Killer Crullers

by Jessica Beck

  It took me three tries to get her attention. I finally had to tap her on the shoulder, and she dropped a stainless steel bowl on the floor when I did.

  “You scared the life out of me,” she said as she pulled her buds out.

  “Your music may be too loud. What do you think?”

  “Sorry,” she said as she pulled the earplugs out. “I just love this song. What’s up?”

  “I need enough green icing to cover those donuts, pronto,” I said as I pointed to the tray.

  She dried her hands. “Do I even want to know why?”

  “Why not? It’s for Terri Milner’s twins.”

  She nodded. “I don’t even want to know why they want them. I’ll have them ready in a jiff.”

  I walked back out front to tell Terri we were working on her order when I found James Settle, the blacksmith coveting our railroad rails.

  “Did you come to make more trouble?” I asked.

  “No, ma’am,” he said with a smile as he held up his palms to me. “I just want coffee and a plain cake donut.”

  “Okay, that works for me.” I did as he asked, and was surprised to see Terri approaching.

  “I’m sorry, but they won’t be ready for a few more minutes,” I explained.

  “That’s not why I’m here.” She turned to the blacksmith and said, “Are you still interested in those train tracks?”

  “Of course I am,” he said. He looked at me quickly, and then added, “I’m sorry, but it’s true. I got the rights just yesterday.”

  “You’re not taking our rails without a fight,” I said.

  “He doesn’t have to,” Terri said. “My husband has a client who has a few rails he’d like to get rid of. They were in the way of a building he was putting up, and he didn’t want to sell them for scrap if he could find a good home for them.”

  “Does he know I’m going to cut them up?” the blacksmith asked. “I wouldn’t want to take them under false pretenses.”

  “All he cares about is that some of their history is preserved. If you’re interested, here’s his number.”

  “Do you happen to know how many he has?” Settle asked.

  “I’m afraid there aren’t many, maybe forty or so.”

  “That’s more than I’d be able to harvest here.” Settle frowned for a moment, and then added, “I can’t pay a lot for them. Do you know how much he wants for the lot?”

  Terri smiled. “My husband told me that I could work out a deal for them myself. You make bookends out of them, right?”

  “Among other things,” the blacksmith admitted.

  “I’m sure a nice set of bookends for his office, and another set for my husband, would be repayment enough. Would you be willing to do that?”

  “It would be my pleasure. Thank you so much,” he said as he took the phone number from her.

  “Don’t thank me,” Terri said. “I did it for Suzanne.”

  He turned to me and said, “Then thank you. Tell you what. I’ll make you a set of bookends, too.”

  “You really don’t have to. I’m just glad to help, if it will keep our tracks where they belong.”

  James Settle smiled, and then pulled a document from his pocket. “We can make sure of that right now.”

  “How can we do that?”

  “This document gives the bearer the rights to those tracks for the next twenty-five years.” He took a pen and signed his name, wrote something else, and then handed it to me. “Now it’s your decision what happens to them, not mine.”

  “I’m going to frame this,” I said, and I meant it when I saw that he’d transferred the rights to me.

  Settle left whistling just as Emma brought two boxes to the front. She opened the box lid and showed them to Terri. “How do these look?”

  They were the brightest shade of green I’d ever seen in our shop. I thought they looked absolutely hideous, which meant the kids would probably love them.

  “They’re perfect,” Terri said. “You guys are wonderful.”

  As she reached for her purse, I said, “These are on the house.”

  “That’s not right. You just saved me.”

  “Terri, you did me a much greater favor by brokering that deal for those railroad tracks. Trust me.”

  She frowned for a moment, and then nodded. “If you’re sure.”

  “Positive,” I said.

  After she left, Emma asked, “What was that all about?”

  “It was the barter system at work in all of its glory,” I said with a grin.

  I put the document safely under the cash register, and then went about the rest of my morning selling donuts. It might have been a small victory in the scheme of things, but it was one I would gladly take.

