by Jessica Beck
She held the knife closer to my mother’s throat when I said that, and I heard Momma gasp. “Really, Suzanne? Do you honestly want to anger the woman with your mother’s life in her hands? I’d watch my tone, if I were you.”
“But you were clearly afraid of something or someone the last time we spoke,” I said. “You were going to tell Grace and me something important when you were interrupted by a phone call.”
Lisa smiled, and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as she said, “It was all just an act. I was afraid that you two knew more than you were letting on. The phone call was a convenient way to stall you until I could find out just how much you knew. After all, I didn’t want to have to kill you both if I didn’t have to. You really shouldn’t say anything bad about Jude to me.”
This woman had clearly gone off the deep end. I was going to have to find a way to appease her without endangering my mother any more than I already had. “Take it easy, Lisa. I didn’t mean anything by what I said about him.”
“I know exactly what you meant,” she said, and then her face softened. “What happened to Jude was an accident, something that couldn’t be helped. He was going to leave without me, despite all of our plans. I had to convince him that he needed me.”
I never thought that I’d ever hear a killer describe hitting her victim with an iron bar and killing him as an accident.
“Tell the police that,” I said, trying to be as convincing as I could. “I’m sure that they’ll believe you if you just tell your side of the story.”
“They aren’t ever going to hear it. After I take care of you two and Grace, I’ll be long gone.”
“What about Frank?” I asked.
Her grin was chilling. “Nobody’s going to check on my dear husband anytime soon. I’m expecting him to bleed out at any minute. At least that man deserved what he got.”
And there it was. No matter what she said, Lisa was planning to kill everyone.
Not if I could help it.
I started to move, and Momma must have seen something, because she shook her head slightly before I could implement my plan. The knife bit in a little deeper as she did, but her movement served its purpose.
I stopped dead in my tracks.
Instead, Momma said loudly, “We’re in here.”
“Who are you talking to?” Lisa asked as she loosened her grip on the knife for just one second.
Momma must have been able to feel it, because she grabbed Lisa’s knife hand with both of hers and fought to get control of the blade.
She didn’t fight alone, though.
“Run, Suzanne,” my mother commanded.
I never even gave it a single thought. At that moment, I didn’t think about the baseball bat, a gun, or even a tank.
All I could think about was helping my mother.
The blade was turned toward my mother’s neck again, and I could see that she was quickly losing the battle. If I didn’t do something, and quickly, she would be slashed with it.
I threw myself straight into the fray, grappling with the knife as Momma and I fought Lisa for control.
She was strong, though, stronger than I bargained for. Was it that edge of craziness that was powering her? Whatever it was, I could see that despite all odds, we were losing the battle. The blade dipped closer and closer, nearer to my mother’s precious skin.
I had to make a decision, and I had to do it quickly.
In an instant, I took my hands off the hilt of the blade and went straight for her throat.
She wasn’t going to kill my mother, not while I was standing by.
If nothing else, my direct attack made Lisa drop the knife in surprise and claw at my hands for a breath.
I wouldn’t let up, though.
She’d just tried to kill my mother, and in my mind, she’d forfeited all rights to my mercy. I felt her hands on mine weaken as I pressed harder and harder, doing my utmost to choke the life out of her.
Suddenly, there was a faint whisper in my ear. “Stop, Suzanne. We’ve won.”
I tried to shake her off, but she told me again in that gentle voice of hers, “Stop.”
I finally loosened my grip, and I heard Lisa gasping for breath. “Are you crazy?” she tried to shout. “You could have killed me.” Evidently I’d bruised something important in her throat, because it came out in a raspy voice.
“That was the general idea,” I said as I stood up and grabbed the knife. “Momma, do we still have that rope in the hall closet?”
“Yes, it’s still there,” she said, clearly relieved that I’d stopped in time. If she hadn’t been there, who knew? Then again, if Lisa hadn’t threatened my mother, I never would have tried to choke the life out of her.
“Get it, and tie her up. After that, I need you to give the police chief a call.”
“Shouldn’t I call him first?” Momma asked as she stood there looking down at Lisa.
“No,” I ordered. “Get the rope first, and then make the call.”
“Yes, dear,” she said as though I’d asked her to pass the pepper at the dinner table.
Once I had the rope, I knelt down low to Lisa. “If you move, I’m going to finish what I started. Do we understand each other?”
She tried to speak, but her ability to do so was nearly gone.
“Just nod yes or no,” I said. I was getting impatient with her and ready to express it again physically. What had gotten into me? I suppose it was that nobody, and I meant nobody, threatened my mother, or they were going to face the consequences.
Lisa quickly nodded, and I tied her hands and legs together, and then I secured her to our heavy couch.
This crazed killer wasn’t going anywhere.
“Now, call the chief, and I’ll call an ambulance for Frank. With any luck, they’ll be able to get to him in time.”
It was all oddly anticlimactic after Momma and I made our calls.
As we waited for the reinforcements to arrive, I said, “Thanks for stopping me.”
“I was afraid that you couldn’t even hear me,” she said. “It was honestly the most frightened I’d been all night, and that’s saying something.”
