Fudge Cupcake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #5)(23)

A chill wind was blowing as Hannah dashed across her parking lot and knocked at the rear door of Beau Monde Fashions. She heard the far-off sound of geese honking as they migrated south for the winter and she glanced up at the battleship-gray sky. A ragged vee was just disappearing over the tops of the pines that lined both sides of Third Street. The songbirds had already left and now the geese were bailing for the winter. Soon only the winter birds would be left, bright blue Jays, vivid red Cardinals, and glowing green and yellow Nuthatches sitting high in the pines like jewels amidst the branches.

"Hannah?" Claire looked both pleased and surprised as she opened her back door. "Come in. It's cold out there."

"I know. Do you have customers?"

"Not a soul. It's been a slow afternoon."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Hannah commiserated. The financial life of a small business owner was often touch and go.

"Oh, it's all right. The morning was very good and Becky Summers was just in. She bought three dresses."

"How's Reverend Knudson?"

"He's just fine, Hannah." Claire's smile was positively beatific. "He's also very persuasive. He's going to announce our engagement the Sunday before Christmas."

"You said yes!" Hannah grinned at her friend. With one failed romance behind her, Claire had finally found a man she could love and trust.

"You'll be there for the announcement, won't you, Hannah?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Hannah promised. She knew Claire was nervous about the congregation's reaction to the engagement. Although no one except Hannah, Andrea, and Norman knew for sure, everyone in town suspected that Claire had at one time been Mayor Bascomb's mistress. "If anyone gives you a rough time about it, just let me know and I'll cut them off from cookies for life."

Claire laughed, but she sobered quickly. "You know? I believe you would. You're a good friend, Hannah."

"I'm a good friend who wants to pump you for information," Hannah amended it. "You've heard about Bill, haven't you?"

"Of course, and the whole thing is absurd. You're trying to clear him?"

"Yes. Did Kate and Becky mention the fight that Sheriff Grant had with his wife?"

"They mentioned it."

"Did they happen to drop the name of the renters Nettie wanted for the duplex?"

Claire shook her head. "I don't think they knew. They were speculating about it while Becky was trying on dresses. Kate said it had to be someone with a child."

"Really?" Hannah's ears perked up. This was grist for the sleuthing mill. "Why did Kate think that?"

"Because right before Sheriff Grant drove off, he rolled down his window and shouted out that he wouldn't have that child under his roof. Except he didn't say child."

"What did he say?"

"I don't know, but it must have been bad because Kate said she wouldn't repeat it."

"How about you, Claire? Do you have any idea who the disputed renters could be?"

"They could be Nettie's relatives. Last year, she asked my advice on finding a Christmas present for a little girl. I told her about The Pink Giraffe in Anoka, but I warned her that their things were expensive. She said that didn't matter, that it was for family and she wanted to buy something special."

Hannah was impressed. Claire had put two facts together and come up with a very good clue. "Do you happen to know what she bought?"

"Yes, I do. She told me all about it the next time she came in. She said she found a child's chair that looked like a seated plush bear and The Pink Giraffe had shipped it free the week before Christmas."

Hannah thanked Claire for her help and headed out the back door, racing across the parking lot and into her own warm kitchen. Once she'd washed her hands and put on the apron she used to serve customers, she pushed through the door to the coffee shop and hurried to the counter to relieve Lisa.

"Oh, Hannah! Thank goodness you're back!"

Hannah noticed the distressed expression on Lisa's face. "What's wrong?"

"It's your mother. She's called six times in the past twenty minutes."

"Uh-oh," Hannah sighed. No wonder Lisa looked distraught. "Take a break, Lisa. I'll man the counter for a while."

Lisa shook her head. "I don't need a break. I just need you to run to Granny's Attic and talk to your mother before she calls here again. She sounded really suspicious the last time she called. I swear she thinks I'm hiding you in the pantry."

"Okay. I'm going." Hannah hung up her apron and dashed out the front door, ducking into the next storefront. The bell tinkled as she pushed open the door and Delores looked up from her position behind the antique counter.

"Hannah! Well, it's about time! Come with me."

Before Hannah had time to do more than blink, Delores came around the counter, took her hand, and dragged her up the stairs to the room they used for coffee breaks.

"Sit down, Hannah. I want an explanation!"

"Of what?" Hannah was thoroughly confused.

"Why didn't you tell me yesterday, when we met at the library? A mother shouldn't be the last one in town to know!"