Bad Bites: Donut Mystery #16 (The Donut Mysteries) Page 3

  “Everybody needs to quiet down,” Officer Grant said, and to my surprise, they all listened.

  Jake nodded to him in thanks, and then he continued. “I understand that you all have a great many questions right now, but I’m afraid that we don’t have many answers, at least not yet, but we will; you can count on that.”

  “Why are you the one telling us and not Chief Martin?” Ray Blake wanted to know. “After all, he was the man’s own brother.” Ray ran the town’s only newspaper, but of more significance to me was that he was my assistant Emma Blake’s father. Ray could be a considerable thorn in my side, but Emma loved the man dearly, so I had to tread lightly whenever I was around him.

  “Naturally, the chief has recused himself from the case, given his relationship with the victim. Mayor Morris has asked me to step in during the interim to investigate, and I’ve agreed.”

  “What about your job as a state police inspector?” Ray asked. “Have they given you permission to leave again?” Leave it to Ray to ask that particular question.

  “I’m not responding to any inquiries right now, from the press or anyone else,” Jake said, icing the newspaperman with his stare. “I’m the one looking for answers, and I need you all to be patient with me. Officer Grant will be stationed at the door, and he’ll take your names as you file out the door. If he doesn’t know you by sight, be prepared to show him some kind of identification. That’s all for now.”

  That wasn’t the end of it, though.

  “How did he die?”

  “When exactly did it happen?”

  “Do you have any suspects yet?”

  The questions continued to ring out, but they might as well have been whispers in a hurricane for all the impact they had on Jake. I saw him lean forward to say something to Officer Grant, who then quickly moved into position by the door, his notepad ready down to take every name.

  A few folks, including Ray, didn’t get the hint, and they wouldn’t leave Jake alone.

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t have more for you at this time,” Jake kept repeating.

  “You can’t ignore the press,” Ray said as he muscled his way closer to Jake.

  “You’re right,” Jake said. “What’s your first question?”

  “How exactly was the victim murdered?” Ray asked eagerly.

  “No comment,” Jake replied.

  “Who found the body?”

  “No comment,” Jake repeated.

  “What time was the victim discovered?” Ray asked doggedly.

  “No comment. Are you sensing a trend here, Ray?” Jake asked him.

  The newspaperman slapped his notebook shut. “I’ll get the answers, if not from you, then from someone else.”

  “Just don’t interfere with my investigation,” Jake said softly, and I swore that I saw Ray flinch a little.

  “Is that a threat, Inspector?”

  “It’s Chief, and you should just consider it a bit of friendly advice,” Jake said.

  “We’ll see about that,” Ray replied as he moved over to Officer Grant.

  “I don’t think he likes you very much,” I told Jake with a smile as I approached him.

  “Imagine my surprise. I’ll try to do my best to contain my disappointment,” Jake replied.

  “Listen, I know that you’re busy, but do you have a second? I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t important.”

  Jake frowned for a moment, and then he said, “Let me guess. Your mother has asked you to investigate Chester’s murder too, hasn’t she?”

  “How could you possibly know that?” I asked him.

  “Hey, I’m a former state police inspector, remember?” he asked me with the hint of a smile.

  “Do you mind? I promise that we’ll stay on the perimeter of your investigation, but there might be things we can uncover that you might not be able to find out officially.”

  Jake frowned again for a full three seconds, and then he finally said, “I don’t suppose it would do any good to ask you to let me handle this by myself, would it?”

  I took a deep breath, and then I let it out slowly before I spoke again. “Jake, if you are dead set against me investigating this, I’ll butt out. You have my word.” It was important for me to please my mother, but it was even more crucial that I didn’t go against Jake’s wishes without good cause.

  He appeared to consider that for a few more beats, and then he shrugged. “Why not? After all, it’s true. You know the players around here better than I do, so you might have some useful insights. Just don’t take any unnecessary chances, okay? Have you spoken with Grace about helping you? I’d feel a lot better about this if she were working alongside you.”

