Assault and Batter

by Jessica Beck

  “I’m afraid you’d get arrested if you did that,” I said as I poured him a cup of coffee and grabbed a plain cake donut for him.

  “Maybe so, but I bet I’d be reelected in a landslide if I showed that bunch some discipline.” He took a sip of coffee, smiled, and then he added, “Not that I want this crazy job again.”

  “Aren’t you going to run for reelection?” I asked. My mother had basically tricked George into becoming mayor, but he was the best one that we’d ever had, and I for one would hate to lose him.

  “I don’t know. It’s too soon to say.”

  “George, your term is about up. Surely you’ve got to make up your mind soon one way or the other.”

  “You’re starting to sound like Polly now,” he said then took a bite of donut.

  “Does she want you to run again?”

  “So she says. Personally, I think that she should run herself. She does most of the work now anyway; she might as well have the title and the fancy office that goes along with it.”

  “Did you suggest that to her?” I asked him.

  “I did, and she laughed for three solid minutes before she could get her breath again. She claimed that she enjoyed being the power behind the throne, but I know better. She’s too smart to ever run for mayor.”

  “Then I guess you’re stuck with it,” I said with a grin. Things were quiet so far, and though I would have liked having more business, it was nice being able to spend time with my old friend.

  “Maybe so, but don’t forget, you’ve got a sharp detective’s mind right here at your disposal,” he said as he tapped his temple with a thick and meaty finger. “Say, for instance, you’d like to talk about Jude Williams’ murder case with someone with experience in investigating homicides, you wouldn’t have to go far.”

  “Don’t offer unless you’re willing to let me take you up on it,” I said.

  “Suzanne, nothing would make me happier,” he said.

  We were still alone, and Emma was in back washing dishes. There was no doubt in my mind that her music was cranked up to a volume high enough to completely block out our conversation.

  “Okay, here goes,” I said, and I started to bring him up to date on what Grace and I had learned so far.

  After I listed my suspects and my reasons for suspecting them, George whistled softly under his breath. “Wow, I didn’t realize so many people around here had a reason to kill Jude Williams. The chief must be going crazy tracking down leads.”

  “I haven’t seen much of him lately,” I admitted. “Momma hasn’t, either, so you know he must be busy.”

  “I wonder how your two lists compare,” George said.

  “We’ll probably never know, since we don’t always compare notes.”

  George looked surprised by that. “I thought that you two had hammered out some kind of way to investigate without stepping on each other’s toes.”

  “What makes you think that?” I asked him.

  “Isn’t it true?”

  “That’s beside the point. Have you been keeping tabs on me, George?”

  He shrugged. “I might have asked a question or two around the precinct,” he admitted. When he saw me staring at him, George was quick to add, “Suzanne, are you really all that surprised?”

  “No,” I said, and then added a laugh. “You just can’t help yourself, can you?”

  “Apparently not. So, where do you go from here?”

  “Grace and I are going to keep digging until we uncover something that points toward a killer.”

  “And you’re sure that you don’t need my help?” George asked.

  “Don’t you have your hands full running April Springs?”

  He scratched his chin. “Ordinarily I’d say that it runs itself, but with Polly gone, I’m up to my eyebrows in work. I don’t know how she does it.”

  “Maybe you should give her a raise when she gets back,” I suggested.

  “Maybe you’re right.”

  “So, do you have any advice for me, George?”

  “Just be careful, Suzanne. There’s a killer on that list of yours; you can be sure of it. I wouldn’t be alone with any of them, and that includes Gabby.”

  “Do you honestly think that she might have killed her own nephew?” I asked. I couldn’t fathom the circumstances that it could be true. I knew Gabby, and she wasn’t a killer.

  “If folks knew how many homicides were committed by family members, they’d never be able to sleep at night,” he said.

  “Okay. I’ll be careful.”

  “And not just around Gabby. You need to watch your back with all of them, including Max.”

  I was surprised yet again. “There you’re way off base, George. My ex-husband is many things, but he’s no murderer. I would swear to that under oath.”

  “Suzanne, what does Max want more than anything in the world right now?” George asked me.

  I didn’t even have to think about it. “He wants to marry Emily.” It didn’t bother me to say it. I was well and truly over my ex-husband, and as a matter of fact, I was happy that he’d been able to find someone he cared about the way that I cared about Jake.

  “And what would he do if someone tried to stop that from happening? Don’t answer me; just think about it,” George said as he finished his donut and emptied his coffee.

  “I honestly don’t know. I suppose it depended on how desperate he was.”

  “That a girl. Now you’re thinking like a cop.”

  “I sure hope not,” I said. “No offense intended.”

  “None taken,” the mayor said with a shrug. “Out of curiosity, why would that be such a bad thing?”

  “The police are already working on the case. The only thing I bring to the table is coming at the investigation from a completely different perspective. If I lose that, then I’m going to stop investigating murder and leave it to the professionals.”

  “What are the odds of that happening?” he asked with a grin.

  “Not very good,” I admitted. “How about another donut and a refill?” I asked him as I reached for the coffee pot.

  “I’d better not,” he said as he patted his stomach.

