Red Velvet Cupcake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #16)(15)

She got the nurse at the front desk, someone who identified herself as Margie. Hannah didn’t know the night personnel and that was good. At least Margie wouldn’t recognize Hannah’s voice. “I’m calling to check on Barbara Donnelly,” Hannah told her. “She was admitted last night.”

“I’m sorry, but we’re not allowed to give out any information over the phone unless you’re a family member.”

Hannah thought fast. “I’m Barbara’s sister and I just had a terrible nightmare about her. She didn’t . . . die, did she?”

“Good heavens, no! Her nurse just walked past here and she said Miss Donnelly was sleeping. I’m sorry you had that dream. It’s probably because you’re worried about her.”

The nurse sounded very sympathetic and Hannah decided to press her luck. “Could you tell me her condition?”

Hannah could hear the nurse typing something in on a keyboard. “She’s stable, but guarded. If you’d like more detailed information, just call back when Doctor Knight comes in.”

“When will that be?”

“By ten at the latest. Would you like me to leave a note for him to call you?”

Hannah was about to say yes when she realized that then she’d have to give her name. Since she’d lied by claiming to be Barbara’s sister, it was best to remain anonymous. “That’s all right. I’ll call back later. I’d like to come in to see Barbara if she can have visitors.”

“Just a moment. I’ll check.” Hannah heard the nurse type in something else on the keyboard. “Yes, but only two at a time. Our new visiting hours are from two to five in the afternoon, and seven to nine at night. Of course they don’t apply to you since you’re her sister. Family members are encouraged to visit any time from nine in the morning to ten at night.”

“Thank you,” Hannah said. “And thanks for relieving my mind about Barbara.” Hannah hung up before the nurse could ask her name. What she’d said was true. She was extremely relieved. So much for Great-Grandma Elsa’s theory, at least in Barbara’s case!

When she glanced up at the clock Hannah realized that it was only ten to six, much too early to drive out to the hospital, and also too early to call anyone else who might know Barbara’s condition. She wished she knew the extent of Barbara’s injuries, but there was no one she could ask at this hour of the morning. And now that she’d had her first mug of the coffee that made her world work right, she was wide awake and ready for action.

She needed to bake cookies to take to Barbara. Hannah was up and moving the second she thought of it. If Barbara couldn’t have cookies for some reason, the nurses could. She’d mix up some Pink Lemonade Cookies. They were pretty and festive. Not only that, they were absolutely delicious.

Between sips of a second mug of coffee, she managed to gather the ingredients and start to mix up the dough. As she turned on the mixer to beat the butter with the sugar, she thought about Barbara and who might have pushed her to what could have been her death.

Barbara was single. As far as Hannah knew, she’d never been married, but she’d check with her mother about that. She’d also ask if Barbara had been involved in any serious relationships that might have ended badly. Since Delores was a founding member of what Hannah called the Lake Eden Gossip Hotline, she could easily find the answers to any questions Hannah had about her brother-in-law’s secretary.

When the butter and sugar mixture was nice and fluffy, Hannah added the baking powder and baking soda to her bowl. After that was incorporated, she added the egg and then the frozen lemonade concentrate that had been thawing on the counter. The rest of the concentrate certainly wouldn’t go to waste! She’d add the required amount of water, stir it up in a pitcher, and refrigerate it to have as a special treat while she watched television tonight.

While the stand mixer hummed on low speed and the beaters revolved endlessly, Hannah looked for the red food coloring. Ever since Lisa had discovered that the new red food color gel didn’t stain her fingers the way the liquid food coloring did, they’d stocked it in the pantry of The Cookie Jar. Unfortunately, they’d gone through every tube they had making the cupcakes for the party last night. Hannah rummaged through her pantry and found a package of the liquid type she’d had for practically forever, and squirted three drops of red into the dough to color it.

As the color blended in to make a lovely pink, Hannah tossed the bottle of red food coloring into the trash. It was empty, but the other three colors in the package were practically full. Did anyone actually use up another color first?

“It’s done,” she told the cat, who was waiting to see if she’d spill anything interesting. “I suppose you want a treat for not jumping up on the counter.”

Moishe blinked once and then he let out a yowl. If there was one word he knew, it was treat.

“Okay then.” Hannah struggled for a moment, unlatching the childproof fastener on the cupboard door. All the cupboards had fasteners like that and she really ought to take them off. She’d spent most of a Sunday installing them right after the first time that Moishe had helped himself to his own kitty treats. Moishe had watched her install them and the moment she was through, he’d jumped up on the counter and promptly unfastened one.

She found the can of salmon-flavored, fish-shaped treats and tossed him one. “That’s it,” she said. “If you’re good, you can have another when I put the first cookie sheet into the oven.”