Sex, Lies, and Snickerdoodles by Delaney Wendy

Author:Delaney, Wendy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sugarbaker Press
Published: 2015-08-25T00:00:00+00:00

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Eight hours later, Duke glanced at the clock mounted above a vintage red and white Coca Cola sign when his kitchen door banged shut behind me. “Don’t you sleep anymore?”

Since my menstrual cramps had my lower back tied up in a knot, the probability that I could get four hours of uninterrupted z’s was as likely as me giving up my mocha lattes. “I’m just getting an early start to my day.”

My great-aunt Alice scowled at me on her way to the oven, where the heavenly aroma of pie was venting. “That’s not what the dark circles under your eyes are saying.”

Okay, so the concealer Marietta swore by in her info-commercials wasn’t quite the miracle worker she’d cracked it up to be.

“As long as I was up early,” I said, not bothering to deny the obvious, “I thought I’d pick up some doughnuts.”

Standing by the stainless steel fryer sizzling with doughy confections bobbing in their oil bath, Duke arched an eyebrow. “Sweetening the pot, huh? You must want something.”

I did want something—a conversation with Andy Falco, the one man Russell might have confided in if he were having problems with someone in town.

“Yep, and I’m going to treat him to the best sugar-laden breakfast in town.”

Duke smirked as he transferred a dozen old fashioneds to a cooling rack. “You’ll treat him?”

“Yes, it’s my treat.” I waved a few dollar bills at him before I slipped them into the cash register. “Happy?” I asked as I walked back with a cup of coffee.

“You gonna pay for that coffee, too?”

“You can put it on my tab.”

He blew out a breath. “That’s what I thought.”

Setting down my cup, I donned a pair of plastic gloves and dipped a couple of cooled bars into a pan of maple glaze. “Let me ask you something.”

Duke joined me at the glazing table next to a stack of six racks full of cooling pastry. “What’s up?”

“You said yesterday that Russell Falco ate here a couple times a week.”

He twisted an apple fritter into sugary glaze. “Yeah?”

“Why do you want to know where Russell ate?” Alice asked as she crossed the kitchen to join us. She sucked in a sharp breath. “You don’t think he was poisoned.”

“No! Nothing like that. I was just wondering if you ever saw him with anyone.”

“Seems like he always came in alone and sat at the counter,” Duke said.

“Ever known him to have angry words with anyone?”

He looked at his wife, who shook her head. “Not that we ever saw.”

“Any rumors of trouble with anyone in town?” I aimed my question at Alice since she typically had her ear to the ground here at Gossip Central.

“We heard about Pete Lackey going ballistic Friday night, but other than that, no.”

After I boxed up a dozen assorted doughnuts, I drove to the marina to ask Andy Falco the same question.

Andy handed the white pastry box to his younger brother. “Pass this around and offer the guys a cup of coffee. I’ll be back in a few minutes.

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