Custard Crime: Donut Mystery #14 (The Donut Mysteries) Page 3

  “No, that’s just a bonus. The truth is I don’t want to be seen riding around in that squad car.”

  “We could always take your Jeep,” he suggested.

  “No, let’s walk. Besides, it will give us a chance to chat.”

  “Why don’t I like the sound of that?” he asked.

  “Maybe it’s because you’re just a typical suspicious man,” I replied with a slight smile.

  “I don’t know. In all the times in the past that a woman has told me that we needed to talk, it’s never turned out well for me.”

  “So, maybe it’s time to turn your luck around,” I said as I took his hand in mine.

  “Is it, though?” he asked me, still rather doubtfully.

  “No, not so much,” I admitted with a wry grin.

  After a deep sigh, Jake said, “That’s what I suspected. Go on. Let’s get it over with. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

  “Gee, what a lovely attitude that is,” I said. “It’s really not that bad.”

  “I’ll believe that when I hear what you have to say,” Jake said.

  “The truth is that I’m just curious about what really happened today,” I said, trying to sound as nonchalant as I could manage.

  “I’m afraid that I can’t tell you anything about that. After all, it is official police business,” Jake said.

  “Really?” I asked as I stopped dead in my tracks. “You can’t even give me a hint about where things stand right now?”

  “I’m really not supposed to do even that,” Jake said. “Surely you understand.”

  “What I understand is that you’re not going to satisfy my idle curiosity. It’s not like you’re under some kind of doctor-patient confidentiality agreement, or an attorney’s vow of silence, either. Chief Martin has even shared things with me over the last several months.”

  Jake frowned. “Well then, the two of us must conduct police business in different ways.”

  “What if I promise to keep anything that you tell me confidential?” I asked him suddenly.

  He laughed at the suggestion. “Suzanne, I wouldn’t dream of putting you in that kind of bind. Telling you and not allowing you to say anything to Grace or your mother would just be cruel.”

  “Not if I’m volunteering for it,” I protested. “After all, I can keep a secret just as well as the next person.”

  “I don’t doubt that, but why put yourself through it if you don’t have to?”

  “Because I really want to know what happened to Evelyn Martin,” I said simply.

  Jake and I started walking again, and after a full minute of silence, he finally said, “Well, it’s against my better judgment, but if you give me your word that you won’t share what I’m about to tell you with anyone else, I suppose I could make an exception this once.”

  “You won’t regret it,” I said eagerly. “Now, tell me everything.”

  Jake nodded as he steered us toward one of the benches in the park between my cottage and Trish’s diner. “Why are we sitting down? Are you tired?” I asked him.

  “No, I’m fine. I just don’t want to share what I’m about to tell you in that crowded diner.”

  “Good plan,” I said as we sat. “Don’t leave a single thing out from when we first split up at the crime scene. How did you know that it was a crime scene, by the way?”

  “Well, the body was a good initial indicator,” Jake said with a slight smile.

  “That’s not necessarily true. People have accidents all the time,” I said.

  “And that’s what the killer was trying to make us all believe this time,” Jake said. “Now, am I going to tell this before we both starve to death, or are you going to keep interrupting me?”

  “I’ll be quiet,” I said, and then I added quickly, “Let me rephrase that. I’ll try to be quiet.”

  “Knowing you, I’ll take what I can get,” Jake said with the hint of a grin that vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. “Suzanne, thirty seconds after I walked into that building, I knew that it was murder, and no accident.”

  “How did you manage to learn that?” I asked.

  “For starters, it just didn’t feel right to me from the start,” Jake said. “I’ve seen enough real murders to be able to spot them right away, even if someone has tried to cover their tracks.”

  This was fascinating information. “How did you know in this case?”

  Jake scratched his chin, and then he said, “First of all, the body was positioned all wrong. If she’d fallen through the loosened floorboards, she would have hit the basement floor farther away from the wall, based on where the hole was situated upstairs. I knew right away that she’d probably been pushed. And then there was the candle next to her body.”

  “What about it? Was it still burning when they found her?” For some reason, that image really unsettled me.

  “No, it had been lit for only a few seconds, based on the amount of wick that was touched by flame. There was no way the victim was using it to see inside the building. The third indicator was that there was direct evidence of a purposeful blow to the head. From the sharp indentation on the back of her skull, something with a hard ninety-degree edge was used to kill her.”

  “Is that how she died, by blunt force trauma?” I asked.

  “That was how it looked to me from the start, but the odd thing was that none of the exposed joists where she must have fallen had any signs of blood or hair on them, so we know that she didn’t hit her head on any of them, and the floor itself was flat. As a matter of fact, there were no objects within reach that could have caused her wound, so the murder weapon had to have been removed from the shop after the crime was committed. We didn’t discover the final interesting fact until we searched the floor of the basement and the body.”

  “What was that?”

  “There was no sign of matches or a lighter anywhere around Evelyn or on her person,” Jake said.

  “So she couldn’t have lit the candle herself,” I added.

