by Jessica Beck
“Thanks for the offer, but I’ve got this. Besides, I thought you still had donuts you needed to make.”
“That’s nearly always the case,” I said with a shrug.
“Back to it, then,” he said, and then he was gone as well.
I made my way back across the street and let myself into Donut Hearts. He was right. It was indeed time to make the donuts again, but as soon as I closed the shop for the day, I was going to start digging into the publisher’s murder.
I just hoped that Grace would be able to take some time off work to help, but if she couldn’t, I’d plow on by myself, even if none of my other assistants could do it.
I couldn’t just let someone get away with murder.
Not on my watch.
By nine that morning, I’d already told my story to a dozen customers, selling many more donuts than I would have on a normal day. I’d had a hunch that might be the case, so I’d nearly doubled my output. I could only take the advice I’d given Paige. I couldn’t make folks come into Donut Hearts, but if they did, for whatever reason, I was going to have something ready to sell them. There was a fascination with murder that I just didn’t get, but I knew from experience that if I was reticent in my retelling, people would fill in the gaps with their imaginations, and besides, no one had the brass to come right out and ask me about it without buying at least something, and I made sure to try to upsell every last one of them.
Mayor George Morris came in, looked around at my crowded shop, and then he said, “Business appears to be booming this morning.”
“You know how it is,” I said quietly. “Murder brings out people in droves.”
“Sad business, that,” George answered as he glanced over at the building across the street. It had been empty for so long that I’d almost begun to overlook it, my eyes always going to the Boxcar Grill instead, or even the park. Now it was extremely difficult to ignore.
“I’m surprised you weren’t over there earlier.” Though he was mayor now, once upon a time George had been a pretty good cop, at least according to some of the stories I’d heard.
“I thought about it, but in the end, I decided to try to give the chief plenty of space,” the mayor said after he ordered a cup of coffee and an old-fashioned cake donut. “After all, Phillip has found a way to do it, and I’m trying to follow his example.”
“My stepfather isn’t interested in any crimes that have happened in the past ten years.”
“I know,” George said with a grin. “He cornered me in the diner last week and couldn’t stop talking about a disappearance. I thought it was current until he made a reference to his theory that the supposed victim actually took the train out of town. Those tracks haven’t been active in a long time.”
I happened to own the rights to the rails themselves, thanks to a dear departed blacksmith who’d become my friend, so I knew what he was talking about. “What can I say? He finds it fascinating.”
“And your mother?”
“Momma loves him. That appears to be enough.”
“It’s more than enough, if you ask me,” George said as he took a stool near the counter so we could continue to chat.
“How’s your love life going, Mr. Mayor?” I asked him with a grin.
“I’m too busy for that sort of nonsense these days,” he replied gruffly.
So, not good then. “If you ask me, it’s the best kind of nonsense there is.”
“Speaking of love, where’s your husband? I haven’t seen him around town lately.”
“He’s out of town,” I said, trying to leave as many details out as I could.
“Jake hasn’t found himself a job, has he?” George asked.
“No, he’s just helping out a friend,” I answered.
“Good for him,” the mayor said. Glancing back at the bookstore, he asked, “Have you spoken with Paige since you found the publisher’s body?”
“Yes, she came by,” I said, and then I took another order. At least the woman didn’t ask about what we were discussing. I didn’t recognize her, and I wondered if she’d stopped in on the spur of the moment. When the mayor referred to me finding a body, she stiffened at the news, and as she scurried out of there, I wondered if she’d ever make a repeat visit.
“Sorry about that,” George said once she was gone.
“No worries. I’m more than making up for it with everyone else.”
“Now, about Paige. Do you happen to know if she’s going to keep the bookstore open?”
“I don’t know that she has any choice,” I said. “She’s sunk nearly her entire inheritance into it.”
“Well, I hope she keeps it going. This town has long needed a bookstore, and I’m glad someone finally stepped up and started one,” the mayor said.
“As a matter of fact, I was surprised you weren’t at the grand opening yesterday cutting a ribbon or something,” I remarked as I cleaned away a few dirty dishes.
“I wanted to be there, but I was seeing to something out of town,” George said.
“Business or pleasure?” I asked him. I knew that I was being a little rude, but I’d known the man a long time, and there weren’t many boundaries between us when it came to topics of conversation.
“If you must know, I had a date in Charlotte, and to top it off, my truck broke down, so I had to spend the night.”
“So, the date must have gone really well,” I said with a wicked grin.
“I stayed in a hotel. Alone. She was, how can I put this? Odd. Yes, that’s the best way to describe her.”
“Some of the most interesting people I know are a little odd.”
“‘Odd’ isn’t the right word, then. Strange. She told me that she didn’t believe in government, including mayors or police officers, both of which I have served as in our community.”
“What does she believe in, then?”