“We don’t have to go into too much detail when we talk about that part of it, do we?” In all honesty, I was a little embarrassed about how I’d behaved.
“Your secret is safe with me,” she said.
“What about her?” I asked as I looked down at Lisa.
“She can say whatever she wants to. After all, who’s going to believe her?”
When the chief got there, he rushed to Momma first. “Are you okay?” he asked her gently.
She was holding a dishtowel to her neck. “I just got a few scratches, but if it hadn’t been for Suzanne, I would have been dead.”
“That’s only fitting,” I said, “because I’m the one who got you in trouble in the first place.” I turned to the chief as I added, “I don’t know if you heard, but Lisa attacked her husband before she came over here.”
“I know,” the chief said as he nodded. “The EMTs got to Frank in time. It turns out that he’s a tough man to kill, no thanks to her.” Before he took care of Lisa, he asked me, “How about you? Are you all right, Suzanne?”
“I’m fine,” I said. “I’m just a little shaky right now.”
“That’s to be expected,” he said, and then the police chief started untying Lisa from my thorough bounds. As he slipped the cuffs on her, he said, “I don’t want any trouble from you, do you understand?”
She had no more fight in her.
Evidently I’d choked it right out of her.
Officer Grant, my friend and a loyal donut customer, came rushing in with his gun drawn. When he saw that everything was under control, he quickly holstered it again.
“Take her to the station and lock her up,” the chief commanded.
“Are you two all right?” he asked us as he pulled Lisa to her feet.
“We’re both fine,” Momma said.
Officer
Grant grinned. “Maybe so, but it looks like your towel is leaking. Should I call for another ambulance, Chief?”
“Do it,” Chief Martin said.
“Phillip, you know how I hate to ride in those things. Can’t you take me yourself?”
“Of course I can,” he said, and then he turned to me. “Are you coming?”
“I’ll drive Suzanne there,” Grace said as she burst in. “She can tell me what happened on the way to the hospital.”
“Is that okay with you, Momma?” I asked her gently.
“It’s fine, Suzanne. Thank you saving me.”
I got closer and whispered, “Thank you for saving me.”
Momma just patted my hand, and then she said, “Let’s go, Phillip.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said as he led her outside.
“So, what did I miss?” Grace asked with a grin.
“You drive, and I’ll catch you up,” I said. “I’m afraid that my hands would shake too much.”
“I’m your gal,” she said. “I’m guessing there will be no donuts tomorrow, am I right?”
I’d completely forgotten about the next day’s work. “I’ll call Emma on the way and ask her and her mother to step in. They’ve done it for me before.”
As we walked outside to her car, Grace said, “Suzanne, you know that it’s okay if the donut shop closes every now and then, don’t you?”
“Not on my watch,” I said with a grin. “Especially not now.”
“Why not now?” she asked.
“Because it will be the last day that Donut Hearts is ever open,” I said, knowing in my heart that it was the right decision to make.
“You’re going, then?” Grace asked me.
“If tonight taught me anything, it’s how precious life is. I don’t want to spend another minute of it away from Jake if I don’t have to.” I hugged her, and then I said, “As much as I’ll miss you, this is just something that I have to do. Do you think Momma will understand?”
“Suzanne, we both know that your mother just wants you to be happy, no matter where that leads you.”
“Then I guess I’d better call Jake and tell him the good news.”
After I called Emma and made arrangements to have her and her mother open the donut shop, I called Jake. To my delight, he picked up on the first ring. I hadn’t talked to him in several hours, but now I had something to say.
“Suzanne, I was just about to call you myself. What are you, a mind reader?”
“Me first,” I said. “Jake, I’ve given this a lot of thought. There are a ton of reasons for me to stay in April Springs and go on making donuts until I’m old and gray, but there’s only one good reason that I don’t want to anymore. I’ve been able to handle things the way they are with you traveling the state and not being able to see you all of the time, but this is too much. I want to be with you, and if that means closing my shop and moving to Alaska, then so be it. I’ll tell you what happened that made me come to that conclusion in a second, but first, I need to ask you a question. Do you still want me in Alaska with you?”
“No, as a matter of fact, I don’t.”
I dropped the phone and didn’t hear the next thing that he had to say. When I picked it back up, I could hear him say, “Suzanne, are you there?”
“You don’t want me!” I cried out in anguish. “I thought we were past all that.”
“If you’d give me a second to explain, I’d tell you,” he said. “I don’t want you in Alaska with me because I’m not there anymore.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked him through my tears.
“The funding fell through at the last second, and I was ordered back to Raleigh immediately.” He paused a moment, and then Jake added, “Were you really going to give up everything to join me?”
“I wouldn’t be giving you up,” I said. “When can I see you?”
“I’ll be there in five minutes.”
“Go to the hospital instead,” I said.
“Suzanne, did something happen? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine, but Momma got nicked up. I’ll tell you once I see you. Jake, I’m so happy.”
“That makes two of us,” he said, and then, just before he hung up, he added, “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
After I hung up, I turned to Grace and I saw her staring at me. “Wow, that was touch and go there for a minute, wasn’t it?”
