Read Online Killer Crullers by Jessica Beck - Free Book Online

out in a rush, as though she’d repeated them over and over in her mind before she trusted herself to say them out loud.
    “I never thought that you did,” I said. At that moment, I believed it, no matter how many doubts I’d entertained in the past. Gabby was many things, several of them quite unlikable, but I didn’t see her as a thief or a killer.
    “You’re in the minority, then,” she said as she dabbed at another tear. “Chief Martin is acting as though I’m some kind of menace to society. I was amazed when he let me go, but I have a feeling that it’s just a matter of time before he finds a reason to throw me in jail. That’s where you come in.”
    I still wasn’t sure what she had in mind. “What can I do?”
    “Find out who killed Desmond Ray for me,” she said. “You can do it, Suzanne. I’ve seen the way you’ve worked in the past on other cases. You’ve even enlisted my help on occasion, and now I’m asking you to return the favor.”
    “Gabby, I wouldn’t know where to begin.”
    She frowned at me. “That should be obvious. You need to speak with Jean Ray. I have a feeling she holds the key to what really happened.”
    “You don’t think Jean murdered her own nephew, do you?” I asked. Jean didn’t have a malicious bone in her body, at least as far as I’d ever seen. I knew that no one could tell what a murderer looked like, but Jean was as far from the stereotype as one woman could be.
    “I don’t know what to think,” Gabby admitted. “It’s difficult to imagine, but then again, I never thought of her as a liar before, either. If she didn’t do it, I’m willing to bet that she has a good idea who might have killed her nephew. The two of them were really close.”
    Gabby was right about that. If I were going to investigate, it would be the perfect place to start. But I still wasn’t convinced it was something I should be doing at all, despite her urging and George’s expectation that I would dig into Desmond Ray’s murder.
    I had one last very real concern that I had to voice. “Why would Jean talk to me? I was there when you and Desmond fought yesterday. He threatened me, too, remember?”
    “Don’t you see? That gives you a perfect excuse. Tell Jean that you feel bad about the way you and Desmond spoke yesterday, and you want to find out who killed him to make amends. If you make yourself her ally instead of her adversary, she’ll tell you anything.”
    “Even if her finger points straight at you as the murderer?” I asked.
    “I would expect nothing less, given the circumstances,” Gabby said, “but you have to push her until she tells you something more.” Gabby opened a drawer, pulled out a long envelope, and then pushed it toward me. “I don’t expect you to do this for free, Suzanne. I’m willing to pay you for your help.”
    I was tempted to peek inside to see how much she thought my aid was worth, but I knew better. I shoved the envelope back and said, “I don’t charge to help my friends, Gabby.”
    She looked startled by my admission. “Then you consider us friends, as well? There have been times in the past when I haven’t been sure.”
    Gabby had a point, and there was no use denying it. “We have our disagreements from time to time, but you said it yourself. There aren’t many women who own small businesses in April Springs, and those of us that do need to stick together.”
    Gabby frowned, and after a moment, she said, “That wasn’t exactly a declaration of fealty, was it?”
    “We’re friends, okay?” I said, probably just a little too tartly, but Gabby had a tendency to bring that out in me.
    Instead of being offended by my tone of voice, she actually looked pleased. “Good. That’s better. You are not to use kid gloves with me, Suzanne. Is that clear?”
    “Be careful. I’m willing to bet you’re not going to be happy with my questions for you,” I said.
    “I’m a tough old broad, as we both know,” she said with a slight