Raspberry Danish Murder (Hannah Swensen #22)(59)

“I’m sure she will. I talked to her on the phone today and she’s really excited about having us there. She said that having refreshments and setting up tables and chairs in the center like a food court will make a huge difference in how much longer people will stay and shop.”

“She’s right about that. Airports and malls have food courts. And so do county fairs. People need to rest, to re-energize.”

“That’s right. I can’t think of a single large company that doesn’t have a break room for their employees. Just look at us. We’re sitting here at the work station drinking coffee right now.”

“And waiting for Norman.” Michelle glanced up at the clock on the wall. He should be here any minute.”

As if on cue, there was a knock on the back kitchen door. Michelle laughed and rose to her feet. “There he is. I’ll go let him in.”

“Thanks, Michelle,” Hannah heard Norman say as he hung his parka on the hook by the back kitchen door. A moment later, he walked over to the work station. “Hi, Hannah.”

“Hi, Norman.”

Norman gave her a little hug. “I hope I’m not too early. Are you getting hungry?”

Hannah laughed. “I’m starved.”

“That’s exactly what Michelle said when she opened the door. Is there anything you want to take out to the conference center tonight? My trunk’s practically empty.”

“I don’t know.” Hannah turned to Michelle. “Can you think of anything we should take?”

“Not really.”

“Okay then.” Norman held out his hand for Hannah. “Let’s go eat. When I called, Sally said to go ahead and come out early. She can’t fit us into the dining room until seven, but Dick’s making his Pizza Dip in the bar and it’s not karaoke night until after nine.”

“That’s great!” Hannah exclaimed, and then she laughed. Norman was staring at her as if she’d gone stark, raving mad. “I’ll tell you why it’s so wonderful on our way out to the Lake Eden Inn.”

After a smooth, cozy ride through the cold, snowy night, Norman pulled into a parking spot marked DELIVERIES ONLY in back of the Lake Eden Inn. “Sally said to park back here,” he told them. “She left the back door open for us. All we have to do is lock it behind us when we come in.”

“This is perfect,” Michelle said, slipping out of her boots and switching to her shoes. “It’s only a couple of steps to the door, and we don’t have to wear our boots.”

“It might be snowing when you come out,” Hannah warned her youngest sister.

“I know, but I’ll take the chance. It’s so nice not to have to switch from boots to shoes and then back again.”

“You’re right,” Hannah agreed. “I’ll take the chance, too. How about you, Norman?”

“I’ll play it safe. That way I can wade out here to get your boots if a blizzard blows in . . . unless, of course, you think I have absolutely no spirit of adventure. If that’s the case, I’ll go in barefoot!”

Hannah laughed and so did Michelle. “Wear your boots, Norman,” Hannah told him. “That’s the gentlemanly thing to do. And if there happens to be an unseasonable heat wave, you can always throw down your parka for us to walk over.”

All three of them were smiling as they went inside, locked the door behind them, and walked down the narrow hallway that passed Sally’s gigantic kitchen. As they went through the lobby and approached the bar, Norman turned to Hannah.

“Go ahead and get a table unless you’d rather sit at the bar. And save a chair or a barstool for me. I’ll take our parkas and hang them up, switch to my shoes, and come right back.”

Hannah and Michelle shrugged out of their parkas, handed them to Norman, and went through the swinging saloon-style double doors to Dick’s bar. There were already quite a few people at the tables, but only a few customers at the bar.

“Where do you want to go?” Michelle asked Hannah.

“The bar. Dick’s bartending, and it’ll be easier to talk to him there.”

“You’re going to ask him about Scotty and P.K.?”

“That’s my plan. Dick’s a very observant guy. I told him that once, and he said that good bartenders had to be observant, that it was part of the job. I want Dick to tell me his impression of the way Scotty and P.K. were getting along the last time they were here.”

“Okay,” Michelle agreed. “I’ll follow your lead, Hannah.”

Hannah walked up to the bar and motioned to a stool. “Take this one, Michelle. I’ll put my purse on the barstool on the other side of me to reserve it for Norman.”

When Hannah and Michelle were seated, Dick hurried over to them. “Hi, girls,” he greeted them both with a smile, and then he turned to Hannah. “You’re a little early for karaoke, Hannah.”

“You’d better thank your lucky stars for that, Dick. Have you ever heard me sing?”

Dick thought about that for a moment, and then he shook his head. “I don’t think so, at least not that I can remember.”

“Oh, you’d remember!” Michelle told him emphatically. “Hannah’s really loud, and she can’t carry a tune in a bucket. Believe me, I know. When I was young, she used to try to sing me to sleep.”