Donuts, Delights & Murder: An Oceanside Cozy Mystery - Book 1

by Susan Gillard

  “You’re real P.I.s? Do you have badges? Do you have guns?”

  “We have some ID cards,” Heather said. “But they’re in relation to the Hillside department.”

  She showed them to the young employee.

  “These are so cool,” he said. “It’s nice to meet you, Shepherd and Givens. Everyone calls me Digby around here.”

  “How long did you work for Percy Covens, Digby?” asked Heather.

  “About three years.”

  “Do you know anyone who would want to kill him?”

  "No," Digby said. "That's why this whole thing doesn't feel right. Everybody loved Percy. And everybody loved his food. That's why when Rankle said he had important information about the murder, I went. I didn't think he'd just accuse you for no reason. I thought he might know something."

  “Did Mr. Rankle and Percy Covens get along?” Amy asked, trying to hide her hope that he was behind it all.

  "Rankle is not especially beloved by anybody. He only likes the locals but can hold grudges against them too. He can hide it when he's trying to sell stuff in his shop, but he hates the tourists. I guess he considers you tourists."

  “Great,” said Amy.

  “But I think he and Percy got along all right. I really hoped that Rankle would have some information about the case, so I wouldn’t have to face the unhappy truth.” He turned away dramatically.

  “And what is that?” asked Heather.

  “That he’s dead because of me,” Digby said.

  “Because of you?” asked Amy.

  “Did you poison him?” Heather asked, prompting him to tell the whole story.

  "No," said Digby. "But he wasn't supposed to be here. I was the one who called him back, and because he was here, he was able to be killed."

  “Where was he?” asked Heather.

  “He was on vacation for the week. He was with a woman he was seeing.”

  “We heard he was the street’s most eligible bachelor,” said Amy.

  "A lot of women did like him. You know, he was handsome, and he made great food. He did date a lot. But lately, he'd been seeing more of this one lady. I think her name was Eliza."

  Heather looked to Amy, and they both realized that they hadn't brought the tablet they normally took notes on about a case. That was a hazard of not completely unpacking your belongings and not planning on investigating a case. They were just going to have to remember Eliza's name and find a way to track her down. She might have a motive to murder her boyfriend.

  “It was serious?”

  “I don’t know,” said Digby. “He didn’t talk about his dates too often. We talked about work things. But, he didn’t like being interrupted on his vacation.”

  “Why did you interrupt him?” asked Heather.

  "Sunday night there was a problem with the refrigeration unit. It was something I had never encountered before. I called him for help."

  “It didn’t smell like rotten fish when we were in there,” Amy commented.

  "He had me get rid of anything that might spoil and then arrived Monday to fix it. He was going to return to his vacation after he made sure our opening went smoothly on Tuesday."

  “What time do people normally show up on Tuesdays?” asked Heather.

  "Percy might be there at any point in the morning to make sure things were set for the day and bring in the fresh fish. Then his staff would come in a half hour before we open. Everything is cooked fresh to order, so there isn't much prep needed by them in the morning. Originally, I was supposed to come in early Tuesday, but Percy told me not to bother. I was going to come in Tuesday at my normal time when I saw the crime scene tape. I wasn't sure what to do then."

  "So, the killer would have to have seen him sometime on Monday or on Tuesday morning to set up the poisoned drink," said Amy.

  “Who knew he was back?” asked Heather.

  “Not too many people,” said Digby. “He didn’t make a big announcement about being back because the reason for his return would have scared people away from the shop. They’d be afraid of bad fish. I didn’t tell anyone at work because I didn’t know how long he was staying around.”

  “So, if anyone knew he was there, it was because Percy Covens told them he was there himself. And that person could be the killer.”

  “Or it could be Digby,” said Amy.

  “No way,” he said. “With Percy gone, I’m out of a job. I don’t gain anything by his death.”

  “Who inherits the restaurant after his death?” asked Heather.

  “I don’t know. But Percy was the heart and soul of it. I don’t see how it could survive without him there,” he said. “But really, how can any of us survive without him there?”

  “Did he usually drink coffee in the morning from a mug?” Heather asked.

  "Yeah," Digby said. "He loved his morning coffee. And he often used a mug I got him the first Christmas I worked for him. It said #1 Boss on it. Why? Did that have something to do with his death?"

  “Thank you for your help,” Heather said. “We’ll be in touch if we have any more questions.”

  “I’d be happy to help,” he said. “And it doesn’t look like I’ll have anything else going on for a while. I’ll just be job searching.”

  Heather and Amy walked away.

  “Could he be any more dramatic?” Amy asked.

  Heather chuckled. “He was very helpful though. We have some new leads to follow.”

  “Right,” said Amy.

  “It would be really helpful if we could find out if the coffee was definitely what was poisoned,” said Heather.

  Her cell phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number but picked up and answered, “Shepherd.”

  Amy tried to guess who she was talking to based on one side of the conversation but was still unsure when she hung up.

  “Who was it?” asked Amy. “And where are we going?”

  “That was Detective Smith,” Heather answered. “He wants us to come into the station.”

