Drop Dead Chocolate: A Donut Shop Mystery

by Jessica Beck

  “Hello, Phillip,” she said, and I started to get up.

  Momma shook her head curtly, and I settled back down. I’d been known to defy that shake in the past, but only with good reason and the full understanding that I was putting myself in mortal jeopardy by doing it.

  “Yes. I see. Very well.”

  “He’s standing you up, isn’t he?” I asked. “Of all the nerve. The man asked you out on a date, and now he’s got cold feet.”

  Momma laughed at my outburst. “That’s not it at all. He feels that going to Union Square sends the wrong message, as though he were ashamed of me. Instead of going to Napoli’s, we’re going out to the Boxcar Grill.”

  “That means you’re way overdressed,” I said.

  She looked at her suit and shook her head. “No, I believe it’s perfectly fitting for a date. If the rest of Trish’s patrons are underdressed, that’s their choice.”

  The doorbell rang, and I jumped up from the chair. “I’ll get it.”

  “It’s most likely just Phillip,” Momma said.

  I grinned at her. “I’m going to tell him you called him ‘just Phillip,’” I said.

  She shook her head. “Suzanne, your humor eludes me sometimes.”

  “Don’t feel bad. There aren’t many people who get me completely.”

  “And is Jake one of them?” she asked, ignoring the doorbell.

  “He’s getting there,” I said. “Don’t keep your fella waiting.”

  “I doubt he’ll ring the bell again,” she said. “Phillip knows how much I dislike that.”

  “Then you’re managing to train him a little.”

  She laughed openly at that remark. “He would deny it, but perhaps it’s true.”

  She walked out of her room, and I followed.

  When Momma answered the door, the chief of police was indeed standing outside, waiting patiently on her. “You look lovely, Dorothy,” he said.

  “That suit is becoming on you as well,” she said.

  “You two kids have fun tonight,” I said, enjoying tweaking them both.

  “Don’t wait up,” Momma said, and then left. I heard her stop and lock the door behind her, and I had to wonder if she didn’t think I was capable of locking up myself.

  * * *

  I’d just made my sandwich and was turning on the television when there was a knock at the front door. “Who is it?” I called as I looked out the peephole.

  “Hopefully, the guy who is still your boyfriend,” Jake said sheepishly.

  “Why wouldn’t you be?” I asked as I opened the door to let him in.

  “Well, I was kind of abrupt with you earlier, and I felt bad about it.”

  “Enough to risk being spotted here?” I asked as I stepped aside to let him in.

  “I’ll take the chance,” he said as I wrapped him up in my arms.

  After a long and quite thorough kiss, I said, “There should be a reward for being so brave.”

  “I thought you’d be mad,” he said, clearly confused.

  “Jake, I know how you are when you’re on a case, remember? Honestly, I’m not all that high-maintenance. I appreciate the gesture, though. It was sweet of you to come by. Have you had dinner yet?”

  “No,” he said as he looked toward the kitchen. In a lower voice he asked, “Your mother is gone, right?”

  I nodded. “The good news is that no one can accuse you of fraternizing with a suspect. The bad news is that all I’ve got to offer you is a sandwich, unless you’d like eggs. I could probably whip those up if you’re in a hurry.”

  He looked at my sandwich sitting on a plate on the coffee table.

  I smiled at him. “Go ahead. I’ll make myself another one.”

  “Thanks,” he said as he grabbed it and took a large bite. “I only have a minute, but I just had to see you. Suzanne, I’m not a big fan of this arrangement. I miss you.”

  “I miss you, too,” I said as I moved into the kitchen. Jake stopped long enough to grab his sandwich, and then followed me.

  “I’m afraid I gave you a bad tip about William,” I said as I started pulling out the materials to construct another sandwich.

  Jake smiled as he nodded. “I already knew what was going on, but I didn’t have the time to tell you. He had to use a cane to answer the door, his gout was so bad. My uncle Timothy had the same problem, and there were weeks at a time where he could barely walk.”

  “It explains shutting the arcade down,” I said. “Is there anything else going on with the investigation?”

  He just shrugged, and after he took another bite of the sandwich, he said, “I’m still collecting information and impressions.”

  As he said it, I watched his eyes, and saw them go down to the floor quickly, and then back up again. Was he lying to me? “Jake, there’s something you’re not telling me.”

  “What?” he asked. “What makes you say that?”

  “I just have a hunch,” I said. I wasn’t about to tell him how I’d known. It might come in handy in the future knowing when he was stretching the truth.

  “Yes, well, we’re on the edge of a pretty big knot, and as soon as I can figure out how to undo it, we’re going to catch a killer.”

  “You’re that sure?” I asked.

  He finished the last bite, and then nodded. “I’m pretty sure.”

  “That’s a relief,” I said.

  Jake looked at me carefully. “You’re not going to grill me until I tell you who I suspect?”

  “Not this time,” I said with a slight smile. “Getting my mother off the hook is all I can ask. That is what you’re doing, right?”

  For a flash, I thought Jake might be getting ready to accuse my mother of murder, but I knew better than that. Still, it was a relief when I heard him say, “As far as I’m concerned, your mother is in the clear, unless some new evidence comes to light.”

