Drop Dead Chocolate: A Donut Shop Mystery

by Jessica Beck

  “Sure,” I answered.

  Grace nodded. “You’re there. You can’t treat Evelyn the way you just did Hannah. Hannah’s good-natured enough to forgive you, but we both know the chief of police’s ex-wife isn’t nearly as even-tempered.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I admitted that I was wrong, but you have to give me some credit. I did apologize.”

  “And you’ll do better with Evelyn, right?” she asked lightly.

  “I promise,” I said. I knew I could get edgy at times, and a little snarky attitude could slip out when I was frustrated, but Grace was right. It was no way to deal with people.

  We parked in front of the Martin household, but before I could ring the doorbell, Grace asked, “Are we good?”

  “Better than good. We are golden,” I said. “Thanks for keeping me grounded.”

  “Hey, that’s what friends are for.”

  Evelyn opened the door wearing an unattractive muumuu, looked at us both, and then said, “I’m not interested in donuts, or donut makers.”

  “Can we just have a second?” I asked, using my best smile.

  “You’re here about Cam’s murder, aren’t you?” Evelyn asked.

  “What makes you say that?” I countered.

  She laughed. “Come on. Do you actually think it’s a secret that you two snoop into anything that happens in April Springs? Well, you might as well give up, because you aren’t getting anything out of me.”

  “Why did you hate Cam so much?” I asked softly.

  She just laughed. “You haven’t disappointed me, I’ll say that. I’ve been waiting for you to come around all day, Suzanne.”

  “So you could help us?” I asked in my nicest voice.

  “No, to do this,” she said, and then she slammed the door in our faces.

  I turned to Grace and smiled. “How did I do?”

  “Outstanding,” she said, answering with a grin of her own.

  I had to laugh. “That went well, didn’t it? Should I ring the bell again?”

  Grace shook her head. “I think we learned enough, don’t you? Evelyn may have killed Cam, so I understand why she wouldn’t talk to us; but then again, she may just not be all that fond of either one of us, especially since your mother is dating her ex-husband.”

  “It’s got to be the dating thing,” I said as we got back into my Jeep.

  “Why not the other?” Grace asked.

  “How could anyone not like us?”

  She laughed. “It’s a mysterious and baffling event, isn’t it?”

  I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. “I don’t know why, but Evelyn’s reaction suddenly made me feel better.”

  “Me, too,” Grace said. “Any idea why?”

  “I think it could be because she didn’t hold back about how she felt about us, and let the consequences be what they may. A little open honesty, even if it is all wrapped up in hostility, isn’t all that bad a thing.”

  “It does limit us to how we can question her,” Grace said.

  “We’ll figure out a way around it,” I said. “What should we do now? We have a little time before dinner. You’re eating with us again, aren’t you?”

  Grace shook her head. “Two nights in a row? I’d better not. I don’t want to wear out my welcome.”

  I had to laugh at that. “Are you kidding? I think Momma would prefer your company to mine most days.”

  She was about to answer when my phone rang. Oddly enough, it was my mother.

  “Hey there, we were just talking about you,” I said.

  “You and Jake?”

  “No, I’m with Grace.”

  “Oh,” she said, sounding a little disappointed by my admission. “Are you two going to have dinner together tonight?”

  “I thought we might,” I said.

  “That’s nice. Don’t wait up for me, then. I’ll be late.”

  “Late? Where are you going?”

  Momma sounded pleased as she said, “Phillip is taking me to Union Square for dinner. I told you yesterday.”

  If she had, it had completely slipped my mind. “Have fun.”

  “If I come in late, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  I hung up and turned to Grace. “So much for my invitation. Momma’s got a date, so she’s not cooking. If you’ll brave it, I can whip something up for us at home.”

  “I’ve got a better idea,” Grace said. “Why don’t we go to the Boxcar instead?”

  “Are you saying that you don’t like my cooking?” I asked with a grin.

  Grace tried to hide her smile as she said, “You made donuts all morning. Tell me you want to go into the kitchen to make dinner for us tonight.”

  “You sold me,” I said. “Besides, I like hanging out at Trish’s.”

  I glanced at my watch and saw that it was almost five. “Is it too early for you to eat now, or should we try to come up with someone else to talk to?”

  “I vote we eat now,” Grace said. “I know how your schedule is. You must be starving.”

  “I could eat,” I admitted.

  Trish met us at the door when we walked into the Boxcar, but instead of her usual smile, she was frowning.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  She pointed to the back. “I don’t want to do it, but if those two don’t lower their voices, I’m going to have to throw George and his friend out of my diner.”

  OLD FASHIONED VANILLA DONUT DROPS

  These are light and tasty, a sure winner. We really like the simple lines of the vanilla flavoring, but other extracts can be used, such as orange and even peppermint.

  INGREDIENTS

  Wet

  • 1 egg, beaten slightly

  • ½ cup granulated white sugar

  • ½ cup whole milk (2% can be substituted.)

  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted (I use unsalted; salted can be used, but cut the added salt by half.)

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  Dry

  • 1 cup all purpose flour (I prefer unbleached, but bleached is fine, and so is bread flour.)

