Red Velvet Cupcake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #16)(76)

“Those earphones are incredible!” Hannah commented, watching them glow in the twinkle lights that Lorna had used to decorate the rafters on the patio. They were made of fluorescent plastic in bold colors and the clear plastic headbands flashed with the beat of the music.

“I know. The kids just love them.”

“You bought wireless earphones for everybody?” Hannah asked.

“No, I rented them from a store at the Tri-County Mall. It’s a great store, Hannah. It’s called Crazy Quiet Parties and they’ve got all sorts of fun things that don’t make very much noise.”

“Your neighbors are going to love you,” Hannah told her as they walked back into the living room. “Did Howie bring his Guac Ad Hoc?”

“Three batches,” Howie said, overhearing her question. “Help yourself. It’s right there on the table. And then come over here and tell me how you like it.”

Hannah took a small spoonful of Guac Ad Hoc and surrounded it with salted tortilla chips. She scooped up a little guacamole with a chip and popped it into her mouth. There was an instant explosion of flavors on her palate. She tasted rich buttery avocado, the tang of lemon juice, the fresh hint of oregano, and the smooth coolness of sour cream, all enhanced by just the right amount of garlic and onion. There was a crunch in addition to the tortilla chip and Hannah was amazed to taste bacon. “Wow!” she said, walking back to Howie with another loaded chip in her hand. “This Guac Ad Hoc is fantastic!”

“You like the oregano?”

“I love it. It makes guacamole into something entirely different.”

“You can make it with cilantro if you want to. It’s just that Florence doesn’t always have cilantro and Esther grows oregano in her kitchen window garden. I tasted it, thought it would work, and found an alternative.”

“It’s a great alternative.”

“Thanks.” Howie looked pleased. “Do you want the recipe?”

“Yes, I’d love to have it.”

Howie reached into his pocket, pulled out a recipe card, and handed it to Hannah. “Here you go. I always print these out before I take it to a party.” His smile disappeared and he looked very serious. “Are there any new developments, Hannah?”

“There’s a big one,” Hannah told him. “Mike sent a diver down this afternoon and he recovered a thermos from Doctor Bev’s car. The coffee that was left in the thermos was laced with enough tranquilizers to kill her.”

“Where did she get the coffee?”

“A busboy named Josh filled it with coffee that morning at the Inn and put it in her car for her. The car wasn’t locked and the top was down.”

“So anyone out there could have dropped the tranquilizers into the thermos.”

“That’s right.”

“And since you didn’t give her the coffee, you’re off the official suspect list?”

“Exactly.”

Howie looked relieved. “Good! I wasn’t looking forward to that trial. I know I could have gotten you off, but that wouldn’t remove the cloud of suspicion you’d still have hanging over your head.”

“I know. I’ll have to figure out who killed her in order to completely clear my name.”

“And you’re going to do that?”

“I’m going to try to do that,” Hannah corrected him.

“All I can say is be careful, Hannah! There’s someone out there who doesn’t care if an innocent person is convicted for the crime he or she committed.”

“I know. I’ll be careful. Send me a bill and I’ll pay you, Howie. I appreciate what you did for me.”

Howie waved away that suggestion. “No charge, Hannah. Just bake me some Molasses Crackles every once in a while. I love those cookies.”

“That’s easy,” Hannah said. “We’ll deliver them to your office tomorrow.”

“Great! I wish every client I’ve lost this week could bake.”

“You lost another client?”

Howie nodded. “A big one. I’ve got to admit I’m upset about it. Warren Dalworth switched to a lawyer in the Cities.”

“Really?” Hannah asked, remembering what her mother had said about the visitor in the three-piece suit who had come to see Warren in the hospital. “How about Roger? He’s still with you, isn’t he?”

“Yes, but Roger doesn’t do much business with me. Almost everything goes through Dalworth Enterprises and Warren controls that . . . at least for now. I no longer know what will happen when Warren dies. And I understand from Roger that his condition is terminal.”

Hannah’s antenna for trouble went on full alert. “But Warren’s wife is dead and Roger is his only son. He’ll inherit Dalworth Enterprises, won’t he?”

“That’s the way Warren set it up with me. I don’t know what’s changed now that Warren has a new will.”

“There’s a new will in place?”

“Yes. I never would have known about it, but a guy I knew from law school dropped by to see me at the office the other day. He’s working for a big firm in the Cities. I asked him what he was doing here in Lake Eden and he said he drew up a will for somebody and he had to go to the hospital to get it signed. Of course I asked him who his client was and when he said it was Warren Dalworth, you could have knocked me over with a feather.”