Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (36 page)

C
andy had just refilled the carafe and was preparing to make the rounds of the tables when a pretty, very pregnant lady came in. “May I help you?” Candy asked, precisely the way Lisa and Hannah had coached her.

“Don’t I wish! I need to see Hannah. Is she in the kitchen?”

“Yes, she is. But…”

“Hi, Sally,” Lisa came up and took the carafe out of Candy’s hand. “I’ll do the coffee. You go see if you can round up any more Cherry Winks. We’re running out. And take Sally back to the kitchen with you so she can talk to Hannah.”

“I’m Sally, and I run the Lake Eden Inn,” Sally said as Candy led her toward the kitchen.

“And I’m Candy. I’m helping Hannah and Lisa out over the holidays. Are you the one giving the big party tonight?”

“That’s me. Or maybe I should say, ‘That
was
me.’” Sally gave a little sigh as Candy pushed through the kitchen door and held it for her.

Hannah looked up from the tray of Lovely Lemon Cookie Bars she was cutting and nodded to Sally. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d be decorating for the party.”

“I would be if I had some help. But I don’t.”

“I don’t understand. You said you were going to hire three high school girls.”

“I did, and all three of them called to cancel this morning. One’s sick, one’s grounded because she got home late from her date, and the third one slipped on the ice and broke her thumb. I managed to find one girl who said she’d help out, but she can’t do it alone.”

Hannah glanced at Candy. “Do you want to help Mrs. Laughlin and this other girl decorate for the party?”

“Sure, if you can spare me. But I don’t know if I’d be any good at decorating.”

“If you can throw tinsel at a tree and make it stick, you’re good enough for me,” Sally told her.

“Okay, then.” Hannah grabbed Candy’s parka and tossed it at her. “I’ll pick you up in the lobby at five-thirty so we can drive back to the condo and get dressed. Sound good?”

Candy nodded. “Fine with me.”

Thanks, Hannah,” Sally said, and then she turned to Candy. “And thank
you
, Candy. My car’s parked in front and the clock’s ticking. Let’s go do it.”

“Candy? Meet Sonny.” Sally turned to the girl who was waiting in the lobby for them when they arrived at the inn. “Sonny? Meet Candy.”

“Hi, Sonny,” Candy said, giving the other girl a tentative smile. She was a little overweight and she wore a knit slacks-and-sweater outfit that was much too good for putting up decorations, but she looked friendly enough.

“Glad to meet you,” Sonny said, returning the smile.

“Sonny has the pictures,” Sally told her. “My husband hired a photographer to take photos of the decorations last year. We want it just the same, except we decided to use multicolored lights on the trees instead of white. And we want gold balls instead of silver.”

“Got it,” Sonny said, and Candy was glad. Since she hadn’t seen the pictures, she didn’t really know what Sally was talking about.

“Come with me and I’ll get you started,” Sally said, and the two girls followed her to the dining room. She flicked on the lights and gestured toward the boxes that were stacked against the back wall. “Everything you need should be in those boxes. The busboys set up the tables this morning, and all you have to do is put on the tablecloths and the centerpieces. And that reminds me…on the centerpieces, take off the silver bows and replace them with gold.”

“Where will you be if we have a question?” Sonny asked.

“In the kitchen. Just go out the door we came in and turn right. It’s at the end of the hallway behind the swinging doors.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Laughlin,” Candy said, hoping that she would be up to the job.

“It’s Sally. There’s a cooler of soft drinks in the corner and I’ll have one of my staff bring out a snack in an hour or so to keep up your energy.”

Once Sally had left, Candy gazed around at the bare tables that dotted the space and the dozen six-foot Christmas trees that sat in their stands, waiting for ornamentation. “It’s a huge job,” she said with a groan.

“Relax. It won’t be that bad,” Sonny told her. “We’ve got five hours.”

“And we’re going to need every second of it. Do you have those pictures so we know what it’s supposed to look like when we’re through?”

“Right here,” Sonny plunked a folder on the table. Then she sat down in one of the chairs and motioned for Candy to take the other. “Let’s spread out the pictures and leave them right here for reference. That way we won’t make any mistakes.”

“Good idea.” Candy was impressed.

“Thank you. I’m not just another pretty face.”

