Raspberry Danish Murder (Hannah Swensen #22)(24)

“What smells so good?” Norman asked her.

“Oatmeal Lemon Cookies. They’ll be cool in a couple of minutes, and then we can sample them.”

“I’ve never tasted those before,” Norman said.

Hannah laughed. “Neither have I. It’s a new recipe I just tried. I have no idea if they’re good or not.”

“They smell good,” Norman commented. “I’ll be happy to help you test them.”

“You’re always happy to test something, Norman.”

“I know. I’m just a nice guy that way.”

Hannah smiled as she poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down across from Norman. “I was going to call you at the clinic to invite you to dinner tonight, but now I can ask you in person.”

“Thanks, Hannah. I’d love to come. Can I bring anything?”

“Yes. Bring Cuddles. Moishe loves it when he can play with a friend, especially when the friend is Cuddles.”

“My pleasure. And it’ll be a pleasure for Cuddles, too. What are we having for dinner?”

“Jambalaya.”

“You’ve never made that before, have you?”

“No. This is the first time.”

“Well, I’ll be happy to test that for you, too. Would you like me to pick up anything to go with the Jambalaya?”

Hannah thought about that for a moment, and then she nodded. “I could use some ginger ale. I think I’m all out. Or anything else you want to drink. I know I have beer, but I doubt Mike will drink since he’s on-call. And since Mike is Lonnie’s boss, I’m almost certain that Lonnie won’t have anything with alcohol. I already have white wine for Michelle if she wants it, and of course I’ll make coffee.”

“I’ll pick up some ginger ale. I have to run out to the mall, and there’s a new store out there called the Pop Shop. They bottle their own sodas, and if you buy a case, you can mix and match.”

“I wonder if they have red cream soda. It was Grandma Ingrid’s favorite, and she always had it in her refrigerator.”

“If they have it, I’ll put a few bottles in the case for you,” Norman promised.

“Great! That would be like a trip down memory lane. Now, if I could only find lemon ice cream, I’d have everything that Grandma Ingrid loved.”

“Including you, of course.”

“Yes,” Hannah said, remembering how her grandmother used to hug her every time she visited.

“What’s in your Jambalaya, Hannah?”

“Chicken, shrimp, tomatoes, rice, garlic and onion, and seasonings. And that reminds me, I brought a big bag of frozen shrimp and I’m not going to use it all, so Moishe and Cuddles will have shrimp for a treat.”

“Perfect. Those two always appreciate shrimp.”

“I know. Shrimp and salmon are their favorites.” Hannah got up from her stool. “I’m going to remove the cookies from their sheets and put them on wire racks so they’ll cool faster.”

“Good idea.” Norman watched while Hannah removed the cookies with a wide metal spatula and placed them on racks on the counter. “How long will it take for them to cool?”

“Not long at all if I put one rack in the cooler.” Hannah carried a rack filled with cookies to the walk-in cooler and opened the door. She went in with the cookies and was back a few seconds later. “Can I top off your coffee, Norman?”

Norman picked up his cup and held it out as Hannah approached with the coffee carafe. When she’d added fresh coffee to his mug, he smiled. “Thanks, Hannah. Are you sure those cookies aren’t cool enough?”

Hannah laughed. “They’ve barely been in the cooler for a minute.”

“I wouldn’t mind tasting a hot one.”

“All right. I’ll go check.”

Hannah went back to the cooler, and when she returned, she was carrying a paper plate full of cookies. “They’re still pretty warm, but that should be all right,” she said, setting the plate down between them. “Help yourself, Norman.”

Norman didn’t need any further encouragement. He reached for a cookie and bit into it.

Hannah reached for her own cookie and took a bite. “Mmmm,” she said.

“Mmmm is right,” Norman agreed. “These are incredible, Hannah. The lemon flavor just explodes in your mouth, and I love the combination of oatmeal and lemon. They’re tart and sweet at the same time.”

“I like that, too,” Hannah concurred.

They sat in silence, munching the cookies, until each of them had eaten three. Then Hannah sighed. “Go ahead and ask me, Norman.”

“You know why I came here today?”

“I think so. It’s P.K.’s murder. You want to ask me if I’m going to investigate.”

Norman reached across the stainless steel surface, took her hand, and shook it. “Congratulations! You’re a genius. And you’re right, of course. Are you?”

“Yes.”

“That brings up another question. It occurred to me the minute I heard exactly what happened to P.K. and Doc Knight confirmed that he was fatally drugged by the candy that was delivered to Ross’s office. You know what I’m trying to say, don’t you?”

Hannah gave a reluctant nod. “Yes, I do.”