Evil Éclairs

by Jessica Beck

  I’d worry about that later. The only way I’d be able to fix it would be to get my customer base back, and I had a hunch that meant solving Lester Moorefield’s murder. As I locked the door after we walked out onto the sidewalk, Grace asked, “Wasn’t George supposed to meet us here, or did he already come by?”

  “No, I haven’t seen him all day. Let me give him a call.”

  “Let’s at least get in my car first,” Grace said. “I don’t want anyone to overhear you.”

  “I’ve talked to George in public before,” I said.

  “Indulge me,” she answered.

  I did as she asked, and the second we got to her car, I dialed George’s telephone number.

  There was no answer, just four rings, and then it went to voice mail.

  I waited for the beep, and said, “George, it’s Suzanne. Grace and I are leaving Donut Hearts. Hopefully we’ll catch up with you soon.”

  “That’s odd,” I said as I hung up.

  “What’s that?”

  “George didn’t answer his phone.”

  Grace shook her head. “He’s a big boy, Suzanne. George can take care of himself.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  As we drove to city hall, I couldn’t help wondering what circumstances would keep George from touching base with us. Was he in trouble, or was he just involved in something at the moment that required his attention? Either way, I couldn’t wait to speak with him again. I relied on George’s advice and input, but most of all, I needed his heart. He’d believed in me in the past when everyone else had thought I was crazy, and I could use a little of that right now. I thought about calling Jake, but if he really was still asleep, I didn’t want to be the one who woke him.

  * * *

  “Ladies, it’s always a pleasure to see you.” Cam Hamilton stood as we walked in, and the politician in him made him shake hands with both of us before we could sit down. Cam had been a high school football star once upon a time, but in the twenty years since, he’d added fifty pounds to his leanest playing weight. His hair hadn’t changed, though, carefully cut and styled as always, and I doubted a trip through a wind tunnel would move a single hair out of place. Cam was a building contractor who specialized in small jobs. That left him plenty of time to pursue his passion of being our mayor, which was clear to anyone who knew him.

  He frowned slightly as he said, “Funny, Polly didn’t tell me I had visitors.”

  She hadn’t been at her post, so we’d decided to barge on in and, hopefully, catch him off guard. “No one was out front,” I said.

  “That’s fine,” Cam said, though it was obvious it was anything but okay with him. “What can I do for you?” he asked once we were settled in.

  “Lester Moorefield really went after you in an editorial not long ago, didn’t he?”

  Cam looked a little startled by the abruptness of Grace’s question. I had planned on being a little smoother in bringing it up, but there was no going back now.

  “We all know Lester was full of bluster,” Cam said good-naturedly. “He loved stirring things up.”

  “What exactly did he say about you?” I asked. “I know it had something to do with where the new library is being built, but I was hoping you might be able to elaborate on what he said on the air.”

  Cam’s smile faded, but only slightly. “Forgive me, but I’m curious why that concerns either one of you.”

  “Just think of us as a couple of civic-minded individuals,” Grace said. How she kept a straight face, I’ll never know.

  Cam nodded. “The fact that folks around town are under the impression you had anything to do with his demise notwithstanding.” He’d been looking directly at me as he’d said it.

  “The question is still valid. There was a kernel of truth to everything Lester said in his editorials.”

  “So, you admit that you sell poison?”

  “Any treat is harmful in excess,” I said, weary of having to repeat that same argument over and over again. “It was some of the truth, just not all of it. What part of his editorial about you was true?”

  Cam clearly didn’t like me turning the tables on him. “Not a single word of it. I had nothing to do with the library placement. Look it up. It’s a matter of public record.”

  “How did you feel about him after his attack on you?” I asked. “You must have been even madder than I was.”

  Cam tried to laugh it off. “Ladies, I get attacked all the time, and my motives are questioned as a matter of course. It’s one of the prices we civil servants pay for serving our communities.”

  “Are you trying to tell us you didn’t talk to him after he lambasted you?” I asked. “Excuse me, but I find that hard to believe.”

  “We spoke,” Cam reluctantly admitted. “What was said was between the two of us, though.”

  “I’m sure Chief Martin would be interested to hear it.”

  Cam sat up a little straighter in his chair. “Don’t kid yourself. After all, the chief works for me.”

  “Funny, I thought we elected him.”

  “Of course,” Cam quickly amended. “But he answers to me directly.”

  It was clear Grace wasn’t going to let that go. “Do you believe that because of your position he’s afraid to question you about the murder? Have you intimidated him that much?”

  “Not at all,” Cam said, clearly unhappy with the turn our talk had taken. He shuffled some papers on his desk, then said, “You’ll have to forgive me, but I’ve got some rather pressing business I need to take care of. Was there anything else?”

  “Just one thing,” I said. “Where were you the night Lester was murdered?”

  Cam grinned at me. “Good afternoon, ladies.”

  I was all for sitting there until he answered our question, but Grace stood, and I had no choice but to follow suit. Once we were outside, I asked, “Why did we just give up so quickly? I could have stayed there all day if it meant getting an answer to our question.”

