Sinister Sprinkles (8 page)

I felt my heart jump, hoping it was Jake, but instead, it was Officer Steven Grant, a policeman in April Springs who was also a good customer at my donut shop.

“Would you like to join us?” I asked as he neared us.

“Sure,” he said as he slid onto the bench seat beside me. “I’ve already had lunch, though.”

Trish came over. “Need anything, Steven?”

“Pie and coffee,” he said as I looked at him with one raised eyebrow. He added, “I didn’t say I had dessert, did I?”

Trish asked, “What kind of pie would you like?”

“You know me, Trish. Surprise me.”

She shook her head as she walked away, and Grace said, “Excuse me, I need to powder my nose.”

“You don’t have to leave on my account,” Officer Grant said.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back,” she said.

After Grace was gone, I said, “Did you come in here to have some pie, or was there something you wanted.”

He lowered his voice, then said, “I thought there was something you should know before it gets out on the grapevine. It’s only fair, you know?”

“Since I don’t know what you’re talking about, I really can’t say.”

He frowned, then said, “Here goes. I could get fired if you repeat this, but the chief seems to think you might have had something to do with Darlene Higgins’s murder.”

I felt a cold, sweeping dread come over me. “What did he say?”

“Yesterday before the snowstorm hit, he had me check your alibi during the time of the murder.”

“He never asked me for one,” I said, trying to keep the outrage out of my voice.

“Don’t worry, I found three folks who agreed you were in your booth selling donuts the entire time, including Gabby Williams next door. You’re fine.”

“That’s good, because I didn’t do it.” I looked hard at him, then asked, “But why tell me? You don’t owe me anything.”

He shook his head. “Maybe not, but you’ve gotten a bad shake in the past from the department, and I thought you should know about this. I just reported to the chief, and he seemed to accept it, so you’re off the hook.”

“Has he got any other suspects?” I asked. It was bad finding out I was on the list, but the fact that my name had already been crossed off helped a little.

“That I can’t say.”

Trish brought him a slice of lemon meringue pie and a cup of coffee. He smiled when he saw it, then asked, “Can I get that to go?”

“Why not? I enjoy putting things in boxes.”

He laughed. “Then you should love me.”

Officer Grant started to go as Grace came back. “You’re not leaving because of me, are you? I can always come back later.”

“No, ma’am, I need to get back to work.” He smiled at Grace, then turned to me. “What I told you was confidential, okay?”

“I won’t tell a soul,” I said.

“Good.”

The second Officer Grant was out of The Boxcar grill, Grace said, “He’s gone. So tell me, what did he say?”

“Grace, you just heard me promise not to tell anyone.”

She looked shocked by the suggestion that I’d keep my word. “You didn’t mean me, though, did you? Come on, Suzanne, you have to tell me.”

“Sorry,” I said, “I promised.”

Grace chewed that over for a second, then said, “I understand, you gave him your word. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to have another fry.”

“Like I said, help yourself.”

She grabbed a handful, then didn’t know what to do with them. After a moment’s hesitation, Grace grabbed a wad of napkins from the dispenser and plopped them down there.

I laughed. “Wow, you took me at my word, didn’t you?”

“What can I say? You offered, I accepted.”

Trish walked by with a coffee pot topping everyone off when she saw Grace’s pile of my fries.

She looked at me and said, “What’s wrong, Suzanne, don’t you like my French fries anymore?”

“I do, but someone else appears to like them even more than I do.”

Grace just smiled, and Trish shook her head as she walked away.

Two minutes later, she came back with a huge plate mounded with French fries. “There you go. That ought to satisfy you both.”

“It’s too much,” I said. “I’ll never be able to eat all of these.”

“I’ve got a feeling you’ll put a dent in them,” she said. “Do your best.”

I looked at the fries, then at Grace. “This is all your fault. If we don’t finish them, it will hurt Trish’s feelings.”

Grace reached for another handful of fries as she said, “Then we’d better finish them, hadn’t we?”

By the time we’d eaten most of the plate, Trish came by and swept it away. “You two look miserable. I’ve punished you enough,” she said as she took the remnants away. “Is there anything else you’d like?”

