discuss it. Fine. If she changed her mind, she knew that I was always there for her.
“How do things stand in back?” I asked as I wiped down the last stretch of counter.
“We’re nearly ready to close. If you balance the register, I can finish everything else up.”
“That’s a deal,” I said.
I ran the reports I needed, counted the money in the till, and when I was finished, I was happy to have everything balance out perfectly. It wasn’t that unusual to be off a nickel or so every now and then, but I loved it when everything worked out. It so rarely did in the life of a small businesswoman.
I was just finishing up the deposit slip when there was a knock at the front door. I looked up to see that Grace was standing there with a smile.
As I let her in, Emma came out from the back. “Suzanne, what should I do with the extra donuts today? Oh, hi, Grace.”
“Hi right back at you,” Grace said.
“How many are we talking about, Emma?” I asked.
“Two baker’s dozens,” she said.
I figured that twenty-six extra donuts wasn’t that bad. “Do you have any use for them yourself?”
“Sorry,” she said. “My mother’s got Dad on a diet, and if I slip him any more goodies, I’m going to be in some serious trouble with her.”
“We’ll take them with us,” Grace said suddenly.
“Feeling peckish, are you?” I asked her with a grin.
“What can I say? I’m still a growing girl.” The statement was patently false, since Grace could still fit into her high school prom dress, but I let it go. I also knew that she wasn’t about to eat all of those donuts, or probably even one.
Emma put the boxes on the counter, and then she said, “If that’s it, I’ll go ahead and take off. I’ve got a class in twenty minutes.”
“Go on. Take off.”
After she was gone, I asked Grace, “What are we going to do with all of these donuts? I know for a fact that you’re not going to eat them.”
“What we always do,” Grace said. “We’re going to use them to bribe people to talk to us. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Are you kidding? I love that they might be going to good use, but I doubt that the DeAngelis ladies are going to want someone else’s donuts around their restaurant.”
“Then we’ll use them on somebody else. Are you ready?”
“Let’s drop my deposit off at the bank, and then I’m raring to go. I’ll drive the Jeep so your car doesn’t end up smelling like donuts.”
“There are worse aromas in the world,” she said, but she didn’t disagree with my suggestion.
And just like that, we were off on another investigation.
Chapter 5
“Grace, there’s something you should know,” I said as I drove us to Union Square to visit Napoli’s and the DeAngelis women, our sources there.
“Is it about the case?”
“Sort of. Jake is going to take some time off to help us solve it. That’s not a problem, is it?”
“Why should it be?” she said. “I’m delighted.”
“Good. I was afraid that you might not like him being a part of our team.”
“Suzanne, I adore your boyfriend. Why wouldn’t I want him around?”
I hesitated for a moment, and then I said, “Snooping is our thing, you know? I just didn’t want you to feel left out.”
“I’m here, aren’t I? If Jake’s helping us, where is he right now?”
“I have no idea. He said that he was going to try to tap into his official police sources for some inside information. In the meantime, we’re going to keep each other up to speed about our progress, but unless something significant happens before then, we’re meeting back at my house tonight for dinner. That reminds me,” I said as I took out my phone and called my mother. “Hang on one second, Grace.”
When my mother answered, I asked her, “Momma, would you mind making dinner for three unofficial investigators
“How do things stand in back?” I asked as I wiped down the last stretch of counter.
“We’re nearly ready to close. If you balance the register, I can finish everything else up.”
“That’s a deal,” I said.
I ran the reports I needed, counted the money in the till, and when I was finished, I was happy to have everything balance out perfectly. It wasn’t that unusual to be off a nickel or so every now and then, but I loved it when everything worked out. It so rarely did in the life of a small businesswoman.
I was just finishing up the deposit slip when there was a knock at the front door. I looked up to see that Grace was standing there with a smile.
As I let her in, Emma came out from the back. “Suzanne, what should I do with the extra donuts today? Oh, hi, Grace.”
“Hi right back at you,” Grace said.
“How many are we talking about, Emma?” I asked.
“Two baker’s dozens,” she said.
I figured that twenty-six extra donuts wasn’t that bad. “Do you have any use for them yourself?”
“Sorry,” she said. “My mother’s got Dad on a diet, and if I slip him any more goodies, I’m going to be in some serious trouble with her.”
“We’ll take them with us,” Grace said suddenly.
“Feeling peckish, are you?” I asked her with a grin.
“What can I say? I’m still a growing girl.” The statement was patently false, since Grace could still fit into her high school prom dress, but I let it go. I also knew that she wasn’t about to eat all of those donuts, or probably even one.
Emma put the boxes on the counter, and then she said, “If that’s it, I’ll go ahead and take off. I’ve got a class in twenty minutes.”
“Go on. Take off.”
After she was gone, I asked Grace, “What are we going to do with all of these donuts? I know for a fact that you’re not going to eat them.”
“What we always do,” Grace said. “We’re going to use them to bribe people to talk to us. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Are you kidding? I love that they might be going to good use, but I doubt that the DeAngelis ladies are going to want someone else’s donuts around their restaurant.”
“Then we’ll use them on somebody else. Are you ready?”
“Let’s drop my deposit off at the bank, and then I’m raring to go. I’ll drive the Jeep so your car doesn’t end up smelling like donuts.”
“There are worse aromas in the world,” she said, but she didn’t disagree with my suggestion.
And just like that, we were off on another investigation.
Chapter 5
“Grace, there’s something you should know,” I said as I drove us to Union Square to visit Napoli’s and the DeAngelis women, our sources there.
“Is it about the case?”
“Sort of. Jake is going to take some time off to help us solve it. That’s not a problem, is it?”
“Why should it be?” she said. “I’m delighted.”
“Good. I was afraid that you might not like him being a part of our team.”
“Suzanne, I adore your boyfriend. Why wouldn’t I want him around?”
I hesitated for a moment, and then I said, “Snooping is our thing, you know? I just didn’t want you to feel left out.”
“I’m here, aren’t I? If Jake’s helping us, where is he right now?”
“I have no idea. He said that he was going to try to tap into his official police sources for some inside information. In the meantime, we’re going to keep each other up to speed about our progress, but unless something significant happens before then, we’re meeting back at my house tonight for dinner. That reminds me,” I said as I took out my phone and called my mother. “Hang on one second, Grace.”
When my mother answered, I asked her, “Momma, would you mind making dinner for three unofficial investigators
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