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • Enough canola oil to fry donuts

  DIRECTIONS

  Heat canola oil to 365 degrees.

  Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt) in a bowl and sift together. In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients (beaten egg, sugar, milk, butter, and vanilla extract). Slowly add the wet mix to the dry mix, stirring until it’s incorporated. Don’t overmix.

  Drop teaspoon-size balls of batter into the oil, turning as they brown.

  Remove and drain on a paper towel, then enjoy. You can add as a topping powdered sugar, frosting, or icing, or make an array of dipping stations that feature lots of different tastes. The beauty of these drops is that they highlight just about any topping you choose.

  Makes 5–9 drop donuts, depending on baking method.

  CHAPTER 8

  We started to walk back to George when the man he’d been speaking to got up abruptly and stormed out, nearly knocking me down in the process. His back had been turned to us, so I hadn’t recognized him at first, but when I saw his face, I was surprised to see that it was William Benson, owner of our local arcade, and someone everyone in town generally thought of as a nice guy.

  As he walked past Trish, she said, “William, you haven’t paid yet.”

  He tossed a ten-dollar bill at her, shaking his head in anger as he left.

  “Hey, that’s a nice tip,” Trish said with a smile. She nodded back toward George. “You two sitting with him?”

  “We are,” I admitted. “Could we have our usual?”

  Trish nodded. “The most recent one? Let’s see, lately you’ve both been having two cheeseburgers, two fries, and two Pepsis,” she said. “Or would you rather have iced tea instead?”

  “Soda sounds great today,” I said. I was a true daughter of the So
uth, with sweet iced tea running through my veins, but sometimes I felt like a soda. I’d drunk Coke for a long time, but Momma and our chief of police had recently taken a trip to New Bern, a town that happened to be in North Carolina, and also the place where Pepsi had been invented. She’d come back with a few trinkets for me, along with a new penchant for Pepsi. I’d tried it, liked it more than I remembered, and now I was hooked. It wouldn’t take the place of sweet iced tea, but it made for a nice change of pace now and then.

  “Got it,” she said.

  George hadn’t even noticed us come in, something out of character for the former cop. He stood abruptly when he realized that we were approaching him. “Ladies,” he said. “Would you mind if I join you?”

  “Actually, we were thinking of sitting with you,” I said. “After all, you were here first.”

  George frowned as he considered this. “Let’s find another table, shall we? This one still has an unpleasant feeling to me.”

  As we found another table and sat down, I asked, “What was that argument about? I’m guessing William wasn’t all that pleased with your line of questioning.”

  “That’s putting it mildly,” George said. “I thought he was going to take a swing at me for a second there.”

  “How did you manage to inspire that kind of anger? I didn’t think the man had it in him,” I said.

  George took the salt shaker and slid it across the table in front of him from hand to hand. It made a scratching sound as it moved, and George’s focus seemed to be on only it as he spoke. After a few moments he said, “I asked him about the payoff Cam demanded for a permit, and by the way he denied that it ever happened, it was pretty clear that he was lying about it. I pushed him on it and he got angry, more than I would have imagined.”

  “I hate to be the one to say it, but didn’t he kind of have a right to be upset that you were asking him such delicate questions?” Grace asked.

  The salt shaker paused, and George looked at her as he spoke. “Sure, I don’t blame him for that, but he hesitated too long when I brought the issue up, almost as though he were trying to figure out how to react before he got upset. There was something calculating about the way he did it that makes me wonder about the man.”

  “It’s hard to imagine that Uncle William could kill Cam.”

  “I believe that anybody can kill, if the motivation is strong enough,” George said.

  “Yeah, but you were a cop a long time,” Grace said.

  George looked at her quizzically, not sure how to react to that statement. “What does that mean?”

  “Take it easy,” I said. “Grace is just saying that it’s perfectly understandable if you assume the worst in most folks.”

  “I don’t, though,” George said, clearly unhappy with the idea. “I know I dealt with a lot of criminals over the years, but I met a lot of good people on the job, too. I’m telling you, there’s something darker than a permit payoff going on here.”

  “So we all keep digging,” I said, trying to lighten the mood. “Here’s our food,” I added as I saw Trish approaching.

  “Here you go,” she said as she slid our plates in front of us. For George, she had a piece of homemade apple pie.

  “I didn’t order this,” George protested.

  “What can I say? You look like you could use a treat about now. Am I wrong? I can always take it back.”

  George put a hand on the plate and smiled. “Thanks, Trish. Just add it to my bill.”

  She scowled at him. “I’ll do no such thing, George. It’s a gift.” She started to leave, and then, as if it were a last second thought, she added, “Oh, one more thing. If you ever have another argument like that in my diner again, you’re going to have to find somewhere else to eat. Understand?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he answered solemnly.

  “Wow, that was masterful,” I said after Trish was gone.

  “What’s that?” George asked.

  “Trish nearly killed you with kindness by bringing you a free slice of pie, then in the sweetest way imaginable she threatened to throw you out if you step out of line again, and you weren’t even that upset about it.”

