Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (12 page)

“No, but Norman did. You didn’t talk to Ron, did you?”

“He was pulling out when I drove up and all I saw was the back of his truck. For all I know, it wasn’t even Ron.” Her mother looked very flustered. “Do you think that I should report it to Bill?”

“Definitely. Bill’s trying to account for Ron’s actions on the morning that he died, and what you saw might help.”

Carrie shivered slightly. “It’s frightening to think that someone we all knew could be shot down in broad daylight on our streets.”

“I know.” Delores sighed. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s Herb Beeseman’s fault. That boy spends all his time writing tickets and he’s never where he’s really needed. If he’d stuffed that citation book in his pocket where it belongs, he might have been there in time to save Ron’s life!”

Hannah knew she should keep her mouth shut, but she couldn’t do it. “Herb was hired to enforce Lake Eden’s traffic regulations, not to patrol the streets hunting for would-be killers.”

“She’s right, Delores,” Carrie said and then she turned to Hannah. “It must have been terrible for you, dear. Imagine something like that happening right in back of your shop!”

Delores didn’t look very sympathetic. “Hannah can handle things like that. She’s always been strong. She gets it from me. Isn’t that right, Hannah?”

Hannah managed to keep her lips pressed firmly together. This from the woman who’d fainted when she’d found a dead squirrel on her back doorstep!

“We’d better move along, Delores.” Carrie nudged her. “You know how upset these older women get when someone holds up the line.”

Hannah came very close to losing it. With the exception of Mrs. Priscilla Knudson, the Lutheran minister’s grandmother, Carrie was the oldest lady in the group.

After Hannah had served the remaining women in line, she picked up her cookie tray and stepped out to mingle. She had quite a few takers. Her Regency Ginger Crisps were going over big. She’d just finished serving Bertie Straub, the owner-operator of the Cut ’n Curl, when she overheard part of a conversation that Maryann Watson, Coach Watson’s sister, was having with one of the secretaries at DelRay, Lucille Rahn.

“You have no idea how generous my brother is when it comes to Danielle,” Maryann confided. “He paid an absolute fortune for her birthday present.”

Lucille took a dainty bite of her cookie. “Really? How could he afford to buy something that expensive on a teacher’s salary?”

“He’s been saving all year. It’s her thirtieth, you know, and he wanted to get her something special. He asked me to meet him at the Mall of America on Tuesday night to help him shop. I swear we went to every single jewelry store in the entire mall before he found something that he wanted.”

Hannah slipped into her invisible caterer mode, setting her tray down at the far end of their table and busying herself by rearranging the stacked cookies on her tray. Neither woman seemed aware of her, but Hannah could hear every word they spoke.

“What did he buy?” Lucille looked very curious. “You can tell me, Maryann.”

Maryann leaned forward, about to confide the delicious secret. She seemed perfectly oblivious to Hannah. Waiters, maids, and caterers were always treated to all the gossip, whether they wanted to hear it or not. “He got her a perfectly gorgeous ruby ring, but you can’t tell a soul. It’s supposed to be a surprise.”

Lucille raised her eyebrows. “A ruby? That
does
sound expensive.”

“It was,” Maryann confirmed with a nod of her head. “It cost him over a thousand dollars. And Boyd even paid extra to have it engraved on the inside of the band.”

“Is that why you missed the Dorcas Circle meeting on Tuesday night?”

“Yes, we had to stay over because the ring wasn’t ready until the next morning. Boyd asked me to take it home with me for safekeeping, and you know what
that
means.”

Lucille looked thoroughly puzzled. “What does it mean?”

“Danielle must snoop through his things.”

“That doesn’t really surprise me. Jill Haversham was Danielle’s third-grade teacher, and she said that all the Perkins girls were nosy.”

“I’ll never understand why Boyd married her.” Maryann sighed deeply. “He could have had anyone, and it wasn’t like he
had
to, you know. But I guess there’s no accounting for taste.”

