Killer Crullers (28 page)

“Come on,” I urged her.

She called down to me, “He won’t hurt me. He loves me. You heard him.”

“Are you really willing to take that chance?”

She just nodded. As much as I hated leaving her there, I had no choice.

I hurriedly limped to the side of the building and peeked around. Chet and Harry were in deep conversation about something, and I almost shouted at them.

Then I realized that if I did that, I’d be signing Harry’s death warrant. I’d seen his gun in the safe, so I knew that he wasn’t armed. Even if Harry had the weapon he’d bought from Allen on him, it wouldn’t do him any good, since the barrel was jammed full of grease.

No, I had to get away so I could call the police.

That left the cornfield, and the maze of dried, brown stalks.

*   *   *

I wasn’t going to respect the pieces of tape blocking pathways, though. Not caring about the damage I was doing, I forced my way through the cornstalks, fighting for a chance to save my own life.

No matter what happened, it was better than sitting in that room waiting to die.

My progress was slow, and I made the mistake of checking my ankle once. It was swelling up, and fast. If I didn’t get out of there soon, I might not ever make it out at all.

I was buried deep in the stalks when I heard a chilling sound not far behind me.

Chet had found me!

“Suzanne, don’t make this any harder than it has to be. I can hear you.”

I tried to be quiet, but there was no way I could manage it unless I followed the maze’s paths. I could see glimpses and flashes of Chet as I hurried down the nearest pathway, and I did my best to move away from him. He didn’t have to be quiet, though.

“I see you,” he said as I came into a clearing, and he shot at me through the corn.

His aim was bad. That was the only thing that saved me. I looked at my red jacket and realized that I’d be an easy target with it on.

But it gave me an idea.

I moved deeper into the maze, taking my jacket off as I hurried, but not abandoning it. There had to be something there, something I could use to fight back.

But all I could see was corn. At least in my jeans and T-shirt, both faded, I’d be harder to spot.

I turned another corner, thinking I might be able to escape, when I saw that it was a dead end.

*   *   *

It wasn’t empty, though. There was a mailbox on a wooden stake, and another iron stake made of rebar holding a map of the maze I’d come through so far. I opened the mailbox, but instead of a weapon, I found a great many small squares of paper with the same partial grid laid out on them, along with some of those short pencils that golfers used.

It wasn’t much, but it was the best I could do.

I took my jacket, hung it over the mailbox, and then onto a nearby cornstalk beside it, trying to make it look as much like my rough outline as I could. It was tough, but I finally managed to pull the metal rebar with the map on it out of the ground. I discarded the map, and knew that the only way I’d be able to use it as a weapon would be as a spear. That meant that I had to get close enough to Chet to touch him.

It wasn’t exactly ideal, but I really had no choice.

I backtracked until I found a small blind alley nearby where I could hide, and then I took a real chance. It was time for all or nothing.

“My ankle’s broken,” I whimpered. “I can’t go on.”

“I’m coming,” Chet said. I was counting on him spotting my jacket and not going by the sound of my voice. I could almost touch my jacket from where I hid, though I’d taken three turns to get to my hiding place. If the maze had been made out of bales of hay or something else that was solid, I wouldn’t have stood a chance, but if I got lucky, I might just get out of this alive.

I heard footsteps crashing close to me, and I realized that Chet had taken the wrong turn. Instead of going toward my coat, he was heading straight for my hiding place. I braced myself for his attack, expecting him to come around the last corner any second.

Then I heard him say, “Must have taken a wrong turn. I’ll be there soon.”

He stopped, turned around, and from where I lay on the ground, I could see him on the right path now, heading for my decoy.

I got into a crouch, ready to strike.

As he turned the last corner, Chet was as close to me as he’d ever be. I waited until his back was turned, and then drove the stake toward his back.

Something must have happened to tip him off, though. He turned at the last instant, and my weapon hit his side instead.

At least it was on his right, and with the impact, the gun went flying into the corn.

“I’ll break you in half for that,” Chet roared as he came at me, the stake still sticking in his side.

