Sugar Cookie Murder (11 page)

“Just Mike and Kurt Howe,” Lisa responded to Hannah’s question. “Kurt drove away, Mike took his parking spot, and then he came back in.”

“And Doc Knight,” Herb reminded her. “He left about ten minutes ago. What’s going on, Hannah? Lonnie’s trying to be discreet about it, but I can tell he’s guarding the front door.”

Hannah thought about it for a moment and came to a decision. Mike had said to tell only the essential people and as far as Hannah was concerned, Lisa and Herb were essential. Besides, Herb was a sworn law enforcement officer. It didn’t matter that it was only parking enforcement. Herb could still help in a situation like this.

“It’s murder,” Hannah said, motioning them closer so that she could tell them all about it.

Less than ten minutes later, everything was under control. All of the exits were staffed with deputies, Herb had gone to find Mike to see if there was anything he could do to help, and Hannah and Lisa had helped Edna carry out the last few desserts. Norman had taken pictures and Hannah was about to give Mayor Bascomb the okay to invite people for dessert, when she saw Mike make a beeline for the mayor.

Mike and Mayor Bascomb conferred for long moments. Then the mayor walked over to Kirby Welles and the jazz ensemble stopped playing abruptly, right in the middle of “The First Noel.”

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Mayor Bascomb sounded very serious as he took the mike and addressed the crowd. “I’ve got some news you’re not going to like.”

Lisa looked surprised as she nudged Hannah. “I thought you said Mike didn’t want to tell anyone.”

“That’s what he said, but maybe he changed his mind.”

Mayor Bascomb looked around the room, and a grin spread over his face. “I know how tough this is going to be, but I’m afraid we’re stuck here for at least a couple more hours, maybe longer, with all this good food and music.”

There were several hoots of laughter from various tables and the mayor acknowledged them with a smile. “It’s a good thing we’re having fun in here, because it’s not fun outside. The national weather service is predicting a blizzard and I believe they’re right, for once. I was just outside, and the wind nearly knocked a big guy like me off his feet.”

Laughter rang out from several tables again. It was no wonder that Mayor Bascomb was serving his fourth term. He really knew how to talk to a crowd.

“Anyway, you’re a lot safer here than you would be out on the roads and the community center can accommodate everyone until the winds die down and it’s safe to go home. If you absolutely must leave, tell me or one of the sheriff’s deputies I’ve stationed at the doors, and we’ll arrange for a snowplow escort to get you wherever you need to go. Barring an emergency, I want everyone to sit tight. I value each and every person here, and a winter storm as bad as this one isn’t anything to fool with.”

Many heads nodded at the mayor’s last statement. Minnesotans who’d survived other blizzards weren’t about to take the chance of getting caught alone and exposed to the elements.

“While we’re waiting for the weather to clear, Janice Cox is going to open Kiddie Korner for the little ones. She’s got games, books, and toys. She’s even got blankets and cots, if this ends up being a long night. I think we’ve got some high school student aides here tonight, don’t we?”

There was a cheer from a table near the back where a crowd of Lake Eden teenagers were sitting together.

“I thought so! Well, this is your big chance to get some more on-the-job training. If some of you want to help Janice entertain the kids, she says she’d appreciate it.”

Hannah wasn’t surprised when the table emptied and a dozen teenagers headed over to the stairs where Janice was waiting. Many Lake Eden kids grew up taking care of younger siblings, and they enjoyed helping.

“Herb Beeseman checked and the cable’s out, but if some of you older kids want to watch a movie, there’s a whole shelf of them up in the senior center. And down here, we’ll have dancing and” — Mayor Bascomb paused and let the tension build until everyone was leaning forward, just waiting for the word — “dessert! And speaking of dessert, Edna wants me to read you this list. It says, Candied Pecans, Christmas Date Cake, Poppy Seed Cake, Chocolate Fruitcake, Lady Hermoine’s Chocolate Sunshine Cake, Coconut Green Pie, Pumpkin Pie for a Thanksgiving Crowd, Pecan Pie for a Holiday Crowd . . . . Do I need to go on?”

“No!” several people shouted in unison, and laughter filled the air.

“Well, I could go on. I haven’t even started in on the cookies, and we’ve got at least a half-dozen different kinds. And for those who want to be healthy, there’s whole box of oranges that were shipped here from California with a cluster of kumquats on top. You know what a kumquat is?”

the no’s outnumbered the yes’s and Hannah could understand that. A kumquat was rather exotic, and not many were seen in Minnesota.