“That’s what they say. Did you stay over with your mother?”

“Yes, and she was so glad to see us. Boyd went out to get doughnuts for breakfast the next morning and he came back with a huge box. That’s so she’d have leftovers. We’re not sure she’s eating right, now that she’s all alone.”

Hannah stifled a grin. She didn’t think that doughnuts for breakfast fell into the realm of “eating right,” but she wasn’t one to talk. A lot of her customers ate cookies for breakfast.

“She’s lonely, now that Dad’s gone,” Maryann continued, “and she just rattles around in that house of hers. The neighborhood’s turning industrial, and that’s not good, either.”

“Where is it?” Lucille asked.

“Right off the Anoka exit on the ninety-four. It used to be a nice quiet suburb before they put in the freeway, but it’s going downhill in a handbasket. Boyd and I think she should sell and move into one of those nice apartment buildings for seniors.”

Lucille raised her eyebrows. “Wouldn’t she rather move in with you or Boyd?”

“My place isn’t big enough. You’ve seen my apartment. I barely have room to turn around. Boyd’s got plenty of room, but I don’t think that Danielle wants her. Not that he’s said anything about it. He wouldn’t, you know. Boyd’s as loyal to that woman as the day is long. He treats her like a princess, dressing her up in expensive clothes and buying her everything she could possibly want. He even bought her that house, you know, and let me tell you, that’s got to be a real drain.”

“Financially?”

“Their mortgage payments must be sky-high, and there’s always something that needs to be fixed. Boyd tries to do it all himself, but heaven knows he’s not a plumber or an electrician. I swear Danielle doesn’t appreciate how hard he works, but what else can you expect, coming from a family like hers?”

“She doesn’t work, does she?” Lucille asked.

“Of course not. She wouldn’t lift a finger to help them out. Boyd says he doesn’t
want
her to work, but I think he’s just covering up for the fact that she’s too lazy to hold down a job.”

Hannah had heard quite enough criticism about Danielle. She picked up her tray, stuck on her “May I serve you” smile and walked over to tap Maryann on the shoulder. “More cookies, ladies?”

“Hello, Hannah.” Maryann seemed surprised to see her. “These are wonderful cookies, dear. And to think that they’re authentic! I was just commenting on how delicious they were, wasn’t I, Lucille?”

Lucille smiled. “We’re so lucky to have you back in town, Hannah. I don’t know how the Lake Eden Regency Romance Club ever managed to serve refreshments without you.”

“Thank you. I’m so glad you like the cookies.” Hannah waited until both Maryann and Lucille had taken another cookie and then she moved on to another table. The Mall of America didn’t open until eleven and Coach Watson had been with his sister until then. One more suspect had been eliminated and if her luck ran true to form, the bouncer at Twin Pines would have an alibi, too. Then she’d be back to square one.

Hannah sighed as she finished serving the cookies and went back to fetch the carafes of coffee and tea. Solving crimes certainly wasn’t as easy as they made it seem in the movies.

H
annah pulled into the parking lot at the Tri-County Mall and turned to Lisa with a frown. “I
hate
to shop!”

“It won’t be so bad, Hannah. All you need is a pair of shoes. And it’s really nice of your mother to pay for them.”

“Oh, yeah?” Hannah turned to her with lifted eyebrows. “Mother’s gifts always have strings attached. The shoes have to be Italian and they can’t have more than a three-inch heel.”

Lisa shrugged. “Italian is good and you never wear high heels anyway.”

“Wait, there’s more. I’m not supposed to buy anything except fine leather, no man-made materials allowed, and I have to ask the salesman to guarantee that the color won’t run if it gets wet. She made me promise to put them on and walk around the store twice to make sure they don’t pinch my feet.”

“That doesn’t sound so hard. Come on, Hannah. The mall closes at seven and it’s already six-thirty.”

