Carrot Cake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #10)(74)

“That’s right. Red Velvet Cookies. People used to beg her to make them, and then they started offering her money to bake. Marge’s mother hired Emmy to bake for her sewing circle. What do they do at those sewing circles, anyway?”

Hannah blinked. She’d been so wrapped up in Jack’s story of the past, his question was a jolt. “I don’t know. I’ve never been to a sewing circle, but maybe it’s the same thing they do at the Lake Eden Quilting Club.”

“And what’s that?”

“They quilt a little, and then they eat cookies and drink coffee. And after that, they gossip about whoever’s not there.”

Jack threw back his head and laughed. His laughter made Hannah feel good. Except for brief moments with Marge and his children, he’d been solemn and dour for the entire duration of the reunion.

“Go on, Jack,” she said, nudging him gently. “Tell me the rest of the story.”

“Sure thing. Well…” Jack stopped, and all traces of his smile disappeared. “I’m sorry, my dear. I forget.”

For a brief moment, the term of endearment puzzled Hannah. Then she remembered that Lisa had taught her father to use my dear when he couldn’t remember a woman’s name.

“That’s okay,” Hannah said, giving him an encouraging smile. She felt like groaning in disappointment, but of course she didn’t. It would have hurt Jack’s feelings and served no positive purpose. Instead, she tried to set the scene for him and take him back to the time he’d been describing. “You were just telling me how Emmy used to bake for people,” she prompted. “And you said Marge’s mother asked Emmy to bake cookies for her sewing circle?”

“That’s right! I don’t know how I could have forgotten. Anyway, Emmy baked those…what are they called again?”

“Red Velvet Cookies.”

“Yes. She baked Red Velvet Cookies for the sewing circle. We only had the one car, and she took me to work that morning because she had to deliver them. Her mother was there for a visit, so she was taking care of…of…”

“Iris?” Hannah prompted.

“Yes, Iris. Our daughter, Iris.” There was so much love in Jack’s voice that Hannah felt a lump form in her throat. “And when Emmy got to Marge’s mother’s house to deliver the cookies, she ran into Gus. He wasn’t supposed to be there. Everybody thought he’d left the night before. But he missed the bus, and he was waiting around for the next one to take him to camp.”

Jack stopped and Hannah could see that he was confused. “What is it?” she asked him.

“That doesn’t make any sense. I must be remembering it wrong. Gus was too old for camp. We’re the same age, and I was already married to Emmy. Say…did I tell you we got married right out of high school?”

“Yes. I think you were talking about baseball camp,” Hannah said quickly, before Jack could get off on a tangent. “Wasn’t Gus supposed to leave for his Triple A baseball training camp?”

A huge smile spread over Jack’s face. “That’s it! Gus was supposed to leave the night before, but he missed the bus so he was still home. I bet he was out playing poker and didn’t watch the time. He did that a lot. And if you’re late for that kind of training, they fine you, and…” Jack stopped and looked confused again. “Where was I?”

“You were telling me about the cookies Emmy delivered to Marge’s mother. And when she got there, she ran into Gus.”

“That’s what happened. How did you know that? Say…you weren’t there, were you?”

“No, but Emmy was. And Gus was. What happened when Emmy saw Gus?”

“She said hello. Emmy was always polite. And then she gave Marge’s mother the cookies. Right after that, she went out to the car to come home, but it wouldn’t start. And that’s when Marge’s mother told Gus to take their car and give Emmy a ride home.”

This time Hannah had even more trouble stifling a groan. From what she’d learned about Gus and the women he fancied, this couldn’t be a good thing.

Jack took a sip of his coffee, and it was clear to Hannah that he didn’t want to go on. But she needed to know, and perhaps he needed to tell the story to someone who’d promised never to repeat it. “What happened when Gus took Emmy home?”

“He didn’t take her home.” Jack’s eyebrows met and knit in an angry line.

“Will you tell me? I promise you I won’t repeat it. You can trust me, Jack.”

“I know. Everybody says that. I didn’t know anything, my dear. I was completely in the dark. Emmy didn’t tell me about it until I got into that big fight on the night Gus left Lake Eden for good.”

“Tell me what Emmy told you.” Hannah reached out and took Jack’s hand.

“She said Gus got fresh with her and she slapped him and walked over four miles home. Do you know why she didn’t tell me about it?”

“She didn’t want to worry you?” Hannah guessed.

“No, she didn’t want me to kill Gus and go to jail for the rest of my life. She said she needed me and she loved me. And since nothing really happened, she didn’t want to tell me about it.” Jack stopped talking and blinked back tears. And after a moment, he seemed ready to go on. “Say…do you think that’s what’ll happen? “