Drop Dead Chocolate: A Donut Shop Mystery

by Jessica Beck

  But I hoped one of us solved this case soon. I missed my boyfriend, and while it might not have been as valid a reason as some, it was good enough for me, even if my mother hadn’t been involved up to her eyebrows.

  * * *

  “Good morning, Suzanne,” Momma said as she came into Donut Hearts a little later in the morning. She wasn’t exactly a regular at my shop, but it was nice to see her from time to time. Though her makeup was expertly applied as always, I could tell that she’d been crying, and recently.

  “Hi, Momma. How are you?”

  “I’m fine. Why shouldn’t I be?” she asked.

  If she was going to play it that way, I had no choice but to follow her lead. “May I get you something this morning?”

  She studied the display cases, and then said, “Just coffee, please.” As she looked around the shop, she added, “Where is Emma this morning?”

  “It’s her day off,” I explained as I fetched her a large coffee.

  Momma didn’t approve of our arrangement, and she wasn’t all that shy about sharing her opinion with me. “Suzanne, this is too much work for one person. Why don’t you consider shutting down instead of working by yourself? Surely one day a week won’t kill you.”

  She hadn’t lowered her voice, and there were a few customers in the shop at the moment, but if they were listening to us, they weren’t doing it openly. Still, I had a feeling the conversation we were having would be repeated more than a few times over the next few hours, so I had to make it good. “Business is booming,” I said loudly. “That’s one of the reasons I stay open seven days a week. I’d hate the thought of disappointing my loyal clientele by not being here for them.”

  Momma shrugged. “It’s your decision, of course. You’re just not getting any younger, and the hours you work can’t be helping with the aging process.”

  I put a hand to my face inadvertently. I wasn’t in the mood to have any of these conversations at the moment, so I switched her coffee from the mug to a cup to go without even asking. “Here you go,” I said as I slid it to her.

  As she reached for her purse, I added, “Don’t worry about it. It’s on the house.”

  “That hardly seems fair,” Momma said as she pulled out a dollar bill. “I’ll pay my own way, Suzanne. I always have and I always will.”

  I didn’t have the heart to tell her that a buck wouldn’t cover the blend I’d just poured her. Better to take a slight loss than listen to a lecture on how high my prices were at the donut shop.

  As Momma started to leave, she hesitated at the counter and said in a soft voice, “I hope that exchange will appease anyone listening that things are fine in our world. Suzanne, we need to talk somewhere in private.”

  “Do you mean you didn’t just drop by for my coffee?” I asked, matching the low volume of her words.

  “Of course not,” she replied.

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t leave the front, since I’m all alone. If we talk low enough, no one will hear us.”

  Momma considered it, and then nodded. “Are you making any progress in the case?”

  “We’ve added some suspects,” I replied.

  “Is that good news?” Momma asked impatiently.

  “We’re all working as hard as we can,” I said, “but these things take time. Jake’s doing some digging of his own, too. Don’t worry, we’ll get to the bottom of this. If my gang can’t solve the murder, I’m certain that Jake will be able to do it.”

  “Yes, Phillip called me just a few minutes ago. I’m well aware of your young man’s current line of inquiry, Suzanne.”

  It was clear from her tone of voice that Momma wasn’t pleased with Jake’s investigation when it turned to her boyfriend, but it had to be done, no matter how unpleasant any of us found it, and I was sure she knew it, at least on some level. “He’s got to do this by the book, now more than ever. Every suspect has to be considered, no matter who they might be.”

  “I fully realize that,” she said. After a momentary pause, she asked, “Is there anything I can do to assist you and your team in your investigation?”

  I had to look twice to be certain that she was serious. “Thanks, but I think we’re good.”

  She wouldn’t accept that, though. “You’d tell me if I could help, wouldn’t you?”

