“I might as well give family a chance,” Roadkill Rodney said more to himself than anything else. “After all, I’m all alone now anyway.”
“You do have friends,” Heather assured him. “But we’re glad to hear that you will have family again too.”
“We came here to talk while sharing some donuts. Uncle Rudolph can’t stop talking about them.”
“That is true,” said Rudolph. “I was completely serious about opening another location in Key West. I’ll have to head out there soon to take care of some business anyway.”
“He’s trying to convince me to travel with him,” Roadkill Rodney said.
“I want to describe it as a family vacation, but because he lived there before, it isn’t quite the same.”
“The white sand beaches are always appealing, but there are some ghosts in that town for me now.”
“I do understand,” Rudolph said. “And if you’re going to make Hillside your home, then I will just have to travel to Texas more often. And I will give it my best yee-haw.”
Heather and Amy tried not to giggle at that.
“And I can make some travel plans myself to see my only uncle.”
“It looks like you two are going to make this work,” Heather said. “I’m glad no one has to hide under my tables anymore.”
“No more hiding,” Roadkill Rodney agreed. “And in fact, Uncle Rudolph is trying to spread his wealth around. He told me he wants to invest in me. That I could start any business or project I’ve been meaning to do and that he will back it. But, of course, the only business I know and love is roadkill.”
“Really?” asked Amy.
Rudolph seemed to agree with the sentiment but smiled at his nephew.
“He’s going to buy me a new truck as an investment. Then I’ll be able to work it wherever I choose to go,” Roadkill Rodney said, smiling.
“And based on these flavors, I am still happy to make an investment in Donut Delights too,” Rudolph said, in between bites of a donut that brought him so much joy.
“I have another investor,” Heather said. “I would have to talk to him before I made any plans.”
“I am willing to make deals,” Rudolph said. “I see how this can be profitable for many people.”
“You’re just being polite, right?” Amy quietly asked her bestie.
“Let me tell you about the deal I’m thinking about,” Rudolph suggested.
“There’s nothing wrong with listening to what he has to offer,” Heather said.
Amy nodded but didn’t look happy.
“I have some property on Duval Street,” Rudolph said.
“That’s a nice street,” Roadkill Rodney told them.
“We could set up a Donut Delights storefront there. I could take care of the setup costs, and you would train the staff and provide the recipes.”
“If she’s just setting it up, couldn’t she fly out there for a week, bake a few donuts, and come home?” Amy asked.
“I get the sense that Heather Shepherd here is the heart and soul of Donut Delights. I’m not saying she’d have to stay in Key West forever.”
“Good,” said Amy.
“But I’d like to have a year contract so make sure that the donut sequel is every bit as delicious as the original. It could be like a year-long work-vacation.”
“Our last vacation there wasn’t very restful,” Heather admitted.
“Exactly,” said Amy.
“To sweeten the deal, I would add that I also own some rental properties for living at. I have several townhouses and condos in the area that I rent out. I know that currently, I have a three-family home and a small bungalow on the beach for rent. I could promise living quarters for you and your family while you’re there.”
That did make the deal more tempting for Heather, but she knew this wasn’t something that she could decide on in an instant, especially with her best friend who was against the change sitting right next to her.
“It’s a huge decision,” Heather said.
“I understand completely,” Rudolph said. “You think on it.”
Heather nodded, but Amy cut in. “We don’t want to get your hopes up,” Amy said. “Heather has a lot going on in Hillside besides just Donut Delights. Her husband is on the police force here, her daughter is in school here, and her best friend just moved into a house.”
“That’s true,” Heather said. “And I do investigate murders here, and I have a case that still needs to be solved.”
Rudolph sensed the tension between the friends and just nodded.
“Hey, boss,” Maricela said. “Can I interrupt for a minute?”
“Sure,” Heather said, grateful for the distraction.
“We just got a “thank you” postcard in the mail,” Maricela said. “All the way from Seattle, Washington. They’re thanking you for some delightful donuts that they used for a party there.”
Heather smiled and read the card. “This is so sweet. It’s nice to know that my donuts are appreciated everywhere,” Heather said. “It’s funny. I didn’t even hear the mailman come, and now I have this nice message.”
Heather froze. A look of realization dawned on her.
“What’s going on?” Roadkill Rodney asked.
“Is she thinking about the move?” Rudolph asked.
“She’s thinking about the case,” Amy said. “Aren’t you?”
“I think I solved it,” said Heather. “How big do you think a cat castle topper is?”
Chapter 17
Heather, Amy, and Ryan stood at the end of Amy’s driveway, waiting. They saw Nathan Greene emerge and begin to work in his garden. Lorraine Lyle waved at him as she went inside her house. Deb and Phil Pittman were walking around the block. The Lovetts were arguing as they emerged from their car. The Tuttle sisters could be seen at their window, waiting for their package to arrive.
A mail truck started down the street, but it wasn’t able to make its deliveries. Ryan stopped the driver. Heather and May recognized him as the young mailman they saw at the Tuttle house.
“What do you think you’re doing?” The mailman asked.
“Gordon Gussell,” Ryan said. “Your vehicle is government property, and the Hillside Police have been granted permission to search it.”
“What are you looking for?” Gordon, the mailman, asked nervously, as Ryan began his search.
“I think this,” Ryan said. He held up a package that was only a few inches tall but was about a foot wide. Ryan lifted it, and they could see it was decently heavy for its size. It looked like it had been hastily wrapped, and there was no address on the package.
