Killer Crullers

by Jessica Beck

  “Hardly,” she replied with a shrug. Trish had a notoriously difficult time finding a boyfriend. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that she was so picky. She’d once claimed that the man for her hadn’t been built yet, and I’d realized that might be what it would take to satisfy her high standards. I knew Jake had his flaws, but I loved being in a relationship with him. I wasn’t sorry for my friends; both Trish and Grace were wonderful young women, fun to be around, and funny in their own ways. None of us needed a man to complete us, or to even make life more interesting, but there were times when they did come in awfully handy.

  “So, what’s the good news?” I asked.

  She looked carefully around us, and then leaned forward. “Allison turned in her notice today. She’s gone.”

  I knew that Trish had hired Allison Jackson as a favor to her mother, Lilly, or more likely, because of an implied threat. Lilly was much feared, and little loved, in our small town. I sometimes thought it odd that of the folks who had been killed around town, Lilly had never made the list as either suspect, or even more likely, victim. It just showed that fate could be a cruel and capricious woman, indeed.

  “Allison actually quit?” I asked. A thought suddenly occurred to me. “Oh, no. You don’t think she’s going to apply at the donut shop next, do you?” I wouldn’t hire her, and Lilly couldn’t make me, but that still didn’t mean that I wanted to get on her bad side. It was hard enough dancing that fine line with Gabby.

  Trish took my hands in hers. “Don’t worry, you’re safe. She’s getting married.”

  Grace looked amazed by the declaration. “Someone actually proposed to her? The girl is so dense she’d have trouble pouring water out of a boot.”

  “From what I heard today, none of that matters. Kevin Kraus is in love, and his little Alley Cat isn’t about to work another day of her life.”

  I grinned. “He actually called her his Alley Cat?”

  “I heard it myself,” Trish said. “It’s dreadful, isn’t it? But who cares? She’s out of my hair, that’s all that matters. What can I get you ladies?”

  “We were going to just order cheeseburgers,” Grace said, “but this is reason enough to celebrate.” She pretended to study the menu, and then declared, “We’ll still have the cheeseburgers and Cokes, but bring us pie after we’re finished.”

  Trish nodded, and then leaned forward. She nearly whispered as she said, “Tell you what. You two saw me through my troubling times with that nincompoop. The pie’s on the house.”

  “That sounds good,” Grace said before I had a chance to comment.

  “We shouldn’t take advantage of her,” I said to Grace after Trish left.

  “Are you kidding? You heard her. We’re helping her celebrate. How rude would it be if we didn’t join in?”

  “Okay, but I’m going to bring her donuts sometime soon to make up for it.”

  “You have a good heart, Suzanne.”

  After Trish delivered the sodas, Grace said, “Now, tell me what happened out in front of Gabby’s shop today.”

  “It’s really nothing,” I said, trying to keep my voice low. The last thing I needed was for all of April Springs to hear yet another version of the day’s events, no matter how deeply my story was rooted in reality.

  “Come on, give.”

  Grace wasn’t going to fold. “I was innocent enough this time, if you can believe it. A man came in and ordered a dozen donuts, so I sold him iced crullers I had on hand.”

  Grace nodded. “Did Simon Henson stick you with another order without paying?”

  “For the last time,” I agreed. “Anyway, I told him to enjoy them, and he said they weren’t for eating. I followed him outside to Gabby’s, and when he dropped his guard, I bought them back from him.” I grinned, and then admitted, “Okay, I stole them, but I flipped him a ten, so we were more than even. He actually threatened me, too, can you believe it?” I didn’t tell her what had happened at the bank.

  “Why was he pelting her place with crullers in the first place?” she asked.

  “That’s where it gets tricky,” I said. “It was Desmond Ray, and he claimed that his aunt Jean left ten grand and a diamond brooch in the coat she sold to Gabby.”

  Grace shook her head and asked, “If she bought the coat, doesn’t that mean that she owns what’s in the pockets, too?”

  I hadn’t thought of it that way. “It doesn’t matter, because Gabby swears that the pockets were all empty.”

