man was a born politician, and I wondered if his ambitions were strictly local. Had Harley known something that would have prevented Nathaniel from going after a bigger and better office sometime down the road? If he had, it wouldn’t be impossible to believe that Nathaniel might try to remove the stumbling block sooner rather than later. “How’s the investigation going?” he asked me casually.
“You’ll have to ask my husband about that,” I said after I told him the cost of the donuts.
As he paid me, he said, “I was talking about the unofficial one you are conducting.”
“We’re making progress,” I said. It wasn’t a total fabrication. Grace and I had managed to accrue five suspects in less than twenty-four hours, which was quite an accomplishment, at least in my book.
“Do you have any strong leads yet?” he asked me. “I bet you’re leaning toward Amber North, aren’t you?”
There was no one else in Donut Hearts at the moment, so Nathaniel clearly felt free to talk.
“She’s on our list,” I said as I made change.
“But the mayor is probably at the top, isn’t he?”
“Why do you say that?” I asked him without letting on that I knew more than he did about the situation.
“Come on. It’s obvious, isn’t it? Harley was murdered in George’s office with his letter opener, and the mayor is gone. How much clearer does it need to be?”
“It so happens the mayor is back in town, and he has an airtight alibi,” I said. Why had I just told him that? For one thing, I didn’t want anyone to know that George was back in town, and for another, I had no idea if his alibi was any good or not. It was just that Nathaniel had been so smug and certain about George’s presumed guilt that I couldn’t let it pass without comment. Doing so would have felt disloyal to him somehow. It suddenly dawned on me that I was no better than Momma or Grace, and most likely, I owed each woman a heartfelt apology.
Nathaniel was clearly surprised to hear the news. “How can you possibly know that?”
“He came by here first thing this morning and cleared it all up with Jake,” I answered, hoping that it was indeed true.
“Interesting,” Nathaniel said as he absently picked up the box of donuts. “I suppose that I’ll see you later, Suzanne.”
“You can count on it,” I replied.
Nathaniel looked at me for an instant with something a great deal less than warmth, but then it was quickly gone. With a smile that felt quite a bit less sincere than he must have meant it to, the councilman left Donut Hearts. I’d been rash telling him about George and his alibi, but it was a sin I could live with. After all, defending a friend was never a bad thing to do, at least as far as I was concerned.
Promptly at ten, the ladies from my book club arrived. It was always a pleasure meeting with them, even if I happened to be in the midst of a murder investigation occasionally. “Emma, they’re here,” I said as I called back into the kitchen.
She’d been warned about the impending meeting earlier, so she was ready to work the front while I spent a pleasant half hour discussing our latest book. Jennifer, an elegant redhead who was our leader, approached the counter. “Don’t forget, this one’s on me,” she said as she put her customary fifty-dollar bill on the counter. I’d given up trying to make change for her, as it had only left us both feeling less than happy about the exchange. “You’re too good to me, Jennifer.”
“Don’t kid yourself, Suzanne. Your treats are worth every penny.”
“What would you ladies like today?” I asked the three of them as they clustered around the front. Jennifer had been joined by our other two members, Hazel and Elizabeth. Hazel was on a perpetual diet, so I knew she’d be ordering as lightly as possible, so she surprised me by saying, “I’ll have four bearclaws, please. I don’t know what the rest of you want.”
“Hazel, what’s wrong?”
“My
“You’ll have to ask my husband about that,” I said after I told him the cost of the donuts.
As he paid me, he said, “I was talking about the unofficial one you are conducting.”
“We’re making progress,” I said. It wasn’t a total fabrication. Grace and I had managed to accrue five suspects in less than twenty-four hours, which was quite an accomplishment, at least in my book.
“Do you have any strong leads yet?” he asked me. “I bet you’re leaning toward Amber North, aren’t you?”
There was no one else in Donut Hearts at the moment, so Nathaniel clearly felt free to talk.
“She’s on our list,” I said as I made change.
“But the mayor is probably at the top, isn’t he?”
“Why do you say that?” I asked him without letting on that I knew more than he did about the situation.
“Come on. It’s obvious, isn’t it? Harley was murdered in George’s office with his letter opener, and the mayor is gone. How much clearer does it need to be?”
“It so happens the mayor is back in town, and he has an airtight alibi,” I said. Why had I just told him that? For one thing, I didn’t want anyone to know that George was back in town, and for another, I had no idea if his alibi was any good or not. It was just that Nathaniel had been so smug and certain about George’s presumed guilt that I couldn’t let it pass without comment. Doing so would have felt disloyal to him somehow. It suddenly dawned on me that I was no better than Momma or Grace, and most likely, I owed each woman a heartfelt apology.
Nathaniel was clearly surprised to hear the news. “How can you possibly know that?”
“He came by here first thing this morning and cleared it all up with Jake,” I answered, hoping that it was indeed true.
“Interesting,” Nathaniel said as he absently picked up the box of donuts. “I suppose that I’ll see you later, Suzanne.”
“You can count on it,” I replied.
Nathaniel looked at me for an instant with something a great deal less than warmth, but then it was quickly gone. With a smile that felt quite a bit less sincere than he must have meant it to, the councilman left Donut Hearts. I’d been rash telling him about George and his alibi, but it was a sin I could live with. After all, defending a friend was never a bad thing to do, at least as far as I was concerned.
Promptly at ten, the ladies from my book club arrived. It was always a pleasure meeting with them, even if I happened to be in the midst of a murder investigation occasionally. “Emma, they’re here,” I said as I called back into the kitchen.
She’d been warned about the impending meeting earlier, so she was ready to work the front while I spent a pleasant half hour discussing our latest book. Jennifer, an elegant redhead who was our leader, approached the counter. “Don’t forget, this one’s on me,” she said as she put her customary fifty-dollar bill on the counter. I’d given up trying to make change for her, as it had only left us both feeling less than happy about the exchange. “You’re too good to me, Jennifer.”
“Don’t kid yourself, Suzanne. Your treats are worth every penny.”
“What would you ladies like today?” I asked the three of them as they clustered around the front. Jennifer had been joined by our other two members, Hazel and Elizabeth. Hazel was on a perpetual diet, so I knew she’d be ordering as lightly as possible, so she surprised me by saying, “I’ll have four bearclaws, please. I don’t know what the rest of you want.”
“Hazel, what’s wrong?”
“My
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