Hannah sighed and got out of her truck. A light snow was falling and the temperature had dropped ten degrees since the sun had gone down. She didn’t like to go to the mall at the best of times and this was the worst. The parking lot was packed with cars, she was pressed for time, and she needed to buy the shoes tonight. As far as Hannah was concerned, this hasty shopping trip to buy a last-minute item was a perfect recipe for disaster.

Lisa led the way across the slushy lot and into the rear door of Sears. They cut through the hardware, paint, and household appliance sections and sped down the path of green indoor-outdoor carpeting to the indoor entrance of the mall itself.

As they walked into the huge dome-shaped area, Hannah’s eyes were immediately drawn to a giant red plastic sleigh and eight plastic reindeer frozen in midprance. She blinked twice and then she turned to Lisa. “It’s not even Halloween yet and they’re all decorated for Christmas!”

“They put up the decorations right after Labor Day. I guess a lot of people like to do their Christmas shopping early and they buy more if the mall’s decorated.”

“Has your father seen it yet?”

“I bring Dad out every Sunday. There’s an animated Santa’s Workshop in the lobby of Dayton’s and he’s just fascinated by it. He must have seen it a half-dozen times, but he always points out what all the elves are doing for me.”

“That must be the upside of Alzheimer’s. Every time your father sees it, he thinks he’s seeing it for the first time.” Hannah’s words popped out before she could think about them, and she winced when she realized that she’d sounded flippant. “I’m sorry, Lisa. I didn’t mean to joke about such an awful disease.”

“That’s okay, Hannah. You
have
to joke about it. I do it, too. And it could be a lot worse. Dad’s not in any pain and he’s forgotten about all his problems. Most of the time he really enjoys himself.”

“Where should we start first?” Hannah decided it was time to change the subject.

“Let’s go to Bianco’s. They’re new. Rhonda Scharf was in the other day and I heard her telling Gail Hanson that they had a better selection than any of the other shoe stores.”

Hannah followed Lisa through the crowd of shoppers without seeing a familiar face. That wasn’t surprising. The Tri-County Mall was twenty miles from Eden Lake and it served all the small towns within a forty-mile radius. She saw several teenage boys wearing Little Falls Flyer team jackets and a group of giggling girls, standing near the video store, were sporting Long Prairie High School sweatshirts.

Lisa ducked into a brightly lit store displaying the Italian flag as a background in its window. Rows of shoes lined the shelves on the wall, and every few feet a round plastic display shelf jutted out with a pair of shoes arranged at eye level. Hannah followed and she immediately spotted a pair of black shoes near the back of the store. They had low heels, they were probably made of leather, and they looked comfortable.

“I think I’ll take these, Lisa.” Hannah walked over to point to the pair of shoes. “They look just right.”

“They’re too plain, Hannah. You need something fancier to go with your gorgeous dress.”

“How much fancier?” Hannah wasn’t willing to cave in quite so easily. The black shoes would go with almost anything, and plain was fine with her.

“Try this pair.” Lisa snatched a pair from the display and handed them to Hannah. “They’ll be perfect. Trust me.”

“Trust me” was the same phrase her mother had used when she’d talked Hannah into buying a totally ridiculous velvet skirt one Christmas, and Hannah was leery as she examined the shoes. They met all the requirements, but the thin leather strap that buckled around the ankle would draw attention to her legs.

“Just try them, Hannah. If you don’t like them, you can choose something else.”

“Fine.” Going shopping with Lisa was a lot like shopping with her mother. “I wear a nine and a half narrow.”

“I’ll get a clerk.”

Lisa hurried off and within a few moments she came back with a man with black hair and a mustache. He was wearing white pants and a striped shirt and he looked exactly like Hannah’s conception of a Venetian gondolier.

“This is Tony,” Lisa introduced him. “He’ll help you.”

In record time Hannah’s feet were measured, and Tony had slipped the shoes on her feet. Hannah stood up gingerly, took a few steps, and started to smile. Lisa was right. The shoes would be perfect with her black cocktail dress. “I’ll take them.”