  10

  Help!

  “I’m surprised you called us in,” Heather said.

  “Are you?” Detective Smith asked.

  “Definitely,” said Amy.

  “After the last time we spoke, I thought you didn’t want our help on the case,” Heather said.

  “But it’s nice to see you came to your senses,” Amy smiled.

  Detective Smith looked to his partner Peters who shrugged.

  “We didn’t call you in as back up,” Detective Smith said. “We wanted to talk to you because one of your neighbors has been accusing you of murder.”

  “He keeps calling the station,” Peters said. “He’s vehement and loud.”

  “Can he please be the killer?” Amy wished aloud. “Then we could send him off to jail.”

  “We thought we had better go through everything again,” said Detective Smith. “Both for appearances and to make sure that nothing was overlooked.”

  “It’s a shame all our neighbors think we’re the bad guys,” said Heather.

  “And they’d think it even more if they knew,” Peters started. “What we don’t tell civilians.”

  “No fair,” Amy said as Peters blushed. “Are you going to let him tease us like that?”

  “Why don’t you tell us if you noticed anything unusual near the scene of the crime?” Detective Smith said.

  “Nothing seemed out of place at the time,” said Heather. “Though we are new to the area.”

  “The door was unlocked, but that might not be weird because employees were going to come in soon,” said Amy.

  "Though the refrigerating unit was not working was unusual," said Heather. "Digby said he had never encountered a problem like that before."

  “Digby?” asked Peters.

  “Percy Coven’s assistant,” said Heather.

  “You spoke to his assistant?” asked Detective Smith. “That sounds like you’re investigating the case.”

  “Maybe we were just being neighborly and ex
pressing our condolences,” offered Amy.

  Heather decided to be honest. “Detective Smith, you’ve heard what Mr. Rankle has been saying. He’s the most vocal of the group, but that’s what everyone on the street is thinking. They all think that we’re murderers. I don’t like my name being dragged through the mud like that. And I don’t like to think what that could mean for my new business venture.”

  “They might start telling people the donuts are what killed the guy,” Amy said. “Would you buy a donut like that?”

  “No,” Peters said, answering the rhetorical question.

  “We helped solve a case for you before,” Heather said. “I’m disappointed you won’t accept our help now when this is starting to affect us personally.”

  Detective Smith thought about it. “Despite my explicit instructions not to help before, you did help us catch a killer last time you were here. I don’t expect I could stop you again. You’re licensed investigators now?”

  "Yes, indeedy," said Amy.

  “What do you think, Peters?” Detective Smith asked.

  “Me? You’re asking me what I think? Well, I think,” Peters stalled. “Maybe it might be all right to get their advice. They are in the middle of things now, aren’t they? What with the crumbs and all.”

  “The crumbs?” asked Heather.

  Detective Smith grumbled that information was revealed before they made their official decision to do so, but then said, “Some crumbs were found at the scene. Most likely from a donut.”

  “A Chocolate Hazelnut Donut?” Heather asked.

  “Yes, actually,” said Detective Peters. “The two ingredients identified were chocolate and hazelnut crumbs,”

  “Then it came from one of our sample donuts,” said Heather. “You know what that means?”

  “That Mr. Rankle is going to be even more convinced that we killed the guy?” said Amy.

  “It means that whoever killed Percy Covens took one of our donuts,” said Heather. “I think it was one of our work neighbors.”

  “Mr. Rankle?” Amy suggested.

  “I just hope that the donut wasn’t turned into a murder weapon,” Heather said.

  “No,” Peters said. “You were right before. The coffee contained Potassium Cyanide. It wasn’t the donut.”

  “So, we know how,” said Heather. “Now we just need to determine who.”

  Heather wasn’t the only one who wanted to determine who the killer was. A woman with curly blonde hair and mascara streaks from tears came up to them.

  “Who killed him?” She demanded through sobs. “You’re the detectives on the case, aren’t you? Who killed him? Who killed my Percy?”

  “Who are you?” Detective Smith asked.

  “I’m his fiancé,” she replied before sobbing.

  11

  Can I Ask You A Few Questions?

  The detectives led the woman to a seat and Heather provided her with a tissue.

  "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm not normally like this. I'm not one to cry. But now this week I've done it twice. Once when Percy proposed. And now again because he was taken from me. Who would do this?"

  “That’s what we’d like to find out,” Heather said.

  “What’s your name, miss?” Detective Smith asked.

  “Eliza Hawkins.”

  “Eliza,” Amy mouthed to Heather. “We found her.”

  “You were close to Percy Covens?” Detective Smith asked.

  “Of course, I was close to him,” she said. “I was going to marry him.”

  “That’s a big rock,” Amy said. “I mean, a beautiful ring.”

  "Thank you," the woman said. "He said I deserved the best and found this truly radiant ring for me. Of course, I'd trade it back for one more day with him."

  Peters was taking notes diligently.

  “You two were away on vacation together?” Heather asked.

  Detective Smith gave her a look. She knew more information than she was supposed to know.

