Evil Eclairs (13 page)

“I can see that,” I said, “but there’s got to be some way we can work together, at least a little.”

There was a pause, and then he said, “I might be able to tell you if you’re working on a dead end, but I’m not sure what else I can do.”

“If that’s the best you can do, I’ll take it.” We were nearing the radio station parking lot. “Listen, I’ve got to go.”

“I’m not trying to be stubborn about this,” he said.

“I know,” I answered, and then hung up.

“So, I take it your boyfriend is on the case, too,” Grace said as I hung up the telephone.

“We can’t let that stop us. Jake is good at what he does, but so are we. I still think we can help solve this case.”

“And how do you think he’s going to feel about that?”

“I’m not sure. Why don’t we ask him? He’s sitting in the radio station parking lot,” I answered as I pointed to my boyfriend, leaning against the side of his car.

We parked, and then approached him.

“Have any tidbits to share so far?” I asked him with a big grin.

“It’s a little too early for that.”

I nodded, and then gestured to the radio station. “Is Cara inside?”

“Why do you ask?”

“We’re old friends,” I said.

With a wry smile, he said, “You’re going to keep digging into this, even with me on the case.” When I didn’t say anything, he asked, “Aren’t you going to answer me?”

“I didn’t hear a question anywhere in there,” I replied, returning his smile. I glanced over at Grace, who pretended to be on a telephone call. I knew better. There was no way she was going to miss this exchange.

Jake took a deep breath, and then asked, “Suzanne, are you going to keep investigating this case, even though I’ve been assigned to it?”

“I’m just asking my friends some questions,” I said. “Surely there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Just try to stay out of trouble, okay?”

“Hey, I’m not making any promises,” I said.

After he left, Grace’s telephone call magically ended. “What was that all about?” she asked me.

“Don’t try to act innocent with me. You were eavesdropping.”

“Of course I was,” she answered with a smile. “But I didn’t catch that last part, and that’s the best part of the scene. How did it end?”

“Well, he didn’t lock us up,” I said as I started toward the station door.

“He’s not all that happy with you investigating, is he?”

I shrugged. “He probably has a point, but I can’t worry about that right now.”

Grace put a hand on my arm, and I stopped. She looked me in the eye and said, “Suzanne, this isn’t worth ruining your life over. Jake is capable, we both know that. Maybe we should step back and let him handle things.”

I shook my head. “That’s not going to work. I know Jake is good at what he does, but he doesn’t know these people like we do. There’s not much chance they’re going to open up with him like they could with us. We can get to the bottom of this ourselves.”

“If you’re sure.”

“I don’t think we have much choice, do you?”

As I buzzed the door for admission, a part of me wondered if Grace was right. Was I taking a chance of sabotaging my relationship with my investigation? Was I really just going after Lester’s killer, or was a part of me pushing Jake away? No, that was ridiculous. I was growing attached to the man; there was no way I wanted to get rid of him. But I meant what I’d said. I wasn’t going to try to do anything stupid like try to catch the killer myself without any backup, but if I could find out something that might help Jake and the police chief catch a murderer, I couldn’t stand by and do nothing. My business had already dropped off enough for me to feel it, and if Max hadn’t come along with someone else’s money earlier, I wouldn’t have made my basic expenses today. I had to do something.

I just hoped that Jake realized that.

His blessing was clearly too much to ask for.

*   *   *

“Cara, it’s Suzanne,” I said as she finally answered the buzzer.

There was a long hesitation before she answered. “I’m sorry, but I’m tied up right now. I can’t really talk.”

“This will just take a second,” I said.

“Perhaps you could call for an appointment,” she said after another moment’s delay. “You have my number here, right?”

Cara definitely sounded out of sorts. What was going on with her? “I do.”

“Then I suggest you phone ahead next time.”

Before I could reply, the intercom died.

Grace looked at me quizzically. “What was that all about?”

“I’m not sure, but I’m going to find out.” I punched in the directory on my phone and found her number. I’d used it in the past when dealing with Lester.

When she answered, I asked, “Cara? Is everything okay?”

“I’m sorry, but she’s out right now,” Cara said. “I expect her sometime after three, if you’d like to try again then. She’s purchasing a grill. You can speak with her then.”

