Chocolate Cream Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen #24)(75)

“But they can shower right here,” Hannah gestured toward two doors on the far wall, one marked MEN and the other marked WOMEN. “We have showers right down here.”

“Does anyone ever use those?” Norman walked over and opened the door to the men’s shower room. He stepped inside and a moment later, he came out carrying a large towel. “Someone used the shower today. This towel is still damp.”

Hannah walked over to examine the towel. “This belongs to Gala Cruise Line,” she told him. “It says so right on the bottom in big blue letters. And there’s a picture of a cruise ship on it. Somebody went on a cruise on a ship called the Expedition and took one of their beach towels home with them.”

“That happens all the time. People who stay in hotels take towels and washcloths home with them. I used to know someone who owned a motel and he said that it’s one of the reasons room rates are so high. They have to continually replace the towels and sometimes, even the blankets.”

“But that’s stealing!” Hannah said with a frown. “Those things belong to the hotel or, in this case, the cruise line. I’d never do something like that.”

“Neither would I, but lots of people do. What do you want me to do with this beach towel?”

Hannah shrugged. “Leave it here, I guess. I wouldn’t know how to return it. And even if I did, it’s a little frayed on the edges and they probably wouldn’t want it back.”

Norman returned the towel to the shower room and when he came back, he walked over to look at the stack of extra chairs in the corner of the exercise room. He counted them and then he turned back to Hannah “There are another twenty-three chairs here, Hannah.”

“Good. That means we’ll have seating for over a hundred if Mother uses the extra chairs. That should be plenty for one of her book launch parties.”

They walked across the tiled floor and Hannah led the way up the staircase. “I’ll tell Mother about this tomorrow. And then I’ll call the president of the homeowner’s committee to see if I can rent the clubhouse for the date Mother wants.”

Norman opened the outer door and held it for Hannah as she turned off the bright overhead lights. They were about to leave when Hannah grabbed his arm.

“Wait a second, Norman. There’s something on one of the card tables that doesn’t belong there.” She walked over to see what it was and began to frown. “It’s a pair of binoculars! I wonder why someone needed those.”

Norman shrugged. “Birdwatching?” he suggested.

“Maybe. We do have a birdwatchers’ club that meets here. I’d better leave these here, too. They look expensive and I’m sure they’ll be missed.”

Hannah used her key to lock the clubhouse door behind them. Once that was accomplished, they headed back toward Norman’s car.

“It’s going to be cold tonight,” Norman said. “That breeze is icy. Do you want me to drive to the garage and park there? Then we won’t have as far to walk.”

“No, I’m okay,” Hannah told him. “It’s only one building away and we can go across the planter to get there. Mike’s probably parked his cruiser in my spot anyway, and I’ll leave the extra space open for Michelle.”

It was only a short walk and Hannah was about to start up her open staircase when she heard a plaintive yowl. “That sounds like Moishe!” she said.

“And it came from down here.” Norman bent over to look under the staircase. “It is Moishe! What are you doing under there, Moishe?”

Moishe gave another yowl and crawled out on his belly. His fur was matted down, his ears were flat against his head, and he looked terribly frightened.

“Come here, Moishe,” Hannah said, holding out her arms. No more than a millisecond later, Moishe was in her arms, trying to tunnel inside her parka.

“He’s scared to death!” Hannah said, turning to Norman with wide eyes. “What’s wrong? And how did he get out?”

“I don’t know,” Norman said, standing back so that he could see the upstairs door to Hannah’s condo. “The door’s closed.”

“Thank God you found him!” a familiar voice said, and Hannah turned to see her mother rushing up the garage steps. “I’ve been looking all over for him!”

“He was here, under the staircase,” Norman told her, and then he turned to Hannah. “We’d better take him upstairs where he feels more comfortable.”

Hannah began to approach the outside staircase, but Moishe yowled again. “He’s shaking even harder,” she said, staring down at her pet in surprise. “He’s afraid to go up there, Norman!”

“Bring him to my car,” Delores said. “I’ll take him home with me. He loves to hunt in my penthouse garden and it’ll calm him down.”

Just then, Michelle came out of the garage. “What’s happening?” she asked them. “And why are you parked in my spot, Mother?”

Hannah turned to stare at her mother. “All I know is that Moishe was hiding under the open staircase and he’s scared to death to go upstairs. Something’s wrong and I think Mother knows what it is. What is it, Mother?”

“I . . . I can’t tell you. They told me not to.”

“Who told you not to?” There was an edge in Hannah’s voice that brooked no argument. “Tell me, Mother!”