Deadly Deals and Donuts

by Cindy Bell

  The entire drive home, her mind was weighed down with what to do about Adam and Vince. Since she was one of the oldest truck owners on the street, she felt a certain sense of protectiveness over the rest of the owners. Although her truck was the new one on the block, everyone seemed to respond to her well. She considered having a meeting to discuss street safety and the need to keep criminal elements away from their location. If the area was deemed dangerous, they would get less and less customers and would be forced to move to another location. As it was, she was certain that Green Street was the best place for her truck. When she stepped into her house, a fluffy ball of fur bounced up to her. She grinned and scooped her up.

  “Hey Molly, what are you up to?”

  The bunny flicked her ears and stared into Joyce’s eyes with that curious gleam that won her over the moment she saw her. “Mmhm, you’ve gotten into the hay, haven’t you? Let’s take a look.” Joyce stepped into the kitchen to find hay scattered across the floor. “Oh, you naughty bunny, I’m going to have to get you a sitter.” She laughed and grabbed the broom to sweep it up. Not long after her husband died, Joyce was introduced to Molly at a local rescue. She’d gone there to pick out a cat or a small dog to keep her company, but the moment she saw the long-eared rabbit, she’d fallen in love.

  After Joyce was done cleaning up, she and Molly watched their favorite television show, then she headed to bed. The moment her head hit the pillow, she thought about Adam and Vince and just how she was going to handle the problem. She gazed at the framed photograph of her husband on the nightstand beside the bed. Though it wasn’t something she confessed to many people, she still talked to him in the evenings when she couldn’t sleep. This night was no different, and soon after she finished telling him about her day, she fell asleep.

  Chapter 2

  When Brenda arrived at the food truck the next morning, she was too preoccupied with her phone to even get the oven started. The weather report was not looking favorable. Although they still did get some customers when it rained, it could potentially knock out two thirds of their revenue for the day.

  “Hi Brenda.” Joyce climbed the steps into the truck. “How are you today?”

  “A little concerned about this rain that we’re supposed to have.”

  “Don’t worry, it’s going to miss us.”

  “Are you sure?” Brenda asked hopefully.

  “Yes, see?” Joyce held out her tablet for Brenda to see. “The radar shows it going around us.”

  “Oh good. I was hoping we wouldn’t be rained out. You know that councilman is supposed to be meeting with the truck operators today, and I was afraid he would cancel it. Do you know him well?”

  Joyce tucked the tablet away into the messenger bag that she wore. “Geoff Pierce? Somewhat. I’ve seen him a few times, but we’ve never been properly introduced. He grew up here, but he is younger than my children, so I don’t think they ever crossed paths.”

  “Do you think he’s coming here to cause problems or solve them?” Brenda bit into her bottom lip as conspiracy theories swirled through her mind. Charlie was always on a rant about different scandals that involved politicians.

  “Honestly?” Joyce laughed. “I think he’s coming here for a photo shoot. So he can claim he has his ear to local businesses. But that doesn’t bother me, it’s free advertising for all of the trucks, and there’s nothing better than that.”

  “Good point.”

  “Speaking of advertising, I spoke with the artist, Ella, about creating a wrap for the side of the truck. She said it would take about a month.”

  “For now, our sign will have to do. Did she say anything about a price?”

  “Let me check my email, she said she would send through a quote this morning.” Joyce pulled out the tablet again. “It’s here.” She shook her head. “That’s a little high.” She turned the tablet towards Brenda to show her the email.

  “It is. What do you think?”

  “Unfortunately, it’s the going rate.” Joyce shrugged.

  “If you think it’s too much, we can try to get other quotes.”

  “No, it’s fine. We do want the truck to look professional, and it’s a one-time investment. I’m just a bit of a penny-pincher.”

  “Which is why we’re doing so well. I have to say when you first asked me to join you in this, I thought I was crazy for saying yes, but it has really worked out.”

  “Yes, it has. We’re one of the more popular trucks thanks to your baking skills.”

