Lemon Meringue Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen #4)(27)

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her top priorities. The water buffalo in question had died long ago and giving up her favorite pair of sandals wouldn't bring him back to life.

The pines along the shore grew in clusters and Hannah caught glimpses of fishing boats on the shining mirrored surface of Eden Lake as she drove past the gaps in the trees. Eden Lake was known for its record walleyes and most metropolitan families with a fisherman in residence were lured by the promise of trophy fish. They rented the cabins that the locals owned, and from dawn to dusk, Eden Lake was peppered with anglers.

As she drove, Hannah thought about Rhonda's murder and by the time she'd taken the turnofT for the Lake Eden Inn, she'd reached a decision. Mother, Andrea, Norman, and Lisa all wanted her to investigate. Since she also wanted to investigate, that made five. From what Andrea had said, she could assume that Bill was neutral. He wasn't firmly on the side of her involvement, but he wouldn't put up much of a fuss. Mike was the only .one who was firmly against it.

Five for, one neutral, and one against. Hannah tallied it up as she brushed her hair, got out of her truck, and headed for the entrance of the inn. The numbers were definitely on her side, and who was she to argue with the statistics? She'd just have to think of some way to deal with Mike's resistance that wouldn't land her in jail.

As Hannah walked up the path, she noticed that Dick's topiary bear was filling out. It no longer looked skinny and it had grown to almost five feet. For a former stockbroker, Dick had turned out to be a decent gardener. He'd also done a great job of decorating the inn for summer. The porch had been hung with lights that looked like Japanese lanterns and their soft glow was festive. The Lake Eden Inn looked better every year. What had been a risky investment for Sally and Dick was paying off.

Hannah opened the double doors and stepped inside. The little alcove just to the right of the door had been decorated for summer with a small, self-contained fountain and a group-

LEMON MERINGUE PIE MURDER 97

ing of wicker furniture. In the winter it would contain the massive wooden boot rack and benches that were necessary in Minnesota.

"Hi, Hannah." The hostess looked up as Hannah approached the restaurant door. It was Carly Richardson, Michelle's friend from high school.

"I thought you were off at college, Carly."

"I am," Carly said. "I just came home for summer break and Sally hired me to fill in while her regular girl's on vacation."

"Do you know that Michelle's coming back to town tomorrow night?"

"I know. She called Tricia and we're all getting together for lunch on Wednesday. You're out here for dinner, right?"

"Right. Mother's supposed to join me."

"Oh, Sally just seated your mother's party. Just follow me and I'll take you to their table."

Her mother's party? Hannah sighed as she followed Carly through the crowded dining room and into the bar. Her mother had told her to wear something appropriate and that should have rung alarm bells in Hannah's mind. She hoped this wasn't another attempt to fix her up with an eligible male.

As Carly walked toward the rear of the bar, Hannah found herself lagging behind. Sally had designated that section for private dining. There were four tables on a raised platform, separated from each other by carved wooden partitions that contained frosted glass. The space that faced the rest of the bar was hung with gauzy curtains that the occupants could draw, or leave open. The fact that her mother had requested one of the private tables and closed the curtains could mean only one thing. Delores had set her up again. The only question in Hannah's mind was the identity of the man her mother was attempting to trap for her.

"Here's Hannah, Mrs. Swensen," Carly announced, pulling aside the corner of the curtain. "Since your party's all here, shall I send the waitress to take your orders?"

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"Not quite yet, dear,*' Delores responded. "Give us five minutes and then we'll be ready."

Hannah wished she could turn on her heel and go back home, but her mother would never forgive her. She took a deep breath, plastered a smile on her face, and stepped inside the curtain. When she saw Norman, her smile turned genuine. "Hi, Norman. Hi, Carrie."

"Come in and sit down, dear." Delores motioned toward the spot they'd saved for her.

Hannah sat down and turned to Norman. "This is a nice surprise. Mother didn't tell me you'd be here."

"Just a minute, dear," Delores hushed her, reaching out to arrange the curtains to hide them from general view. "I really don't think we need everyone in town to see us discussing Rhonda's murder."

"Seeing us doesn't matter, as long as they don't hear us. And they'll be less inclined to eavesdrop if they can see us."

"You've got a point," Delores conceded, opening the curtains again. "I'd never invade someone's privacy like that, but I'm sure some people would."

Hannah just barely managed to squelch a chuckle. She'd seen Delores take the long way around to the ladies room several times in the past, and once she'd even dropped her purse by the row of private booths so she'd have more time to listen.

"I have a question for you, Hannah." Delores stared hard at her. "Norman says he asked you to investigate and you promised to think about it and let him know in the morning. Is that right?"