Sugar Cookie Murder (19 page)

Hannah reached out to pat Babs hand. The older woman was obviously upset. “Go on.”

“I ran through the snow and got to the car before she could back up. She must have seen me coming, because she hadn’t locked the driver’s door, and I pulled it open. There she was, munching on one of your cookies while the car heated up. I reached right past her to turn off the key and then I grabbed her arm and tried to pull her out of the car. She fought back, but I managed to do it.”

“What then?”

“That’s when I noticed that she was wearing my great-grandmother Dubinski’s ring, the emerald and diamond heirloom I gave to Martin and Shirley on their wedding day. I saw red and grabbed for the ring.”

“And Brandi fought back?”

“Like a tiger. She punched me in the chest and I went down in the snow. I was just getting up when she reached into the car, grabbed your mother’s cake knife, and slashed out at me.”

“Did she cut you?”

“No, she missed. And I managed to grab her wrist. We grappled for the knife, and Brandi slipped. That made me slip, and somehow I ended up on top of Brandi in the snow.”

“So when you got the upper hand, you stabbed her?”

“No! My hand was on her wrist, never the knife. I thought she was just stunned, that’s all. I got to my feet, slipped the ring off her finer, and looked around for the knife to take it back inside. I searched around in the snow for a minute, and then I saw that it was stuck in her chest.”

“What did you do then?”

“I reached down to feel for her pulse, but there wasn’t any.”

“So you didn’t call for an ambulance? And you didn’t come back inside to tell anyone what had happened?”

Babs shook her head. “I’m not proud of what I did next, but I was so cold and so shocked, I just brushed the snow off my blouse and skirt, and came back in the kitchen.”

“No one saw you?”

“No one was there. I ran some warm water in the kitchen sink and soaked my hands until I could feel them again. There were no bloodstains. I checked for that. And then, since my shoes were soaked all the way through, I went to the cloakroom and switched to my boots.”

Hannah folded the napkin and stuck it in her sweater pocket. “You know what I have to tell you to do, don’t you?”

“I know. I’ll go up and tell Mike, but please let me tell the kids first. I want Martin to hear it from me.”

Hannah thought about that for a moment. It was a highly unorthodox and definitely against the police procedure, but she was no longer working with Mike and she didn’t have to follow his rules. “Okay,” she said. “Let’s go find Martin and Shirley.”

It didn’t take long to locate Martin and Shirley and find a quiet corner so that Babs could tell them her story. When she was through, Martin made a strangled sound. “You killed Brandi?”

“She didn’t kill Brandi,” Shirley spoke up. “It was an accident. The only reason Babs went after Brandi was to recover the stolen knife.”

Babs nodded. “Shirley’s right. I’m really sorry, but it was an accident. She came after me with the knife and both of us slipped in the snow. I just hope Mike will believe me. I have to go tell him now.”

“You can’t!” Martin objected, grabbing his mother’s arm. “Don’t tell him, Mom. He’ll arrest you for murder!”

“I don’t think he will. After all it was an accident. And don’t forget that Brandi had a weapon and I didn’t.”

“But he won’t know that. No one else saw Brandi steal the knife, and some smart lawyer could argue that you took the knife and went out to confront Brandi to get the ring back. You could be convicted, Mom. You could go to jail!”

“Relax, Martin,” Hannah said. “Norman has a photo of Brandi stealing the cake knife.”

“He does? That’s . . . that’s great! Then you think everything is going to be all right?”

“I think it will be, especially since your mother’s fingerprints won’t be on the knife. She might have to spend a few hours down at the sheriff’s station, and she may even have to stay down there until they can corroborate her account of what happened with Doc Knight’s findings, but I’m sure she’ll be cleared.”

“We’ll go along with you, Mom,” Martin said, taking his mother’s arm.

Shirley took her other arm. “Absolutely. And once we get over this hurdle, Martin and I have some news for you.”

“Really?” Babs gave the first smile Hannah had seen cross her face all evening. “I think I know what it is, and that’s just wonderful!”

Once Hannah had escorted Babs, Martin, and Shirley to the room that Mike was using for interviews, she raced back to the lobby to meet her sisters and Norman and tell them what had happened.

“You ignored your own advice?” Norman asked, looking more amused than angry.

“That’s right.”

Andrea’s eyes narrowed. “But you would have been madder than a wet hen if we’d ignored your advice.”