“Not so fast,” Lisa warned. “You have to walk around the store first. You promised.”

Hannah sighed and walked up and down the aisles. She was glad she did, because she noticed a sign near the register that advertised a second pair of shoes for five dollars. She rushed back to Tony and gestured toward the sign. “A second pair is only five dollars?”

“That’s right. It’s still our grand opening. You want to look at a second pair?”

Hannah shook her head and pointed at Lisa. “No,
she
does and I’m paying. She’d like to try…” Hannah glanced around. She’d noticed that Lisa had been staring at a pair of shoes when they’d first walked in, and there had been a wistful expression on her face. She located the shoes, a pair of gold sandals with five-inch heels, and hurried over to retrieve them and carry them back to Tony. “She wants to try this pair.”

“You’ll be wasting your money,” Lisa objected. “They’re beautiful, but I wouldn’t have anywhere to wear them.”

“So what? I want you to have them. Every woman needs a totally fantastic pair of shoes once in a while, even if they just sit in her closet.”

“But, Hannah…”

“Don’t forget that I’m your boss,” Hannah interrupted her. “And I’m ordering you to get those shoes.”

Lisa began to laugh. “You win. Do you have them in a six, Tony?”

Twin Pines was only ten miles from the Tri-County Mall and the snow was still falling as Hannah pulled into a recently vacated spot near the entrance. It wasn’t snowing hard, but she wondered what it would be like to get snowbound at a casino. Perhaps it was a good thing she hadn’t brought any of her credit cards with her.

“It’s huge, Hannah. And it looks nice.” Lisa eyed the flashing neon signs as they walked up to the entrance, and there was a childlike wonder on her face. “I’m glad you asked me to come with you. I’ve never been inside a casino before.”

A bouncer was stationed at a spot just inside the front door and Hannah held her breath. She hoped that Lisa was old enough to gamble. Then she noticed a sign that read: “YOU MUST BE 18 OR OLDER TO GAMBLE.” She breathed a sigh of relief. She turned to look back at the bouncer again. His face was free of scratches and bruises and he certainly didn’t have a black eye. There was no way that he’d been the recipient of Ron’s punches, and Hannah decided to wait until they’d eaten before she asked any questions about the bouncer who’d been on duty Tuesday night.

“What a nice restaurant!” Lisa smiled happily as a waitress led them to a wooden booth in the rustic-looking dining room. “Just look at those Indian blankets on the wall. They’re gorgeous.”

“Yes, they are.” Hannah glanced at the vividly colored blankets. Though they added coziness to the cavernous wood-paneled room, their woven designs didn’t look anything like the Sioux blankets she’d seen on her trip to the museum. Perhaps authenticity didn’t really matter to a gambler.

“Do you think we should take Herb’s suggestion and try the ribs?” Lisa looked up from her menu. It was printed on a type of plastic that resembled birch bark and there was a stick drawing of a teepee on the front.

“That sounds good to me. If Herb recommended them, they must be good. He always had a knack for ferreting out the best item on a menu when we were classmates in high school.”

When the ribs came, they were tender and juicy, slathered with a sauce that reminded Hannah of aromatic wood smoke and sweet vine-ripened tomatoes. As they ate, occasionally wiping their hands on the wet napkins the waitress had provided, Hannah thought about the best way to identify the bouncer who’d fought with Ron. If she asked the management, they’d be paranoid about possible lawsuits. She had to think of some nonthreatening excuse to convince them that she needed the bouncer’s name.

By the time they’d wiped their hands the final time and shared an excellent cranberry cobbler, Hannah knew exactly how to proceed. She paid their tab, got Lisa settled in front of a quarter slot machine with the change from The Cookie Jar, and set out to find the manager.

After being referred to several employees, Hannah finally found a security guard who agreed to escort her to the manager’s office. The guard was tall, broad-shouldered, and perfectly impassive as he blocked a lighted security panel with his body and punched numbers on a keypad that opened the door to an inside corridor.

