Killer Crullers

by Jessica Beck

  After Katie left, I asked, “You’re married?”

  “So, what if I am?”

  There was a little boy’s defiant tone in his voice as he answered my question.

  “What did your wife think of you spending time with Katie?”

  “She’s fine with it,” he said with a shrug. Unlike Katie, he was a terrible liar, and I was sure his wife had no idea what was going on. As a former betrayed spouse, my heart went out to her, but I had to find out if Katie was in the clear before I worried about a stranger’s relationship with his wife.

  “Did you see her the night of the murder?” I asked.

  “My wife? Of course I did. I see her every night.”

  “I’m talking about Katie,” I said, a little more strongly than I should have.

  He took too long to answer, and when he finally did, it was clear that he was lying again. “Sure I did. We were together all night.”

  “Where exactly were the two of you?” I asked, not convinced at all that he was telling the truth.

  “Around,” he said. “She needed to talk, so I offered to listen.”

  I shook my head. “Sorry, but it’s not good enough. I need one specific detail that Katie just told me before I’ll believe either one of you.”

  One look in his eyes told me that he didn’t have an answer to that. I could almost see his mind working as he decided how to handle me. He finally decided to go with righteous indignation. “Believe me or not. Frankly, I don’t care. I don’t have time to play games with you. I have a business to run.”

  As I stood, I said, “I just hope you have a better answer when the state police come.”

  He laughed at the threat. “Bring them on. I’ve got three lawyers on retainer. I’m not afraid of the police.”

  As I left the office, Katie said, “He confirmed my story, didn’t he?”

  “As a matter of fact, he didn’t.”

  She shook her head, her face flushing. “The fool is lying to you, trying to protect his marriage.”

  “And leaving you out in the cold in the process,” I said.

  “I’m telling the truth,” she said more forcefully.

  “It’s not up to me, anymore.”

  She stood, and then stormed into her boss’s office. I thought about sticking around to hear what was being said, but Chet walked in, so I took that as my cue to walk out.

  Whether Katie had lied to me or her boss had, one thing was certain. Her alibi hadn’t gotten any better since the last time we’d spoken, and quite possibly, it had just gotten a great deal worse.

  * * *

  The drive back home was uneventful, which was nice. It gave me a chance to think about what I’d seen and heard on my visit. With Bill Rodgers off my list and Chet added to it, I was left with the same number of suspects as I’d had before, though the exact roster had changed. I briefly considered Harry Duncan, and wondered if he might have had something to do with Desmond’s death, but in the end, I doubted that it was possible. If something had happened to Katie, I could see him as a suspect, especially to keep her from revealing too much to his wife, but it didn’t make any sense for him to have harmed Desmond Ray. I needed to focus more on Katie and Chet. I hoped that Grace would be able to help again tomorrow. I knew she had a job to do, and for that matter, so did I, but my investigations usually went so much better when I had her with me. I was just lucky that she didn’t have a nine-to-five job where she could never get away. Her supervisory duties and her sales territory still left her time to lend me a hand when I needed it, and that was especially the case right now, since George was off visiting his brother.

  * * *

  Momma’s car was in the driveway when I got back to the cottage, but that didn’t necessarily mean that she was still home. She’d been seeing Chief Martin nearly every night since the proposal, and the lights blazing inside didn’t mean anything, either. Some sinister things had happened in our park over the past few years, and we both had no problem paying a larger electric bill if it meant that people believed we were at home. It may have given us both a false sense of security, but neither of us was willing to give it up, no doubt much to our power company’s delight.

  The second I walked inside, all illusions that she might be gone were instantly dismissed. The house was filled with the aroma of turkey and pumpkin pie, a combination of scents that could weaken even the strongest man’s knees.

  “Hey, I’m home,” I said as I hung up my jacket in the hallway. “If you tell me I’m not invited to the feast, you’re going to break my heart.”

  Momma stepped out of the kitchen and smiled. “How can you not be invited? You’re the guest of honor.”

  “Where’s the chief?” I asked. “Will he be here soon? I’m starving.”

  “It’s just the two of us tonight,” she said.

  I glanced at the table and saw that there were just two place settings, and I suddenly felt guilty about our earlier conversation. “I don’t want to crowd him out,” I said.

  “Don’t worry, I did it all on my own. I’ve missed spending time with you, so I thought a nice dinner would give us a chance to catch up.”

  “Let me wash up first, but is there anything I can do?”

  She smiled at me. “It’s all taken care of. Have a seat, and I’ll bring the food out.”

  When I got back from the powder room, the turkey was in its place of honor, flanked by mashed potatoes, green beans, Brussels sprouts and cheese sauce, and jelled cranberry sauce. “Wow, what is this, a dry run for Thanksgiving?”

  “Call it what you’d like. The turkey was on sale, so I thought this might be fun.”

  “I’m not complaining. Trust me.”

  As we sat down, Momma asked, “Would you like to say the prayer?”

  I did as she asked, and mentioned George’s brother as well. As we began to fill our plates, Momma asked, “What’s wrong with George’s brother?”

