Floured Felonies (The Donut Mysteries Book 27) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Recipes

  Other Books by Jessica Beck

  JESSICA BECK

  THE DONUT MYSTERIES, BOOK 27

  Floured Felonies

  Donut Mystery #27 Floured Felonies

  Copyright © 2016 by Jessica Beck All rights reserved.

  First Edition: November 2016

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Recipes included in this book are to be recreated at the reader’s own risk. The author is not responsible for any damage, medical or otherwise, created as a result of reproducing these recipes. It is the responsibility of the reader to ensure that none of the ingredients are detrimental to their health, and the author will not be held liable in any way for any problems that might arise from following the included recipes.

  The First Time Ever Published!

  The 27th Donut Mystery.

  Jessica Beck is the New York Times Bestselling Author of the Donut Mysteries, the Classic Diner Mysteries, the Ghost Cat Cozy Mysteries, and the Cast Iron Cooking Mysteries.

  To P, forever and always,

  For all the years, all the laughs, and all the love!

  When an ice storm hits April Springs, it freezes more than the trees and power lines as one of the town’s residents perishes outside. But soon Suzanne and Grace learn that it wasn’t the cold that killed Santa-suit-wearing Greg Whitmore but a bullet instead. The women must do their best to figure out who killed the banker before someone else gets frozen out, permanently.

  Chapter 1

  The Charlotte television stations were all predicting the ice storm of the century for our part of North Carolina, but somehow the promised event felt more staged than real to me. I had a feeling that their scarily hyped warnings were more about the ratings than any actual dangerous weather pattern approaching us. After all, every year they issued at least one heavy-snow alarm for our area that usually offered only a flurry or two, so there was no reason to suspect that this ice-storm prediction was going to be any different.

  It turned out that I was wrong about that, though: dead wrong.

  When the storm finally hit April Springs—more than living up to all of the dire predictions—no one was more surprised than I was. Not only was the ice damage every bit as bad as they’d warned us to expect, but it ended up bringing something much worse with it.

  One of the town’s residents failed to make it through the storm, and the act left us all wondering what had brought Greg Whitmore to his bitter end.

  One thing was certain; only time would tell.

  “Now don’t forget. I’ve got plenty of bail money if you need it,” I told my husband as he packed his overnight travel bag. “If things get dicey, I can be there in two hours to get you out of jail.”

  Jake laughed at my offer. “Suzanne, what exactly are you expecting might happen? It’s a bachelor party for an old friend I served with when I was with the State Police. None of us are young men anymore, and I have a hunch it’s going to be one of the tamest get-togethers anyone has ever witnessed. I still can’t believe Lee is finally getting married. If ever there was a confirmed bachelor in my mind, he was it.”

  “I think it’s sweet,” I said as I slipped an extra pair of socks into his bag. Jake had a tendency to under-pack for every occasion, while I liked to be prepared for imagined situations that would leave even a Boy Scout ill equipped. “People can still hope to find love no matter how old they are. After all, just look at us.”

  My husband spotted the socks, started to toss them out, but then he must have thought better of it and put them back into his bag. “Suzanne, we’re not that old,” Jake said as he reached around and slapped my rear to prove it. “Besides, Lee is younger than me.”

  “I know, but he’s not younger than me,” I answered with a grin. “I suppose it’s out of the question to invite myself along, isn’t it?”

  “Nobody else’s spouses are coming,” Jake said with a shrug, “but if you’re worried about missing out on something, you’re more than welcome to join me. I have a feeling we’ll just sit around the fire at the lodge discussing old cases all weekend, the more gruesome the better.”

  “As tempting as you make it sound, I think I’ll pass after all,” I said. “Besides, Grace and I are going to have a sleepover here while you’re gone. You’re not worried about the weather, are you?” Every station in Charlotte had been predicting doom and gloom for us over the past three days, and it was starting to get to me.

  “No worries on that front. If it does hit, it isn’t supposed to be until later tonight, so we should all be at the lodge by then. We’re not planning any field trips, and if I know Lee, there will be more than enough food and supplies to last us a month. If need be, but I’ll be home for Christmas if I have to take a sled dog team.”

  “You don’t really think the weather will be that bad, do you?” I asked him.

  “I sincerely doubt it. Even if it’s as rough as they say it’s going to be, you and Grace should be fine here. There’s plenty of firewood on the porch, so if you lose power, you won’t be cold, and since the stove runs on natural gas, you won’t go hungry, either. It’s about as good a place to ride out an ice storm as I can imagine.”

  “Would it be selfish of me to say that I still wished you weren’t going?” I asked him softly.

