Floured Felonies (The Donut Mysteries Book 27)

by Jessica Beck

  “He just needs a little distance from his old job,” Momma said. “Give him some time. He’ll be fine.”

  “I hope you’re right. I just can’t help worrying about it sometimes.”

  “That I understand completely,” she said as she felt the temperature of the cake with her palm. “I need to let this rest a little longer before I ice it. Would you mind asking Phillip what he’s working on while we wait? He has no one else to share it with, and I’m afraid I don’t have your taste for crime.” She must have realized how that sounded, because she quickly added, “You know what I mean.”

  “In fact, I do,” I replied. “You’ll call us when it’s iced and ready to eat though, won’t you?”

  Momma laughed heartily, a sound I loved dearly. “You know I will.”

  I joined Phillip in the dining room and looked at the clippings he had out on the table. “What’s this? Did you find something interesting?”

  “It’s an actual bank robbery from the seventies, if you can believe it. They never caught the two men who did it or even got the slightest whiff of the money. I bet it’s still somewhere in town, waiting for someone to stumble across it.”

  “Wouldn’t the two men who stole it have spent it long ago?” I asked him, intrigued by the premise that there was still loot somewhere around.

  “My theory is that they squabbled over the money after stashing it away for safekeeping, and they ended up getting rid of each other before they could spend a dime of it.”

  “That’s kind of grim, isn’t it?”

  “Maybe, but these things have been known to work out that way sometimes.” Phillip pushed the clips away and focused on me. “How’s your investigation going into Greg Whitmore’s murder?”

  “What makes you think I’m digging into that?” I asked him, trying to keep my expression even.

  He laughed with real gusto. “Suzanne, you found the man! Of course you’re digging into what happened to him. Do you have any serious suspects yet? I mean besides Lori.”

  “You know her?” I asked him.

  “Our paths have crossed a time or two in the past,” he admitted. “I never imagined those two would ever split up. You just never know, do you?”

  “No, you don’t. You’re right; she looks like a prime suspect. In fact, she already lied to us once, and she has no alibi for the time of the murder.”

  “That’s right. I heard that Penny was working at the hospital during the storm,” Phillip said, surprising me with his knowledge.

  “Okay, you need to explain yourself, sir. One, how did you know Lori was staying with Penny, and two, how could you possibly know that she was working at the hospital all night?”

  “It’s not all that mysterious. An old friend of mine overexerted himself and was in the hospital, so Penny was kind enough to keep me updated. She also happened to mention that Lori was staying with her. She worried about losing power, so it’s no mystery as to how I knew any of it.”

  “What happened to your friend? Was he caught out in the storm?”

  “No, as a matter of fact, he was with his thirty-year-old girlfriend,” Phillip said.

  “What is it about older men and younger women?” I asked a little too forcefully. “Why can’t they be happy with women their own age?”

  “Hey, your mother happens to be older than I am,” he said in his own defense. “To be fair, it’s not all of us, but to answer your question, I think they’re trying to recapture their youth and how they used to feel before the world had a chance to beat them down. As for the younger women, some of them have father issues, but some like the stability an older man can provide.”

  “Well, you seem to have thought a lot about this particular topic,” I said. “Should Momma be worried?”

  “No, but I have a lot of time on my hands to think about lots of things. Now, tell me about your other suspects.”

  I knew that I could use an impartial opinion, so I went quickly through our list for him. “Calvin Trinket was his boss at the bank, and the two of them have been arguing a lot lately. Greg was seeing a younger woman named Gwen who also works at the bank, and she’s got more than a little crazy in her. Then there’s Greg’s best friend, who happened to be dating Gwen when Greg swooped in and stole her from him.”

  “My, you’ve been busy,” he said after whistling softly. “Who do you like for it?”

  “The truth of the matter is that it depends on who I’m talking to at the time,” I admitted. “If you would have asked me yesterday who might want to see Greg Whitmore dead, I would have been hard pressed to name anyone beyond the possibility of Lori. I’m sure that’s who the chief is focusing on.”

  “You can’t blame him for that. Usually, in these cases, the most obvious choice is often the right one.”

  “But sometimes it’s not,” I countered.

  “True enough. What’s your plan going forward from here?”

  I shook my head. “We’re still considering the possibilities.”

  “Well, keep digging. It sounds as though you’re on the right track.”

  “Do you have any advice that’s more specific than that?” I asked him, clearly startling him with my question.

  He thought about it for nearly a full minute before he spoke. “Well, it sounds as though what you really need is more information. Alibis, or lack of them, would be nice.”

  “We tried to get them, but we were met with resistance at every turn.”

  “That’s the trouble with not having a badge, though that doesn’t necessarily mean that folks won’t lie to you, anyway. If I were you, I’d go back to that bank tomorrow, since that’s where the majority of your suspects are. Your mere presence might be enough to shake something loose.” He leaned in and added in a softer voice, “Do me a favor. Don’t tell your mother that I’m actually encouraging you to stir this particular pot.”

  “My lips are sealed,” I said with a grin. It was good advice, and I meant to take it, at least if nothing else changed between now and when I closed the donut shop the next day.

