Carrot Cake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #10)(83)

“Oh, they put them through the candle machine, and we saw the little baby chicks on the monitor. You could count those, and you’d know exactly how many chicks there would be.”

“Well…” Hannah was momentarily at loss for words. “I guess you could do that.”

“I even asked the egg lady if there was another way to know, because Grandma and Grandpa Todd don’t have one of those candle machines.”

“What did she say?” Hannah was curious.

“She said that all you had to do was keep the hens away from the roosters, and you wouldn’t have any fertilized eggs.”

Hannah exchanged glances with Andrea. They were a bit out of their depth, and it was time to change subjects.

“So, honey…” Andrea said, doing her best but coming up with nothing.

“Your Mom and I were just wondering what you want to do next?” Hannah bailed her younger sister out.

“I need to change out of my swimsuit and get into my regular clothes. And then I have to find Grandpa Jack, because he said he’d buy me a grape Popsicle and split it with me if I won.”

“Do you want to change at Grandma’s cottage?” Andrea asked her.

“No, my clothes are in the girls’ changing room. If you wait right here for me, I’ll just change in there.”

Tracey started to scamper off, but she stopped and made her way back. “I almost forgot,” she told them. “Mrs. Schultz gave me a message for you, Aunt Hannah. She said that when you got back from your lunch, you should go over and see her.”

“I wonder what that’s about?” Andrea commented, once Tracey had run off to the changing rooms.

“I don’t know, but if she told Tracey it was important, it probably is. I’ll head over there now and hook up with you later.”

The Eden Lake store was deserted. Everyone was at Games Day. Hannah pushed open the door, and the bell that announced customers tinkled emptily inside. “Ava?” she called out.

Ava emerged from the living quarters in the back, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “Sorry about that. There hasn’t been anyone in for an hour, so I washed my lunch dishes.”

“Tracey said you wanted to see me?”

“Not really, but I thought I should. It’s about the murder, Hannah. It’s been eating at me, and I didn’t really want to tell you, but then I started thinking about how maybe if I kept quiet some perfectly innocent person would get convicted, and…” Ava’s voice trailed off, and she gave a little sigh. “He didn’t do it, Hannah. He couldn’t have. We all went to high school together, and he was the gentlest, the kindest, the nicest…I feel like I’m betraying an old friend!”

“Why don’t you let me worry about that,” Hannah soothed her. “I’m not the police. I don’t have to tell them if we decide it’s not important.”

“You’re sure? I don’t want to get him in trouble.”

“I’m sure. Tell me, Ava.”

“It was the night Gus got killed. I did what I told you. Once he left and went back to the pavilion, I got ready for bed. I was about to climb under the covers when the bell rang in front.”

“You had a customer?”

“Right. My father installed that bell in case somebody had car trouble or they were running out of gas. Nobody’s used it for twenty years, but it worked, and I put on my robe and went to the front door.”

“And it was…?”

“Jack. Jack Herman. He was standing there looking confused, so I unlocked the door and let him in. I know about his troubles, and I figured that if he was sleepwalking or something like that, I’d take him back to the cottage and wake Marge.”

“So what happened?”

“He wasn’t sleepwalking. He was perfectly normal, at least I thought he was. He said he knew it was late, but he saw the light on and he hoped I’d open up and sell him a jar of pickled pig’s feet for Marge.”

“And you said…?”

“I told him I’d be happy to, but why did he want to buy them now? It wasn’t like Marge would want to eat them for breakfast, was it?”

“What was his reaction to that?”

“He laughed and said no, they weren’t exactly breakfast food, but they were going to be really busy tomorrow with the family photos and all, and he thought he’d buy them now and have them on hand.”

“Did he pay you?”

“Oh, yes. Jack always pays his bills. Even when he and Emmy were poor as church mice, they never charged anything as far as I know.”

“Okay. Thanks for telling me, Ava.” Hannah fought a feeling of defeat as she turned and headed for the door. She’d hoped that Mac was lying about seeing Jack, but now it seemed that Jack had been out at the time of Gus’s murder.

“Hannah!” Patsy looked delighted to see Hannah when she appeared in the kitchen of the Thompson cottage to see if Andrea was there. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

“Well, you found me.” Hannah made herself at home by walking over to the thirty-cup coffee pot the ladies kept going in the kitchen, and pouring herself a cup.

Patsy looked around. The kitchen was crowded with ladies loading the dishwashers and washing pots and pans in the sink by hand. She motioned to Hannah to follow her into the deserted living room, and they took a seat on the couch.