Drop Dead Chocolate (18 page)

“It doesn’t exactly make human nature look good, does it?”

“Regardless,” Grace said, “your mother stays off the list until we have a photograph of her standing over the body with the murder weapon in her hands.”

“Thanks for that,” I said. “There’s no worries, though. We still have enough suspects to keep us busy.”

As Grace drove on, I said a little later, “I wonder if there’s someone we’re still missing.”

“What do you mean?” she asked me.

“Well, Kelly said it herself, and you backed it up. There were a great many folks who weren’t pleased with Cam, and from the sound of it, they all had their reasons. Could we be harassing these poor people and not even have the real killer on our suspect list?”

“We can’t focus on that, Suzanne,” Grace said. “We have enough to do with the suspects we’ve been able to uncover so far. It doesn’t do us any good thinking that none of them are guilty. If we clear these, then we can start poking under more rocks.”

“I’m just saying, we need to keep in mind that there may be more out there lurking in the shadows.”

It was a somber thought, and by the time we got back to my Jeep, I was still having trouble coming to grips with the ramifications of this case. Grace had sped all the way home, and I had to wonder if that call was coming sooner than I’d realized. I barely had time to get out of her car before she raced off toward home.

UPSIDE-DOWN DONUTS

It’s been so long since I first created this recipe, I honestly don’t remember why I called them upside-down. I imagine in years to come when my family makes them after I’m gone, they’ll wonder about it, but there aren’t any answers, and I smile a little when I think about the puzzled looks I might be creating someday with one of my recipes. It’s a good, solid mix, though, and the orange extract gives it a particular kick.

INGREDIENTS

Wet

• 1 egg, beaten slightly

• ¾ cup granulated white sugar

• ¼ cup whole milk (2% can be substituted.)

• ¼ cup buttermilk

• 1 tablespoon butter, melted (I use unsalted; salted can be used, but cut the added salt by half.)

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• 4 drops orange extract

Dry

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (I prefer unbleached, but bleached is fine, and so is bread flour.)

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt) in a bowl and sift together. In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients (beaten egg, milk, buttermilk, butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and orange extract). Slowly add the wet mix to the dry mix, stirring until it’s incorporated. Don’t overmix.

The donuts can be baked in the oven at 350 degrees for 10–15 minutes in cupcake trays or small donut molds, or in a donut baker for 6–7 minutes.

Once the donuts are finished, remove them to a cooling rack and top as desired.

Makes 5–9 donuts, depending on baking method

CHAPTER 12

“Suzanne, what’s wrong?” Momma asked as I walked in the front door of the cottage we shared together.

I must have been brooding about Peter without realizing that it showed on my face. “What? Nothing at all. Why do you ask?”

“You just came in with a scowl on your face that was troubling. Did you have a bad day working on your own?”

“No,” I said, trying my best to lighten up. “Not really. There were a few frustrations, but that’s to be expected, isn’t it? We’re making some progress on the case, but I can’t talk about it.” I wasn’t sure that was exactly the truth, but hopefully it would get her to drop the subject.

She wouldn’t, though, and Momma took my hands in hers and looked deep into my eyes. “There’s something more to it than the case, so don’t bother trying to hide it from me. Talk to me.”

I realized that even with my Momma’s problems, she was always there for me, and there was no one else I could vent to about what was on my mind, not even Jake. Especially not Jake. Our conversations these days were too rare to muddy with my problems with Grace’s boyfriend.

“I suppose what it all boils down to is that I’m not a big fan of Grace’s boyfriend, Peter,” I said.

Momma frowned a little. “To be honest with you, I’ve never liked him myself, but I believe we are in the minority around town. He can be very charming, when he wants to be.”

“Exactly,” I said. “A little too charming, if you ask me.”

“Could it be possible that he reminds us both too much of Max?” Momma asked.

“It would explain a lot about the way I feel about the guy, wouldn’t it? Wow, I want to tell Grace to dump him as fast as she can and run the other way, but I know it’s not my place to say a word to her about it.”

“Did something in particular happen today to make you feel that way?”

