Drop Dead Chocolate (8 page)

I found her on the couch, crying.

I moved to her quickly and put my arms around her. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she said, all evidence to the contrary. “This has turned into a horrible nightmare, and I keep hoping that I’m going to wake up and find it was all in my imagination. Seeing Cam dead like that was just so surreal.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” I said. “Just because you filed to run against him doesn’t mean that you had anything to do with his murder.”

“I’m dropping out, of course,” she said as she dabbed at her cheeks with a tissue.

I had to walk softly here. “Momma, you’re a grown woman, and I can’t tell you what you should do,” I said softly, “but think about it for a second. If you quit, who’s going to be our next mayor?”

“Evelyn Martin,” Momma said, a hint of distaste in her voice. “I don’t care. If she wants the job, she can have it.”

“I understand your reaction, but there’s no need to make a decision right now. Let’s take a few days and think about it.”

“Suzanne,” she said, looking hard at me, “I’m not going to change my mind.”

“The filing deadline has already passed,” I said, “so there’s nothing to be gained by quitting now. Just don’t say anything to anyone about what you’re going to do. Would you do that as a favor to me?”

“I don’t see the point, but very well,” Momma said. “Everyone in town must think I killed him. Why did it have to happen in my building?”

“I didn’t even know you owned it until today,” I said as I settled down on the couch beside her. “Who else knew?”

“It’s a matter of public record for anyone who wants to dig through the county books, but offhand I’d probably say that just Hannah knew for sure, since I bought it from her. Anyone else is strictly a matter of speculation.” Momma stood and began pacing. “Suzanne, you know I don’t usually approve of you meddling into police investigations, but I’m afraid you don’t have any choice this time. You need to find out who killed the mayor.”

“I will, but there’s some good news, too: Jake’s coming to town,” I said. “He’s been assigned the case.”

“How does that affect the two of you?” she asked. Leave it to Momma to worry more about my personal relationship than any of her own difficulties.

“We aren’t going to see each other while he’s investigating,” I explained. “It’s going to be tough, but there’s really nothing we can do about. I trust him, Momma.”

“As do I, but we both know full well that many of our fellow citizens won’t cooperate with his investigation. You need to get Grace and George and start poking around behind the scenes. Folks around here will talk to you.”

“Even if you’re a suspect in their minds?” I hated to say it like that, but I didn’t really have any choice. Momma and I weren’t big on tiptoeing around things, and it wasn’t the time to start now.

“Don’t you see? Because of that, you’ll have an easier time asking questions. You have a stake in the matter, after all.”

“I can’t believe you’re suggesting it, but I like it. What do you think Chief Martin is going to say about it?”

“It’s not his investigation anymore, is it? You worry about Jake and leave Phillip to me.”

“With pleasure,” I said. I shook my head and added, “I’ll tell you the truth: I really don’t want to see Evelyn Martin running April Springs. I’m not sure how you could do that to all of us. Let’s face it, she’d make a lousy mayor, and you know it. You could do better just by showing up once in a while.”

Momma nodded. “Perhaps you’re right, but if I do keep my name on the ballot, I won’t campaign. That means no signs, no badges, no ads. If folks want me, they’ll have to decide for themselves.”

It was a concession on her part, and I knew how hard it must have been for her to say it, but I couldn’t let it go at that. “Even Evelyn might beat you if she campaigns and you don’t. Folks have to know that you’re running, and you need to remind them that they have a choice.”

“That’s final, Suzanne. If you agree to no campaigning, then I won’t withdraw from the election. But if I see one flyer, one poster, or one yard sign with my name on it, I’m dropping out. Is that clear?”

“Hang on. I can’t stop other folks from campaigning for you if they decide to. It would be impossible to police all of April Springs looking for unauthorized campaign materials.” She was being unreasonable, but I could only push her so far.

“Perhaps, but I’m putting you in charge of it.” She touched my cheek gently and said, “Thank you. I wasn’t sure I could feel better, but you’ve managed to cheer me up a little. What do you say to some lemon chicken for dinner?”

“Do you really feel like cooking?” I asked as I got off the couch and moved over by the fireplace.

“What’s the alternative? Can you imagine me going anywhere out to eat without someone whispering behind my back?”