  I knew Momma had resources I couldn’t match, so perhaps I was being a little hasty when I rejected her offer out of hand. Then again, I wasn’t at all sure how it would look if she started digging into Cam’s murder herself. Folks expected that kind of behavior from me, but for my mother, it might make them leap to conclusions that weren’t in any of our best interests.

  “If I can think of something that doesn’t directly involve you, I’ll ask, trust me,” I said, expecting her to protest.

  Instead, she nodded her head wearily, and I found myself worrying about her. “What are you going to do with yourself today, Momma?” I asked.

  With the resolve and backbone I knew my mother possessed, she said proudly, “I’m going to put on a brave face and parade myself around town as though I were running for homecoming queen. I want folks to see that I have nothing to be ashamed of, and that I’m not afraid to be seen out and about. I won’t campaign, we’ve already discussed that, but I will do my best to give everyone the impression that the weight of this murder isn’t crushing me like a car sitting on my chest.” For just a moment I’d seen the real vulnerability in her eyes, and it was something I hated finding there. I had to do everything in my power to solve this case, and sooner rather than later.

  * * *

  It was nearing eleven, and I was ready to close for the day. It seemed to take forever when I was working alone, and I realized again how much I loved having Emma there with me during the morning. Honestly, if I hadn’t cut my hours so recently from noon to eleven, I might have locked the doors early, but I couldn’t see doing that now.

  In the end, I was glad I didn’t.

  Two of my favorite customers, Terri Milner and Sandy White, came rushing in as I was wiping down the tables.

  “Are we too late?” Terri asked breathlessly. “Please tell us we aren’t too late.”

  Sandy added, “We will die without éclairs.”

  “You’re in luck,” I said with a grin. “I happen to have two left.”

  “Excellent,” they said as I went back behind the counter and plated them. “Would you like a pair of coffees, too?”

  “Oh, yes,” Terri said. “If I were a drinking woman, I’d have you put a shot of something extra in it.”

  “Did you two have a rough day?” I asked as I poured two coffees to go with their éclairs.

  “We took a field trip,” Sandy said.

  “To the Bowling Row,” Terri added.

  “And the kids all bowled,” Sandy said.

  Terri paused and then said, “I have to give them credit. Most of them went toward the pins.”

  “But not all of them,” Sandy added.

  “Was anyone hurt?” I asked as I took their money and handed over the change.

  “Mostly just feelings and pride,” Terri answered.

  “But it was so loud, my ears are still ringing,” Sandy complained.

  “The pins couldn’t come close to matching the voices of our little angels,” Tina said. “Some genius decided to give them cupcakes before they even started to bowl. Imagine twenty-six kids crashing around, every last one of them on a sugar high.”

  She must have thought I’d take offense to that, because she quickly added, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”

  “Hey, I’m a firm believer in moderation,” I said. “I’m just glad it wasn’t donuts. I get enough heat as it is for what I serve.”

  As they took up their favorite spot by the window, I saw Terri tap Sandy’s arm. “Do you hear that?”

  She clearly tried to hear what her friend was talking about, but she finally shook her head. “I give up. What is it?”

  “The sound of silence,” Terri sai
d.

  “Don’t get too used to it,” Sandy said. “It’s a half day at school today, remember? We have to pick them up as soon as we finish here.”

  “What maniac decided to take our kids bowling in the morning and then send them home with us in the afternoon?” I knew how much these women loved their kids, and what they’d sacrificed for them, so I didn’t take anything they said to heart.

  “If you two don’t mind, I’m going to start cleaning up,” I said when I noticed that it was three past eleven.

  Terri looked at Sandi, clearly mortified. “We forgot again.”

  “She closes at eleven now,” Sandy said.

  They both stood and I said, “I’m not trying to run you off. If you want to stay while I work, you’re more than welcome to. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind the company.”

  “We’d love to,” Terri said, “but we really do have to get going. Thanks so much for the offer, though.”

  They both took final bites and last sips, and then left.

