Drop Dead Chocolate (24 page)

Tomorrow, I was going to have to do exactly the same thing.

I came back out and Emma was applying the last touches of glaze to the donuts.

“You were right,” I said simply.

“Trust me, I don’t take any joy from it,” she said. “What are we going to do?”

“I think we need to make a sign. How about ‘
BUY ONE DONUT, GET A CAKE DONUT FREE, WHILE SUPPLIES LAST
’?”

“We could do that, but why don’t we have a little fun?” Emma asked.

Her days at the shop were numbered, so if she could think of a way for us to amuse ourselves with the time she had left, I was all for it.

“What did you have in mind?”

She thought about it, and then said, “I need a little time, but I’ll be able to come up with something before we open.”

“Okay, it’s a deal. I’m leaving it in your hands.” I wouldn’t be able to say that much longer.

After all of the cake donuts were finished and the cooling racks were filled to overflowing, Emma and I stepped outside for our break. We always took it between making the cake donuts and waiting while the raised ones went through their first rest, and it was a nice time to chat and catch up.

“How’s your dad’s investigation going?” I asked. “Is he having any luck on his end of things?”

Emma shrugged. “You know Dad. He thinks he’s right, until you or the police prove that he was off base all along. I’m sure he has a suspect in mind, but if he does, he’s not sharing it with me.”

“It wasn’t because you’ve been feeding me information, is it?” I asked. I would hate it if my investigation had come between father and daughter.

“No, you’re in the clear. As a matter of fact, he just assumes that I’ll tell you everything. No, Dad doesn’t want his theory to leak to anyone. I know he’s serious, because he hasn’t even told Mom, and you know how those two are. If I had to guess, though, tomorrow’s paper is going to have his theory in it.”

“How can he do that without being sued?” I asked.

“Dad won’t print anything unless he has evidence to back it up. The funny thing is, I heard him talking to someone on the phone last night, and for a split second I thought I could hear Jake on the other end of the line. I’m crazy, right?”

“You might be in general, but not necessarily about that,” I said with a smile. “I know the two of them have spoken from time to time in the past. It would be smart of your dad not to tackle a killer on his own. I bet Jake would give him first shot at a scoop if your father provided him with any valuable information that led to an arrest.”

“I don’t know. That sounds kind of timid for Dad. He’s the kind of guy who rushes into the burning building when everyone with any sense is running the other way.”

I shrugged. “I don’t know, then. It was just a theory.”

We were quiet for a bit, and just before we were due to go back in, Emma said, “I’m going to miss this time most of all.”

“It is lovely how quiet it is,” I said, taking in the early-morning silence. Despite the frigid temperature, or maybe because of it, I felt more alive when the thermometer dropped.

“I’m talking about our chats,” Emma said.

“Don’t worry. Anytime you’re home from break, you can come by and we’ll hang out. It’ll be just like old times.”

“I’ll be here,” she said.

I had to laugh. “I won’t hold it against you if you don’t,” I said. “This is still pretty early for a college student.”

She grinned. “Maybe I’ll swing by before I go to bed, then.”

“Either way, you’re always welcome,” I said. “This is your home, too, and I couldn’t have done it these past few years without you.”

We stood and hugged, then my timer went off.

“Sorry about that,” I said as we headed back inside.

“Are you kidding? I couldn’t imagine a more fitting end to this conversation.”

*   *   *

It was nearly time to open, and Emma had stepped up front for a minute.

“What’s up?”

“Give me a second,” she said with a mischievous grin on her face. “I want to try something out on you.”

Two minutes later she called out, “Come on up. I’m ready for you.”

I walked into the dining area and saw her sign.

It read:
SPECIAL ONETIME OFFER ONLY: TWO DONUTS FOR A DOLLAR, OR THREE FOR TWO BUCKS.

“You’d better check your math,” I said.

“It’s intentional,” she said. “Don’t you think it’s a riot?”

“What I think is that you may be sleep deprived. Nobody in their right mind is going to buy three donuts for two bucks when they can get two of them for a dollar.”

“Wanna bet?” she asked me.

I nodded. “If you sell more than three of the two-dollar specials, you can come in an hour late tomorrow morning.”

“What if I sell more than that? Is it an hour extra for each special?”

