Tragic Toppings

by Jessica Beck

  There was no way I was going to let her back out now, but I was saved when the front door bell rang. I looked at her and smiled. “Yes, if I had to guess, I’d say that it’s too late. It appears that your date has arrived.”

  I almost had to drag her to the door, but once I opened it, I made myself scarce by stepping into the kitchen. I wasn’t going to get in her way, but I wasn’t about to go anywhere out of hearing range, either.

  Chief Martin whistled softly the second he saw her. “Dorothy, you look absolutely breathtaking.”

  “Thank you, Phillip. You look nice as well.”

  From the crack in the door, I could see him brush at his gray suit. It was so new, I was surprised that a tag wasn’t still hanging somewhere off it.

  He nodded. “Thanks. Should we go?”

  “Of course,” Momma said. As she headed toward the front door, she called out, “Have a nice evening, Suzanne.”

  “You crazy kids have a good night, too,” I said as I popped out.

  Momma kind of snorted a little, but the chief surprised me by laughing heartily. “Don’t worry about us; we will.”

  I stepped out before they could go. “Did Grace get hold of you?”

  “No, why?”

  I smiled, happy to deliver a bit of good news myself. “You heard about Emily showing up, didn’t you?”

  He nodded. “Her mother called the moment she walked in the door,” the chief said. “I’m glad that turned out okay.”

  “Me, too,” I said. “I’m just hoping Tim turns up soon as well.”

  “Don’t worry, he will.” He turned to my mother and asked, “Are you ready?”

  “I am.”

  I ran to the window and got there just in time to see the police chief escorting my mother to a nice blue sedan parked in front of the cottage. That was surprising. The man really had gone all out for their big date. He held the door for her, a point in his favor, and as they drove away, I saw the rental sticker on the back of the car. The only vehicle he normally needed was his police cruiser, but I was glad he hadn’t tried to take her out in that.

  Sixty seconds after they were gone, Grace drove up and parked in the space where he’d been.

  “That was perfect timing,” I said as I joined her outside. “They just left.”

  “I was waiting at my house on the front porch watching for them. I nearly missed them in that rental car. Wow, he really did it up right. He wasn’t in uniform, was he?”

  “No, it looked like a brand-new suit.”

  Grace looked at me and grinned. “Should we follow them?”

  “Don’t even think about it,” I said. “We’re going to stay as far away from the two of them as we can possibly get. Agreed?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Where are we going to eat?”

  There was only one place in town that I could think of where I wanted to eat. “Why don’t we go by the Boxcar and see what Trish is serving.”

  “As long as it’s cheeseburgers, it sounds good to me,” Grace said.

  A sudden thought struck me. “I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we leave our cars here? We can walk through the park to the Grill easier than we can drive it, since it’s a lot closer on foot.”

  Grace nodded. “Why not? It’s a beautiful night.”

  We strolled through the park together, past the Patriot’s Tree, the swings, and the horseshoe pits. When we got to the tracks, we followed them a short way to the Boxcar Grill. The diner was lit up, and I fell in love with the restaurant all over again. Having a donut shop in an old train depot was wonderful, but I was glad there was another remnant of the days when folks traveled by train in town as well.

  “Trish’s place is hopping tonight,” Grace said as we approached. “Do you think she’ll have room for us? We could always just grab a pizza and watch an old movie.”

  I locked my arm in hers. “Come on, I’ve got a feeling she’ll evict someone from their booth if she has to so she can seat us.”

  Grace nodded. “She’s lucky she’s so popular. Otherwise she’d have to be a little more careful about who she might offend.”

  I laughed at the thought. “Trish has a mind of her own.”

  “Like you don’t,” Grace said with a laugh.

  “I’m not so sure about that. I don’t have the luxury of turning anyone away from Donut Hearts.” It was true. The difference between red and black ink on my books could be just a few dozen donuts in the course of a day, so I had to do my best to make sure that every customer was happy with their order, though there were times I had to bite my tongue to keep from expressing how I really felt.

