Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder Page 16

  “No, Father’s been a bit under the weather.” Benton lowered his voice and moved a step closer. “I’ve come back to help him run the business.”

  Hannah remembered the dark circles under Del’s eyes. Perhaps Benton was telling the truth. “I hope it’s nothing serious.”

  “No, it’s just that he’s been working too hard. Now that I’ve moved back home to lend a hand, he should be fine.”

  “You’re staying here?” Hannah was surprised. She seemed to remember that Benton had hated Lake Eden when he’d lived here.

  “For a while. And it’s wonderful to be back. I’ve always liked the ambience here, such a friendly, small-town feel. And that reminds me, I ran into Andrea and her husband a few moments ago and she mentioned that you’d opened a business. It sounds like such a quaint little shop. I’ll have to make a point of dropping in soon.”

  Hannah bristled. Her business was a business, not a “quaint little shop.” The tone in Benton’s voice suggested that it was something a socialite might do as a hobby. Hannah opened her mouth to tell him that she’d worked very hard to make The Cookie Jar profitable, but she remembered about tact just in time. “It’s been nice chatting with you, Benton, but we have to rush off to find Mother.”

  Norman waited until they were several feet away. “You want to find your mother?”

  “Of course not. I just wanted to get away from Benton before I wrung his neck.”

  Norman grinned. “‘A quaint little shop’?”

  “You got it.” Hannah was impressed. For a dentist, Norman was quick. “Let’s go find Andrea. I really need to talk to her.”

  They found Andrea and Bill by the buffet tables, and from the satisfied look on Bill’s face, Hannah suspected that he was about to enjoy his second or third helping of food.

  “Hi, Hannah. Good to see you, Norman,” Bill greeted them. “Some spread, huh?”

  Hannah turned to Norman. “Will you keep Bill company, Norman? I really need to talk to Andrea for a minute.”

  Bill gave her a conspiratorial smile, and for a moment Hannah was confused. Then she realized Bill thought she was giving him the opportunity to ask Norman about Ron’s dental visit.

  Hannah took her sister’s arm and led her away to a relatively private place by the side of the room. “I’m sorry, Andrea. I came over to warn you the minute I saw Benton, but it was already too late.”

  “Warn me?”

  “Yes.” Judging from the puzzled expression on her sister’s face, Hannah knew she’d better explain. “I just thought it might be uncomfortable for you to run into Benton again.”

  Andrea stared at her for a minute and then she began to smile. “I get it. That was nice of you, Hannah, but seeing Benton didn’t bother me at all. I got over him ages ago.”

  “Good! I never liked his attitude and I still don’t. Do you know that he called The Cookie Jar ‘a quaint little shop’?”

  Andrea sighed and shook her head. “Don’t mind Benton. He was always a snob. Did he tell you that he came back to help his father at DelRay?”

  “That’s what he said.”

  “He told us the same thing, but it was a lie. He was flicking his fingernail with his thumb when he said it.”

  “What?”

  “It’s something Benton does when he’s lying,” Andrea explained. “I picked up on that when we were dating and it came in handy. It’s one of those unconscious gestures that people make when they’re trying to pull something over on you.”

  “Did Benton tell you any other lies?”

  “He told us he was glad to be back home in Lake Eden and that he was really looking forward to working at DelRay.”

  “And he was flicking when he said it?”

  “Click, click, click. The only time he didn’t flick was when he said that I looked ravishing.”

  “You always look ravishing.” Hannah smiled at her sister, but she thought back to when Benton had told her the same thing. Perhaps it was a good thing she hadn’t known about the fingernail-flicking lie detector test until now. “Did he tell you how long he’d been in town?”

  “Bill asked him that. Benton said he’d flown in on Wednesday and taken the shuttle from the airport.”

  “Was he flicking then?” Hannah was curious.

  “I couldn’t see. He turned toward Bill to answer him. Can we talk about something else, Hannah? Benton Woodley bores me to tears.”

  “Sure.” Since Andrea was so observant, Hannah decided to ask her about Danielle Watson. “I talked to Coach Watson’s wife at the mayor’s fundraiser. What do you think of her?”

