Raspberry Danish Murder (Hannah Swensen #22)(64)

“I’ll try the mini muffins. I’ve never had those before.” Michelle turned to Hannah and Norman. “Would you two excuse me for a moment? I have to make a phone call to see if Lonnie can drop by the condo later, and the reception isn’t very good in these curtained booths.”

“Sally’s got a hotspot in her office,” their waitress told her. “If you stand in the hallway outside the office door, the reception’s really good. I always duck out there when I need to make a call.”

“Thanks,” Michelle said and rose to her feet. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Go ahead, Michelle,” Hannah said with a nod. Perhaps Michelle’s cell phone didn’t work well in this curtained booth, but their sister-to-sister radar was working just fine. She knew exactly why Michelle wanted Lonnie to drop by to see them tonight.

“I’d better tell you what I want now before I forget,” Norman said to the waitress. “You can leave the iced tea, but could I please have a glass of ginger ale, too? I’m really thirsty tonight.”

“I’ll bring one now and another with your entrée,” their waitress promised. “Did you have any of Dick’s pizza dip?”

“We all did,” Hannah answered her.

“Then that’s probably why you’re thirsty. Dick loves to spice it up.” She turned to Hannah. “And for you, ma’am?”

“I have a question before I order my entrée. What are Piccadilly Cheese Mini Muffins? I don’t believe I’ve ever seen them on the menu before.”

“That’s because they’re a new item tonight. We’re trying them out with our customers. Sally got the recipe from her grandmother, and they were very popular in her grandfather’s pub.”

“Then I’d like to try one, also,” Hannah decided. “And for an entrée, I’ll have the half Cornish game hen with sautéed button mushrooms and wild rice.”

“Very good,” their waitress said, jotting it down on her pad before she turned to Norman. “And for your entrée, sir?”

“I’ll have the duck with raspberry sauce, and the braised snow peas.”

“Would you care to try the Piccadilly Cheese Mini Muffins?” their waitress asked him.

Norman looked over at Hannah and smiled. “Absolutely. I don’t want to be the only holdout.”

“I’ll send my busboy over with the muffins and the rest of tonight’s bread basket,” their waitress said, pulling aside the curtains and stepping out of the booth. She closed the curtains behind her, and Hannah turned to face Norman. “Michelle is calling Lonnie to come over tonight so that we can try to find out how Mike is coming along with his investigation.”

“I guessed that.”

“Then will you please come over after you drop us at The Cookie Jar?”

“Of course I will. I’ll stay at your place for as long as you need me, Hannah.”

At that exact moment, the curtains were pulled aside and Delores stood there glaring. She glanced behind her and stepped in quickly, pulling the curtains shut behind her. “Hannah Louise Swensen! How dare you? And you, Norman. You should know better than this!”

Both Hannah and Norman stared at Delores with puzzled expressions. “Norman knows better than what, Mother?” Hannah asked her.

“I heard what you said to my daughter, Norman! It’s simply scandalous!”

It took a moment, but then Hannah realized what her mother had overheard. The last thing Norman had said to her before Delores had jerked back the curtains was, I’ll stay at your place for as long as you need me, Hannah.

“But, Mother. You don’t understand,” Hannah began to explain. “Norman didn’t mean . . .”

“I know precisely what Norman meant!” Delores interrupted her. “And I can tell you right now that I do not approve!”

“Calm down, Mother,” Hannah pleaded. “You don’t know what Norman meant. If you’ll listen to me for a moment, I’ll tell you.”

“You want me to listen to you?” Delores looked completely outraged. “I’m ashamed of you, Hannah! You should know better than to come out here with Norman and sit in a private booth with him. It fairly shouts to the whole world that you have something to conceal!”

“But, Mother . . . you just don’t understand!”

“Oh, I understand perfectly and let me tell you what you should understand. Married women do not hide behind curtains with men who are not their husbands! Ross hasn’t even been gone for three full weeks and you’ve already found someone to replace him!”

At that exact moment, the curtains were pulled back and Michelle stepped in. “Sorry that took longer than I thought. I had to wait for Lonnie to call me back so I just stayed close to . . .” She stopped speaking as she spotted her mother. “Hello, Mother. What are you doing out here tonight?”





CRUNCHY SALTY CHEESY PROSCIUTTO AND ASPARAGUS ROLLS (An Appetizer) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F., rack in the middle position



2 sheets of frozen puff pastry dough (I used

Pepperidge Farm)

20 slices prosciutto in long thin strips

20 spears asparagus, cleaned and trimmed (either