  “And we’re one of the most profitable, thanks to your business sense,” Brenda said. “I’d better get to work on the donuts, we’re going to have a rush before the councilman’s visit.”

  “He’s bringing that events coordinator, Melvin Cooper. Make a special one for them, will you?”

  “Special how?”

  “I don’t know, just something that will make them feel important, maybe pipe a pretty decoration or their names on them, or make them a variety.” Joyce smiled. “It doesn’t hurt to butter the hands that pull the strings.”

  “Is that so they won’t be able to pull our string?” Brenda grinned through the open side window of the food truck.

  “It’s always good to plan ahead. Pierce oversees the permits for the food trucks and Melvin is the one with the power to decide whether we get to go to most of the events around town, and it’s about time we got bumped higher on that list.”

  “We are one of the newer trucks, so I guess that explains why we’re not chosen too often.”

  “I know, but that enchilada truck just started a few weeks ago, and it’s already been out to the stadium.”

  “More demand for enchiladas at sports events?” Brenda laughed.

  “I suppose, though I’d think they would want something that would cause less fumes in such close quarters.”

  “Joyce!”

  “I’m serious, it could be a distraction for the players.”

  “You’re so funny.” Brenda laughed. “Anyway, I’m sure we’ll get our turn one of these days.”

  “Don’t be so sure about that, Pierce is buddy buddy with a lot of these owners, and I’ve noticed that they’re the ones that get picked to go to these events. I’ve seen him, I’m sure he plays favorites and influences Melvin’s decisions.”

  “Well then, we’ll just have to become one of his favorites.” Brenda winked as she whipped a spoon through the mixture in the bowl she held. “Some extra special donuts coming up.”

  While Brenda baked, Joyce reviewed the finances of the truck. Everything turned on a hairpin when it came to profit and loss. Luckily, she had enough money to support the truck should it hit some troublesome times, but she would rather see black than red. In the first year after her husband’s death, she found it difficult to do anything. Even when she went out, she made it a point to remain alone. The donut truck was her attempt at rejoining the world and giving herself something to focus on. Since Brenda agreed to join her as her baker, she found more than purpose, she found a very good friend. Now that they spent so much time together, she couldn’t imagine her life without her. Not long after the donuts were pulled out of the deep fryer, there was a commotion at the front of the line of trucks.

  “There they are, see?” Joyce leaned forward so that she could see past the crowd that gathered near the entrance of the street. “That black car is Pierce’s. It’s so shiny every time I see it. I think he must wash and wax it right before he goes anywhere.”

  “It is pretty shiny.” Brenda peered down the street as well. “But I don’t care about that. As long as he does what he promises and protects our right to be here, then he can drive a shiny helicopter for all I care.”

  “I’m sure he has one of those, too.”

  “I don’t know. Councilmen don’t make that much. Do they?”

  “They do if they’re on the take.”

  “On the take?” Brenda quirked a brow. “What do you mean by that?”

  “Never mind that now, let’s get
down there and say hello before we lose our chance at convincing them to make us one of their favorites.”

  “Okay, I’ll bring the donuts.” Brenda grabbed the box and stepped down out of the truck. As they joined the crowd near the entrance of the street, Brenda could spot the councilman easily. He wore a finely tailored dark suit, and his thick black hair was smoothed down with gel. He was a handsome man, without question, but in a clean-cut way that rarely was attractive to her. He smiled at the crowd before him.

  “Hi everyone, so glad to see you again. Most of you know my colleague and friend Melvin Cooper. He’s an events coordinator who organizes many of the big events in the area. He asked me to introduce him to some of the concession providers as there are so many new trucks since he was last out here. So, as you know, we’re here to sample a bit of everything that everyone has to offer.” Pierce patted his stomach. “It’s a tough job.”

  “The donuts, Brenda, the donuts.” Joyce nudged her with her elbow.

  “Okay.” Brenda took a deep breath. She had a hard time putting herself out there in front of other people.

