by Jessica Beck
Dear Suzanne,
I know this may sound a bit morbid to you, but I’d love it if you’d bring lots of your delicious donuts to my place when folks get together to say good-bye after I die. Your treats have always cheered me up while I’ve been alive, and I can’t think of a more fitting tribute than to provide them for my family and friends one last time after I’m gone.
Your friend,
Jasper.
So, it wasn’t a dying clue after all. I’d been hoping that Jasper had some inkling as to who might have wanted to kill him, but if he did, the man didn’t choose to share that information with me.
If I was going to have any luck solving his murder, I was going to have to do it without any help from the murder victim.
Chapter 13
“What do you have there?” Phillip asked me as he rejoined me outside. I’d called Emma as soon as I’d read it, not wanting to tell the entire world what we were doing face to face. This was private, between Jasper and us, and I wanted to keep it that way. Fortunately she was able to help me, so we made arrangements to meet back at Donut Hearts after lunch in order to make more donuts yet again.
“It’s a letter from Jasper,” I said.
My stepfather looked at me skeptically before replying. “Do you want to tell me about it?”
“It’s simple, really. He gave it to me the day before he died,” I said. “It’s a request for me to provide donuts at his wake, or viewing, or whatever you want to call it. He even paid me in advance.”
“That sounds as though it was an act of a man who knew that he was about to die,” Phillip said after pausing a moment. “I wish he’d given you a list of folks he suspected in his murder instead of placing a donut order from beyond the grave.”
“Me, too, but what can we do about it? He didn’t. Are you ready to go?”
“I am,” he said, and we both got into my Jeep.
“Do I need to wait to start driving until you’re finished eating?”
“No, you go right ahead. I’m good at multitasking,” he said. “I showed a little restraint and only got two donuts instead of three.”
“Wow, you’re a marvel at self-control,” I said with a grin.
“I know. I should go back and reward myself with a third donut, shouldn’t I?” he asked with a tilted grin.
“Let’s put a pin in that for now and head over to the Finney place,” I said as I started the Jeep and drove off.
“Spoilsport,” he said good-naturedly.
“You know it,” I said.
Phillip was finished before we got to the Finney estate, which was due more to his eating pace than my driving. As I pulled into the parking area, he asked, “Who are we going to tackle first?”
“Let’s drop off the donuts and see if anyone’s hanging around the kitchen,” I suggested as we both got out and moved toward the house.
“That sounds like a plan to me,” he said. “You lead, and I’ll follow.”
“On the walk to the house, or the investigation?” I asked him with a smile.
“Both are fine with me. Don’t mind me. I’m just here for backup.”
“You know,” I said as we started walking, “I like you a lot better since you retired. No offense intended.”
“None taken,” he said with a grin. “I like you better too, since we’re not butting heads anymore. I’d rather be on your side than against you, and I’ve got to admit, you’ve gotten pretty good at investigating over the years.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I said.
“That’s certainly the way I meant it.”
We got to the house, and Phillip looked expectantly at me for a cue as to what we should do next. “Should we knock first, or just barge on in?”
“I think I’d feel better if we knocked,” I admitted.
He dutifully rapped on the door a few times and then rang the bell, too, for good measure.
Ethan opened the door, and he didn’t look one bit pleased to see us. “Were we expecting you?” he asked archly.
“No, but I thought I’d make a donut delivery,” I said cheerfully as I held them up.
“That’s thoughtful of you,” Ethan said as he started to take them.
I wasn’t going to let that happen, though. Without that box of donuts, I wasn’t going to get in the door, and I had other plans besides being a breakfast delivery person. “Why don’t I take them in for you? They’re delicate, and I’d hate to see some of the icing smudged. Besides, we need to discuss something else that’s just come up.”
Ethan looked at me oddly, but then he stepped aside. “This is my stepfather,” I said, introducing Phillip in as innocent a way as I could manage. I wasn’t about to go out of my way to tell anyone there who didn’t already know it that Phillip was the former police chief. After all, there was no reason to raise anyone’s suspicions if I could help it.
“You were the sheriff around here once, weren’t you?” Ethan asked with a hint of a frown.
It could have gone many ways, but to my delight, Phillip handled it perfectly. “Actually, I was the police chief, but that was a long time ago. I’ve been retired so long that sometimes it feels as though it was somebody else’s life. I’m just hanging out with Suzanne today. I hope you don’t mind.” As he said the last bit, he walked into the house, leaving Ethan with little choice but to follow us both or stand there with the door open looking like a ninny.
He chose to follow us.
That meant that I had to go straight into the kitchen after all, which was fine by me. “We were wondering if you were holding a wake,” I said as we made our way to the kitchen.
“We are, but it’s for family only. Sorry.”
“That’s fine,” I said, “but Jasper asked me to provide donuts for you, so I need to know when and where to deliver them.”
