Lemon Meringue Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen #4)(78)

"Okay. I'll bring your pillow if they have them." "Do you want me to give you some money?" "Mother gave me her credit card. I'll use it and you can settle up with her later."

Michelle went out the front door and Hannah watched as a passing car slowed down so the driver could stare. The outfit her baby sister was wearing was what the older generation of women in Lake Eden would refer to as a husband-catcher. Hannah knew that Michelle wasn't thinking of marriage at this point in her life, but the weatherman on KCOW radio was predicting cooler temperatures and rain for this evening. If Michelle wore her husband-catcher outfit tonight, what she'd catch would be a nasty summer cold.

-It was five-thirty, The Cookie Jar was closed, and Hannah *

was adding up the day's receipts when Lisa came into the coffee shop. "I'm done, Hannah."

"Already?" Hannah was surprised. Lisa had made fast work of baking the cupcakes. ,

"The only thing left is to store them in the cooler. Go take a look and tell me what you think."

Hannah headed for the kitchen feeling slightly guilty. Their dessert for the town picnic and barbecue was all finished and all she'd done was dash to the Red Owl for a few items.

"Oh, my!" Hannah gasped, as she stepped through the swinging door and caught sight of the trays of cupcakes that

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Lisa had made. Some were frosted with bright blue icing, others with bright red, and the rest with white. The cupcakes were standing on six of Hannah's largest rectangular serving trays and each tray was arranged to resemble the American flag with alternating rows of red and white. The upper left-hand corner of each tray was a field of blue cupcakes and Lisa had even piped little white stars on the blue icing.

As she approached the trays, Hannah realized that the cupcakes were in edible containers. Lisa had used ice cream cones instead of cupcake papers.

"Well? What do you think?"

Hannah turned to see Lisa grinning at her from the doorway. "They're really wonderful!"

"I didn't know for sure if the cones would work, but I couldn't see any reason why they wouldn't."

"And you were right," Hannah said, walking over to give her partner a hug. "They're perfect for the Fourth, and every mother in town is going to thank you."

"Why?"

"Because they won't have to peel off the cupcake papers and wipe sticky fingers after dessert."

Lisa looked absolutely astounded for a moment and then she started to giggle. "You're right. These cupcakes are perfect for the kids, but I didn't even think of that when I made them."

"That isn't why you baked them in the cones?"

Lisa shook her head. "I did it because I looked in all the cupboards and I couldn't find enough cupcake pans."





Chapter TWenty-Four

Are you sure you don't want me to follow you home?"

Norman looked concerned as he opened the screen door of the cottage for her. "It looks really nasty."

"I'll be fine," Hannah said, glancing up at the lightning that was zigzagging across the sky. The storm had rolled in across the lake during dinner and by the time Delores had opened the bag with the fortune cookies, Hannah had announced that she had to leave.

"Hold on a second. I'm coming along." Mike got up from his place at the table and joined them. "You're not going to be able to outrun that storm, Hannah. It'll hit before you get home."

Hannah stepped out the door with both men following her. The air was so humid, it was like someone had put on a giant teakettle and it was steaming away to humidify the whole county. "Maybe, but I've driven through hundreds of storms before."

"This looks like a bad one," Mike commented as they walked toward Hannah's truck. "How are your windshield wipers?"

"They're fine. I just replaced the blades."

"And your tires?"

LEMON MERINGUE Pffi MURDER

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"They're practically new. Stop being such a worrywart, Mike." Hannah gave him a smile to show that she appreciated his concern even though she thought he was being ridiculously overcautious. "If it starts coming down in buckets, I'll pull off to the side of the road until I can drive safely again."

"Will you call the cottage when you get home?" Norman asked, opening the door of the truck for Hannah. "Then we'll know you got there all right."

Hannah climbed behind the wheel and lowered the window. "I'll call the minute I walk in the door. Give me at least an hour, though. It might take me that long to get home."

"I still think I should follow you," Mike said, beginning to, frown.

"Thanks, but that's not necessary." Hannah started her car and gave a little wave as she drove off. She glanced in her rearview mirror and chuckled slightly. Norman had one hand half-lifted in a wave, but Mike was glowering like there was no tomorrow. He really didn't like it when he didn't get his way and he'd wanted to follow her home. The fact that he was worried about her was flattering, but she didn't like being cast in the role of a helpless female.

The tall pines around the shoreline of Eden Lake kept the sky mostly hidden from view. Hannah didn't realize how dark it had become until she turned onto the main road. The first thing she noticed was the ominous blend of colors above her. The sky was a deep charcoal gray, streaked with dirty yellow. Purplish black storm clouds roiled up from the horizon and they reminded Hannah of a witch's caldron churning and bubbling with an evil potion. It was the same ugly color combination the artist had used in an oil painting hanging on the wall of Granny's Attic. It was entitled "Disaster," and Hannah was heartily sorry she'd remembered that.