  Before I could explain my point further, Grace said, “I bet it matters to Jean and Desmond.”

  “Gabby claimed that there wasn’t anything in the pockets except lint, but Desmond didn’t believe her. They had quite a row on the street, and my crullers were in the middle of the action.”

  Grace shook her head. “You just can’t seem to keep trouble from following you around, can you?”

  “It’s a curse,” I agreed as our food arrived.

  The burgers were perfect, and after we finished, I looked at Grace and said, “I’m not at all sure I could eat a piece of pie, can you?”

  “If it’s on the house? You bet I can. I’ll find some way to choke it down.”

  I had to laugh. “I’m sure that’s what the pie maker had in mind when she created that pie.”

  “Hey, it is what it is.”

  Trish came back with three pieces of pie, not the promised two.

  “I thought I’d join you,” she said as she slid onto the bench seat in the booth beside me. “If you two don’t mind, that is.”

  “You don’t even have to ask; you’re always welcome,” I said.

  She took a bite of apple pie, and then smiled broadly. “That is good, if I say so myself.”

  “Did you make it?” Grace asked as she tasted a bit herself.

  “No, I leave the pie making to the experts. I can appreciate a work of art as much as the next gal, though. Now, what were you talking about? I want in.”

  I wasn’t about to say anything when Grace volunteered, “Desmond threatened Suzanne and Gabby after some really nasty pastry fighting.”

  Trish asked with a frown, “Are we talking about Desmond Ray?”

  “Yes, but the most intimidating thing he did today was pelt Gabby’s shop with my crullers.” That wasn’t true by any stretch of the imagination, but I didn’t want to admit everything that had happened to my friends. They would just worry about me, and I already had a mother who was constantly concerned with my well-being.

  Trish played with her fork a second before saying, “He’s got a temper, Suzanne. I wouldn’t take him too lightly. Tell me exactly what he said to you, and don’t sugarcoat it.”

  I didn’t have much choice. I might avoid telling my friends something alarming, but I wouldn’t lie to them outright. “He said he’d be coming back for me, and that he’d settle with me next.”

  “That sounds like a real threat to me,” Trish said as she pushed her pie away.

  “I’m not going to change anything about my behavior to avoid him,” I said. “If I do that, he wins.”

  Grace and I were finished with our slices of pie, so we paid our tab, and walked back out into the warming sunshine. It was in the low fifties outside, but with the sun, I almost didn’t need the light jacket I was wearing.

  “What should we do next?” I asked Grace.

  She glanced at her watch, and then said, “Honestly, I’d better go check on Erica. It’s hard to tell what trouble that girl’s gotten herself into by now.”

  “What happened to letting her deal with it herself?”

  Grace smiled. “What can I say? My heart’s just a little too big sometimes. See you later,” she said. After she got in her car and left, I decided to head home. It might be nice to take a shower, and then grab a quick nap on the couch before dinner. Momma had told me that she was making something special tonight, and that I shouldn’t miss it.

  For once, there was no possible reason that I should.

  At least as far as I knew
at that point.

  CHAPTER 3

  My cell phone woke me, and I nearly fell off the couch as I reached for it. It was barely three in the afternoon, so I’d only slept for ninety minutes, but that was a longer nap than I usually got.

  “Hello?” I said as I sat up and brushed my hair out from my eyes.

  “You were sleeping, weren’t you?” I heard Momma ask. “Suzanne, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. We can talk later. Go back to sleep.”

  “No, that’s fine,” I said as I sat up. “I needed to get up anyway. What’s going on?”

  “I may be a little late coming home tonight, so you’re on your own for dinner.”

  As I stretched, I asked, “Do you have another big date with the chief? You two are getting to be real regulars, aren’t you?”

  “We’re going out quite a bit, I admit, but it’s rarely more than three times a week.”

  I suddenly remembered her earlier promise of a special meal. “What happened to the feast you were making tonight?”

  “I’m sorry about that, but you know better than most. Plans change,” she said simply.