  “Yes,” Eliza said, dabbing her eyes. “We went to Vermont. He told me it was to see the leaves change colors, but it was really so we could be alone together and so he could propose.”

  “That’s very romantic,” said Amy.

  “Had you been together long?” Heather asked.

  “Only a few months,” said Eliza. “But we both knew it was the real thing.”

  “We heard he was one of the most eligible bachelors,” said Heather. “That lots of women were interested in him.”

  “And that he was interested in lots of women?” Eliza asked.

  “Was he?” Heather asked gently.

  “I think he had been seeing many women for a while, but then things started to become more serious with us. He wanted to settle down. Isn’t that obvious? That’s why he proposed. He wanted to start a life with me.”

  "I'm so sorry that he was taken away from you," said Heather. "And I promise we will do everything we can to catch his killer. Do you know anyone who would want to harm him?"

  “No,” said Eliza. “Everybody loved him.”

  “All his employees?” Detective Smith asked.

  “Yes,” said Eliza. “He would tell me stories about his staff. He was very proud of them. Especially Digby. He was a great worker, even if he does have a flair for the dramatic.”

  “Digby was the one who called him back from his vacation?” Heather asked.

  “Yes,” said Eliza, sadly. “We were supposed to have a whole wonderful week together and then return to announce our engagement. But Digby called and said something was wrong with the fridges. Percy thought it was something he needed to deal with himself, so he came down to fix it.”

  “And you remained in Vermont?” Detective Smith asked.

  “Until I heard about his death, yes,” said Eliza.

  “Your whereabouts can be accounted for the entire time?” Detective Smith asked.

  “Just what exactly are you implying?” Eliza asked. “You think that I killed him?”

  “He has to ask that,” Heather said. “Significant others are always suspects at first. And you were Percy Covens’ most significant other.”

  "I suppose you're right," said Eliza. "I was in Vermont the whole time. I'm sure my movements could be accounted for somehow. I went hiking with another young woman I met there to pass the time, and I played tourist for a while."

  “We will check up on this,” Detective Smith said. “And I’m sure it will eliminate you as a suspect.”

  “But you do have suspects, don’t you?” Eliza asked. “You will catch whoever did this? I don’t think I can sleep knowing that Percy’s killer is out there.”

  “We have some suspects,” Peters said. “And we will catch the one who did this.”

  Eliza allowed herself to be handed more tissues and then left the station.

  “Poor lady,” Peters said.

  “It is really sad that he was killed right after he became engaged,” Amy said.

  “Yes,” Detective Smith said. “Could it have any bearing on the case?”

  “But who would have known about it?” Heather asked.

  “And why would getting married be a reason to kill someone?” asked Amy.

  “Was there anything else unusual found at the crime scene by the forensic team?” Heather asked.

  "It was a public restaurant, so I'm afraid that the fingerprints and DNA found at the scene are too contaminated. The only prints on the mug were Percy Covens," Detective Smith told them.

  “The only weird thing there was the donut crumbs,” said Peters.

  “And nothing strange on the victim?” asked Heather, grasping for clues.

  “Only his wallet that was filled with the usual bits and pieces,” said Detective Smith.

  This made Heather pause. “No cell phone?”

  “There wasn’t one found on his person,” said Detective Smith.

  “Is that important?” Peters asked.

  “Most people have cell phones these days. And if he was able to g
et the call from Digby about the refrigeration problem while on vacation, then I think he had a phone,” said Heather.

  “I’ll look into that right now,” Peters said, enthusiastically running off.

  “The phone missing is what makes it suspicious,” said Heather.

  “It is possible that he just forgot it that morning,” Detective Smith said. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

  “Too late for Peters,” said Amy.

  “A lot of things seem funny about this case,” said Heather. “Why did the killer decide to kill Percy Covens then? Who benefits from his death? And does the refrigeration unit have anything to do with the case?”

  "Would now be a bad time for an "Is your refrigerator running?" joke?" asked Amy.

  “Yes,” said Detective Smith.

  “I think we need to talk to our neighbors again,” Heather said. “One of them took the donut that could have left the crumbs at the crime scene.”

  “Which means,” said Amy. “That one of them is the killer.”

  12

  Such Helpful Neighbors!

  Mr. Rankle was massaging his sore leg behind the counter when Heather and Amy came in. Not seeing who they were at first, he was briefly pleasant.

  “I’ll be with you in just a minute,” he said. “This leg of mine likes to act up in times of stress. But then I can help you find what you need. What are you looking for today?”

  “Answers,” said Heather.

  Mr. Rankle groaned as he realized who was there. “I thought I told you both that I didn’t want you in my store.”

  “Well, we didn’t really appreciate you outside on our sidewalk, trying to lead a riot against us,” said Amy.

  “I can call the police,” he said.

  “Yeah. We’ve heard you’ve been doing that a lot,” Amy said.

  “Mr. Rankle, you could call the police and complain, but that won’t get us any closer to finding out what happened to Percy Covens,” said Heather. “You could call another police station, the one in Hillside, Texas. And then you would find out that Amy and I are private investigators who have helped on numerous murder cases before.”