Lemon Meringue Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen #4)(58)

Hannah figured she'd better reassure Ken. His face had turned a sickly shade of gray and drops of nervous perspiration were beading on his forehead. "My guess is that he was long gone. Let's get back to what happened. After you checked the backyard, you ... ?"

"I came back in and shut the back door. I figured she could come back in after I left."

"Think back to how the kitchen looked. Was the basement door open?"

Ken frowned in an attempt to remember. "It must have been closed. If it had been open, I would have gone down there."

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"So you never considered that Rhonda might be in the basement?"

"It never even occurred to me," Ken said, sighing deeply. "I really wish I'd thought to check. If I'd found her, I could have gone for help, or taken her to the hospital myself."

"Forget it, Ken. Doc Knight said Rhonda died instantly. Even if you'd found her, you couldn't have saved her life."

"Thanks for telling me, Hannah." Ken reached for his glass and took another sip of water. "That makes me feel a little better. It's still awful, but at least I know mere was nothing I could have done to help her."

"What did you think when you searched the house and you couldn't find Rhonda?" Hannah asked.

"I figured one of her friends had seen the lights, dropped by to see her, and given her a lift home. Or maybe she'd walked out to the road and flagged someone down. Those were the only explanations I could think of."

"So you didn't think there was anything wrong when Rhonda wasn't there at the house?"

"Not really. I did think it was a little odd that she'd left on the lights, but Rhonda tended to storm off when she was mad and I thought she'd just forgotten to turn them off. It was wasting electricity since there was no one there, and—'* Ken's voice trailed off and he took another sip of water "—I turned them off and left. I didn't know about Rhonda then."

"I understand. Where did you go after you left the Voelker place?"

"I drove to the Quick Stop to get some gas, and then I went to the Corner Tavern for a burger and fries."

Hannah closed her steno pad, shoved it back into her purse, and got to her feet. "That's all I need for now. Thanks for being honest with me, Ken."

"Wait a second." A look of panic crossed Ken's face. "You don't think that /killed Rhonda, do you?"

"Of course I don't. And there's a way you can prove it right now if you want me to clear you completely."

196 Joanne Fluke

"I do! What do you need? Telephone records so you can prove I went home to call Kathy? My gas receipt from the Quick Stop?"

"Those wouldn't do it, but your bursitis will."

"It will? How?"

"Just call Doc Knight and have him veriiy that your bursitis was acting up on Friday."

"I can do that. I'll call him right now." Ken reached for the phone and punched in a series of numbers.

While Ken explained what he needed to Doc Knight, Hannah glanced around his inner sanctum. There was an array of Jordan High graduation class photos that ran the length of three walls, one for every year since the school had been built. She found hers and grimaced slightly as she saw her younger face. No doubt the photographer had told them to say "cheese" because she was smiling so widely, she had chipmunk cheeks.

"Here, Hannah," Ken said, handing her the phone. "I told Doc Knight to give you any information you needed."

Hannah took the phone and leaned across the desk, so the cord wouldn't stretch out too much. "Hi, Doc."

"Hello, Hannah. Ken says you need to know about his bursitis. When I saw him last Friday, it was in an acute stage and his range of motion was severely limited."

"How limited?"

"He couldn't raise his right arm any higher than his waist and his left arm was even worse. You're working on Rhonda's murder?"

"That's right."

"You should have asked me before you put Ken through the wringer. Even if he'd been mad as blazes, there's no way he could have stabbed Rhonda. She was standing with her back turned to her assailant at the time and they're approximately the same height."

"Would it work if she was standing in the hole?"

"No. The angle would be wrong. Take him off your list, Hannah. Ken's not your man."

LEMON MERINGUE PIE MURDER

197

"I'm glad to hear it. Thanks, Doc. You've been a big help."

Hannah hung up and turned to smile at Ken. "Okay. Doc Knight says you couldn't have done it. You're in the clear."

"Then nobody has to hear about my ... uh ... relationship with Rhonda?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hannah said as she headed for the door. "I was just here to check some old school records that you were kind enough to find for me."

Chapter Eighteen

Business was brisk when Hannah got back to The Cookie Jar. After she had stashed her vanilla and chocolate ice cream in the freezer, she managed a brief private word with Lisa. She said nothing to tarnish the image of Lisa's former principal and she certainly didn't mention his liaison with Rhonda. She just said that she'd needed to check some old school records and that Ken had been very helpful.