“Anarchy, as far as I could tell; total and complete anarchy. My friend who fixed us up didn’t tell me any of that, of course. I think he was getting me back for something, though I can’t for the life of me come up with something that I might have done to him to deserve that. Fortunately, I found somebody to fix my truck this morning, and I just got back in town ten minutes before I walked over here.”
“How’d you hear about the murder so quickly, then?”
“You’re kidding, right? I took one step into my office, and I was suddenly inundated with people asking me if we were living in the murder capital of the South.”
“We haven’t had that many, have we?”
“I don’t know, but the ones we do get seem to be flashier than the norm. I don’t think the body count is much higher than any other city our size; it’s just that they seem to be a little too memorable. Anyway, I’ve got to get to work easing some fears around town.” George paused and leaned forward before telling me softly, “If you need me, I’m here for you.”
“In what capacity?” I asked him.
“You know darn well what I’m talking about. You found the body. There’s no way in the world you’re not going to dig into this, with or without Chief Grant’s permission.”
“I might do a little snooping,” I admitted.
“That a girl. You know where to find me if you need me.”
“I appreciate that.”
“Hang on a second. Jake is out of town. That means that Grace is going to help you, right? You shouldn’t fly solo on this, Suzanne. If she can’t help, I’m sure your mother and stepfather would pitch in, or I could even take a few days off myself. It would be like it used to be.”
“I’ll let you know, but thanks for the offer,” I said. I was reluctant to use George for any of my investigations any more, since I’d gotten him shot helping me once a long time ago. His limp had vanished almost completely, but I still
felt guilty about putting him in harm’s way, even though it seemed as though it had all happened a lifetime ago.
“You do that,” he said.
Chapter 10
It was nearing closing time at eleven and I still hadn’t heard from Grace, though I’d called her at nine that morning. My call had gone straight to voicemail, and I had to wonder if she wasn’t tied up with something work related. Her job as a supervisor for a large beauty product company gave her a great deal of leeway sometimes and none at all at others. I’d have to call her after Emma and I closed the shop for the day, and if I still couldn’t get hold of her, I’d take the mayor’s advice and ask Momma and Phillip for their help with the case. I’d worked with them both in the past, but if I had my druthers, it would be Grace or Jake working on the investigation with me. Momma seemed to still see me as her baby girl, while Phillip tended to want whatever my mother wanted, which was for me to be safe. I could understand the sentiment, but it could really impede my investigations.
I was just about to lock the front door when Grace hurried in. “Whew. I made it just in time,” she said, nearly out of breath.
“Did you run all the way over here from your place?” I asked her as I shut and locked the door behind her.
“No, but I had to rush to wrap things up for the day. Sorry I didn’t call you back, but I had my hands full.”
“Grace, you don’t have to drop what you’re doing to help me whenever I call.”
“Suzanne, I live for these moments. As a matter of fact, I’ve worked things out where my schedule is clear for the next two days. All I have to do is plow some paperwork at night, and I’m all yours.”
“Excellent,” I said with relief. “The truth is, I’m happy to have you.”
“So, how should we get started?”
“Well, Emma and I need ten or fifteen minutes to wrap things up here before we do anything else. While you’re waiting, you have two choices. You can pitch in, or just grab a coffee and a donut and let us get our work done.”
“How about door number three?” she asked. “I could make some phone calls while I’m waiting.”
“About the case?”
“No, it’s just a few loose ends I’d like to tie up with my job.”
I frowned at her. “Are you sure I’m not putting you in a bind?”
“I’m positive,” she answered, “though I will take that coffee, if you don’t mind. I figure it’s so close to lunch time I’d better skip the treat, since we’ll probably be grabbing a bite a little later.”
“Coffee coming right up,” I said. After I served her, I got busy on my end of our closing routine.
A little later, Emma came out from the kitchen, said hello to Grace, and then she turned to me and said, “There are three dozen donuts left, which, considering how many you made, isn’t all that bad. What should we do with them?”
“Why don’t you box them up? I might be able to use them today myself, if you don’t mind.”
“Why should I mind?” she asked me.
“I know you like taking them to class with you,” I replied.
“Classes are cancelled today,” she said with a smile. “A water main broke on campus, so I got a text not to show up.”
“Wow, it’s nice of them to let you know so quickly.”
“They started the texting chain as a way of telling us about any impending dangers on campus, but it’s kind of evolved into a general forum now.”
“So, what are you going to do with a free afternoon?” I asked her as she boxed the donuts in question.
“I called Barton, and he’s going to slip away a few hours,” she said with a grin.
“How romantic,” Grace said from her table.
Emma shrugged. “Our schedules are so crazy, we have to make time for each other whenever we can, or we’d never see each other.”
“You can take off now, if you’d like,” I offered. “I’ll finish whatever needs to be done in back.”
