Apple Turnover Murder (Hannah Swensen, #13)(84)

Hannah pulled into Lisa and Herb’s driveway and parked. She glanced down at her purse, recovered from the floorboards under the passenger seat of Perry’s city maintenance truck, and handed it to Michelle. “I’ll be right back.”

“This is so sweet of you, Hannah!” Lisa looked delighted as she accepted Dillon’s cake. “The only thing is … I’m not sure dogs like cake.”

“He’ll like this one. It’s a Good Doggy Cake. The frosting is cream cheese and liverwurst, and the three layers are ground chicken, ground beef, and ground turkey.”

“Oh, my!” Lisa was clearly impressed. “In that case he’s going to love it. I’ll give him a piece for dessert tonight and tell him it’s from you.”

Hannah gave Lisa a hug and hurried back out to her cookie truck. Once there, she pressed the pedal to the metal, which didn’t have the same effect that racecar drivers spoke of, and they arrived at the Lake Eden Inn fifteen minutes later than the time stated by their mother when she invited them for dinner.

“I guess we’re not so late after all,” Hannah said to Michelle as they followed the waitress to a long table in the center of the dining room. Delores was already seated at the head of the table with Mike seated next to her around the corner. There were place cards, as usual, and Hannah headed over to Mike, knowing that her mother always sandwiched her in between Mike and Norman.

“Hello, darlings!” Delores greeted them. “You’re on the other side, Michelle, next to Tracey when Andrea and Bill get here. And Hannah? You’re next to …”

“I know,” Hannah interrupted her mother.

“I have something for you in my car,” Delores said, and then she smiled. “Actually, it’s for my grandcat. It’s that umbrella stand you wanted for Moishe. Andrea bought it at the auction for you.”

“Great!” Hannah was pleased. The giant gargoyle-like mice might keep Moishe amused for a while. “I hope she didn’t pay too much.”

“She paid a dollar. No one else bid on it. I only have one caveat before I hand it over to you, dear.”

“What’s that, Mother?”

“You hide it in the closet when I come over. It’s the most hideous thing I’ve ever seen.”

Hannah was saved from making that promise by the arrival of Andrea, Bill, and Tracey. Once everyone had been properly greeted, they took the places Delores indicated, and then Bill turned to Hannah.

“Thank you, Hannah,” he said.

“For what?”

“For planting the seeds of doubt in my mind. I was so bowled over by Tachyon’s offer, I didn’t even think to question it. You were absolutely right. They called me. I never called them.”

“Was the offer legitimate?” Hannah held her breath. She wasn’t sure whether she hoped it was or it wasn’t.

“Tachyon never heard of the person who offered Bill the job,” Andrea answered. “It was all a lie.”

“And now that Professor Ramsey’s killer is behind bars, I’ve got Mike and Lonnie making inquiries to find out who made the calls and why,” Bill picked up the explanation. “That idea you had about someone who wants to discredit me is a good one.”

“We’re going to tap Bill’s home phone,” Mike said. “We think we might be able to trace the call if Bill keeps him on the line long enough.”

Bill laughed. “You don’t have to worry about that. He was pretty long-winded.”

“I hope you get him!” Andrea said to Mike. “I just about went crazy thinking we’d have to move.”

“Me too,” Tracey said. “I hope you get him, Uncle Mike!”

There was a series of faint musical notes, and Andrea reached into her purse for her cell phone. “It’s Norman,” she said, glancing at the display. “I wonder why he’s calling me? I’ll run out to the lobby and talk to him. The reception’s better out there.”

Hannah thought she knew why Norman was calling Andrea. Her own cell phone was still plugged into the charger in the kitchen.

“I have some news,” Michelle said. “Sherri Connors called me this morning. She’s back with Kyle and they’re getting married.”

“Even though the baby’s not his?” Delores asked.

Hannah could tell her mother regretted the question the moment after she’d asked it. She glanced at Tracey and frowned.

“It’s okay, Grandma,” Tracey said, jumping to her feet. “I’ll just go find Mom in the lobby so you can talk about those things.”

As Tracey rushed off, Delores just shook her head. “I forget she’s just a child,” she said.

“I’m not sure she is,” Hannah commented, and then she turned to Michelle. “Kyle doesn’t mind that the baby’s not his?”

“He says as long as the baby’s Sherri’s, that’s enough for him. And since they’re getting married right away and he’ll be listed as the husband on the birth certificate, he’ll be the baby’s legal father.”

Andrea came back into the dining room, followed by Tracey. “Norman’s on his way, but he had an unexpected visitor, somebody he knows from dental school. I told him his friend was welcome to join us. I hope that was okay.”