21

Donuts, Anyone?

Hello, all! I apologize for the delay in posting the chapter but I had to work. Work. Work. Work. I hope that y'all enjoy it. I will do my best to have the next chapter posted soon. I can't make any promises but I will do my best to get it done. I want to thank each of you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and alerting to my story. And I thank you for making me a favorite author. My appreciation for each of you knows no bounds. Enjoy and have and wonderful week.

"Sookie!"

"Hey, she brought coffee and donuts!"

"How have you been?"

"Sweet!"

"My God, you've grown into a beautiful young lady!" The older gentleman gripped by my shoulders and stared at me. He leaned in and kissed my cheek.

I was shocked at David's comment. He was a regular at Merlotte's on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And he just saw me last week at the Pick n' Sav. He needed to borrow a dollar because he didn't bring enough money into the store. Why was he acting as if he hasn't seen me since I was five? "I just saw you, David."

He cocked his head to the side and smiled. "You have grown into a beautiful young lady."

I shook my head and laughed. "Okay," I replied.

"Are those donuts?" someone else asked.

"I hope that she brought some of the strawberry cheesecake crème filled ones. Those are my favorite."

"Where have you been hiding yourself? You don't come around like you used to."

"Working," I answered.

My dad's co-workers greeted me cheerfully and sweetly as I walked into the police station. They've always known what to say to make me smile. I've known most of them since I was knee high to a grasshopper. Some of them used to find me a bit strange when I was a child but it didn't matter. They've always liked me. I've never once heard a negative thing about me in their minds.

Suddenly, an unclear mind was standing next to me. There were snarls and colors but no words. His mind was like Sam's only a bit different. He didn't have a shifter mind. Sam's mind is filled with colors but not this guy. His was darker. There was no comfort or resolve there. There was more to him and he wasn't willing to show what it was. "Hi," he said as he smiled down at me.

I glanced at the young man to my left and smiled. "Hi," I replied.

His mind bothered me. I wanted to know what he is but I kept quiet. His fellow police officers are unaware that he's different. I can see it. He hasn't told them and I feel that he has no intentions of ever telling them. Maybe he's not going to be around for too much longer or maybe he just feels that it's no one's business. Either way, I don't like him. His mind is too dark. He has many secrets. And for the first time in a very long time, I've found someone that scares me. He scares me to my very core.

As I inched away from him, I smiled at my dad's friends. "You're only saying those nice things because you see these four boxes of Duck Donuts in my hands." I shook my head in mock disappointment. "I wish that I knew what you guys really thought of me."

"You know that we love you," Kirby yelled out. "Especially when you bring Duck Donuts."

"The coffee doesn't hurt either, Sook," Roger yelled out jokingly as he stood behind me carrying the hot drinks. "Black?"

"Just like you like it," I commented. "And there's hot chocolate."

Cops were grabbing coffee trays from Roger's hand as he stood there smiling. He was enjoying the looks on their faces. From what I've heard from my dad, Roger hasn't seen many good days lately. And I could see in his mind, that my dad was right.

"Hey," I said as I looked at Roger. "Thanks."

He nodded slightly as he grinned.

"Where are the compliments now?" I laughed as I watched my dad's co-workers began sipping at their cups of hot coffee and chocolate.

"I think that you're gorgeous," the cop (some type of shifter, maybe?) said to me.

"Thank you," I said as I looked up at him. He had the look of the all-American guy. You've all met the type. He's so sweet with that beautiful smile. Butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. Gorgeous pansy colored eyes. Muscular body. Extremely tall. Says all the right things but thinks something entirely different. The very ones that you're always warned of. "So," I said to no one in particular. "Where's my dad?"

I know that I'm lying but cut me some slack. I knew that he wasn't going to be there but what was I supposed to do? I had to get in there to see Andy some kind of way. I don't make it habit of lying but today had to be an exception to the rule.

"His shifts have changed," Alcee Beck said. "He won't be in until tonight … unless he's calls in."

I looked around once again. "Where's Andy? He's usually here at the desk?" I frowned. "He isn't pretending to be sick again so that he can go on another fishing trip, is he?"

Keisha laughed. "After getting caught the last time, I doubt that he will do that again."

Everyone started to laugh. Even the tall, bald cop. "So," I called out. "Where do you guys want these donuts? I can take them to the break room."

"No!" everyone yelled out at once as they reached for them. Pansy eyes beat them to it.

"Let me take these from you," he offered. He smiled at me as he put them on the desk.

"I appreciate that." I smiled him once again and asked everyone, "Donuts, anyone?"

