Candy Cane Murder (Hannah Swensen #9.5)(36)

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Jenny was just as Hannah had remembered her, a pleasantlooking woman in her late forties with brown hair, stylishly cut, that was streaked with gray. She was dressed in black slacks and a black sweater that was embroidered with Hannah’s favorite flower, lilacs.

“Hello, Jenny.” Hannah stepped in first and handed her the cookies. “These are called Angel Pillows.”

“Some of your famous cookies. Thank you, Hannah.”

“We wanted to bring you something, because we’re so sorry for your loss.”

The moment that the words were out of her mouth, Hannah wished that she could call them back. They were exactly the same words that Norman had spoken to Melinda. But in this case, they seemed more appropriate. One look at Jenny’s swollen face, and Hannah was willing to bet that Mike was right and she’d been crying all night and all day over her exhusband’s death.

Andrea gave Jenny a big hug. “This is so awful for you. I can tell you’ve been crying your eyes out for hours and hours. You still loved him, didn’t you?”

Hannah tried not to look as shocked as she felt. Andrea had jumped in with both feet. She waited until her sister and Jenny had seated themselves on the couch next to the window and then she took a chair directly across from them and waited for Jenny’s response.

“It’s true,” Jenny said with a sigh, “even though Wayne could be a real pain at times. And both of you know how cheap he could be. It used to make me angry when he’d give me something I really needed for birthdays and Christmases, like a set of tires for my car, or a new steam iron, or a toaster.

He just hated to spend money on anything he thought was frivolous. I think it was probably a reaction to his background.”

“Really?” Andrea prompted.

“Wayne’s father owned a small general store in South 124

Joanne Fluke

Dakota. Wayne told me it was thriving when he started first grade, but then his father made some bad investments and he lost everything. They had to move to Wayne’s grandparents’

farm and they barely made both ends meet. I’m no psychiatrist, but I think Wayne was afraid he’d lose it all, the way his father did, and he’d have to go back to a life like that. And that’s why he hated to spend any of the money he earned.”

“You’re probably right,” Andrea responded. “That would be enough to turn anyone into a careful spender.”

“Careful spender?” Jenny gave a little laugh. “That’s a polite way to put it. Wayne was a tightwad. There’s no two ways about it. But he was my tightwad and I loved him.

That’s one of the reasons I left town. I was devastated when he filed for divorce so he could marry that …” Jenny stopped and swallowed hard, “ … that model of his. And he spent so much money on her. Every time he gave her a gift, my friends would call to tell me about her new piece of jewelry, or her new car, or whatever.”

Andrea looked very sympathetic. “That must have been difficult to hear, especially when he’d been so cheap with you.”

“Oh it was, believe me! But I really thought he’d come to his senses and admit he’d made a big mistake.”

“And he’d come crawling back to you?”

“That’s right. But he didn’t. And after the divorce was final and they set a wedding date, I had to leave.”

“But he gave you enough money to get along, didn’t he?”

“Yes. I didn’t get rich, but I got a decent settlement.”

“Do you mind if I use your bathroom, Jenny?” Hannah broke into what had been basically a two-person conversation.

“Of course I don’t mind. Just go through the bedroom and to the left.”

Hannah was glad when Andrea started talking, claiming Jenny’s attention once again. She got up and headed out of CANDY CANE MURDER

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the room, wondering just how long she could be gone. The bathroom excuse had worked really well at Melinda’s penthouse and it was worth trying here in Jenny’s mini-suite.

Hannah was almost positive that Jenny had loved Wayne, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t killed him.

Since the folding doors were open and Jenny could be watching, Hannah headed straight for the bathroom. Once inside she was hidden from view, and Hannah leaned against the doorjamb, letting her eyes do a search of the room.

Everything was perfectly ordinary, from the three nice suits hanging in the closet to the array of cosmetics on the dresser table. Hannah was actually considering crawling across the floor to search under the bed when she spotted something unusual in the corner.

It was a large pink box with purple stars scattered across its surface. Because she’d tried to buy it for Tracey, Hannah knew that Teensy’s environments came in bright pink boxes with purple stars. But what was a divorced woman on a tight budget doing with an expensive children’s toy? Could Carrie be right? Had Jenny been pregnant when she’d left Lake Eden? There was only one way to find out and Hannah got straight to it.

“I see you’ve got a Teensy environment,” Hannah addressed Jenny as she came out into the living room again.

“Oh, yes. Yes, I do. I picked it up at the airport in Minneapolis right after I landed.”

“Is it for your daughter?”