I considered it, and then realized that saying anything aloud would just sound petty, but she’d asked, and I felt I owed Momma an answer. “No. It’s just that Grace rushed home to take his phone call and dumped me out of her car so fast, I nearly fell on the pavement. I kind of wonder why she wouldn’t just talk to him in front of me. I’m not going to embarrass her.”

Momma shook her head. “Suzanne, that’s not it at all. You know how you like privacy when you speak with Jake.”

“Am I that bad?” I asked, looking for an honest answer, which I was fairly certain my mother would give me. “To be honest with you, it’s not that attractive when I’m looking at things from the other side. Perspective means a lot, doesn’t it?”

She patted my hand. “Don’t worry. You and Jake are cute together.”

I wasn’t sure how I felt about that description, but I wasn’t going to argue with her about it. “Thanks. I feel better.”

“Are you certain it wouldn’t help to talk about your investigation?”

“I suppose it wouldn’t be too bad,” I said. “We keep finding suspects, but unfortunately, we aren’t doing much to eliminate them. Momma, how did Cam ever get elected in the first place? Everywhere we turn, we find enemies of his.”

“Cam was a great deal savvier than most folks gave him credit for at first,” Momma said. “I spoke with a few of the town’s leading citizens about getting their support in the election before Cam was killed, but every last one of them turned me down.”

“I can’t believe that,” I said. My mother was not only very popular around town, she was also an influential businesswoman.

“Believe it,” she said. “Cam had dirt on just about everyone who matters, and he was clearly not afraid to use whatever he had to keep everyone in line.”

“Was he actually blackmailing them?” I asked. After what I’d been learning about Cam’s life, it wouldn’t have surprised me.

“Not for money, but I believe he used his knowledge to push those who might have been reluctant to support him into his camp. I’m honestly not at all certain I would have beaten him out for the job if he’d lived. He would have been a tougher opponent than I ever anticipated.”

And then something hit me, something I’d been ignoring all along. “Momma, maybe we’re going at this the wrong way. Who profited most when the mayor was murdered?”

“I thought that’s what you’ve been exploring,” she said, clearly a little confused by my question.

“No, I mean in business. He won the bid for the new sewer plant, but who did he beat out for it? That might just be a motive we’ve been missing so far.”

“I don’t know, but I can find out. Let me make some phone calls,” she said as she reached for her phone.

“Can I get dinner while you’re calling?”

“It’s in the oven, reheating. I’m not sure I’ll be finished in time, though.” She glanced at her watch. “This might take a while. Would you like to eat first, or wait until after I’m through with my calls?”

“Make the calls first,” I said, remembering my big lunch. “This is important.”

She nodded. “Fine. What are you going to do in the meantime?”

I thought about it and said, “It’s a nice evening. I think I’ll take a walk in the park. Maybe it will clear my head some.”

“Be careful, and take a heavy jacket,” Momma said, almost by rote.

I smiled but did as she asked, and walked outside to stroll around the park that was right outside our door. Walking helped me think, and I needed that more than anything else at the moment, time to process everything I’d learned in the course of the murder investigation.

I wasn’t going to get it, though.

As I neared the Patriot’s Tree, a scene of death and vengeance several times over the years, a man stepped out of the shadows, nearly scaring me to death in the process.

*   *   *

“What are you doing here?” I asked laughing as I collapsed in Jake’s arms. “You scared the wits out of me.”

After a long-overdue kiss, Jake pulled away. “Sorry about that. I should have warned you I was coming, but to be honest with you, I couldn’t stand not being able to see you.”

“Not that I’m complaining, but how did you know I’d be out here?” He smelled wonderful, and I had to keep touching his chest to make sure that my boyfriend was really there with me, and not just in my imagination.

“I didn’t. I was about to call you when I saw you come out of the house. I’m just lucky, I guess.”

“You could have rung my doorbell,” I pointed out.

“I would have been tempted, but I’m not sure it would have been a good idea.” He kissed me again, and then wrapped me up in his arms. “I miss you.”

