Sinister Sprinkles Part 7

"You two are a couple of wild gals out on the town, aren't you? Hang on, I'll be right back."

As soon as she left, Grace whispered, "Before she gets back, tell me everything you know, and don't you dare leave anything out."

"There's really nothing to tell. Chief Martin came by the donut shop early this morning wanting to know if I'd seen Max, and when I told him no, he informed me that Muriel Stevens was missing as well. Emma said she thought they were off somewhere together."

Grace shook her head. "She had to be joking. Honestly, I don't see them as a couple, do you?"

"It's hard to see Max with anyone but me," I admitted, "unless we're talking about Darlene Higgins. I saw that plainly enough."

"Have they made any progress in that investigation?" Grace asked as Trish slid the diet c.o.kes in front of us and nudged Grace to scoot over.

Once she was sitting with us, Trish said, "I told you two to wait for me. Now what did I miss?"

"I just said Emma thought that Max and Muriel were holing up somewhere together," I explained.

Trish appeared to think about that for a few seconds, then shook her head. "No, I can't see it."

"Me, either. Is that the investigation you were talking about?"

"No," Grace said. "I was wondering if the police have found out anything about Darlene's murder yet."

Trish looked at me. "And what did you say?"

"I didn't have a chance to say anything. But no, if the chief knows anything, he's not sharing the information with me."

"Curious, isn't it?" Trish said. "What was Darlene doing in Muriel's coat, why was she wearing a wig, and why would someone stab her with a candy cane?" She shivered a little as she added, "It's a pretty odd way to die."

I nodded. "Isn't it strange that someone grabbed a candy cane, of all things, for a murder weapon?"

"They have some pretty deadly points on the spike that goes into the ground," Grace said.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"Before I came by the donut shop today, I walked over to City Hall and pulled one out of the ground to check for myself."

"Did anyone see you do it?" I asked.

"Not that I know of, but I wasn't exactly furtive about it. Why?"

I shook my head. "You shouldn't have done that. What if someone saw you, and another person gets stabbed with one?"

Grace looked at me critically. "Seriously? Do you really think that's a concern? What can I say? I was curious."

Trish said, "I would have looked too, if I'd thought about it."

Grace asked, "Why did they leave them out on display, anyway? I find that kind of disturbing in its own right."

"Who knows?" Trish said.

"Traditions around here are pretty tough to break," I said, "and decorations at the courthouse are near the top of the list."

Trish glanced over her shoulder and said, "It looks like your club is ready. I'll be right back."

After she delivered my food, Trish was so busy with other customers that she didn't invite herself to sit back down with us.

I offered Grace a French fry.

"I couldn't. I'm stuffed," she said.

I grinned at her. "Why do you think I offered you one?"

She stared at my plate, then after hesitating, reached over and grabbed a fry after all.

"What?" she asked as she saw me smiling at her. "Can't a girl change her mind?"

"Absolutely," I said. "Have some more."

She nodded, took another fry, then asked, "Did you invite somebody else to lunch with you?"

"No, why do you ask?"

She pointed over my shoulder and said, "There's a cop coming this way, and he's looking right at you."

I felt my heart jump, hoping it was Jake, but instead, it was Officer Steven Grant, a policeman in April Springs who was also a good customer at my donut shop.

"Would you like to join us?" I asked as he neared us.

"Sure," he said as he slid onto the bench seat beside me. "I've already had lunch, though."

Trish came over. "Need anything, Steven?"

"Pie and coffee," he said as I looked at him with one raised eyebrow. He added, "I didn't say I had dessert, did I?"

Trish asked, "What kind of pie would you like?"

"You know me, Trish. Surprise me."

She shook her head as she walked away, and Grace said, "Excuse me, I need to powder my nose."

"You don't have to leave on my account," Officer Grant said.

"Don't worry, I'll be back," she said.

After Grace was gone, I said, "Did you come in here to have some pie, or was there something you wanted."

He lowered his voice, then said, "I thought there was something you should know before it gets out on the grapevine. It's only fair, you know?"