  “Danielle?” Andrea looked thoughtful. “She seems nice enough, but I can’t help feeling sorry for her.”

  “Why?”

  “Because Boyd is such a control freak. I’ve seen them at parties and he doesn’t like to let her out of his sight. It must be stifling. I bet Danielle has to ask his permission before she can even go to the ladies’ room.”

  Hannah remembered how Danielle had whispered in her husband’s ear right before she’d left him at the mayor’s fundraiser. “I think you’re right.”

  “I know I am. Thank God Bill’s not like that!”

  “Would it work if he were?”

  “No way!” Andrea laughed and then she gestured toward a corner of the huge ballroom. “There’s Danielle over there. I guess Boyd doesn’t mind how much she spends on her clothes. She’s wearing the peach dress that I saw at the mall, and I know it cost over five hundred dollars.”

  “Where?” Hannah’s eyes searched the crowd.

  “Right by that flowering hibiscus tree. She’s standing there with a perfectly polite little smile on her face, waiting for Boyd to finish talking to Queen Judith.”

  Hannah grinned. Her sister had started to call Judith Woodley “Queen Judith” right after she’d begun to date Benton. “I see her.”

  “I really don’t understand women like Danielle. She’s got a great figure and she always covers it up. Either Boyd’s the jealous type, or she’s really shy about her body.”

  Hannah realized that her sister was right. She’d never seen Danielle wear anything even close to revealing. Tonight was no exception. The peach dress had long sleeves and a high mandarin collar. “Can you and Bill keep Norman amused for a couple of minutes? I really need to talk to Danielle.”

  “All right. Just don’t take too long. If Norman starts telling me that I need to have my teeth cleaned, I’m going to run for the hills.”

  “He won’t. Norman’s not like that at all. He’s got a great sense of humor. If you just get to know him, you’ll like him.”

  “If you say so.”

  Andrea shrugged and headed back to the table while Hannah made her way through the crowd toward Danielle. As Hannah moved closer, she saw that Coach Watson was deep in conversation with Judith Woodley, and judging from the intense look on his face, Hannah figured that he was trying to drum up a donation for new team uniforms.

  “I have to talk to you, Danielle.” Hannah moved in to claim her before the coach could. “Let’s go to the ladies’ powder room.”

  “But I’m waiting for Boyd. He told me to stay right here and he’ll be angry if I go off without—”

  “It’s important, Danielle,” Hannah interrupted her. “Just tell him you need to fix your face or something.”

  “Is there something wrong with my face?”

  “No, it’s fine. I just need to talk to you about a mutual friend.”

  Danielle stared at her for a moment and then the light dawned. “All right, Hannah. Just let me tell Boyd and I’ll be right with you.”

  Less than a minute later, Hannah led Danielle into the ladies’ powder room. She was in luck. The large space was deserted and she flipped the lock on the door. “I need more information, Danielle.”

  “But I’ve told you everything I know. You shouldn’t lock the door, Hannah. What if someone needs to get in?”

  “They’ll wait. You told me that you were with Ron from
eleven until seven-twenty the next morning.”

  “That’s right. I was. I told you the truth.”

  “I’m sure you did, but I need you to think back to the time you spent with Ron. Did you see anyone else? Anyone at all?”

  “No. All of his home delivery customers were still asleep and we didn’t meet anyone at the school. That’s why I said I’d go along. Ron promised that no one would see me.”

  “Was there any time that Ron was out of your sight?”

  Danielle frowned as she thought about it. “Only when he was loading the truck, but there wasn’t anybody else around.”

  “Then Ron didn’t meet anyone at all?”

  “No, I don’t think…” Danielle stopped and her eyes widened. “Wait! After Ron loaded up for his commercial route, he had to run back inside the dairy for another box of pens with the Cozy Cow logo on them. He was leaving them with every order and it was some kind of promotional thing. When he came out, he said that Max had better get a move on or he’d be late for the Buttermakers’ Convention.”

  “Then Ron saw Max?” Hannah felt a prickle of excitement. “What time was that?”

