Evil Eclairs (11 page)

“There are a great many things you don’t know about me.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I need to be there.”

She frowned at me. “Suzanne, if you are worried about the money, then I’ll cover your losses. There’s more to life than working all of the time.”

I knew my mother was serious if she was willing to spend that much. “I couldn’t take your money. Besides, I can’t leave for more reasons than that.”

“What’s stopping you?”

I left the stairs and walked back to her. “Why is this suddenly so important to you? I don’t get it.”

“I want you to be happy.”

“Funny, I want the exact same thing for you,” I said. “Tell you what. You go out on a real date, and I’ll take you up on your vacation offer.”

She shook her head. “My proposal to you isn’t contingent on anything else, and yours shouldn’t be, either. Take it or don’t take it; I won’t allow you to manipulate me like that.”

“I meant what I said,” I replied as I softened my voice. “I honestly do want you to find some happiness again.”

“You sound a great deal like Phillip Martin.”

It was all I could do not to roll my eyes. “He’s not my first choice of suitors, that shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, but if you want to see him, or anyone else, you know you have my blessing.”

She put her puzzle down on the couch. “Suddenly I’ve completely lost interest in this conversation.”

“And just when it was getting interesting,” I said with a smile.

“You’re not fooling anyone, Suzanne. The real reason you won’t take time off is that you’re investigating Lester Moorefield’s murder on your own, and you’re afraid if you go away, you’ll miss something. Don’t try to deny it, I know you too well.”

“I wasn’t about to deny anything,” I replied. “I can’t have that cloud of suspicion hanging over my head. It could ruin my business, and my life in April Springs, and we both know it.”

“You should let the police handle it.”

I shook my head, and there was no way I could keep the sarcasm out of my voice. “Yeah, because that’s worked out so well for me in the past.”

“Suzanne, you’re just trying to be difficult now.”

“I don’t have to try very hard, though, do I?” I was suddenly exhausted by our verbal sparring. I walked back, leaned over, and kissed her on the forehead. “Good night. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she said.

I was nearly up the stairs when I heard her add, “Sweet dreams.”

It didn’t take long for me to fall asleep. Working at the donut shop and then adding too much drama to the rest of my day was exhausting. I went to sleep and tried to put everything out of my mind. Amazingly enough, I was able to, and when I woke up the next morning, I was ready to take on the world. I needed to make some progress in my investigation before my reputation took a hit it couldn’t recover from.

*   *   *

By ten, we’d done good business at Donut Hearts, but I could tell some of our regulars were clearly avoiding us. It didn’t take much to turn the ink on my books from black to red, and I promised myself I’d redouble my efforts to clear my name.

I was standing by the door watching cars drive past us without stopping in, and I wondered where everyone was going in such a hurry. As I glanced down the street, I saw the fellow in the clown outfit walking toward the donut shop again. As soon as he approached the door, I slid the lock in place and flipped the sign to
CLOSED
. It was probably a little crueler than I needed to be, but he got my message. His head dropped a little, and then I saw him walk up the tracks toward the Boxcar Grill. The overshoes he wore flapped in the grass as he walked away, and I decided that it wasn’t fair to take my problems with clowns out on him. I resolved to do a little better the next time, if he ever showed up again.

I was still watching him when I saw someone else approach the shop. It was Councilwoman Sherry Lance, and she looked confused by my
CLOSED
sign. I flipped it over and unlocked the door just in time. Sherry was tall and lean, with a short ponytail, piercing green eyes, and a ruddy complexion.

“Are you closing?” she asked me as I opened the door for her.

“No,” I said simply. I would have loved to give her some kind of clever explanation, and I would probably think of one in a few hours, but for the moment, my mind was drawing a blank.

She frowned at my lack of embellishment. “I heard you wanted to see me.”

“It can wait, if you’d like,” I said. “Why don’t you come on in and have a donut on the house?”

Sherry frowned and shook her head as she glanced at her watch. “I have five minutes right now, and I can’t promise that again for the rest of the day.”

“Wow, you must be busy.”