“You’ve got a point,” I said.

“Besides, cooking might help me take my mind off my troubles. You can … Never mind.”

“What were you going to say?” I asked.

“I was about to add that you could invite Jake, but that’s not within the rules, is it?”

“Don’t worry. We’ll have fun with just the two of us,” I said. “Do you need any help in the kitchen?”

“I’m fine. Why don’t you grab a quick nap if you can, and I’ll wake you when dinner is ready.”

“What makes you think I’m sleepy?” I asked as I fought off a yawn.

“Dear daughter, with your working hours, how can you not be? Now, go on and leave dinner to me.”

I wasn’t about to fight her, especially since I knew that if I kept talking, I might find a way to make it worse instead of better. I stretched out on the couch, and the next thing I realized, someone was knocking on our front door. For a split second I hoped that it was Jake, but I knew that he wouldn’t be paying me any surprise visits until this case was solved.

“I’ll get it,” I said as I stood and stretched for a second.

“That woke you, didn’t it?” Momma asked, coming out of the kitchen wearing her favorite apron.

“I needed to get up anyway,” I said.

She stayed long enough to see who it was, but the second she saw that it was Grace on the porch, she waved and then headed back into the kitchen.

When I motioned Grace inside, she asked, “Hey, got a second?” Grace clearly realized that I’d been taking a nap, most likely from my disheveled hair. “I woke you, didn’t I?”

“No, it’s fine. I had to get up anyway. What’s up? I thought you and Peter were spending the day together.”

“He left,” she said, looking sad as she admitted it.

“For good?” I asked.

“No, of course not. He was supposed to be on vacation, but his boss called him in to work. There’s some kind of business emergency and he’ll be gone at least a week, maybe more.”

I did my best not to smile too broadly at the news. “His loss is my gain, then.” I stepped aside and invited her in. “Would you like to stay for dinner?”

She took a deep breath, and I knew she was taking in the enticing aroma of Momma’s famous lemon chicken. “I shouldn’t,” she said.

Ignoring her, I yelled out, “Momma, can Grace stay for dinner?”

“Suzanne,” she said reprovingly as Momma came out.

“Of course she can. How are you, dear?” Momma asked.

“I’m fine. Sorry about what happened today.”

“As are we all,” Momma said. “Wash up, ladies. We’ll be eating in three minutes.”

Momma vanished back into the kitchen, and Grace turned to me. “Did I say the wrong thing just now?”

“With my mother, I doubt you could. She seems to cut you a great deal more slack than she ever did me,” I said with a smile. “You’re always welcome here, and you know it.”

“I know I haven’t been that great a friend lately,” she said as we took turns washing our hands in the hall powder room. “You know how I am when there’s someone new in my life. I tend to get a little tunnel vision.”

“I understand,” I said. “If I had a boyfriend who lived in town, I might be the same way.”

“Thanks for saying that, but we both know that’s not true. When you were married to Max, you still always managed to find time for me.”

“Well, I was married to Max, after all,” I said with a smile. “There were times when a little of him went a long way. You were my relief outlet.”

She smiled. “Still, I’ll try to do better from now on.”

“No worries, Grace. We’re good,” I said.

She lowered her voice as she asked her next question. “Has your mother said much about the murder?”

“She wanted to drop out of the race, but I think I talked her out of it,” I said softly enough so that Momma wouldn’t hear me.

“That would have been disastrous,” Grace said.

“Tell me about it. Can you imagine Evelyn Martin running our fair city? I’m already having nightmares about it.”

“I’m talking about her image,” Grace said. “If she quit now, it would look like she’s abandoning April Springs just when the town needs her.”

“Like I said, she’s agreed to run, but there’s one catch, and it’s a whopper.”

“What is it?” Grace asked.

“There is to be no campaigning for her of any sort,” I replied. “I told her that it’s not going to be easy keeping folks from spontaneously putting signs up, but she expects me to keep the town in check.”

“Good luck with that,” Grace said.

“I know.”

“Ladies,” Momma called out from the kitchen, “the food is on the table.”