That stopped Ethan in his tracks. “When did my grandfather arrange for that to happen?”
“Oh, we were closer than you might have realized. In fact, he paid for them in advance, so we’re all good on that front as well.” I could have showed him his grandfather’s letter, but he didn’t even ask for proof that I was telling the truth.
“Very well,” Ethan said. “You may bring them by the house this evening, but make it before six. After that, we’re locking the doors and having a private celebration of his life before we open it to his friends in the community.”
“I can do that,” I said. At least I’d already warned Emma that we were pulling another double shift, but I didn’t think she’d minded hearing the news. This time I was planning to give her all of the profits after my expenses. I just wouldn’t feel right taking Jasper’s money. This was something I wanted to do on my own to show my own respect to my friend.
“Do you have any idea who might have killed your grandfather?” I asked him as nonchalantly as I could manage it. It was something I’d learned a long time ago. Sometimes my suspects had the best clues to solving my cases if I only knew the right way to ask them.
“I have several, as a matter of fact. I don’t seem to be able to think of anything else at the moment,” he admitted.
“We’d love to hear your thoughts, if you wouldn’t mind,” Phillip said before I could jump in myself. “I knew Jasper for a long time. You might not realize it, but a great many folks in town are going to miss him.”
“That news doesn’t surprise me at all,” he said with pursed lips.
“Who’s at the top of your list?” I asked as we walked into the kitchen. Fortunately, it was deserted at the moment, so we could speak in private. There was a great deal of food already there, no doubt brought in by grieving friends, and unless I missed my guess, the refrigerator and freezer were probably at their bursting points as well.
“My cousin, Phyllis, is first on my l
ist,” he said softly. “She’s run through quite a bit of money lately, especially since Henry came into her life. The only way out of the hole she’s dug for herself is another inheritance.”
“Do you know for sure that Jasper left his money to family?” I asked.
“As a matter of fact, I do. The attorney came by last night,” Ethan said as he flipped the box open, selected a donut, and then took a bite. “The three of us are getting equal shares.”
“Three?” I asked.
“Yes, Bobby is named to receive a full portion of the inheritance as well.”
“How did Phyllis react to that news?” I asked.
“What do you mean?”
“I suspect she believed she’d be splitting it evenly with you,” I admitted. “Isn’t that what you thought yourself?”
“No, Jasper made it clear last week, at least to Bobby and me, that was what he was planning to do. I assumed he told Phyllis too, but from her reaction, that wasn’t the case. She actually threatened to challenge the will, if you can imagine that.”
“How did the attorney deal with that?” Phillip asked.
“He said that there was a provision in the will that stated that any challenges would disqualify the heir responsible for it instantly. That certainly settled that. Not that it matters any time soon.”
“Why wouldn’t it?” I asked him.
“Nothing will be distributed until Jasper’s murderer has been tried and convicted of the crime,” Ethan said.
“That seems reasonable enough to me,” I said.
“Why is that?” Ethan asked. He was clearly unhappy about that particular twist. “It certainly penalizes those of us who didn’t do it.”
“A murderer can’t profit from his crime,” Phillip said.
“Then I sincerely hope that the chief finds the killer, and soon,” Ethan said.
“Things are pretty tight for you too, aren’t they?” I asked him gently. “Is there any way you can get a loan from the estate to carry you through until things are settled?”
He answered just before taking another bite. “No. I asked, but the attorney denied my request. You’d have thought Phyllis had won the lottery by the way she acted, but she won’t get a dime until the murderer is caught either, so I don’t quite know why she was celebrating.” Ethan finished his donut, and then he said, “You’ve delivered your donuts, so it’s time for you to leave. We have a great deal of family business to take care of before this evening. As I said before, we’ll expect you before six, but not one minute after. Are we in agreement?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then it’s time for you to go.”
In ordinary circumstances, he would have been right, but I wasn’t ready to leave just yet. I was trying to think of some kind of excuse I could use to linger when Phillip took care of it for me. “I hate to trouble you, but my new medications make me go to the bathroom every ten minutes. May I use your restroom? Otherwise I’ll never make it back to town.”
I didn’t know if he was telling the truth, lying outright, or presenting a blend of both, but I didn’t care as long as it got me what I wanted.
“Of course,” Ethan said. “It’s the fourth door on the right down the hallway.”
If Jasper’s grandson stayed with me, it wouldn’t do me any good. I motioned my gaze toward the door, and Phillip picked up on it immediately. “I hate to play the part of the doddering old fool, but I get easily confused these days.” That was a blatant lie, but Ethan seemed to accept it. “Could you show me the door yourself? Otherwise I’ll never find it in time.”
Ethan agreed reluctantly to the request and led Phillip away.
I had some time, but not much of it, and I planned to make the best of what I had.
I peeked my head out the door to make sure that Ethan had gone with Phillip when the man’s son spotted me. “Playing hide and go seek, Suzanne?” he asked me with a grin. It was a little too cheerful for my taste, given the fact that his great-grandfather had just been murdered the day before.