  “What are you two conspiring about in here?” Momma asked as she reentered the room.

  “We were just wondering if we were ever going to get cake, or if it was all just an empty promise,” I said with a smile.

  Phillip took an exaggerated breath. “Oh, there’s cake, all right. I’m just not entirely certain that we’re getting any of it, at least tonight.”

  “Well, I was about to say that it’s ready and plated if you two would like some, but I’m enjoying your comedy routine so much that it can wait until you’re finished. You let me know.”

  “Oh, it’s finished,” I said as I stood, and Phillip joined me. “Right?”

  “Right as rain,” he said.

  “You’re sure?” Momma asked.

  “Stop torturing us, woman,” Phillip said with affection and put his arm easily around my mother’s waist. I knew in my heart that the man was good for her, and if it couldn’t be my late father there with us now, I was happy enough that it was him.

  “Okay. I give up. Let’s go get some cake.”

  “Now you’re talking,” he said with obvious glee. “Usually, I adhere to the policy of Ladies First, but this time I’m making an exception. It’s every cake lover for himself tonight.”

  “Or herself,” I said with a grin.

  Momma laughed at us both. “What am I going to do with you two?”

  “Keep us both, I hope,” Phillip said with a grin.

  “Of that there can be no doubt.”

  After we finished eating our delicious dessert, Phillip pushed back from the table and started clearing the plates.

  “Leave those,” Momma said. “I’ll get them later.”

  He frowned at her as he said, “I’m sorry, but I can’t d
o that. You baked for us, so the least I can do is clean up.”

  She laughed, stood, and then kissed him soundly. “As much as I appreciate the sentiment, Suzanne and I will be delighted to do it. It will give us a chance to chat.”

  “Far be it from me to come between a mother and daughter,” he said with a smile. “As always, it was delightful, my love. Thank you.”

  “You’re most welcome,” she said, and then he went back to his clippings.

  “I’m glad you two found each other,” I said after he was gone.

  Momma looked pleased to hear it. “You haven’t always felt that way, have you?”

  “What can I say? It took me some time to warm up to the man, but he’s all right in my book.”

  “I’m happy to hear it. Now, would you like to wash, or dry?”

  “I’ll dry,” I said. Ordinarily the dishes would just go in the dishwasher, but Momma had clearly felt like celebrating, putting out her good china and crystal stemware for our cake and milk. We’d all foregone coffee, opting for chilled milk instead. The dishes, as nice as they were, had to be hand washed and carefully dried before being put away, but I didn’t mind. It would give Momma and me a chance to catch up, something I sorely missed since she’d moved out of the cottage we’d shared since my divorce from Max.

  We chatted about a great many things, none of them earthshattering, both of us basking in the other’s company. By the time we finished the dishes, I caught myself yawning more and more frequently. “Excuse me,” I said. “It’s not even my bedtime yet.”

  “Maybe not, but you’ve had a full day. You won’t hurt my feelings if you go home. I’m willing to bet that Phillip is already asleep. We have completely different schedules.”

  “Is that ever a problem for you?” I asked. Jake and I had very similar sleep patterns on the days I wasn’t working at the donut shop. We both rose early and faced the day together, and by the time I was ready to call it a day, so was he.

  “Actually, it’s a bit of a blessing. This way he has some personal time in the morning while I have some at night. None of my businesses require constant attention, so we still have quite a bit of free time together over the course of the day. I’d highly recommend it. You’ll see for yourself when you retire.”

  “You’re kidding, right? I’m never leaving the donut shop,” I said with a smile. “I’d like to make my last batch of donuts and then keel over on the spot.”

  “What a grim image that conjures up,” Momma said with a smile.

  “Haven’t you ever thought about how you’d like to go?” I asked her.

  “I’m not exactly certain how we got on this topic, because I certainly don’t spend any time thinking about it. I imagine I’ll be ready to go once everything I’ve set out to accomplish has been achieved.”

  “At the ripe old age of one hundred twenty-three, right?” I asked her.

  “No, I imagine I’ll be ready to wrap things up sometime before triple digits roll around.” She took the drying rag from me and put it on the oven handle bar, allowing it to dry naturally. “I’ve redecorated the guest room since you’ve seen it. Let me show you.”

  “Okay, but then I really need to get home.”

  “Fine, if that’s what you’d really like to do, but you know you’re more than welcome to stay here with us tonight.”

  I just shrugged, not really knowing how to respond to her offer. Part of me was tempted, since Jake was away, but another part reminded me that I was a grown woman, perfectly capable of staying in my own cottage alone at night.

  I followed Momma out into the dining room and into the main living space. Phillip was nowhere to be found, and I had to assume that he’d already gone off to bed. I followed Momma down the hallway into the guest room, and as she opened the door, she flipped on the overhead light.

  She hadn’t been exaggerating. One wall of the room had been replaced with weathered barn boards, there was a rustic wooden floor instead of the carpet that had been there before, and the bed looked big enough to accommodate at least four adults, though I could never imagine the circumstances that particular trait might be needed. The central ceiling light was a chandelier made of driftwood, though we were quite a few miles from the nearest ocean beach. “Wow, it’s really rustic, isn’t it?”

