Cinnamon Roll Murder (Hannah Swensen, #15)(84)

“Oh,” Hannah said, catching the implication and settling for a comment that was perfectly noncommittal.

“It was just one of those things that seemed right at the time. And then later, I found myself wishing it had never happened. Do you know what I mean?”

“Yes, I do.”

“I don’t know why I felt I should tell you all this. It probably doesn’t mean anything at all. But your mother said we should tell you anything out of the ordinary that we noticed at the hospital, and this seemed to fit into that category.”





“What’s next?” Michelle asked, as they got out of the tram next to Hannah’s cookie truck and Andrea’s Volvo.

“Doctor Bev,” Hannah said, taking her keys out of her saddlebag purse.

Andrea and Michelle turned to look at Hannah in shock. “Did you just say what I thought you said?” Andrea asked.

“Yes. I have to question Doctor Bev and I know she’ll be at Claire’s dress shop at three o’clock. Norman said she was driving back from the Cities for a wedding dress fitting.”

Andrea put her hands over her eyes and gave a little moan. “So you’re going to question Doctor Bev in her wedding dress?”

“Yes, as long as Claire agrees.” Hannah opened the door to her cookie truck and climbed up into the driver’s seat. “You’re going with me, aren’t you, Michelle?”

“I think I’d better be there. Claire might need help to break up the fight.”

“What fight?”

“The fight you’re bound to have if you see Doctor Bev in her wedding dress.”

“There won’t be any fight. We’re just going to have a nice, civilized question and answer session,” Hannah gave a little smile that belied her words. “Or perhaps I should say I’m planning to grill her within an inch of her life! Would you like to come along, Andrea?”

“No way!” Andrea said emphatically. And then she gave a little sigh. “I’m going to make a quick stop at the mall, and then I’m going home to wait for you to call me. I’ll be a wreck for the rest of the day if I’m not the first to know what happened!”





Chapter Twenty-Seven


“So what are we going to do?” Michelle asked as they parked in the back of The Cookie Jar.

“I’m not sure, but we’ve got ...” Hannah glanced at her watch. “... eight minutes to figure it out. The first thing we have to do is tell Claire what’s happening.”

“You’re right. And after we do that, I think you should take three or four outfits into a dressing room and try them on.”

“But I don’t need a new outfit.”

“I know that, but if you were Doctor Bev and you saw Hannah Swensen and her sister Michelle waiting for you in Claire’s dress shop, would you go in?”

“Probably not. I’d wait until they left.”

“Exactly! So the two of us will be in a dressing room when Doctor Bev walks in.”

“And she won’t know we’re there,” Hannah picked up the idea and ran with it. “We’ll wait until she tries on her dress and then I’ll come out.”

“Not me?”

“No, you stay in the dressing room and take notes for me. I’ll give you my murder book. We need a record of exactly what she says.”

“I can do that. Anything else?”

“Yes. I’m going to ask Claire to keep her with her back to our dressing room. That way you can peek out and let me know when she’s dressed. Then I’ll step out and confront her.”

“Confront?”

“Sorry. I meant greet. I’ll step out and greet her. And then I’ll start questioning her about Seattle and Buddy Neiman. I might even show her the copy of the photo Norman printed for me. Sally’s positive it’s her.”

“Do you think she’ll admit that she was there at Club Nineteen that night?”

“Probably not. She’ll try to tell me it’s not her, and she’s never been to Club Nineteen in her life. I’m looking forward to that part of it.” Hannah gave another hard-edged smile. “She’s going to get really nervous before I’m through with her.”

“All you have to do is smile at her like that. and she’s going to get nervous. I’m getting nervous and I haven’t even done anything wrong!”

“It’s called intimidation. Mike taught me that smile.”

“Well it’s a good one. Let’s go, Hannah.” Michelle got out of the cookie truck. “We’ve only got a couple of minutes to talk to Claire and tell her what we’re doing. Let’s get in there in case Doctor Bev is early.”





Of course Doctor Bev wasn’t early. She was five minutes late. And that gave Michelle and Hannah plenty of time to explain to Claire exactly what they were doing.

“Here,” Claire said, thrusting four outfits into Hannah’s arms. “Keep the door to the dressing room closed. It’ll be easier if I cue you. Get into one of these now and stay put until I ask you how you like the selections I’ve made for you. And then come out.”

Hannah sat down on the bench in the dressing room while Michelle took up a cross-legged position on the floor. “You’d better get one of those outfits on,” Michelle said.