Read Online Sweet Suspects (The Donut Mysteries) by Jessica Beck - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jessica Beck
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secretary/assistant in the mayor’s office, and George’s girlfriend, no matter how much he hated the term for a woman Polly’s age. She’d gone to Raleigh to be with her new grandchild, but we’d all expected her back long before now.
“Isn’t she ever coming back home?” I asked her.
“I asked the woman that exact question last night on the phone,” George said.
“What did she say?”
“She was remarkably evasive, truth be told,” George said.
“Don’t give up hope yet,” I said. George deserved someone special like Polly in his life, and I hated to think that might end.
“I haven’t, but I am growing more worried by the day,” he said. “I may have to go there myself and drag her back home someday. That’s why I would welcome any tasks you might need taken care of, especially since Jake is so far away.”
“Have you been keeping tabs on my boyfriend?” I asked him. The two were friends, and it wasn’t all that unusual for them to talk.
“He keeps in touch,” George said.
“Good. He likes you, Mr. Mayor.”
George looked pleased by my statement. “I assure you, the feeling is mutual.”
My cellphone rang, and when I glanced down at the caller ID, I was overjoyed when I saw that it was Jake himself. “Speak of the devil and he appears,” I said as I held my phone up. “It’s Jake.”
“Take it,” George said. “We’ll chat later.”
“Bye,” I said as I answered my phone.
“Bye? I haven’t even said hello yet,” Jake said.
“I was just talking to George. How are you doing?”
“Right now, the bad guy is winning, and it’s killing me,” Jake said with a hint of deflation in his voice. “He’s going to be tough to catch, since the only pattern I’ve been able to discern so far is that he’s randomly murdering men named Kevin. We can’t watch all of the Kevins in the area, and he’s bound to strike again before we can stop him.”
“Don’t worry. You’ll get him eventually,” I said as cheerfully as I could manage.
“I’ll do my best,” he said, “but how many more Kevins are going to have to die first?”
“Jake, I know that I don’t tell you this very often, but I can’t even imagine how difficult your job must be,” I said.
“Unfortunately, that’s one of the results of being good at what I do. They don’t call me unless the case is tough. Enough about me. What’s this I hear about you being involved in another murder investigation?”
“How could you possibly have already heard about that?” I asked. “Did George call you? You’re not keeping tabs on me, are you?”
He laughed heartily. “I know better than that. No, Chief Martin asked my help on something related, and he brought me up to speed on what you’ve been up to.”
“Are you working on the case with him?” I asked. Jake was a crackerjack investigator, and I knew that if he were working on the chief’s side, Grace and I most likely wouldn’t stand a chance of bringing the killer to justice. It had nothing to do with them being men and us being women. Jake was a trained State Police Investigator, and other cops called him in when the cases were too hard for them to solve. Chief Martin was no slouch either.
“No, I’m just doing a little pro bono consulting on the side,” Jake said quickly. “That’s a new one on me, by the way, the victim being stabbed with a ceremonial spear.”
“The method might have been a little unorthodox, but the results were just the same. I found the body, Jake,” I said, letting a little of the tremor in my voice escape.
“I know, and I’m so sorry,” he said. “I wish that I’d been there with you.”
“It’s okay,” I said, feeling instantly better just talking to him. He had that effect on me, and it was one I hoped never went away. “I sincerely hope that it’s something I never get used to, though.”
“I know that I still haven’t,” Jake said,
“Isn’t she ever coming back home?” I asked her.
“I asked the woman that exact question last night on the phone,” George said.
“What did she say?”
“She was remarkably evasive, truth be told,” George said.
“Don’t give up hope yet,” I said. George deserved someone special like Polly in his life, and I hated to think that might end.
“I haven’t, but I am growing more worried by the day,” he said. “I may have to go there myself and drag her back home someday. That’s why I would welcome any tasks you might need taken care of, especially since Jake is so far away.”
“Have you been keeping tabs on my boyfriend?” I asked him. The two were friends, and it wasn’t all that unusual for them to talk.
“He keeps in touch,” George said.
“Good. He likes you, Mr. Mayor.”
George looked pleased by my statement. “I assure you, the feeling is mutual.”
My cellphone rang, and when I glanced down at the caller ID, I was overjoyed when I saw that it was Jake himself. “Speak of the devil and he appears,” I said as I held my phone up. “It’s Jake.”
“Take it,” George said. “We’ll chat later.”
“Bye,” I said as I answered my phone.
“Bye? I haven’t even said hello yet,” Jake said.
“I was just talking to George. How are you doing?”
“Right now, the bad guy is winning, and it’s killing me,” Jake said with a hint of deflation in his voice. “He’s going to be tough to catch, since the only pattern I’ve been able to discern so far is that he’s randomly murdering men named Kevin. We can’t watch all of the Kevins in the area, and he’s bound to strike again before we can stop him.”
“Don’t worry. You’ll get him eventually,” I said as cheerfully as I could manage.
“I’ll do my best,” he said, “but how many more Kevins are going to have to die first?”
“Jake, I know that I don’t tell you this very often, but I can’t even imagine how difficult your job must be,” I said.
“Unfortunately, that’s one of the results of being good at what I do. They don’t call me unless the case is tough. Enough about me. What’s this I hear about you being involved in another murder investigation?”
“How could you possibly have already heard about that?” I asked. “Did George call you? You’re not keeping tabs on me, are you?”
He laughed heartily. “I know better than that. No, Chief Martin asked my help on something related, and he brought me up to speed on what you’ve been up to.”
“Are you working on the case with him?” I asked. Jake was a crackerjack investigator, and I knew that if he were working on the chief’s side, Grace and I most likely wouldn’t stand a chance of bringing the killer to justice. It had nothing to do with them being men and us being women. Jake was a trained State Police Investigator, and other cops called him in when the cases were too hard for them to solve. Chief Martin was no slouch either.
“No, I’m just doing a little pro bono consulting on the side,” Jake said quickly. “That’s a new one on me, by the way, the victim being stabbed with a ceremonial spear.”
“The method might have been a little unorthodox, but the results were just the same. I found the body, Jake,” I said, letting a little of the tremor in my voice escape.
“I know, and I’m so sorry,” he said. “I wish that I’d been there with you.”
“It’s okay,” I said, feeling instantly better just talking to him. He had that effect on me, and it was one I hoped never went away. “I sincerely hope that it’s something I never get used to, though.”
“I know that I still haven’t,” Jake said,
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