Glazed Murder by Jessica Beck Read Free Book Online Page A

aroma of fresh waffles filled the air. The table was set for two, with a stick of real butter resting between them. Cinnamon apples simmered on the stove, with syrup bubbling gently beside them. One waffle was already out, golden and crisp, sitting on my plate, just waiting for me.
     
"Do you want to split the first one?" I asked, with less than complete sincerity.
     
"No, you go ahead."
     
I didn't even wait for her to change her mind.
     
It was exactly what I needed, and I was going to enjoy every single bite.
     
I'll give Momma credit; she waited until I was finished before she started her grand inquisition.
     
Though just barely.
     
I was swallowing the last bite when she said, "So, tell me all about it."
     
"About what?"
     
She frowned. "Don't be thick, Suzanne. It must have been dreadful finding that body this morning,all alone and in the darkness. I didn't push you this morning so you could have time to deal with what happened, but surely you've come to terms with it by now."
     
I shrugged. "I've had better days, I'm willing to admit that."
     
As we started to clean up, she asked, "Do the police have any clues?"
     
"I don't know, Momma, but you could find out, couldn't you? Why don't you give the chief a call? I'm sure he'd be happier talking to you about it than he would be discussing it with me."
     
She frowned for a split second, then nodded her acceptance. "If you need me to phone Phillip, I will."
     
I couldn't believe my mother was willing to make that kind of sacrifice for me, since I knew--more than anyone else--how hard it would be for her to pick up the telephone and call Chief Martin. I couldn't bring myself to do it.
     
"No, it hasn't come to that yet, but I may take you up on your offer later."
     
"I'm more than happy to do whatever I can to help. The important thing now is to put it all behind you and forget that this morning ever happened."
     
"All I can do is try," I said.
     
I don't know how she does it, but my mother has a built-in lie detector when it comes to me. I hadn't gotten away with stealing Sally Renshaw's crayons in kindergarten, and I wasn't going to slip my detecting activities past her today.
     
She frowned at me a second, then asked, "Suzanne, what are you up to?"
     
"Me? Why do I have to be up to something?" Iknew that the more I stalled, the worse it would get, but I couldn't bring myself to chronicle my day's activities just yet, either.
     
She didn't say a word, but she didn't have to. That look--the one that managed to say she was disappointed in me, that she had hoped for better from me, and that she somehow knew I'd turn out this way, all wrapped into one gaze--always broke me down.
     
"Fine. If you must know, I'm trying to figure out what happened. Patrick was a customer of mine, and a friend, and I'm not going to let this go."
     
"There's more to it than that, though, isn't there?"
     
I couldn't believe how well she could read me, but then again, she'd had lots of practice. "Momma, I turned on my store lights as the body hit the pavement. I didn't mean to, but it lit up the night. Even if I didn't see who did it, how can I be sure that the killer knows that? I've got a bad feeling that whoever dumped Patrick Blaine's body in front of my shop is coming after me next. I'm trying to find out who did it before they decide to wrap me up as a loose end. I knew Patrick, so whoever chose to dispose of him did it in a way that directly involved me."
     
"That's nonsense," she said sternly.
     
"I wish I believed that, but if I'm being honest with myself, I have to admit that there's a chance it's true," I said. "Not taking this threat seriously is just foolish."
     
"What's foolish is that you're attempting to solve the case yourself. Suzanne, you're a donut maker, not a detective."
     
That was all the scolding I was willing to take. "There's nothing that says I can't do both."
     
She reached for the telephone, but I managed to catch her hand before she could