Raspberry Danish Murder (Hannah Swensen #22)(19)

“What kind are they?”

“Blueberry Shortbread Bar Cookies. We’ve made them before. It’s one of Aunt Nancy’s recipes.”

“Then they’re bound to be good. Aunt Nancy’s recipes are always great. And if you and Michelle baked them, that’s another plus.”

“Thanks,” Hannah said, going to the bakers rack to remove a pan of bar cookies. “It’ll just take me a minute to cut these.”

“I think I can wait, but I’ve got to warn you. My stomach’s already growling.”

Of course it is. With you, it’s a permanent affliction, Hannah thought to herself as she tipped the bar cookies out of the pan and began to cut them into brownie-sized pieces. “How many do you want?” she asked.

“I could eat the whole pan if you’d let me.”

Hannah laughed. It was the answer she’d been expecting. “I’ll give you eight for now. Just ask if you want more. How’s that?”

“Fine with me.”

Hannah waited until Mike had eaten two of the bar cookies and then she got up to refill his coffee cup. She sat back down on her stool, but she simply couldn’t wait any longer to ask what he’d found out at KCOW Television.

“So what did they tell you about the candy?” she asked him.

Mike gave a loud sigh. “Nothing definitive. The receptionist was out the day the mail room brought up the candy and a temp accepted the package.”

“Did it come by mail?”

“Yes, and the mail room handles a lot of mail. I asked and no one there even remembers it. Since it was a prepaid mailer and it didn’t look personal, it’s entirely possible it could have been sitting in the mail room for a while before someone took it upstairs.”

“Does the temp remember the day it came in?”

“Yes. She asked and someone said to put it on Ross’s desk.”

“Why were they putting things on Ross’s desk when he wasn’t there?”

“Because everyone thought he’d be back any day. No one knew that Ross had disappeared. They all thought that he was out in the field taping something for their special programming.”

“Who told them that?”

“P.K. He was covering for Ross. And you and your family substantiated that story by telling everyone in town that Ross was out on location.”

Hannah groaned. “So you still don’t know if Ross or P.K. was the intended victim.”

“That’s right. And that’s the problem, Hannah. The temp remembers that the mailer had a return address, but it was the address of the candy company’s corporate headquarters. When I called to check with the candy company, they told me that their stores provide prepaid mailers to any customers who buy two-pound boxes if the customer asks for one. At some point, someone must have thrown away the mailer, but I don’t know when. The cleaning crew empties the trash every night and it’s collected three times a week. Paper trash is recycled daily, so now there’s no trace of it.”

“Sounds like you’ve had a frustrating morning so far.”

“That’s right. I still have no idea when that candy was mailed and when it arrived at KCOW. That avenue’s a dead end, Hannah.”

Hannah began to frown. “So what you’re telling me is that since you can’t pin down the arrival of the candy, you can’t identify the intended victim.”

“Right.”

“And that means you have to investigate anyone who might have had a reason to kill either Ross or P.K.”

“Exactly. I’ll need to ask you some questions about Ross’s background, Hannah. I’ve got to find out if there’s anyone who might have wanted to kill him and why. And since Michelle was P.K.’s friend, I’ll need to ask her if he told her anything that might suggest a motive for his murder. Is it okay if I drop by the condo to see both of you tonight?”

Hannah made up her mind instantly. “Of course. Come by for dinner at seven and bring Lonnie with you. I’ll invite Norman, too. He spent time with Ross and P.K. when they worked together covering sports events at Jordan High. Norman may know something personal about Ross or P.K. that could help.”

“Great.” Mike stood up and grabbed a paper napkin. He dumped the remaining bar cookies inside and folded it into a packet. “I’ll take these with me to eat on the way out to the sheriff’s station. That’s okay, isn’t it?”

“Of course it’s okay.”

“Thanks, Hannah. I’ll see you tonight.”

When Mike had left, Hannah sat back down at the work station for the space of several seconds, and then she jumped up. Lisa could handle opening the coffee shop alone while Michelle baked in the kitchen. She had to get over to Florence’s Red Owl Grocery to pick up something she could put in the slow cooker for dinner!





Chapter Seven


Hannah had just returned to The Cookie Jar after buying the ingredients for Jambalaya and was driving back to the condo to start their dinner when Michelle came through the swinging restaurant-style door that separated the kitchen from the coffee shop.

“Oh, good! You’re back,” she greeted Hannah. “Lisa says to tell you that you had two calls while you were gone. One was from Cyril Murphy at the garage. He wants you to call him about Ross’s car.”