Suzanne?”
“Muriel’s never had a donut in her life, to my knowledge. The woman’s a fanatic about what she eats.” I suddenly realized what I was saying in my own shop, and added, “Not that my donuts aren’t wonderful.”
I knew that my donuts weren’t exactly health food, but they were good for low spirits, or for folks who wanted to indulge a little. And shouldn’t they be able to? I considered what I offered the public a treat, one of those nice little things that made life worth living.
“Spare me the advertisement,” he said. “I’m just concerned about Muriel.”
“And not Max?” I asked.
“Him, too,” the chief said. He looked frazzled, and I knew that two disappearances and a murder were stretching him beyond his usual resources.
“Are you going to call Jake?” I hated the reason for having to make the call, but it would be wonderful to see my boyfriend back in April Springs.
“I’ve been trying to get hold of him, but he’s been too busy to return my calls.”
“I’m not sure where he is,” I said. Jake wasn’t always at liberty to tell me where he was, or what he was doing. It was one of the things that frustrated me most about our relationship.
The chief nodded. “Well, if you talk to him before I do, have him give me a call.”
He put his hat back on and started for the door when I called out, “Chief, hang on a second.”
As he turned back to me, I grabbed a paper cup, filled it with coffee, then I handed it to him. “On the house. Good luck.”
He looked genuinely surprised by the offer, and as he took the cup, he said softly, “Thanks, Suzanne.”
“Don’t mention it,” I said.
After he was gone, George and Emma started talking at once about what could have happened to our two errant townsfolk.
“I really don’t think they’re together,” George said. “It’s hard to imagine that there was a love triangle going on there that nobody knew about.” He looked at me and added, “Sorry, Suzanne. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Don’t apologize to me,” I said. “I can’t see it happening, either.”
“It’s possible, though, right?” Emma asked from her spot on the couch.
George said grimly, “Even though I don’t think it’s true, for their sakes, I hope that’s all it is.”
The dire tone of his voice caught my attention. “What are you implying?”
He stared down into his coffee for a few seconds, then said, “Never mind. I was just thinking out loud.”
“Do you honestly think I’m going to give up that easily? Come on, come clean, George.”
When Emma saw that he still wasn’t going to explain himself, she said, “He’s wondering if they’re both dead, too.”
There was a shocked silence all over the room, but I noticed that George didn’t deny it. Max and I had a rocky relationship—through dating, marriage, and divorce—and while I might have wished him harm at one point in our lives, I’d soon gotten over it. As long as I lived in April Springs, I knew Max would be around, a constant I could depend on to amuse and annoy me. The thought of Max being gone was more than I was ready to accept.
“I’m sure he’s all right,” I said. “He’s probably just snuggling up with his latest girlfriend, enjoying a chance for a snow day.”
Though it was clear neither one of them really believed it, they indulged me by agreeing with my statement without contradiction or embellishment, a sure sign that both of them were holding back their true thoughts on Max’s status. I didn’t care. Unless I saw his body, I’d never believe that Max was dead, no matter how dire the circumstances.
My black mood was interrupted by the front door chime, and I wondered if the chief had come back for something else. That’s when I saw a parade of parents and children enter the shop, and I felt the gloom suddenly vanish. There was laughter and smiles as they all piled in, and I felt like giving donuts away to match their mood, though the
“Muriel’s never had a donut in her life, to my knowledge. The woman’s a fanatic about what she eats.” I suddenly realized what I was saying in my own shop, and added, “Not that my donuts aren’t wonderful.”
I knew that my donuts weren’t exactly health food, but they were good for low spirits, or for folks who wanted to indulge a little. And shouldn’t they be able to? I considered what I offered the public a treat, one of those nice little things that made life worth living.
“Spare me the advertisement,” he said. “I’m just concerned about Muriel.”
“And not Max?” I asked.
“Him, too,” the chief said. He looked frazzled, and I knew that two disappearances and a murder were stretching him beyond his usual resources.
“Are you going to call Jake?” I hated the reason for having to make the call, but it would be wonderful to see my boyfriend back in April Springs.
“I’ve been trying to get hold of him, but he’s been too busy to return my calls.”
“I’m not sure where he is,” I said. Jake wasn’t always at liberty to tell me where he was, or what he was doing. It was one of the things that frustrated me most about our relationship.
The chief nodded. “Well, if you talk to him before I do, have him give me a call.”
He put his hat back on and started for the door when I called out, “Chief, hang on a second.”
As he turned back to me, I grabbed a paper cup, filled it with coffee, then I handed it to him. “On the house. Good luck.”
He looked genuinely surprised by the offer, and as he took the cup, he said softly, “Thanks, Suzanne.”
“Don’t mention it,” I said.
After he was gone, George and Emma started talking at once about what could have happened to our two errant townsfolk.
“I really don’t think they’re together,” George said. “It’s hard to imagine that there was a love triangle going on there that nobody knew about.” He looked at me and added, “Sorry, Suzanne. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Don’t apologize to me,” I said. “I can’t see it happening, either.”
“It’s possible, though, right?” Emma asked from her spot on the couch.
George said grimly, “Even though I don’t think it’s true, for their sakes, I hope that’s all it is.”
The dire tone of his voice caught my attention. “What are you implying?”
He stared down into his coffee for a few seconds, then said, “Never mind. I was just thinking out loud.”
“Do you honestly think I’m going to give up that easily? Come on, come clean, George.”
When Emma saw that he still wasn’t going to explain himself, she said, “He’s wondering if they’re both dead, too.”
There was a shocked silence all over the room, but I noticed that George didn’t deny it. Max and I had a rocky relationship—through dating, marriage, and divorce—and while I might have wished him harm at one point in our lives, I’d soon gotten over it. As long as I lived in April Springs, I knew Max would be around, a constant I could depend on to amuse and annoy me. The thought of Max being gone was more than I was ready to accept.
“I’m sure he’s all right,” I said. “He’s probably just snuggling up with his latest girlfriend, enjoying a chance for a snow day.”
Though it was clear neither one of them really believed it, they indulged me by agreeing with my statement without contradiction or embellishment, a sure sign that both of them were holding back their true thoughts on Max’s status. I didn’t care. Unless I saw his body, I’d never believe that Max was dead, no matter how dire the circumstances.
My black mood was interrupted by the front door chime, and I wondered if the chief had come back for something else. That’s when I saw a parade of parents and children enter the shop, and I felt the gloom suddenly vanish. There was laughter and smiles as they all piled in, and I felt like giving donuts away to match their mood, though the
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