  “Six-fifteen. Ron asked me to check to make sure he was on schedule. He was so organized, Hannah. He…he had everything worked out to the minute so he wouldn’t b-be late.”

  Danielle’s voice quavered and Hannah reached out to pat her on the shoulder. Danielle couldn’t break down now—there wasn’t time. “You’re helping a lot, Danielle. Ron would be very proud of you.”

  “You’re right. I think he would.” Danielle took a deep breath and let it out in a quivering sigh.

  “Do you know why Max was at the dairy so early?”

  “He was meeting with someone in his office.”

  “Max was in a meeting at six-fifteen in the morning?”

  “That’s what Ron said. I don’t know who was with him, Hannah. Ron didn’t say.”

  Hannah drew a deep breath. She wished she had time to think about how this new information fit into the picture, but there would be time for that later. “Try to remember what everything looked like at the dairy when Ron drove in to reload the truck. Did you see any cars in the parking lot?”

  “I know Ron’s car was there. That’s where we parked when we got there at four in the morning. I don’t know about later, Hannah. The parking lot’s in the rear, behind the building. When Ron came back to load up for the second time, he used the truck road at the side. That’s where the loading dock is.”

  “How about when you left? Did you drive around the building?”

  Danielle shook her head. “There’s a turnaround on the side, and Ron used that. We didn’t drive past the parking lot at all.”

  “Thanks, Danielle.” Hannah walked over to unlock the door. “You’ve been very helpful.”

  Danielle gave Hannah a timid little smile. “I feel really bad that I didn’t ask Ron who was with Max in his office.”

  “That’s okay.”

  “But it’s important, isn’t it?”

  “It could be, but you had no way of knowing. Besides, we can always ask Max.”

  “That’s right.” Danielle looked very relieved. “I’d better get back to Boyd. And I suppose you need to get back to Norman.”

  After Danielle had left, Hannah sat down on the cushioned bench in front of the mirror and thought about what she’d learned. Ron had seen Max at six-fifteen, meeting with someone in his office. It could be something, or it could be nothing. Only time would tell.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Hannah groaned as she approached Andrea and Bill’s table. Somehow Delores and Carrie had found them, and both mothers were looking impatient. She felt like turning around and going back to the ladies’ powder room, but her mother raised her hand and wiggled her fingers. It was too late. She’d been spotted.

  “There you are, dear!” Delores gave her a wide smile. “We’re ready to take the pictures now.”

  “That’s just wonderful.” Hannah’s reply sounded sarcastic, even to her own ears, and she smiled to take the edge off her words. She glanced at Norman. He didn’t look at all upset about the upcoming photo session, but perhaps he was one of those lucky people who were photogenic. Hannah knew she wasn’t. No trick of the light or instruction from the photographer could make her look good on Kodak paper.

  The mothers led the way across the room. Norman left Hannah to take his mother’s arm, and Bill followed suit with Delores. Hannah pulled Andrea back just a bit so that she could apologize. “I’m sorry, Andrea. I didn’t mean to be gone so long.”

  “That’s okay. You were right, Hannah. Some of the things that Norman said were really funny. We were having a good time until the mothers found us. They want us to pose, too.”

  “Great.” Hannah was more than happy to have company in her misery. “Maybe you’ll make me look good by osmosis or something.”

  Andrea laughed. “Come on, Hannah. You know you look wonderful tonight. That dress is so perfect on you, it even makes your hair look nice.”

  “Thanks…I think.” Hannah grinned. Then she realized that the mother brigade was turning down the hallway that led to the ladies’ powder room. “Where are they going?”

  “I’m not sure. Mrs. Rhodes said she found the perfect setting for the pictures. I just hope we’re not going to barge into someplace we shouldn’t be.”

  The group stopped at the end of the hall and waited for Hannah and Andrea to catch up. Then Carrie opened a door and ushered them into a large room lined with bookshelves. It was done in a masculine style, with leather couches and armchairs, a massive wooden desk, and hunting prints on the walls. There was an incredible river-rock fireplace in the corner, and Hannah stared at it in awe.

  “This is Del Woodley’s den,” Carrie announced.