“You’d like to meet me at three at the Boxcar Grill, is that what you’re saying?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Good-bye.”

Grace hadn’t been able to hear Cara’s replies. “What’s going on?”

I looked at my watch. “She’ll meet us at the Boxcar in an hour,” I said. “It’s all very cryptic, isn’t it?”

“What should we do in the meantime?” Grace asked.

“A hamburger might be nice,” I said as my stomach rumbled a little.

“Food would be good,” she agreed, so we drove to the Boxcar to eat, and then wait for Cara. If we timed things right, we’d easily be finished by the time she arrived and we could pursue more leads.

Trish met us at the door with a grin. “Good afternoon. It’s a little late in the day for lunch for you, isn’t it, Suzanne?”

“Better late than never,” I said.

“Especially if you’re coming here.” She waved a pair of menus in the air. “Is there any need for me to even bring these?”

Grace smiled at her. “We can do better than that. You don’t even need to walk us to a table. We’ll order here and save you the trip.”

“That’s what I like, powerful women who know what they want. Let me guess. Two cheeseburgers, fries, and a pair of Cokes.”

I started to nod, and then said, “Let’s shake things up a little. Bring me a sweet tea instead.”

“Make it two,” Grace said.

Trish shook her head. “Sometimes it’s like I don’t even know you two anymore. Two teas coming right up.”

We found a table away from the other diners and settled in. I loved the Boxcar Grill, and not just for its convenience and its cuisine. There was something about the old railcar that fit in nicely with my converted train depot, and I felt it was a kindred spirit to Donut Hearts.

Just after we’d sat down, Emily Hargraves, the pretty brunette who ran Two Cows and a Moose Newsstand, came in.

“Hey Emily,” I called out. “Want to join us?”

“If you’re sure you don’t mind,” Emily said. “I already ordered. Sometimes I don’t mind eating alone, but I almost didn’t come in here today. It can get old, can’t it?”

“That’s why Grace and I are together so much,” I said. “It’s never lonely with two.”

Grace jumped into the conversation. “How are the guys doing?” The guys she was referring to were three stuffed animals Emily had had since she was a child, and which had provided the name for her newsstand.

“They’re doing great. In fact, it’s about time to come up with some new outfits for them.”

I laughed. “I can’t tell you how much I look forward to seeing them dressed up. Halloween was great.”

“I liked the Santa outfits at Christmas,” Grace said.

“They’re in little green suits at the moment, but I’m ready for a change.”

I took a sip of my iced tea, and then asked, “You dressed them up as Martians?”

“Are you kidding? They never would have tolerated that. Well, not Moose. Cow and Spots are ‘go with the flow’ kind of guys. No, I made them St. Patrick’s Day outfits, along with green top hats sporting shamrocks.”

“What’s next?”

She thought about it a moment, and then admitted, “I have no earthly idea. It’s too soon for their July Fourth outfits. They’re all going to be Uncle Sams this year.”

“I can’t wait to see it,” I said.

After Trish brought Emily a Coke and left, she said, “Suzanne, I know you think I’m crazy naming my place after my stuffed animals.”

“That’s not true,” I said. “I was just a little worried at first that it might confuse folks about what kind of shop you owned.”

“Maybe at first,” Emily said, “but now I get a lot of people coming in just to see what the three of them are up to, and while they are there, they pick up a few things along the way. You’d be amazed by how my sales jump whenever the three of them put on something new.”

“That’s brilliant,” I said. “I’m starting to wish that I’d thought of that.”

Emily smiled. “Sorry, but it’s taken.”

Trish brought three plates of food, and as she distributed them, Emily said, “That was fast.”

“We aim to please,” Trish said.

After the three of us finished eating, Emily asked, “Can I walk out with you?”

“That sounds great, but we’ve got to hang around for a meeting.”

She nodded as she stood. “Thanks for letting me join you. It was great fun.”

“You are welcome to join us anytime,” I said.

Trish bussed our table, and then asked, “Can I get you to-go cups for that tea?”

“Do you mind if we linger a little longer?” I asked.