“Between my practice and town business, I’ve got a full schedule.”

I decided to make my offer again. It was amazing how much it loosened some people up to get a free donut. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like a donut and coffee while we talk?”

She shook her head. “No, thanks. If you don’t mind, could we speak outside?”

Sherry acted as though the mere presence of donuts was offensive to her. I knew some folks believed that there was nothing redeeming about what I created, but it always amazed me how adamant they were that no one else should enjoy things they considered bad, either.

“Emma, grab the front,” I called out. “Back in five.”

I left the shop, and Sherry and I took an empty table outside. The second she sat, she asked, “What can I do for you?”

“It’s about Lester Moorefield,” I said. “I heard you two didn’t get along.”

Sherry’s chin dipped. “Now where on earth would you hear something like that?”

“I can’t divulge my sources,” I said, “but I understand it’s common knowledge. He came after you with one of his editorials recently, didn’t he?”

Sherry laughed. “Is that what this is about? Lester had a habit of stirring up trouble. Suzanne, you should know that better than anyone.”

“What did he say about you?”

“I don’t really want to repeat it,” Sherry said. One hand adjusted her ponytail, and I wondered if it was some kind of nervous tic of hers.

“I can get Cara to run the tape for me, but wouldn’t it just be easier if you told me yourself?”

Sherry seemed to think about that, and then said, “I don’t see what harm it could do. I had the unpleasant task of putting down his sister’s dog last week. Her little dachshund had cancer, and the only thing she knew was pain. Ending that dog’s misery was the only humane thing to do, but Lester was outraged. He called me a killer on the air.”

“I bet that made you angry.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth, Suzanne. The only way to handle a bully sometimes is to push back. I had my attorney send him a letter to cease and desist the attacks on my practice, and Lester shut right up. Does that sound like I was mad enough to murder him? I don’t treat people, just animals. While it’s true they can’t tell me where it hurts, they also lack the basic ability to be cruel intentionally, and I’ll take that trade-off seven days a week.”

Sherry was quite calm about the whole thing; too calm, perhaps. “Does the mayor feel the same way you do?”

“About Lester? Honestly, do you think for one second that you can find anyone who actually liked the man? I’m sure Cam had his own issues with him, but if you want anything more than that, you’ll have to speak directly with him.”

She had all the right answers.

Evidently our interview was over. As she stood, I said, “Thanks for coming by. By the way, the offer still stands. I’d love to treat you to a donut, any time.”

The look of distaste on her face was clear. “No, I don’t think so. No.”

As she walked up the street, I reflected that there was something about the woman I didn’t trust. Her answers were too carefully supplied, as though she were reading them from a script. Then again, she could have been completely on the level with me.

If I was being honest about it, I had to admit that there was just something about a person who didn’t like donuts that bothered me.

Would she have used a donut to kill Lester? She might, if she hated them as much as she had him. It could have been a symbolic way of ridding herself of two enemies at once.

But could I see Sherry having that much passion about anything?

I wasn’t sure. I’d been fooled before, and I wasn’t about to jump to any conclusions just yet.

POTATO-BASED DONUTS

You’d never know there’s any potato in this recipe unless you watch it being made. The donuts it produces are crispy, delicious, and hold their taste well. Some folks make them around the holidays, but we like them any time of year!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup mashed potato (medium baking potato, peeled and cooked, then cooled)

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 cup sugar (white)

• 1 egg, beaten

• ¾ cup milk (2% or whole)

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

DIRECTIONS

Heat canola oil to 360 degrees while you mix the batter. Take your cooled mashed potato and add butter to it, mixing thoroughly. Then slowly add the sugar, the beaten egg, and the milk. Mix, then in a separate bowl sift the flour and baking powder together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring as you go. When the oil reaches its proper temperature, take a teaspoon of batter and rake it into the fryer with another spoon. If the dough doesn’t rise soon, gently nudge it with a chopstick, being careful not to splatter oil. After two minutes, check, and then flip, frying for another minute on the other side. These times may vary given too many factors to count, so keep a close eye on the donuts.