  As I flipped the OPEN sign to CLOSED and locked the door, I had to laugh. Terri and Sandy had been some of my very first customers when I’d first opened the shop, and I always loved having them visit, even when they had their kids in tow.

  Well, maybe not always then. Thomas liked to show off for the twins, while Mary and Jerri did nothing to discourage him.

  Boys, I decided, no matter what their ages, never seemed to change.

  EASY, DELICIOUS DONUTS ANYONE CAN MAKE!

  We were desperate for donuts one day, and I didn’t feel like going to much trouble, so I raided my pantry to see what I could use. I found a packet of Martha White chocolate chip muffin mix and decided to play with it. I split the mix in half and used whole milk with one half and 2% chocolate with the other and made fresh donuts. The whole-milk ones were really good, but the chocolate milk batch was fantastic! This one is now a hit with my family, and we’re branching out to try other mixes in the Martha White line as well.

  INGREDIENTS

  • 1 packet Martha White chocolate chip muffin mix (7.4 oz), split in half

  • ¼ cup whole milk (2% can be substituted.)

  • ¼ cup chocolate milk, whole (2% can be substituted.)

  DIRECTIONS

  Combine half the mix with whole milk, and the other half with chocolate milk.

  And that’s it!

  The donuts can be baked in the oven at 350 degrees for 10–15 minutes in cupcake trays or small donut molds, or in a dedicated donut baker for 6–7 minutes.

  Once the donuts are finished, remove them to a cooling rack. These are best served as is, but they can be embellished with any topping of your choice. Sometimes I make an apricot glaze by reducing apricot jam on the stovetop by half, and then use that to lightly cover the tops.

  Makes 5–9 donuts, depending on baking method

  CHAPTER 10

  I didn’t get out of Donut Hearts until almost noon. It just hadn’t been my day. The cash register report was over by an odd seven dollars and thirty-nine cents, something I couldn’t attribute to a simple mistake in making change. Maybe I’d entered a number or two into the register wrong when I’d rung up a sale, or even worse, I’d either charged someone too much for their donuts or cheated them on their change. Either way, I felt like a heel, and I never did manage to figure it out. On the rare days when that happened, I noted the discrepancy in the log, and then did my best to forget it. Added to that, Emma had moved a few things around since the last time she’d been off, and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out her new system.

  At least the donut count was close to being spot-on. I had just six donuts left from a day of selling, and for some odd reason, the times I kept my waste under a dozen were counted as good days for this donut maker. There had been times in the past, beyond my control, when I’d ended up with dozens upon dozens left at the end of the day, and I always felt bad when that happened. I didn’t even need a box today. Instead, I just put the unclaimed donuts in a bag and headed out on my way.

  I didn’t get very far, though.

  George was waiting for me ten paces from my front door, and judging by the expression on his face, he wasn’t very happy.

  * * *

  “Like some donuts?” I asked, trying my best to cheer him up a little.

  “You don’t have any coffee left, do you?” he asked, sort of growling out the question. “I could really use some right now.”

  “No, but come on back inside. I can make some in a jiff.”

  “I won’t have you doing that on my account,” he said. “Do you have a minute?”

  I glanced at my watch. “I’m meeting Grace at one, so I’ve got nearly sixty of them. What’s got you so upset?”

  “Who said I was mad?” he asked.

  I touched his shoulder lightly. “First of all, I said ‘upset,’ not ‘mad.’ And second of all, I know you well enough to be able to tell that you’re not happy about something. Come on, you can talk to me.”

  “I just spoke with Evelyn,” George admitted, “and it didn’t go all that well.”

  I found a nearby bench that was unoccupied and steered him toward it. “Let’s go over there and you can tell me all about it.”

  He followed me, and after a bit of coaxing, George took the bag and demolished the donuts I’d had left. I wanted to supply him with coffee, too, since that was our agreement for his help in my investigations, but he’d said no with enough force to make me realize that he’d meant it.

  “Talk to me,” I said after he finished the last one.

