Troubled Treats Read Online Free PDF Page B

to be on your list.”
    “Shirley?  Why her?” I asked.  Shirley was no stranger to my donut shop, and she’d always seemed nice to me in the past.
    “She’s his only competitor in town.  Who are folks going to call now when they need electrical work done?  Shirley’s business just doubled.”
    “It’s not enough reason to commit murder,” I said, having a hard time believing that it was possible.
    “Maybe so, if that were the extent of it, but there were other reasons as well,” Gabby said.
    “I’m listening,” I said when more facts were not forthcoming.
    “The two of them dated once upon a time,” Gabby replied, clearly finding the admission distasteful.
    “Seriously?  When?”
    “It was a few months ago, but she wasn’t happy that it ended.  Lately they started discussing the possibility of going into business together, and evidently Shirley thought that Sully was more interested in a personal merger, if you know what I mean.”
    It wasn’t that hard to figure it out, given her broad hinting.  “So, what happened?”
    “Sully set her straight that this was strictly a business proposal, and she was furious!  Granted, he didn’t handle the situation very well, but Shirley really overreacted.”
    A suspicion was gnawing at the corner of my mind, so I carefully framed my next question.  “You two have been dating lately, haven’t you?”
    Gabby actually blushed, and I knew that I’d hit home.  “Suzanne Hart, what in the world ever gave you that idea?”
    “You did,” I said.  “Why the big secret, though?  Neither one of you were married.”
    “No, but at our ages, we decided to see how things worked out quietly before we announced our intentions to the world.”  Gabby appeared as though she were about to cry as she added, “We never got the chance to do that, though.”
    “I’m so sorry for your loss,” I said, patting her shoulder awkwardly.  That explained a great deal.  If she were indeed in a relationship with Sully, it made sense that he’d confide in her.  Without realizing it, I had indeed tapped into the best source of information in April Springs that I could have found.  There was one thing left to do, and I knew that it wasn’t going to be very popular with her.  “Gabby, you need to tell Chief Grant everything that you just told me.”
    She looked shocked by my suggestion.  “What are you talking about, Suzanne?”
    “He needs this information if he’s going to solve Sully’s murder,” I said.  “Without it, he’s working in the dark.”
    “You should tell him,” Gabby said gruffly as she turned away.
    “I would if I could, but he needs to hear this from you, and soon.”
    Gabby looked at me with a look of bewilderment.  “I thought you said that you were going to investigate his murder yourself?”
    It was time to come clean with her, but I might be able to use her ignorance to my advantage.  “I will, but on one condition.”
    “That I tell Grant what I know,” she said woodenly.  “If I do that, do you promise that you’ll dig into Sully’s murder?”
    “If you come clean with the police chief about everything you know, I’ll even see if I can get Jake to help me do it,” I said.
    “Sold,” she said quickly.  “I’m holding you to this, Suzanne.”
    “I give you my word,” I said, doing my best not to show the slightest hint of a smile.  I’d just promised her to do something that I’d already planned to do in exchange for her doing something I knew she’d never have done otherwise.
    “Then we both need to go,” Gabby said as she gathered up our cups and the teapot. 
    “Where are we going?” I asked her, startled by the suddenness of her actions.
    “I’m going to find Chief Grant, and you’re going to go recruit your husband.”
    “I can do that,” I said.
    We parted ways outside, Gabby going to her car and me heading back to the cottage on foot.  It was time to bring Jake up to speed on everything I’d