Chocolate Cream Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen #24)(34)

“I’m really sorry, Lynne.” Hannah reached out to pat Lynne’s hand.

“So am I. It was so good at the beginning. Then we were always together. But now I don’t see Tom for weeks at a time. He says it’s business, but . . .” Lynne stopped speaking and an expression of fear and pain crossed her face. “I’m not sure that’s it.”

“Do you think it could be . . .” Hannah paused, wondering how to phrase her question, but she knew that even if she found the perfect words, it wouldn’t be easy for Lynne to hear. “Do you think it could be another woman?”

“I don’t think so,” Lynne replied immediately. “I really don’t, Hannah. It’s something else, and he won’t tell me what.”

“Do you think it has anything to do with his business?”

“He told me it doesn’t.” Lynne drew a deep breath. “The logical conclusion is that Tom found another woman that he cares for more than he cares for me. But . . . I don’t think that’s it, either.”

“Maybe you’ll learn more when he comes back,” Hannah suggested, hoping that it would be true. “Just hang in there, Lynne, and I’m here if you need me. You don’t have to go through this alone. And even if you and Tom divorce, you can always come back here to Lake Eden. Everyone here really likes you.”

“Thanks. That means a lot to me, Hannah. Maybe it’s time for me to do something different and stop being subsidized by Tom. L.A. is brutal, Hannah. There are a ton of good actresses, and it’s depressing to go on hundreds of auditions without getting a good part. I’ve done a few commercials, but holding a bottle of household cleaner and convincing people that it’s better than any other product isn’t what I want to do with my life.”

“What do you want to do with your life?” Hannah asked her.

“I’m not sure, but I don’t have to be an actress. I have fallback positions and I can always earn my own living in another way.” Lynne reached for one of the stuffed mushrooms. “Have one, Hannah.”

It was clear that Lynne didn’t want to talk about her problems any longer and Hannah reached for a mushroom. She popped it into her mouth, chewed, swallowed, and smiled. “They’re really good!”

“They’re excellent,” Lynne agreed, taking a sip of wine.

“I remember a question that Michelle asked me once,” Hannah said as an old memory surfaced. “It was right after I came home from college and decided not to go back. Michelle and I were talking and she said, If you could do anything you wanted to do, what would it be? And I told her that I’d like to open a bakery and coffee shop and call it The Cookie Jar.”

Lynne looked interested. “How old was Michelle when she asked you that?”

“I think she was sixteen. I know that she was a junior in high school.”

“That’s a great question.”

“I know. If you could do anything you wanted to do, what would it be, Lynne?”

“I’m not completely sure, but I think I might like to teach acting. I finished my degree in theater arts and I do have a teaching certificate, but I’d rather give private lessons to both adults and students. I wonder if there’s a market for something like that in Lake Eden.”

Hannah began to smile. “There is!” she said quickly. “Mayor Bascomb’s sister was giving private acting lessons in her condo.”

“Was?” Lynne picked up on the tense that Hannah had used. “Did she get another position?”

“Not exactly.” Hannah gave a little sigh. “She was murdered.”

“Good heavens!” Lynne gave a little shudder. “I hope they caught whoever did it.”

“Yes,” Hannah answered, not mentioning that she had been the one to catch Tori Bascomb’s killer.

Just then Dot pushed aside the privacy curtain and delivered their entrées. “I see you liked the stuffed mushrooms,” she said, handing the empty plate to her busboy.

“They were delicious,” Lynne said as Dot delivered her entrée. Hannah’s entrée was next and once she had refilled their wineglasses, Dot told them to enjoy their dinner and left.

Hannah was amazed to discover that she was ravenous and Sally’s Cornish game hen was every bit as good as it always was. She especially liked the apricot glaze, but she vowed that the next time she ordered it, she’d try the raspberry glaze.

Lynne seemed to enjoy her entrée too, and Hannah was pleased to see that their discussion about Tom and about Lynne’s future plans hadn’t affected her friend’s appetite. Hannah hoped for the best with Lynne’s marriage, but if push came to shove, she hoped that Lynne would move to Lake Eden, where everyone liked her and she could have a fresh start.

Once they’d finished their entrées, Dot cleared their table and delivered after-dinner coffee for them. The two friends sat there talking for a moment and then they heard a summons from outside the booth.

“Knock, knock,” a female voice called out, and Sally pushed back the privacy curtain. “Am I interrupting?”

“Not at all,” Lynne assured her. “Hannah and I were just talking about Lake Eden. Come in and join us, Sally.”

“Me too?” another, deeper voice inquired.