  “She threw me out after a few minutes,” he said, his voice falling flat as he told me. “We were just starting to connect again after her father’s death, and now it’s all ruined.”

  I felt like crying. I’d cost George his health in the past, endangered his life even—but this was somehow worse. “I am so sorry. I had no business letting you to speak with her.”

  “What are you talking about?” George asked. He clearly wasn’t happy with my comment. “It’s not your fault, Suzanne. You can’t keep blaming yourself for every bad thing that happens in my life.”

  “Maybe not,” I said, “but I’m the one who sicced you on her.”

  “I volunteered, remember?”

  “Well, I still feel responsible.”

  “Don’t,” he said as he took the empty bag and began to wad it up into a tight ball. “It was pretty clear that Evelyn was gunning for me the second I walked in the door. It appears that she believes Jake is going after her ex-husband, and she’s mad enough to spit fire about it. There’s something that woman is hiding, I can feel it in my bones, but I don’t have a clue what it might be.” He shook his head, and I could see the pain in his eyes as he added, “There’s a secret there. She wanted to tell me, I could see it in her eyes, but I must have pushed her too hard, and she ended up shutting down on me.”

  I remembered Jake telling me earlier that morning that he’d be talking with Chief Martin about the murder, but how had Evelyn found out about it so soon?

  “I didn’t think it was public knowledge that Jake was talking to Chief Martin,” I said. “How did she know? A lot of folks seem to know about what happened already.”

  George shrugged. “Jake probably wanted to keep things friendly, so they spoke at the Boxcar, and Evelyn must have overheard them there.”

  I fully understood why Jake hadn’t brought the chief to my donut shop, but I hadn’t realized that they’d been that close by. “Was it honestly that bad?”

  George nodded somberly. “According to Evelyn, Jake ended up accusing the chief of murder, point-blank.”

  “I can’t imagine he’d do that without a lot of provocation,” I said.

  “Trust me, I know the professional side of him better than you do. It’s so out of character for the way Jake investigates that I didn’t believe it for one second. I knew that Evelyn was blowing it up out of proportion, but I when I tried to assure her of that, she threw me out. There’s no way she’s going
to tell any of us anything now. Sorry if I killed that line of inquiry.”

  I patted George’s shoulder again. “We can do without her information, but if it’s important to you, you need to go back there and make things right between the two of you, even if means throwing Jake, Momma, and even me under the bus to do it.”

  He looked shocked by the suggestion. “Suzanne, I’d never do that. You shouldn’t even suggest it. It’s not my style.”

  I had to get through to him that his relationship with Evelyn was more important than our investigation. I could see the pain he was in looking into his eyes, and it was more than I could take. “I know that. All I’m saying is that I know how bad it made you feel losing that relationship in the first place. If you can, you owe it to yourself, and her father, to try to save it.”

  George shook his head. “In my heart, I know that you’re most likely right, but I can’t do it, not right now. I’ve got an appointment in ten minutes with Harvey Hunt, and I need to keep it.”

  I had a sudden inspiration. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll talk to him myself,” I said.

  “Without Grace?”

  It seemed that George wasn’t all that certain that I could handle the meeting on my own, but it wasn’t time to have that particular debate. “Fine. I’ll call Grace, and if she can make it, that’s great, but if not, I’ve got it covered. Where are you two supposed to meet?”

  “By the bench closest to the town clock,” he admitted reluctantly. “I don’t feel right you doing this, though. Talking to Evelyn can wait.”

  “What would her father want you to do?” I asked. It was probably a low blow, but sometimes George needed a little push in the right direction.

  “I don’t even have to think about it. He’d want me to go see if I could fix things with her right now,” George said. “Okay, you convinced me.” As he stood, I saw that there was just the slightest hint of hesitation in his movements, and I was glad that his physical therapy had worked so well. As George began to walk away, he turned back and said, “Watch your step with him, and don’t turn your back. Not for a second.”