  “Go on, Brenda, before Gus gets all of the attention.” Joyce looked over at Gus, who stood at the front of the crowd with a platter of fried pickles. Brenda nodded and nudged her way forward through the crowd. When she reached the front, she noticed the man beside Pierce. He was tall like Pierce, but he had a robust stomach and a wicked smirk.

  “I can’t wait to taste all that you have to offer. If I like it, I’m sure there will be events in your future. And don’t worry, even if I’m not too keen on it, I’m sure we can find some events for you, too.”

  “Mr. Pierce.” Brenda cleared her throat. “Joyce and I made a variety of donuts for you and Mr. Cooper to try.” She held out the box and hoped that her hands didn’t shake. As shy as she was, especially in the face of men with influence like Pierce and Cooper, she predicted that she would find a way to make a mistake.

  “Oh, did you? How thoughtful.” Pierce smiled as he stepped forward to take the box. “I’m sure they will be delicious.”

  Brenda lifted the lid of the box as she took a step forward. When she did, her foot collided with something, and she lost her balance. The box went flying out of her hands as she stumbled, then smashed into Pierce’s chest when she fell forward into his arms.

  “Oh no, I’m so sorry.” She straightened up and peeled the box off his chest.

  His face was etched in anger for a second as he looked down at two of the heavily glazed donuts that still stuck to his suit jacket. “Well, I’m sure they would have been delicious.” He composed himself.

  “I must have tripped on something.” Brenda looked back at the pavement behind her, but she didn’t see anything she could have tripped over. When she looked up, she caught Gus looking back at her, still clutching his tray of fried pickles.

  “I have plenty of napkins here, sir, if you want to try to clean up.” Gus gestured towards the napkins.

  “Here, I’ll help you.” Brenda grabbed a few of the napkins.

  “No thanks, it’s fine, I’ll just take it off.” He pulled off his jacket.

  “We’ll get it cleaned for you,” Brenda offered.

  “Thank you, you can return it to my office once it’s cleaned.” He handed it to Brenda. “Now, let’s try some of those fried pickles, Gus, as if I don’t already know how fabulous they are.” He chuckled as he walked away from Brenda. She was mortified as she headed back to Joyce’s side.

  “I’m so sorry, Joyce.”

  “Don’t be, it’s not your fault.” She crossed her arms as she glared at Gus. “Someone tripped you.”

  “Are you sure? Did you see it happen?” Brenda looked over her shoulder at Gus as he distributed his pickles. “He wouldn’t do that, would he?”

  “He would, and he did. We have to look out for ourselves, Brenda, the competition here is fierce. Anyway, give me that jacket.” Joyce took it from her. “You make some fresh donuts, I’ll keep an eye out for sabotage.”

  “I really can’t believe he did that. I thought Gus was such a nice guy.”

  “He is a nice guy, in some ways, but when it comes to competition, he’s going to do whatever it takes. That’s how it is here. You and I, we’re doing this mainly for fun. Gus and many of the others here are doing this to survive and support their families.”

  “But he tripped me. That’s such a mean thing to do.” Brenda shook her head. “It’s like being back in grade school.”

  “Maybe so, but we can’t let it get to us. Don’t worry about Pierce. If he didn’t like you, he would have done a lot worse. I think he’s fond of you actually.” Joyce smiled.

  “Fond of me? Why?”

  “Well, you’re very lovable.”

  “Aw, that’s so sweet of you to say, Joyce.” She laughed and rolled her eyes. “I guess you’re trying to make me feel better.”

  “It’s true.” Joyce winked and then looked back at Pierce and Cooper as they made their way along the trucks. “Hurry up with the donuts or we won’t get a chance for Cooper to sample them. We could use some of the ones you made before, but they are much more delicious when they are warm.”

  “Okay, I’m on it, I’m on it.” Still nervous from the incident with Pierce, she started to collect ingredients. As soon as she began to stir them together, she relaxed. The soothing motion of mixing the dough and the scent of the spices she added were enough to calm her. By the time the donuts were in the oven, her nerves were settled. She peeked out through the serving window at Joyce, who still stood like a sentry watching the other trucks.

