Read Online Sweet Suspects (The Donut Mysteries) by Jessica Beck - Free Book Online
Authors: Jessica Beck
Ads: Link
see Zane arguing with Mr. Davidson about Helen Marston,” she said as though she were delivering something truly significant.
“Yes, I heard,” I said. “Grace and I spoke with them this morning. Did you know they were seeing each other?”
“I’d heard rumors,” she replied, clearly a little disappointed that I’d learned something before she had. “How about Tom Hancock?” she asked. “He and Zane weren’t on good terms at all.” There was a spark of intelligence in her eyes as she said it, and I had to wonder if Candy had purposefully disguised a brain behind all that fluff she seemed to exude.
I hated to do it, but I had to burst her bubble again. “We knew that, too. Grace was dancing with Tom when he and Zane had their little tiff,” I said.
“That’s all I’ve got then,” she said as she nodded. “Sorry, but I suppose I’ve bothered you for nothing.”
“I appreciate the effort,” I said.
Candy started to walk away, and then she stopped and turned back to me. “You haven’t heard any rumors about me, have you, Suzanne?” The question was meant to be delivered casually, but she didn’t quite pull it off.
“You? No. Why do you ask?”
“No reason. Well, I’m late for work,” Candy said as she started to walk away. If she wore that outfit to her gym, I couldn’t imagine what her workout clothes must be like.
As Candy pivoted the second time, she ran straight into our mayor’s arms.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there,” Candy said as she stood there in very close proximity to my friend, George.
The mayor stammered as he tried to take a step back. “It was all my fault. I was on my cellphone and I didn’t see you standing there. Forgive me.”
Candy giggled a little, letting the intelligence I’d seen earlier slip back below the surface.
George took yet another step backward, and Candy finally released him. “I’ll see you later, Mr. Mayor.”
“Undoubtedly,” George said, and we both watched Candy as she walked away with a little more swing in her step than was actually called for.
“What was that about?” I asked George with a grin as he turned back to me.
“What are you talking about?”
“I saw the way you blushed just then, so don’t try to deny it,” I said.
“She’s quite lovely, and I still have a pulse, so yes, I noticed her. It’s just a shame that she’s not as smart as she is pretty.”
I wasn’t so sure about that, but I kept the observation to myself. “What brings you here, your honor?”
“Suzanne, I heard that it was happening, but I had to see it for myself to believe it,” George said.
“What are you talking about?” I asked him, Candy now forgotten.
“Someone told me that Emma and her mother were running Donut Hearts this morning. I laughed it off as a bad joke, but when someone else said the same thing, I had to find out if it was true for myself.” He looked hard at me before he spoke again. “You’re not ill, are you?”
“I’ve never felt better in my life, but thanks for asking,” I said.
“So tell me this, Suzanne. If you’re healthy and the donut shop is open for business, why aren’t you inside waiting on customers?”
“Grace and I are investigating Zane Dunbar’s murder,” I said. I might not openly admit that to some folks in town, but not George. Before he’d become mayor, he’d helped Grace and me out quite a bit, and lately he’d even lent us a hand when we’d needed it, in spite of his title.
“I thought that must be it,” the mayor said. “What can I do to help?”
“Nothing just yet, but we might need you again soon.”
“I hope so,” he said. “Sometimes I get bored just being the mayor around here.”
“Enough that you want to rejoin our investigative team full time?” I asked him with a grin.
“With Polly holing up in Raleigh, I’ll take any distractions that I can get.” Polly North was his
“Yes, I heard,” I said. “Grace and I spoke with them this morning. Did you know they were seeing each other?”
“I’d heard rumors,” she replied, clearly a little disappointed that I’d learned something before she had. “How about Tom Hancock?” she asked. “He and Zane weren’t on good terms at all.” There was a spark of intelligence in her eyes as she said it, and I had to wonder if Candy had purposefully disguised a brain behind all that fluff she seemed to exude.
I hated to do it, but I had to burst her bubble again. “We knew that, too. Grace was dancing with Tom when he and Zane had their little tiff,” I said.
“That’s all I’ve got then,” she said as she nodded. “Sorry, but I suppose I’ve bothered you for nothing.”
“I appreciate the effort,” I said.
Candy started to walk away, and then she stopped and turned back to me. “You haven’t heard any rumors about me, have you, Suzanne?” The question was meant to be delivered casually, but she didn’t quite pull it off.
“You? No. Why do you ask?”
“No reason. Well, I’m late for work,” Candy said as she started to walk away. If she wore that outfit to her gym, I couldn’t imagine what her workout clothes must be like.
As Candy pivoted the second time, she ran straight into our mayor’s arms.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there,” Candy said as she stood there in very close proximity to my friend, George.
The mayor stammered as he tried to take a step back. “It was all my fault. I was on my cellphone and I didn’t see you standing there. Forgive me.”
Candy giggled a little, letting the intelligence I’d seen earlier slip back below the surface.
George took yet another step backward, and Candy finally released him. “I’ll see you later, Mr. Mayor.”
“Undoubtedly,” George said, and we both watched Candy as she walked away with a little more swing in her step than was actually called for.
“What was that about?” I asked George with a grin as he turned back to me.
“What are you talking about?”
“I saw the way you blushed just then, so don’t try to deny it,” I said.
“She’s quite lovely, and I still have a pulse, so yes, I noticed her. It’s just a shame that she’s not as smart as she is pretty.”
I wasn’t so sure about that, but I kept the observation to myself. “What brings you here, your honor?”
“Suzanne, I heard that it was happening, but I had to see it for myself to believe it,” George said.
“What are you talking about?” I asked him, Candy now forgotten.
“Someone told me that Emma and her mother were running Donut Hearts this morning. I laughed it off as a bad joke, but when someone else said the same thing, I had to find out if it was true for myself.” He looked hard at me before he spoke again. “You’re not ill, are you?”
“I’ve never felt better in my life, but thanks for asking,” I said.
“So tell me this, Suzanne. If you’re healthy and the donut shop is open for business, why aren’t you inside waiting on customers?”
“Grace and I are investigating Zane Dunbar’s murder,” I said. I might not openly admit that to some folks in town, but not George. Before he’d become mayor, he’d helped Grace and me out quite a bit, and lately he’d even lent us a hand when we’d needed it, in spite of his title.
“I thought that must be it,” the mayor said. “What can I do to help?”
“Nothing just yet, but we might need you again soon.”
“I hope so,” he said. “Sometimes I get bored just being the mayor around here.”
“Enough that you want to rejoin our investigative team full time?” I asked him with a grin.
“With Polly holing up in Raleigh, I’ll take any distractions that I can get.” Polly North was his
Similar Books
