Cinnamon Roll Murder (Hannah Swensen, #15)(36)

Hannah didn’t say a word. Andrea was right.

“When we find Cammy, I’m going to ask her, but I’ll bet anything that Lee’s only nice to her when he wants something. And when he does, he’s really nice until he gets it! He probably buys her a big bottle of expensive perfume every time he thinks she’s fed up with him and about to leave him. He’s just that spoiled, rotten type of guy who tries to bribe everyone around to his way of thinking.”

Buys her a big bottle of expensive perfume. The phrase Andrea had uttered struck a bell. “Just like Benton Woodley?” Hannah asked, naming Andrea’s first real boyfriend.

“Yes! Exactly like Benton! He even looks a little like ...” Andrea stopped speaking, and Hannah watched as her face turned bright pink. “I really got hot under the collar about it, didn’t I?”

“You did.”

“It’s just that I hate to see anyone get hurt And ... I’m a little down on men in general right now.”

“You had a fight with Bill?”

“No. Bill and I are fine. We never fight about the big things. It’s always over something stupid and we laugh about it later. He’s a good husband, Hannah. I’m happy I married him. It’s just that I hate to see anybody taking unfair advantage of anybody else, and I can see that Lee is taking advantage of Cammy.”

It was a reasonable explanation, but Hannah had the feeling there was something else wrong, something that Andrea wasn’t telling her.

“I don’t know about you,” Andrea said, frowning slightly, “but I’d love to see Cammy refusing to take it and fighting back. Everybody should fight back when someone else hurts them, don’t you think?”

Hannah thought about that for a moment. “I think you’re right,” she agreed. “At least I can’t think of any exceptions.”

“I’m glad you said that.” They were about to pass the door to the coffee shop part of Sally’s restaurant, and Andrea hesitated. “Let’s go in and have a cup of coffee before we talk to Cammy.”

“Okay,” Hannah agreed quickly. If they sat down and had coffee, perhaps Andrea would spill whatever was on her mind.

But the sisterly confab was not to be. The moment they entered the coffee shop, Andrea grabbed Hannah’s arm. “There she is, Hannah.”

“She’s with Lynnette,” Hannah pointed out.

“That’s okay, isn’t it? You said they were friends and we probably need to talk to her, too. Let’s go ask if we can join them.”

A few moments later, Hannah and Andrea were seated at a four-person table with Cammy and Lynnette. Both young women looked dejected.

“How about some dessert to go with that tea?” Hannah offered, noticing that both Lynnette and Cammy were drinking herbal tea. “I’m buying if there’s anything on Sally’s menu that’s allowed on your diet.”

Lynnette and Cammy exchanged a long look, and then Cammy spoke. “The diet’s off, at least for today. Can we see a dessert menu? And can we have coffee instead of this awful tea?”

Hannah looked down at the contents of Cammy’s cup. It was partially filled with a greenish liquid that reminded her of dog days at Eden Lake when the algae was in full bloom. “What kind of tea is it?” she asked.

“It’s a mixture of herbs and spices that’s supposed to calm us down when we’re upset,” Lynnette explained. “Cammy gets it from a special store in the Cities.”

“Does it work?” Andrea asked.

“Not today,” Cammy said with a frown. “Actually, I’m not sure it ever works.”

Andrea gave her a commiserative smile. “What does it taste like?” she asked.

“Like somebody took lawn clippings, put them in an old sock in the dryer, and sold them as tea.”

“She’s right!” Cammy declared, and then she started to laugh. That was contagious, and all four of them laughed until they were gasping for breath.

When Hannah had regained some measure of control, she motioned for the waitress. But instead of coming over to their table, the waitress motioned to someone in the kitchen, and Sally came bustling out.

“No dessert menu for you,” she said, smiling at them. I need all four of you to do a taste test for me. I tried a new dessert this morning, and I need to know if it’s good enough to put on the dessert cart in the dining room.”

“What is it?” Andrea asked her.

“Tapioca Pie with dark chocolate and white chocolate drizzled on the top.”

“Oooh!” Lynnette’s expression was almost beatific. “I just love tapioca!”

“Me, too,” Cammy agreed. “My grandma used to make it all the time. She put chocolate chips on top.”

“My grandma did the same thing, and it was a great combination. That’s why I thought I’d dress up the pie with two kinds of chocolate.” Sally turned to Hannah. “Do you girls want coffee?” When both Hannah and Andrea nodded, she turned to Lynnette and Cammy. “How about you? More hot water?”

“Not this time,” Cammy told her. “This tea isn’t good enough to be on the same table as your pie. Lynnette and I would like coffee, the stronger the better!”





TAPIOCA PIE