Bad Bites: Donut Mystery #16 (The Donut Mysteries) (2 page)

Chapter 2

“Go get Jake and Phillip,” Momma said as she knelt down and felt for a
pulse despite the obvious state of the murder victim.

“Shouldn’t I stay with you?” I asked, unable to tear my gaze away from
the brightly clad body and the knife plunged into it.

“Go, Suzanne!
 
We might not be
too late!”

I realized beyond all shadow of doubt that we were, but Momma didn’t have
to tell me again.
 
I rushed down
both sets of stairs in record time, though I tried to look calm when I reached
the milling guests waiting in vain for the guest of honor to appear.
 
There must have been something in my
expression, though, because Jake and the chief both hurried toward me the
second they saw me.

“Momma needs you upstairs,” I said firmly.

“I’m on my way,” Chief Martin said.

“She wants both of you,” I explained.

Jake raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t say a word, and in less than a
second, the two men complied by hurrying up the stairs.

I was about to join them when Gabby Williams cornered me before I could
get away, too.

“What’s going on, Suzanne?
 
Where on earth is Chester?
 
Is he upstairs waiting to make some kind of grand entrance?
 
What’s the fool dressed up as this time,
a snake charmer?”

“Hi, Gabby,” I said, ignoring every question she’d just pummeled me
with.
 
“How’s your evening going?”

Gabby snorted.
 
“I doubt you
care to hear my honest answer, and we both know it, so let’s dispense with the
formalities, shall we?
 
Why am I not
surprised that you’re defending this kind of behavior?”

“What do you mean by that?”

She snorted a little.
 
“It’s
clear, isn’t it?
 
You two are family
now.
 
If there’s one thing I know
about the Harts, it’s their blind loyalty to each other, even when it flies in
the face of all reason.”

I smiled at her, an act that clearly puzzled her.
 
“Why, Gabby, that’s the sweetest thing
you’ve ever said to me.”

“Suzanne, it wasn’t meant to be a compliment,” she snapped.

“And yet that’s exactly how I’m going to choose to take it,” I said as I finally
managed to free myself from her and head up the stairs.

“Hold on a second,” someone else commanded before I could escape, but
this was a person I would be more than happy to speak with in normal
circumstances.

“Hi, Mr. Mayor.
 
I’d love to
stay and chat, but something’s going on upstairs,” I said in a low voice.

“You don’t have to tell me that; I knew it the second I saw your
face.
 
Don’t forget, I was a police
officer a lot longer than I’ve been mayor.
 
Now, what exactly is going on?”

I knew that I might be okay avoiding Gabby’s questions, but I couldn’t
just duck George’s.
 
“It’s Chester,”
I said softly.

“What happened to him?” George asked, his voice kept low in return.

“I’m afraid that he’s been murdered,” I said quietly.

“What?” George asked, loud enough for several people to stop talking and
turn to stare at the two of us.

“Easy, there, Mr. Mayor,” I said calmly as I tried to smile to reassure
everyone that nothing was wrong.

“Sorry,” George said, much more softly this time.
 
“What happened to him?”

“All I know for sure is that he was stabbed in the chest with a mighty
big knife,” I said.
 
“Jake and the
police chief are up there right now, along with my mother.”

“Then the situation is in capable hands,” he said.
 
“I should probably say something to
everyone gathered here to honor him,” George added as he glanced around the
room.
 
“Chester’s absence is already
starting to raise some questions.”

“I know.
 
Gabby just about
tackled me to keep me from going back upstairs.”

“You know, the more that I think about it, that’s probably where I should
be, too,” the mayor said.
 
It was
clear that old habits were hard for him to break.

I put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
 
“George, I think you were right the
first time.
 
Don’t you think your
calming presence is needed more down here than it is upstairs?”

The mayor didn’t look very happy about it, but he nodded
nevertheless.
 
“So, what do you
think?
 
Should I go ahead and make
an announcement?”

“I’d hold off on that just yet if I were you,” I said.
 
“At the very least, I suspect that whoever
is going to investigate this is going to want a complete list of names of
everyone who is in attendance tonight.”

“Do you think one of these folks did it?” George asked as he looked
around the crowded basement room again.

“If I were guessing, I’d say that it’s a real possibility.
 
What better alibi could anyone ask for
than having forty or so other residents of April Springs vouching for
them?
 
Not that it’s going to mean
much in the end.”

“You’re thinking that whoever killed Chester upstairs came down here
afterwards for an alibi?
 
That’s
some pretty cool thinking for a murderer.”

“Who knows?
 
Maybe they’re
still in shock from what they did.
 
I can’t say.
 
All I know is
that someone in an official capacity needs to collect every name they can get.”

“You’re right.
 
I know one
thing: Phillip shouldn’t run this investigation himself.
 
If he couldn’t investigate his ex-wife’s
murder, he surely can’t look into who might have wanted to see his brother
dead.”

“He’s been through a lot lately,” I agreed.

“Do you think Jake would take over if I asked him to do it?” George asked
me.

“You can always try, but I doubt that his boss is going to allow it.
 
The man’s been complaining about Jake
never having enough time ever since he went back on full duty after being shot.”
 
My boyfriend had been out of work on
medical leave after being wounded by a murder suspect, and if I didn’t know any
better, I could have sworn that his boss resented the time that he’d been away
from his job recuperating.
 
I had a
hunch that his superior was going to go ballistic if Jake asked to be loaned to
the April Springs police force one more time.

“I could always ask the man myself,” George said.
 
“He might listen to me.”

“It’s worth a shot, if that’s what you really want,” I replied.

