Christmas Caramel Murder (8 page)

“Unless he left and walked around to the back door.”

“No.” Hannah shook her head. “It's definitely not Mike. He always knocks like he's serving a search warrant. It's loud and demanding and staccato. I think it's probably Norman. He's got a firm knock, but it's not as commanding as Mike's and not as impatient as Mother's. Go let him in, will you please? I'll pour him a cup of coffee and get him settled at the workstation.”

“N
orman!” Hannah greeted him with a cup of coffee, a plate of cookies, and a smile. “How are you? I haven't seen you in a while.”

Norman stood up as she placed the coffee and cookies in front of him and pulled her into his arms to give her a hug. “I know I haven't dropped in for a while. I've been busy at the house, directing workmen. And I've gone out to the mall every night for Christmas shopping. How about you?”

“Here,” Hannah replied with a sigh. “Christmas and Valentine's Day are our busy times. And this year we're doing all the cookies and candy for the children's Christmas gift bags.”

“Christmas is always a busy time. I hired Doc Bennett to take over for me until after the first of the year. He needs the work, and I need time off.”

“Are you going away for the holidays?” Hannah asked him.

“Not a chance. I'm doing some construction at the house.”

“What construction? I thought you loved the house the way we designed it.”

“Oh, I do. But things have changed and I wanted to update. Do you know that you can buy a humungous LED big screen now?”

“I hadn't noticed. I'm perfectly happy with the television I have now.”

“I'm not. You know those old movies you love, Hannah?”

Hannah began to smile. “You mean the old romantic comedies and the chick flicks?”

“Yes. And the old detective films. They're all remastered now. And I needed to enlarge the den so that I could get a hundred-and-twenty-inch screen on the wall without being crowded.”

Hannah's mouth dropped open. “But . . . that's practically theater-sized!”

“That's right. And won't it be fun to watch our favorite classic films in a home theater with perfect surround sound and incredibly comfortable seating?”

“Maybe,” Hannah said, but she couldn't hide her delighted expression. She loved to watch classic movies with Norman.

“Then you'll come out to watch films with me when my home theater is finished?”

Hannah's timing was perfect. She waited a beat before she answered. But when Norman started to look a little nervous, she relented. “Yes. You can bet I'll be there!”

“Wonderful!”

Norman looked very happy, and Hannah felt a little guilty about what she had planned to say next. But that didn't stop her. “You bet I'll come! But only if you've got a popcorn machine.”

Norman's smile grew larger by the nanosecond. “I knew you'd say that!”

“I'm that predictable?”

“No, it's just that I know you so well. And because I know you that well, I've got one.”

“You have a popcorn machine?”

“Yes. I bought one just so I could say I had it. Of course I don't know how to work it yet, but . . .”

“I'll figure it out,” Hannah cut in. “When I was in high school, I made popcorn for every movie they ran in the auditorium. And when I got to college, I made popcorn in the big theater, the small theater, the concession stand for football, basketball, and baseball games, and any other special events where they thought they could make a profit selling it. There's not a popcorn machine on the face of this earth that I can't learn to operate.”

“This one's digital.”

“Ooooh! Fun! I've never seen a digital popcorn machine before. And that reminds me . . . is it portable?”

Norman looked slightly confused. “Actually . . . yes. It doesn't weigh that much. And it makes a ton of popcorn.”

“You saved my life,” Hannah told him.

“Okay.” Norman's eyes narrowed. “How did I do that? Or will I be sorry I asked?”

“You may be sorry, especially when you have to lug that popcorn machine all the way over to Jordan High.”

It took Norman a moment, but then he gave a nod. “I get it. Their popcorn machine is broken again, and you need one for the concession stand at the Christmas play. Am I on the right track?”

“Not only are you on the right track, you won the race! Will you lend it to me, Norman? It's just for three nights. Michelle and I are manning the concession stand at the play because Lisa's going to be Mrs. Claus. The Lake Eden Players usually borrow Jordan High's machine, but theirs is broken and the new one they ordered won't be here until after the holidays.”

“You can borrow mine on one condition.”

“What's the one condition?”

“It's simple. You have to teach me how to use it and let me make the popcorn for you. You and Michelle will be busy enough selling everything else. I want to help.”

“Then you've got a job,” Hannah said happily, reaching out to take his hand. “Thanks, Norman. You always come through for me in a pinch.”

Norman gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and then he looked very serious. “Are you doing it again, Hannah?”

Hannah's first instinct was to ask him what he meant, but she already knew exactly what he was asking. “Yes,” she admitted. “Lisa's a suspect and so is Herb. I have to clear them.”

“By catching the real killer?”

“That's the plan. Lisa doesn't have an alibi for a critical period of time last night. She was with me until nine, and then she went home alone to feed Dillon and Sammy. She didn't join me again until around ten at the Corner Tavern.”

“And Herb?”

“Herb told Lisa that he's been working late, but . . .” Hannah's voice trailed off. She really shouldn't be discussing Lisa's marital problems with Norman.

“But what?” Norman prompted.

Hannah sighed. “But Lisa has her doubts.”

“Let me get this straight. You want me to find an alibi for both Lisa and Herb?”