  “Bingo. Add it all up, and this was murder, plain and simple. When I pointed these things out to my boss, he insisted that I take over the case. We both realized that someone from outside April Springs had to investigate this as soon as I told him what I’d found.”

  “Why was that, just because the victim was the police chief’s ex-wife?”

  Jake nodded. “Even the appearance of impropriety is enough to call for an outside investigator. I just wish that it wasn’t me.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure that you’ll catch the killer in record time,” I said.

  “We’ll see,” he said as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Remember, you can’t share what I’ve just told you with anyone. Suzanne, you’re going to keep that promise, right?”

  “Jake, I gave you my word,” I said, but then I realized just how hard it was going to be to keep what I knew from my mother and Grace, along with everyone else in April Springs. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.”

  “That’s what I kept telling you,” he said, “but I’m afraid that we’re stuck with me investigating the murder now.”

  “I don’t mean that. I still think that it’s brilliant that you’re looking into Evelyn’s murder. I’m just not sure that I need full disclosure from you about your investigation.”

  “I thought you might feel that way after you heard what I’d found so far. Suzanne, you and Grace aren’t going to dig into this case too, are you?”

  “Why shouldn’t we?” I asked, surprised that he’d even had to ask. “We could be of great service to you in your investigation, you know.”

  Jake took in a deep breath, held it for a beat, and then slowly let it out before he trusted himself to speak. “The chief might have put up with your meddling, but I shouldn’t have to remind you that I’m not Chief Martin.”

  “No, I know that clearly enough. But think about it, Jake. Grace and I could both really be assets for you. No one doubts your abilities as a law enforcement officer, but we’l
l be able to get folks to chat with us unofficially in ways that they’d never do with you.”

  “I understand that,” Jake conceded. “I just don’t want to put myself into a position where I have to arrest my girlfriend for obstruction of justice.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that,” I said as I pulled him to his feet.

  “Because you’re going to leave this case to me and my temporary police force?” Jake asked.

  I laughed, and then I said, “I’m not saying that at all. We just won’t be clumsy enough to get caught doing anything you think we shouldn’t be doing.”

  “Why am I not relieved to hear you say that?” Jake asked as we neared the diner.

  “You should be. Just think about what a team we’ll all make.”

  “Suzanne, I’d rather not, if it’s all the same to you. Chief Martin has already been making noises that he wants to be involved in the case, and I’ve had to tell him no pretty forcefully. How is he going to feel if he finds out that I’ve given you and your best friend access that I won’t allow him to have?”

  “I’m sure that he’ll understand, once Momma explains it to him,” I said.

  “I don’t doubt that your mother’s powers of persuasion are strong, but even she is not that convincing.”

  “You don’t give her enough credit. The chief will see that what we’re all doing is in his best interest. I can just about guarantee that.”

  “Suzanne, I’m still not sure that I’m willing to go along with you and Grace investigating a case that I’m actively working on myself.”

  “That’s okay. Take some time and get used to it if you need to,” I said happily.

  “Is that my only choice?” Jake asked me glumly.

  “Let’s not talk about it right now,” I said as we got to the front steps of the Boxcar. “After all, your original point was a good one. It won’t do anyone any good if folks hear all of the details about what really happened to Evelyn.”

  “Given April Springs, I’m sure that it won’t be long until the true story is spread from city limit sign to city limit sign.”

  “What can I say? Gossip is an Olympic event around here,” I answered as I led him up the stairs and inside.

  Fortunately, Jake didn’t have time to reply as a crowd of citizens approached him all at once, each of them shouting different questions about what really happened to Evelyn Martin, and who exactly might have done it.

  Fortunately, Trish stepped in before things got too ugly.

  “Settle down, people,” she said loudly, but no one seemed to listen to her. That changed the moment she slammed a baseball bat down onto the counter that held the cash register. That certainly shut everyone up fast enough. Once her customers were quiet enough to satisfy Trish, the diner owner said loudly, “I’m sure the inspector appreciates your questions and your concerns, but this isn’t a press conference, and we’re not standing out in front of the town hall. I’m guessing the man and his girlfriend have come here to eat, and so help me, if anyone interferes with that happening even the least little bit, they’ll have to answer to me. Is that clear?”

  There might have been a few grumbles, but no one was insane enough to voice them out loud.

  Trish smiled, and then she said, “Now, go back to your meals, or bring your checks up to the front and I’ll cash you out. This mob is officially disbanded as of right now.”

  Folks began to do as she’d suggested—ordered, really—and Trish smiled as she walked over to us. “I’ve got a table near the front and one in back. Take your pick.”

  “Let’s go to the back,” I said, and Trish nodded in agreement.

  “Smart idea. That will keep the riffraff from ‘dropping by’ your table on their way out the door. Hang on. I’ll be with you in a second.”

  “Thanks,” Jake said as he smiled down at Trish.

  “You’re welcome. After all, you need to eat, too.”

  “Honestly, I’m starving,” Jake said, “but your cooking has put five pounds on me in the month I’ve been in April Springs healing up.”

  “You can’t blame that all on me,” she answered with a smile. “I’ve seen the parade of pasta, cakes, and pies that have made their way to your doorstep since you came to town. I’ve got a hunch that my contributions are the least of it.”