"Since I don't know what you're talking about, I really can't say."

He frowned, then said, "Here goes. I could get fired if you repeat this, but the chief seems to think you might have had something to do with Darlene Higgins's murder."

I felt a cold, sweeping dread come over me. "What did he say?"

"Yesterday before the snowstorm hit, he had me check your alibi during the time of the murder."

"He never asked me for one," I said, trying to keep the outrage out of my voice.

"Don't worry, I found three folks who agreed you were in your booth selling donuts the entire time, including Gabby Williams next door. You're fine."

"That's good, because I didn't do it." I looked hard at him, then asked, "But why tell me? You don't owe me anything."

He shook his head. "Maybe not, but you've gotten a bad shake in the past from the department, and I thought you should know about this. I just reported to the chief, and he seemed to accept it, so you're off the hook."

"Has he got any other suspects?" I asked. It was bad finding out I was on the list, but the fact that my name had already been crossed off helped a little.

"That I can't say."

Trish brought him a slice of lemon meringue pie and a cup of coffee. He smiled when he saw it, then asked, "Can I get that to go?"

"Why not? I enjoy putting things in boxes."

He laughed. "Then you should love me."

Officer Grant started to go as Grace came back. "You're not leaving because of me, are you? I can always come back later."

"No, ma'am, I need to get back to work." He smiled at Grace, then turned to me. "What I told you was confidential, okay?"

"I won't tell a soul," I said.

"Good."

The second Officer Grant was out of The Boxcar grill, Grace said, "He's gone. So tell me, what did he say?"

"Grace, you just heard me promise not to tell anyone."

She looked shocked by the suggestion that I'd keep my word. "You didn't mean me, though, did you? Come on, Suzanne, you have to tell me."

"Sorry," I said, "I promised."

Grace chewed that over for a second, then said, "I understand, you gave him your word. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to have another fry."

"Like I said, help yourself."

She grabbed a handful, then didn't know what to do with them. After a moment's hesitation, Grace grabbed a wad of napkins from the dispenser and plopped them down there.

I laughed. "Wow, you took me at my word, didn't you?"

"What can I say? You offered, I accepted."

Trish walked by with a coffee pot topping everyone off when she saw Grace's pile of my fries.

She looked at me and said, "What's wrong, Suzanne, don't you like my French fries anymore?"

"I do, but someone else appears to like them even more than I do."

Grace just smiled, and Trish shook her head as she walked away.

Two minutes later, she came back with a huge plate mounded with French fries. "There you go. That ought to satisfy you both."

"It's too much," I said. "I'll never be able to eat all of these."

"I've got a feeling you'll put a dent in them," she said. "Do your best."

I looked at the fries, then at Grace. "This is all your fault. If we don't finish them, it will hurt Trish's feelings."

Grace reached for another handful of fries as she said, "Then we'd better finish them, hadn't we?"

By the time we'd eaten most of the plate, Trish came by and swept it away. "You two look miserable. I've punished you enough," she said as she took the remnants away. "Is there anything else you'd like?"

I was stuffed beyond belief, but I couldn't help myself from teasing her. "Any more of that lemon meringue pie left?"

"You're kidding, right?"

"I'm kidding, right," I said with a smile. "Just the bill, Trish."

She had it ready for me, and I was surprised to see that the extra plate of fries wasn't included.

"You forgot something," I said.

Trish shook her head as she leaned forward. "I'll swap you donuts for fries, how does that sound?"

"Like you're getting robbed," I said.

She shrugged. "Then let's just call it an early Christmas present, okay?"

"Okay, but now I have to get you something."

"I'm partial to your pastry pinecones," she said with a smile. "I'm just saying."

I paid our bill, and Grace and I walked back outside. Since we'd been inside the diner, the sky had darkened, and fresh snow was falling again.

"It's really coming down, isn't it?" I said as I pulled my coat closer.

"I'd better go by the grocery store before I go home," she said.

"You're welcome to come home with me again," I said.

"I don't want to be a bother."