  “That’s the problem, though. He wasn’t about to tell us. If the mayor’s going to give anyone his alibi, it’s going to have to be our police chief.”

  “That doesn’t exactly comfort me,” I said. “Even if he gets one, the chief’s not about to share it with us.”

  “We’ve given the mayor something to think about,” Grace said. “What more could we do?”

  “I suppose you’re right,” I said reluctantly, “but I don’t have to like it. There’s something about that man I’ve never fully trusted.”

  “Could it be that he’s a politician?”

  “Maybe,” I replied. “He was lying; I’m sure of it.”

  “Probably, since his lips were moving,” Grace said. “We need more information before we tackle him again.”

  “Any idea where we might find some?” I asked.

  “You’re the brains behind this group. I’m just a foot soldier.”

  “More like an actress and an instigator,” I said.

  “I’ve been called worse, believe me.” She hesitated when we got back to her car. “I mean it, Suzanne. You’re so much better at figuring things out than I’ll ever be. Where do you think we should go next?”

  “The number of people who wanted Lester to come to harm is staggering, isn’t it? So far, we’ve got three people he went after on the radio, we’ve got his estranged wife, we’ve got former investors he robbed, and others still. I wonder why he was on the outs with that builder?”

  “We could always find out,” Grace said. “Who knows the man?”

  “We’ll have to ask Cara,” I said. “She produced all of Lester’s broadcasts.”

  As we drove toward the radio station, my telephone rang. I’d had it set to laughter at one point, and then to a song I loved, but I’d grown tired of both of them, so for the moment, it was a simple ring, the same sound I’d loved growing up. That was before the telephone brought bad news into my life; as a child, I’d always wondered who was calling our home, and what news they were
bringing.

  “Hello,” I said.

  “Hey, Suzanne.”

  “Jake,” I answered, “I wondered if I was ever going to hear from you today. Boy, when you go on vacation, you really go all out, don’t you? Did you just get up?”

  His voice wasn’t happy when he replied. “I wish. No, I’ve been up since eight. I got a call from my boss. He canceled my vacation. It turns out I’ve got a case.”

  “That’s terrible,” I said. “I was looking forward to spending a little time with you.” It had taken me some time to come to terms with my boyfriend’s demanding schedule, but it wasn’t all that easy getting someone to put up with my odd hours, so I really couldn’t complain. “Where are you going, and how long will you be gone?”

  “That’s the thing. I’m not going anywhere. I’ve been assigned to Lester Moorefield’s murder investigation.”

  CHAPTER 9

  “What?” I asked incredulously. “Jake, I’m in this thing up to my eyebrows.”

  “I know that,” he said. At least he was upset by it, too. “My boss was very specific. I’ve been ordered to give Chief Martin any assistance I can.”

  “You’ve got a conflict, though,” I said. “Doesn’t your boss realize that?”

  There was dead silence on the other end of the line, and something suddenly occurred to me. “He does know we’re dating, doesn’t he?”

  “Suzanne, my supervisor could care less about my love life. Even if I told him about you, I doubt it would change anything.”

  “You have to try, Jake.” Working on a case had brought us together, but it had also nearly torn us apart in the past. But maybe I wasn’t looking at this the right way. Jake was good at what he did, and I wasn’t above getting another helping hand. After all, I had no trouble with Grace and George pitching in. “You don’t have any choice. I can see that. Is there any way we can work together on the case?”

  “You have to be reasonable, Suzanne,” he said, a request I’d never enjoyed hearing from anyone, let alone my boyfriend. “I’m working in my official capacity as an investigating officer. I can’t just feed you whatever I uncover.”

  “I can see that,” I said, “but there’s got to be some way we can work together, at least a little.”

  There was a pause, and then he said, “I might be able to tell you if you’re working on a dead end, but I’m not sure what else I can do.”

  “If that’s the best you can do, I’ll take it.” We were nearing the radio station parking lot. “Listen, I’ve got to go.”

  “I’m not trying to be stubborn about this,” he said.

  “I know,” I answered, and then hung up.

  “So, I take it your boyfriend is on the case, too,” Grace said as I hung up the telephone.

  “We can’t let that stop us. Jake is good at what he does, but so are we. I still think we can help solve this case.”

  “And how do you think he’s going to feel about that?”

  “I’m not sure. Why don’t we ask him? He’s sitting in the radio station parking lot,” I answered as I pointed to my boyfriend, leaning against the side of his car.

  We parked, and then approached him.

  “Have any tidbits to share so far?” I asked him with a big grin.

  “It’s a little too early for that.”

  I nodded, and then gestured to the radio station. “Is Cara inside?”

  “Why do you ask?”

  “We’re old friends,” I said.

  With a wry smile, he said, “You’re going to keep digging into this, even with me on the case.” When I didn’t say anything, he asked, “Aren’t you going to answer me?”

  “I didn’t hear a question anywhere in there,” I replied, returning his smile. I glanced over at Grace, who pretended to be on a telephone call. I knew better. There was no way she was going to miss this exchange.

  Jake took a deep breath, and then asked, “Suzanne, are you going to keep investigating this case, even though I’ve been assigned to it?”

  “I’m just asking my friends some questions,” I said. “Surely there’s nothing wrong with that.”