I was stuffed beyond belief, but I couldn’t help myself from teasing her. “Any more of that lemon meringue pie left?”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“I’m kidding, right,” I said with a smile. “Just the bill, Trish.”

She had it ready for me, and I was surprised to see that the extra plate of fries wasn’t included.

“You forgot something,” I said.

Trish shook her head as she leaned forward. “I’ll swap you donuts for fries, how does that sound?”

“Like you’re getting robbed,” I said.

She shrugged. “Then let’s just call it an early Christmas present, okay?”

“Okay, but now I have to get you something.”

“I’m partial to your pastry pinecones,” she said with a smile. “I’m just saying.”

I paid our bill, and Grace and I walked back outside. Since we’d been inside the diner, the sky had darkened, and fresh snow was falling again.

“It’s really coming down, isn’t it?” I said as I pulled my coat closer.

“I’d better go by the grocery store before I go home,” she said.

“You’re welcome to come home with me again,” I said.

“I don’t want to be a bother.”

“Are you kidding me? You’re not a bother, you’re a buffer. Momma and I will drive each other crazy if just the two of us are snowbound in that house.”

Grace bit her lip, then said, “Well, if you’re sure. Normally I like living alone, but I’m not too fond of storms of any kind.”

“At least there’s no lightning,” I said. As I spoke, there was a diffused flash in the sky, and a few seconds later, thunder rumbled in the distance.

I looked at Grace. Without cracking a smile, she said, “I’m just glad you didn’t say there wasn’t a hurricane.”

“We’d better get home before this gets any worse,” I said. “The last time I saw lightning in a snowstorm, we got a foot overnight.”

Grace shivered at the prospect. “Can we swing by my house first? I want to pick up a few things.”

“Sure, but we have to do it on foot. My Jeep’s still at the house.”

“Then we’d better get going,” she said. “It looks like this isn’t going to let up anytime soon.”

*   *   *

At least Grace’s house was on the way to my place. The sidewalks were all a mess, but there was barely any traffic on the road, so we decided to walk there. It made the going a lot easier, especially since the new snow added a little traction. The daytime temperature hadn’t gotten above freezing, but at least our plows had been followed by salt trucks, so for now, it wasn’t bad.

“Should we get some groceries, too?” Grace asked. “I don’t have enough in my pantry to feed a mouse.”

“If I know my mother—and if not me, who—she’ll have enough for a monthlong siege. That woman believes in being prepared for just about anything.”

Grace nodded. “Not a bad trait at the moment, wouldn’t you say?”

“Hey, I’m a big fan of the lady myself.” I had to admit that sometimes it took Grace’s presence for me to remember some of my mother’s good qualities. Both of Grace’s folks had passed away years ago, and Momma had kind of adopted her.

We climbed the steps up to Grace’s porch, and before I could approach the door, she put her hand out and stopped me.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Look,” she said. “There are footprints on my porch, and I haven’t been home since yesterday.”

“Maybe it was the mailman.”

“My box is on the street,” she said.

“A neighbor worried about you?” I asked.

“I doubt it. Suzanne, something’s wrong here.”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” I said as I walked to the door.

Grace nodded. “You’re right; I guess I’m a little jumpy.”

“Or not,” I said as I noticed that door was slightly ajar. “You locked up yesterday, didn’t you?”

“I always do, you know how paranoid I am about that,” she said. “Why? What’s going on?”

I pointed to the door and said softly, “Let’s go back to the diner and call the police.”

She backed up without saying a word, but from the expression on her face, I knew she wanted to scream.

We hurried back a dozen paces, then she said, “I’ve got my cell phone. I’m going to call from here.”

“I just realized that I have mine, too,” I said. “But don’t you think this is a call we should make with other people around? We’re kind of vulnerable out here in the street all by ourselves.”

“I don’t like this, Suzanne,” she said, her voice starting to crack.

“It’s going to be okay,” I said.

She reached into a deep pocket for her phone when I said, “Hang on a second.”