  “I’ll take that stipulation,” I said.

  Though he’d just polished off the original sandwich, he stared at the one I had just finished making. With a smile, I shoved it to him and said, “Go ahead and take it.”

  “I shouldn’t,” Jake answered. “I really need to get going. To be honest with you, I shouldn’t have come at all, but I couldn’t stand the thought of upsetting you.”

  “I can make myself another one once you’re gone.” I wrapped the sandwich up in a paper towel, gave him a quick kiss, and then sent him on his way.

  Once I was alone again, I started to make a third sandwich, only to realize that there was just one piece of bread left, and the ham I’d used before was now gone. It wouldn’t be much, but I made myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or a half of one, and ate it happily in front of the television.

  It was amazing how much Jake’s quick visit had done to lighten the weariness and tensions in my shoulder.

  It was early, even for me, when I went to bed, but I had no trouble going to sleep. I’d been living on borrowed hours for too long, and I slept soundly until my alarm went off way too early the next morning.

  As always, it was time once again to make the donuts.

  CHAPTER 16

  When I got to the donut shop the next morning, I was pleased that the new window was still intact, but I knew that I had to call my friend, Annabeth Kline, to paint another sign there for me. Annabeth and I had gone to high school together, but we’d drifted apart when we’d gone to distant colleges. I was delighted when she’d moved back to town just as I was opening Donut Hearts. Her degree had been in graphic design, and I was her first client upon her return to April Springs. I’d barely been able to afford to pay her, bartering some donuts to make up the difference. While my income had stayed the same, Annabeth had clients all over the world now, and was doing quite a bit better than I was. I just hoped I could still afford her.

  I flipped on the fryer as I came in, and as a matter of habit I checked the answering machine.

  I was glad I remembered when I heard the message.

  It was from Elise
Black, and she wanted six dozen of my cake donuts for eight a.m. on the twenty-second. That was today. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do it with the ingredients I had on hand, but she was a friend, and if I could manage it, I was going to deliver.

  When Emma walked in a little later, she looked at the donuts already glazed, and the batter and dough for more. “Are we having a sale today that I didn’t know about?” she asked as she exchanged her jacket for an apron.

  “No, but Elise called and placed a pretty big order.”

  “For today?” Emma asked incredulously.

  “That’s what the message said,” I answered. “I’m dropping donuts, so you might want to retreat.”

  Emma ducked into my office, and I finished the last of the batter in my dropper.

  “All clear,” I called out, and as she came in, I saw that Emma wasn’t happy.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Did something else happen?”

  “Suzanne, do you know what day it is?”

  I nodded my head, told her, and wondered if she’d hit her head while she’d been in there.

  “No, I mean the date.”

  Why was she playing this game? We had donuts to make. “It’s the twenty-second,” I said.

  “Actually, it’s the twenty-first,” she answered.

  “Are you sure?” I replayed the message in my mind, sure that I’d heard it right the first time. Only I wasn’t sure. “Let me check the machine again.”

  I left Emma to flip and pull the donuts while I went into my office and hit the replay button. It said the twenty-second, so I glanced at my calendar and saw that it was indeed the twenty-first.

  I’d made six dozen too many donuts today, and there was no way I could do any less now. We’d have to have a sale after all, but that wasn’t the worst part of it.

  Tomorrow, I was going to have to do exactly the same thing.

  I came back out and Emma was applying the last touches of glaze to the donuts.

  “You were right,” I said simply.

  “Trust me, I don’t take any joy from it,” she said. “What are we going to do?”

  “I think we need to make a sign. How about ‘BUY ONE DONUT, GET A CAKE DONUT FREE, WHILE SUPPLIES LAST’?”

  “We could do that, but why don’t we have a little fun?” Emma asked.

  Her days at the shop were numbered, so if she could think of a way for us to amuse ourselves with the time she had left, I was all for it.

  “What did you have in mind?”

  She thought about it, and then said, “I need a little time, but I’ll be able to come up with something before we open.”

  “Okay, it’s a deal. I’m leaving it in your hands.” I wouldn’t be able to say that much longer.

  After all of the cake donuts were finished and the cooling racks were filled to overflowing, Emma and I stepped outside for our break. We always took it between making the cake donuts and waiting while the raised ones went through their first rest, and it was a nice time to chat and catch up.

  “How’s your dad’s investigation going?” I asked. “Is he having any luck on his end of things?”

  Emma shrugged. “You know Dad. He thinks he’s right, until you or the police prove that he was off base all along. I’m sure he has a suspect in mind, but if he does, he’s not sharing it with me.”

  “It wasn’t because you’ve been feeding me information, is it?” I asked. I would hate it if my investigation had come between father and daughter.

  “No, you’re in the clear. As a matter of fact, he just assumes that I’ll tell you everything. No, Dad doesn’t want his theory to leak to anyone. I know he’s serious, because he hasn’t even told Mom, and you know how those two are. If I had to guess, though, tomorrow’s paper is going to have his theory in it.”

  “How can he do that without being sued?” I asked.

