Read Custard Crime: Donut Mystery #14 (The Donut Mysteries) for Free Online Page B

oak clearly in its last days.   To be honest with you, it looks as
though a light breeze would knock it over, but for some reason, Evelyn was
attached to it.”
    Jake shook his head.   “I still can’t believe that it’s motive
enough to commit murder.”
    “You heard Gabby.   There’s more history to the story than
that.”
    “The question is, how do we uncover the rest of it?”
he asked me.
    “Excuse me.   Did you mean ‘we’ as in ‘you and me’ or ‘we, the police’?”
    He shrugged before he spoke.   “Well, I doubt that I can drag the man
into the interrogation room and ask him about it,” Jake said.   “What you said earlier might be valid
after all.   Suzanne, I know that you
and Grace have solved cases in the past, ones that baffled Chief Martin.   I’m not discounting your ability to get
facts that law enforcement can’t.”
    “Oh, stop,” I said with a smile.   “You’re making my head swell.”
    “That being said,” Jake continued, ignoring my
comment, “I don’t want you pushing anyone too far.   Your job is to provide me with
information.   I don’t want you and
Grace taking any chances on your own, do you understand that?”
    “We both know that I can’t guarantee that,” I said, “especially
since one of our suspects is going to be a killer.”
    “I know that, but you don’t have to press your luck.”
    “So then, do we have your permission to dig into this
case?” I asked, wanting to make sure that we were clear on it.
    “Conditionally, yes,” he said a little reluctantly.
    “Hey, we’ll take what we can get,” I said.   “Thank you for the faith that you’re
putting in us.”
    “Just don’t make me regret it, okay?” Jake asked.
    “We’ll do our best.   Wow, is that our food already?” I asked
him as I saw Trish approach carrying a large tray.
    “I hope so.   I’m starving,” he said.
    It was indeed our meal, and as we ate, we discussed a
dozen different things, but none of the topics was murder.   It was a nice respite from what we’d
been talking about before, and I was glad for it.   After we ate, Jake pulled out his wallet
as he grabbed the bill.
    “So, you’re going to talk to Robby Chastain, right?”
he asked.
    “As soon as I can find Grace,” I said.   “What are you going to do?”
    “I have someone else I need to speak with,” he said,
avoiding my glance.
    “Are you going to go look for Julie Gray?   I might be able to help with that.   I have connections in Union Square,
remember?”
    “I’m not about to forget the formidable DeAngelis
family at Napoli’s,” he said.   “But
no, I won’t be going there until later.”
    “So then, if you’re not going there, where exactly are
you headed?” I asked him again.   Why
was he being so reticent about telling me?   And then I knew.   “You’re
going to go talk to my mother, aren’t you?”
    “What makes you ask that?” Jake said, not bothering
to come straight out and lie to me.
    “Why else would you be so evasive with me?   Besides, it’s a good move.   Momma just sold the building where
Evelyn was murdered.   She might have
some useful information for us.”
    “For me,” Jake tried to correct me.
    I had to laugh.   “If you think you’re going to interrogate my mother without me going
with you, you are seriously delusional, my friend.”
    “Who said anything about an interrogation?” Jake
asked.   “I’m just going to have a pleasant
conversation with her about the circumstances surrounding the sale.”
    “If it’s just a conversation, then there’s no reason
that I shouldn’t go with you,” I said.   “After all, how official can it be?”
    “I’m not going to win this one, am I?” Jake asked
after pausing a moment.
    “Not a chance.”
    “Then let’s go,” he said as he stood.
    “Why do I feel as though I won that round a little
too easily?” I asked him after we paid and we were walking back to the cottage.
    “In all