She looked around the nearly empty restaurant. “You can stay until four, for all I care. I’ll be back in a second to top off your glasses.”

We didn’t have long to wait. Less than five minutes later, Cara walked in. She found us in an instant and hurried to join us.

“I’m sorry about all of the intrigue,” she said, “but I couldn’t let you in.”

“What’s going on?” I asked. “I like playing spy as much as the next gal, but I like to know about it ahead of time.”

“The station manager is on the warpath. He thinks there’s been entirely too much public access in our work area, and he’s really cracking down.”

“At least you won’t have to put up with it for very long,” Grace said.

“I’ve got some good news on that front. I got a new job,” Cara said. “Gail the Gardening Lady fired her producer the second she heard I was free and hired me on the spot.”

“That’s great,” I said. At least it was for everyone but Gail’s old producer.

Cara must have seen something in my gaze. “Don’t worry about Jimmy. He came in drunk more times than he was sober. He said he needed it to get through Granny Gail’s show every day.”

I had to suppress a smile. I didn’t approve of the way he handled his situation, but I could see why he’d started drinking. There was a quality to Gail’s voice that was like a fingernail running down a blackboard to me, and how she’d ever found a career in radio was beyond me. “Well, at least you’re employed.”

Cara sighed. “It’s not perfect, but it will do, at least for now. What did you want to see me about? I’ve already told you everything I know.”

“We were wondering about the name of the builder Lester went after recently,” Grace said.

“Is there any chance you’ve got his contact information?” I asked.

Cara nodded. “It’s Vern Yancey. He lives in Hudson Creek, and he should be in the book.”

“You don’t sound too pleased about him,” I said.

“Usually I thought Lester was stretching it when he went after someone, but I met Vern once. The man deserved the lashing he got, as far as I’m concerned. Be careful if you go talk to him. I think he’s got some criminal ties that could be bad for you. He doesn’t say much, but things seem to happen when he’s around.”

“Thanks, we’ll watch our step.”

Cara glanced at her watch. “My break is almost over. I have to get back to the station.”

“Can we order you something to go?” I asked.

“I’ve already eaten, but thanks for the offer. I’ll take a rain check, though,” she called out as she left the grill.

Grace and I paid our tabs as we left, turning down more tea for the road. If I kept drinking, I wouldn’t be able to sit still for the rest of the day.

“I haven’t been to Hudson Creek in years,” I said as we drove to the small town thirty minutes south of April Springs.

“You’re in for a treat, then. They’ve been having some kind of revival there. There are all kinds of antiques shops now, and from what I hear, they’re even starting to get some tourists in.”

“Why didn’t I hear about this? I love antiquing.”

“Suzanne, in order to have any semblance of a life, you have to actually leave that donut shop of yours from time to time to see what’s out there.”

“True,” I said. “How did you find out about it?”

“A friend of mine lives there,” she said, and didn’t add anything to her explanation.

I knew what that meant without having to ask. “What’s his name?”

She glanced over at me. “What are you talking about? What makes you think it’s a man? I have women friends, too.”

“Okay, then, what’s her name?”

Grace smiled slightly. “It’s Bill.”

“Imagine that, a girl named Bill,” I said with an open grin.

“My point was that it wasn’t necessarily a man.”

“I got it,” I said. “Why didn’t I ever hear about this guy?”

She tapped the steering wheel center with her thumbs. “We just went out a few times, and there was nothing really to report. He’s a nice enough fellow, but it turned out we didn’t have that much in common.”

“Maybe he can give us a little background on Vern. Hudson Creek isn’t that big a place. It’s probably smaller than April Springs.”

“We could ask,” she said.

“But you’d rather we didn’t.”

“No, it’s fine. We both agreed it wasn’t going anywhere, so there were no hard feelings when we stopped dating.”

“So then where do we find him?”

Grace made a turn, and then said, “He runs a shop on Elm. It’s part of Antiques Row, and it’s called Yesterday’s Treasures.”

When we got within the city limits, I could see that Grace was right. Gone were the empty buildings and the shabby storefronts I’d remembered. In their place, antiques shops lined both sides of the road, with the occasional odd store thrown into the mix, including a café and a small bookstore. “It looks kind of charming,” I said.