The boxes were soon open and donuts were floating around the room. Powder, crumbs, and chocolate smears were everywhere. The pristine officers from earlier were gone. I'm so glad that the servers put my dad's cronuts in the bottom box. "Don't touch the cronuts," I yelled over the groans and moans of the donut eaters. "Those are my dad's favorites. If any of you eat them, I'm sure he'll catch a couple of charges."

Kevin, with a mouth filled with strawberry donut, nodded. "He hit me pretty hard that day when I took a sample bite." He began to rub on his arm; leaving powder on the sleeve as he did so. "I'll never do that again."

I laughed.

Officer Baldy was eating a plain donut and still staring at me.

"Hey, Sookie."

I turned to see Andy walking in with a cuffed drunk hanging on his side. "Hey, Andy. How have you been?"

He pointed at the drunk and said, "Other than having to keep Otis off the streets for disorderly conduct, I'm doing great. What brings you down here?" Otis began to lose his footing. "Hold on one minute, Sookie. Let me get Mr. Whiskey here in the drunk tank and I'll be right back. Go on in my office. I'll be right in. And hey, did you …"

"Get your favorite donuts," I finished. "The coconut crème. I got you three of them. I can never forget you, Andy. You know that."

He beamed from ear to ear. "I'll be right back."

When I reached for the unopened box of donuts, I had to ask the young man with the snarly thoughts to step aside. I could feel him watching me as I walked to Andy's office. And he made me feel uncomfortable. I glanced at him over my shoulder and he was still staring at me … watching me. I tried once more to get into his head but the snarls and darkness kept me out. Most very tall and very handsome young man are appealing … especially if they have violet colored eyes but this guy? He made my skin crawl. To escape from his gaze, I hightailed it to Andy's office. Unfortunately, I bumped right into him.

Placing his hands on my arms, Andy said, "Hey. Are you alright?"

I glanced behind me and the guy was gone. I looked up at Andy and nodded. "I sure am. Come on. Let's eat a couple of these donuts."

"Gladly." Andy took the box from me and walked to his desk.

I was left with the task of closing the door behind us. "Who's the new guy?" I asked as I sat down. "I've never seen him here." I could see that Andy didn't think to highly of the new guy. "What's his deal?"

"Don't know," he said as he took a donut from the box. "I just know that I don't like him. I don't trust him, Sook. There's something about that guy and it rubs me the wrong way. He was transferred here from Mississippi or Tennessee … somewhere like that. He could be from Timbuktu for all I know. No one told me about no damned transfers. I didn't even know that we had openings and I'm the sheriff."

I knew that the guy wasn't there but I looked over my shoulder once again. "What's his name?"

"Quinn, I think," he answered. He shook his head no. "Don't get involved with that one, Sook. It would be a waste of time. He's not good enough for you."

My face filled with happiness at his words. "Thanks, Andy, but I assure you. I'm not interested in him."

"Good. You can do so much better." He soon bit into his donut and closed his eyes. "My God," he moaned. "I love Duck Donuts. These are the best donuts I've ever eaten."

Smiling, I said, "That's why I got them for you. Don't eat the cronuts."

"Your dad would have a fit if someone ate his cronuts," he finished. "Your mom has him on another diet. Why is she always putting him on a diet? The man has the body of that guy called Joe Mango or something like that." Pointing at me with his half-eaten donut, he said, "You need to tell that woman to give the man a break."

I chuckled as I looked down at my hands. "I'll do that." I looked up at him and sighed; doing my best to hide my uneasiness because of his words.

As I said, Andy has never been extremely observant. He didn't notice. "So," he said as he chewed and swallowed the best donut he'd ever eaten. "What can I do you for?"

I'd rehearsed our entire conversation in my head last night and this morning. I'd had the entire thing planned. It didn't exactly go as I thought it would. "You went to a house yesterday and a guy answered the door. He was wearing a robe. Do you remember what he looked like?"

Andy frowned at me. "Which house, Sookie? I went to several homes yesterday and the guys were wearing robes. Most of them were dirty and smelled of beer. You need to narrow it down a bit for old Andy." He ate the last bite of his donut and moaned again. Very loudly.

"On St. Francis Road," I clarified.

He continued to frown as he licked his lips.

I scooted to the edge of my seat. "There was shooting there earlier that morning."

He leaned back in his chair as he appeared to be thinking over what I'd said. He tapped his finger to his chin as he thought of yesterday. Andy, still frowning, rested his elbows on his desk. He began to nibble on his bottom lip. He decided to stop doing that and took another donut from the box. He still appeared to be thinking about what I'd said as he bit and chewed.

"Come on, Andy," I said. "I talked to dad last night and he told me that you answered the call. This is very important to me."

He took another bite of the donut before placing it on his notebook. "Why?" he asked as coconut flakes and crème covered his lips.