  “He’s dying,” I said. “George left town this morning.” I suddenly realized that he’d failed to call me upon his arrival. Then again, I hadn’t asked him where he was going, so I had no idea when he might get there. “Momma,” I said, “I know it’s not usually done, but would you mind if I gave him a quick call before I eat? I’m worried about him.”

  “You have my blessing,” she said. “Give him my love, as well, would you?”

  “I will,” I said. I stepped out on the porch, dialed his number, but there was no answer.

  “That was quick,” Momma said when I rejoined her.

  “He didn’t pick up. I’ll try him later.” I tried to put George and his problems, along with the case I was working on, out of my thoughts. Momma had prepared a feast, and I wasn’t about to disrespect the time and effort she’d put into it, especially since she’d done it just for me. “Let’s eat.”

  We had a wonderful meal, and I made the mistake of not pacing myself, so there was barely room for pie, but I managed to have a sliver somehow.

  “That was nothing short of amazing,” I said.

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it.” She looked at the bountiful supply of food still on the table and then added, “I’m afraid we’ll be eating leftovers for a month.”

  “Not if Jake gets a chance to help,” I said.

  As Momma and I began to clear the table, she asked, “Have you spoken with him today?”

  “He called at six this morning,” I said with a smile.

  “Judging from your expression, it went well.”

  “His cell phone was dead, and he didn’t take his charger with him. Everything’s good.”

  “I’m so glad,” she said.

  I had to give her credit for not saying that she told me it would be. Momma was happy for me, and that was all that mattered. As she began putting things in Tupperware, I started on the dishes. I was happy that she didn’t try to stop me.

  Once she was finished with the leftovers, she picked up a towel and began to dry. It was nice working side by side with her.

&nbs
p; “If anything changes around here, I think I’ll miss this most of all,” I said.

  “What, my cooking?”

  “No, just doing everyday things with you. In case you didn’t realize it, I’m a big fan of hanging out with you.”

  I looked down at her and saw a tear in the corner of her eye. “Having you here after your divorce has given me a new lease on life,” she said. “If you hadn’t been there pushing me all along the way, I would never have taken a chance on dating again. You’ve helped me remember something about myself that I’d nearly forgotten.”

  “I would have fallen apart when Max cheated on me if you hadn’t been there to help me get through it, Momma. I don’t think I’ve ever thanked you enough for that.”

  “It’s so lovely that my daughter has turned out to be my best friend, as well,” she said.

  I felt a tear of my own begin to well up, and the last thing we needed was a shared crying jag. “Right back at you,” I said with a smile. “Hey, is there any pie left?”

  She laughed at me, and then said, “You can’t be serious.”

  “I don’t know, after we finish the dishes, another sliver of it might just hit the spot.”

  “I don’t know where you put it,” she said.

  “The same place every other woman does,” I replied, “mostly my hips.”

  “How is your investigation coming along?” she asked.

  Momma rarely inquired about my extracurricular activities. “I’m treading water at the moment, at least that’s what it feels like.”

  “These things take time,” she said.

  “Is the chief making any progress on his end?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “I wouldn’t know. When we’re together, we find other things to discuss besides our work.”

  “Okay, forget I asked.”

  Momma added, “When Jake is finished lecturing, is there any chance he’ll be able to lend you a hand? I know you can take care of yourself, but I feel better when he’s around.”

  “That makes two of us,” I said. “I’m a big fan of the man myself. He’s got two more lectures, and then he’ll be finished. I hope he’ll be able to come to April Springs for a few days, but with his job, he never knows where he’s going to be next.”

  “You’re good at enjoying the time you’ve got, though.”

  “We do our best,” I said. “I can’t tell you how honored I am that you chose me over Chief Martin tonight.”

  Momma smiled softly. “It won’t hurt him to miss seeing me for one night.”

  “Are you kidding? Missing this meal alone would kill him if he knew about it. I wouldn’t tell him what we just ate, especially the pie.”

  “There’s no need. I told him he could have a slice tomorrow, and you’d think I told him he’d just won the lottery.”

  “He did,” I said. “So, do you have any plans for the rest of the night?”

  “That all depends on you,” she said.

  “I’m wide open,” I answered, and my telephone rang.

  “It’s George,” I said as I checked the caller ID.

  “By all means, take it.”

  I stepped back out onto the porch, both for privacy and the fact that we got better reception out there. My room had two bars, but the rest of the house was hit or miss.

  “George, how was your drive?”

  “Well, I made it in one piece,” he said. He sounded really tired, but I knew better than to say it aloud.

  “Where exactly are you?”

  He laughed gently. “I didn’t tell you? I’m in Alabama.”

  “That’s quite a drive from here.”

  “Tell me about it,” he said.

  “Have you seen your brother yet?” I hated to ask the question, but I wanted George to know that he could talk to me about it.

  “Just for a second. Sorry, I should have called you earlier, but I had a lot to deal with. I just didn’t feel like chatting, you know?”

  “We don’t have to talk now,” I said. “I’m just glad you made it there okay.”

  I started to hang up when he said, “Hold on. I’ve got something for you.”

  “How could you do any digging while you were on the road?” I asked.