If he caught me now, I knew that I’d be dead. Chet didn’t need a gun to finish me off. I was sure he could do it with his bare hands.

There was no running away now. My ankle was nearly shot. With every last ounce of energy I had, I launched myself at him, doing my best to drive the stake the rest of the way through him. I hit him solidly, and we both fell backward. I’d done my best, but I knew that it was over. I kept waiting for Chet to roll over and crush me, but he didn’t move.

Pulling myself up, I looked closer at him, and saw that blood was streaming from his head. The mailbox was rocked off its perch, and I could see a clump of his hair on the edge of it.

At that moment, I didn’t care if he was dead, or just unconscious. I had to get out of there, and I had to do it now.

*   *   *

I had no idea how I managed to walk out of the cornfield, limping all the way. Thankfully, the farmer who owned the field was plowing another nearby plot. It took me a minute to convince him that there was a dangerous killer on the loose, but when I finally did, he called the police as we hurried back to his house on the tractor so he could get his gun.

It turned out that he didn’t need it, though.

Chet was still unconscious when the police came nine minutes later. He wasn’t dead, just knocked out, and the second I heard the news, I let myself collapse, realizing just how close I’d come to being his next victim.

MALASADAS (SORT OF)

I read about these treats online and couldn’t wait to try them myself, so since I don’t think I’ll be going to Hawaii, where they’re normally found, anytime soon I thought I’d try to make them myself. After studying four or five recipes, I’ve found a way to make them my own!

INGREDIENTS

Mixed

• ¼ cup warm water

• ½ package dry yeast (
1
⁄
8
ounce) I shake the packet horizontally, then cut it in half, but you’d probably be fine using the whole pack

• 1 teaspoon sugar, white granulated

• 3 eggs, beaten

• ½ cup sugar, white granulated

• ¼ cup butter, melted

• ½ cup evaporated milk

• ¼ cup water

Sifted

• 4–5 cups all-purpose flour

• ½ teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water and set aside. Beat the eggs, then add the sugar, melted butter, evaporated milk, and water, mixing until thoroughly blended. In another bowl, sift the flour and salt together. After five minutes, add the yeast to the wet mix, stirring lightly, and then slowly add the dry ingredients, incorporating along the way. Mix thoroughly, and then cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour. This dough will not be firm or workable by hand, but don’t worry, you won’t be rolling it out. When it’s doubled, drop balls made from a small ice cream scoop or a teaspoon into hot oil. Fry in hot Canola oil (360 to 370 degrees F) 2-3 minutes, turning halfway through. Drain on paper towels, and then dust with confectioner’s sugar or ice and decorate.

Yield: Makes about a dozen balls

CHAPTER 18

Before I’d let them take me to the hospital, I had to know what had happened to Harry and Katie.

I was greatly relieved to learn that they were both alive, and as she’d predicted, Chet had let her live, a privilege he wouldn’t have extended to me if I’d hung around.

Jake was at the hospital when they finished wrapping my ankle. I was in a room waiting to be discharged when he came barreling in.

As he wrapped me up in his arms, I said, “Take it easy. It’s okay, it’s just a sprain.”

“It could have been much worse,” he said, “and we both know it.”

“I’ll be on crutches for a while,” I said as I pointed to my ankle. “It looks like Emma and her mother are going to have to keep the donut shop open until I’m back on my feet again.”

“None of that matters right now,” he said. “What counts is that you’re all right.” Jake hugged me again, and then said, “Suzanne, you are a trouble magnet.”

“Hey, it attracted you to me, so it can’t be all bad,” I said. I touched his hand, and then said, “Chet’s dead, isn’t he? I killed him.” There was a deadness inside me from what I’d been forced to do that I doubted would ever go away, but I’d done what I’d had to in order to survive.

Jake smiled at me. “Well, he’s got one whale of a headache, and twelve stitches in his head, but the doctors say he’ll be fine.”

“Did you find the money? Katie has the brooch, but I never got a chance to ask him about the cash he stole from Desmond.”

“It was in his locker at the construction company, at least most of it, anyway.”