  “Just try to stay out of trouble, okay?”

  “Hey, I’m not making any promises,” I said.

  After he left, Grace’s telephone call magically ended. “What was that all about?” she asked me.

  “Don’t try to act innocent with me. You were eavesdropping.”

  “Of course I was,” she answered with a smile. “But I didn’t catch that last part, and that’s the best part of the scene. How did it end?”

  “Well, he didn’t lock us up,” I said as I started toward the station door.

  “He’s not all that happy with you investigating, is he?”

  I shrugged. “He probably has a point, but I can’t worry about that right now.”

  Grace put a hand on my arm, and I stopped. She looked me in the eye and said, “Suzanne, this isn’t worth ruining your life over. Jake is capable, we both know that. Maybe we should step back and let him handle things.”

  I shook my head. “That’s not going to work. I know Jake is good at what he does, but he doesn’t know these people like we do. There’s not much chance they’re going to open up with him like they could with us. We can get to the bottom of this ourselves.”

  “If you’re sure.”

  “I don’t think we have much choice, do you?”

  As I buzzed the door for admission, a part of me wondered if Grace was right. Was I taking a chance of sabotaging my relationship with my investigation? Was I really just going after Lester’s killer, or was a part of me pushing Jake away? No, that was ridiculous. I was growing attached to the man; there was no way I wanted to get rid of him. But I meant what I’d said. I wasn’t going to try to do anything stupid like try to catch the killer myself without any backup, but if I could find out something that might help Jake and the police chief catch a murderer, I couldn’t stand by and do nothing. My business had already dropped off enough for me to feel it, and if Max hadn’t come along with someone else’s money earlier, I wouldn’t have made my basic expenses today. I had to do something.

  I just hoped that Jake realized that.

  His blessing was clearly too much to ask for.

  * * *

  “Cara, it’s Suzanne,” I said as she finally answered the buzzer.

  There was a long hesitation before she answered. “I’m sorry, but I’m tied up right now. I can’t really talk.”

  “This will just take a second,” I said.

  “Perhaps you could call for an appointment,” she said after another moment’s delay. “You have my number here, right?”

  Cara definitely sounded out of sorts. What was going on with her? “I do.”

  “Then I suggest you phone ahead next time.”

  Before I could reply, the intercom died.

  Grace looked at me quizzically. “What was that all about?”

  “I’m not sure, but I’m going to find out.” I punched in the directory on my phone and found her number. I’d used it in the past when dealing with Lester.

  When she answered, I asked, “Cara? Is everything okay?”

  “I’m sorry, but she’s out right now,” Cara said. “I expect her sometime after three, if you’d like to try again then. She’s purchasing a grill. You can speak with her then.”

  “You’d like to meet me at three at the Boxcar Grill, is that what you’re saying?”

  “Yes, that’s correct. Good-bye.”

  Grace hadn’t been able to hear Cara’s replies. “What’s going on?”

  I looked at my watch. “She’ll meet us at the Boxcar in an hour,” I said. “It’s all very cryptic, isn’t it?”

  “What should we do in the meantime?” Grace asked.

  “A hamburger might be nice,” I said as my stomach rumbled a little.

  “Food would be good,” she agreed, so we drove to the Boxcar to eat, and then wait for Cara. If we timed things right, we’d easily be finished by t
he time she arrived and we could pursue more leads.

  Trish met us at the door with a grin. “Good afternoon. It’s a little late in the day for lunch for you, isn’t it, Suzanne?”

  “Better late than never,” I said.

  “Especially if you’re coming here.” She waved a pair of menus in the air. “Is there any need for me to even bring these?”

  Grace smiled at her. “We can do better than that. You don’t even need to walk us to a table. We’ll order here and save you the trip.”

  “That’s what I like, powerful women who know what they want. Let me guess. Two cheeseburgers, fries, and a pair of Cokes.”

  I started to nod, and then said, “Let’s shake things up a little. Bring me a sweet tea instead.”

  “Make it two,” Grace said.

  Trish shook her head. “Sometimes it’s like I don’t even know you two anymore. Two teas coming right up.”

  We found a table away from the other diners and settled in. I loved the Boxcar Grill, and not just for its convenience and its cuisine. There was something about the old railcar that fit in nicely with my converted train depot, and I felt it was a kindred spirit to Donut Hearts.

  Just after we’d sat down, Emily Hargraves, the pretty brunette who ran Two Cows and a Moose Newsstand, came in.

  “Hey Emily,” I called out. “Want to join us?”

  “If you’re sure you don’t mind,” Emily said. “I already ordered. Sometimes I don’t mind eating alone, but I almost didn’t come in here today. It can get old, can’t it?”

  “That’s why Grace and I are together so much,” I said. “It’s never lonely with two.”

  Grace jumped into the conversation. “How are the guys doing?” The guys she was referring to were three stuffed animals Emily had had since she was a child, and which had provided the name for her newsstand.

  “They’re doing great. In fact, it’s about time to come up with some new outfits for them.”

  I laughed. “I can’t tell you how much I look forward to seeing them dressed up. Halloween was great.”