“Hannah? Tell them what it is!”

Hannah wanted to tell the mayor to buzz off, but all eyes were on her and she had to answer. “It’s a small citrus fruit that’s not worth the trouble of peeling. But you should try one and make up your own mind.”

Laughter erupted at Hannah’s answer, and Mayor Bascomb looked pleased. “Edna says to tell you that the dessert table’s all ready. There’s enough to feed an army so you can get right up and help yourselves.”

“He did a wonderful job!” Lisa breathed, staring at Mayor Bascomb with a mixture of shock and admiration. “I guess I never realized that he was so . . . so . . .”

“Diplomatic?”

“Maybe, but what do you mean by that?”

“I mean, he told people that they were locked in and they couldn’t go home. And they love him for it.”

“I guess that is diplomatic. But how does he pull that off?”

“Years of practice,” Hannah said, and she didn’t add, lying to his wife. “Come one, Lisa. We need to find Mike and tell him that nobody left while you and Herb were upstairs.”

“Hannah!” Delores called out, swooping down on her eldest daughter.

“Hello, Mother. Where’s Winthrop?”

“In the necessary, dear. Need I say more to someone who’s familiar with Regency England?”

It took a moment for the memory banks to attain warp speed, but then Hannah remembered that necessary in Regency England was a men’s room in today’s terms. “Okay, Mother. I understand.”

“Did you use the knife to cut your cake, dear?”

“I certainly did,” Hannah said truthfully, not mentioning that it had also been used to cut certain parts of Brandi’s anatomy. “Norman took pictures and Kurt wants to use one in the cookbook.”

“Wonderful! Winthrop will be so proud.”

Hannah’s mind did a quick backstep. “You mean Winthrop’s family has something to do with the cake knife?”

“No, it’s just that it’s old English, and Winthrop reveres things that are old English.”

“Right,” Hannah said, wondering why, if that were true, Winthrop wasn’t involved with the duchess of someplace-or-other, rather than her mother.

“So do you think we could leave soon, dear? I know what Ricky Ticky said,” Delores used the nickname she’d given Mayor Bascomb the summer she’d been his babysitter, “but it’s not really that serious, is it?”

“It’s that serious.”

“You mean . . .they won’t even let us go home?”

Hannah shook her head. And all the while she was asking herself, Where’s home? Would that be Mother’s place? Or Winthrop’s? “You can’t leave, Mother. I’d really worry if you did.”

“You would?” Delores looked pleased.

“Oh, yes,” Hannah gave her heartfelt response. Of course she’d worry, but not about the blizzard. She’d be worrying about Winthrop.

“Well . . . I guess we’ll just stay then. Winthrop said he wanted to taste Lady Hermoine’s cake. And perhaps we can get Kirby to play something a little more upbeat for dancing.”

Lisa waited until Delores was far enough away and then she turned to Hannah. “So . . . ? Should I tell Herb to start heating up the tar? And do you want me to start plucking birds for feathers?”

“Not quite yet. I’m tempted, but he could be exactly what he says he is, an English lord on vacation.”

“But you don’t think he is.”

“No. But I’m naturally protective when it comes to my mother. And I’m naturally paranoid by nature. So . . . Winthrop could be okay, but I’ll be the farm that he isn’t.”

“Just a second, Hannah!”

Hannah tuned to see Martin Dubinski rushing up to her. She started to smile politely, but then thought better of it. If Mike had informed him of Brandi’s death, it wouldn’t be appropriate to smile. On the other hand, if Mike hadn’t told him, Hannah didn’t want to alert Martin that anything was wrong. Hannah settled for what she hoped was a pleasant and totally inexpressive expression, the same one worn by the teddy bear she’d lugged around as a child.

“I’m so glad I found you,” Martin said, smiling broadly. “I didn’t want to say anything in front of Brandi, but thank you for putting Shirley’s cake in the cookbook. It was her mother’s favorite recipe, and she passed it on to Shirley.”

“It’s a good cake,” Hannah said, taking note of Martin’s smile. If he was smiling, Mike hadn’t gotten to him yet, and it was appropriate to smile back.

“Have you seen Brandi?”

The smile Hannah had just decided to wear slipped alarmingly before she could stop it. Of course she’d seen Brandi, but she’d rather not remember that. And she didn’t want to say she’d even seen Brandi until Mike had spoken with the husband of the dearly departed.