  For the next twenty-five years, those tracks would stay right where they were, a reminder of things past.

  ANCIENT CRULLERS

  Okay, let me start with a disclaimer. This recipe was passed on to me by someone else, and honestly, I’m not a big fan, though I know folks who are. It’s more like fried pie crust than cruller, in my opinion, but if you’ve got a bare minimum of supplies (say a snowstorm or flood has kept you in your house with no grocery store within reach) you might want to give these a try. I cut them into triangles, just for fun.

  INGREDIENTS

  • 1 egg, beaten

  • 1 tablespoon sugar, white granulated

  • 1 tablespoon lard

  • 1 tablespoon whole milk

  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour

  DIRECTIONS

  This is not complicated, just a little harder than making donuts out of canned biscuits, with the added disadvantage of not being nearly as good! Don’t forget, you’ve been warned. Beat the egg in a bowl, add the sugar, lard, and milk. Once that’s incorporated, add the flour. If you need more to make it workable, that’s fine. Roll the dough out ½ to ¼ inch thick. Fry in hot canola oil (360 to 370 degrees F) 1 to 2 minutes, turning halfway through. Once they’re drained, a little icing makes them easier to eat.

  Yield: 6–10 triangles

  CHAPTER 16

  As soon as we closed the donut shop for the day, I gave Grace a call.

  “Hey, should I come over?” I asked. “I gave Emma a dozen donuts just now, but I’ve still got two dozen donuts left, and you’re welcome to any you’d like.” Grace had once turned down every donut I offered, including the healthiest ones I knew how to make, but over the past several months, she’d come to realize that even with her healthy lifestyle, indulging in a donut every now and then wouldn’t hurt her. I thought it might be because of the murders we’d investigated together. There was nothing like seeing death up close to make you realize how important the little things were, including minor indulgences from time to time.

  “Sorry,” she said. “I should have called you earlier, but I’ve been crazy busy. I’ve been driving through Haley’s territory all day, so I can’t help out with the investigation until sometime after three.”

  “Is something wrong?”

  Grace sighed. “No, everything’s fine, but I’ve got a young woman who has applied to be a district trainer, so before I can pass her name on to my boss, I have to do spot checks in her territory, and then we’re meeting for a lunch evaluation.”

  “So, she doesn’t even know you’re coming?”

  “She doesn’t have a clue. I had our secretary call her just now to meet me, and we’ll go over what I found at lunch.”

  “That sounds cruel.”

  “Hey.” Grace laughed. “She asked for the scrutiny. There are no worries, though. Haley’s stores have all been as spotless as she is. I hate to put you off until then, though.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I can handle things until you’re free,” I said.

  “Just don’t take any chances until we can get together, okay?”

  “I make no promises,” I said with a grin. “Call me when you’re free.”

  “You’ve got it,” she said.

  I hung up, and after I dropped b
y the bank to deposit our day’s receipts, it was time to go see Jean Ray, whether Jenny liked it or not. I wasn’t happy about that situation, or the fact that I’d forgotten Jean completely yesterday.

  It was time to make amends.

  Jenny answered the door when I knocked, something I’d been afraid might happen. I had a dozen of my spare donuts with me, keeping the last dozen in my Jeep just in case, but I doubted they were going to get me past the door.

  “I brought you these, as promised,” I said as I tried to shove them into her hands.

  No great surprise, Jenny wouldn’t take them. “Who exactly did you promise?”

  “Didn’t your aunt tell you? Jean and I made plans to see each other today.”

  Jenny frowned at me. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. She’s resting,” Jenny added as she tried to shut the door on me and my donuts.

  I wouldn’t budge, though. “Jean, are you there?” I shouted past her. “It’s Suzanne. I came for our donut party.”

  “Quiet,” Jenny snapped. “You’ll wake her.”

  “I wasn’t asleep,” Jean said from behind her. “Now, be gracious and let my friend in, or you won’t be here long yourself.”