“I miss you, too. It sounds silly, since we’re both in the same town, doesn’t it?”

“Not silly at all,” he said. “If we can’t be together, does it really matter how much space is between us?”

“That’s about the most romantic thing anyone’s ever said to me,” I said.

“Hey, I have my moments.”

I kissed him again, and then asked, “Are you making any progress on the case?”

“You know I can’t really talk about an active and open investigation, Suzanne, even with you,” he said.

“Not directly, anyway,” I answered with a grin. “Do you know Morse code? You could tap out some hints for me.”

“Do you know it yourself?” he asked, clearly curious.

“Oh, yes. Grace and I learned it so we could chat in school during class time. It drove most of our teachers crazy hearing rhythmic taps all of the time.”

He shook his head, but I could see his smile. “Why am I not surprised? You must have been handfuls back then.”

“Some folks think we’re pretty tough to handle now,” I replied.

“I don’t doubt it.” Jake took a breath, then asked, “Why don’t you tell me what you’ve been up to? I know you haven’t been in town all day.”

“How could you possibly know that? Are you stalking me, Jake?” I asked playfully.

“No, but I saw you and Grace drive into town earlier. I was tempted to pull you over and give her a ticket for speeding.”

“She was rushing home to talk to her boyfriend,” I explained.

“Then I might have had to let her off,” he said. “Seriously, I’m not above taking a little help on this one. What have you found out?”

I didn’t even play games; I told Jake everything we’d all learned, and all of my suspicions. He whistled softly as I finished. “Wow, you
have
been busy.”

“Don’t forget, I had some help from my friends, too,” I said.

He tilted his head to one side. “No doubt. You’ve turned up a few good leads there, I have to give you credit for that.”

“Which ones in particular?” I asked, trying to get a little information out of him.

“Let’s just say there a few angles I haven’t had a chance to hit yet. I’m particularly interested in hearing about Harvey Hunt and the money he claimed to have paid Cam before he was murdered.”

“I’ve been dying to ask you. Did you find any cash on the mayor?” I asked.

“No, but I’m going to take a closer look at his bank accounts and then poke around his house to see if I can uncover something.” Jake took a deep breath, then said, “Suzanne, there’s something I can tell you that might be related to all of this, but you have to promise not to tell anyone where you heard it.”

“I promise,” I said, meaning every syllable of it.

Jake nodded. “Harvey Hunt is the bidder who came in second on the sewage plant bid, and the project defaults to him now.”

I couldn’t believe it. “So it looks like he had two motives to want to see Cam dead, didn’t he?”

“That’s what it sounds like to me.” Jake glanced at his watch and said, “Sorry I can’t stay longer, but I’ve got a meeting in ten minutes.”

“With Harvey?” I asked.

Jake just laughed. “You know that I can’t say,” he said as he nodded his head up and down and grinned. “I love you, Suzanne.”

“I love you, too, and I never get tired of hearing you say it.”

After Jake was gone, I headed back to the cottage, feeling a little of the load of the world lift off my shoulders with every step I took. It was good having Jake in my life, and if Peter made Grace feel one thousandth as good, I wished her the very best.

*   *   *

Momma was in the kitchen when I got back. “I tried every contact I had, but with those sealed bids, I couldn’t find out who Cam was bidding against,” she said, removing some meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans from the oven.

“It was Harvey Hunt,” I said. “He gets the contract by default now.”

Momma looked at me and must have seen my smile. “Jake told you.”

“How could you possibly know that? Did you see him?” I asked as I looked out the window toward the darkened park.

“I didn’t have to,” she answered with a smile of her own. “You always get that goofy grin on your face whenever he’s around.”

“Guilty,” I said.

As Momma plated up our food, she asked, “So, did Harvey just go to the top of your suspect list?”

“More important, he’s there on Jake’s. Congratulations. You’ve been unseated.”

“It’s a number one spot I’ll gladly give up any day,” she said.

“Don’t worry,” I answered. “We’ll figure this out.”

“I just hope someone does it quickly,” Momma said. She was about to add something else when her frown disappeared. “Now, are you ready to eat?”