Devil's Food Cake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #14)(23)

“Especially me,” Lisa said, coming up with the basket of herbal teabags. “Since I was the youngest, I always had to go to bed before the game was over. And then later, when I was old enough, the other kids didn’t want to play.”

“What do you think of the substitute minister?” Herb asked Delores.

“He’s very good. And he also looks very handsome in black.”

Marge laughed. “Do I detect a hint of interest in your voice?” she teased.

“Oh, he’s too young for me.”

Hannah held her breath, waiting for her mother’s next comment and hoping it wouldn’t come. She sent Delores a look that said, Don’t you dare! and her mother returned it with a devilish smile.

“Actually,” Delores said, “I was thinking of …”

Hannah had all she could do not to groan as she waited for her mother to finish the sentence. Delores was about to exact her pound of flesh.

“I was thinking of Vonnie Blair, Doc Knight’s secretary. She’s a lovely woman and very religious. She told me once that she’d been thinking of going into the ministry herself, but they wouldn’t have taken her seriously back then.”

Thank you, Mother, Hannah said silently, sending her gratitude by way of the unique mother-daughter radar that existed between the two of them. Delores acknowledged the sentiment by giving a little nod. All was well. It wasn’t Get Hannah time.

There was a sound from above their heads. Footsteps on the church floor. The service was over and Reverend Matthew had invited the whole congregation to Claire and Bob’s bon voyage party.

Thirty minutes passed in less time than Hannah believed possible. Three-quarters of their cookies had disappeared, along with two forty-cup urns of coffee, and a third of their herbal tea packets. The children had drunk their fill of lemonade, little Dennis Weiler had touched five cookies before his mother had grabbed his hand, and Earl Flensburg had complimented Hannah repeatedly on the Mini Mac Cookies.

Another ten minutes and all that was left was the cleanup. Hannah and Lisa received hugs from Reverend Bob and Claire before the happy couple went off to the parsonage to collect their luggage, shook hands with Reverend Matthew who complimented them on a wonderful job, and accepted Herb, Delores, and Marge’s offer to help with the cleanup. While Marge and Lisa washed the church coffee cups and spoons, and Herb folded up the church chairs and stacked them in their racks, Hannah and Delores wiped down the tables and packed up the few cookies that were left. In less than fifteen minutes they were completely through.

“See you tomorrow morning,” Hannah called out to Lisa as her partner drove off with Herb and Marge.

“Earl certainly liked those Mini Mac Cookies, and Carrie ate three of the Papaya Macs,” Delores commented to Hannah as they walked to their cars. “If I baked, I’d make some for Wednesday night. They’re coming over for dinner.”

Hannah knew when she was being tapped for cookies. “Would you like the leftover cookies, Mother?”

“I’d love them, but aren’t you serving cookies at Doctor Bev’s birthday party? I heard you were providing the dessert.”

“Yes, but not cookies. I’m bringing something else.” Hannah passed her mother the box of leftover cookies. “Just slip the box in a freezer bag and pop it in the freezer. Then take them out on Wednesday morning, let them thaw on the counter all day, and they’ll still be nice and fresh.”

“Thank you, dear. I do wish that I could attend the party this evening, but I’m on deadline for the outline, you know.”

Hannah sighed as she parted ways with her mother and headed to her cookie truck. One half of her wished that her mother would be there to support her, but the other half was glad that Delores wouldn’t be there to witness her daughter’s bad behavior just in case Hannah decided to scratch Beverly Thorndike’s eyes out.

Hannah backed out of her parking spot and waved goodbye to her mother. Once she’d turned onto Third, she drove almost all the way to Main, but turned into the alley before she reached the stop sign. Moments later, she was parking in her usual spot behind The Cookie Jar. It was time to do what she really didn’t want to do, and make Mocha Trifles for Doctor Bev’s birthday party.

It was eight o’clock in the evening, and time was passing so slowly Hannah thought she’d die. She glanced at her watch, hoping that no one would notice the sharp eye she was keeping on the time, and gave a little sigh. She was here at Doctor Bev’s birthday party, it was turning out to be an ordeal for her, and she couldn’t let anyone know it.

Norman had rented the banquet room of the Lake Eden Community Center for the party. The room was jammed with guests, and it was clear that Mike had done a bang-up job of inviting people. More than fifty guests were milling around, laughing and talking, and sipping drinks from the full bar that Hank Olsen, the regular bartender at the Lake Eden Municipal Bar, was manning. The nondrinkers were availing themselves of soft drinks from the row of coolers on a long table that had been set up against the far wall, and everyone seemed to be having a marvelous time. Everyone but Hannah, that is.

Someone had decorated the room with a ceiling of crepe paper streamers and metallic balloons that bobbed and swayed on strings attached to flowerpots filled with flowers. There was a six-piece band on an elevated stage, deli sandwiches brought in from the new deli out at the Tri-County Mall, and bowls of chips and dips. Hannah’s trifles, all five of them, were in bowls in the walk-in cooler, ready to emerge with candles on top when it was time for dessert.