Candy Cane Murder (Hannah Swensen #9.5)(39)

“Hannah?”

“I’m here. I’m just wondering if I can get Doc Knight on the phone tonight and find out if Wayne’s liver was enlarged.”

“I’ll do it, and I’ll call you as soon as I know. Are you going out tonight?”

“I might run out to the mall. I want to question Cory again.”

“Why? You said he couldn’t have done it.”

“I need to find out the name of Melinda’s gardener.”

“Okay. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Take your new cell phone with you and don’t forget to turn it on. Doc Knight will probably have to get back to me, and I’ll let you know as soon as I know.”

“Thanks, Norman,” Hannah said, hanging up the phone and turning to the cat, who couldn’t be less interested. “I have to know if Melinda or Cory requested that particular plant, or if either of them knew it was poisonous. I’ll think of some excuse to ask Cory for the gardener’s name.”

Moishe looked up at his mistress and gave a yowl that was 134

Joanne Fluke

midway between, Figure something out, lady with no fur, and, If you’re leaving, don’t forget to give me more food.

Hannah recognized the look, and gave him more food. She was about to go out the door when the phone rang again.

“So soon?” she said, assuming it was Norman with Doc Knight’s answer.

“So soon what?”

It was Mike’s voice. Hannah did an abrupt turn-around and apologized as she did so. “Sorry, Mike. I thought you were someone else.”

“I was me the last time I checked.”

“Of course you were. So what’s up?”

“There isn’t any.”

“There isn’t any what?”

“Hole. There’s no hole, Hannah. I called the crime lab and they checked it for me. No hole.”

It all came back in the rush. She’d asked Mike to check the Santa suit Wayne was wearing for the hole in the pocket. But there wasn’t a hole. And that meant that Andrea had been right about her Hansel and Gretel analogy. The miniature candy canes had been dropped deliberately. Had Wayne known that he was in danger and dropped candy canes to lead someone to the scene of his murder?

Hannah reined in her imagination. No, that was simply too far-fetched. But what if the killer had murdered Wayne and then dropped the candy canes deliberately so that the body would be found?

“Are you okay, Hannah?”

“I’m fine,” Hannah pulled herself together enough to answer normally.

“Anything new on your end?”

“Not really. It’s all speculation.”

“Okay, then. Let me know if you get anything.”

“I will.”

Hannah felt a bit guilty as she hung up the phone, but she CANDY CANE MURDER

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told herself that there was no reason to tell Mike about the poisonous plant that Norman had discovered growing in Melinda’s orangery. She’d tell him if Doc Knight confirmed that Wayne’s liver was enlarged, but not before. In the meantime, she had to hurry if she wanted to get out to the mall before it closed for the night.





Chapter


! Twelve #

The mall was closing. Hannah could tell by the long string of cars coming toward her as she approached the entrance. One frustrated Christmas shopper was beeping his horn, as if the sound might make the dozens of cars in front of him go faster.

Hannah turned in at the outside entrance to Bergstrom’s Department Store. There was no one behind her and the parking lot that flanked the Christmas tree lot at the side of the store was deserted. Hannah pulled right up in the loading zone next to the lot and jumped out of her truck to rush toward the door. She ran past a sign saying that they were expecting a fresh shipment of Douglas fir trees tonight, past another that listed the prices per foot, and around the corner of the building to the entrance. The bright lights were off and there was only dim lighting inside the store, but she hoped she could catch an employee leaving late who would call Cory and ask him to come down from the penthouse and talk with her.

The door was locked, but she could see someone moving inside. Hannah hammered on the door with gloved fists until she got his attention and he moved toward her. The lights were dim, but as he drew closer she realized that he was in a Santa suit.

“I’m Hannah Swensen and I need to see Cory,” she CANDY CANE MURDER

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shouted, hoping he could hear her through the heavy glass door. “It’s really important.”

“Hold on,” the man dressed as Santa shouted back. Then he unlocked the door and ushered her in.

“Is Cory still here?” Hannah asked him.

“He’s here.”

The Santa gave a chuckle and pulled off his hat, white wig, and beard. It was Cory! Hannah was so startled, her mouth dropped open.

“I didn’t recognize you in that costume,” she said, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I guess you must have been playing Santa tonight.”

“That’s right. The guy I hired to replace Wayne called in sick.”

“Well, you make a great Santa,” Hannah complimented him, and then she got down to business. “I came out here to ask you a couple of questions.”

“Ask away.” Cory said.