  The steel in Jean’s voice was remarkable. This was a different woman than the one I’d spoken to last. What had happened in the interim?

  Jenny gave me a quick glare, and then stepped aside. “Of course. Won’t you come in, Suzanne?”

  I smiled brightly at her. “I’d be delighted. Thanks for asking.”

  “Shall we have those in the living room?” Jean asked.

  “That sounds good to me,” I agreed as I followed her in.

  Jenny trailed us, but Jean turned to her and said, “We’d like some coffee, and after you’ve made it, you’re welcome to join us.”

  Jenny didn’t say a word; she just nodded and walked into the kitchen.

  I put the donuts down, took Jean’s hands in mine, and then asked softly, “What happened? You’re a new woman.”

  She replied in hushed tones, as well. “I realized that I was tired of being taken care of, so I decided it was high time I took responsibility for myself. Jenny tried to push me one too many times, and I had my fill of it, so I pushed back.” The pride shone on her face, and it must have been in mine, as well. “She hasn’t completely learned who the boss is yet, but she’s starting to catch on.”

  “I’m surprised you even let her stay,” I said.

  “The poor girl has nowhere else to go,” Jean confided, still speaking in a low voice. “She broke down and confessed it all to me this morning. What could I do? Like it or not, we’re all the family each of us has now that Desmond’s gone.”

  I had one question I had to ask her, though I hated doing it. “I know it’s going to sound horrible, but could she have killed Desmond to get to your money?”

  I thought there was a good chance I was about to be thrown out, but Jean shook her head and admitted, “I considered the possibility myself, and if Desmond had been done in with anything but a gun, I might have given it more credence, but the way he was killed let me know right away that Jenny was innocent.”

  “How do you figure that?” I asked.

  “Didn’t you know? Her parents were gunned down in a mugging that went horribly wrong. She detests guns, and so do I. I can’t imagine ever owning one. I inherited a collection from my father, but the day Jenny’s folks died, I got rid of every last one of them. Besides, Jenny’s not a killer. A bully, perhaps, though I’ll break her of that, but not a murderer.”

  “What did you do with the guns?”

  “I gave them all to the police,” she said. “They were happy enough to take them, but not as glad as I was to be rid of them.”

  That answered questions about two of the suspects on my list. Jean had no reason to lie to me, since she didn’t know she was on my suspect list, and it would be easy enough to check with Chief Martin to see if she’d donated the guns as she’d said. Although I wouldn’t strike off either one of their names yet, at least until I could confirm her story.

  Jean, Jenny, and I had our coffee, and against my better judgment, I ate a cruller, as well. I’d packed one without thinking, and the last thing I wanted to do was remind Jean of the incident with Desmond in front of Gabby’s shop. I was enjoying our chat when my cell phone rang.

  “Excuse me, but I’ve got to take this,” I said.

  “Of course, be my guest,” Jean said.

  I stepped away from them and said, “Hello?”

  “Suzanne, you’ve got to come quick.”

  It was Gabby, and from the sound of her voice, something big had happened.

  “What’s going on? Where are you?”

  “I’m at my house,” she said. “The police just found my gun!”

  “I’ll be right there,” I said.

  I made my excuses, gave Jean one last hug, and then headed to Gabby’s house to see what exactly she’d gotten herself into this time.

  * * *

  Two squad cars were pulled up in front of Gabby’s place, and Officer Stephen Grant was standing outside on the porch with her.

  I got out of the Jeep and approached them. “What’s going on?”

  Officer Grant said, “Hey, Suzanne. Everything’s fine. There’s no need to panic.”

  “That’s what you think,” Gabby said. “If this isn’t a good time to lose my mind, I hope I never see one better.”

  I touched her hand lightly to comfort her, and then looked at Officer Grant. “Is it true that you found her weapon?”

  “It was behind her nightstand in her bedroom,” he said. “We just found it. The chief’s checking it out right now.”

  “I need to speak with him,” I said.