  “I got the idea from one of the design shows on television,” she said. “The floor’s not really wood, though. It’s tile.”

  I found that hard to believe until I knelt down for a closer look. Sure enough, though there was a pattern of weathered gray wood on each piece, it was indeed tile. Something struck me as odd, though. My hand felt warm.

  “Did you put radiant floor heat in here?” I asked her.

  “We did it in both bedrooms,” she admitted. “It gives the tiles such a cozy feel when you step on them in the morning.”

  “I can’t wait to see the bathroom,” I said. Though Momma’s cottage offered only two bedrooms, each was its own master suite. In fact, there were more bathrooms than bedrooms in the place, something that had always struck me as odd.

  “Don’t get your hopes up. I haven’t had a chance to modify that yet.”

  Sure enough, the bathroom was as I had seen it before, with tumbled tiles on the floor, a granite countertop for the sink, and a walk-in shower with a massive wall of glass. “This is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s still really nice.”

  “I suppose, but just wait until you see what I have planned for it,” she said with a grin. “Suzanne, why don’t you stay? I’d love to have you.”

  “I won’t be much company,” I reminded her. “As you pointed out earlier, it’s almost time for bed.”

  “I can’t explain it, but as a mother, it would be nice just knowing that we were under the same roof again, if only for one night.”

  The wistful tone in her voice told me that it was more important to her that I stay than for me to assert my independence. “Okay. Thanks. I’d love to.”

  “That’s delightful,” she said gleefully, telling me that I’d made the right decision.

  “There’s just one problem, though,” I said. “I don’t have anything to sleep in.”

  Momma grinned. “That’s what you think. Look in the top drawer of the dresser.”

  Before I checked to see what she was talking about, I noticed a single framed photograph on top. I recognized it instantly. It had been taken one Christmas morning when I’d been a child. I was opening up a tall toy kitchen while Momma and Dad beamed at me. It was one of those rare photos with my dad actually in it, since he was usually the family photographer. He must have put this one on a timer, and he’d managed to capture the moment perfectly. I stroked the image of him lightly, and then I smiled at Momma. “This is sweet.”

  “I like to remind myself of those carefree times, especially when you’re vexing me,” she added with a grin.

  “Wow, this photo must get a real workout, if that’s the case,” I replied happily.

  “Go on. Look in the drawer.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I said as I pulled the drawer in question out and was surprised to see not only a nightgown there but a complete change of clothes as well: jeans, T-shirt, undies, and socks. As I picked the jeans up, I said, “These are my size.”

  “Don’t you think I knew that?” she asked me.

  “I’m confused. I didn’t even know I was staying here until thirty seconds ago. How could you have possibly known?”

  “Suzanne, I’ve kept a change of clothes for you here ever since Phillip and I moved in.”

  “You weren’t expecting Jake and me to have problems, were you?”

  “Of course not,” she said hastily. “I wanted to be prepared, just in case. Check the second drawer.”

  I did as she’d instructed and was even more surprised to find a set of man’s p
ajamas there, as well as a complete outfit for my husband. I didn’t even have to see the size to know that they were spot on as well. “Momma, I thought I liked to overprepare, but you put me to shame. You know that, don’t you?”

  “It never hurts to be ready for the unexpected,” she said. “There are towels in the linen closet, and I’ve got those little shampoos and soap in the bathroom as well.”

  “Momma, you haven’t been stealing them from hotel rooms, have you?” I asked her with a smile.

  She shook her head. “You realize that you can buy them in the store as well.”

  “Sure, but what fun is that?” I asked as I gave her a hug. “Thanks for thinking of everything.”

  “If only I could,” she said, returning my hug in full. “The sheer number of events I have no contingency plans for keeps me up some nights. I do what I can, but is it ever enough? I’m afraid that the only way I’ll ever find out is to experience the emergency and fail to have prepared adequately for it.”

  “On that bright note, I’m going to bed now,” I said with a grin.

  “Sleep well.”

  “I’ll try not to wake you in the middle of the night when I leave,” I said as she headed for the door.

  She nodded and left, and soon I was alone. I wanted to call Jake, but I knew there was no way a signal could get through to him. I’d have to be satisfied with the message I’d received earlier and leave it at that, but it still would have been nice to hear his voice before I drifted off to sleep. I had a tough time getting to sleep, so I grabbed the book club selection from my bag and finished the book before finally nodding off.

  Chapter 13

  I didn’t even need an alarm clock to wake me the next morning, I was so used to getting up at a certain time. I’d forgotten all about the heated floors until my bare feet hit the tiles. Wow, that was nice! Jake and I were going to have to look into retrofitting our own cottage with it, though I imagined it would be more expensive than our budget could stand, especially with the repair and remodeling of the donut shop looming in our not-too-distant future. I figured insurance would take care of most of the bill, but if experience had taught me anything, it was that other expenses would arise that weren’t covered by my policy. I took a quick shower, changed into the clothes Momma had purchased for me, and I was relieved to see that they fit, albeit a little snugly. Suzanne, you really need to cut back on sampling your own goodies!