“That's right. An alibi for one would be good. And an alibi for both would be even better.”

“Okay. I'll keep my eyes and ears open. Do you know the time of death?”

“Not yet. Doc can't tell exactly, but he always puts a window of time in the autopsy report. My problem is, I don't have the autopsy report yet.”

“It shouldn't be long now.”

Hannah was puzzled. “What are you talking about?”

“I saw your mother on the highway when I drove to town. She was heading in the opposite direction, and unless she was going out to the mall three hours before it opens, she was heading out to the hospital.”

“What time was that?”

“And hour or so ago. I stopped at Hal and Rose's for breakfast, dropped in at the office to go over the mail, and then I came over here.”

“Perfect. Mother should be here any . . .” Hannah stopped speaking as they heard a series of knocks at the door. “There she is now.”

“Do you want me to get that?” Michelle asked from the other side of the kitchen.

“Yes, please,” Hannah answered. “It's Mother.”

“On my way, Hannah. I'll let her in, pour her some coffee, and then I'll put more cookies on the plate I was fixing for you and Norman. Mother loves these Angel Jellies, and they're cool enough to eat now.”

A second or two later, Delores came in. She took a stool next to Norman at the workstation and plunked a manila envelope in front of Hannah.

“Is that what I think it is?” Hannah asked her.

“Yes, if you think it's the autopsy report.” Delores tapped the envelope with one impeccably manicured nail, and smiled smugly. “I assumed that you'd need it?”

“You assumed right. Thank you, Mother. You're wonderful to do this for me.”

“I like to help,” Delores said modestly, but Hannah noticed that her smug smile was still in place. “And this time I took an extra precaution. I called Andrea last night and told her I was going to get it and she didn't have to sneak it out of Bill's briefcase and scan it before she put it back.”

“Was Andrea grateful that you were getting it and she didn't have to?” Hannah asked the question, even though she thought she already knew the answer.

“Actually . . . no. I thought she'd be relieved. She takes an awful chance, you know. Bill would be so upset with her if he ever caught her. But she sounded almost . . .”

“Deprived?” Norman provided the word.

“Why, yes! That's right. And all I was trying to do was help.”

“Of course you were,” Hannah said quickly. “And I'm sure that Andrea realizes that. It's possible you just caught her at a bad time when you called.”

Delores thought about that for a moment, and then she gave a little nod. “You're right, dear. I
did
catch her at a bad time. Grandma McCann had taken Tracey and a friend ice skating at the school rink, and Andrea was trying to put Bethie to bed. I heard Bethie say that she wouldn't go to bed without
raffey
and Andrea had no idea what a
raffey
was.”

“Does Bethie have a toy giraffe?”

Delores didn't say anything. She just stared at Hannah so intently that Hannah began to feel uncomfortable. “Don't look at me that way, Mother. It was just a guess.”

“But you're right! Bethie has a stuffed giraffe and it's one of her favorite toys! You really should have children, Hannah. You have a natural flair for understanding them.”

A host of replies occurred to Hannah including,
It takes two to have children, Mother!
and
I'll take that under consideration and let you know within a decade or so
. But she knew that anything she said would only make the situation more uncomfortable. And that was when Michelle arrived at the workstation with the platter of Angel Jellies and saved her the necessity of replying.

“Have a cookie, Mother,” Michelle invited. “They're raspberry Angel Jellies.”

“My favorite!” Delores declared, reaching for one.

“Norman?” Michelle offered the platter to him.

“Thanks, Michelle. I've never had these before.”

“Hannah?” Michelle passed the platter to her. And then, in an undertone, she said, “I think you'd better put something in your mouth before you insert your foot.”

Hannah had all she could do not to laugh. “Just set the platter in front of Mother, Michelle. She likes these cookies so much.”

“Of course. I planned to do that.” Michelle took the stool next to Hannah. “What are you giving Andrea and Bill for Christmas, Mother?”

“I don't know yet, dear.”

“How about if we all go in on it together and give Andrea and Bill a few days in a nice hotel, just the two of them?”

“Why, that's a wonderful idea!” Delores agreed immediately. “But you girls don't have to contribute anything. I can afford to do it by myself and I'd like it to be
my
present to them. I wonder which hotel I should choose.”

“Somewhere warm,” Hannah suggested. “I think the cold is getting to Bill. When he came in the other morning, he was shivering.”

“You're right, dear,” Delores agreed. “This has been a particularly cold winter. I know that Bill has the week after Christmas off. Andrea mentioned it to me the other day. I could fly them down to Florida to a nice, relaxing resort. They could have a mini second honeymoon.”

“That sounds nice,” Norman said. “Mother and Earl went to Florida last March, and they loved it.”

“Then that's what I'll do. I'll fly them down there the day after Christmas and they can come home the day after New Year's.”

“You'd better act fast to get plane tickets,” Michelle cautioned her. “Flights are hard to get over holidays.”

“I know, dear. Don't worry. I'll rush right home and do it.”

“Before you do that, it might be a good idea to check with Bill to make sure exactly which days he has off,” Hannah reminded her. “I could be wrong, but I don't think Andrea would like to go on a mini second honeymoon all by herself.”