Tragic Toppings

by Jessica Beck

  “And none of you ever asked?” I said.

  Maria smiled sadly at me. “Let me ask you, Suzanne, if your mother decided to keep a relationship secret from you, would you push her about it if you knew you weren’t going to accomplish anything but make her upset and angry with you?”

  I thought about it, and then nodded. “You’re right. Sorry about that, I should have known better than to ask.”

  Maria smiled. “You’re forgiven. Momma’s been happier lately than I’ve seen her in years. None of us were about to question it. I heard that Tim died, and he came here sometimes so we all knew him. I thought it was important to tell everyone what happened.” She grimaced, no doubt at the memory. “Momma collapsed when she heard the news, and it took all three of us to get her to a chair. The story came out in bits and pieces, and she told us that she’d been dating Tim for just a month, but that they’d gotten serious in that time, and there was talk of making their relationship permanent.”

  “That was going to be hard with two other women in the wings.”

  “Well, Momma didn’t know that at the time. She took his death hard, but it got even worse when she found out she wasn’t the only woman in his life.”

  “How did she happen to discover that?” Grace asked.

  “She was at the florist ordering flowers for the funeral when a woman named Betsy Hanks came in to do the same thing. As soon as both women realized why they were there, there was pandemonium, from what I heard.”

  “Do you know anything about Betsy?” I asked.

  “Just that she works at Harper’s over in Jackson Ridge.”

  Maria was about to add something else when the phone rang. She took it, and after a quick conversation, she hung up and said, “Momma’s awake, and she needs me back home.”

  “How did she sound?” I asked.

  “Better,” Maria said with a smile. “She wanted to know where I was, and when Sophia told her I was here making pasta, she insisted I come home with it immediately. Anyway, that’s all I really know.”

  I had a question to ask, but I wasn’t sure I had the nerve to voice it, even though I didn’t really have any choice. “Do you think she’d talk with us about Tim?”

  “Not today,” Maria said, “and most likely not tomorrow. I don’t know, Suzanne, Momma likes you, but she’s in some real pain right now.”

  “Tell her that we’re sorry for her loss,” I said.

  “I will,” she answered, and then Grace and I left her to finish her pasta. I knew from firsthand experience how great that pasta was going to be. If it gave Angelica some kind of comfort, then that was all the better.

  “Where should we go now?” Grace asked.

  I glanced at my watch. “If you don’t mind, we’d better get back to April Springs. I’ve got a date with Jake, and I don’t want to miss a minute of it. Life is short, you know?”

  She finished our old saying, I’m sure without realizing it. “And then you die.”

  There was an unsettling creepiness to it this time, and I wasn’t certain I’d ever be able to say it again without thinking of Tim.

  But for now, it was time to focus on the living.

  I had a date, and I knew that Jake wouldn’t disappoint me.

  CHAPTER 8

  “Hey, Suzanne,” Jake said as I picked up my telephone around five. I’d just dropped Grace off and wasn’t even back to the cottage yet.

  “Are you at the house already? I’m so sorry I’m late. Hang on, I’ll be there in two minutes.”

  “I’m not in April Springs,” he said, and I felt my enthusiasm suddenly die.

  “That’s too bad,” I said, knowing that with the nature of his work, he could be called away at any time. “I was hoping we could have dinner together.”

  “Don’t give up on me just yet. We still can,” Jake said. “I’m just a little behind schedule. I’ve got a great idea. Why don’t we meet at Napoli’s? I can catch you up with what’s been going on with me, and you can tell me what you’ve been up to while we eat.”

  “I’m sorry, but we can’t do that,” I said.

  He hesitated, and then said, “Come on, Suzanne, I don’t have to pick you up every time we go out, do I? Ordinarily you know I wouldn’t mind one bit, but I’m coming back from Dillsboro, and Napoli’s is on the way.” He paused a second, and then added, “Think of it this way. If you start driving right now, we’ll both get to Union Square at about the same time.”