  Officer Grant stepped in front of me, blocking me from Gabby’s front door. “He knew you’d come running, so I have specific orders to keep you out here until he’s finished. Sorry,” he added softly.

  “It’s not your fault,” I said. I pulled Gabby to one side of the porch and asked, “What are they going to find?”

  “How would I know? I have no idea how it got back there.”

  “Could it have fallen off your nightstand and you didn’t realize it?”

  She thought about that, and then nodded. “I suppose so. I don’t remember the last place I saw it, so how could I say for sure one way or another?”

  “Gabby, has anyone been in your house lately besides you, especially right before Desmond was murdered, or since then? Someone could have taken it to kill Desmond, and then brought it back here to frame you for murder. Think hard, it’s important.”

  She seemed to consider it, and then shook her head. “No one’s been here.”

  “Are you positive?”

  “I am. There are no spare keys, and no signs of a break-in.”

  That was bad. If her gun had been used to kill Desmond, it might just be enough to convince a jury that Gabby was a killer.

  Chief Martin came out two minutes later, and he immediately spotted me standing there with Gabby on the porch. “Why am I not surprised to find you here?”

  “Gabby and I are friends,” I said. “She called me, and I came. What did you find out about the gun?”

  “That’s confidential,” the chief said.

  “Come on, who am I going to tell? Be a sport. Can’t you see what this is doing to her?” I pointed to Gabby, who looked as wild-eyed as I’d ever seen her.

  “Fine, but neither one of you is to breathe a word of this. That gun hasn’t been fired in years. There’s dust in the barrel, and no signs that it’s ever been cleaned, let alone shot. I’ll send it to the ballistic lab the state police run, but I’m willing to bet good money that it wasn’t used in the murder.”

  Gabby nearly collapsed against me until I could guide her to a nearby chair. “Are you all right?” I asked.

  “I knew I didn’t do it, but the thought that someone else might have used my gun to kill Desmond was just about more than I could take.”
/>   I turned to the police chief. “Would it be okay if she went back inside?”

  “That’s fine,” he said. “We’re finished here.”

  A thought occurred to me. “You did have a warrant for this search, right?”

  “We didn’t need one,” he said with a smile. “Gabby invited us in herself.”

  I waited until she settled down some before I left her alone. Gabby was finally breathing normally again, and her color was returning to normal. “If you don’t need me, there are some things I need to do, and the sooner the better.”

  “Go on. You’ve been a true friend,” Gabby said as she squeezed my hand.

  This bonding we were doing was either going to change our relationship forever, or would soon be forgotten by both of us. I wasn’t sure which, and if I was being honest about it, I didn’t even know which outcome I’d prefer. How odd it would be to have Gabby on my side all the time, instead of never knowing where we stood.

  As I left her place, I started thinking about the long list of suspects I’d had. They’d dwindled down considerably, so that now there were just three names left: Katie, Allen, and Chet. All three lived in Talbot’s Landing, and all three worked at Duncan Construction. I looked at my watch and saw that I had another hour before Grace would be free, so I texted her that I was going to Talbot’s Landing, and started off alone to see if I could catch a killer on my own.

  * * *

  There was just one place where I could find my final three suspects, and I had to go there alone. I considered telling Chief Martin about my theories, but that was all they were, without real proof to back them up. George was out of town, and I couldn’t wait for Grace to be free.

  But I knew it could be reckless going to Duncan Construction alone. I dialed Jake’s number as I drove, and it went straight to voice mail. I left a message laying out my suspicions and what I was up to, just so there’d be some kind of record in case something happened to me. I knew that I probably should have waited for Grace, but I also knew from experience how her lunches could stretch out into dinners, and I had a feeling that if I didn’t move on this, and quickly, something else bad might happen. I had no reason for the premonition, but I’d learned not to ignore them over the years. Besides, I was going to Talbot’s Landing in full sunlight in the middle of the day, surrounded by loads of other people.