Lemon Meringue Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen Mysteries)

by Joanne Fluke

  “I like it just fine, but I’ve had enough lettuce to last me for a month. Maybe more than a month.”

  “You must be on a diet,” Rose guessed, sliding into the other side of the booth. “I noticed it when you came in with Norman. I even said to Hal, Hannah looks thinner .”

  “You did?” Hannah felt her spirits perk up. They’d hit rock bottom about ten minutes ago, when Norman’s pager had gone off and he’d told her that he had to go back to the clinic to handle a dental emergency.

  “I’m not even going to say what I have for dessert. No sense in tempting you.”

  “I’m already tempted. The minute I set foot in here, I started dreaming about your coconut cake.”

  “Then you’re in luck.” Rose leaned forward and grinned at her.

  “No, I’m not. I can’t have it.”

  “I know that. I was just about to say that Mayor Bascomb took the last piece back to his office. Does that make you feel better?”

  “Only if I can get over to his office and mug him before he eats it.”

  Rose laughed and Hannah knew she was pleased. Her coconut cake was legendary, but she never got tired of hearing people rave about it.

  “Mind if I sit for a minute?” Rose asked.

  “Not at all,” Hannah said. Rose was already sitting, so the question was moot.

  “Everybody loves that coconut cake. When Irma York was in this morning, she ordered two for Reggie’s bachelor party.”

  Hannah’s ears perked up at the mention of Reggie’s name. “I didn’t know Reggie was getting married.”

  “Neither did Irma until Friday night. He’s been dating this girl in Hawaii. She’s a reservations agent for Worldways. When Reggie found out he got promoted on Friday morning, he flew straight to Honolulu to ask her to marry him.”

  “That’s wonderful news,” Hannah said and she silently added, in more ways than one. If Reggie had flown to Hawaii on Friday, he couldn’t have murdered Rhonda.

  “Irma’s all excited about going to Hawaii for the wedding. They’re getting free tickets from Worldways since the kids are both employees.” Rose glanced at her watch and slid out of the booth. “Lisa’s burger should be ready by now. I told Hal to put on extra pickles and mustard, and he’s throwing in an order of fries for you to share. People on diets should have more vegetables. I read that in a magazine.”

  “Here you go, Lisa.” Hannah handed her partner the bag from the café and gestured toward the kitchen. “Go eat. And then find something to do for an hour. And I don’t mean baking, either. You need a break.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure. You haven’t had any time off in a week.”

  “Okay.” Lisa gave her a big grin. “When I’m through with lunch, I’ll run down to Kiddie Korner. All the seniors are there and they’re helping Tracey’s class decorate the float.”

  “That’s nice. Have you seen it yet?”

  “I saw it last night. It’s going to be spectacular, Hannah. Andrea really had a great idea.”

  “She did?” Hannah felt her curiosity rise. “What colors are they using?”

  Lisa shook her head. “I can’t tell you. I’ve been sworn to secrecy about everything. Andrea and Janice don’t want you to know anything about it until the day of the parade.”

  Hannah gave up. Lisa could keep a secret better than anyone she knew and it was a lost cause.

  “Hi, Hannah.” Andrea popped through the front door of The Cookie Jar just as Hannah had finished refilling the coffee mugs. “I’ve got great news. Danielle Watson is back in town. She looks absolutely wonderful, much better than she did when she was married to the coach.”

  “I’m really glad to hear that.” Hannah knew she’d never forget how terrified Danielle had been when everyone in town thought she’d killed her husband. “Is she back for a visit?”

  “No, for good.”

  “Really? I thought you sold her house for her when she went to stay with her mother in Florida.”

  “I did. Danielle said there were too many unhappy memories and she didn’t want to keep it. Now that she’s back, she’s looking for a condo. Are there any units for sale in your complex? There’s nothing listed, but sometimes people try to sell on their own.”

  Hannah tried to think of any likely candidates. “You could try Mrs. Wozniac. Her sister’s husband died and she was talking about moving in with her.”

