Red Velvet Cupcake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #16)(75)

Josh shrugged. “I don’t know. He didn’t see me put it in the car and it was on the floor behind the driver’s seat, where she told me to put it. He probably didn’t even notice it at all.”

Dinner at the Inn had been wonderful, as always, and once Hannah had told them about Sally’s new dessert, they’d all had the Snappy Turtle Pie with a Snappy Turtle Cookie on top. Hannah was certain she couldn’t eat another bite as she climbed into Norman’s car.

“Are you as stuffed as I am?” Norman asked, taking the access road to the highway.

“I’m more than stuffed. I think I’m positively round.” They rode in companionable silence until they reached Hannah’s condo complex. They’d already discussed the busboy she’d interviewed about the thermos when Hannah had returned to the table. Doc had told them that the fingerprint team hadn’t been able to get any clear prints from the outside and they’d all concluded that absolutely anyone at the Inn could have opened the thermos and dropped in the tranquilizers. They’d also talked about Roger and the fact that both Norman and Sally thought he was genuinely heartbroken over Doctor Bev’s death. Her murder was still a complete mystery and nothing Hannah had discovered was helping to solve it.

“I can take Moishe up the stairs for you,” Norman said as they pulled into Hannah’s extra parking space.

“That’s okay. I can do it. You look tired.”

“I am. It’s been a long day and I didn’t sleep very well last night.” Norman reached over to give her a hug. “If you’re sure you don’t mind, I’ll just drive home and fall into bed.”

“I don’t mind at all,” Hannah told him, picking up the end of Moishe’s leash. “Come on, Moishe. Let’s go up and get to bed ourselves.”

“I’ll pull out and make sure you get into your condo okay,” Norman promised as Hannah and Moishe got out of his car. “I’ll watch from the visitor parking lot.”

“Okay,” Hannah said, knowing it was futile to argue. Norman was unfailingly considerate and he’d wait until she got into her condo safely before he drove off.

It didn’t take long for Hannah and Moishe to get to the head of the stairs. Both of them were eager to go inside, but they waited until Norman pulled into the visitor parking lot before Hannah opened the door. She gave a wave, Norman gave a polite little beep on his horn, and Moishe led her inside. “Michelle?” she called out.

There was no answer and Hannah glanced at the clock. Her cookie truck had been parked in her spot and that meant Michelle had come back from The Cookie Jar. It was only nine at night. Surely Michelle wasn’t sleeping already!

One glance inside the guest room and Hannah could see that it was empty. Perhaps Lonnie had picked up her youngest sister for a date. If Michelle had left, there would be a note in front of the coffee pot or on the kitchen table. Michelle always left a note.

“Go ahead, Moishe,” Hannah told him, noticing that he was eyeing the door of her bedroom hopefully. She went in to turn down the bed for him and patted his pillow. “You can go to bed. I’m going to go see if there’s a note from Michelle.”

As Hannah retraced her steps to the living room, she heard a thump from her bedroom. Moishe had accepted her invitation to go to bed. She flicked on the kitchen light and spotted the note on the table. Michelle was every bit as considerate as Norman was.

Ran into Lorna Kusak when I came back here, the note read. She’s having a graduation party for Chris tonight and I said I’d help her with the refreshments. Howie and Esther are there and Lorna said to come over when you get home so you can taste Howie’s Guac Ad Hoc. He’s bringing a huge batch and everybody loves it.

The last thing Hannah wanted to do was go to a teenage party, but Howie and his wife were there and she wanted to tell him the good news about the thermos and how she’d been cleared as a suspect. Then there was the guacamole. She’d heard that Howie made the best in town and she’d never had the chance to taste it. If she liked it and if she played her cards correctly, she might even be able to talk him into sharing the recipe!

Chapter Twenty-Five


Hannah had expected a noisy teenage party, but she heard no music as she approached Lorna’s condo. That was odd. Michelle had said it was a graduation party for Chris. She didn’t know a single teenager who’d just graduated from high school who would want a party without music. Was the party over this soon?

Light spilled out on the walkway that led to Lorna’s front door and Hannah could hear the thumping of dancing feet. The party wasn’t over. That much was clear. But how could Chris and his friends dance without music?

Hannah rang the doorbell and a moment later, Lorna opened the door. “Hi, Hannah,” she said with a smile. “I’m so glad you could make it! Come into the living room and join the adults. The kids are all dancing on the back patio.”

“But I don’t hear any music,” Hannah said as she stepped into the quiet living room where Esther and Howie were sitting, along with Lorna’s sister and brother-in-law. “How can the kids dance without music?”

“They have music. Come with me and I’ll show you.”

Lorna led Hannah to the open patio door where they could look out on the party. There were at least ten couples dancing on the patio and every single one was wearing earphones!