“That’s right, too.”

“Come on, everybody,” Norman said, playing the role of a peacekeeper. “let’s go see if there’s any chocolate left. I’m beginning to droop a little, and we can’t go home until the storm lets up.”

As they trooped toward the stairs leading down to the banquet rooms, Hannah glanced out the large window by the front door. Norman was right. The storm was still raging. The wind was every bit as fierce as it had been before, and it was still dangerous to drive. As she stared out the glass at some of the worst weather a Minnesota winter had to offer, a snow-covered figure materialized at the end of the sidewalk leading up to the front door.

“There’s somebody out there,” Hannah said, squinting through the driving snow. “I think it’s Bill!”

“Where?” Andrea asked, rushing back to join Hannah.

“Out there at the curb. I’d better tell Lonnie to go out and help him in. You catch Michelle and ask her to go get him a hot cup of coffee.”

Lonnie wasted no time fetching Bill. Once Bill got inside, Andrea helped him out of his parka and Hannah hung it up on the coat tree by the front door. Bill looked half-frozen, and he took the coffee gratefully when Michelle brought it up to him. “It’s cold out there. My heater went out halfway to town.”

“Oh, honey,” Andrea said, snuggling up to him in an effort to warm him up. “You shouldn’t have tried to make it all the way here. It’s all over now.”

“What’s over?”

“The case,” Michelle told him. “We solved it about fifteen minutes ago. Sip some coffee and warm up a little. Then we’ll take you to the room Mike’s using for interviews.”

“What case? What interviews? What’s going on?”

“Didn’t the dispatcher tell you?” Hannah asked, frowning a bit. “I know Mike tried to reach you right after I found the body.”

“What body?” Bill’s head swiveled from Andrea, to Hannah, to Michelle, and then back again.

“Martin’s new wife, Brandi Wyen Dubinski. She ended up dead in the parking lot. We’ll tell you all about it right after we thaw you out,” Andrea promised. “All we really need to know right away is how soon Mike can release Mother’s antique cake knife. We need to get it back to her before she finds out.”

“Before she finds out what?”

“That it was used as a murder weapon . . .except it really wasn’t,” Hannah explained, getting up to see if Norman had managed to find any chocolate. It was obvious that Bill really needed some because they were explaining things perfectly, and it was taking him forever to catch on.

“You’re a really good dancer,” Michelle said, as Norman led her back to the table.

“I took lessons. I didn’t want Hannah to turn me down when I asked her to dance.”

Hannah laughed, her good mood at the beginning of the evening fully restored. It was wonderful to know that Lake Eden hadn’t been the scene of another murder. Now she could relax and have fun for the rest of the evening. “I’m no Pavlova, Norman. There was a good reason why Mother didn’t name me Grace.”

“I’ll check on that right after I dance with your other younger sister.” Norman held his hand out to Andrea. “Are you up to it?”

Andrea smiled. “I love to dance, but . . . I don’t think so tonight. I’m feeling extremely awkward and extremely full. I must have eaten twenty desserts.”

“Close,” Hannah mumbled under her breath adding up the desserts she’d seen Andrea consume. It was at least a half-dozen, and that was probably the tip of the iceberg. “You’re feeling all right, aren’t you?”

“I’m fine. It’s just that I’m a little tired, and my feet are swelling .I’ll sit here and watch you, and put my feet up on your chair.”

“I’ll get my down jacket and you can put your feet up on that,” Michelle said. “you’ll be more comfortable that way.”

Norman held out his hand and Hannah took it, but she turned back for one more question before she went off to the dance floor. “You don’t think anything‘s going to happen while we’re gone, do you?”

“Oh, I think so,” Andrea said. And then she laughed at the shocked expression on Hannah’s face. “It’s not what you’re thinking. You’re going to enjoy dancing with Norman, that’s all I meant.”

When they got to the dance floor, Kirby and the jazz ensemble were playing “Moon River,” and Hannah snuggled up to Norman as they danced. For once, she didn’t have the urge to lead, a residual effect of having taught Andrea to dance. Andrea hadn’t wanted to get mixed up, and Hannah always had to be the “boy.”

Norman was warm and steady, a perfect partner for dancing cheek to cheek. Of course cheek to cheek was also chin to shoulder, which didn’t sound even remotely as romantic, and it was also chest to . . .