Hannah gave him a friendly smile as he motioned her through the door, but he didn’t smile back. It was obvious that a stern demeanor topped the list of requirements for casino security guards.

Once she’d arrived at the proper door, the guard knocked twice and then opened it. “A Miss Swensen to see you. She says it’s personal.”

A voice from the interior told Hannah to enter and she stepped into the office. The room was large and beautifully decorated. Three walls were ivory and the fourth was painted an attractive shade of Chinese red. It contained an ivory silk-covered sofa and two matching chairs that flanked a black lacquer coffee table with gold inlay dragons. The decor was an odd choice for an Indian casino, and Hannah was surprised. There wasn’t a single Native American blanket or artifact in sight.

An older man with carefully styled gray hair rose from his chair behind a black lacquer desk. “Miss Swensen? I’m Paul Littletree, the casino manager. Won’t you sit down?”

“Thank you,” Hannah replied and took the chair in front of his desk, a lovely black lacquer armchair upholstered in Chinese red silk.

“You can leave us, Dennis.” Paul Littletree waved a dismissal to the security guard.

Hannah waited until the door had closed behind the security guard and then she launched into the speech she’d prepared. “This is really embarrassing, Mr. Littletree. I’m afraid my brother got a little out of hand the last time he was here. My parents sent me out to apologize and offer to pay for any damage that he did.”

“When was this?”

“On Tuesday night. When he got home, he told my mother that he’d been in a fight with one of your bouncers.” Hannah lowered her eyes and attempted to look embarrassed about her mythical brother’s actions. “We think it’s that new girlfriend of his. She’s involved in some kind of antigambling movement and she talked him into driving out here to pass out brochures. My brother just has some scratches and bruises, but my parents asked me to check to make sure that your bouncer’s all right.”

“That would be Alfred Redbird. I noticed that he had some bruises and a black eye when he came in from the parking lot.”

“I’m so sorry.” Hannah sighed deeply. “Of course we’ll be glad to pay his medical expenses and make up for any time he lost from work.”

“That’s very generous, but it’s not necessary. Alfred didn’t need more than a couple of Band-Aids.”

“I’m so glad to hear that. My mother’s been worried sick about it. Was Mr. Redbird able to finish his shift on Tuesday night?”

“No,” Paul Littletree chuckled, “but that had nothing to do with your brother. His wife called at midnight and Alfred left to take her to the hospital. Their first baby was born at eight the next morning.”

Hannah smiled, even though she felt more like frowning. The bouncer was sounding less and less like a viable suspect. “I’d still like to apologize to him personally. Is he working tonight?”

“No, I gave him the rest of the week off with pay. He’ll be back on Monday and he should be used to being a new father by then. Relax, Miss Swensen. Your brother didn’t do any real damage, but I’m afraid we’ll have to ban him from the casino for a while.”

“I certainly can’t blame you for that. You have a very nice place here, Mr. Littletree. My friend and I just finished having the ribs at your restaurant and they were delicious.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying your evening with us.” Paul Littletree rose from his chair and Hannah knew that her interview was over. “Tell your parents that we appreciate their concern. And come out to see us again soon.”

When Hannah emerged from the office, the security guard was waiting for her. He wore the same unsmiling visage as he escorted her back into the main part of the casino, and Hannah fought the urge to do something to rattle his composure. If he ever decided to move to England, he’d be a shoo-in to replace one of the guards at Buckingham Palace.

Lisa was right where Hannah had left her, sitting in front of the same slot machine. There was a pile of quarters in the tray and Hannah was surprised. “Are you winning, Lisa?”

“I think I’m a couple of dollars ahead.” Lisa glanced down at her tray. “Why don’t you try it? It’s really a lot of fun.”

“All right, but only for a few minutes. I want to get back before nine. Just let me get some change.”

“Take some of these.” Lisa scooped some quarters out of the tray and handed them to her. “Maybe they’ll bring you luck.”