Heather said, bracing herself for the news. The women were hesitant to start talking, so she continued, “I saw her this afternoon. She was such a kind woman. Did she pass away?”

  “No,” Eva said. “She called us. She wanted to cancel our plans for tomorrow, which was very levelheaded for having just faced a tragedy.”

  “I don’t think it quite hit her yet,” Leila agreed.

  "And we also thought that maybe the real reason she told us was that she knew how close we are to you, and we did mention that you were a private investigator. Maybe she thought she might need one," said Eva.

  “Why?” asked Heather.

  “Her…” Leila began. “Oh, I just can’t say it.”

  Eva took a deep breath and said the words, “Her son was killed this evening. He was murdered.”

  Comforting Betty

  They arrived at the hotel room where Betty Turner had told Eva and Leila she would be staying at while her home was still deemed a crime scene. The room door was ajar, and Betty told them to enter.

  While earlier at the donut shop Betty had seemed full of life, she now seemed subdued. She wasn't crying, but the sorrow was evident. Her small figure seemed to be sinking into her chair, and she had no desire to pry herself from the seat. She had lost a child, and nothing now seemed to matter.

  “We’re so sorry for your loss,” Eva said.

  “We felt like we couldn’t just say that over the phone,” said Leila. “We felt like you needed to know we’re here for you in whatever way we can be.”

  “And we brought Heather,” Eva explained. “She’s brought some donuts in case they can provide any tiny bit of comfort.”

  “It is important to eat and keep your strength up,” Leila said. “The times we feel the worst are when we need to remember to eat.”

  “And Heather is an excellent private investigator,” said Eva. “She’s solved more cases than I can remember. She’s helped us on many occasions too.”

  “She caught the arsonist who burned our house,” Leila said, supplying an example.

  “If you feel you need any help on the case, she’d be happy to help,” said Eva.

  Heather bit her lip. She wasn’t sure how she felt about her services being volunteered so readily. She was happy to help if needed, but the current detective in town wasn’t a huge fan of her interfering, even though it had helped catch some murderers in town. Heather had thought that they were coming over to offer comfort to the woman and not sleuthing services. However, it seemed that Eva and Leila thought that the best way to comfort her
was the find the killer.

  “Detective Smith is a wonderful investigator,” Heather assured Betty. “And I’m positive he will figure out what happened. If you need me, of course, I’ll help. But I’m afraid I only know the vaguest details right now, and I don’t want to pry at this time.”

  “I can tell you what I know,” Betty said. “It still doesn’t feel real. I wish it weren’t real. It was my Teddy. He was shot tonight.”

  “At your house?” Heather asked.

  “Yes,” said Betty. “My other son Eddie arrived this afternoon. After we had all visited for a while, Eddie volunteered to take me to my physical therapy appointment so Teddy could have a little time to himself. Someone must have come after him that night.”

  “Who would come after him?” Heather asked.

  "I knew that he liked to gamble," Betty said. "A mother isn't blind to her children's faults. But I liked cards as next as the next person. And I didn't think it was a real problem. I thought he had control of it. I knew that sometimes he would pawn some of his items, like a TV or a watch. But he never took anything from me. I don't want his name dragged through the mud if this comes up. He never stole anything from me. He never used any money that wasn't his. He was a good boy, and he cared for me. He moved here after my husband died so I could keep my house and he could help me regain some mobility. He was my son, and he never stole from me."

  “We believe you,” Heather assured her.

  "But maybe he should have," Betty said. "I didn't think it was serious, but he must have owed money to the wrong person. Someone who killed him for it."

  “That’s who you think killed him?” Heather asked.

  "It's the only reason there could be," said Betty. "Except for the cards, Teddy was a saint. The way he cared for me. I mean, Eddie would have cared for me too. But he would want me to move to Santa Monica with him. Teddy left his job in Orlando to care for me. And Letty. She's very busy in Virginia. She's a doctor. Oh no. Oh, I have to tell Letty about her brother."