“Thanks, but I’ve got time.”
After Emma was gone, Grace asked me, “Why the sudden urge for extra donuts?”
“I thought we might use them as bribes to get folks to talk to us if we need any persuaders,” I admitted.
“Excellent. It’s just like the good old days,” she said with approval. “Any chance we can assume secret identities as well?” It wasn’t that crazy a question, since we’d done it more than once in the past in the course of one of our investigations.
“Sorry. Everybody involved in this case already knows who I am.”
“Oh, well. Maybe next time,” Grace said and then took another sip of coffee.
“I don’t know about you, but I sincerely hope that there is no next time.”
“You realize that you say that every time, don’t you?” Grace asked me.
“Who knows? Maybe one day it will actually be true.”
To my delight, everything balanced in the register, and we were ready to go in no time. “Should I drive?” I asked her. “I know how you feel about the smell of donuts in your car.”
“That depends. Are you going to go home and shower before we start investigating?”
I smelled my arm. “I don’t smell, do I?”
“Your nose has gone deaf to the smell of donuts, hasn’t it?”
“I’m not sure that a nose can go deaf, but yes, you’re probably right. I can go clean up if you want me to.”
“Don’t do it on my account,” she said. “Besides, I like it, and we’re going to be hauling around three dozen donuts to boot anyway, so why not?”
“So then, I’m driving,” I said with a grin.
“If you wouldn’t mind.”
“I’d be delighted.” We put the boxes in the back of my Jeep, and then we headed out.
“Who should we speak with first?” Grace asked me once we were on our way.
“I think it would make sense to go to the Bentley Hotel in Union Square, since that’s where the authors are all staying.” I’d overheard that last night, and I’d filed the information away in case I might need it. It was amazing what was useless one day was so valuable the next. Maybe that was why I had a hard time ever throwing anything out.
“Was the publisher checked in there, too? I wouldn’t mind having a look around his room,” Grace said.
“I’m not sure where he was staying, but I doubt that we can just walk in and check it out.”
“It’s a real pity everyone doesn’t just give us a free pass to do whatever we wanted to, isn’t it?” Grace asked me with a grin. “It would make our investigations so much easier. Maybe we can use one of those boxes of donuts as a bribe for someone in housekeeping.”
“We’ll have to wait and see what happens,” I said as I drove to Union Square. The Bentley Hotel was nice, an independent place that had never been part of a chain, and it had an older elegance about it that I liked. I’d never stayed there myself, since I lived just one town away, but I’d eaten there with Momma a few times over the years, always on special occasions.
“Should we eat at the restaurant, since we’ll already be there, or should we go to Napoli’s while we’re in town?” Grace asked. Food was always a priority for us when we were together, whether we were investigating a murder or not.
“I love the DeAngelis women and their food more than anybody, but it just makes sense to grab a bite while we’re at the hotel, doesn’t it?”
“I won’t tell them if you won’t,” Grace said with a grin.
“It’s not like we’re cheating on them.”
“Maybe a little, but I can live with the guilt if you can,” she said. “So, while we’re driving, how about giving me a recap of what you know so far? You’ve had quite a lot longer to think about this case than I have. Start with what you saw last ni
ght when you found the body. You should have called me, by the way. I could have been there for you.”
“I never really had the chance, and by the time I was back at Donut Hearts, I just wanted to put it all out of my mind,” I said.
“Apology accepted,” Grace said with a smile.
“Funny, but I don’t remember apologizing.”
“It was implied, though,” she replied.
“I suppose it was at that. Okay, here goes. I was going to work this morning when I noticed that the bookstore’s front door was open. I parked the Jeep in my usual spot and decided to investigate.”
“Without calling the police first? That was awfully daring of you, wasn’t it?”
“I called them, but Glenda was handling the phone, and we were having trouble connecting. Anyway, I was going to wait outside when I could swear I heard something in the bookstore. I couldn’t wait for Henry to show up, so I went in, flipping the lights on along the way. I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary until I got to the break room. The lights wouldn’t turn on, but fortunately I had my heavy-duty flashlight with me. That’s when I found John Rumsfield’s body lying on the floor with the geode bookend nearby, bloodied from the assault.” I shivered a little upon reliving it, remembering the scene a little too vividly for my taste. “There was a book near his right hand, and it had a smear of blood on it from his index finger. Hang on a second. I took some shots with my phone before the chief showed up. Old habits die hard.”
I handed my phone to her, and after she studied the photos, Grace said, “Please tell me this book was written by one of our suspects.”
“If that were the case, we’d hardly need to be digging into this, would we? Though Paige has a theory about that as well.”
“I’d love to hear what it is. What book was it, anyway? The image isn’t all that great.”
“Sorry, but my hands were shaking a little, what with me just finding a dead body and all,” I said.