Sinister Sprinkles by Jessica Beck

on the counter, then said, “I knew it would be hard coming here, but I’m just having a tough time believing she’s gone.”
    “Again, I’m sorry about what happened,” I said.
    He waved a hand in the air, and then walked back out into the snow.
    *   *   *
    By six-thirty, we hadn’t had another customer.
    Emma poked her head out of the kitchen. “I just finished the dishes we’ve got so far. Can I grab a couch and take a nap?”
    “I don’t see why not,” I said.
    She smiled, threw her apron on the counter, and then headed for one of the couches in front of the donut shop. Emma had barely settled in when George came in, sporting heavily layered clothes and rosy cheeks.
    “Have you been out in the snow all morning?” I asked as he started shedding layers.
    “It’s kind of habit-forming, you know?”
    “I don’t see how,” I said.
    George sniffed the air, then he asked, “Is there any chance there’s fresh coffee?”
    “You’ve got it. How about some donuts, too?”
    “I might be able to handle a pumpkin one or two,” he admitted.
    Emma grabbed her apron. “I’ll get your order,” she said.
    “Stay there, I’ve got it covered.”
    She nodded her thanks, and I got George a fresh mug of coffee and two pumpkin donuts, one of his favorite flavors.
    As he took a great gulp, I asked, “Isn’t your friend going to miss his transportation on a day made for it?”
    “No, he told me I could use it as long as I wanted. I took it back to him an hour ago, but he’d never ridden it before, so he asked me to take him for a ride around town so he could get used to it. He hated it, can you imagine that?”
    “It’s not everyone’s cup of tea,” I said.
    “I loved it,” Emma said.
    George tipped his mug to her before taking another sip.
    I realized we were getting low on coffee. As I turned away from the front door to start another pot, it chimed again. I was getting more customers than I’d ever imagined.
    Then I looked back and saw Chief Martin coming in. The moment I saw his face, I realized I might have been better off staying home today after all.
    *   *   *
    “Suzanne, I need to talk to you,” the chief said.
    Before I could answer, George asked, “What’s this about?”
    I cut him off before he could do any more damage to his relationship with the police chief and said, “I’d be glad to help if I can, Chief. You know me, I’m always happy to cooperate.”
    He looked at me skeptically as George said, “Suzanne, you’re under no obligation to talk to him, you know that, don’t you?”
    “I know that,” I said as I touched his arm lightly. “And believe me, I appreciate you looking out for me, but I really do want to help if I can.”
    He shrugged. “It’s your call, but I’d like to hang around while you talk to him.”
    I nodded. “It’s okay with me. How about you, Chief?”
    He frowned, then agreed. “Suit yourself, Suzanne. I need to know where your ex-husband is.”
    The question caught me completely off guard, since I’d been expecting him to ask me about my own alibi. “How on earth should I know that?”
    “He’s not at his apartment, and no one’s seen him after our conversation here yesterday.”
    “I have no idea where he went, and that’s the truth. It used to be my job to know where Max was all of the time, but I quit, remember? There was no future in it. Sorry I can’t help you.”
    He ignored me, and then looked at George and Emma. “Anyone else see him since yesterday afternoon?”
    Neither one of them said anything. The chief bit his lip before he turned back to me. “There’s something else I need to ask you.”
    “Go ahead.”
    “When I left here, I went to Muriel Stevens’s house. She wasn’t there. Then when I checked back this morning, her place was still deserted.”
    “Maybe they ran away together,” Emma said, not taking the query seriously at all.
    “I kind of doubt that,” the chief said. “Have you seen her lately,