Fatally Frosted (18 page)

“I don’t know, I might feel a little peckish later.”

She smiled. “At least let me have a dozen.”

I handed her the box on the top. “Take it. The rest are going to the church.”

“I can’t do that,” she said. “Besides, I was only kidding. What are you going to do after you drop them off?”

“I’m coming straight back here,” I said. “If you’re up for it, we have something pretty challenging to do.”

That got her excited. “What do you have in mind? Are we going to slip into police headquarters and eavesdrop on the chief?”

“No, it’s much more dangerous than that,” I said as I flipped off the lights.

“Don’t keep me in suspense, Suzanne.”

I took a deep breath, then said, “We’re going to talk to Gabby next door and grill her for information.”

Grace frowned. “To tell you the truth, I’d rather go spy on the chief.”

“So would I, but this will do us more good. Gabby’s hiding something, and we need to know what it is. Right now, I feel like we’re stumbling around in the dark bumping into walls. If enduring Gabby for an hour is what it takes to set us back on the right course, then we’ll just have to get through it.”

“An hour? Really? That’s just cruel.”

I nodded. “At least there will be two of us.”

After stowing the donuts in the back of my Jeep, I dead-bolted the door behind us. Grace said, “I don’t suppose you’d believe me if I told you that there was somewhere else I had to be.”

“Not a chance,” I said as I locked my arm firmly in hers. “If I’m going in there, I’m taking you with me.”

After our quick donut delivery, we were parked back in front of my shop. Father Pete had been happy to get our offering, something I hadn’t been sure of, given my earlier reception from his secretary. Upon querying him about her, it turned out that she was taking a day off, and I made a mental note
to schedule my drop-offs on the same day she’d be gone.

Soon enough, though, it was time to brace Gabby in her shop and see what we could find out about her relationship with Peg.

This recipe is reminiscent of the county fair, and makes for a quick, light snack that always leaves the kids begging for more. We don’t use our portable fryer for these, because the batter gets stuck in the wire cage before it can fry. Instead, we opt for a big pot of oil on the stove where this isn’t a problem. The family especially likes it when I use a large plastic funnel to add the batter directly into the hot oil!

• 2½ cups all purpose flour

• 2 eggs

• 1¼ cups 2% milk

•
cup granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• Powdered sugar for topping

• Canola oil at 360 degrees F

In a bowl, beat the eggs lightly, then add the milk and sugar, mixing it all together thoroughly.

In a separate bowl, sift together 1½ cups of the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Gradually add the dry mix to the wet and combine it all to get a smooth, batter consistency.

Next, add the mix to a large funnel (with an opening about ½ inch), putting your finger over the opening as you do. Carefully drop a string of the batter into the oil, but be cautious here, since the oil is extremely hot, and the addition of the batter can cause it to spatter. You can add it as a swirl, long lines, or any pattern you like.

Check and turn when gold on one side, then remove onto paper towels to shed excess oil. Add a dash of powdered sugar, cocoa, or jam, and eat it while it’s still warm.

Yield: Makes 3–6 funnel cakes

“Ladies, I don’t appreciate you coming into my shop so that you can gang up on me. I’m not some defenseless little lamb. I’m fully aware of what you’re trying to do.”

It hadn’t taken Gabby long to figure out that we were there to question her, and not shop in her store. Once she realized why we were there, the courteous shopkeeper was replaced by the indignant interview subject.

“Gabby, we keep telling you, we’re here for your help, not to accuse you of anything,” Grace said. My friend, normally deft when it came to dealing with people, had somehow managed to raise Gabby Williams’s ire from the very start, and the more she spoke, the more defiant Gabby became.

“Forgive me if I don’t believe either one of you,” Gabby said harshly.

It was time to step in and see if I could make things any better. Chances were good that I couldn’t make them any worse, which gave me a certain freedom to try a different approach, namely, the truth.

I held up my hands. “Okay, fine. I admit it. You’ve got us. We need to know some things that have been
going on around town, and you’re the only one who can help us.”

Grace’s cell phone rang, and after she glanced at the number, she said, “Excuse me. I’ve got to take this.”

After she stepped outside, I told Gabby, “That wasn’t fair of us to gang up on you like that,” I said simply. “I apologize.”

She looked at me skeptically. “Why should I believe that you’re being sincere?”

“Why shouldn’t you?” I countered, trying my best to convince her of my sincerity. “I’m putting all my cards on the table. Will you help me?”

I watched her struggle with how to respond to my plea, and even when her mouth opened to speak, I still wasn’t sure how she’d react.

Finally, she smiled. “I must say, I do appreciate your honesty. I’ll help you if I can. What is it you want to know?”

Pay dirt. “Tell me about Peg, Janice, and Marge. I’d like anything you know about Burt Gentry, and how they all may be interconnected.”

“You’re not asking much, are you?”

I laughed. “I know I’m being pushy, but you’re the best shot I have at clearing my name. You’ve got to know how important my reputation is to me.”

She nodded. “I understand.” Gabby thought about it for a minute, then she added, “Janice is the vice chairperson of the kitchen tour. Were you aware of that?”

“No, I had no idea,” I confessed, wondering what that had to do with anything.

Gabby went on. “Peg often had someone take the
second chair on paper, but it was always strictly an honorary position.” She studied me for a moment, then asked, “Don’t you find that odd?”

“I don’t know. Should I?” Where was this going? I had no choice but to play along and see where she was headed, but I had to admit, I was baffled by this new line of information.