  “I’d be happy to meet you there, but that’s not the problem,” I said. “Napoli’s is closed.”

  “For good? I can’t believe that.” He sounded devastated, and I didn’t blame him. If Angelica ever decided to shut down, I’d go into mourning for a year. The pasta was just that good, not to mention the friendships I’d lose with Angelica and her daughters if I couldn’t visit with them.

  “It’s just for a few days. It turns out Angelica was one of the women Tim Leander was dating, and she’s not taking it very well.”

  “Yes, I heard about him from one of my friends,” Jake said. “To be honest with you, I was kind of surprised you haven’t brought it up yourself yet.”

  I grinned as I asked, “Jake, you don’t have anybody spying on me in April Springs, do you?”

  He laughed, and I knew he heard the humor in my voice. “Are you kidding me? I’m not that crazy. There’s no way that I would risk it. That’s hazard pay if I ever heard of it. No, one of the guys on my posse is dating a girl from Hickory, and she heard about it from her cousin, who just happens to live in April Springs. It’s a small world, isn’t it?”

  “Not that small,” I said. “Seriously, though, I know I should have told you about it myself last night, but it was so nice talking to you, and I didn’t want to spoil the way I felt. If you want to scold me for not telling you about it then, you have my blessing.”

  “You found the body,” Jake said gently. “I figure that was hard enough on you without me piling it on. That’s a real shame about Tim. I only met him once, but he seemed like a really nice guy.”

  “He was,” I agreed. I took a deep breath, and then decided to tell him the rest of it since I was confessing everything. “Emily Hargraves was close to Tim, and she’s asked me to look into what happened to him as a personal favor. She disappeared for a while herself, but at least we found her safe and sound, though I admit it had us all scared there for a while.”

  “Where did she go?” Jake asked innocently enough.

  Why did I have to bring that up? Now I was going to have to get into the whole situation, and the part Max had played in it. My boyfriend was not a big fan of my ex-husband, not that I could blame him. “She left her shop to go to Max’s place and forgot to tell anybody. Folks got real concerned when they learned that she took off so quickly she forgot to lock up her store.”

  Jake didn’t seem all that surprised to hear that my ex-husband was involved. “Whenever there’s trouble with women in your town, Max is usually not that far away.”

  “Not this time.” I had to end this tense situation before things got suddenly worse. “If you can believe it, Tim Leander was dating three women in the area, apparently none of them knew about the others, and to add to it, he had two men who were enemies as well.”

  “You’ve been busy,” he said simply.

  When another question didn’t immediately follow, I asked, “Jake, are you going to tell me not to snoop into his murder?”

  There was a long moment’s pause, and then he said, “No, I understand why you’re doing it. I know you’ve got your reasons.”

  That was a nice change of pace. Maybe Jake was starting to come around. “Is there any chance your boss will assign you to the case?” I would love to have Jake’s presence in April Springs, and not just because of a murder investigation. I felt fine when he was gone, but the sun seemed to shine a little brighter whenever he was around, as sappy as that might have sounded.

  “No chance at all. I’m taking a few days off, and I thought I’d spend t
hem with you, if you were interested.”

  I couldn’t believe my good luck. “Are you serious?”

  “As I can be. I’m really excited to see you.”

  I’d learned long ago that if something seemed too good to be true, it probably was. I had a hunch his decision to take some time off wasn’t entirely because of me. “There’s something you’re not telling me, isn’t there?” I asked.

  He sighed, and then said, “I won’t lie to you, my vacation is not by choice. According to my boss, I might have used a tad too much force apprehending one of our suspects, but the idiot we were arresting took a swing at a deputy, and he connected before we could stop him.”

  Jake was big on loyalty, to me and to his fellow officers. It was a trait I admired in him, but I knew that it could also get him into trouble sometimes.

  “I’ve got an idea,” I said.

  “There’s no chance we can take a trip, is there?”

  “Sorry, I can’t leave the shop on such short notice. You could always help me,” I said, trying to jolly him out of the darkness that had just crept into our conversation.