  “No, and if it were for anyone else, I might try to beg off, but Lee saved my life once, and I’m not about to let him down now.” Jake had recounted the tale to me one night long ago, how a very bad man had gotten behind him in a shootout, and only Lee’s quick thinking and even quicker reactions had saved my husband’s life. Jake had saved many more people himself over the years, but he took his core obligation to the groom very seriously.

  “I get it. I really do,” I said, suddenly feeling silly about how I’d been behaving. My husband had faced things much more dire than a storm in his life before we’d met, but I couldn’t help being overprotective of him now that we were together. After all, it had taken me a great many years to find him, and I wasn’t anywhere close to being ready to let him go. I went up on my tiptoes and kissed him soundly.

  “What was that for?” he asked me with a grin after I pulled away.

  “I want to give you the best reason I can to come back safely to me.”

  My sweet husband surprised me by lifting me up in his arms and twirling me around in the tight space of our bedroom. I laughed at the unexpected move, and we were both grinning
when he finally put me back down. Somehow Jake had managed to break the tension without saying a word, and I loved him all the more for it. “Now, I’d better be on my way, just in case.” He hesitated in the living room, where we’d set up a real Christmas tree this year and decorated it with ornaments from both our pasts. Sprigs of holly adorned the fireplace mantel, and there were shimmering garlands draped above the front door. Jake kissed me soundly one last time, and then we walked out onto the front porch together.

  “Don’t forget to call me when you get there,” I reminded him as I took in the lovely, though quite chilly, day we were having. The sky was bright and blue and the December air crisp and clean, feeling freshly scrubbed as I drew in a deep breath. Surely they were wrong about our impending weather, just as they’d been wrong so many times in the past.

  “I’ll try, but I can’t make any promises, since I may not be able to get a cell phone signal from the lodge, but I’ll let you know when I pass through Boone,” he said. “You stay warm and stay safe while I’m gone.”

  “Right back at you,” I said, and then he drove away in my Jeep. Jake had wanted to take his old truck to the lodge, but I’d insisted that he drive my vehicle. It was designed for the kind of weather he might face, whereas I planned on staying home unless I positively, absolutely had to go somewhere. My donut shop was close by, just a short walk through the park, so I could easily make that on foot if I needed to. Jake had protested a little about taking my Jeep, but secretly, I thought he’d been glad that I’d insisted.

  I hadn’t planned on going anywhere myself when he left, but suddenly, I couldn’t stand the thought of being in the cottage alone. I went back inside, grabbed my jacket and the keys to Jake’s truck, and decided to go pay my mother a surprise visit. I hadn’t spoken with her in three days, even though we lived so close, and I missed her. Driving through April Springs toward her place, it amazed me how the town had gone all out with its decorations. Our mayor and my good friend, George Morris, had yet another new secretary, a dynamo named Sue Boggs from Union Square. She’d spearheaded the decorating committee this year, and it had really paid off. Giant ornaments hung from the trees in the park, and each streetlight offered an oversized snowflake the size of a large pizza. Tinsel hung from every available surface, and a host of life-sized plastic Santas were scattered all over town, placed in the oddest spots and posed in some pretty hilarious positions. As I drove from my place to my mother’s, I saw one who appeared to be trying to shimmy up the town clock across from city hall, one peering into an empty building on Springs Drive, and yet another perched on a bench in front of the hardware store supposedly reading a newspaper. Instead of the promised ice, I found myself wishing for snow to act as the perfect backdrop to all that the town had done to celebrate the season.

  When I got to Momma’s place, I found my stepfather poring over piles of old newspaper clippings at the kitchen table, but my mother was nowhere in sight. “Where’s Momma?” I asked him as I walked right in, shedding my jacket along the way. The place was decorated for Christmas to the maximum extent, not only with a massive tree in place, fully decorated, but with a train set circling it, a wreath on the front door, and scattered decorations everywhere throughout the cozy space.

  Phillip looked up and smiled at me, something that still took some getting used to. Phillip Martin had been our chief of police when I’d first started sleuthing, and we’d butted heads on more than one occasion, but now that he was retired, and married to my mother to boot, we’d managed to find not only a peaceful coexistence but almost a friendship as well.

  “She went to the market, but she should be home soon. Are you stocked up for the storm?”

  I realized there were a few things I might want in my pantry, since Grace was coming over. “I’m in pretty good shape, but I’ll stop by on my way home to pick up a few odds and ends.”

  “If there’s anything left by then,” he answered with a grin. We both knew how storm-crazy our fellow townsfolk could get with anything more than a heavy frost predicted.

  “What are you working on?” I asked him as I scanned the stacks of newspapers.