  “No way you’re getting away with that explanation,” I said. “You’re not the most flexible person I’ve ever met. Once you plan for a meal, it takes an act of Congress to get you to change.”

  She laughed at my comment, proving that she was in a good mood. “I admit that I might have been a little rigid in the past, but perhaps I’m capable of changing, after all.”

  “Not without motivation,” I replied. “What’s the scoop? Come on, Momma, you can tell me.”

  “I honestly would if I could, but Phillip was quite mysterious about the urgency to change our plans this evening. Will you be all right on your own?”

  “Don’t worry about me. Are you coming home to change before your mysterious date, or will I see you tonight?”

  “It’s going to be later, I’m afraid. Have a lovely evening, Suzanne.”

  “You do the same yourself,” I said.

  After I hung up the phone, I realized that I had no plans for the rest of the day. Normally that wouldn’t bother me, but for some reason, I wasn’t all that crazy about being alone at the moment. On a whim, I dialed Jake’s cell phone number.

  He picked up on the third ring. “Do you miss me already, Suzanne?” he asked when he picked up. “I was just there.”

  “What can I say, I have a bad craving for some Jake time.” On a lark, I suggested, “If you don’t have dinner plans, why don’t I drive to Asheville and take you out to eat? I love Cheddar’s, or maybe we could go to Mellow Mushroom.”

  “Sorry, I’d love to, but there’s some kind of faculty mixer tonight, and I’m being dragged to it against my will. I can try to get out of it, if it’s really that important to you.”

  I didn’t want him to change his plans on my account, particularly when it wasn’t all that important to me in the first place. “Nonsense, you go and have fun.”

  “What happened to your mother’s big dinner?” he asked.

  “It appears she got a better offer,” I said with a smile. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll give Grace a call. I’m sure she’s up for anything.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of. Well, if the two of you get in trouble, remember, I keep bail money on hand just in case, and I happen to have some connections with the local law enforcement.”

  “We won’t get that rowdy,” I said with a laugh, “but it’s good to know that you’re prepared, just in case. Call me tomorrow if you get a chance.”

  “Since I won’t be free until long after your bedtime tonight, I hope you have sweet dreams.”

  “Right back at you.”

  I hung up, missing my boyfriend even more. I’d had the chance to go to Asheville with him, but my loyalty to my donut shop hadn’t allowed it. Donuts were great, but they weren’t much fun cuddling up with on the front porch swing, and they couldn’t touch one of Jake’s good-night kisses. Maybe next time he offered to take me someplace with him, I’d surprise us both and say yes.

  I called Grace’s number, and she laughed the second she knew that it was me. “I was just thinking about giving you a call,” she said.

  “Great minds think alike. Momma canceled our dinner. Is there any chance you’re free tonight?”

  Grace hesitated, and then said, “Sure, why not? I can do that.”

  I knew my friend well enough to realize that she was holding something back from me. “Grace, what’s going on?” I had a sudden thought. “You don’t have a date, do you?”

  “I wouldn’t exactly call it a date,” she admitted. “It’s a fix-up I’ve been putting off for weeks, so it’s no big deal if I push it back another night. Let me call him first, and then I’ll be over in ten minutes.”

  “Don’t you dare. You are not changing your plans on my account. How can you live with the thought of crushing some poor guy’s spirit by bailing out on him like that?”

  Grace laughed. “If he’s lived without me this long, I’m sure he’ll be able to make it a little longer.”

  “I don’t want to be the cause of somebody else’s disappointment. We’ll do something tomorrow night. I promise.”

  Grace paused, and then said, “Hey, I’ve got a crazy idea. Why don’t you call Jake and ask him out? He’ll flip out if you drive all the way to Asheville just to take him out to dinner.”

  I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I’d already tried that plan, and that it had failed completely. “I might just do it. Have fun, and call me tomorrow. I can’t wait to hear the details of what happens.”

  “Trust me, I can recap everything that’s going to occur right now. We’ll have an average dinner filled with bland and mundane conversation, and then he’ll take me home, where we’ll share an awkward good-bye before he leaves my life forever.”