“You can’t open that,” Gordon said. “It would be a violation. Nobody can tamper with the mail.”
“You were counting on that,” Heather said. “Until you could figure out what to do with it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Gordon said, but he was starting to sweat.
“I’m talking about the murder weapon you used to kill Barry Rahway and Amos Hucklebine,” said Heather.
“That’s ridiculous,” said Gordon.
“Nobody noticed anything strange on the street, but that’s because everything seemed to be going according to schedule. The mail was delivered at its regular time. You were part of the usual scenery. But instead of delivering all the mail on your route that day, you killed Barry Rahway.”
“Why would I kill him?” Gordon asked.
“We know that Barry Rahway liked to play pranks,” Heather said.
“A few neighbors said he took it upon himself to take on the duties of the neighborhood dog,” said Amy.
“The Tuttle sisters even told us that he would bark at the mailman,” Heather said. “And I bet that bothered you. I bet that got under your skin.”
“It was annoying,” Gordon said. “But to kill for that?”
“Maybe you didn’t plan on it right away,” said Heather. “But you kept your anger bottled up. And that day you snapped.”
“We’re guessing this package here is the Tuttle sisters’ missing package,” Ryan said. “That cat castle topper that they were so anxious to get.”
“Instead of delivering it that day, you followed the source of your frustration, and you killed him by hitting on the head with the package,” said Heather.
“Then you went through the hedges to get away from the scene of the crime,” said Ryan.
“Leaving blue fibers behind,” said Amy. “Blue fibers from your uniform and hat.”
“We’ve already made a match between the fabric that is used in those uniforms and what was found at the crime scene,” said Ryan.
“Your shoes look to be a size nine,” said Heather.
“And you know what they say,” said Amy. “If the shoe fits, he’s the killer.”
“If I did kill Rahway, why would I keep the murder weapon?”
“Because the Tuttles have been so desperate to get their package. It doesn’t seem like they’ll stop pestering you until they get it. You were trying to determine if you could change the packaging to deliver it without their noticing it was used to kill someone,” said Heather.
“At the station, we’ll get the authority to open this package and confirm all our suspicions,” said Ryan. Then he began reading Gordon Gussell his rights.
Before Ryan took him away, Amy had to ask, “Why did you have to kill Amos?”
“I was nervous,” Gordon said. “So, I kept an eye on the street. I realized that he might have figured it out.”
Then Gordon realized that he should stop talking, and allowed Ryan to take him away.
Chapter 18
Amy proudly displayed the card that Amos Hucklebine had sent to her and Jamie on their mantle.
“It was that card that broke the case,” Amy said. “He must have realized that there was a sinister reason why our mail wasn’t delivered that day.”
“But it’s also a nice remembrance of him,” Heather said. “He was a good man.”
Amy nodded. “All right. Enough sad stuff. Let’s break out the food.”
Now that the case was solved, Amy and Jamie had invited their friends over to celebrate their move-in. Lilly was playing with Dave and Cupcake. Eva and Leila were anxiously waiting for the donuts to be put out so they could eat them. Jamie was showing Ryan the entertainment center that he had finally figured out how to set up.
Heather and Amy stood together and looked at the group.
“Is it starting to feel like home?” Heather asked.
“It does,” Amy said. “But.”
“But what?” asked Heather. “Did the murder spoil it for you?”
“Yes. Maybe. But in a different way.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that with my landlord’s death, I’m not sure exactly what is going to happen. We also were able to move in early because Amos Hucklebine was nice, but technically our lease didn’t start. And it looks like his houses will go to his next-of-kin. And I don’t know if they’re planning on continuing to rent the house or not.”
“You think you might not be able to stay here?” asked Heather.
“I don’t know yet,” said Amy. “But wouldn’t that be terrible? That Jamie and my first house together is one we’d only get to stay in for a month.”
“That would be,” agreed Heather.
“And we already gave up our own places,” said Amy. “And we’d have to move all the furniture again.”
Ryan and Jamie must have seen their upset faces and came over to join them. Slowly, the rest of the party joined them too.
“Did you tell her about the house?” Jamie asked.
“What’s wrong?” asked Ryan.
“Is it haunted?” asked Leila.
Dave’s ear went down in fear. Lilly reassured him he was safe with her.
“It’s just that everything is up in the air right now,” Amy said. “We don’t know if we’ll be able to stay here. It’s going to depend on the new Hucklebines.”
“Oh no,” said Eva.
“It’s going to be all right,” said Jamie.
“I wish I felt as optimistic,” said Amy.
“I meant,” said Jamie. “That as long as we’re together, it doesn’t matter to me where we live.”
“Well, when you put it like that,” said Amy, and then she gave him a big kiss.
Even without knowing the future, the friends were able to have a fun evening. There was good food and plenty of laughs.
Heather thought about it. Amy and Jamie’s move hadn’t gone as planned, but it looked as if the experience had only made them stronger as a couple. A move for her might be “the right move” too. It was still a big decision to make, but she couldn’t let fear of the unknown stop her from trying something new. If she hadn’t tried new things, she never would have started a donut business, or become a private investigator, or become a mom. Those were all wonderful things that started with a big change in her life.
She found Ryan and held his hand. She would put off the big decisions for the night. Instead, she would enjoy the company of the people she cared most about. She would also enjoy the comfy-ness of the couch that they had struggled to get inside the house.
The End
A letter from the Author
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