  “Hey guys, he’s coming this way next.” Adam waved to them from the truck beside them. “I know Melvin quite well, I will put in a good word for you. I’ll also make sure he’s ready for something sweet.”

  “Thanks Adam.” Joyce waved back to him. Adam’s truck sold hot dogs of all varieties, along with French fries and soda. He was almost always picked to go to events, which wasn’t surprising because his product was popular. Joyce also suspected from the rumors going around amongst the food truck owners that he might have some kind of understanding with Cooper.

  “I bet he’ll put extra sauerkraut on.” Brenda rested her elbows on the counter in the serving window and smiled out at Joyce.

  “Yes, he might just do that. Here they come.”

  Pierce and Cooper stopped at Adam’s truck. They exchanged a few pleasantries, then Adam served them some hot dogs. As they ate, Brenda glazed the donuts. She wasn’t sure that they would be as good as the first ones she made, as these had been made in a rush and she was upset from tripping earlier, but she hoped the men would like them. She piped ‘Donuts on the Move,’ the name of the donut truck, on them to make them look fancier and help the name stick in Cooper and Pierce’s minds.

  Since their truck specialized in an old favorite that was readily available, they tried to put a unique twist on them. Not only did they provide traditional and other varieties of fried donuts, they sold baked donuts as well. It was difficult to compete with the more established businesses for big events like sports games. However, Brenda’s healthier baked donuts did help them get into events like office gatherings and children’s birthday parties. After the two men ate their hot dogs and sucked down sodas, they made their way to the donut truck. Joyce greeted them with a handshake and a smile.

  “Sorry about the incident earlier. We do have some fresh donuts for you to try.”

  “Nothing to worry about, Joyce, things happen. I’d love to try some of those donuts.” Pierce rubbed his stomach. “But I’m so stuffed from everything else, I’m not sure that I’ll be able to eat a bite.”

  Joyce kept her smile tight on her lips and nodded. “Oh, I understand there are so many delicious options to choose from here.”

  “Perhaps Mr. Cooper would like to try some?” Brenda tried to hide the disappointment in her voice as she held the tray through the serving window to the two men. “These ones are baked and these are fried.”
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br />   “Wow, did you do the decorations on these?” Cooper smiled. “Quite impressive.”

  “I can make custom designs as well. I love piping different decorations on them.”

  “What a nice advantage to have. Not only does it smell delicious, but it looks like artwork. All right, I’ll try one.” Cooper picked up one of the donuts and took a big bite. “Mm, wow, this might be the best donut I’ve ever tasted, and I like that the glaze isn’t overly sweet. It’s the perfect combination. I’m surprised I haven’t heard of your truck before.”

  “We’re fairly new, we’ve only been open a short time.” Joyce handed him a napkin to go along with his donut. “We’d be happy to cater any event that you might organize.”

  “I will be keeping you in mind. I could never pass up delicious donuts like these.”

  “Thank you.” Brenda smiled and waved as the two men walked away, then turned to Joyce.

  “Great job, Brenda, I think we’re on his radar,” Joyce said happily.

  “I hope so.”

  Joyce’s smile disappeared, replaced by a determined look. “Now, I need to settle things with Gus. If he thinks he can trip you and get away with it…”

  “No Joyce, please don’t, I don’t want to stir up any trouble.”

  “You could have been hurt, Brenda.” Joyce met her eyes. “It’s okay to stand up for yourself, or to let someone else stand up for you.”

  “I know, I know, I just don’t want to cause an issue when there really doesn’t need to be one. Please?”

  “All right, but just know if he does it again, I’m going to make sure that he gets fried right along with those pickles.”

  “You wouldn’t.” Brenda laughed.

  “I would if it came to it.” Joyce raised her fist in the air. “No one messes with my Brenda.”