“Excuse me.” A deep, achingly familiar voice interrupted the thoughts she probably shouldn’t have been thinking away. Norman turned her around and pulled back slightly, and Hannah found herself face to face with Mike, except that it was her face to his chin, because he was taller.

“You want to cut in?” Norman asked, and Hannah thought he looked just a tiny bit jealous.

“No,” Mike said, and then he smiled at Hannah. “Not that I wouldn’t like to, but I’m still on the job. I just came over to tell Hannah that Bill and I are taking Babs Dubinski to the station.”

“You’re not going to charge her, are you?”

“No. We’re just going to take her formal videotape statement. We won’t charge her unless the results of Doc’s autopsy prove that her account of Brandi’s death couldn’t be accurate.”

“That’s good news,” Norman said, squeezing Hannah’s hand. “Thanks for telling us, Mike.”

“No problem. You guys did all with legwork for me, and I appreciate it.”

Hannah clamped her lips together so that she wouldn’t blurt out what was on her mind. What was Mike talking about? They’d done a lot more than legwork. They had solved the whole case for him!

“Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that Shirley and Martin are following us in Shirley’s car, and Earl Flensburg’s leading the way in the county snowplow.”

“You’re not taking your Hummer?” Hannah was surprised.

“No. She can go through just about anything, so I want her to stay out front in case anyone needs to leave.”

Hannah grinned. “You shouldn’t anthropomorphize inanimate objects.”

“Huh?”

“Your Hummer. She won’t like it.”

Mike looked blank, but Norman caught on right away. He started to chuckle, but he held it in. Since his arms were still around Hannah, she felt as if she were riding out an earthquake.

“Whatever,” Mike waved her comment away. “The point is, Earl won’t be back for at least an hour and you can use her if there’s some kind of emergency.”

Hannah couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Mike’s Hummer was his baby. He must trust her a lot to let her drive his powerful new toy.

“Here.” Mike dropped the keys in her hand. “I’m putting her in your hands, Hannah, and I’m trusting your judgment. If someone has to leave, look around for a guy who knows how to handle her.”

Hannah’s blood pressure began to rise. She should find a guy who knew how to handle his Hummer? She was so angry, it felt as if her eyes were burning smoldering circles into his back as he strode off across the dance floor. Mike Kingston was tall, handsome, unbelievably attractive, and bout as sexist as a man could get.

“What?” Norman asked, noticing Hannah’s intent expression. “I thought that was a very generous thing Mike did. Everybody in town knows how he loves his Hummer.”

“Sure, he loves it. And sure, it was generous. I’m sure the guy I choose to drive it will think so, too!”

“Oh,” Norman said, leaving it at that, but Hannah knew he understood. “Let’s finish our dance. I love to dance with you.”

“I love to dance with you, too.” Hannah smiled as Norman pulled her close into his arms and they moved smoothly across when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

It was Andrea, and Hannah turned to greet her sister. “Hi, Andrea. Did you change your mind about dancing?”

“No. I don’t want to cut in. I just came out here to tell you it’s time.”

Hannah stared at her sister for a moment in absolute disbelief. Then she asked, “Do you mean what I think you mean?”

“I mean exactly what you think I mean. And I think we’d better hurry.”

Less than a minute later, they had gathered up their coats and boots and they were headed for the stairs, Norman on one side of Andrea and Hannah on the other. Luckily, Delores was dancing with Winthrop and she failed to notice the exodus of her pregnant daughter, her eldest daughter, and her dentist.

Michelle was talking to Lonnie, who was still manning the front door to discourage anyone who might be foolish enough to brave a blizzard. Hannah called out to Michelle as they helped Andrea up to the final stair.

Michelle’s face paled as she caught sight of Andrea. “Is it . . .”

“Yes,” Hannah told her. “Norman and I are taking Andrea to the hospital in Mike’s Hummer. I need you to do a few things for us here.”

“Anything. What?”

“We need you do deal with Mother. She’s bound to guess what’s happening when she realizes that we’re gone. You have to convince her to stay here and not try to get to the hospital?”

“Mother would drive to hospital in a blizzard?”

“Absolutely,” Andrea gave a little grin. “She wants to be the first one to see her namesake.”

Michelle looked stunned. “You mean . . .you’re going to name the baby Delores?”