Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (Hannah Swensen #1)(21)

This was her chance and Hannah wasn’t about to waste it. She set off after Danielle as fast as she could. Once she’d gained the hallway, Hannah headed straight for the ladies’ room with only one purpose in mind. She had to find out exactly what Danielle knew about Ron’s murder.





Chapter Seven




As Hannah approached the door to the ladies’ room, she heard the sound of muffled sobbing. Maybe it wasn’t fair of her to take advantage of Danielle in her grief, but playing fair wasn’t as important as helping Bill solve Ron’s murder.

Hannah pushed open the door and found Danielle standing in front of the long mirror above the sinks. She was dabbing at her eyes with a soggy tissue and she looked helpless and frightened. As Hannah stepped into the pink-tiled room, she felt like Simon Legree confronting Little Eliza.

“Danielle?” Hannah remembered the old flies-and-honey maxim and she put every ounce of sympathy she could muster into her voice. “What’s wrong?”

Danielle whirled around, looking terribly guilty. “Nothing. I just…uh…I got something in my eye, that’s all.”

“Both eyes?” Hannah spoke without thinking and instantly regretted it. She wouldn’t get anywhere by alienating Danielle before she’d asked her first question. “It’s probably dust. It’s been really windy today. Do you want me to take a look?”

“No! Uh…thanks anyway, Hannah. I think I got it.”

“Good.” Hannah gave her the best of her friendly smiles. She knew that the excuse Danielle had given her was a bald-faced lie, but she was willing to ignore it, providing Danielle told her what she wanted to know. “Isn’t it awful the way everybody’s talking about Ron?”

Danielle’s face blanched again. “Yes, it is.”

“Did you see Ron in the past couple of days?” Hannah held her breath. If Danielle admitted she’d ridden along to the school with Ron, she’d be one step closer to gathering the facts that Bill needed.

“No. We don’t take home delivery and I really didn’t run into him all that much. I’ve got to go now, Hannah.”

“You just got here.” Hannah moved to the side to block Danielle. “Stay for a minute, Danielle. If I were you, I’d fix my makeup. Your mascara’s starting to run.”

“No, it’s not. I just checked it. I’ve really got to go. Boyd’s waiting for me and he doesn’t like me to be gone for long.”

“Why not?” Hannah could feel Danielle’s panic and it didn’t make sense.

“He…uh…he worries about me when I’m not with him.”

Danielle was standing right under the overhead light fixture and Hannah noticed that the makeup on one side of her face was much thicker than it was on the other. Was it covering the skin problem that Luanne had told her about?

“We can talk later, Hannah. Boyd won’t be happy if I don’t get right back out there.”

“Not quite yet.” Hannah reached out to take Danielle’s arm as she tried to brush past her. The flies-and-honey tactic hadn’t worked and it was time to play hardball. “I know you were with Ron this morning and I need to know why.”

Danielle’s eyes widened in an attempt to look innocent, but a telltale blush rose to her cheeks. “Ron? You’re mistaken, Hannah. I told you I haven’t seen him for weeks.”

“That’s a lie and you know it. Why were you at the school with Ron when he stocked the cooler?”

“Who says I was?” Danielle turned to face her directly and there was a definite challenge in her eyes. It was clear she wasn’t willing to give up the information without a fight.

“Nobody says it, but I know you were. Your coffee cup was sitting on the counter and you left a smear of lipstick on it. You’re the only one in Lake Eden who wears that color, Danielle. Were you having an affair with Ron?”

“An affair?” Danielle seemed genuinely shocked. “That’s ridiculous, Hannah! It’s true I was with Ron, but we were just friends. He…uh…he helped me through some rough times.”

Danielle’s face had the very same expression Hannah had once seen on a trapped rabbit. She’d freed the rabbit, but Hannah wasn’t about to let Danielle escape before she’d given her some truthful answers. “Let me see if I’ve got this straight, Danielle. Your husband was out of town, you spent the night with an attractive man who’s just a friend, and your friend just happened to get murdered this morning only minutes after you had coffee together?”

“I know it sounds bad.” Danielle sighed and all the bravado seemed to go out of her. “You’ve got to believe me, Hannah. That’s exactly what happened.”

“Does Boyd know that you spent the night with Ron?”

“No!” Danielle looked sick. “Please don’t tell him! Boyd would never understand!”

“I won’t have to tell him if you start being honest with me. If you and Ron weren’t having an affair, why were you with him?”

Danielle glanced at the door and then she looked down at her arm where Hannah’s fingers gripped it. She shivered and then she nodded. “All right. I’ll tell you, Hannah, but you’ve got to respect my privacy. I…I can’t let Boyd know where I was last night.”