Makes around a dozen small drop donuts.

CHAPTER 8

“Perfect timing,” I told Grace as she walked in at a few minutes till noon, closing time at Donut Hearts. Jake still hadn’t shown up. How could anyone possibly stay in bed until that late in the day?

“I wasn’t sure what we’d be doing today, so I slept in,” she said with a smile that faded as she looked at the packed display cases behind me. “You didn’t have a good day, did you?”

“Not even a little bit,” I said. I wasn’t sure how it could possibly be Sherry’s fault, but I hadn’t had more than three customers after she’d come by. Or had it been the clown? Could it possibly have been bad karma turning him away? I wasn’t entirely certain I believed in that, but I wasn’t going to take any chances the next time. He’d get a feast, as long as he could afford to pay for it. On a more pragmatic level, I couldn’t afford to turn anyone away, given the poor flow of customers.

“What are you going to do with all of them?” she asked.

“I thought I’d give them to the church. Tomorrow I’m going to start cutting our production until things pick up. I can’t afford bad sales
and
too much inventory.”

“I’ll help you deliver them,” she said. “We can do it on our way to city hall.”

I flipped the sign and locked the door. As I started boxing up our leftovers, I said, “I already spoke with Sherry Lance, but we can still talk to the mayor.”

Grace looked hurt by the admission. “You went somewhere without me?”

“She came here,” I said as I boxed the last donut. We had a six-dozen donut overage, one of the largest we’d had since I’d opened the donut shop. I hoped the church had room for them in their kitchen.

“How did that go? I have a hard time seeing Sherry in here.”

“She didn’t come in. You’d think I was selling something illegal from the way she reacted when I offered her a free donut.”

“I know it’s hard to believe, but donuts aren’t to everyone’s taste.”

I studied her and said, “Sometimes it’s like I don’t even know you.”

“Hey, not me, at least not anymore. You know I love them. I’m talking about other people.”

“I’ll let you off the hook this time,” I said, just as there was a pounding on the front door. Usually I try to keep from unlocking the door to customers once I’ve locked it, but I couldn’t be picky at the moment.

When I saw who it was, I debated changing my mind.

Max, my ex, was standing there, waving a fifty-dollar bill in his hand.

“What does he want?” Grace asked, her dislike for Max evident in her voice.

“I’m not sure, but if it’s donuts, I can’t afford to turn him away.”

“Well, I don’t have to watch. I’ll be in back with Emma.”

“Okay, I’ll call you when we’re finished,” I said.

I walked over to the door, but I didn’t unlock it. “Is there something I can do for you, Max?”

“How many donuts do you have left?”

I glanced back at the boxes. “Six dozen.” I grinned at him. “It’s your lucky day. We’re running a special after-hours sale. If you want one, you have to buy them all.”

“That won’t be a problem,” he said. “Would this fifty cover it?”

“Absolutely,” I said as I unlocked the door. After I let him in, I asked, “Where did the money come from?”

“Buck Thister joined my theater group, and he wants to treat the cast to donuts. You wouldn’t turn an old man down, would you?”

I hadn’t met Buck yet, but I knew Max’s theater group was full of retirees who loved to put on plays. My ex-husband generally fancied himself an actor, though most of the parts he got were for commercials, and when he wasn’t working, he liked to direct. Fortunately, I’d been lucky enough, if you could call it that, to catch him with Darlene right after a big payday. Our divorce settlement had paid for the donut shop, so at least something good had come of it.

The fifty would be pure gravy, since I’d already discounted these particular donuts as a contribution, but honestly, I didn’t think the church would mind, since they most likely were still eating the donuts I’d given them the day before. I unlocked the door, and took the fifty out of his hand.

As he started gathering up donut boxes, he asked, “Is this a good assortment?”

“It’s a little heavy on glazed donuts and donut holes, but it’s the best I can do on such short notice.”

“It sounds great to me,” he said. He looked helplessly at me and asked, “Could you get the door for me?”

For that kind of money, I would have delivered them myself. As I held the door open, I asked, “What play are you doing this time?”