  “I’m looking for another cold case to solve,” he said with a frown.

  “What candidates do you have so far?” I asked as I leaned over and looked at some of the top articles.

  “Let’s see, we’ve got two disappearances, three robberies, a hit and run, two homicides, and an honest-to-goodness holdup.”

  “Wow, all this happened in April Springs?” I asked, feeling myself being drawn into his hobby of investigating the coldest of cold cases, which had become a passion for him since he’d retired.

  “In and around town, yes, but the oldest of these date back nearly a hundred years,” he explained. “Take this case, for example. It happened over…”

  At that moment, my momma walked in, her arms laden with groceries. “Phillip, don’t bore the poor girl to death with your dusty old clippings,” she said with a grin as she leaned over and kissed the top of his head.

  “It’s okay. I find it interesting,” I said, coming to my stepfather’s defense, something that still felt weird to be doing.

  “Don’t encourage him,” she said with a smile as she started putting her groceries away. “Is Jake here with you?”

  “No, why? Do I need to bring him with me every time I visit my own mother?” I asked her facetiously.

  “Of course not. I just saw his truck parked out front, that’s all.”

  “It’s no big deal. I’m driving his truck for the next few days,” I said. “How was the grocery store?”

  “It is an absolute madhouse. How are your supplies?”

  “They’re fine,” I said, “though I was just telling your husband that I might stop by for a treat or two.”

  “Is there anything here you’d like? You’re welcome to whatever we have,” she asked, offering me a pack of candy bars.

  “Hey, those are mine,” Phillip said with a grin, looking up long enough to see what she’d been offering me. “Not that I wouldn’t mind splitting them with you, Suzanne.”

  “I got two packs,” Momma said with a grin, “and all of the s’mores ingredients, too. I have a feeling tonight we’re going to be happy we have a wood fireplace.”

  “Do you think it’s really going to hit us?” I asked my mother.

  “Probably not,” she conceded, “but it’s still a good excuse to have treats on hand. Now, why exactly are you driving your husband’s truck?”

  “Jake is on his way to a bachelor party in the mountains, so I let him have the Jeep,” I explained. “After he left, I got a little lonely, so I thought I’d come by and see how you were doing.”

  “How very sweet. You know, you’re more than welcome to stay here with us,” Momma said. “It will be just like old times.”

  I didn’t know what old times she was referring to, since I’d never stayed with the two of them since they’d married. I liked her husband well enough, but I wasn’t in any hurry to stay there more than an hour or two at a time unless the circumstances were dire. It was nothing against them; I just liked having my own space.

  Luckily, I had a readymade excuse that had the added benefit of being absolutely true. “Thanks, but Grace is coming over in a bit, and we’re having a slumber party tonight.”

  “My, that sounds like fun,” Momma said.

  “You’re welcome to join them if you’d like, Dot,” Phillip said with a smile. “Goodness knows I’ve got plenty to keep myself busy here.”

  She patted his cheek warmly before she answered. “Thank you kindly for the offer, but truth be told, I’d rather be here with you when the lights go out.” She smiled at me as she added, “No offense, Suzanne.”

  “None taken,” I replied with a grin of my own. I never would have paired the two of them together, but somehow, they su
ited each other perfectly. It had been hard at first seeing my mother with anyone but my father, but I had to admit, she and Phillip made a happy couple. “Well, if things are as bad at the store as you say, I’d better get over there before they’re out of everything.”

  “I could tag along and keep you company,” Momma offered.

  “Thanks, but I couldn’t ask you to go through that gauntlet again just for my sake.” I hugged her, feeling big and gawky and awkward as always as I towered over my own mother. She was a giant in every way but her stature, and it was easy to forget how petite she was, given her grand personality.

  “Keep in touch throughout the evening, Suzanne,” Momma said as she bundled up and walked me out to Jake’s truck.

  “You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be fine,” I said with a smile.

  “Sorry, but it comes with the territory. There’s no time that I don’t worry about you,” she replied, softening her statement with a pat on my shoulder. “It’s a mother’s prerogative.”

  “I’ll talk to you later,” I said, and then, over her shoulder, I said, “Good-bye, Phillip,” who had left his work long enough to come out and say good-bye as well.

  He waved a hand in my general direction and quickly ducked back inside, no doubt to dig into his stack of unsolved cases again.

  Momma just laughed. “Be good.”

  “You know me. I’m always very good,” I said with a laugh, and then I got into Jake’s truck and headed for the grocery store. I had a feeling that it was going to be every bit as bad as Momma had related, but I still wasn’t prepared for the madness I faced once I found a parking space for the truck and made my way inside.

  Chapter 2