Read Online Deep Fried Homicide (The Donut Shop Mysteries) by Jessica Beck - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jessica Beck
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never really thought about before. Once Grace and I caught our suspects, I tended to forget about them. Something else occurred to me just then. “George, you were helping me work on the investigation when I caught Heather. What makes you think that you’re not a target, too?”
He smiled as he said, “Honestly, I’m not worried about it, because if I am on her hit list, then I’m a target that knows how to shoot back.” He patted his shotgun affectionately as he said it.
“Do you think Grace is in danger as well?”
“I don’t think so,” George said, “but we’re keeping a bit of an eye on her as well.”
That definitely made me feel better. “Does she have a guard around the clock, too?”
“Nothing that intense,” George said, “but then again, she wasn’t the focus of Heather’s ire, either, and don’t forget, she doesn’t have anything to do with Rusk.”
“To tell you the truth, he’s the one who really scares me,” I said.
“That’s probably a healthy attitude to have about him,” George admitted. “I spoke with Terry Hanlan over the phone before I came over here, and he told me a few chilling things that I don’t care to repeat.”
Wow. If something the state policeman had said chilled George, I wasn’t sure that I wanted to know about it, either. “Jake doesn’t think Rusk will come after him.”
George just shrugged. “Even if that’s so, what we’re doing here is important. We want to show you and Jake our appreciation, and if it means a few lost hours of sleep, we can all live happily enough with that.” He paused, and then grinned a little. “Besides, the older I get, the less sleep I seem to need.”
I wasn’t sure that I liked being protected like some kind of princess, but I did appreciate knowing that these men cared about Jake and me. “How about some coffee while you’re standing guard?”
“I wouldn’t say no to a cup,” George said with a smile.
I’d noticed a few pies in the fridge Momma had made. “And maybe a slice of pie, too?”
“Suzanne, if you take that good care of us, none of us may ever leave.”
“I’ll take that as a yes,” I said. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”
I made the coffee and cut the mayor a healthy slice of pie while it was brewing. As I carried them both to the door, Jake surprised me by sitting up. “You can eat that right here as long as you get some for me,” he said as he sat up. “I’m awake.”
“As a matter of fact, this isn’t for me,” I said.
“How did you know that I’d want some?” he asked with a grin as he held his hands out to me.
“Sorry, but it’s not for you, either.”
Jake looked puzzled. “If it’s not for me and it’s not for you, then may I ask who gets it?”
“The mayor is out front with his shotgun,” I explained. “He’s on guard duty.”
I expected Jake to protest, but he just nodded instead. “That’s good. I was hoping that someone would step up.”
“You’re not upset?” I asked him.
“No. As a matter of fact, I’m kind of surprised that my boss didn’t assign us some men himself. I think he’s still a little miffed at me for getting shot.”
“How can he be mad about that?” I asked incredulously.
Jake tried to shrug, but the sling wouldn’t let him do it very easily. “He’s lost a valuable asset for the next four weeks. Why wouldn’t he be unhappy about it?”
“But that happened in the line of duty,” I protested. I was getting to like his boss less and less, and I’d only met the man once.
“Either way, it’s good to have someone watching over us while I heal. I hope George isn’t going to stay out there all night by himself.”
“He’s not,” I said. “Chief Martin is taking a shift, and then Officer Grant is going to come by until Terry Hanlan checks in.”
Jake looked surprised to hear his old friend’s name. “Has Terry been
He smiled as he said, “Honestly, I’m not worried about it, because if I am on her hit list, then I’m a target that knows how to shoot back.” He patted his shotgun affectionately as he said it.
“Do you think Grace is in danger as well?”
“I don’t think so,” George said, “but we’re keeping a bit of an eye on her as well.”
That definitely made me feel better. “Does she have a guard around the clock, too?”
“Nothing that intense,” George said, “but then again, she wasn’t the focus of Heather’s ire, either, and don’t forget, she doesn’t have anything to do with Rusk.”
“To tell you the truth, he’s the one who really scares me,” I said.
“That’s probably a healthy attitude to have about him,” George admitted. “I spoke with Terry Hanlan over the phone before I came over here, and he told me a few chilling things that I don’t care to repeat.”
Wow. If something the state policeman had said chilled George, I wasn’t sure that I wanted to know about it, either. “Jake doesn’t think Rusk will come after him.”
George just shrugged. “Even if that’s so, what we’re doing here is important. We want to show you and Jake our appreciation, and if it means a few lost hours of sleep, we can all live happily enough with that.” He paused, and then grinned a little. “Besides, the older I get, the less sleep I seem to need.”
I wasn’t sure that I liked being protected like some kind of princess, but I did appreciate knowing that these men cared about Jake and me. “How about some coffee while you’re standing guard?”
“I wouldn’t say no to a cup,” George said with a smile.
I’d noticed a few pies in the fridge Momma had made. “And maybe a slice of pie, too?”
“Suzanne, if you take that good care of us, none of us may ever leave.”
“I’ll take that as a yes,” I said. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”
I made the coffee and cut the mayor a healthy slice of pie while it was brewing. As I carried them both to the door, Jake surprised me by sitting up. “You can eat that right here as long as you get some for me,” he said as he sat up. “I’m awake.”
“As a matter of fact, this isn’t for me,” I said.
“How did you know that I’d want some?” he asked with a grin as he held his hands out to me.
“Sorry, but it’s not for you, either.”
Jake looked puzzled. “If it’s not for me and it’s not for you, then may I ask who gets it?”
“The mayor is out front with his shotgun,” I explained. “He’s on guard duty.”
I expected Jake to protest, but he just nodded instead. “That’s good. I was hoping that someone would step up.”
“You’re not upset?” I asked him.
“No. As a matter of fact, I’m kind of surprised that my boss didn’t assign us some men himself. I think he’s still a little miffed at me for getting shot.”
“How can he be mad about that?” I asked incredulously.
Jake tried to shrug, but the sling wouldn’t let him do it very easily. “He’s lost a valuable asset for the next four weeks. Why wouldn’t he be unhappy about it?”
“But that happened in the line of duty,” I protested. I was getting to like his boss less and less, and I’d only met the man once.
“Either way, it’s good to have someone watching over us while I heal. I hope George isn’t going to stay out there all night by himself.”
“He’s not,” I said. “Chief Martin is taking a shift, and then Officer Grant is going to come by until Terry Hanlan checks in.”
Jake looked surprised to hear his old friend’s name. “Has Terry been
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