  “Grace is always eager to help,” I admitted, “contingent on your approval, of course.”

  “Of course,” he said with a wry grin. “So, do you have any suspects for me yet?”

  “I’ve already given it a little thought, and I can think of two or three people right off the bat who might have wanted to kill Chester,” I said.

  Jake studied me for a moment before he spoke. “Are you serious? Who would want to kill a librarian?”

  “More folks than you might imagine. Would you like a rundown of them right now?”

  “It might be helpful,” Jake said, and then we both heard a ruckus at the door where folks were filing past Officer Grant. “Maybe later, okay? I’d better go see what’s going on.”

  “Sure thing, Chief,” I said with the hint of a smile.

  “Interim Chief,” he corrected me.

  “Sorry, but that’s just too clunky for me to say.”

  Jake didn’t answer as he hurried over to see what the commotion was about.

  I hadn’t seen Grace standing off to one side, but she quickly joined me as Jake left my side.

  “I wonder what that’s all about?” Grace asked me.

  “It appears that Vince Dade has a problem with authority,” I said. “Maybe it’s because he’s got to be on every suspect list that’s being created right now.”

  “There was certainly never any love lost between him and Chester while the man was alive,” Grace said. “How could he possibly think that he’s helping his case right now by making a scene?”

  “I’ve got a hunch that he’s not thinking all that clearly,” I said as I saw Jake clamp a hand down on Vince’s shoulder. The man winced under the pressure Jake was applying, and his voice lowered almost immediately.

  “Suzanne, you’ve got to hand it to your boyfriend. That’s some good crowd-control skills he has going on there.”

  “Among other things,” I said. “By the way, he’s agreed to let us investigate on the side, if you’re up for it. What do you say?”

  “Do you even have to ask?”

  “I don’t know. I thought that I should,” I said.

  “Of course I’m all in. This has to be hard on your new stepdad.”

  “I’m sure that it is,” I said, “but Momma’s the one I’m worried about. She’s concerned about what this might do to her husband, so I promised her that we’d do what we could to help.”

  “Where should we get started?” Grace asked.

  “Let’s go somewhere quiet and make a list of anyone we can come up with who might have wanted Chester dead and why.”

  “That’s as good a place to start as any. Should we head over to your house to do it?”

  I considered it, but what if Jake came in while we were still working? I’d promised to share my thoughts with him, but I suddenly realized that I wasn’t anywhere close to being ready for that yet. “Can we do it at your place instead?”

  “Of course we can,” Grace said. “Do you need a lift?”

  “Thanks, but I drove over here, so my Jeep’s outside,” I said.

  “Then I’ll meet you at home—my home, that is.”

  I tried to tell Jake where I was going, but he’d pulled Vince over to one side and was having a solemn talk with him, so I knew better than to interrupt him.

  After Gra
ce and I nodded to Officer Grant, he told her, “Sorry about all of this. May I call you later?”

  “Hey, duty called. I understand. Sure, touch base whenever you get a chance.”

  “How’s that going?” I asked Grace as we left him and started outside together.

  “Good, but we’re still taking things slowly.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with that,” I said.

  “Said the woman who’s been dating a grown man forever without committing one way or the other,” Grace replied with a smile.

  “What can I say? It’s complicated.”

  “It always is, isn’t it?” she asked. “What about that trip to Paris you were going to take together?”

  “We still want to go, but Jake hasn’t been able to get the time off,” I said.

  “Well, now that he’s quit, that’s not going to be a problem anymore, is it?”

  I suddenly realized that Grace was right. “After Chester’s killer is found, we’re going. End of discussion.”

  Our conversation ended as we went outside and joined the milling crowd. Most of the folks who’d come to celebrate Chester’s retirement were still there, and I suddenly realized that it might be the perfect time to question a few folks while they were a little more receptive than they might be later.

