Devil's Food Cake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #14)(51)

“Don’t look so worried, dear,” Delores leaned closer to Hannah so that she could speak in an undertone. “Your father was my only old flame. The men I’m dating now were just sparks.”

Hannah laughed and gave her mother’s hand a squeeze. Sometimes Delores was amazingly perceptive.

“Was Alice at the bon voyage party for Reverend Bob and Claire?” Lisa asked, putting an end to Hannah’s speculation about her mother’s love life. “I didn’t see her there.”

“Neither did I,” Andrea said.

“I didn’t either,” Delores told them.

“I honestly don’t remember,” Hannah said, turning to Norman. “How about you?”

“I don’t think so, but there were a lot of people. Of course I was only there for a couple of minutes. Once you’re through with your baking, I think we should drop by to see Alice at the bowling alley and ask her.”

“She’s got Mothers League this morning from ten to noon,” Andrea told them. “I know because Lucy Dunwright belongs. She always drops Karen at school, comes in to have a cup of coffee with me at the real estate office, and then goes off to bowl. She says she does it to keep in shape.”

“Bowling is good exercise,” Norman commented. “I wonder if we ought to wait until after twelve. Alice might be too busy with Mothers League to talk to us earlier.”

“I don’t think so,” Delores said quickly. “Once you get your shoes, or put on your own if you have them, there’s really nothing for Alice to do. She has automatic pin setting machines and automatic scoring machines. Unless they malfunction, Alice just sits on a stool behind the snack bar counter and reads a book.”

Hannah was shocked. As far as she knew, her mother didn’t bowl. “How do you know?” she asked.

“I’m on a Seniors’ League team with Bud Hauge, Joe Dietz, and Doc. We bowl every Sunday afternoon.”

Hannah managed to keep a straight face, but she couldn’t help imagining her mother flirting with all three men she was dating, and playing them off, one against the other.

“Is it like bowling for dollars?” Lisa asked. “Herb and I did that once.”

“In a way. Our league bowls for beer.”

“For beer?” Hannah was surprised. “But you don’t even like beer.”

“That’s true. The only time I ever liked it was once when I was dating your father. It was a really hot day, the beer was ice cold, and we were watching a softball game at the lake.”

“So what do you do if your team wins the beer?” Norman asked her.

“We give it to Joe. He likes beer. Doc doesn’t drink it and neither does Bud.”

“What does the Mothers League play for?” Lisa asked Andrea.

“Babysitting. The lowest scoring member on the losing team has to give two hours of babysitting to the highest scoring member of the winning team. Lucy got stuck with the Janowski twins last week.” Andrea lowered her voice even though no one was there except the five of them. “Lucy loves kids and she’s great with them, but she said the twins were holy terrors.”

Norman opened the glass door to Ali’s Alley for Hannah, who was armed with a bag of cookies for Alice. The din of loud female voices, bowling balls hitting the wooden surface with resounding thuds, and the good-natured catcalls between the team members rolled out to greet them.

“It’s noisy in here,” Hannah said. “I didn’t expect the Mothers League to be so noisy.”

“They make more noise than the men,” Alice said, coming over to greet them just in time to hear Hannah’s comment. “And you ought to hear the seniors. They’re positively rowdy.”

Hannah handed Alice the bag of cookies. “These are for you, Alice. Lisa made Raspberry Vinegar Cookies and she said they were your favorites.”

“Lisa’s right. They’re a lot like shortbread, and I love shortbread.” Alice turned to Norman. “You’re not pulling teeth today?”

“Not today. I’m helping Hannah.”

Just for a second, a puzzled expression crossed Alice’s face. And then her pale complexion turned even paler. “Matthew,” she said. “That’s why you’re here. You’re investigating Matthew’s murder.”

“I’m afraid so,” Hannah responded and then she recalled what Delores had said about never getting over your first love. “I’m sorry for your loss, Alice.”

“My loss?” Alice gave a bitter laugh. “My loss happened a week after graduation when Matthew left Lake Eden for good. I really thought that he’d at least come by to say goodbye, but …” she stopped speaking and swallowed hard. “That’s not important now. It’s all in the past and better off forgotten.”

Jilted. That’s a motive for murder. Hannah’s mind spun into high gear. Matthew disappointed her. Maybe she even thinks he ruined her life, since she married Butch Vogel less than three months later and that didn’t turn out well at all.

Hannah mentally reviewed what she knew about Butch Vogel. He was a fast-talking, hard-drinking guy with more muscle than brain who hung out at the Eagle. If she remembered correctly, the marriage had lasted less than a year. There was a scandal involving Butch and one of the waitresses, and Alice had filed for divorce.