  I didn’t want to think about that at the moment, though. Donut Hearts was in good shape financially, and the nest egg I kept for rainy days was as healthy as it had been in a while.

  When we walked in, Trish was clearly glad to see us, even though the place was crowded. That was one of the things I loved about her. She always seemed to have a smile for me.

  “It’s Ladies’ Night, I see,” she said with a laugh. “Is there room for one more at your table? I haven’t had a bite all afternoon, and I’m starving.”

  “Can you just leave your post like that?” I asked. “I thought you had to be the hostess all the time when Hilda isn’t here.”

  She lowered her voice. “That’s usually true, but I just hired Lilly Jackson’s daughter, Allison, and she’s been bugging me to run the front along with the register all day. If we’re within twenty dollars either way at the end of the shift when she’s been working the front, I’ll consider it an unqualified success.” She looked at me and smiled as she added, “To put it in a way you can appreciate, she’s a few glazed donuts short of a dozen.”

  “Why don’t you just fire her?” I asked.

  Trish shrugged. “I wish I could, but I owe Lilly a huge favor, and this is going to just about cover it.”

  “But Allison could hurt your business,” I said as I looked around.

  “It hasn’t so far,” she added, and then explained, “Don’t worry; I’ve heard that she gets bored before she’s worked a week anywhere. I thought for sure she’d hit you up for a job by now, Suzanne.”

  “She’s probably next on the list, especially if she’s going about her job searches geographically,” Grace said.

  I wasn’t in any hurry to tangle with Lilly myself, so it was a conversation I hoped I’d never have to have. “Who knows? But honestly, can you imagine anyone but Emma and me putting up with the hours we have to work every day? Then again, there’s a good chance it may never come up. You never know; Allison might just work out here.”

  “Bite your tongue,” Trish said.

  I looked around for a table, but there was no luck finding an empty seat, let alone three that were together. “We’d love to have you join us, but where are we going to sit?”

  “Don’t you worry about that. I’ll take care of it,” Trish said.

  Trish walked over to a table where three older fellows were lingering over nearly empty glasses of iced tea. “Any chance you gentlemen are about finished?”

  One of them said with a smile, “Not quite just yet. We’ve solved half the world’s problems, and now we’re going to work on the other half.”

  Trish kept smiling as she asked, “Tell you what, why don’t you save that for another day?” She looked at one of the men and added, “Travis, I’m willing to bet that Patty’s out somewhere looking for you right now.”

  One of the other men laughed. “No doubt about it, she’s got him on a short leash for sure.”

  Travis shrugged. “I’ve been married to the same woman for forty-one years. Bob, how many years does the time you had with all three of your ex-wives add up to?”

  The third man said, “He’s got a point, Bob. Come on, guys, let’s clear out and give this lady a chance to eat.”

  The three old friends stood, and they were still teasing each other as they walked out of the diner. A party of two women directly behind them laughed as well, probably happy that
they hadn’t lost their spot, too.

  After Trish cleared the table and wiped it down, Grace and I took our seats.

  “Let me guess. Cheeseburgers, fries, and Cokes?” Trish asked.

  “Times three, if you’re still joining us,” Grace said.

  Trish nodded. “You bet. That sounds good. Let me give Gladys our orders, and I’ll be right back.”

  After Trish returned with three sodas, I asked, “What happened to Hilda? You didn’t fire her to give Allison a job, did you?”

  Trish looked at me as though I’d lost my mind. “Fire Hilda? No way. She’s too valuable, but she’s been meaning to visit her daughter in West Virginia, and we both figured Allison’s stay would be just long enough for her to take a vacation.”

  I looked around and noticed several folks glancing our way as we chatted. At first it felt friendly, but then I caught someone’s curious gaze, and I could have sworn that they looked away with an expression filled with equal parts fear and condemnation.

