Red Velvet Cupcake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #16)(9)

“That’s right. And Claire said that each one was hand painted.” Barbara looked pleased to receive so many compliments. “The minute Claire showed me this outfit I knew I just had to have it. And it goes so well with my mother’s amber beads.”

“It’s perfect for you,” Andrea agreed. “Do you happen to know when Bill and Mike are coming?”

“They left the office right after I did. They said they were going to run home and get dressed, and they should be here any . . .” Barbara stopped talking and pointed to the doorway. “There’s our host and hostess.”

“What a perfect ad for cosmetic surgery,” Delores commented, as Roger and Doctor Bev entered the lounge.

Andrea turned to Delores. “You think Roger had cosmetic surgery?”

“I know Roger did. And she’s had some work done on her muffin tops.”

“Muffin tops?” Hannah questioned her mother.

“The rolls of fat that protrude from the side and back when you wear a tight skirt or tight pants,” Doc Knight explained.

“That’s right,” Delores said, smiling at him. “Doctor Bev used to have them and now she doesn’t. I’m sure she had liposuction. And then there’s that little trout pout. Do you see it?”

Hannah turned to Doc Knight. “Translate, please?”

“Her lips have a slight pouty look, most likely from a bit too much Botox.”

Delores nodded. “But that doesn’t even count the actual surgery. She was beginning to have crow’s feet, but they’re gone now. You know what crow’s feet are, don’t you?”

“We know,” Barbara said with a sigh. “What else?”

“Her elevens are gone and her parentheses are a lot less deep than they were. And she got rid of her turtleneck.”

All three women turned to Doc Knight and he laughed.

“All right. Elevens are slang for the vertical lines that appear between a person’s eyebrows when they’re frowning. They probably used Botox on those. And parentheses are the classic lines that develop from the sides of the nose down past the corners of the mouth.”

“Botox?” Hannah guessed.

“Not usually. They’re usually treated with injectable filler like Juvederm. The turtleneck is more difficult to treat and it usually requires a neck lift procedure.”

“Surgery,” Delores said, “and it’s all elective. She left some cash at her doctor’s office. Or he did.”

“How do you know so much about cosmetic surgery?” Andrea asked, even though Hannah tried to aim a kick at her under the table.

“Well, I . . .”

“Lori was good enough to do some online research for me,” Doc Knight said quickly. “I needed to know some of the slang terms so that I could refer my patients who wanted to enhance their appearance to the right cosmetic surgeon.”

As Hannah watched, Delores turned to give Doc Knight a luminous smile that clearly said Thank you for getting me out of a pickle. Hannah smiled at both of them. There was no doubt in her mind that they were good for each other.

“Whatever,” Barbara said, taking a sip of her diet cola. “She really looks good tonight.”

“Yes, she does,” Hannah said, more charitable than she felt like being as Roger and Doctor Bev walked to the table for two that had been reserved for them.

“I think she looks at least ten years younger,” Delores said. “And ever since Roger got his nose fixed, he’s been on the handsome side.”

They were silent then, watching Roger and Doctor Bev make their way to the table. Hannah had never seen Doctor Bev looking so pretty, so young, and so beautifully dressed. She was wearing a tight-fitting silver dress that gleamed in the overhead halogen lights. Her makeup was perfect, her hair was perfect, and her smile was perfect. The only note of imperfection was the haughty look on her face.

Then there was Roger, who walked at her side with an assurance that only comes from family money. He’d been raised in luxury and he was used to merely mentioning something only to have someone snap to attention to accomplish it. He was dressed in a black suit that fit so perfectly, Hannah knew it had been tailored especially for him. He had paired it with a lavender dress shirt and a lavender and silver tie. His blond hair was a shade darker than Doctor Bev’s blond hair and his eyes were an alert and piercing blue. His teeth were white and gleaming, but one was slightly crooked, giving his smile an endearing quality, and Hannah found herself wondering if that tooth had been specifically capped that way. His skin was a shade of tan that would have been impossible to achieve in a tanning booth or in the short length of time the Minnesota weather had permitted. Aruba, St. Thomas, St. Croix, or some other tropical vacation spot? Hannah’s mind suggested and she gave a slight nod. Roger was handsome and Bev was stunningly pretty. They were the golden couple.

“Here come Mike and Bill,” Barbara said, gesturing toward the doorway. “And Norman’s there, too.”

Hannah turned to look. Three men were standing in the doorway. One man was her date for the evening, another was the man she also dated and the chief detective at the Winnetka County Sheriff’s Department, and the third was her brother-in-law and Andrea’s husband, Bill Todd.

Andrea gave a wave and the three men threaded their way across the room toward their table. A few steps and it was apparent that this could take a while. Everyone who saw them wanted to say hello and their progress was slow.