Red Velvet Cupcake Murder (21 page)

Like the fact you interrogated me and almost arrested me for murder
, her mind said, but Hannah quite wisely didn’t repeat it to Mike. After all, he’d recovered the thermos and that was the important thing. “So where is the thermos now?” she asked.

“Doc Knight has it. There was about a cup of liquid left inside and he’s running tests on it.”

“If he finds tranquilizers in the coffee, does that mean I’m in the clear?”

“It does. I talked to Roger and he says he didn’t pick up any coffee from you or from Lisa. It all depends on the lab report. Doc’s going to call me the second he gets the results.”

“Okay. Thanks for telling me, Mike. I’m really happy that they found it and it wasn’t just part of my dream.”

“I’m happy too, Hannah. Tell Barbara hello from me, okay? And let her know that everyone out here at the station misses her and wants her to come back soon.”

“I’ll tell her,” Hannah promised and then she handed the phone back to Norman. “Thanks for the phone, Norman.”

Just then Jenny came racing up the hallway after them. “Your mother just called,” she said to Hannah. “She wants to see you before you go to visit Barbara.”

“Okay,” Hannah agreed. “Is she in Doc Knight’s office?”

“Where else?” Jenny asked with a smile. “Your mother spends most of her time in there. She does a lot of things for Doc Knight.”

I wonder exactly what things she does.
Hannah’s mind asked the question as she relayed the message to Norman, and they continued down the hall to Doc Knight’s office.

 

“Mother,” Hannah said, walking in the door. “You wanted to see me?”

“Yes, dear.” Delores turned to Norman. “Hello, Norman. Are you going to see Barbara, too?”

“I’d like to find out how she’s getting along with her temporary bridge,” Norman said.

“She’s getting along just fine,” Delores said. “She knows she looks better and now she can eat some things she couldn’t have before. Pureed everything has to be boring after a while.”

There was a yowl from Moishe and Hannah lifted him into her arms. “Say hello to Moishe, Mother.”

“My darling Grandcat,” Delores crooned, opening the top drawer of Doc’s desk. “Come on up here, Moishe. I’ve got something for you.”

Hannah saw the familiar cat treat canister in her mother’s hand and immediately placed Moishe on the desktop. “That’s very smart of you, Mother,” she said.

“That’s self-preservation,” Delores answered, doling out one of Moishe’s favorite fish-shaped treats. “Or perhaps I should say it’s
silk
-preservation since I’m wearing hose tonight. What do you have in those boxes, dear? Something for Barbara?”

“Yes. I brought some Monkey Bread for her,” Hannah said.

“What’s that?”

Hannah took one of the boxes out of Norman’s arms and set it on the desktop. She opened it and let her mother see the contents. “It’s a lot like cinnamon rolls and it has chocolate chips between the layers. I didn’t have time to make my Special Cinnamon Rolls so I got this recipe from Lisa.”

“Very pretty,” Delores said. “It smells absolutely fabulous. And that reminds me, have you eaten, dears?”

“Not yet,” Hannah answered, turning to Norman. “How about you?”

“Not yet. I was going to ask you if you wanted to go out to eat after we saw Barbara.”

“And I was going to ask
both
of you if you wanted to join us for dinner out at the Inn,” Delores said, before Hannah could answer Norman. “Doc’s running a test on that thermos they found in the car. He just called to tell me he’ll have the final results in about an hour, but there’s definitely a foreign substance in there.”

Without any conscious thought, Hannah crossed her fingers. If the foreign substance turned out to be the tranquilizers that had killed Doctor Bev, she would be cleared!

“I thought we might be celebrating tonight,” Delores continued. “Will you join us, dears?”

“Sounds good to me,” Norman said.

“Me, too,” Hannah agreed. “Tell me what happened when you took Barbara the things from her house.”

“She was perfectly rational,” Delores said. “I brought a bowling trophy from the mantle. It had her father’s name on it. She recognized it immediately and knew exactly where I’d gotten it. She said,
That’s my dad’s bowling trophy. He won it the year before he died. I kept it because it used to make my mother laugh. It’s so funny, Delores. Just look. They spelled his name wrong.
”

“Did they?” Norman asked her.

“Yes. It was engraved
Patrick Donnelly
and there were three N’s in Donnelly.”

“The last time Barbara talked about her father, she got very upset and started to cry,” Hannah said, remembering how Delores had patted Barbara’s hand and told her not to think of sad things.

“Not this time. And she was the one who referred to her father dying the year after he won the trophy. Doc was very pleased when I told him. He’s been hoping that her delusions would fade as her physical condition improved.”