  “Well,” he said after he took a bite of pie. “She was nice about it, and she was right. It wasn’t fair of me to brace William here, where I knew he’d be bound to react to my questioning. And lastly, she brought me free pie.”

  I tried to hide my smile, and the best way I could think to do it was by taking a bite of my burger. I knew George ate a great many of his meals there with Trish, so her threat was no small matter. What amazed me was how diplomatically she’d handled it. The next time I had to throw someone out of Donut Hearts, it was going to be with a few glazed donuts thrown into the mix. If it worked for Trish, it might just work for me.

  As we ate, I asked George, “Did you have a chance to talk to Harvey Hunt yet?”

  He shook his head. “No, he was in Charlotte on business all day, but I’ve got an appointment with him first thing in the morning. How about you two? Have you had any luck with the ladies you’re supposed to talk to?”

  I wasn’t all that pleased with the progress we’d made, but I owed it to George to tell him what had happened so far. “Well, we got a few answers, raised some new questions, and had a door slammed in our faces, so all in all, I wouldn’t call it a roaring success.”

  George grinned at us. “I don’t know, it sounds like a fun day to me. Tell me what happened.”

  After we’d recounted our experiences to him, he smiled. “I probably should have taken Evelyn from the start. I’ll handle her myself.”

  I couldn’t believe George was offering. “Seriously? I’m not sure you know what you’re getting yourself into. That woman is in no mood to discuss Cam’s murder with anyone.”

  “I think she might talk to me,” George said, a little too smugly for my taste. What did he know that I was missing? I had to ask.

  “Really? What is it? Do you think she won’t be able to resist your manly charms?” I smiled as I said it. I’d never known a man in my life who didn’t think he had a way with the opposite sex, whether it was true or not. Maybe that wasn’t fair. Since my failed marriage to the Great Impostor, maybe my vision had been a little tainted as well. I was teaching Jake to open his heart again after his family’s sudden end, and he was showing me that not all men were lying dogs. It was more than a fair trade-off, in my opinion.

  “No, it’s nothing like that,” George said. “Evelyn’s dad and I were good friends before he died, and she’s always treated me like an honorary uncle as well. Believe it or not, when Evelyn was younger, she used to be quite lovely. When she and Phillip first married, I honestly thought that it would last forever.”

  “What happened?” I asked, not able to keep from being so nosy. It was hard to imagine our chief of police and his wife ever having a good life together, but then again, all I’d ever seen from them was a dysfunctional pairing that never should have happened.

  “Well, no one likes to talk about it, but everything was fine until their baby died,” George said sadly.

  “What? I didn’t know about that,” I said.

  He looked surprised by my reaction. “Why should you? It was just before you yourself were born. Evelyn carried that baby full term, but something went tragically wrong with the delivery. I helped pack up the nursery after it happened, and her dad and I even repainted the room from pink to tan. Something happened to her that day, to them, really, and they never were able to bounce back from it. Evelyn got more and more distant, and by the time they finally divorced, I’m sure it was a relief to everyone involved, no matter how Evelyn is acting now.”

  I suddenly had a lot more sympathy for Evelyn than I could have imagined. I’d never been pregnant when I was married to Max, but I had thought many times how nice it would have been if we’d had a child together. At least then there would be something positive, some purpose that could have come from our union. I couldn’t imagine losing a child like that. I sud
denly realized that if their daughter had lived, she and I would have known each other pretty well. After all, in a small town we would have been thrown together with school, church, and half a dozen other ways.

  Grace broke my train of thought when she asked George, “Have you stayed close to her since then?”

  George shrugged. “After what happened, she wasn’t close to anyone anymore, and it nearly broke her father’s heart when she turned her back on the world; but since the divorce, Evelyn and I have shared a few meals together. If I ask her about Cam, I’m pretty sure that she’ll tell me.”

  I put down my burger and touched George’s hand lightly. “You don’t need to do this. I hate the thought of you jeopardizing your relationship like that, especially when it’s on such shaky ground.”

  George shook his head after he finished the last bite of pie. “Suzanne, I don’t want to think that she’s capable of murder, but if she is, she needs to pay for what she’s done.”

  “And if she’s innocent?” I asked, not believing I was even saying the words.

  “Then I’ll find a way to make things right between us again.” George stood and then said, “Don’t worry, I’ll leave the tip with Trish. See you two later. Happy hunting.”

  “Good night,” Grace and I said in perfect unison.

  George hesitated up front, then had a small and private conversation with Trish, and she finished it with a hug. I was certain George had apologized for the earlier commotion, and knowing Trish, I was equally sure she’d accepted it.

  After he was gone, I looked at Grace. “What do you make of all of that? Did you have the slightest clue about what happened between the chief and Evelyn?”

  “I’m surprised by the news, but now that I’ve heard it, it makes sense to me. It seems Evelyn had a reason to be bitter with the world.”

  “But it still doesn’t explain why she might have hated Cam enough to kill him,” I said.

  Grace shrugged as she looked out the window. “We’ll let George talk to her tomorrow and see if he comes up with more than we could.”

  “It would be hard for him to learn less, wouldn’t it?” I said with a slight smile.