  “I told you, I called in some favors. I found out about the gun permits, if you’re interested.”

  “Of course I am, but we can wait and talk about this tomorrow. I know you’re dealing with a lot right now.”

  He paused, and then in a voice older than I’d ever heard from him, George said, “To be honest with you, I could use the distraction.”

  “Then by all means, fire away.”

  He laughed a little. “That’s cute. Fire away with the gun permits.”

  I hadn’t meant to be amusing, but I wasn’t about to deny credit for it. “What did you find out?”

  “Three folks on your list have permits,” he said. “Care to guess which ones?”

  “I’d rather you just tell me,” I said.

  “One belongs to Katie Wilkes, Allen Davis has one, too, and the third one is held by Gabby Williams.”

  CHAPTER 15

  “Gabby? You’re kidding me.” I couldn’t see her with a gun, and if she did have a weapon to match that permit, why hadn’t she said something to me about it when we’d talked about my investigation?

  “It’s for a .44, which is not a little gun at all. Then again, Gabby is big enough to handle it without any problem.”

  I felt my heart sink a little as I started to ask the question I was afraid I already had the answer to; which caliber of gun had been used to kill Desmond Ray.

  I never got the chance, though.

  “I’m sorry, Suzanne,” George said. “They’re calling me back into his room.”

  I couldn’t even pass on Momma’s love, he hung up so quickly.

  * * *

  “Suzanne, what’s wrong? Did he die?”

  It took me a second to realize that Momma was speaking to me. “What did you just ask me?”

  “George’s brother. Is he gone?”

  “No, but it’s not looking good.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Momma said.

  I was, too, as much for George as I was sorry for Gabby. I had to find out if her gun, or one like it with the same caliber, had killed Desmond Ray, but who could I ask? No one, I realized. I was just going to have to wait for George, no matter how long it took.

  “Do you feel like taking a walk in the park?” I asked Momma.

  “It’s a little chilly, isn’t it?”

  It was more than that, but I didn’t care. For some reason I just had to get out of the house. “Come on, we can bundle up, and when we get back, we can have a fire.”

  I half expected her to say no, so I was delighted when she agreed. “Why not? It might do us both some good to get out and get a little fresh air.”

  As we stepped out onto the porch, twilight was nearing. The clocks would be changing in a few weeks to daylight savings time, and soon we wouldn’t have light this time of the evening. Most folks enjoyed sleeping in, but I got up so early that it really didn’t matter all that much to me. I didn’t know anyone else who would be able to tell two-thirty from three-thirty in the morning, either.

  I started to tell Momma about Gabby’s gun permit, and a few other facts about the case I was working on, but before the words could leave my lips, I bit them back down. This wasn’t a night for murder and mayhem. I wasn’t at all sure how many more evenings Momma and I would have alone, and I didn’t want to ruin one of the last ones by talking about what had happened to Desmond Ray.

  We strolled around the big loop in the park, my gaze going for a moment to the Patriot’s Tree, a mighty oak that had seen its share of death over its lifetime. Even with everything it had experienced over the many years it had stood there, the tree had remained; strong, silent, resolute.

  I glanced back at the cottage and thought I saw something in the shadows.

  “What’s that?” I asked Momma as I pointed t
o our front porch.

  “What?” she asked as she looked, too. “I don’t see anything.”

  Whatever it had been—if it had been anything at all—was now gone. The trees around our place sometimes projected the oddest shadows, almost creating optical illusions in the waning moments of daylight.

  “I’m sure that it was nothing,” I said. “I must be tired. My eyes are starting to play tricks on me.”

  “Are you getting enough sleep?” she asked, always and ever my mother.

  “Probably not,” I admitted.

  “You should turn in early tonight and try to catch up,” she said.

  “I’ll be fine,” I answered. “Honestly, I’d rather stay up and hang out with you. Who knows how many more nights we’ll have?” The last part just slipped out unbidden.

  “Suzanne, I relish our time together, as well. Even if other things change, I promise you, that won’t.”

  I put my arm in hers as we walked back to our cottage. “Momma, what did you teach me about making promises I couldn’t keep?”

  “What makes you think I won’t keep that one?” she asked.

  “I know you mean to, but life has a way of getting in the way, doesn’t it?”

  She stopped, and since our arms were locked, I stopped, as well. “Suzanne,” she said. “Look at me. As long as I’m breathing, I’ll always have time for you. Is that understood?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I said with a smile. I knew that if she accepted the police chief’s proposal a great deal would change, but not everything. Momma and I would stay close; I was sure of that. We’d both worked too hard to reconnect after the Max part of my life had ended.

  When we got up on the porch, I looked around for some kind of sign or calling card that someone had been on our porch, but there was nothing but some early fallen leaves. Before long, the park would be filled with tones of orange, red, and yellow, and soon after that, we’d be walking on a carpet of brightly fallen leaves. This, too, was fleeting, and I made up my mind to enjoy every last moment of it, and I had a feeling that my mother felt the exact same way.

  “Do you have any interest in a game?” I asked Momma when we walked back inside. I felt much better with the solid door locked between us and the rest of the world.