Driving up the road was one of our April Springs police cruisers, and I’d never been so happy to see one in my life. I threw out my arms and started waving frantically, so the officer would make no mistake that I was trying to flag him down and not offering an enthusiastic greeting instead.

It was Officer Grant, my one real friend on the force.

He pulled up to the lip of snow bracketing the road and rolled down his window. “What’s wrong, Suzanne?”

“It looks like somebody broke into Grace’s house,” I said as I pointed toward it.

He nodded. “Stay right there. I’ll check it out.”

Officer Grant somehow managed to pull the cruiser up over the piled snow, and I saw that the car had chains on its tires. As he got out, I started toward him, but he held one hand up for me to stay where I was as he unbuckled his gun and pulled it out.

Okay, I know when to take a hint, even if a direct order is lost on me at times.

Grace stood beside me in the cold, falling snow, but neither one of us said a word. I didn’t know about her, but I was bracing myself for the sound of a gunshot. After what felt like a lifetime later, the front door opened again, and Officer Grant came out, his revolver back in its holster.

He waved for us to approach, and we hurried toward him.

“Whoever was in there is long gone,” he said.

“Are you sure?” Grace asked.

He nodded. “Oh yes. I checked under every bed, and in all the closets. Trust me, he’s gone.”

“Could you tell if anything is missing?” I asked.

“No, the television’s still there, and I found some jewelry in the bedroom that looked valuable, along with four one-hundred-dollar-bills in the bottom of the case. You really should find a better hiding place for your money.”

“I keep meaning to, but I never seem to get around to it,” she said.

Officer Grant frowned as he added, “There are a few dirty dishes in the sink, and there’s a pillow and blanket on the couch. I’m guessing that whoever broke in just wanted a place to ride out the storm last night.”

“What if he comes back?” she asked, the edge of hysteria clear in her voice.

“When he sees that your lights on, he’ll move on to someplace else. In the meantime, I’ll keep an eye on your house.”

“Thanks, but I won’t be staying here tonight,” Grace said.

I put my arm around her. “That’s not even an option. You’re coming home with me, remember?”

She nodded, then Grace asked Officer Grant, “Would you mind staying here a few minutes, just long enough for me to pack a few things?”

He nodded. “Sure thing. Just don’t take too long.”

“No problem there.”

She started inside, then said, “I know I’m being silly, but would you two mind coming into the living room while I pack?”

“We’ll be glad to,” I said, trying to be as reassuring as I could. “Now, let’s get you packed so we can head back to my place.”

Officer Grant and I did as Grace asked, and as we stood in the living room, I realized both of us were intently listening to her move around in the other rooms.

After a minute, I pointed to the front door and asked, “Is there something we should do about that in the meantime?” It was pretty clear from the inside that someone had forced the door open. The jamb was split, and a few shards of wood were on the floor.

He nodded. “We’ll barricade it for now, and use the side door when we leave. Give me a hand with this couch, okay?”

I nodded, and we shoved it into place, blocking the door as firmly as we could. Grace had a side entrance, and though we were going to have to muck through some snow to get out that way, it was better than leaving the front door wide open for another intruder to just walk on in.

“Do you really think that will discourage him?” I asked.

“I’m guessing he won’t come back. If he was interested in robbing her, he would have done it already.”

“And what if he was planning to sleep here again tonight?” I asked softly enough so that Grace couldn’t hear.

“Then he would have done a better job disguising his break-in. You didn’t exactly have to examine the lock to know someone had been there, did you?”

“No, it was pretty clear the front door was kicked in.”

“That’s my point. This guy isn’t a finesse criminal. He took advantage of your friend’s absence, and he’s long gone by now.”

“I hope you’re right.”

He nodded, and then the radio on his belt beeped, and he took it out in the kitchen so he could answer in private.

Grace came back in with an overnight bag and looked wildly around the room. “Where did he go? He left us?”

“Take it easy. He’s in the kitchen,” I said.

“I know I’m jumpy, but I can’t help it. I admit it. I’m rattled.” She looked at the couch in front of the front door, then added, “You’re kidding, right?”

“It was the best we could do on the spur of the moment.”

She shook her head. “Thanks for trying, but we’re going to have to do better than that.”