The money made me think of my new friend. I hoped that learning about Desmond’s killer wouldn’t drive her back to her old state of uncertainty and timidity. “Did you call Jean? She has a right to hear it from one of us.”

“It’s been taken care of.” He looked deeply into my eyes and added, “How are you doing, really? Don’t lie to me, Suzanne.”

“Jake, I’m so sorry.”

“You don’t have anything to apologize for,” he said, wiping the unexpected tears from my cheeks with his gentle hands.

“I shouldn’t have gone there alone today,” I said.

“You thought you would be safe. The truth is, I never should have stayed in Asheville,” he said. “The second I found out you were working on this case, I should have come back to April Springs to help you.”

“Most of the time I had plenty of reinforcements,” I said. “Nobody could possibly know that they’d both be tied up today.”

“About that,” Jake said. “George tried to call you, and when he couldn’t reach you, he contacted me. That’s how I got here so quickly. I had almost arrived in April Springs when the Talbot’s Landing police called me.”

“His brother died, didn’t he?”

Jake nodded. “George said it was just as well, he was pretty bad off in the end.”

“I need to call him,” I said.

“It can wait until you get out of here,” Jake said.

I didn’t say a word; I just held my hand out for his phone. He frowned, and then handed it to me. “It’s on speed dial.”

“I know his number by heart,” I said.

George picked up, and the first thing I said was, “I’m so sorry.”

“Thanks, Suzanne, but I’m the one who should be apologizing. I should have been there by your side.”

“I already got that from Jake, and I’ll tell you the same thing that I told him. I handled it. You were where you needed to be. Can we do anything?”

“No, everything’s been arranged. I’ll be home in a few days, and you can tell me all about it over a cup of coffee and a donut.”

“It’s a deal. Would you like us to come to the service? We can be there by morning. Just say the word.”

“I appreciate it more than I can say, but I need to do this alone so I can say good-bye once and for all.”

“I understand. Call us if you need us.”

After we hung up, Jake was staring oddly at me.

“What’s wrong?”

He shook his head. “I don’t believe it. You were nearly killed today, and all you can think about is your friend.”

“He’s in pain,” I said. “He needs friends right now.”

Jake brushed a bit of hair out of my eyes. “Suzanne, I know that this has been a long time coming, but there’s something I need to say to you.”

He was about to continue when Momma burst into the room and practically launched herself at me. “Suzanne, I was so worried about you.”

“I may not be able to handle the stairs at home for a while. Do you mind if I bunk on the couch downstairs while I’m healing?”

“There’s no need,” she said. “You can have the master bedroom.”

So, it had come to that. She’d accepted the chief of police’s proposal after all. I knew there was a chance that she would, but I never thought she’d move out of our place so quickly.

“I guess congratulations are in order, then,” I said.

“For what?” she asked, looking clearly puzzled.

“Well, if I get your bedroom, I’m assuming it’s because you said yes to the chief.”

Momma shook her head. “No, I decided this wasn’t a good time for us.”

I tried to get up, but Jake touched my shoulder lightly, and I settled back down. “If you’re doing this because of what happened to me today, I’m going to be extremely upset.”

“It has nothing to do with you,” Momma said.

“Prove it,” I replied. “What happened?”

“I told him no before I heard about your accident today.”

I wasn’t exactly sure I’d call what had happened to me an accident, but I was going to let it slide. “Was he crushed?”

“On the contrary, I believe he was a little relieved.”

“How is that possible? I have my share of problems with the man, but he loves you, there’s no doubt in my mind about that.”

“I know that, but until I’m ready to return it in kind, the only humane thing for me to do was refuse his proposal.”

I tried to take all of that in. “So, does that mean that you two aren’t going to date anymore?”

Momma laughed. “Who said that? As a matter of fact, we have another date tomorrow night.”

“What’s wrong with tonight?” I asked with a grin.

“That’s reserved for us,” she said, and then turned to Jake. “You’re welcome to join us, as well.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I owe Asheville one more lecture, and I should probably finish what I started.”