Lemon Meringue Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen #4)(36)

Hannah groaned. Andrea wasn't exactly speedy when it came to trying on clothes. On the other hand, Claire would be delighted at the prospect of a big sale, so she might be more forthcoming about answering questions.

"How long are you free for?"

"Until one-thirty," Hannah answered, trying not to wince at her sister's sentence structure. When they were still in high school, she'd tried to break Andrea's habit of tacking on a final preposition, but her grammar lessons hadn't had any appreciable effect.

"Then you've got a couple of hours. When we're through at Claire's, let's run out to Rhonda's apartment building and

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Joanne Fluke

interview her neighbors. I checked the mailboxes and almost everyone's retired. They should be home in the middle of the day."

"Okay," Hannah agreed. Interviewing Rhonda's neighbors wouldn't be at all dangerous and Andrea was good with people.

"When we get through, I'll help you with your catering. I can pour coffee while you do the rest."

Hannah smiled. Catering was always easier with two people. "All right, but it's only fair to warn you."

"Warn me about what?"

"My first job is at Trudi's Fabrics."

"What's wrong with that? I like Trudi Schuman."

"So do I, but she's hosting a Lake Eden Quilting Society meeting and your mother-in-law will be there."

"Oh." Andrea rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. She didn't get along well with Regina Todd. Bill's mother was constantly complaining that Andrea should quit her job and be a stay-at-home mother and wife. "It should be all right, Hannah. I'll wear one of my new maternity outfits and that'll win her over. She's crazy about Tracey, but she really wants a grandson."

"All right, if you can handle it." Hannah pushed away a mental picture of Regina haranguing Andrea about quitting her job and Andrea spilling scalding coffee on Regina's hand. "It shouldn't take more than a half hour. When we're through, I'll drop you back here and load up for my three o'clock."

"Where's that one?"

Hannah was so pleased by Andrea's question, she almost forgot to answer. Were her years of correcting her sister's grammar finally paying off? Or had Andrea merely forgotten to add the final, unnecessary at? "It's in the library at the community center. Marge Beeseman is holding her monthly Friends of the Library meeting."

"I'll help you with that. Tracey needs a new book and I have to stop by the library anyway. She didn't like the last one Bill read to her out of."

Cinnamon Crisps

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F., with rack in middle position.

2 cups melted butter (4 sticks)

2 cups brown sugar (loosely packed)

1 cup white sugar (granulated)

2 beaten eggs (just whip them up with a fork) 2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar (critical!)

1 teaspoon salt

4 !/4 cups white flour (not sifted)

Dough-ball rolling mixture:

!/2 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Melt the butter. Add the sugars and mix. Let the mixture cool to room temperature while you beat the eggs, and then stir them in. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix well. Add flour in increments, mixing after each addition.





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Use your hands to roll the dough into walnut-sized balls. (If dough is too sticky, chill for an hour before rolling.)

Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl to make the dough-ball rolling mixture. (Mixing it with a fork works nicely.) Roll the dough balls in the mixture, then place them on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet. Flatten the dough balls with a greased or floured spatula.

Bake at 325 degrees F. for 10-15 minutes. (They should have a touch of gold around the edges.) Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove the cookies to a rack to finish cooling.

Yield: Approximately 8 dozen, depending on cookie size.

(Lisa loves these cookies—it's the only time I've seen her eat a half-dozen of anything at one sitting.)





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Chapter Eleven

I didn't expect you this soon, Andrea." Claire looked sur-

JLprised as she opened the door of her dress shop and let them into the back room. The space wasn't very deep, only about six feet, but it ran the entire width of the building and was crowded with racks of clothing, unassembled Beau Monde dress boxes, Claire's small desk, and her ever-present ironing board and sewing machine. "I just left a message for you at home and it couldn't have been more than ten minutes ago. How did you get here so fast?"

"I was already next door. I retrieved your message from my cell phone, and since Hannah wanted to come over here anyway, I tagged along. I know you're not open yet. If I'm too early, I can always come back later."

"You're not too early. I'm just glad I pressed your maternity outfits first." Claire ran a hand over her sleek hair and looked slightly embarrassed. "I've been unpacking my new shipment and I planned to change my clothes before I opened."

Hannah let her sister say all the right things to ease Claire's embarrassment. She didn't think it was possible for Claire to look rumpled, even in the slacks and casual cotton blouse she was wearing. Andrea and Claire were two of a