“I’m really worried about her. She went to the ladies’ room an hour ago, and I haven’t seen her since. I even asked Kate Maschler to go in and see if she was okay, but Brandi wasn’t there.”

Hannah sighed, accepting the inevitable. Since she’d stumbled into the middle of this mess, she was caught between lying and telling Martin that his new wife was dead. Neither option pleased her, so she’d just have to settle for taking Martin to the room that Mike was using as an office and letting the long arm of the law take charge.

“Have you seen her, Hannah?” Martin asked again.

“I’ve seen her. Come with me, Martin. I want you to talk to Mike Kingston. He knows exactly where Brandi is now.”

Thankfully, the room that Mike was using for his office was only a few steps from the top of the stairs and Hannah was able to successfully dodge questions as she walked Martin down the hall and knocked on the door. Once she’d delivered her lamb to the slaughter, Hannah went in search of Andrea, to see how her heavily pregnant sister was reacting to Bill’s absence and the blizzard warnings that were blanketing the state.

“Hi, Hannah,” Andrea greeted her. She was sitting on a chair near the cloakroom, eating a piece of Chocolate Fruitcake. “This cake is absolutely delicious. I think it’s my very favorite dessert.”

“Glad to hear it. You’re feeling all right, aren’t you?”

“Just fine.”

“And you’re not nervous about Bill and the blizzard?”

“Why should I be? He’s got a cell phone, a car phone, and a radio to connect him to dispatch. If he goes in the ditch on the way here, he’ll have plenty of help getting out.”

“You’re right, and I’m glad you’re not worried. Since Doc Knight took you off restriction, do you feel like doing a little investigating?”

“Investigating?” Andrea’s eyes widened. “You mean there was a murder?”

“Yes.”

“Right here at the party?”

“Yes.”

“Who got killed?”

“Brandi.”

”Where? How?”

Hannah knew her answer would sound as if they were playing a game of Clue, but she gave it anyway. “In the parking lot with Mother’s antique cake knife.”

“Good thing I’m eating chocolate.” Andrea looked a little sick, but that didn’t stop her from popping the last bite into her mouth. “I have a feeling I’m going to need all the energy I can get. Have you told Mother?”

“No.”

“Are you going to?”

“Not just now. Mike wants only the essential people to know that Brandi’s dead.”

“I’m essential?” Andrea looked pleased when Hannah nodded. “Okay, you can count on me to do whatever you need.”

“Your napkin.”

“What?”

“I need something to write on.”

“Oh. Sure.”

Hannah took the paper napkin that Andrea offered and flipped it open to write on the inside, where it was free of cherubic angels with halos floating in a star-studded sky. She retrieved the pen she’d found in the kitchen and stuck behind her ear, and used the wall as a desk. “Okay. The first thing we need to figure out is who might want to kill Brandi, and why.”

“You mean besides Shirley? And Laura Jorgensen, because they’re both jealous?”

“Yes.” Hannah jotted down their names.

“Okay, there’s Martin’s mother. From what I heard, Babs didn’t approve of Brandi, but I’m not sure that’s a strong enough motive for murder.”

“I’ll put her on the list anyway. Let’s try to think of something less obvious. This could be the work of someone from Brandi’s past, or some Lake Eden person she knew that we don’t know she knew.”

“Huh?” Andrea looked mystified.

“Maybe someone from Lake Eden went to Vegas and met her there. And maybe they didn’t like the fact she married Martin,” Hannah suggested, thinking of Mayor Bascomb.

“Got it. It’s jealousy again.”

“A very powerful motive,” Hannah reminded her. “Other than the fact every woman here wanted to kill Brandi for looking so gorgeous, there have to be other motives. You talked to Brandi and Martin for at least a half hour before I came over to their table. Did you learn anything important about her?”

“I certainly did! Brandi’s mink coat wasn’t just any old mink. It was a Blackglama ranch mink stroller.”

“Stroller?”

“That’s a coat that comes to the knees. It’s what Mother used to call a car coat. And the price tag was twenty-two point five, not just twenty-two. Do you think someone killed her for her coat?”

“If they did, something scared them off before they could take it. Brandi was still wearing it when I found her and that’s why I didn’t see blood in the snow. The lining of the coat soaked it up.

Andrea’s face turned pale and Hannah reached out to steady her. “Are you all right?”