“Not a chance,” I said with a smile. “And you can’t call anyone or tell anyone at all about our bet. Deal?”

She nodded and stuck out her hand. “Deal.”

“I’ve got a feeling I’m going to get a lot of questions about this sign,” I said as I put it in the new window.

“Hey, if it gets folks talking and coming in, that’s not a bad thing, is it?”

“I hope not,” I said, matching Emma’s smile with one of my own. “But I’m not about to rule it out.”

*   *   *

“Suzanne, your sign is wrong,” James Settle said when he walked into the donut shop a little after nine.

I had explained it two dozen times, and I was tired of going through the same thing over and over. Just as I’d expected, everyone had a comment about it. What had caught me by surprise was how many folks had taken advantage of the two-dollar “bargain.” I’d sold seven so far, and several singles beyond it, so that my extra stock was nearly gone.

“You’re right,” I said as I took a clean towel and wiped the board clean. “Better?”

“Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it,” the blacksmith said. “I thought it was kind of funny, that’s all.”

“No worries, James. It was meant as a joke, but you’d be amazed how many we sold.”

He laughed. “It doesn’t surprise me a bit. That’s why I’m so glad I moved here. This town is full of quirky people.”

“You fit right in then, don’t you?”

“I hope so,” he said seriously. “I’ve volunteered for everything I can think of. It’s a great way to meet people.”

“I hear the ladies of the Ruffle and Raffle Society were particularly pleased with your presence.”

James shook his head. “I thought it meant something else,” he explained. “I know, it doesn’t make much sense, either, but what could I do?”

The society was dedicated to making quilts, one every six months, and gossiping about what was going on in April Springs behind the scenes.

“You could always quit,” I said. “I can’t imagine it’s much fun for you.”

“Are you kidding? The ladies are teaching me how to sew, and I’m doing any heavy lifting they need taken care of. Besides that,” he added with a wink, “they’ve decided that I’m underweight, so they take turns baking me cakes, cookies, and pies. Trust me, I’m getting the best end of that deal.” He waved the bag of donuts at me, smiled broadly, and then left.

James and I had started off on opposite sides of the same issue, but since it had been resolved, we’d formed an odd kind of friendship. Most days I enjoyed seeing the blacksmith, though there were times when we still butted heads. That was okay. Not everyone had to agree with everything I thought. It would be a pretty bland world if that were the case, not that there was any danger of that ever happening.

With the board now blank, it was business as usual. Emma had been banished to the kitchen, lest she give away our competition, but when she finally walked out front near eleven, she looked at the board and asked, “What happened?”

“You won hours ago,” I said. “I don’t know how you did it, but you nailed it. Enjoy your extra hour tomorrow.”

She shrugged. “That’s okay. I was just teasing you.”

“A deal is a deal,” I said. “You earned it. I don’t know how we would have unloaded all of those donuts if you hadn’t stepped up.”

Emma shook her head. “They would have sold. Suzanne, if it’s all the same to you, I’ll be in at my regular time tomorrow. After all, we only have a few weeks left together.”

“It’s your choice,” I said, touched that she honestly cared that much. “I’d love to have you here, but you had a great idea, and you deserve a reward for it.” As I said it, I decided what might be fitting. I reached into the till and took out a twenty-dollar bill. “If you want to work, I insist on giving you an employee bonus for a great idea.”

“I shouldn’t,” she said.

“Nonsense. We had a good day because of you. Tell me you can’t use it.”

“I would, but I hate to lie to you.” She took the bill with a grin and tucked it into her apron. “Thanks. I’ll just finish up with the dishes and the racks, and then I’ll be on my way. I’ve got a lunch date.”

Emma was known for her joy of dating, but I hadn’t heard about anyone new in the past few weeks, a definite change of pace for her. “Anybody I know?”

“It’s my dad,” she said. “Now that I’m leaving, he suddenly wants to bond with me. Can you believe that?”

“I think it’s sweet,” I said. “Your dad loves you.”

“I know, but I keep telling him that just because I’m moving way doesn’t mean that I’m going to change. It’s college; it’s not like I’m going to the moon.”

“What can I say, you are just a lovable gal,” I said with a smile. “Tell you what. At least take off now. I’ll wash up, and you can go home and shower before your lunch.”