Hannah nodded. “It sounds reasonable. Let’s just hope he’s right. What else did you find to bring for Barbara?”

“One of her purses since the strap broke on the one she had with her the night of the party. It’s a pretty tan leather shoulder bag with a gold buckle.”

Norman looked thoughtful. “I think I remember her carrying that purse last winter. Did she recognize it?”

“Immediately. And she thanked me very nicely for bringing it. She said it was one of her favorite purses. I asked her where she got it and she said Nettie Grant had given it to her for Christmas when Sheriff Grant was still alive.”

“It sounds to me as if she’s getting better every day,” Norman commented.

“I hope so,” Delores said, “but Doc warned me not to get too excited. He said that brain injuries were unpredictable and there could be setbacks.”

Hannah remembered that Lisa had said the same thing about her father. She’d told Hannah that there were good days and bad days, and there was no way to predict them.

“Is this Monkey Bread for me, dear?” Delores asked, pulling Hannah out of her contemplative mood.

“Yes, Mother. You can share it with Doc Knight and some of the nurses if you want to.”

“I will, but only after I have a piece. Or perhaps two pieces. It has chocolate, you said?”

“Lots of chocolate.”

“Good. I can hardly wait to taste it!” Delores stopped and looked at Hannah expectantly.

“What?” Hannah asked, not sure what her mother wanted.

“It’s like Doc always tells me. Payback is only fair. Aren’t you going to say it?”

“Say what, Mother?”

“Say what I used to say to you.”

Hannah had no idea what her mother was talking about, but when she saw the large chunk of Monkey Bread that Delores had pulled from the loaf, she began to understand. They were all going out to dinner at the Inn and Delores was eating a large chunk of the sweet bread beforehand. “Don’t spoil your dinner, Mother.”

Delores laughed. “I won’t. And I bet you’ve waited your whole life to say that.”

“You’re right.” Hannah was smiling as she scooped Moishe up, set him on his feet, and motioned to Norman. It was time to go to see Barbara. As they headed out the door and turned down the hallway, Hannah found herself hoping that Barbara’s rational response to the things Delores had brought her would carry over to their visit with her.

“H
i, Barbara,” Hannah greeted her.

“Look, Hannah.” Barbara smiled widely. “My dentist gave me a nice present today. Now I don’t look like a bag lady.”

“I’m glad you’re pleased,” Norman said, coming over to kiss Barbara on the cheek. “How does that bridge feel?”

“Good.” Barbara turned to Hannah. “Did you bring your cat to see me? Doc said you would.”

“Moishe’s right here.” Hannah lifted him up in her arms to show Barbara.

“You’re such a beautiful, big boy!” Barbara said, patting the bed. “Come up here and say hello to Aunt Babs.”

Moishe didn’t wait for a second invitation. He leaped out of Hannah’s arms and joined Barbara on the bed.

“So handsome,” Barbara said, stroking his back and then scratching him behind the ears. “Do you like that?”

Moishe purred so loudly that Hannah was almost afraid he’d choke. His tongue flicked out to give Barbara a raspy kiss and he rubbed his head against her arm. Hannah was surprised and pleased by his behavior. It usually took Moishe a while to warm up to someone new, but this time no bribery with kitty treats was required. It was perfectly clear that he was wildly taken with Aunt Babs.

“He likes you, Barbara,” Norman said.

“I know. I think it’s because he recognizes me. Moishe and I are old friends, you know.”

“You are?” Hannah asked, frowning slightly. Barbara had never visited her condo and she hoped this wasn’t another delusion on Barbara’s part.

“Don’t you remember, Hannah? You brought Moishe down to your coffee shop when that film crew was in town. I was one of the extras in the movie.”

“That’s right,” Hannah said, even though she didn’t remember. It was true that she’d taken Moishe to The Cookie Jar while Ross and his movie crew were in town. He’d used all the shops on Main Street for background, and he’d paid every business owner for the privilege. He’d rented Hannah’s business for his exclusive use and since almost everyone in town played some part in the movie, Hannah had done business as usual. The only difference was that for the length of time the movie was filming, The Cookie Jar was classified as a private club and she was allowed to bring Moishe to work with her.

“I was in the coffee shop one day with the other extras in my scene, and Lisa tethered Moishe to our table,” Barbara explained. “That’s how I met him.”

“Of course,” Hannah said, even though she didn’t remember that particular day. Barbara’s explanation was perfectly reasonable.

“I remember that,” Norman said, smiling at Barbara. “I was at the next table with Mike. Weren’t you the extra with the red umbrella in the rainy afternoon scene?”

“That’s right.”