  “Ladies, isn’t it all just horrific?” Zelda Marks asked as she approached us. Zelda had been, up until the moment that he’d been murdered, Chester Martin’s assistant librarian. Upon Chester’s official resignation at midnight, Zelda was due to take over. This was a perfect resource for our investigation because she knew Chester better than anyone else in April Springs, including the police chief.

  “It’s terrible what happened,” I said sympathetically. “Can you imagine who would want to hurt Chester?”

  Zelda frowned a bit as I asked the question, but she quickly concealed it. Grace must have caught it, too, though, based on her next question.

  “Do you have any thoughts about it, Zelda?” Grace asked her.

  “I really couldn’t say,” she said dismissively.

  In my most earnest voice, I said, “Everyone knows that you two didn’t just work together; you were the best of friends. Surely you want to see Chester’s killer brought to justice as much as anyone else does.”

  It looked as though Zelda was about to cry, and for a second I felt sorry for pushing her, but as unfortunate as the timing of it was, it happened that way sometimes. Grace started to add something, but I shook my head slightly, and she picked up on my hint and kept quiet.

  After a few moments of silence, Zelda said as she looked around, “I wouldn’t mind helping you, but it doesn’t feel right talking about it here, so close to where it happened.” She looked around at the other folks still gathered together, and I had to wonder if any of her suspects were still present, and that was the real reason she was being so reticent to talk to us.

  “We don’t have to do it in the parking lot,” Grace said. “Suzanne and I were about to go back to my place for some coffee. Would you care to join us?”

  I’d wanted to stay and talk to a few other potential sources of information, but Grace was right. Zelda might be the mother lode, and if we wanted the real scoop on Chester’s enemies, there was no one better to speak with.

  “Well, I could use a ride home,” Zelda said hesitantly.

  “I’ll take you myself after we’ve had a cup and our little chat,” Grace said warmly. “Suzanne, why don’t you ride in the backseat so Zelda can sit up front with me?”

  I’d planned on driving over to her place in my Jeep, but Grace’s suggestion made sense. It might put Zelda more at ease if we all rode over together, and I could always pick my Jeep up later. “That sounds great.”

  “Let’s go then, shall we?”

  “There’s just one problem,” Zelda said, and I wondered what was about to go wrong. As I waited to hear her complaint, the new head librarian surprised me by saying, “I don’t drink coffee.”

  I felt the relief flow through me that it was something so simple. “How about hot chocolate instead? There’s a nip in the air this evening, so it might be a nice change of pace.”

  “That would be lovely,” Zelda said. “Are you certain that you don’t mind?”

  “Not at all. It would be our pleasure,” Grace said.

  I just hoped that my best friend had some hot chocolate at her place, but if she didn’t, it was a short walk up the road to my cottage to retrieve some. When Momma and I had lived there together up until lately, we’d been known to make up a batch of hot cocoa and sit outside, no matter how chilly it might be. I missed those special times that I’d spent with her, but I knew that she was much happier living across town with her new husband now.

  When we got to Grace’s house, she walked through the place flipping on lights on her way to the kitchen. “I’ll start some milk warming on the stove.”

  “Excellent,” I said. “In the meantime, may I take your coat, Zelda?”

  “That would be lovely,” the new head librarian said as she handed it to me.

  After we both sat in the living room, I said, “You reacted oddly when I asked you who might have wanted to harm Chester.”

  “I’m sure that I don’t know what you are talking about,” Zelda said, refusing to make eye contact with me as she spoke.

  “It’s okay to talk to us,” I said in a calm, reassuring voice. “You’re among friends. Besides, Grace and I have done this kind of thing before. We can honestly help, if you’ll just let us.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to tell me. I’ve heard the rumors about your exploits,” Zelda said. “After all, folks in April Springs do tend to talk. There’s nothing official about your investigation, though, is there?”

  “Well, it might help you to know that the interim police chief has approved of us conducting our own investigation, as long as it doesn’t interfere with what he’s doing.”

  Zelda looked a little unsure about that. “Does that mean that you’ll run and tell him everything that I say?”

