Raspberry Danish Murder (Hannah Swensen #22)(75)

*

“Did you mean what you said about going for something to eat?” Michelle asked as Hannah pulled out of the church parking lot.

“Yes. I thought we’d run out to the Corner Tavern for a hamburger.”

“And fries.”

“And maybe even onion rings.”

“And just so we don’t feel that we’re ignoring our vegetables, we could always order a small dinner salad,” Michelle added.

“Only if we get our blue cheese dressing on the side,” Hannah told her.

“So we can dip our fries and onion rings in the dressing?”

Hannah smiled. “Exactly.”

They rode a few miles in silence, and then Michelle spoke again. “You have something you want to check out at the Corner Tavern, don’t you?”

Hannah laughed. “I should have known I couldn’t put anything past you. Of course I do. That comment Sally made about Pinkie just keeps running through my mind.”

“The one about how devastated Pinkie was after the breakup, even though she deliberately caused it?”

“That’s right.”

“And you’re wondering if Pinkie could be carrying a grudge against P.K., a totally irrational grudge that could have somehow led to P.K.’s murder?”

“Exactly.”

“But how will going out to the Corner Tavern help you find out?”

“I called this morning, and I found out that Georgina is working this afternoon.”

“She works at the Red Velvet Lounge too, doesn’t she?”

“She does. And Georgina has a way of knowing everything about her customers.”

“That’s what you said about Carol out at KCOW.”

“I know I did, but when Pinkie went out there to pick up P.K., she was probably on her best behavior. And Georgina might have seen her at other times of the day, like nights or weekends when P.K. wasn’t around. Everyone at KCOW seemed to think that Pinkie was a very sweet person. And so did Sally and Dot, until the night she threw P.K.’s engagement ring at him and stormed out.”

Michelle thought about that for a moment. “That’s true and it’s worth checking out. The Corner Tavern is an after-event place. People go out there late at night after they’ve seen a movie, or gone to a sports event at Jordan High. It’s the best place to go at night if you want a burger.”

“They have a fish burger, too. And I know there’s a barbecued chicken burger. And remember that Pinkie only took one bite of her lobster. She was probably hungry after spending all that energy fighting with P.K. and she might have stopped there to get something to eat. I’m curious to know Pinkie’s demeanor after that awful breakup.”

Traffic was light, and Hannah and Michelle arrived at the Corner Tavern a few minutes later. Since it was too early for dinner and too late for lunch, the parking lot wasn’t crowded. Hannah found a spot very close to the front door, and they hurried inside to get out of the cold.

“Hi, girls,” Nona Prentiss, the owner’s wife, greeted them.

“Hi, Nona,” Hannah responded. “We didn’t expect to see you here this time of day.”

“My regular hostess had a doctor’s appointment and I told her I’d fill in. She should be back soon. Are you here to eat, or just to see if you can find out something about P.K.’s murder?”

“Both,” Hannah admitted. “I called earlier and your regular hostess told me that Georgina was working. Could Michelle and I please sit in her section?”

“Sure thing,” Nona said. “And I understand completely. Georgina’s a great source of information about everyone who comes in here. Follow me, and I’ll take you to one of her tables.”

Hannah stopped to pet Albert, the stuffed grizzly bear. Albert stood upright on his rear legs, almost as if he were guarding the patrons who entered the dining room. Michelle, who had been fascinated with Albert when she was a child, also gave him a pat as she walked by. Albert was a fixture at the Corner Tavern. The story was that Nick had inherited the restaurant and Albert from his grandfather, Nicholas. He was the man who’d opened the restaurant, shot the grizzly in the woods, and had gone to a taxidermist to have Albert preserved. Albert had been standing at the door to the dining room for three generations, and since Nick and Nona had a son named Nicky, it was entirely possible that Albert would stand guard for another Nicholas.

People who studied Minnesota history had doubts about Albert’s origin since grizzly bears weren’t known to frequent the woods in Minnesota. Despite that, no one wanted to doubt how Albert had come to the Corner Tavern, and the story had become a local legend.

“I’ll see if I can find a four-top open in Georgina’s section,” Nona told them. “That way, you girls will have the extra chairs for your purses.”

Hannah smiled. “We’d love a four-top. Michelle and I are so hungry, we’re going to cover the whole tabletop with food.”

Nona laughed as they followed her past the bar and through the arch that separated the bar from the area reserved for tables, chairs, and booths. She gestured to a table in the center of the room and asked, “How’s this one?”

“It’s just fine,” Hannah said, taking a seat at the table. “If you see Nick, say hi for us.”