“You’re telling me,” I said.
“I take it that your boyfriend is heading back to town,” she said with a smile.
“He is,” I agreed happily.
“So then, you’re not selling the donut shop and deserting me?”
“Not in the foreseeable future,” I answered with a grin.
“Good. It’s not that I wasn’t wishing you well, but I’m sure glad that you’re staying.”
“You know what? So am I. I was willing to go, but I’m so much happier to be right here where I am.”
“That’s just outstanding,” she said, and then we were finally at the hospital.
To my surprise, Emily Hargraves was waiting out front.
As I got out of Grace’s car, Emily hugged me. “Suzanne, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Emily, maybe besides a cracked rib or two.”
“Did Lisa do that to you?” Emily asked.
“No, but I think you just might have,” I answered, trying to get my breath.
She laughed as she released her grip on me. “I was so worried when I heard what happened.”
“Does everyone in town already know what happened?” I asked. I knew that word got around fast in our town, but that must have been some kind of record.
“It’s everywhere,” Emily said. “When I thought that you might have been injured, or even dying somewhere, I couldn’t believe how stupidly I behaved.”
“Take it easy on yourself,” I said. “It couldn’t have been easy for you hearing me question you.”
“It wasn’t, but I overreacted. This wedding has just got me so frazzled that I’m not myself anymore. By the way, I’ve decided to call it off,” she added softly.
“Oh, no,” I said as I hugged her myself. “It wasn’t because of me, was it?”
“No. Yes. Well, maybe partly. Mostly though, it was because of the way that I was behaving. I was rushing things; I can see that now. I need some time before I’m truly ready.”
“Have you told Max?” I asked. I had a hunch that my ex-husband would not react well to the news of the cancellation.
“He’s all for it,” Emily said with a grin. “He claims that when I am ready, then he gets to have another bachelor party.”
“That sounds just like Max,” I said, and then I held Emily’s hands in mine as I asked, “Are you sure that you’re okay with your decision?”
“I am,” she said. “If and when I do get married, I don’t want to do it this way. Max can wait. He told me that he’s a patient man.”
“He really must have changed,” I said, laughing. To my joy, Emily joined in.
“Okay, maybe there a few things that I’m still working on with him,” she said.
Grace stepped forward and said, “I hate to butt in, but your mother would like to see you.”
I looked around for my boyfriend, but he was still nowhere in sight.
“Don’t worry about Jake. I’ll stay out here and tell him what happened,” Grace said.
“Thanks. That would be great,” I replied. Grace would tell him as much as she knew, but I would have to tell him the rest of it. I’d thought about keeping my flash of deadly anger from him, but he deserved to know. I just wouldn’t feel right keeping something like that to myself.
As I walked into the emergency room, I couldn’t help wondering how things might have turned out differently, and tonight my life would have been ruined and wrecked beyond repair. I was lucky to have my mother safe, and Jake back to boot, and I was grateful.
Being rejected by Jude had driven Lisa over the edg
e, and to my surprise, a little bit of me sympathized with her. I’d felt the sting of being turned away when I’d thought that Jake was going to dump me, and it hadn’t been nice.
But that’s where our paths differed.
Lisa had struck out at everyone involved in anger, and I had tried my best to accept the truth and move on with my life.
And in the end, that was what finally separated the two of us.
She’d chosen death, and I’d opted for life.
In the end, I liked to think that we each got what we deserved.
RECIPES
Chocolate Cranberry Cinnamon Donuts
Lately, I’ve been experimenting with donuts made on the quick, and I’ve come up with a few truly good and easy variations of old themes. When I have a craving for something different, I wander through the baking aisles at the grocery store looking for new ingredients to use. I’ve found that companies such as Martha White have premade muffin and biscuit mixes that can be modified to make wonderful donuts quickly. For example, this new family favorite uses a basic cinnamon biscuit mix, and with a few additions, these donuts become something spectacular. To a basic 7-ounce mix, I add dried cranberries, semisweet chocolate chips, and household sugar to sweeten the treats. The drop donuts created are wonderful fried, and for an extra treat, we like to top these with a chocolate drizzle followed by a sprinkling of powdered sugar, making them decadent and delicious. This goes under the Very Easy file!
INGREDIENTS
1 packet (7 ounces) biscuit mix (we like cinnamon, but chocolate chip work, too)
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup dried cranberries (raisins will work as well)
2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium-sized bowl, add the mix, sugar, and milk, stirring until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the wet, but being careful not to overstir. Next, add the dried cranberries and chocolate chips, mixing them in as well.
Drop bits of dough using a small-sized cookie scoop (the size of your thumb, approximately). Fry in hot canola oil (360 to 370 degrees F) for 3 to 4 minutes, turning halfway through.
Yields 10–12 donut drops.
Enhanced Fruit and Pancake Surprises
I’ve also tried other mixes besides the ones for biscuits and muffins. For example, pancake mixes can make a very good donut when augmented with some of your favorite fruits. I’ve done these with peaches and mangos, but my family likes mashed bananas and cubed apples in the batter, creating a type of fritter on the fly. These are surprisingly good, and easy to make, so give them a try.