“Actually, I was looking for you,” I said. “I brought donuts.”
“Cool. The only breakfast food around here has fiber and granola in it. Let’s see what you brought us.”
We walked back in together, and I offered him the treats. He went straight for a chocolate cake donut glazed in chocolate icing, and I could see from the donut that Emma had done me one better. She’d added chocolate chips to the mix as well. I’d have to taste one myself later. If it was anything as good as it looked, I had a feeling that I’d be adding her variation to our menu soon.
Bobby took a bite and smiled. “That’s what I’m talking about. Man, that’s good.”
“I’ll pass your compliments on to the chef,” I said.
“You mean you didn’t make these yourself?” he asked, clearly puzzled. “Don’t tell me you buy them from a factory.”
“Never,” I said. “My assistant happened to make this batch.”
“I get it. Why work when you’ve got someone else who can do it for you,” he said.
That wasn’t what I’d meant at all, but I wasn’t going to push it. “I was speaking with your father earlier about who might have killed your great-grandfather.”
“Let me guess. He tried to say it was Aunt Phyllis, didn’t he?”
“As a matter of fact, he did,” I said. “How did you know?”
“Those two have been natural enemies practically since birth, or so I’ve been told,” he said as he demolished the chocolate donut and went after a Boston cream–filled one next.
“So, if she’s not at the top of your list, then who is?”
“Perry Kilroy,” he said firmly. “You should have heard the stories Jasper told me about that man. They weren’t fit as bedtime tales, I can tell you that. It’s a wonder he ever invited him here in the first place, and I think Perry realized he’d never get another shot at Jasper, so he seized the opportunity when he had it.”
“But your great-grandfather invited him here to make amends, didn’t he?”
Bobby shrugged. “That was the party line, but I wasn’t buying it for a second. You should have seen the way Perry looked at him when he didn’t think anyone was watching. It kind of made my blood run cold.”
“Did you know about the hidden key?” I asked him. I’d meant to ask Ethan that same question, but we’d run out of time before he was going to throw us out. The only person I knew for a fact who knew was Phyllis, since she’d been the one to retrieve it the day before.
“As a matter of fact, the entire family knew about it,” he said.
“But would Perry Kilroy know?” I asked as innocently as I could manage. Whoever had killed Jasper had to have known about the key, since Jake had told me the night before about needing a key to lock it from the inside or the outside, which was the way we’d found it when we’d first arrived on the scene.
“No, I didn’t think about that,” he said. “You know what? Maybe I’m wrong.”
“It’s hard to say at this point, isn’t it?” I asked, trying to sound as sympathetic as I could manage, given the fact that this man might just have been the one who’d murdered my friend. “What about Henry?”
“What about him?” Bobby asked, barely slowing down as he finished the Boston cream and went in for a plain glazed donut as his next treat. If he kept that up, there wouldn’t be any donuts left for anyone else.
“What’s his story? At first I thought he was as meek as a mouse, but then he warned me to back away from Phyllis, and there was nothing meek about him then,” I said.
“Yeah, I think he’s got a spine in there somewhere, but he’s afraid to offend my aunt in the slightest. I heard them arguing last night. It was about money, naturally enough, and I had to wonder if the man was stone-cold broke himself. If P
hyllis doesn’t get her inheritance, they both just might end up out on the street.”
“Could Henry have killed Jasper so that Phyllis could get her inheritance?” I asked. If I hadn’t seen that flare-up of his temper, I never would have believed it, but during those few moments, I’d realized that he might be capable of murder, for self-preservation if nothing else.
“I guess it’s possible,” Bobby said. He took one bite of the glazed donut, and then he threw it back in the box with the other pristine donuts. It was all I could do not to slap him, the act was one of such disregard for my offerings. “Thanks for the goodies,” he said as he wiped his hands on his shirt, and then he walked out.
I grabbed a napkin, wrapped it around his discarded donut, and then I threw it away. If he came looking for it later, which I hoped he did, maybe he’d realize the rudeness of his act.
I was about to head out to look for Phyllis and Henry when the door opened again. I’d been dreading the fact that Ethan was coming back soon, so it surprised me to see that Bethesda Long was there instead.
“Bethesda, what are you doing here? I thought the party was your sole obligation to the Finneys,” I said.
“I could ask you the same thing, but as I told you before, my family and the Finneys have known each other for decades. When my father died on the job, Jasper stepped in and helped my family through some tough times. That explains my presence, but I repeat, why are you here?” she asked haltingly. It was obvious that she’d been just as surprised to discover me in the kitchen as I’d been finding her there.
“I delivered fresh donuts for breakfast this morning,” I said, glad yet again that I’d been creative enough to bring a dozen treats with us. It never ceased to amaze me how good they were at getting me into places I could not otherwise visit.