Barbara looked delighted that he’d remembered, and Hannah was delighted, too. Barbara’s delusions had fled for today, at least. But as her Great-Grandma Elsa used to say, it was time to open a can of worms to see what crawled out. “Mother was telling us that she brought you a bowling trophy?”

“That’s right. It was my dad’s bowling trophy. He was in a league down at Ali’s father’s bowling alley. I still remember the shirts. They were aqua blue and they had
Lake Eden Volunteer Fire Department
embroidered on the back. I was in bed, but I heard them laughing when he came home that night. And the next morning my mother showed me that they’d spelled Donnelly wrong on the trophy.”

Norman got up to look at the trophy that was sitting on Barbara’s nightstand. “You’re right,” he said. “It says ‘Patrick Donnelly.’ And ‘Donnelly’ has three N’s. Was Patrick your father’s name?”

Barbara shook her head as if to say it wasn’t, but then she said, “Patrick was my dad’s name.”

“What else did Mother bring you?” Hannah asked. Except for the inappropriate head shake, Barbara was batting a thousand tonight.

“A purse. It’s over there on the chair. It’s one of my favorites. Nettie Grant gave it to me for Christmas one year.”

Hannah gave a deep sigh of relief. They’d gotten through the ten minutes Doc Knight had allotted to their visit and Barbara had been perfectly rational the whole time. “I’m leaving this for you, Barbara,” she said, placing the bakery box on Barbara’s bedside table. “It’s Monkey Bread.”

“I
love
Monkey Bread. My mother used to bake it. Does it have chocolate?”

“Yes. I got the recipe from Lisa’s oldest sister.”

“That’s wonderful, Hannah. It’s the same recipe that my mother used. She made it for a baby shower once and . . . and your partner’s sister asked her for the recipe.”

“We’d better go, Hannah.” Norman glanced out into the hallway. “Here comes Barbara’s nurse and she’s probably going to tell us our visiting time is up.”

“Jenny!” Hannah said, recognizing the nurse as she walked into the room.

“That’s it!” Barbara exclaimed. “It’s Jenny!” And then she turned to Jenny to explain, “The last time Hannah was here, I told her your name sounded like money. And it does. Jenny sounds like penny. I said that, didn’t I, Hannah?”

“Yes, you did.” Hannah turned toward Jenny. “You said you were working another shift. Are you Barbara’s nurse tonight?”

“Yes. I’m staying with Barbara in her room. They’re bringing in a cot in a couple of minutes.”

“You’re going to sleep in here?” Barbara asked her.

“That’s right.”

“Oh, good!” Barbara turned to Hannah. “Jenny can help in case the monster comes back.”

Uh-oh! Here we go again!
Hannah’s mind formed the words that she wasn’t about to speak aloud.

“What monster is that?” Norman asked in a normal conversational tone of voice.

“The first time I saw it I thought it looked like a big white rat. That’s what I told you, isn’t it, Hannah?”

“Yes, that’s what you told me.”

“Well, I saw it again and this time it looked like a white hunchback seal. The way it moves scares me.”

“It won’t come in while I’m here,” Jenny said.

“I hope not.” Barbara turned to Hannah. “Will you bring . . . the big cat back, Hannah?”

“Of course I’ll bring Moishe back.”

“That makes me feel so much safer. I really don’t like that monster.”

There was silence for a moment. It seemed that none of them knew exactly the right thing to say.

“Of course my brother is a monster, too,” Barbara continued, “even if he doesn’t look like one. He’s a human monster.”

“Your . . . brother?” Hannah managed to ask.

Barbara nodded. “I think he still wants to kill me. He probably thought I’d die jumping off the roof, but I didn’t. If he comes back when there’s nobody here, I’m going to hit him with this!”

Barbara reached out and gripped the bowling trophy tightly. “Dad’s bowling trophy ought to take care of him. It’s heavy enough. The last time he came into my room, I hit him with the water pitcher. It’s too bad it’s made out of plastic. I don’t think it hurt him at all.”

Hannah exchanged glances with Norman. It was time for them to leave. “We’d better go now, Barbara,” she said, reaching out to touch Barbara’s hand. “Enjoy your Monkey Bread.”

“Oh, I will! Goodbye, Hannah. Thank you for baking the Monkey Bread. I’ll share it with . . . Jenny.” She turned to Norman. “Goodbye, my dentist. Thank you for the new teeth because now I can eat that Monkey Bread.”

 

They could hear Cuddles yowling with excitement as they led Moishe up to Norman’s front door. They’d decided that instead of driving back to Hannah’s condo to take Moishe home and then retracing their steps to go out to the Lake Eden Inn, they’d simply drop him off at Norman’s house so he could play with Cuddles while they dined.