“If you wouldn’t mind, that would be great.”

I let her out, and then locked the door behind her. Donut Hearts was officially closed for another day, and the donut part of my life was over. That didn’t mean I could just go home and relax, though.

I’d already worked a full day, but now it was time to continue investigating Cam Hamilton’s murder.

*   *   *

I got a call on my cell phone when my hands were buried in the soapy water, and I couldn’t dry them fast enough to answer in time. I waited for a message, but whoever called didn’t leave one. I dried my hands and checked to see who the missed call was from. It was Grace, and the impatience she’d shown had been a little out of character for her.

I called her back, and she picked up on the first ring. “Hey. What’s up?” I asked.

“I tried calling you, but you didn’t answer.”

“I’m doing dishes. Where are you?”

“Out front. Any chance there’s any coffee left, and maybe a donut or two?”

“Hang on,” I said as I walked out into the dining area. I waved to her, hung up my phone, and unlocked the door.

“Hey,” she said, “you hung up on me.”

“I didn’t think there was any need to stay on the phone with you standing right in front of me,” I said with a smile.

“Why are you doing dishes and not Emma?” she asked.

“I let her take off early,” I explained. “Care to join me?”

“First the coffee, then the treat, and then maybe I’ll be decent company.”

I studied her a moment, and then asked, “Grace, did you just get up?”

“Hey, I’m on vacation, remember? I’m entitled to sleep in a little.” She took a bite of one of the donuts I had left, a peanut-coated cake that I loved myself. I’d saved it for a snack for later, but I could always make more tomorrow, and Grace looked as though she needed it right now.

As I finished drying the last rack, I asked, “Any thoughts on what we should do today?”

“I’d like to focus on Hannah and Evelyn,” she said.

“Okay, that sounds good,” I said. “Why don’t we talk to their neighbors first and see if they have any thoughts about Cam’s murder. Who knows? Maybe someone can give us a reason we should look at one of them harder than the other.”

“I like it,” Grace said. “Do you have any more donuts left?”

I scanned the counter and saw three boxes. After peeking under each lid, I said, “We’ve got thirty-one.”

“Box them in half-dozen lots, and we’ll use them as bribes.”

“What should we do with the odd one that’s left?” I asked as I did as she suggested.

The lone holdout was a plain cake donut with no icing or glaze. I made a handful every day, knowing that some of my customers loved them. Grace looked at it for a second, and then shook her head. “No, one is all I can eat. You can have it.”

I laughed. “Trust me, I eat enough over the course of the day. Let’s give someone a bonus,” I proposed, slipping it into one of the boxes. It was a tight fit, but I had a feeling that whoever got it wouldn’t mind a spare.

I couldn’t figure out why the register wouldn’t balance, and then I remembered the twenty I’d given Emma. I marked it as “employee bonus,” made out my deposit slip, and then we were ready to go.

As Grace and I loaded the boxes into my Jeep, I wondered if we were getting any closer to figuring out who had killed Cam, and why. Jake had a hunch he was on the right trail, but I was nowhere near as confident myself.

Maybe today would offer a clue we hadn’t been able to discover yet.

I could only hope. I wanted to be back with my boyfriend without hiding like a couple of teenagers afraid they might get caught.

*   *   *

Evelyn’s place was closer, but I knew I was in no hurry to question her neighbors, so I started to drive past her house. The odd thing was, though, there was a patrol car parked in front as we approached it. Were they making an arrest already? I was about to pull in when I saw her front door open and Chief Martin stepped outside. He looked embarrassed to be caught leaving his former abode, something that made me wonder what exactly he was up to. When he saw us, he blushed as he hurried to his patrol car.

I decided I didn’t know how to deal with it, so I kept driving toward Hannah’s place.

“Is the police chief actually cheating on your mother?” Grace asked. “With his ex-wife, of all people?”

I didn’t want to go where she was thinking. “What are you talking about?”

“Come on, Suzanne. He’s sneaking out of her house. Did you see how guilty he just looked when we caught him?”

“Grace, your imagination is on overtime right now. I may not be the police chief’s biggest fan, but I can’t imagine he’d ever step out on Momma. Think about it. Would you trade my mother for ten Evelyns?”