  “Thanks. That’s a good lead.” Andrea pulled out her leather-bound appointment book and jotted down the name. “Anybody else?”

  “Not that I know of, but check with Sue Plotnik. Phil’s president of the homeowners’ association and nobody can put up a For Sale sign without his approval.”

  “That’s another good lead. Have you ever thought of going into real estate, Hannah?”

  “Never.” Hannah knew she’d better change the subject before Andrea tried to recruit her. “Is Danielle going to look for a job in town?”

  “Not exactly. She’s opening a dance studio and I found the perfect spot for her. I showed her the loft above Red Owl Grocery and she rented it on the spot. She absolutely fell in love with the high windows and the hardwood floor. And that reminds me, did you know that Red Owl used to be a big grocery chain? The chain went under, but our store petitioned the board of directors and got permission to keep the name.”

  “That’s interesting. When is Danielle going to open for business?”

  “In September, right after school starts. She said it wouldn’t take much work to convert the loft. All she needs to do is resurface the floor, install floor-to-ceiling mirrors, and decorate it.”

  “Good for her.” Hannah was pleased.

  “I’m just glad I thought to show it to her. It’s been on the books for over three months and I thought I’d never get it rented. I really hope Danielle can make a good living teaching dance in Lake Eden and it won’t end up on the books again.”

  Hannah clamped her lips shut. She knew that Danielle could afford to run her studio at a loss, but Danielle’s finances were her own personal business.

  “I just popped in for a minute. I’ve got a million things to do before Tracey gets out of preschool. You’re going to the dinner tonight, aren’t you?”

  “What dinner?”

  “At the lake cottage. We’re all invited. I wonder why Mother hasn’t called you yet.”

  Hannah experienced a fleeting moment of relief. Perhaps Delores had forgotten. Then she wouldn’t have to put her diet to the test again tonight. But Delores never forgot things like that.

  “She’ll call,” Hannah said, as certain of that as she was of the sun rising in the morning. “She’s probably nursing a sore ear from all those phone calls she’s been making about Rhonda.”

  “I’m back.” Lisa came in from the kitchen with a smile on her face. “They’re having a ball down at Kiddie Korner. Janice really had a great idea involving the seniors. The kids don’t seem to notice that some of them have failing memories.”

  “Kids that age are very accepting. If we could just get them to keep that attitude, it might be a kinder world.”

  “You said it!” Lisa said with a sigh, but she immediately brightened. “Janice is talking about making this a regular thing. She said that if the seniors could spend one afternoon a week with them, it would be good for both groups.”

  “I think she’s right. Some of Tracey’s classmates don’t have grandparents in the area. And the seniors have the same problem in reverse.”

  Lisa moved behind the counter and began to make a fresh urn of coffee. “Did any new orders come in while I was gone?”

  “Just one. Donna Lempke’s throwing a sweet-sixteen party for her daughter and she wanted to know if we could make ice cream sandwiches.”

  “Can we?”

  “I told her we could. Remember how soft the Pecan Chews got the last time we baked them?”

  “I remember. They tasted great, though.”

  “I think it was the humidity. It’s still
just as humid, so I thought we’d bake another batch. We’ll sandwich vanilla ice cream between them, wrap them individually, and freeze them.”

  “Let’s do half vanilla and half chocolate,” Lisa suggested. “Then people can choose.”

  “That’s a good idea. If they turn out really well, we’ll add them to the summer cookie menu. In weather like this people might like something frozen.”

  “Do you want me to start on them now?”

  “Not quite yet. I have someone I need to see. Could you man the counter for an hour?”

  “Sure. Does it have anything to do with—” Lisa stopped and glanced around her, but the customers at the tables were busy with their own conversations “—with Rhonda’s murder?”

  “Yes. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “Take as long as you need. I told you I’d run the shop while you investigated. Is there anything I can do while I’m waiting on our customers?”