"I was supposed to have been there that morning, Andy," I said. I know. Another lie. "My friend has no man that lives in her house. She lives alone. No man was supposed to answer her door. She's out of town and I'm housesitting for her."

Andy licked his lips and gulped down the donut. He washed what was lodged in his throat down with some lukewarm coffee that had been sitting on his desk. He put the bitten donut back in the box and began flipping through his notebook. He stopped and read over a page. "Do you mean 1785 St. Francis Road? The ranch style home with the pink hydrangeas in the front yard?"

"Yes," I said. I didn't even try to hide the surprise in my voice. I couldn't believe that he remembered in such vivid detail. "You remember?"

"Yeah, I do." He leaned back in his chair. He lifted his notebook and said, "I made it a point to take notes. That guy, he didn't sit well with me. He didn't fit in there." He chuckled. "He thought that he was fooling me. He was wearing a robe but I could see that he was wearing combat boots. I could even see his tie peeking from under the top of the robe. Why were you supposed to be there? Housesitting, you said? Does your dad know this?"

I nodded. "Yeah. My friend, she's gone out of town to visit family and I'm supposed to go there during the day and feed her cat. No man is supposed to be there."

"You know," he said, as he took another sip of coffee. "Me and Kevin went back to the house about an hour later. As I said, that guy didn't sit right with me. When we went back, the house was quiet and locked up. We went around back to check the doors and windows but it was locked tight. No one was there. I talked to a couple of neighbors and they said that a guy is usually there but only at night. A tall blond. The guy that I'd seen, he wasn't blond … not quite."

Again, I was surprised. "Do you remember what he looked like?"

"Kinda," he said as he shrugged his shoulders. "He was a big guy with dark black hair. It looked dyed. He had green eyes and he was pale. He was so pale that he was almost the color of a sheet of paper." He chuckled again. "I think that's why I remember him so well. He looked out of place and he looked different. If it had been nighttime, I would have thought that the guy was a vampire."

Almost sliding to the floor, I scooted closer to the edge of my seat. "Did you get his name?"

"No," he answered. "I asked but he just laughed. He said that he couldn't give me his name. He couldn't risk his wife finding out that he had a side piece. Whatever that … oh. I get it now." He slapped his desk and laughed outright. "He's cheating on her."

I couldn't believe my ears.

"That sly devil." Andy continued to laugh.

"Andy, stay focused."

"Right," he agreed. "I didn't get his name."

I slid back in my seat and sighed. "I don't get why he was there. Nothing bad happened to her home, did it? I haven't been back there because it scared me to know that some guy had been there and I didn't know anything about him."

Andy waved off my comment. "From what I could see, it looked good but to be on the safe side, don't go there alone. I can go with you or either you can get Jason to keep you company."

I crossed my legs and said, "No. That's okay. Maybe I should go and speak with her neighbors to see if they know of anything."

"Already talked to them," he commented. "I talked to the person that called in about hearing gun fire early that morning. She said that she believed it to be the Donaldson boys again but it wasn't their normal firecracker noise. She claimed to be calling from under her bed."

To throw him off, I laughed. "It does sound a bit ridiculous since no one else heard anything, right?"

"Right," he said as he reached for his half-eaten donut. "Not a sound. I would think that if there was any type of gunfire, the other neighbors would have heard it."

"So, they heard nothing?" I asked. "Nothing at all?"

"They heard something but they weren't sure of what it was that they'd heard," he clarified. "One guy said that he thought that he'd heard the grumbling of motorcycles. The lady next door to him said that she'd heard something that sounded like a car backfiring." He shook his head. "Who knows?"

I wanted to scream at him and say that he's supposed to know. I wanted to ask him how in the world he'd become sheriff. I wanted to suggest that he stepped down from his job and give it to someone that could do the job. I wanted to tell him to promote my dad to sheriff but I didn't do that. Instead, I stood from my seat and sighed. I pointed at the donut box. "Make sure that my dad gets his cronuts, will you?"

"Will do," he promised. He was sucking the coconut and crème from his fingertips. I didn't even see him put the donut in his mouth.

I shook my head at him and chuckled. How can you not love him? I looked down at him and said, "Don't eat all of those donuts, Andy. You know that Ms. Bellefleur is going to be highly upset if you don't have enough room for her fancy Yankee pot roast tonight."

He looked confused. "Did I tell you that?"

No.

"Yeah," I answered. "You said that you can't wait to eat that pot roast."

He began to nod and shrug his shoulders.

"Is she making fried apples and homemade biscuits?"

"Yep," he said as he reached for the last coconut crème donut. As he bit into the donut, he said, "Don't worry. I'll leave room."