  “I’d never call your food the least of anything,” Jake said with a smile.

  Instead of responding to him, Trish turned to me. “You know, this one might just be a keeper.”

  “That’s the direction that I’m leaning myself, but it’s still too soon to say just yet,” I answered her with a smile.

  “Well, make up your mind before too long. There might be other women around here who could possibly be interested in having a state police inspector of their own.” Trish winked at Jake as she said the last bit, and he managed to blush a little.

  “Sorry I can’t be more accommodating, but this one’s all mine,” I said as I put my arm in his.

  “Hey, I’m still sitting right here, remember?” Jake asked.

  “Nobody’s about to forget that,” Trish said. “You two figure out what you’d like to eat and I’ll be with you in a shake. Two sweet teas to start?”

  I looked at Jake, who nodded happily. “That sounds great, but don’t give either one of us refills, no matter how much we beg for them.”

  “Suzanne, that’s just inhumane,” Trish said with a grin, “but I understand.”

  Once we were left alone to study our menus, I thought that we’d be free to enjoy a meal together without interruption.

  But then again, I hadn’t counted on Gabby Williams marching up to our table, either.

  Evidently she wasn’t the least bit afraid of Trish’s warning.

  Then again, I wasn’t sure who I’d put my money on if Trish and Gabby ever decided to fight it out. Trish was young and scrappy, but Gabby had a will of iron, and a tongue that could cut through flesh with its barbs. Either way, if it ever did occur, I didn’t want to be within a country mile of it.

  Chapter 6

  “Hello, Gabby. I don’t know if you just heard Trish or not, but you should understand that Jake and I are here to grab a bite to eat and have a little privacy.” I’d learned years before that Gabby didn’t understand subtlety. She ran the shop next to mine, ReNEWed, a place where folks could get gently used clothing for a decent price. Gabby was also the biggest gossipmonger in four counties, as well as being civilly acidic in just about every social situation.

  “I don’t blame you one single bit,” Gabby said as she sat down across from us. As she looked around the diner, she added, “They can be a real pain sometimes, can’t they?” She then turned to stare at Jake for a full ten seconds before she said, “I understand that you’re in charge of finding Evelyn Martin’s killer.”

  “That’s right,” Jake said.

  “Have you made any progress yet?”

  Jake looked a little surprised by how abrupt she was. “I’m not at liberty to discuss that.”

  Gabby grinned. “Sure, I get it. In cop-speak, that means you’ve got nothing. Well, this is your lucky day, Inspector. I’ve got not one, but two hot leads for you.”

  “I’m always happy to listen to information from concerned citizens,” Jake said in a calm, level voice.

  I tried to warn him off from encouraging her, but he must have missed my signal. I knew that Gabby might indeed have valuable information for the investigation, but if she started talking now, our meal would be ruined. Besides, it wasn’t as though she wouldn’t share it with us later, especially if it was too good for her to keep to herself for very long.

  “Okay, then maybe you should get out your pencil and paper and take notes,” Gabby said. “First off, you need to look at Robby Chastain, and I mean hard.”

  “Robby? Are you sure?” I asked her. I couldn’t imagine anyone naming Robby a murder suspect. I’d known the man nearly my entire life, and I couldn’t see him killing anyone.

  Gabby i
ced me with a quick glance. “Suzanne, if you’d take your head out of your donuts for a minute or two, you’d know that Robby and Evelyn were in the middle of a battle over an oak tree on their property line. Robby’s been wanting to cut that thing down for years, but Evelyn told him if he tried it, she’d burn his house to the ground in retaliation.”

  “That sounds like a bit of an overreaction on her part,” Jake said.

  “You didn’t know Evelyn. She always was fire and ice.”

  “What do you mean by that?” he asked her.

  “Either you were her best friend in the world, or you were her greatest enemy. There was no in-between with that woman.”

  “May I ask, how did she feel about you?” Jake asked her.

  “We were best buds,” Gabby said. “Why else do you think I’m trying to help you find her killer?”

  “He probably just thought that you were a concerned citizen,” I said with a smile that I knew was pushing my luck, but I didn’t care. After all, she was interrupting my time with Jake with what I suspected were overblown exaggerations and innuendoes.

  Gabby waved a hand in the air in my direction as if dismissing me from the conversation. “We both know better than that. Anyway, it wouldn’t surprise me if Robby got tired of Evelyn’s insults and decided to eliminate her altogether.”

  “All of this over a tree?” Jake asked incredulously.

  “Oh, there had been more things than that between them over the years. The tree was just the final tipping point.”

  “Can you be more specific about their past interactions?” Jake asked her.

  “Inspector, I’m not going to do your entire job for you,” Gabby said disdainfully.

  I noticed that Trish had started to walk toward us, but when she saw Gabby sitting with us, she did a quick U-turn and headed back to the register. There weren’t many folks in town that could back the Boxcar owner down, but Gabby was evidently one of them. Great. Now we were never going to get to eat.

  “You said that you had two leads to share with me,” Jake reminded her.