  “Should we be in here?” Bill looked very uneasy. “I mean, it’s not off-limits to the guests, is it?”

  Carrie shook her head. “I asked him and he said it was perfectly all right.”

  Hannah exchanged an amused glance with Andrea. Norman’s mother was a lot like Delores. Not only had Carrie waltzed into Lake Eden’s only formal affair with her camera, she’d even asked their host if they could use one of his private rooms to take pictures.

  “Stand over by the fireplace with Bill.” Delores motioned to Andrea. “We’ll do yours first, just in case Bill gets called away.”

  Hannah watched as her sister posed with Bill. Then Carrie decided that the two couples should stand together, and Hannah and Norman joined them. They arranged themselves obediently—Hannah and Andrea in front, Norman and Bill in back, while Carrie clicked away. Then she took another series with the four of them lined up in a row like soldiers, the “girls” in the center flanked by the two “boys.”

  “Let’s take a few on the couch,” Delores suggested. “That always looks nice.”

  Hannah suffered through more photos, wondering how soon Norman’s mother would run out of film. As soon as this ordeal was over, she had to pull Bill aside and bring him up to speed. Bill was tracing Ron’s movements on the morning of the murder and he didn’t know that Ron had gone into the dairy at six-fifteen and seen Max Turner in his office. It might not relate to Ron’s murder at all, but it was a new piece of information and Bill could ask Max about his early-morning meeting.

  “You look distracted, dear.” Delores waggled a finger at her. “Concentrate on looking pretty and say cheese.”

  “Gorgonzola,” Hannah muttered under her breath, and Andrea started to giggle.

  “You’re moving, Andrea,” Delores warned. “Carrie can’t focus if you’re moving.”

  Hannah rolled her eyes just as Norman’s mother snapped the picture. Didn’t Delores know that most cameras were auto-focus these days? If she had to endure another minute of flashes and admonitions about smiling from her mother, she was going to explode in sheer frustration.

  “We’d better take that one again.” Delores turned to Carrie. “I think Hannah squinted.”
<
br />   Just as Hannah was about to rebel, Norman stood and held up his hands. “That’s enough, Mother. Sit on the couch with Mrs. Swensen and I’ll take a couple of you.”

  “Turnabout’s fair play,” Hannah murmured to Andrea as they stood off to the side and watched Norman take pictures of their mothers. “Let’s tell Mother her lipstick’s on crooked.”

  Andrea looked horrified at the thought. “Don’t! Then she’ll have to get out her mirror and fix it, and that’ll take even longer.”

  Hannah was about to point out that they’d taken enough pictures to paper the entire back wall in her shop, when she heard a low beeping noise. She turned to Bill and asked, “Is that your pager?”

  Bill retrieved his pager from his pocket. He glanced at the display and frowned. “I’ve got to call in.”

  “You don’t have to go, do you?” Andrea grabbed at his sleeve. “We haven’t even danced yet.”

  Bill gave her a little hug. “I know, but the dispatcher punched in the emergency code. Where’s the nearest phone?”

  “Right here.” Hannah pointed to the one next to the couch. “Go ahead, Bill. We want to know what’s happening.”

  Bill punched out the number and talked to someone at the sheriff’s station. Hannah listened to his end of the conversation, but Okay, right away, and I’ll do that didn’t tell her much.

  “There’s a big accident out on the interstate,” Bill informed them as he hung up the phone. “They’re calling everyone in.”

  “Shall I take you?” Andrea offered.

  “No, you can stay. I’ll catch a ride out with one of the other guys.” Bill patted her shoulder. “Have a good time for me, okay?”

  Reading the glum expression on Andrea’s face, Hannah doubted that she was going to have a good time without Bill, but her sister nodded. “Okay, honey. Be careful and I’ll see you at home.”

  After Bill left, they all trooped back to the party. Hannah had seen Norman rewind the film and drop it into his pocket, and she was curious. “Are you going to put the film in the night drop at the drugstore, Norman?”

  “No.” Norman shook his head. “I’ll develop it myself when I get home. I just finished setting up my darkroom.”