Raspberry Mojito Murder: A Donut Hole Cozy Mystery - Book 20 by Susan Gillard Page B

you’ve ever
made. How is that possible?”
    “It’s the filling. I’ve noticed people
like donuts with fillings. Remember the Choc Revolution donuts? They sell out
every day. It’s the element of surprise.” She said and waggled her fingers in
mid-air.
    “You’ve mastered it,” Ryan said, then
took another bite of his donut.
    “Speaking of the element of surprise,
guess who I saw today?” Heather asked.
    Ryan gestured to his full mouth, then
shrugged his question.
    “Geoff Lawless. Yeah, he was rifling
through a box of Jeremy Hill’s Diaper Pops. Except, the box was on Peter’s
front porch.”
    Ryan swallowed. “Peter ordered the
diapers to support his son’s business.”
    “You see? That’s why I love you. We’re
so on the same level,” Heather said, then pointed to her forehead and at her
husband’s.
    Ryan chewed for a while and let the
silence stretch between them. Questions danced through the space, unanswered
mysteries that needed solving.
    “I’m stumped,” Heather said. “I’ve
tried going over the evidence in my mind, but maybe I’m missing something.”
    Ryan coughed into his fist, then
shoved the rest of the donut into his mouth. He brushed off his palms on a
kitchen towel.
    “Can we go over the evidence?” Heather
asked.
    “Of course,” Ryan replied. He walked
to the kitchen table, then sat down in one of the chairs. “Quick Paul was a
shady businessman. The other leads I followed had alibis or were out of town at
the time of the murder.”
    “So that leaves Jeremy and Katie,”
Heather said.
    “Yeah. And the evidence indicates that
Quick Paul was drugged before the building was set on fire. Possibly, a friend
or an associate.”
    “Yeah,” Heather said and dragged her
teeth across her bottom lip. “A friend. Did Quick Paul have any close friends?”
    “None that I could find.” Ryan leaned
his elbow on the table and eyed the rest of the donuts on the tray.
    “Katie was furious with Quick Paul and
lied about meeting with him more than once. She also wouldn’t give me answers
about the photo of them together. She tore it up instead,” Heather replied.
    “Not enough evidence to get a warrant
out,” Ryan replied. “Pity. She’s my main suspect. She fits the bill.
Disgruntled homemaker attacks the business partner.”
    Heather tapped her chin. “I truly
believe that Quick Paul invested in Jeremy’s business, and when things went
wrong, Katie took offense. But that doesn’t mean she killed the guy. I don’t
see her jeopardizing her relationship with her child.”
    “But –”
    “I just don’t,” Heather said, firmly.
“I’ve gone with my instincts in the past, and they’ve always led me to the
truth. My instincts tell me no.”
    “And your mind?” Ryan asked.
    Heather walked to the fridge, pulled
it open, and then brought out a pitcher of lemonade. “My mind. Oh boy. My mind
is just clogged up with thoughts of Lilly and the opening and donuts and the
future.” She placed the pitcher on the counter, then rested her palms either
side of it. “I need to focus on the case, but this is, ugh, it feels like a
weight on the back of my mind rather than at the front of it.”
    “You need a vacation,” Ryan said.
    “I thought that was what this week was
supposed to be,” Heather replied, then chuckled. “And I don’t think I’ll ever
want a vacation from baking or sleuthin’, for that matter. They might be
frustrating, but they’re what I love.”
    Ryan rose from his seat and walked to
the cupboard. He brought out two, tall glasses, then walked to his wife and
placed them beside the lemonade. He drew her into his arms and kissed her on
the top of the forehead. “No matter what happens, now or whenever, we’ll figure
this out.”
    Heather sank into his arms and allowed
the stress to vanish. “I think I’ll go speak to Katie again. She was stressed
out the last time I was there. There were repo guys taking stuff out of the
house.”
    Ryan rubbed her back.