“Suzanne, most honorary positions are at the head of the committee, while underlings do all of the work. Peg was just the opposite, zealously guarding her charitable functions like they involved state secrets. She withheld all the responsibilities from everyone, demanding that she do all of the work herself.”

“I still don’t understand,” I said, sounding like the dullest knife in the drawer, but not knowing what I could do about it.

“It was almost as if she were hiding something,” Gabby said, watching me closely to see if I was finally getting it.

“Ah,” I replied, still not sure of what she meant. What could Peg have been hiding?

“Naturally, Janice has been concerned about the situation, so she came to me the morning the tour was to begin. She thought I could help her, since I’d dealt with Peg before myself.”

Gabby sniffed again. “I told you Janice was quite rude about it.”

“You also said someone else was mean to you that day, remember?”

Gabby frowned. “I’m not about to forget.”

It was time to push her a little harder and see what she’d tell me. “It was Peg, wasn’t it?”

Gabby looked at me as though I’d slapped her. “What makes you say that?”

“It makes sense, that’s all.”

“Our last words were an argument,” she said, regret thick in her voice.

“On the day of the murder, you mean,” I said.

She couldn’t bring herself to speak as she nodded in agreement. After a moment, she said, “I told her we needed to talk, but she called me a bad name, and then hung up. That’s when you approached me.”

She looked at her hands a few moments, then added quietly, “I decided to have a word with Peg again myself, to see if I could clear the air a little. I wanted to give her the opportunity to explain herself before anyone else was involved.”

“Are you saying she was doing something she shouldn’t have been doing?” I was starting to see where she was going with this now.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“When did you two speak again?” I asked, barely able to contain myself.

“Just before she left for Marge’s house,” Gabby admitted.

“Do the police know about this? Have you spoken to them?” I couldn’t believe Gabby had held back any information, not even considering how important this might be.

“I wasn’t sure how it would look,” she admitted. “We shared some harsh words, and I know how Chief Martin can be when he finds a suspect he likes.”

I touched her hand lightly. “What exactly did you talk about?”

Gabby frowned. “She was angry, accused me of butting into her business. She threatened me, if you must know. I didn’t understand her overreaction; it was completely over the top in response to the simple questions I was asking.”

“Gabby, you’ve got to tell the police.”

She looked at me as though I were insane. “I can’t. I just told you, if I do that, it’s going to make me look guilty.”

I wasn’t about to let it go, though. “Just think how bad it’s going to look if you don’t come forward on your own, and someone else tells Chief Martin first.”

She pulled back from me. “Suzanne Hart, is that a threat?” There was an icy stillness in her eyes that made me shiver.

“No, you’ve misunderstood me. I would never tell him without your permission. I won’t violate your trust. But someone else might have seen you two talking. Do you really want the chief coming after you?”

“I suppose not,” she said reluctantly. “You’re probably right. Every time the door opens here or the telephone rings, I think it’s going to be the police. I haven’t slept a wink since the day of the murder.”

“Gabby, would you like me to be here when you talk to Chief Martin?”

Her look of horror was easy enough to read. “Why on earth would I want that? I’m a grown woman. I can speak with him myself.”

I looked at my watch, then said, “Why don’t you call a lawyer to be beside you, then?”

“I don’t need an attorney. I’m not the one who did something wrong.” She hesitated, then added, “You
are right about one thing, Suzanne. It’s best to resolve this, and to do it quickly. I’ll call Chief Martin right after you leave.”

I felt bad leaving her alone to face the police chief, but her negative reaction to my suggestion that I should stay was pretty apparent, and I didn’t feel like getting shot down again.

“It’s the right thing to do,” I said as I walked toward the door.

She said so softly I could barely hear her, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

I walked outside, and Grace was pacing back and forth in front of the used clothing shop. “What happened?”

“Why didn’t you come back in after you were finished with your phone call?”

“I thought you might have more luck in there without me. Did you?”

I smiled softly at her. “As a matter of fact, I did. She’s calling the police right now.”

“Why on earth would she do that?”

“It appears that Gabby had an argument with Peg the morning she was murdered,” I said lightly.

“How did you find that out? Did she actually tell you that? You’re good, Hart, I’ll give you that.”

I kept looking for a police cruiser, but as the time ticked past, I was beginning to wonder if Gabby had undergone a change of heart.

“How did you get her to talk to you?” Grace asked.

“I told her the truth, and then I just stayed there and listened,” I admitted.

She nodded. “I never thought to try that with
Gabby.” As her gaze matched mine out the front window, she asked, “What were they fighting about, did she say?”

“It appears that Peg made sure that her position as chairwoman handled all of the work, and her vice chair was strictly an honorary position.”

“How odd. Usually it’s the other way around.”

I stared at her for a second. “Does everyone in the world know that but me?”

Grace said, “If you didn’t go to bed by eight every night and took the time to join a committee now and then, you’d know it, too. I wonder why Peg didn’t give up any of the responsibilities? It must have been a ton of work.”

“That’s the same thing Gabby and Janice Deal were wondering.” I saw a patrol car approaching, and for once, it stopped in front of Gabby’s shop instead of mine. As the chief got out and started to walk inside, he glanced over at us, and was clearly surprised to see Grace and me both on the couch watching him.

Without any formal plan, we both waved to him, nearly in unison.

He shook his head without responding, then walked into ReNEWed.

“Now what?” Grace asked.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m not going anywhere until he comes out again.”

“Sounds good. I just wish we had some popcorn while we’re waiting,” Grace said.

“This isn’t a movie. It’s real life.”