  When I looked back at my friends, Grace said, “Sorry, Suzanne. I was hoping you wouldn’t see that.”

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “It’s got to be Emily’s disappearance,” Trish said. “I wish folks around here would just mind their own business sometimes.”

  “But she turned up safe and sound this afternoon,” I said.

  “What?” Trish asked, clearly surprised to hear the news. “I hadn’t heard.”

  Grace explained simply, “She was with Max.”

  Trish shook her head. “Now, why am I not surprised? That man is smooth as silk when it comes to women.”

  “Tim Leander is still missing, though,” I added.

  “Tim’s gone? I hadn’t heard. What’s happened to this town?” Trish asked.

  “I wish I knew, but at least Emily’s safe.” I couldn’t help myself from adding, “Trish, we’re going to investigate Tim’s whereabouts.”

  Trish nodded. “I understand that completely. Listen, if there’s any way I can help, all you have to do is ask.”

  “We will, but it’s good news that Emily isn’t guilty of anything more than bad judgment.”

  “There are quite a few ladies in town who can echo that.” A second later, Trish looked over my shoulder and said, “Good. There’s our food. Finally.”

  On a tray, Allison brought us one cheeseburger, a salad, and a plate of fried chicken.

  “Dibs on the cheeseburger,” I said before she could set the tray down.

  “There’s no need to arm wrestle for it,” Trish said. She pointed to the tray, and then said, “Allison, check the order, and then look at your tray.”

  “I got it right this time. You’re at Table Nine,” Allison said proudly. She had shiny black hair, fair skin, and the brightest blue eyes I’d ever seen. All in all, she was a pretty girl. It was just too bad that she didn’t have anywhere close to the intellect to match.

  “The only problem with that is that we’re at Table Six,” Trish said. I noticed that she was keeping her temper and attitude in check, something that I wouldn’t have sworn she’d be able to do. What did Lilly have on her, anyway?

  “Does that mean the cheeseburger isn’t mine?” I asked.

  “Sorry,” Trish said. She stood and gathered everything together and placed it back on the tray. “I’ll be right back.”

  She turned to her newest employee and said softly, “You. Come with me.”

  Allison followed closely behind, and I could see a fleeting expression of worry on her face. I couldn’t blame her for being concerned. I doubted Trish would keep her on after all of the mistakes she’d been making, regardless of the possibility that she’d have to incur Lilly’s wrath.

  Trish vanished into the kitchen after she delivered the food to the right table, and soon reappeared with our food on her tray.

  “Sorry about that,” she said as she served us.

  “Where’s Allison?” I asked as I took my plate from her.

  “She’s taking the rest of the night off,” Trish said.

  “You didn’t fire her?” I couldn’t believe it.

  “I have to wait it out,” Trish said with a shrug. “Do me a favor, okay? Can we just eat and forget about it?”

  “That’s a fine idea,” I said, trying to lighten the tone of my voice. For the moment, it was important that I put my own situation on the back burner so I could enjoy this time with my friends. If being involved with police investigations in the past had taught me anything, it was that it was important not to take the people I cared about for granted.

  We had a fine meal, and after we were finished, Grace and I helped Trish gather up our dirty dishes.

  “Thanks for everything,” I said as Trish walked us out.

  I laid enough cash on the counter to cover our meals, and as Trish rang it up, she took the money and said, “Thank you. I feel a little guilty charging you.”

  “But just a little, right?” I asked.

  “Just a little.”

  I smiled at her. “If it helps, I stiffed you on the tip.”

  Trish grinned back at me. “That helps exactly the right amount. Good night, you two. I had a lot of fun. See you both soon.”

  Grace and I walked out of the diner and I felt the light touch of the September air in the approaching dusk. It was just a little cool now, though the day had been warm, and I knew that colder weather wasn’t far from coming to stay in our part of North Carolina.

