Lemon Meringue Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen #4)(10)

"That's it" Andrea looked relieved. "Congratulations on

LEMON MERINGUE PIE MURDER 39

the sale, Rhonda. And congratulations to you, Norman. You bought a great piece of property."

Hannah started to get up from the table, but Norman beat her to her feet. "The cookies are on me," he announced, grinning at all the patrons in the shop. "I just bought my first house."

"And I just sold my first house." Rhonda stood up next to Norman. "I'll pay for the cookies. Thanks to Norman, I'm the one with all his money."

There was a burst of laughter from her customers and Hannah headed off to the counter, leaving Norman and Rhonda to hammer out the details. The Cookie Jar was packed with dozens of people who'd already paid, but Hannah didn't know of a single one who would turn down the chance to have a free cookie. She called that phenomenon "buffet mentality." You could be full to bursting, but if the food was all-you-can-eat, you'd pig out way past the point of comfort. It was the same mind set that caused women to fill their purses with free perfume samples they'd never try, and that gave guests at fixed-price New Year's Eve parties champagne hangovers for the bowl games the next day.

Lisa was carrying coffee refills from table to table when Rhonda came up to the counter. "I won," she said, looking pleased. "I'm paying for the first free cookie and Norman's going to pay for the second."

Hannah added up Rhonda's bill. Once it had been settled; she expected Rhonda to leave, but Rhonda slid onto a stool at the counter.

"The house isn't much," she confided. "I don't blame Norman for wanting to tear it down. It'd cost more to remodel than it'd ever be worth. It's a nice piece of property though, and you'll love the view. I hope you and Norman will be very happy in your new home."

Warning bells rang in Hannah's head. She knew she had to tread carefully. Rhonda wasn't the biggest gossip in town, but she was definitely a contender. "It won't be my home, Rhonda. All I did was design it with Norman."

40

Joanne Fluke

"But I thought..." Rhonda stopped speaking and began to frown. "When Norman told me he was building the house you designed for the contest, I just naturally assumed that... You aren't going to marry him?"

"No."

"But you'll never find anybody nicer!"

"That's probably true."

"Then why won't you marry him?"

Hannah sighed. Rhonda had the persistence of a door-to-door salesman. "Norman hasn't asked me."

"He hasn 't? " Rhonda looked shocked, but she covered it quickly and reached out to pat Hannah's hand. "Don't lose heart, dear. I know you're nearly thirty and all of your friends are married, but I'm sure Norman's just waiting until the house is built. As a matter of fact, I'm sure that's what he's doing."

Hannah decided that it was best to change the subject. She was tired of being on the defensive about Norman's failure to pop the question. "Congratulations on the sale, Rhonda. Are you planning to do something special with the money?"

"Yes. I'm taking a real vacation for the first time in my life and it's a dream come true. Thanks to Norman I can afford it now and I booked the ticket last night. I leave Monday morning for Rome!"

Rhonda's eyes lit up and Hannah caught some of her excitement. "That sounds wonderful. How long are you staying?"

"Two glorious weeks! That should give me enough time to see everything I've always wanted to see." Rhonda reached for her purse and slung it over.her shoulder. "I've got to run or I'll be late to work. If I don't see you before I leave, bon voyage"

Hannah bit back a grin as Rhonda slid off the stood and walked toward the door. Bon voyage meant "good voyage" and she should have said it to Rhonda, not the other way around.

LEMON MERINGUE PIE MURDER 41

* * *

Once Norman and Andrea had left, Hannah manned the counter in the cookie shop while Lisa went back to the kitchen to work on their Independence Day cookies. When the predictable lull came at eleven-thirty, Hannah stepped back to the kitchen to see the results.

"What do you think?" Lisa asked, putting the finishing touches on the last tray of cookies.

"They're perfect. No one would ever know they're recycled."

"I gave a couple of my mistakes to Freddy and Jed." Lisa motioned toward the pantry where Freddy and his cousin were hanging the new shelves that Hannah had bought. "I'll deliver our cookie orders if you want to stay here."

"That's fine with me. Did you mention that ceiling fan?"

Lisa shook her head. "No, I forgot all about it."

"I'll tell them. This would be a good time to fix it."

A few minutes later, the ladder had been set up in the cookie shop and Freddy steadied it while Jed climbed up to look at the defective fan. He yanked the pull cord, but the blades didn't move. Then he loosened the screws on the hub and peered inside.

Freddy looked anxious as he watched Jed overhead and Hannah put her hand on his arm to reassure him. "Don't worry, Freddy. I'm sure Jed can fix it."

"But I'm the one that did that fan," Freddy sounded every bit as upset as he looked. "I must have done it wrong."