I walked around to the other side of Andy's desk and kissed his cheek. "Don't forget to make dad a plate for lunch tomorrow. You know how much he loves Ms. Bellefleur's pot roast. Oh, and be sure to add some of those baby red potatoes that he likes."

"I always do."

I winked at him. "And no one will know. I won't tell mom if you don't."

"I won't say a word."

"I'll see you," I said.

"Not unless I see you first."

I laughed as I left his office.

As I walked out of the police station, everyone said their thank yous and goodbyes. They loved the coffee and the donuts … especially the donuts. They wanted me to come back next week for a visit but I couldn't forget the donuts.

"Bring enough cronuts for everyone next time," Kevin suggested.

"I'd really like one of those caramel lattes," Keisha commented.

Other suggestions and recommendations were soon made by all. I waved at everyone over my head as I made a mental note of what to bring on my next visit. They could have asked me for eight dozen of donuts and fifty cups of coffee and I would get them. They're like family to me.

When I'd reached my car, I found that I wasn't alone. Officer Baldy was standing next to it and he was smiling at me. I was frowning when I reached him. "How did you …?"

"I sniffed you out," he answered. "I'm Quinn. John Quinn."

"Pleased to meet you," I replied.

He stood there and stared at me for a long moment. I knew what he was waiting for and I wasn't going to tell him. What would be the point? He already knows who I am.

"Don't look so surprised, Sookie," he said.

"I'm not surprised," I assured him.

Ignoring me, he said, "Don't look so surprised. You know that I'm not human just as I know that you're not human."

Why wouldn't he just walk away and leave me alone?

"So," he began. "Are you free for lunch?"

"No."

He looked around the parking lot before looking at me. "You appear to be free."

"I'm not." I looked around for Jake and he was nowhere to be seen.

He nodded. He closed his eyes and inhaled. "You belong to a vampire?"

I just stared at him. I wished that I had my pepper spray and taser in my hand. And Jake. Where was Jake?

He inhaled again. "The Northman." He stepped towards me. "He's an old vampire in these parts. Are you his?"

"Yes," I whispered. It took every ounce of willpower that I had not to sprint back into the police station. His mind was blacker than it was. He was a lot scarier than I could have ever imagined. "I have to go." I tried to step around him but he moved in front of me.

"What's the big hurry?" he asked. "I've heard a lot about you and I'd like to get to know you. The other officers seem to really like you. I'd like to get to know you better."

I shook my head no. "I'm not interested. Now move away from my car."

He reached out to touch me and I smacked his hand away. He snarled.

"Don't touch me," I said. "Don't you ever try to touch me again. You will regret it."

His menacing smile matched his eyes and his mind. "You don't know …"

"Sookie."

I turned around to see the waitress from Crawdad's Diner running up behind me. Excuse my language but what in the hell was going on today? Did I have a target on my back or something?

She was waving at me and she was smiling. Though I don't know her, I'd never been happier to see a stranger before in my life. "I'm so sorry that I'm late," she said when she reached me. She leaned in and kissed my cheek. "I had to run into the bank to get some money and I saw you over here by your car. I hope that you're not leaving." She pointed at the Applebee's across the street. "I'm sorry that I'm late. Please tell me that we're still on for lunch. Are we still having lunch? We can walk over … or drive. Whichever you want to do." She smiled as she patted her bottom. "We might have to walk over. I'm know that I'm going to have to walk back to my car after eating an order of those baby back ribs with that extra sweet chili sauce. I love that stuff."

I glanced at Quinn and he was no longer at ease. He looked mighty uncomfortable if you want to know the truth about it. He also looked furious.

"Yeah," I answered. "Yeah, we're still on but I'm not sure about walking. I don't want to leave my car over here. I just came by the station to bring my dad and his friends some donuts and coffee since I was here in town." I glanced at Quinn once more. "I was going to wait in my car for you but I had company waiting on me when I got out here. He was doing his best to try and get me to go to lunch with him." I chuckled nervously as I stared at the waitress. "I tried telling him that I wasn't free but didn't want to take no for an answer."

The waitress's brown eyes were no longer smiling as she stared at Quinn. "One would think that he'd know better considering he's a police officer. Quinn should be able to take no as an answer. Isn't that right, Quinn?"

How did she know his name?

Quinn began to back away. Staring at me, he said, "I meant no harm. I just wanted to get to know her. That's all."

"Good day, Officer," she said.

He saluted us as he turned and walked away. Smiling. He was still smiling.

She continued to look after him as he faded into the building.

"Thanks," I said once we were alone. "I appreciate your …"

She soon had a killer grip on my arm as she pulled me into her body. "We need to talk."