  “At the donut shop, or on your impromptu investigation?” he asked.

  “Why not both?”

  He laughed. “Why don’t I stick with what I’m good at? You and Emma make the donuts, and I’ll help you and your crew dig around a little into Tim Leander’s murder.”

  “You’re not going to get into any trouble with your boss or Chief Martin, are you?”

  Jake paused, and then said, “Actually, my boss doesn’t want to see me or hear from me for the next four days, so that’s not a problem. As for the police chief, I’ll talk to him. When I’m finished, he’ll think I’m working for him. I’ve got a feeling that if I give him all of the credit once we find the killer, he’ll be more than happy to take my help. What about you?”

  “What about me?”

  “Are you okay with not getting the kudos if we catch whoever murdered your friend?”

  “To be honest with you, I’d just as soon not get any more public acknowledgments for a while about my crime-solving skills.” Emma’s dad had written about a few of my exploits in his paper, and it had brought me some unwanted attention in our community. As an amateur sleuth, I was better off keeping a low profile at the moment.

  “Then it’s a deal. So, if we can’t meet at Napoli’s, where can we grab an early dinner? I’m starving, and I’m too tired to do much else but grab a bite and hit the sack.”

  “How about at my house?” I asked. “Momma and I can whip something up for us.”

  “Thanks for the offer, but why don’t we make it the Boxcar instead,” Jake answered.

  “What’s the matter? Don’t like my cooking?”

  “It’s not that,” he said with a laugh. “I just don’t want to share you with anybody just yet, including your mother.”

  I laughed. “That’s a very good answer; I’ll have to give you that one.” I thought about it for a few seconds, and then said, “Tell you what. I’ll get a few things to go from Trish if you’ll tell me when you’re getting close to town, and we can eat at the park.”

  “You aren’t a little spooked to go back there?” he asked, his voice suddenly full of concern.

  “It’s a part of my home, and my heritage,” I said. “I can’t let one murder keep me away from it, and I can’t think of anyone I’d rather picnic with than you. Honestly, this might be just what I need to replace that bad memory with a nice fresh one.”

  “If you’re sure, then it’s a date,” he said. “Give me forty-five minutes, and then get the food. I should be there in an hour with no problem.”

  I was glad for the delay, even if it meant that I had to wait to see Jake. His timetable gave me time to go home, shower and change, and still make it to Trish’s before he showed up. “That sounds wonderful. Jake? I really can’t wait to see you.”

  “Right back at you,” he said, and then hung up.

  I must have still been smiling when I walked into the house three minutes later. Momma was standing near the front door when I came in, and it was clear that she noticed my good mood immediately.

  “What was that all about?” she asked.

  That could cover so many situations, I wasn’t about to confess to anything until I had more specific details. “What do you mean?”

  “Helen Crenshaw just called me and said you were broken down on the side of the road. I was just coming out to look for you.”

  “I was on a telephone call,” I said, “so I thought I’d better pull over so I could take it without any distractions. If you ask me, Helen has an overactive imagination.”

  “She was concerned about you, as am I,” she answered. When Momma continued, there was a slight smile on her lips. “Was it Jake, by any chance?”

  “It was indeed,” I said. “I’m going to grab a quick shower, and then we’re having a picnic in the park.”

  Momma smiled brightly. “Good for you.”

  “Would you like to join us?” I asked suddenly. “We’d love to have you.” It wasn’t Jake’s first choice, but I hated leaving Momma to her own devices.

  “Thank you, but I’m not quite sure that’s what your young man has in mind for a homecoming meal. I think I’ll heat up that minestrone soup I made the other night. It was delicious, wasn’t it?”

  Suddenly I wasn’t feeling quite so sorry for her. I’d been hoping to get in on the last of that soup myself. “It was outstanding, above and beyond your usual fare, and that’s saying a lot. Save some for me,” I said.