  “Dad won’t print anything unless he has evidence to back it up. The funny thing is, I heard him talking to someone on the phone last night, and for a split second I thought I could hear Jake on the other end of the line. I’m crazy, right?”

  “You might be in general, but not necessarily about that,” I said with a smile. “I know the two of them have spoken from time to time in the past. It would be smart of your dad not to tackle a killer on his own. I bet Jake would give him first shot at a scoop if your father provided him with any valuable information that led to an arrest.”

  “I don’t know. That sounds kind of timid for Dad. He’s the kind of guy who rushes into the burning building when everyone with any sense is running the other way.”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know, then. It was just a theory.”

  We were quiet for a bit, and just before we were due to go back in, Emma said, “I’m going to miss this time most of all.”

  “It is lovely how quiet it is,” I said, taking in the early-morning silence. Despite the frigid temperature, or maybe because of it, I felt more alive when the thermometer dropped.

  “I’m talking about our chats,” Emma said.

  “Don’t worry. Anytime you’re home from break, you can come by and we’ll hang out. It’ll be just like old times.”

  “I’ll be here,” she said.

  I had to laugh. “I won’t hold it against you if you don’t,” I said. “This is still pretty early for a college student.”

  She grinned. “Maybe I’ll swing by before I go to bed, then.”

  “Either way, you’re always welcome,” I said. “This is your home, too, and I couldn’t have done it these past few years without you.”

  We stood and hugged, then my timer went off.

  “Sorry about that,” I said as we headed back inside.

  “Are you kidding? I couldn’t imagine a more fitting end to this conversation.”

  * * *

  It was nearly time to open, and Emma had stepped up front for a minute.

  “What’s up?”

  “Give me a second,” she said with a mischievous grin on her face. “I want to try something out on you.”

  Two minutes later she called out, “Come on up. I’m ready for you.”

  I walked into the dining area and saw her sign.

  It read: SPECIAL ONETIME OFFER ONLY: TWO DONUTS FOR A DOLLAR, OR THREE FOR TWO BUCKS.

  “You’d better check your math,” I said.

  “It’s intentional,” she said. “Don’t you think it’s a riot?”

  “What I think is that you may be sleep deprived. Nobody in their right mind is going to buy three donuts for two bucks when they can get two of them for a dollar.”

  “Wanna bet?” she asked me.

  I nodded. “If you sell more than three of the two-dollar specials, you can come in an hour late tomorrow morning.”

  “What if I sell more than that? Is it an hour extra for each special?”

  “Not a chance,” I said with a smile. “And you can’t call anyone or tell anyone at all about our bet. Deal?”

  She nodded and stuck out her hand. “Deal.”

  “I’ve got a feeling I’m going to get a lot of questions about this sign,” I said as I put it in the new window.

  “Hey, if it gets folks talking and coming in, that’s not a bad thing, is it?”

  “I hope not,” I said, matching Emma’s smile with one of my own. “But I’m not about to rule it out.”

  * * *

  “Suzanne, your sign is wrong,” James Settle said when he walked into the donut shop a little after nine.

  I had explained it two dozen times, and I was tired of going through the same thing over and over. Just as I’d expected, everyone had a comment about it. What had caught me by surprise was how many folks had taken advantage of the two-dollar “bargain.” I’d sold seven so far, and several singles beyond it, so that my extra stock was nearly gone.

  “You’re right,” I said as I took a clean towel and wiped the board clean. “Better?”

  “Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it,” the blacksmith said. “I thought it was ki
nd of funny, that’s all.”

  “No worries, James. It was meant as a joke, but you’d be amazed how many we sold.”

  He laughed. “It doesn’t surprise me a bit. That’s why I’m so glad I moved here. This town is full of quirky people.”

  “You fit right in then, don’t you?”

  “I hope so,” he said seriously. “I’ve volunteered for everything I can think of. It’s a great way to meet people.”

  “I hear the ladies of the Ruffle and Raffle Society were particularly pleased with your presence.”

  James shook his head. “I thought it meant something else,” he explained. “I know, it doesn’t make much sense, either, but what could I do?”

  The society was dedicated to making quilts, one every six months, and gossiping about what was going on in April Springs behind the scenes.

  “You could always quit,” I said. “I can’t imagine it’s much fun for you.”

  “Are you kidding? The ladies are teaching me how to sew, and I’m doing any heavy lifting they need taken care of. Besides that,” he added with a wink, “they’ve decided that I’m underweight, so they take turns baking me cakes, cookies, and pies. Trust me, I’m getting the best end of that deal.” He waved the bag of donuts at me, smiled broadly, and then left.

  James and I had started off on opposite sides of the same issue, but since it had been resolved, we’d formed an odd kind of friendship. Most days I enjoyed seeing the blacksmith, though there were times when we still butted heads. That was okay. Not everyone had to agree with everything I thought. It would be a pretty bland world if that were the case, not that there was any danger of that ever happening.

  With the board now blank, it was business as usual. Emma had been banished to the kitchen, lest she give away our competition, but when she finally walked out front near eleven, she looked at the board and asked, “What happened?”