Candy burst out laughing and then she wished she hadn’t. What if she’d hurt Sonny’s feelings? But she hadn’t because Sonny was laughing too. “Do you think we should work together? Or start in opposite corners and meet in the middle?”

“We should work together. That way all the decorations will look the same. Besides, it’ll be more fun. What should we do first? The tables or the trees?”

Candy thought about that for a moment. “We should do the trees. That way we can use the tables to hold the boxes with the balls and the lights. They’re probably dusty, especially if they were in storage all year.”

“Good idea! You’re not just another pretty face, either. Except you are.”

“Are what?”

“Pretty. I’d kill for hair like yours. Mine’s straight as a board.”

“And I’d kill for eyes like yours. Your lashes are so long.” Candy stopped and gave a little laugh. “Is this the grass is greener on the other side of the fence?”

Sonny stood up with a grin. “I think so. It’s either that or something about walking a mile in somebody else’s shoes. Let’s go take a look at those boxes and see if we can find the lights.”

“So how are they getting along?” Hannah asked, stretching out the phone cord so she could take another tray of Oatmeal Raisin Crisps from the oven.

“Like two peas in a pod. Every time I stick my head in, they’re laughing about something or other.”

“That’s great. But are they getting any work done?”

“Tons of it. They’ve only got one tree left to go and then they’re going to start on the tables. If they finish early, that’ll give them even more time to talk.”

“You’re getting your outfit all dirty,” Candy said, noticing the smudges on Sonny’s slacks when she placed another box on the table. “You should have worn jeans.”

“I’m not allowed.”

“What?”

“Well I guess I am now, but I don’t have any. I wasn’t allowed to wear them at boarding school.”

“What did you wear?” Candy asked, thoroughly shocked. She suspected she’d die if she couldn’t wear jeans.

“We wore uniforms during school hours, and dress slacks or skirts after school and on the weekends. And pajamas to bed, of course.”

Candy just shook her head. “Did they think jeans would corrupt you?”

“Maybe. We were supposed to act like ladies all the time. It was one of the rules. There were an awful lot of rules.”

Candy just shook her head as she climbed the ladder and placed the last angel on top of the last tree. “I’m glad I never went to boarding school,” she said, once she was back on the floor again. “I think it would have killed me.”

“When I first got there I thought it was going to kill me, too. But it didn’t and I learned a lot.”

“Like what?”

“Like you really ought to carry that box of ornaments right side up, because I already opened it.”

T
he party was on, and their decorations looked great. Candy stood at the dessert table, feeling beautiful in her new dress, and watching her Three-Way Fudge disappear. Sally had put it on a round silver platter with a pedestal, and it looked every bit as good as it tasted. The bottom layer was dark chocolate, the middle layer was white chocolate mixed with chopped nuts, and the top layer was milk chocolate. When Norman had seen it, he’d taken a picture and promised to give her a print. And when she’d told Sonny about it, right after they’d finished decorating, Sonny had asked her to save her a piece.

There was a tap on her shoulder, and Candy whirled around to see Sonny standing there. She was wearing a powder blue sweater and skirt, and she was smiling. “Did you save me some?’ she asked.

“I never break a promise.” Candy patted the little gold purse she was carrying. “I grabbed two pieces before they carried it out, and I put them in here.”

“I don’t think two pieces will do it. It’s not a proper taste test. I should probably have one right now, just to be fair of course. Fantastic dress, by the way. You look like a princess.”

“Thanks. You look great, too,” Candy said and she meant it. Light blue was a good color for Sonny, and her hair looked nice with a little curl at the tips.

“Okay. Here we go.”

Candy watched as Sonny took a piece of fudge and tasted it. If the expression on her face was any indication, she liked it a lot. “So it passes the taste test?” she asked.

“What taste test? I’m in love.” Sonny reached for another piece. “I’ve never tasted fudge this good before.”

“It’s really easy to make. I could teach you how to do it.”

“Not me. I’m terrible in the kitchen. The one time I tried to make dinner for my dad, the neighbors called the fire department.”

“I didn’t even know Lake Eden
had
a fire department!”

“Oh, it wasn’t here. We’re just visiting Lake Eden. How about you? Do you live here?”

“I’m the same as you, just visiting.” Candy remembered the cover story that Andrea had made up for her. “My boyfriend dumped me for my best friend, and I needed a change of scene.”