  Hannah thought about that for a moment. “Nothing specific, but keep your eyes open and be the invisible coffee mug filler.”

  “That actually works,” Lisa said with a laugh. “They just go right on talking like I’m not even there.”

  “I know. That’s one great advantage we have. Just listen for anything that has to do with Rhonda and tell me about it when I get back.”

  “Can you tell me who you’re going to see?”

  It took Hannah no more than a split second before she decided. Lisa never blabbed what she shouldn’t. “Kenneth Purvis.”

  “Mr. Purvis?” Lisa’s eyes widened. “Do you think he killed Rhonda?”

  The concerned look on Lisa’s face made Hannah decide to hedge a bit. “I just think he might have some information that could help me. I’ll give him a call and see if he’s at home.”

  “He’s probably at the school.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Mrs. Purvis was in last Wednesday and I heard her tell Gail Hanson that she was driving to Rochester for a family reunion and she wasn’t coming back until the third. She said Mr. Purvis had a lot of work to do on the fall schedule and he’d practically be living at the school until she got back.”

  Hannah smiled. “The invisible coffee mug filler trick worked.”

  “Actually, it was the invisible cookie boxer trick. She came in to get three dozen Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies to take to her mother.”

  Chapter

  Seventeen

  A fter promising to stop and pick up some vanilla and chocolate ice cream, Hannah went out through the kitchen. Once she reached her cookie truck, she unlocked the doors and lowered the windows to let out the stifling air. On a day like today, when the mercury was flirting with the ninety-degree mark, she’d give her kingdom for air-conditioning that worked.

  It didn’t take long to drive to the school. Hannah pulled into the Jordan High faculty lot and parked next to Ken Purvis’s car. The only other car in the lot belonged to the music teacher and she could hear the marching band practicing on the football field. Hannah walked across the steaming concrete, grimacing at the strains of music she heard. It was good they were practicing. They needed it.

  The interior of the school was slightly cooler than the blazing heat outside. Hannah walked down the deserted hallway, smelling the same unique combination of sweeping compound and chalk dust that had welcomed her as a child. She still felt a pang on the first day of school, when freshly washed school busses carried spiffed-up students to the Lake Eden school complex. The first day of the school year had always been her favorite. Dressed in her new school clothes with summer freckles still dancing a line across her nose, she had carried her new book bag into a classroom that had sported completely clean blackboards, long pieces of perfectly formed chalk, and bigger desks.

  Hannah stopped at the end of the hall and peeked around the corner at Ken Purvis’s office. The door was open and the secretary’s desk was unoccupied. She breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped into the outer office, glad that she didn’t have to make up an excuse to see Ken privately.

  There was the sound of rustling papers from the inner office, Ken’s domain. Hannah approached the open door and stopped in her tracks as she smelled a familiar scent. Old Spice. There could be no mistake about it. Her father had used Old Spice aftershave and the scent was as familiar to her as chocolate. Ken Purvis had been Rhonda’s boyfriend. Hannah was certain.

  Ken glanced up as Hannah knocked on the open door. He looked startled at the interruption, but the moment he saw that it was Hannah, he smiled. “Come in.”

  Hannah entered the inner sanctum that caused most high school students to tremble in their sneakers and took a chair in front of Ken’s desk. She was trying to think of something polite to say to warm Ken up for the ensuing conversation when he beat her to it.

  “It’s always good to see you, Hannah. You’re not planning to enroll for the fall semester, are you?”

  Hannah laughed at the standard principal’s joke. “No, I’ve got something else on my mind.”

  “What can I do for you?” Ken removed his reading glasses and placed them upside down, bows crossed, on the pile of papers he’d been reading.

  Hannah hesitated. She wanted to handle this tactfully, but she couldn’t think of a way to do it. “Why did you bring two takeout dinners to Rhonda Scharf at the Voelker place on Friday night?”

  All the color in Ken’s face fled and so did his smile. “How do you know that?”

  “I know.”

  “Does anybody else know?”