  I had to laugh at her prediction. “Wow, with that kind of buildup, how can you not have a good time?”

  “Trust me, it’s like I can see the future. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “I’ll talk to you then,” I said. “And Grace? Give the guy a chance. He might just surprise you.”

  “If he shows up without his mother and a way to pay for at least his half of the meal, I’ll be absolutely flabbergasted.”

  As we hung up, I realized that I’d just explored my last viable option. It appeared that I was going to be on my own tonight, whether I liked it or not. Sure, I could have called Max—my ex-husband and the Great Pretender—and I was certain he would have come by gladly, but I wasn’t that desperate for company tonight, and I hoped I never would be again.

  For the moment, I was a single woman on my own with the whole world at my feet.

  * * *

  When the doorbell rang a little after six, I opened it with my wallet ready. I’d already changed into my sweats and an old T-shirt, so I wasn’t exactly fit for company, but I figured the pizza guy had seen worse than me, and that was just tonight.

  “How much do I owe you?” I asked as I took the pizza from the college-aged young man making the delivery.

  “That will be twelve dollars, plus tip,” he said.

  “It’s just a small pepperoni pizza,” I protested. “How can it be that much?”

  The kid shrugged. “We have a twelve-dollar minimum order; didn’t they tell you that on the phone? They’re supposed to.”

  “I’m in the wrong business,” I said as I handed him a ten and four ones. It was a lot to pay for one pizza, but I wasn’t exactly dressed to go out to dinner.

  “Tell me about it.” He put the two dollars in a separate pocket, and smiled at me. “Thanks for the tip. Enjoy.”

  I went back inside, and had a slice as I hit the play button on the DVD player. At least the pizza was still warm, something that wasn’t always guaranteed.

  After the movie, it was close to my bedtime. Some folks might have wondered about the way I’d chosen to use my time alone, but I’d enjoyed it, so what did it matter what anyone else thought?
Sometimes it was good being by myself, though I knew that I’d grow weary of it pretty quickly if I lived my entire life that way. For the most part, I enjoyed being around people, which was a good thing, given my chosen line of work. Selling donuts was as much about being good with people as it was with the pastry treats we made at the shop.

  I was about ready to call it a night at seven-fifteen when the house phone rang. I rarely got calls there anymore, and I nearly let it go to voice mail when it rang. After the conversation, I would wonder why I hadn’t listened to that impulse.

  I recognized her voice the second she spoke. “Gabby, how are you?”

  “I’m concerned,” she said. “Has Desmond spoken with you?”

  “Tonight?” I asked. “No, I haven’t seen him since I ran into him at the bank this afternoon.”

  “What did he say?” Gabby asked. There was clear anxiety in her voice, and I realized that she sounded frightened, something unusual to hear coming from her.

  “He threatened me again,” I admitted. “The man is convinced that he’s right.” Before Gabby could proclaim her innocence again, I quickly added, “I told him he was wrong about you, but he wasn’t buying it. Why do you ask? Has something happened?”

  “He spent three hours this afternoon on the bench across the street from my front door, just staring at my shop as though he were willing it to burn to the ground.”

  “You should tell the police,” I said. I was no stranger to threatening behavior, and I knew how it could wear you down if you gave in to it, ducking behind every tree and flinching at the sound of a car door slamming.

  “What could I tell them that they don’t already know? Chief Martin wasn’t all that pleasant with us when we spoke with him today, so why should I expect him to be any different now? After all, I suppose that Desmond hasn’t done anything illegal. It was just unnerving seeing him over there every time I looked out my window.”

  “He’s trying to rattle you,” I said.

  “If that’s his goal, then he’s getting spectacular results,” Gabby said.

  I knew I’d regret it, but I couldn’t take the helplessness I heard in her voice. “You could always come over here if it would make you feel better.” The last thing I wanted to do was entertain Gabby when it was time for me to sleep, but I didn’t really feel as though I had much choice.