Grace and I joined her, and after we sat down, we said a blessing, then prepared to eat. There was enough food on the table to feed half of April Springs, with two kinds of potatoes, yams, green beans, cranberry sauce, and, of course, Momma’s justifiably famous lemon chicken.

“This all looks so lovely,” Grace said. “Thanks so much for inviting me.”

“We’re pleased to have you,” Momma said.

As I filled my plate, I said, “You know, Jake would have really loved this.”

“You could always take him a plate,” Momma said.

“No, ma’am. They are his rules, and I’m going to make him live by them,” I said with a grin.

I’d had maybe three bites when there was a knock at the door. “Momma, did you invite anyone else to dinner?”

“Of course not,” she said. “Perhaps Jake changed his mind.”

“I doubt it. If I had to guess, I’m betting it’s the police chief. He probably smelled your chicken from the station,” I said as I got up and headed to the door.

It was neither man, though.

“George, come in,” I said as I saw my old friend.

“You’re eating,” he said. “I’ll come back later.”

“Who is it?” Momma called out from the dining room.

“George,” I said.

“Invite him in, Suzanne.”

I grinned at him. “You heard her. Come in.”

“I don’t want to impose,” he said, though I noticed that his attention was drawn to the delightful aroma coming from the other room.

“Please,” I said. “We have enough food to feed an army. Grace is here too, so come on. The more the merrier.”

He nodded. “If you’re sure.”

“You don’t want to offend Momma, do you?”

“Not a chance of that,” George said.

We walked into the dining room together.

“Hello, Dorothy,” he said, doffing a hat he wasn’t even wearing. I’d seen Southern men repeat that gesture all my life, and it never ceased to make me smile.

“George, come in. I’ll get you a plate.”

“No need, ma’am. I just wanted to have a word with Suzanne. I can come back after you’re finished.”

“George,” my mother said sternly. “I won’t ask you again. Sit.”

He did as he was told, a broad smile on his face. “Yes, ma’am. I won’t say no to you in your own house.”

As we ate, we discussed many things, but two topics were tacitly off the table: the upcoming election and the murder of our mayor.

After we were finished, Momma said, “I wish I’d baked a fresh pie.”

“I for one wouldn’t know where to put it,” I said.

She frowned as she studied the table. “I have some apple crisp in the refrigerator. I can warm it up and serve it with coffee and ice cream. Grace, would you or George like any?”

After they both declined, Momma stood and said, “Then I’ll just get started on the dishes.”

“We’ll help,” Grace said, and George and I echoed it.

“Ordinarily, I might take you up on it, but why don’t the three of you retire to the front porch? I’d like to keep busy, and I’m sure you’ve got things to discuss.”

“What do you mean?” Grace asked.

Momma smiled. “Don’t try to sound innocent to me, young lady. I’ve already told Suzanne that I approve of the three of you investigating Cam’s murder, and I expect that you have some planning to do.”

I kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks, Momma. It was fantastic.”

“Truly wonderful,” George said, and Grace added her own thanks for dinner.

Once we were outside, George said, “Your mother’s not as happy as she would like us to think.”

“It’s completely understandable,” I said. “She’s between a rock and a hard place right now. After having a pretty public fight with the mayor, he’s found murdered in a building she just happens to own. We need to clear this up, and fast.”

“Is Jake coming to give us a hand?” George asked. He’d worked with my boyfriend in the past on some of our impromptu investigations, and I knew how much he enjoyed it.

“Sorry, but he’s working for the other side this time. We’re on a break while he investigates, which honestly gives me even more incentive to find out quickly what happened to Cam. Do we have any thoughts about who might want to see him dead?”

George thought about it, and then said, “We can’t discount Hannah herself. She’s bound to still have keys to the building, so that gives her access.”

I recounted seeing them arguing in front of Donut Hearts, and Grace nodded. “Don’t forget, Evelyn used to work for Hannah, too, and if Cam tried to get in the way of her beating your mother for mayor, she might just be crazy enough to kill him.”

“It’s hard to imagine she’d go that far to get a job I doubt she really wants,” George said.

He clearly hadn’t seen the side of her that I had earlier. “It’s not about the job. It’s about punishing my mother for stealing her husband, no matter how crazy that might sound,” I said. “She has to go on our list. Anyone else?”