“Can you think of anyone in the world more qualified than Jake to
investigate this?” George asked.
 
“Because
I know that I can’t.”

“Present company excluded, you mean, right?” I asked the mayor with the
hint of a smile.

“Don’t kid yourself.
 
I was pretty
good when I was on the job, but Jake is better, and I’m not too vain to admit
it.”
 
The mayor paused, and then he
added, “Go on.
 
I know that you’re
dying to get upstairs.
 
Don’t worry
about this crowd.
 
If things start
getting unruly, I’ll settle them all down.”

“Thanks,” I said as I kissed his cheek.
 
He might present a gruff exterior to the
world, but I knew that there was a kind heart underneath it all no matter how
deep it might be buried.

As I walked up the steps, fighting the urge the entire time to take them
two at a time, I looked back and saw Gabby moving in to speak with George.
 

Whatever that man earned as mayor wasn’t nearly enough, at least not in
my opinion, anyway.

As I closed the first-floor door behind me, I saw flashing lights just outside
penetrating the growing evening darkness.
 
Momma was at the door letting the EMTs in, and I nodded brief hellos to
them both, since they frequented my donut shop.
 
I worked the kind of hours the service
industry could count on, which explained some of the myths about cops and
donuts.
 
It also seemed to apply to
firefighters, ambulance drivers, and anyone else who had to be out and about in
the early morning hours when just about every place else was closed.

“How is it going downstairs?” Momma asked me as we watched them carry the
stretcher upstairs to the conference room.

“I had to tell the mayor what was going on,” I said.

“Was that wise?” Momma asked me.

“Since he’s the only one down there who could stop a riot if it started,
I think so, yes.”

There must have been a hint of hurt in my voice at the question, because
Momma patted my shoulder gently as she said, “Of course.
 
You were absolutely right to tell
him.
 
This is just all such a
tragedy.”

“How’s your husband taking it?” I asked.
 
I still couldn’t bring myself to call
him by his given name, and “Chief Martin” sounded a little too formal for the
situation.

“I don’t really know.
 
He
asked to be alone,” Momma said, the hurt obvious in her voice.

“Try not to take it too personally,” I said as I touched her shoulder
gently.
 
“The man’s been through a
lot lately.”

“I know that.
 
I just wish
that he would lean on me a little more for support.”

“I’m sure it’s just that old habits die hard,” I said.
 
“After all, he couldn’t count on anyone
but himself for years.
 
It’s got to
be tough asking for help now.”

“He doesn’t have to ask; I want to freely give it.
 
I’m his wife, for goodness’ sake.”

“And there’s not a happier soul in the world about that fact than him,” I
said.
 
A troubling thought crossed
my mind based on my conversation with George earlier about who would
investigate this murder.
 
“He’s not
trying to run this investigation himself, is he?”

“Right now he and Jake seem to be tiptoeing around jurisdiction,” Momma
said.
 
“If it weren’t all so very tragic,
it might be funny how careful they are both being about who should be in charge
of this case.
 
Obviously Jake needs
to do it, but I can’t see telling Phillip that.”

“Should I give it a try?”
 
While the chief and I had experienced our differences in the past, I
might be able to get through to him.

Momma patted my shoulder as she said, “Thank you for offering, Suzanne.
 
I may take you up on it if I have to
later, but for now, let’s both just stay out of it and see how it plays out.”

A minute later, Jake walked down the second-floor steps and joined
us.
 
I’d half expected to see the
police chief with him, but my boyfriend was alone.

“Where is Phillip?” Momma asked him.

“I tried to get him to leave the crime scene, but he just wouldn’t do
it.
 
He wanted to stay with the
body,” Jake said.
 
“He’d like you to
join him, if you wouldn’t mind.”

“Of course I don’t mind.
 
By
my husband’s side is where I belong.”

As Momma hurried up the stairs, I asked Jake, “How’s he doing?”

“Not good.
 
The man’s a real
mess, not that I can blame him.
 
There’s no way that he’s going to be able to work this murder.”

“Are you going to do it?”

Jake just shrugged.
 
“All I
can do is ask, which I’m about to do right now.
 
Wish me luck.”

“Good luck,” I said as Jake pulled out his phone and dialed.

“Hey, Boss.
 
I’m in April
Springs, and there’s a situation.”
 
After Jake explained what had happened, there was a long pause on his
end before he spoke again.
 
“It’s
his brother.
 
Nobody could ask him
to do it himself.
 
It’s just not
right, and besides, there’s a precedent that’s already been set.”
 
After another pause, Jake added, this
time a little testily, “As you’ve pointed out in the past yourself, because of
my connections here, nobody’s more qualified to investigate this crime than I
am.”
 
This pause was shorter, but
there was real anger in Jake’s voice the next time he spoke.
 
“Fine.
 
If that’s how it has to be, then I
quit.
 
No, I’m not bluffing.
 
You’ll get my paperwork in the morning,
but as of right now, I’m through.”

Then he hung up.

“Jake, did you just quit your job, or were you bluffing despite what you just
told your boss?” I asked as he hung up his cell phone.

“Suzanne, you should know me well enough by now to know that I don’t
bluff.
 
No, I’m done.
 
There’s no going back now.”

“Come on, Jake.
 
You shouldn’t
make a rash decision like this without at least giving it some thought.”

He took my hands in his as he answered, “Suzanne, ever since I took that
bullet, thinking about quitting is just about all that I’ve done.
 
I’ve grown too tired and too cynical to
keep going, so I need to get out while I still can.”
 
He smiled at me before he added, “Hey, I
thought you’d be happy about my decision.”