  “Not yet. Maybe they won’t have to if you’re honest with me.”

  Ken sighed and it was like letting all the air out of a basketball. Hannah could almost see him deflate before her eyes. “What you’re thinking is right, Hannah. I’m not proud of it, but I was involved with Rhonda.”

  “Does that involved mean what I think it means?”

  “Yes. It’s entirely my fault that it went this far and I take full responsibility. I just hope that Kathy won’t have to find out about it.”

  Hannah could understand his concern. Ken’s wife had a fiery temper and she wouldn’t take the news of her husband’s infidelity lightly. “This is just between you and me right now. Tell me how it started.”

  “I was having troubles at home with Kathy.” Ken sighed deeply. “You don’t need to know about that, do you?”

  “No.”

  “Well…I wanted to ease the situation a bit and I went to the drugstore to buy a bottle of perfume as a peace offering.”

  Hannah decided to cut to the chase. She knew about Rhonda’s bag of tricks. “And Rhonda came on to you?”

  “That’s exactly what happened. It was right after she inherited her great-aunt’s place. She said she really wanted to go out and look at it, but she needed the help of a big strong man. And…”

  “Never mind, I get the picture,” Hannah cut him off. “And you went out there for another…uh…rendezvous with Rhonda on Friday night?”

  Ken shook his head. “Not exactly. Kathy and I worked out our problems. When she left on Wednesday to go to her family reunion, I decided the time was right to break it off with Rhonda.”

  “Because Rhonda would have two weeks to get over being mad at you before she came back from her vacation?”

  “That was a factor,” Ken admitted. “I was trying to make it easier on everybody involved.”

  “Including you?”

  “Including me.”

  Hannah gave Ken a long hard look, but he appeared completely sincere. “And you decided to bring Rhonda dinner before you broke the bad news to her?”

  “It sounds a little strange now, but that’s exactly right. I called and asked to see her, but she said she had to go out to her great-aunt’s place to pick up some things. I told her that was fine, that I’d take her out there and then I’d go get us some dinner. She thought that was fine and she offered to bring dessert.”

  Hannah was sure that Ken was telling the truth, but that didn’t mean th
at he hadn’t killed Rhonda. She felt slightly uncomfortable for a moment, wondering if she should have brought some kind of weapon, but she quickly dismissed that concern. Ken wasn’t a large man and Mike had taught her some good self-defense moves. “Tell me exactly what happened that night and don’t leave anything out.”

  “All right,” Ken agreed, but he looked very uncomfortable. “Just let me take a pill first.”

  Hannah watched as he pulled out his center desk drawer and took out a prescription pill bottle. “What are you taking?”

  “Something Doc Knight prescribed for my bursitis. He said it would work, but it hasn’t had much effect so far.” Ken shook out a pill and downed it with a sip of water from the glass that was sitting on his desk. “You want to hear everything?”

  “Yes.”

  “I had an appointment with Doc Knight at five on Friday afternoon. After that, I went straight over to Rhonda’s apartment and drove her out to her great-aunt’s place.”

  “What time was that?”

  “About six.”

  Hannah jotted down the time in her notebook. “What happened when you got there?”

  “I dropped her off and then I went to pick up our dinners. I figured I’d tell her after we ate.”

  “The takeout was from Alfredo’s Ristorante?”

  “Yes. I ordered in advance. They have osso buco on Friday nights and Rhonda said she liked it.”

  “Where was Rhonda when you got back?”

  “In the kitchen. She was taking a break, waiting for me to get back. We sat down at the table and I opened the wine. I brought a really good bottle of Chianti, because I thought it might ease the situation.”

  “Right.” Hannah tried not to sound too sarcastic. Ken was a fool if he thought a bad situation would improve with alcohol.

  “I sat down to dinner but I was so nervous, I couldn’t eat much. I just had the garnish off the osso buco and that was it. Rhonda noticed that I wasn’t eating and she asked me if something was wrong. That’s when I told her.”