  “Sorry, but there’s just enough for one.” She must have seen the expression on my face, because she smiled as she added, “Don’t pout, Suzanne. I can always make more.”

  “I’m holding you to that,” I said.

  As I started up the stairs, she asked, “Jake really makes you happy, doesn’t he?”

  “You know he does,” I replied. “It’s wonderful having him in my life. Why do you ask?”

  “No reason,” she answered. “I just like seeing you like this.”

  I smiled broadly at her. “Well, get used to it. He just told me that he’s staying in town for a few days.”

  “Excellent.” Momma glanced at the clock, and then she added, “Now go take that shower. You don’t want to keep him waiting.”

  “Why not? You’ve kept the police chief on the hook for a month,” I said.

  “That’s different, and you know it. Our love lives are completely different situations. Go on, now.”

  I did as she asked, not because I was giving up pushing my mother to start dating again, but because I really didn’t want to be late for my rendezvous with Jake.

  * * *

  “Perfect timing,” I said as Jake walked through the park to where I’d set up our picnic dinner. “I just got here myself two minutes ago.”

  Jake was tall and lean, and his sandy hair was getting a little long for his usual short-cropped taste. I watched as his glance went quickly to the Patriot’s Tree, but then it came back to me as I stood and wrapped my arms around him. After we greeted each other with a kiss, I pulled back a little, but I stayed in his arms when he didn’t release his hold on me. “If you don’t let me go, our food’s going to get cold.”

  “Let it,” he growled, and then kissed me again.

  There was something to be said for cold burgers and fries after all.

  After we ate and threw our trash away, Jake asked, “Why don’t you bring me up to speed on the case? What have you found out so far?” He was in full-on investigation mode now, and I could see the cop in him coming out. It was as if he had two faces; one professional, and one just for me. At the moment my boyfriend was gone, and the state police investigator was there and ready to dig into the case.

  “Should I brief you before you talk to Chief Martin?” I asked as we walked back to my house.

  “Already taken care of it. We spoke on my drive here,” Jake admitted. “It turns out that he’s all in favor of me p
itching in.”

  I didn’t doubt that for a second; Chief Martin knew how good Jake was at his job. “Did you mention that I was looking into the murder as well?”

  Jake grinned, and my heart melted just a little. “I may have glossed over some of the details when I mentioned you, but to be honest with you, I think he’s just happy to have a helping hand. He gave me a little information about what he’s been doing, but I want to hear from you first.”

  “You’re not going to share?” I asked. “What good is it having you as a boyfriend if I can’t get the inside scoop?” I asked as I gave him a gentle nudge

  “I think we can come up with a few reasons,” he said with a smile. “But not right now. Go on, I’m listening.”

  After I told him what Grace and I had been able to find out, and what George was up to, he stared at the sky and appeared to consider it. “So far you’ve done a great job, given the limited time and resources you have at your disposal.”

  I did my best teen imitation as I replied, “Well, I know I’m just a girl and all, but I’m trying real hard, mister. Honest, I really am.”

  The ditzy-girl act wasn’t lost on him. Jake smiled as he said, “That’s not what I meant, and you know it. You’re just intentionally trying to tweak me now.”

  “Just as long as you admit that I’m not entirely without skills here.”

  “I admit it,” he said as he held his hands up in surrender.

  I was eager enough to accept it. “Good. Now, I’ve come clean with you. It’s your turn to tell me what you know.”

  “Less than you’d think,” Jake said. “The chief believes that the killer is a man because of the strength it had to take to hoist Tim’s body up into that tree. I’m not so sure, but if I try to tell him otherwise, we’re going to tangle.”

  “So, you believe the killer could be a woman?”

  He thought about that for a moment, and then said, “I’d be sexist not to keep it in mind, wouldn’t I? Who knows? Maybe two of the ladies Tim was playing got together and pulled at the same time. One’s thing’s certain; we can’t ignore the women you’ve collected as suspects, and that includes Angelica, no matter how much we don’t like it. For now, I think the best thing we can do is split up.”