  “That depends,” I answered truthfully. “If that possibility is a problem for you, then maybe you shouldn’t talk to us after all.”

  Grace chose that moment to walk in and join us, and I had to wonder if she’d been listening in from the kitchen all along. And why wouldn’t she be eavesdropping? I would have done the same thing myself if our roles had been reversed. “Zelda,” she asked, “what if we promise to talk to you before we share what you tell us with anyone else, including Jake? You can trust us to be discreet.”

  “How can I be sure of that?” the librarian asked.

  “Well, have you ever heard anyone claim that we weren’t?” Grace asked her. “Surely in your official capacity you hear a great deal of gossip.”

  “People do like to talk, even in libraries,” she said.

  “There you go. You must know that you can trust us.”

  “Very well,” she said after letting out a sigh of breath. “Besides, I have to tell someone. Maybe it would be better if I just share all that I know with you, and then let you two decide what the best course of action is for me. I’ve read a thousand mysteries in my life, but this is real, and I’m beside myself as to what I should do next.”

  The timer in the kitchen went off, and Grace stood quickly. “Don’t start without me. I need one minute.”

  “May we give you a hand?” I asked.

  “No, I’ve got it.”

  Zelda and I tried to make a little small talk about the weather while we waited for Grace, but it quickly fizzled out. I wanted to get started with the interview, but one minute hadn’t seemed that long to wait.

  Apparently, I was wrong. It was taking forever.

  Finally, Grace appeared with a tray. It held three cups and saucers, along with plates and a nice selection of cookies. “I thought that we all might be able to use a bite, since the buffet was canceled.”

  Zelda nodded her thanks as Grace handed her a cup. She took a sip before I
could get mine, and she made a contented little sound. “That’s absolutely wonderful.”

  “It’s Suzanne’s special blend,” Grace admitted. “I don’t know what she puts in it, but it beats anything you can find in a grocery store.”

  “We can trade recipes later,” I said impatiently. “Let’s talk about Chester.” I turned to Zelda as I continued, “Now, do you know anyone who might want to see Chester dead?”

  “Actually, I know of three people. It’s shocking when I say it out loud, isn’t it? Who could imagine that a small-town librarian could raise such malevolence in some folks?”

  “It always surprises me when anyone commits murder,” I said, “and yet they continue to do it. Would you mind telling us the names of the three people you’re talking about, and why exactly they might want to kill your former boss?”

  Chapter 4

  “I feel like some kind of informant telling you both this, but someone needs to know the truth,” Zelda said as she looked earnestly from me to Grace and then back again. “Ladies, it’s important to me that you know that I’m not a gossip. I don’t believe in spreading rumors.”

  “They aren’t rumors if we don’t tell anyone else,” I said, doing my best to reassure her. “Zelda, you could be the only link between Chester and whoever killed him. If you keep silent, the murderer might get away with it, and I know that you don’t want that.”

  “Of course I don’t,” she said forcefully.

  “Then tell us what you saw, and leave the rest of it up to us,” I said.

  It was touch and go for a second, but finally, she agreed. “Just because I know that you’re right doesn’t make it any easier for me, but I understand that I can’t keep it to myself any longer. Okay, here goes. First thing this morning when we opened, Vince Dade was there waiting for us. Well, more specifically, he was lying in wait for Chester. Vince started in on him the second I unlocked the door, but Chester insisted that they wait to speak in his office. Vince wasn’t happy about it, but Chester insisted. I started restocking books, but I’d been concerned about the tone of their conversation, so I decided to check on them upstairs a little later. As I reached Chester’s door, Vince came out, clearly upset about something. Before he left, he paused and turned back to Chester, and then he said in a cold and calculating voice, ‘I told you that it’s over. I’m done with you, once and for all.’ After Vince was gone, I asked Chester if everything was all right, but it was almost as though he didn’t hear me at first. The expression on his face was really puzzling, and I had to wonder just what their argument had been about.”