  As we left the abandoned train tracks and neared the park, Grace said, “I don’t know how you didn’t freak out all of the time at night living here as a kid.” She hadn’t been allowed out much after dark when we were growing up, while my parents had no problem with letting me roam the park practically anytime I liked. Grace added, “There are so many shadows around here that I still see bad guys behind every tree and bush.”

  “You hung out with me enough growing up,” I said. “You never seemed to be scared of this place then.”

  “That’s because we were almost always together when we played here,” Grace said, “and we can’t forget the fact that I had to go in at the first hint of dusk.”

  “If you can believe it, I find the shadows comforting,” I admitted. “Everything’s familiar, and yet just a little different. Besides, it’s not like it’s completely dark yet. The moon’s putting off enough light to let us see, and full dark is still half an hour away. You should try this walk when it’s pitch-black. That would really give you the willies.”

  “Are you saying you’ve never been afraid here before?” Grace asked. “Not even when we were younger?”

  “I wouldn’t say that,” I admitted. “You know my imagination, but if I jumped at every shadow, I’d never make it home.”

  I glanced around and tried to see the darkened park through Grace’s eyes. It probably did look a little spooky if you didn’t know the shapes behind the shadows. Besides, her folks had put so many fears about the night in her head, it was amazing she’d even walk home with me now that we were both grown.

  “Look over there,” I said as I pointed to a cluster of bushes. “What do you see?”

  “I can just make out a maniac with a knife,” she said. I honestly couldn’t tell if she was exaggerating, or being completely honest with me, but I assumed she was telling me the truth.

  “You’re looking at it the wrong way,” I said as I pointed to the outline. “If you look carefully, you’ll see that it’s really just a fat old man with a butterfly net chasing a moth.”

  She frowned as she peered into the darkness. “I guess I can see that.”

  After a few more steps, Grace pointed to another shadow. “Surely that’s scary. It’s clearly a man with a machine gun.”

  I laughed. “Funny, that’s not my take on it at all. I see a woman with a pool cue trying to make a tough shot, and from the way she’s standing, she doesn’t have a chance.”

  “You’re too much,” Grace said. She pointed again, and I saw that she was motioning in
the direction of the Patriot Tree. “Tell me that doesn’t look like someone’s hanging from the branches.”

  I froze as I took in the tree and its surroundings. “Grace, call 911.”

  “Why? What’s wrong?”

  I looked at it carefully, but as we got closer, there was no mistaking it. “That’s no shadow, Grace. There really is a body hanging there.”

  CHAPTER 4

  As Grace dialed the number on her telephone, I started walking with dread toward one of my favorite places in the park. The Patriot Tree was a living testament to the loyalty of our ancestors, and a stark reminder of the way they treated traitors in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. It was a place of comfort for me, but there was nothing comfortable or reassuring about it tonight. As I approached, I couldn’t tell the sex of the victim, let alone guess who it might be. The only time I’d ever seen anything hanging from its branches before had been when local high school kids had hung a stuffed effigy of the principal there as a prank, but it was getting more obvious by the moment that this was no dummy. What a horrible way to die.

  I was getting nearly close enough to see who was there when Grace grabbed my arm. “Suzanne, what do you think you’re doing?”

  “I need to see who it is,” I said. It could easily be one of my friends there, or even my ex-husband. Whoever it ended up being, I had to know so I could start dealing with it.

  “We need to wait for the police,” she replied.

  “We can just as easily wait near the tree.” I looked at her and saw the sheer terror on her face, and I wondered briefly why I wasn’t feeling the same thing myself yet. For whatever reason, I seemed calmer than I ever would have guessed. I suppose that it wasn’t real to me at that point. When I saw the body close enough to recognize it, I had a feeling that would change. And then another reason struck me, one that added a sense of urgency to my actions. “Grace, you can stay here if you’d like, I completely understand, but I’m going to see if whoever’s hanging there needs our help. For all we know, they may not be dead.”

  “But they aren’t moving,” she said, her voice almost a whimper.