Carrot Cake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #10)(76)

“Look at the one I made, Aunt Hannah,” Tracey, Hannah’s five-year-old niece, pointed to the pancake sitting on a square of wax paper next to her breakfast plate. “Aunt Patsy helped me make it.”

Patsy turned to Andrea. “I told her it was all right to call me Aunt Patsy,” she explained. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind at all. Tracey has lots of aunts and uncles that aren’t really family members.”

“They’re pretend aunts and uncles,” Tracey told Patsy. “Aunt Hannah is real, because Mom and Aunt Hannah are sisters. And Aunt Michelle’s real, too. I don’t have any real uncles, but I pretend with Uncle Norman and Uncle Mike and Uncle Herb.”

Since Patsy looked thoroughly confused, Hannah stepped in to change the subject. “That’s an interesting pancake, Tracey. Does it taste as good as it looks?”

“I think so. It’s from the same bowl as the one I’m eating, so it should be the same.”

“And the one you’re eating is good?” Andrea prompted her.

“Really, really good. It’s the best pancake I ever had. Maybe, if I’m not too full, I’ll have one more, but not this one.” Tracey pointed to the pancake she’d fried.

“You’re not going to eat your own pancake?” Michelle asked her.

Tracey shook her head so hard her blond ponytail bounced from side to side. “I have to save it, because it’s the first pancake I ever made.”

“But food spoils after a while,” Hannah reminded her. “You won’t be able to keep it forever.”

“Yes, I will. Aunt Lisa figured it out for me. She’s going to take my pancake home and dry it in her…” Tracey stopped and glanced across the table at Lisa. “Would you tell me the name of that machine again, Aunt Lisa?”

“It’s a dehydrator. It removes the moisture from fruit and vegetables so that you can store them longer.”

“You’re going to try to dry Tracey’s pancake?” Michelle looked amused.

“Why not?” Lisa gave a little laugh. “And once I dry it, I’m going to shellac it so it won’t fall apart.”

Herb looked dubious. “But is that going to work?”

“It worked with the cookie ornaments I made for our Christmas tree down at The Cookie Jar. Isn’t that right, Hannah?”

“Right. We used those ornaments last year, too, and they held up beautifully.” Hannah winked at Lisa. “Of course Norman had to work overtime fixing all the teeth our customers broke trying to get a free cookie from the Christmas tree.”

Tracey’s eyes widened. “Really?” she asked.

“No, I was just kidding. But it could have happened. Those are real cookies under that shellac.”

“And mine’s a real pancake,” Tracey said, turning to smile at Lisa. “Aunt Lisa’s never dried a pancake before. My pancake will be the very first one.”

“If anyone can do it, Lisa can,” Jack said, leaning over to give Tracey a hug. “What are you going to do with your fine-looking pancake when it’s dried?”

“I think I’ll hang it on the wall in my room, so I can remember how much fun I had today.”

“That’s a good idea, but I think you need a fallback position.”

“What’s a fallback position, Uncle Jack?” Tracey asked him.

“How about calling me Grandpa Jack? I’m a little too old to be your uncle.”

“Okay,” Tracey gave him a smile. “What’s a fallback position ‘Grandpa Jack’?”

“It’s what you do when the first thing you try doesn’t work. Do you see that dentist with the camera around here anywhere?”

“He’s not here,” Hannah spoke up. “Norman had to go out of town, and he won’t be back until tomorrow morning.”

“Too bad. He could have helped us out. Does anybody else have a camera?”

Lisa gestured toward her husband. “Herb has a digital, Dad. Do you want him to take a picture for you?”

“Not for me, for…” Jack reached out and patted Tracey’s shoulder. “…for my dear, here.”

“Tracey,” Tracey provided her name before anyone else could do it. “But you can call me my dear. I like it, and nobody else calls me that.”

“I’m glad you like it, because I’ll probably forget your name again.” Jack laughed at himself, and everyone else joined in. It was a good moment, and Hannah hoped that he’d forgotten the conversation they’d had and the painful incident he’d remembered.

“So Herb…” Jack looked over at him. “Will you take a picture of the…the…”

Tracey leaned close and whispered something in Jack’s ear.

“Right. Will you take a picture of the pancake?” Jack finished his question. “That way Tracey can have the picture framed if the pancake doesn’t turn out right.”

“I’ll do that,” Herb promised. “Good idea, Jack.”

“Are you through with your breakfast, Grandpa Jack?” Tracey asked him.

“I’m through. How about you?”

“I’m through, too. I wanted another pancake, but I’m too full. Do you want to go to the store for dessert?”