  “I’m impressed,” I said as I put the coffee pot back.

  “Don’t be. I promised Polly that I’d behave myself, so I’m going to fight off all of the temptation that comes my way.”

  “That doesn’t sound like much fun,” I replied with a smile.

  “It’s just the price I pay for being so virtuous,” he said as he grinned at me.

  As he pulled out his wallet, I reminded him, “It’s my treat, remember?”

  “But I didn’t help you,” he protested.

  “Nonsense. I asked for some advice, and you gave it to me. Fair is fair.”

  “At least let me leave you a tip,” he said.

  “No, sorry; that’s part of the deal.”

  “Fine, have it your way,” George said as he put his wallet back in his pocket.

  “Any final words of direction before you go?” I asked him as I walked him to the door.

  “Yes. I’d focus on Reggie if I were you.”

  “Not Frank?” I asked, surprised by the advice. “It sounds as though he has more motive than anyone else. Don’t you think that if Reggie were going to do something to avenge his daughter, he would have done it by now?”

  “Not necessarily. Seeing Jude again could have brought everything back for him, all of the pain that he’s suffered over the years. It’s been my experience that people sometimes snap years later, but the devastation is just the same. He lost his daughter, and he blamed Jude for it. There’s no stronger motive as far as I’m concerned.”

  “Okay,” I said. “I’ll keep him in mind.”

  “Do that. One more thing, Suzanne.”

  “Yes?” He looked a little embarrassed by what he had to say next.

  After ten seconds, I said, “George, we’ve been friends too long for you to pull any punches. What’s going on?”

>   “I wasn’t supposed to say anything, but Jake called me last night.”

  That was odd. “What did he have to say?”

  “He told me that he had to take this Alaska assignment, and then he asked me to keep an eye out for you.”

  “So, this morning wasn’t just about my donuts?” I asked. It was sweet of Jake to worry about me, but I was a big girl, used to taking care of myself. I wasn’t exactly sure how I felt about him lining up reinforcements for me, but I knew that he was motivated by his love for me, so I decided to accept the gesture for what it was.

  “Suzanne, it’s always your donuts,” George said with a smile, obviously relieved that I hadn’t exploded. “The advice was just extra.”

  I kissed him on the cheek again. That was getting to be a habit lately, but I hoped that George didn’t mind.

  “What was that for?” he asked.

  “For telling me the truth,” I said.

  “You won’t mention this conversation to Jake, will you?” he asked.

  “No. We’ll consider it our little secret.”

  “I appreciate that. I’ve got a real fondness for that boyfriend of yours.”

  “I do, too,” I said with a smile.

  “I should hope so,” George said. He added in a more serious voice, “It will all work out, Suzanne. You just have to have faith.”

  “Thank you,” I said.

  After George was gone, I thought about all that he’d said to me, but nothing rang truer than his last bit of advice. I was determined to keep Jake in my life as long as he wanted to be there, no matter how far away he might be.

  Chapter 17

  Ten minutes before we were due to close, Chief Martin walked into the donut shop. He’d finally taken a break with his diet, and he’d even had a single donut twice in the past month, but I knew better than to think that he was off the diet wagon completely. Personally, I was glad that he’d stopped losing weight. I was actually starting to get worried about him.

  “Care for some coffee, or is this an official visit?” I asked him with a slight smile. There were a few customers in the shop, and I noticed a few of them perk up to hear the answer to my question.

  “Nothing official. I just had a craving for a lemon-filled donut. Do you happen to have any left?”

  I checked the racks, and I found one last donut that fit the bill. “You’re in luck. Would you like some coffee, too?” I asked.

  “Why not?” he asked.

  I noticed that we’d quickly lost the attention of my customers as they went back to their own conversations. I knew from experience that the rumor mill in April Springs was alive and well, but for once, I was glad not to be a subject of gossip around town.

  As I got him his donut and coffee, he sat down in the seat George had occupied nearly five hours before. I was suddenly getting a lot of attention, and I couldn’t help but wonder if their visits were related. “Did Jake call you last night by any chance?”

  “Why would he?” the chief asked as he took a small bite of his donut.

  “Has the mayor called you, then?” I asked.

  The chief put his donut back down. “Suzanne, what have you been up to?”

  “Me? Nothing. At least nothing that you don’t already know about. Why do you ask?”

  “First you want to know if Jake called me, and then you ask me about the mayor. It sounds to me as though you’re up to something.”

  “Yeah, I can see that,” I said with a smile. “Sorry.”

  “That’s okay,” he said. “How are you holding up?” he asked in a softer voice.

  “I’m a little bit tired, but that’s to be expected. I’m about to end a long shift on my feet.”

  “That’s not what I meant,” he said. “Don’t worry. It will be fine.”

  “I’m going to kill my mother,” I said as I put it together and reached for my cellphone.

  “Hang on a second,” Chief Martin said, clearly alarmed by my threat. “Why would you do that?”

  “She obviously told you that Jake was gone,” I said. “I can’t believe that she’d do such a thing.”

  “She didn’t,” the chief said plainly.

  As I put my cellphone back in my jeans, I asked, “Then who did?”

