Read Online Custard Crime: Donut Mystery #14 (The Donut Mysteries) by Jessica Beck - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jessica Beck
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us, but if you don’t believe me, then that’s just your own
bad luck. Now if you’ll excuse me,
my break’s over. I have some
firewood to cut while I’ve still got the energy.”
“We’re not finished talking to you,” Grace said as he
slipped his ear protection back on.
Grinning at her, Robby tapped the earmuff and shouted,
“Sorry, but I can’t hear a thing that either one of you are saying.”
I was about to yell loud enough for him to hear me
even over the earmuff protection when he started the chainsaw back up and
attacked part of the trunk of the tree again.
I tapped Grace’s shoulder, and we headed back to the
Jeep.
“But I’m not finished with him,” she said once we got
far enough away that we could talk in relative peace over the noise.
“Well, it’s pretty clear that he’s finished with us,”
I said.
“Suzanne, do you believe his story?”
“I know that it’s awfully convenient, but that
doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a lie,” I said as I pulled out my cellphone.
“Who are you calling?”
“I’m telling Jake what Robby just told us.”
“Is that how we’re going to be handling this case?”
Grace asked me. “Are we giving your
boyfriend full and complete cooperation along the way?”
“No, we’re giving law enforcement information that
might help them solve the case,” I replied with a smile.
“It’s the same thing, isn’t it?”
“Grace, I’ve seen what going against Chief Martin can
do. I’m not about to risk
alienating Jake.”
“I get that,” she said as she nodded her acceptance. “It’s just going to be odd, that’s all.”
“Don’t worry. I’m sure that we’ll get used to it.”
Jake answered his phone, and I said, “Grace and I
happened to be driving by Evelyn’s house when we saw Robby Chastain cutting
down the oak tree he and Evelyn had been fighting about.”
“How much of a coincidence am I supposed to believe
at this point?” Jake asked.
“That’s entirely up to you. Would you like to hear what he had to
say?”
Jake sighed, and then he said, “Sure, why not?”
“Robby claimed that he didn’t know that Evelyn was
dead, let alone murdered. He told
us that last night the two of them agreed to get rid of the tree, and that
things were all patched up between them.”
“Do you believe him?”
“We’re not entirely sure one way or the other,” I
said. “It’s just all a little too
convenient for us to swallow, if you know what I mean.”
“No one else heard this alleged conversation, did
they?” he asked.
“No, and it gets worse. Robby claims that he’s been in the
garage all day working on his chainsaw. Nobody saw him or talked to him the entire time.”
“So, he doesn’t have an alibi,” Jake said.
“That’s true, but if you can find someone who saw him
today someplace other than his garage
or his side yard, then you know that he lied to us about it. That’s something, anyway.”
“I have to give you credit. It’s more than I’ve gotten so far.”
“Wasn’t Beatrice cooperative?” I asked him.
“I couldn’t find her,” Jake admitted. “She wasn’t at work or at her
house. I’m going to give up on her
for now and go find Julie Gray.”
“Good luck with that,” I said. I decided to hang up before Jake asked
me what Grace and I would be doing next. I didn’t want to admit what I had in mind, and I hoped that he didn’t
call back to ask me.
“How did that go?” Grace asked.
“Surprisingly well, as a matter of fact.”
“You didn’t stay on the phone long.”
“That’s because I didn’t want him to ask me what we
were going to do next,” I said.
“Would you care to share our plans with me? I’m curious about what comes next
myself.”
“Jake looked for Beatrice at home and at work, but
she wasn’t at either place. He’s
giving up for the moment, but I don’t think that we should.”
“What did you have
bad luck. Now if you’ll excuse me,
my break’s over. I have some
firewood to cut while I’ve still got the energy.”
“We’re not finished talking to you,” Grace said as he
slipped his ear protection back on.
Grinning at her, Robby tapped the earmuff and shouted,
“Sorry, but I can’t hear a thing that either one of you are saying.”
I was about to yell loud enough for him to hear me
even over the earmuff protection when he started the chainsaw back up and
attacked part of the trunk of the tree again.
I tapped Grace’s shoulder, and we headed back to the
Jeep.
“But I’m not finished with him,” she said once we got
far enough away that we could talk in relative peace over the noise.
“Well, it’s pretty clear that he’s finished with us,”
I said.
“Suzanne, do you believe his story?”
“I know that it’s awfully convenient, but that
doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a lie,” I said as I pulled out my cellphone.
“Who are you calling?”
“I’m telling Jake what Robby just told us.”
“Is that how we’re going to be handling this case?”
Grace asked me. “Are we giving your
boyfriend full and complete cooperation along the way?”
“No, we’re giving law enforcement information that
might help them solve the case,” I replied with a smile.
“It’s the same thing, isn’t it?”
“Grace, I’ve seen what going against Chief Martin can
do. I’m not about to risk
alienating Jake.”
“I get that,” she said as she nodded her acceptance. “It’s just going to be odd, that’s all.”
“Don’t worry. I’m sure that we’ll get used to it.”
Jake answered his phone, and I said, “Grace and I
happened to be driving by Evelyn’s house when we saw Robby Chastain cutting
down the oak tree he and Evelyn had been fighting about.”
“How much of a coincidence am I supposed to believe
at this point?” Jake asked.
“That’s entirely up to you. Would you like to hear what he had to
say?”
Jake sighed, and then he said, “Sure, why not?”
“Robby claimed that he didn’t know that Evelyn was
dead, let alone murdered. He told
us that last night the two of them agreed to get rid of the tree, and that
things were all patched up between them.”
“Do you believe him?”
“We’re not entirely sure one way or the other,” I
said. “It’s just all a little too
convenient for us to swallow, if you know what I mean.”
“No one else heard this alleged conversation, did
they?” he asked.
“No, and it gets worse. Robby claims that he’s been in the
garage all day working on his chainsaw. Nobody saw him or talked to him the entire time.”
“So, he doesn’t have an alibi,” Jake said.
“That’s true, but if you can find someone who saw him
today someplace other than his garage
or his side yard, then you know that he lied to us about it. That’s something, anyway.”
“I have to give you credit. It’s more than I’ve gotten so far.”
“Wasn’t Beatrice cooperative?” I asked him.
“I couldn’t find her,” Jake admitted. “She wasn’t at work or at her
house. I’m going to give up on her
for now and go find Julie Gray.”
“Good luck with that,” I said. I decided to hang up before Jake asked
me what Grace and I would be doing next. I didn’t want to admit what I had in mind, and I hoped that he didn’t
call back to ask me.
“How did that go?” Grace asked.
“Surprisingly well, as a matter of fact.”
“You didn’t stay on the phone long.”
“That’s because I didn’t want him to ask me what we
were going to do next,” I said.
“Would you care to share our plans with me? I’m curious about what comes next
myself.”
“Jake looked for Beatrice at home and at work, but
she wasn’t at either place. He’s
giving up for the moment, but I don’t think that we should.”
“What did you have
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