Lemon Meringue Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen #4)(59)

It didn't take long to mix up a batch of Pecan Chews and in less than an hour they were baked and cooling on the racks. Hannah was about to soften the ice cream to make the sandwiches when Freddy Sawyer knocked on the back door.

"Come in, Freddy," Hannah invited. "Have a cookie or two."

"Thanks, Hannah.. I love your cookies. They're almost as good as the ones my mom used to bake."

Hannah took that as a compliment. As she remembered, Mrs. Sawyer had made very good cookies. She poured a glass of milk for Freddy, set two cookies on a napkin for him, and waited until he had finished munching.

"I wish I knew how to bake," Freddy said, wiping his mouth with the napkin. "Miss Cox promised to teach me, but I'm

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too busy helping Jed right now. We're making real good money. Did you know that?"

"I know."

"Did you see my new watch?" Freddy pointed down at the watch on his wrist. "Jed bought it for me this morning and it cost almost ten dollars. It was in the window and the girl climbed in to get it for me. She said it was a sports watch. I don't play sports, but that's okay, isn't it?"

"That's fine. Lots of people who don't play sports wear sports watches."

"Why is that?"

Hannah shrugged. She'd never really thought about that before. "I'm not sure, but I think it's because they're more rugged."

"I like that answer." Freddy smiled widely. "Jed's always after me to be more rugged. He thinks I should stand up for myself if somebody teases me, and he's even teaching me to fight"

Hannah wasn't sure she liked that idea. She was sure that Freddy could defend himself in a pinch quite well enough already. But it was a chance to ask a few questions about Freddy's cousin. "Does Jed know how to fight?"

"You betcha! Jed told me he once licked a guy twice his size. Put him right in the hospital. I don't understand how being licked could put you in the hospital, though. Mrs. Cox's dogs lick me all the time and it doesn't hurt me any."

"That's true, but what I think Jed means is ..." Hannah paused, trying to think of a way to explain slang usage to Freddy.

"Oh, gosh! I forgot the time!" Freddy glanced down at his new watch and sighed. "I'd like to stay and talk to you more, but I have to meet Jed at the cafe in fifteen minutes."

Hannah remembered what Lisa had told her about Janice Cox teaching Freddy to tell time. It seemed he had the concept down pat. "That watch is going to come in really handy for you, Freddy."

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Joanne Fluke

"I know. I was careful to pick out the one with hands instead of just numbers. That's the one I learned how to do."

Freddy stood up and headed for the door, but Hannah stopped him. "Was there something you needed, Freddy? Or did you just come in to say hello?"

"Oh, boy! I guess Jed is right and I really am a dunce!" Freddy thunked his forehead with the heel of his hand. "It just went clean out of my head, Hannah. I wanted you to save something for me. Will you?"

"Sure," Hannah said, guessing that it was a rock or some little object Freddy had come across in his handyman work.

"I've got it right here. Be real careful of it. It's precious." Freddy pulled a battered shoebox out of his backpack and handed it to Hannah.

Hannah accepted the box gingerly. It was tied up with twine and it didn't look too clean. "It's not alive, is it?"

"No." Freddy gave a little laugh. "And it's not a sandwich, either. It won't spoil."

"Good. Can you tell me what it is?"

"It's something Jed lost. I found it in the trash right before the garbage truck came. I'm going to shine it all up and give it to him for a present. Boy, will he be surprised!"

"That's nice," Hannah said, wondering if Jed would appreciate getting something he'd thrown away as a present. "Where do you want me to keep it?"

Freddy glanced around and then he pointed to the walk-in cooler. "How about in there? Nobody will find it there."

"Okay. Come with me." Hannah carried the box to the cooler and opened the door. She stepped in and Freddy followed her inside. "I'll put it right here, on the shelf behind the milk cartons."

Freddy nodded, watching while Hannah removed the cartons and slipped the shoebox in the back. "That's real good, Hannah. Nobody'll see it there."

"Just tell me when you want it back and I'll get it for you," Hannah said, leading Freddy to the door.

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"Okay. Thanks, Hannah. Good friends are like sunshine. A day is gloomy without them." Hannah turned to give Freddy a quizzical look and he grinned. "Mom used to say that. She had a lot of friends and she said they were my friends, too."

Hannah had just finished mixing up the next day's cookies and stashing them in the cooler when Lisa came into the kitchen waving a ten-dollar bill.

"Look at this, Hannah. There's something funny about it."

"Funny ha-ha, or funny peculiar?" Hannah asked, repeating the words of Mrs. Carlson, her third-grade teacher.

"Funny peculiar. You must have had Mrs. Carlson, ,too." Lisa gave a little laugh. "Just look at it, Hannah. I've never seen an old one that's this new before."