“You also need a new boyfriend!”

“You’re right about that,” Candy said with a giggle. This party was a lot more fun now that Sonny had gotten here. “Let’s grab a Coke and go sit at the table over by the last Christmas tree we decorated.

“Sounds good. I’ll get the drinks. You stake out the table.”

Candy made a beeline for the table and nabbed it before anyone else could claim it. When Sonny arrived with two Cokes and they’d popped them open, she asked, “How about you? Do you have a boyfriend?”

“Not yet, but I believe in miracles.”

Candy laughed so hard, tears came to her eyes. “Too bad we don’t go to the same school. There’s a guy in my science class who’d be perfect for you.”

“That won’t do me much good unless he goes to Hamilton in Des Moines.”

“That’s my school!” Candy gasped, forgetting all about her cover story. “But I’ve never seen
you
there.”

“That’s because I’m not there yet. I don’t start until January.”

“Your folks just moved to Des Moines?”

“Not exactly. My dad’s been there all along, but after Mom died, he put me in that boarding school I told you about. He just didn’t know how to take care of me, you know? I mean…I was pretty little when it happened.”

“That’s awful! But now that you’re older and you can take care of yourself, you’re coming back to live with him?”

“Sort of.”

Candy leaned forward. She knew there was more to the story than that. “What does
sort of
mean?”

“Dad got married again so he sent for me.”

Candy felt a lump form in her throat. Sonny’s story was eerily close to hers. They’d both faced the loss of a parent and their remaining parent had remarried.

“What’s the matter? You look a little strange.”

“It’s just that we’ve got almost the same situation, except it’s reversed. My dad’s the one who died and my mom just got remarried. My situation’s a little different, though, because my mom married a man with a daughter.”

“So suddenly you’ve got a stepsister?”

“Right.”

“So what do you think of her? Is she awful?”

Candy swallowed hard again. She really wanted someone to confide in and Sonny was awfully nice. “Larry, he’s my stepdad, says she’s perfect. She’s beautiful, and she sings like a professional, and she’s on the honor rolls, and…”

“But what do you think of her?” Sonny interrupted.

“I…” Candy stopped speaking and blinked away tears. “I don’t know. I ran away the day before she came.”

“Without even meeting her?”

Candy had the urge to break down and sob, but she stared at the angel on top of the tree instead. “Yes. We’re too different. She would have hated me.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. She’s not like you and me.”

Sonny leaned forward. “If I could wave a magic wand and turn into your new stepsister, would that be okay?”

“That would be great. But you don’t have a magic wand and this isn’t a fairytale.”

“I know that, but I’m your new stepsister anyway.”

Candy’s mouth dropped open. “But you can’t be! Her name is Allison!”

“That’s right. And Allison’s nickname is Sonny.”

For a moment, Candy was too shocked to do anything but sit there like a stone. And then she dropped her head in her hands and cried. “I really goofed, didn’t I?”

“You could say that. I wouldn’t say that because I’m a very nice person, but you could.”

Candy’s tears turned to laughter and she wiped her face with a napkin. “Is Mom here? I’ve missed her so much!”

“She’s here, and so is my dad. They’re waiting in the lobby. Do you want to see them now?”

Candy nodded. “You’re coming, aren’t you?”

“Sure, if you want me to.”

“I want you to.” Candy took a deep breath and regained some of her equilibrium. And then she said, “We might as well present a united front right away. That way it’ll be easier for us to get away with murder.”

“Looks like everything turned out all right,” Norman said, watching Allison and Candy link arms and walk across the room.

“Sure did,” Hannah said, giving a big sigh of relief.

“Where are they going?”

“To the lobby where Candy’s mother and Allison’s father are waiting for them.”

Norman reached out to take her hand. “It’s a good thing you took her under your wing, Hannah.”

“It was my pleasure. She’s a sweet girl, and her candy is incredible. Did you taste that fudge?”

Norman nodded. “It gives new meaning to the word
rich
. I have the feeling you’re going to miss her a lot.”

“I am, but not as much as Moishe. He’s been sleeping in the guest room with her, and the comforter in there is down-filled silk. Now he’s going to have to move back in with me and sleep on his lumpy foam pillow again.”