“She knows Moishe’s out here,” Hannah said, greatly amused by the excited squeals that were coming from inside. “I think you’d better get ready to catch her when you open the door. She could run out.”

Norman stuck his key in the lock. “That won’t be a problem. Just lead Moishe inside and she’ll stay right by him.”

Hannah had her doubts, but she did as Norman suggested and Cuddles stuck right by Moishe’s side. They walked in tandem down the hallway and when Hannah took Moishe off the leash, Cuddles immediately initiated a game of chase.

“Careful!” Norman warned, pulling Hannah over to the living room couch. “Sit! Quick! And if they jump, lean forward. Cuddles thinks the back of the couch is a speedway.”

Hannah sat just in time as the two cats raced into the room. She ducked and leaned forward as Cuddles jumped up and Moishe chased her the length of the couch and then down again.

“The coffee table’s next,” Norman informed her. “Good thing I put the glass I used last night in the dishwasher.”

Norman’s coffee table was huge and Hannah watched the two cats skid across its surface. “What’s next?” she asked him.

“The reverse. Watch for Cuddles to do a one-eighty against the far wall.”

Cuddles did precisely what Norman had described and Hannah laughed. “She pushed off like an Olympic swimmer.”

“Lean forward,” Norman warned an instant before the two cats skyrocketed along the back of the couch again.

“Is there more?” Hannah asked as the two cats sped out of the living room.

“Yes, in the den. They’ll go up and down the staircase at least six times. Then they’ll tear straight through here and hit the other staircase to go up to the bedrooms. Unless you’d like something cold to drink, we could leave now while they’re occupied.”

Hannah glanced at her watch. “Let’s leave now and get something to drink at the Inn. I need to talk to Sally anyway.”

“Are you planning to get some background information about Doctor Bev and Roger?”

“Yes. It’s the scattergun approach. I want to find out all I can about Doctor Bev’s daily life while she was staying there. It might not have anything to do with her murder, but you never know what might come to light if you can manage to ask the right questions.”

The daylight was beginning to fade as they walked out to Norman’s car. The air was filled with the rich perfume of the lilac bushes that grew close to the house, and a few lazy bumblebees droned among the purple, pink, and white blossoms. As night approached, the temperature was beginning to drop a bit, heat lightning flashed against the darkening sky, and the mosquitoes hadn’t found her yet. It was the perfect start to a summer evening in Minnesota.

Norman opened her car door and she slid into the passenger seat. “Why don’t they bite you?” she asked in her best non-sequitur fashion.

“I don’t know. They never have.”

Hannah smiled. Norman had known exactly what she was asking. “How about your mother?”

“They bite her.”

“Your father?”

“They bit him, too. It’s just me. When I was a kid I used to think I was adopted because I was the only one in the family they didn’t bother. Then, when I got older, I realized how silly that was.”

“That’s good.”

“Maybe not. That was when I began to believe that I was from another planet.”

Hannah laughed. She’d walked right into that one.

Norman started the car and they drove off. “Do you want the air on?” he asked her.

“No, let’s roll down the windows. I love the night air and as long as we’re moving, the mosquitoes won’t be able to draw a bead on me.”

Hannah leaned back and let the night air caress her face as Norman turned on the road that ran around Eden Lake. If she were rich, she wouldn’t want an expensive sports car like Doctor Bev. She’d want a luxury sedan and a driver. That way she could lean back and relax as an expert drove her along scenic routes that led only to places she wanted to go. “If I ever get rich, I want a car and a driver,” she said, voicing her thoughts aloud.

“You don’t have to get rich for that. I’ve got a car and I drive. And you’ve got me.”

“Yes,” Hannah said, smiling softly into the darkness. She had Norman and life was good.

“Hey, you two!” a voice called out from the bar as Sally led Hannah and Norman into the dining room.

“Roger,” Sally told them, giving a little wave in Roger’s direction. “He’s been drinking here since mid-afternoon. Poor guy. He’s really upset and he keeps talking about what a great woman she was. I bit my tongue so many times it got sore, so I excused myself and left him with Dick. Every time he said how much he missed her, I wanted to tell him how lucky he . . .” Sally stopped and made a face. “Sorry, Norman.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about, Sally. It’s the pure unvarnished truth. Roger’s much better off without her. I know I am.”

“Norman! Come over here and have a drink!” Roger called out.

“Be right there,” Norman replied, and then he turned to Hannah. “You want to talk to Sally, don’t you?”

“Well, yes, but . . .”

“Go ahead,” Norman interrupted any objection she might make. “Your mother and Doc Knight aren’t here yet, and I wanted to talk to Roger anyway.”