Sweet Suspects (The Donut Mysteries) by Jessica Beck Read Free Book Online

reunion’s over,” he told me, and then he turned to Grace.   “I’m sorry about the way things ended last night.”
“So am I,” Grace said.   “Do you really have to go right now?”
“There’s nothing keeping me here, is there?” he asked, looking hopefully into her eyes.
She was about to answer when I heard a familiar voice.   “Mr. Hancock, excuse me, but I need a word with you.”
It was Chief Martin, and while he didn’t look all that surprised seeing Grace and me standing there, he didn’t look particularly pleased by it, either.

 
“Sheriff, what can I do for you?” Tom asked.
“It’s Chief,” he corrected him.   “I was kind of hoping that you’d stick around a little longer, given the circumstances.”
“What circumstances are those?” Tom asked as he signed his bill with a flourish.
“Murder,” Chief Martin said.
That caught Tom off-guard.   “Murder?   Who was murdered?”
“Are you saying that you haven’t heard?” Grace asked him.
“I haven’t heard a thing.   I got up, showered, and then I packed my bag.   I didn’t speak with anyone on the way down here, and no one’s mentioned murder to me.   I repeat, who was murdered?”
I was about to tell him when the chief spoke up first.   “Somebody killed Zane Dunbar in front of the donut shop last night, and I’ve heard from three separate witnesses that you had a fight with the man last night soon before he died.”
“It wasn’t a fight, not really,” Tom said, speaking quickly.   “He took a swing at me while I was dancing, I avoided it, and he fell on the floor.   It was all just an innocent misunderstanding.”   Tom turned to Grace as he added, “You can ask her.   She was standing right next to me when it happened.”
“How about it, Grace?   Was it really all that innocent?”
Grace couldn’t even meet Tom’s gaze as she answered, “What he didn’t mention was that they had a few heated words.   It wasn’t innocent at all, if you want my honest opinion.”
Tom looked surprised by her statement.   “Come on, Grace, that’s not the way it was, and you know it.   What about what Zane said to you?   You looked as though you’d been slapped in the face when he whispered something in your ear.”
“I already know all about that,” Chief Martin said quickly.   “We’re talking about you right now.”
“I didn’t kill the man,” Tom said fiercely.
“When’s the last time you saw him?” the chief asked.
“On the dance floor, when I was with Grace,” he said.
“Can anyone else confirm that?”
“It’s nearly impossible to prove the negative,” Tom replied.   “Of course I can’t prove that we didn’t speak again.   All I can give you is my word.”
“I can see your point,” Chief Martin said, “but if it’s all the same to you, I’d appreciate it if you’d stick around for the next two or three days until we get this cleared up.”
“What makes you think you can solve his murder so quickly?” Tom asked, pointedly ignoring both of us now.
“Why don’t we revisit that in three days and see where we stand then?”
“Is that an order?”
“Think of it more as a strongly worded request,” the chief said.
“Fine,” Tom said as he turned back to the clerk, who’d been discreetly listening to every word of our conversation.   “It appears that I’ll need my room for two more nights after all.”
“Yes, sir,” she said as she started the process of his extension.
“If that’s all,” Tom said when he got his room key back, “I’ll be off.”
“We appreciate your cooperation,” the chief said automatically.
“Of course,” Tom answered as he brushed past us both.
“Sorry about that,” the chief said after Tom Hancock was gone.   “I didn’t mean to put you on the spot like that.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Grace said.   “You asked me a fair question, and I told you the truth.”
“It didn’t make you very popular with Tom Hancock though, did