  “I really can’t say,” he answered.

  “It was Jake,” I said.

  “I never said that.”

  “No, but you didn’t deny it. Why did you just lie to me?” I asked him, unhappy with this conversation in general.

  “I never lied,” he said.

  “I asked you if Jake called you,” I said loudly. We were getting some attention again, but I didn’t care at that point.

  “And I asked you why would he? Suzanne, I never lied to you.”

  “You avoided the question completely, though, didn’t you?”

  “Gosh, it’s a good thing you’ve never done that with me,” the police chief said with a smile.

  I wanted to feel a little righteous indignation, but I couldn’t muster any up, especially since he was dead right about me. I smiled back at him. “Point well taken. Now that we’ve got that settled, let’s just assume that Jake called you and asked you to keep an eye on me while he was gone.”

  He nodded as he said, “I’m sorry, but I can’t confirm or deny that.”

  “Got it. I’m fine, by the way. Thanks for checking up on me. How’s your investigation going?”

  “We’re muddling through. And you?” he asked as he took a sip of coffee. Two small bites of donut were gone, but the majority of it was still there on his plate.

  “It’s slow going, but then I don’t have to tell you that.” I gestured to his plate. “Is something wrong with that donut?”

  “No, it’s delicious. I’d just better not eat the whole thing.”

  “Go on, live a little,” I said with a grin.

  “That is exactly how I ended up bursting out of my uniform in the first place,” he said as he pushed the plate away.

  I got rid of it so it wouldn’t tempt him anymore. “I wish I had your willpower,” I said.

  “I have the best incentive in the world,” he said.

  “What’s that? Would you care to share?”

  “Can’t you guess?” he asked.

  “Momma,” I answered.

  “Bingo.” After taking another sip of coffee, he asked softly, “Is your list as long as mine is?”

  “I don’t know. Are we sharing again?” I asked him.

  “I wouldn’t mind hearing about who are suspects in your mind,” he said.

  Okay, the chief was ready to play again, and who was I to say no? I took a napkin from the nearest holder and pulled out my pen. In a hasty scrawl, I wrote the names REGGIE NANCE, FRANK GRAMBLING, LISA GRAMBLING, MAX, PETER, GABBY, and finally, a little reluctantly, I added, EMILY.

  After I slid it across the counter to him, he took it and studied it for a few seconds. “Wow, that’s longer than my list, and I thought I had everybody down.”

  “Have you eliminated any of mine yet?” I asked him.

  “No, but I’m close to wiping three or four names off your list,” he said. The chief looked at me a second, and then he added, “I can’t say which ones at the moment. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s fine. I understand. You’re running an official police investigation here. Could you at least tell me the names I can cross off when you find that they aren’t viable suspects anymore? That alone would be a big help.”

  “I can do that,” he said. “Mind if I keep this?” he asked as he held the napkin up.

  “Be my guest,” I said, and he folded it up and then tucked it into his shirt pocket.

  As he slid a five across the counter toward me, I thought about comping him just as I had George, but I knew that the police chief a hard and fast rule about freebies, so I just thanked him and gave him his change.

  “Thanks for stopping by,” I said.

  “Happy to do it,” the police chief answered, and then he left.

  I
t appeared that Jake had done his best to make sure that I had support while he was away.

  It really hadn’t been all that shocking. After all, I knew that he loved me, and I loved him right back.

  The question was, why was I still in April Springs while he was in Alaska? Wasn’t that where I needed to be instead of trying to solve a murder so far away?

  Maybe, just maybe, I’d made the wrong decision turning down Jake’s offer to go with him. I needed to give some serious thought about my future and the possibility that it might be away from April Springs. It would mean selling the donut shop and leaving my family and friends far behind, but if I wasn’t willing to do it all for love, could it really be called love? I cherished my work, my mother, and my friends. Could I give it all up to be with Jake?

  Should I?

  At the moment, I had no idea.

  “Are we going to close up soon?” Emma asked me a little later, pulling me out of my thoughts.

  “What?” I asked. “What time is it?” I answered my own question when I looked at the clock and saw that it was seven minutes after eleven. “Sorry, I must have zoned out.” I turned to the two remaining customers and added, “We’re closed, folks. Thanks for coming in.”

  After everyone was gone, I locked the door and flipped the sign. “How are the dishes coming?” I asked Emma.

  “They’re done, and the last few donuts are all boxed up. Suzanne, are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” I said, “but thanks for asking. If the kitchen’s clean, you can take off.”

  “I don’t mind staying and helping you with the front,” she said as she grabbed a rag.

  “Okay, if you’re sure. Thanks.”

  As Emma wiped the tables down and swept the front, I worked on closing out the register. We balanced out, always a nice result, and I let Emma out.

  “Aren’t you coming?” she asked.

  “No, I’m waiting for Grace,” I said.

  “I can wait with you, if you’d like me to.”

  I took Emma’s hands in mine. “I’m fine. I promise. Now scoot. Don’t you have a class this afternoon?”

  “Don’t remind me,” she said with a grimace. “I’m not a big fan of higher mathematics.”