“Who’s the lucky guy?” Hannah asked her.
“Lonnie Murphy’s cousin, Sean. We met last year and things . . .” Tricia paused to smile. “Well, you know how it goes. We haven’t set a date yet, but maybe next year when both of us make enough money to afford a really nice place.”
“Sean’s working for Cyril as a mechanic,” Michelle explained to Hannah. “I introduced them and they hit it off right away.” Michelle reached for the package of cookies that Hannah had brought with her. “Look what Hannah brought for you, Tricia. They’re your favorite Butterscotch Crunch Cookies.”
“Oh, wow!” Tricia gave Hannah a huge smile and Hannah could see the kid lurking behind the grown woman. “Thanks, Hannah! I just love these cookies! My mom calls me every time she buys them at The Cookie Jar, and I drive right over to get some before they’re gone. Thanks a lot for bringing them for me.”
“You’re welcome,” Hannah said, and then she made an executive decision. The interlude for small talk was over and it was time to get down to business. “On a serious note, I really need to talk to you about Tori.”
“Okay. Just let me ask Dick if I can take my break now. Then maybe I can come and sit with you. Did you want something to drink? Or did you just come for information?”
“We want something to drink, too,” Michelle told her. “I’ll have a glass of white wine.”
“The same for me,” Hannah said quickly.
“How about an appetizer? Sally made Cheese Pops.”
“Cheese Pops?” Hannah was immediately interested. “What are those?”
“They’re little cheese balls made out of bleu cheese and cream cheese. Sally rolls them in minced bacon and then she sticks in a salted pretzel as a handle. Would you like to try some?”
“I would,” Hannah responded quickly. “Sally’s appetizers are always wonderful.”
“I would, too.” Michelle added. “Thanks for asking, Tricia.”
When Tricia hurried off to the bar, Hannah turned to Michelle. “Did you play matchmaker with Tricia and Lonnie’s cousin?”
“In a way, I did. I usually don’t do anything like that, but Tricia broke up with the boyfriend she’d been seeing since high school and I thought she needed to meet someone new. Sean’s nice. He went to a couple of places with Lonnie and me, and he didn’t have a girlfriend, so . . . well, they’re both really hardworking people and they were both single and . . . well . . . you know.”
“I do know, and it seems to have worked out just fine. Tricia looks good, almost the same as she did in high school except for her hairstyle and makeup.”
They both watched as Tricia came back to their table with a tray of drinks. She had white wine for Michelle, white wine for Hannah, and water for all three of them.
“Your appetizers are almost ready. They’re just rolling them in the bacon pieces and then they’ll be up. And Dick says I can take my break as soon as I deliver them.”
“Can you sit with us then?” Michelle asked her.
“I’m not supposed to sit with the customers, but Dick says it’s okay because it’s you guys. I just have to keep my eye on the two other tables and serve them if they need anything while we’re talking. I stopped at my tables to tell them where I’d be and I told them to just wave at me and I’d come right over.”
“I’ll help you watch your tables,” Michelle offered. “I can see them from where I’m sitting.”
“Thanks, Michelle.”
Tricia left for the kitchen and Hannah took a sip of her wine. She hoped that Tricia could give her more information about her visit to Tori’s condo on the night of her murder.
“Tricia was glad to see you,” Michelle commented. “I’m almost positive that she’ll tell you everything she knows.”
“I hope so. I really want to catch Tori’s killer for Mother. She’s terribly upset about losing Tori.”
Tricia came back almost immediately with a tray of Cheese Pops. “Aren’t they darling?” she asked.
“They are,” Hannah agreed, reaching for one of the Cheese Pops. She took a bite and chewed happily as the flavors of bleu cheese, cream cheese, and bacon bits exploded in her mouth. They were the perfect complement to white wine and she made a mental note to tell Sally just that the next time she saw her. Sally was good about sharing recipes and Hannah firmly intended to ask her for this one!
“I can tell you like the Cheese Pops,” Tricia said, watching as Hannah took another bite. “They’re experimenting with different cheeses in the kitchen. Sally told me that the cream cheese is a constant because it adds the smooth texture to the inside, but they’ve also made them with cheddar. The ones rolled in bacon bits look red, don’t they?”
“They do. They’re redder than I’d expect them to be.”
“That’s because Sally mixes in some Hungarian paprika with the bacon bits. Not enough to give it too much flavor, but just a little. And she rolls the cheddar ones in chopped parsley and that makes them green on the outside. She told me she does that so her customers can tell them apart.”
“Makes sense to me,” Hannah said. “I hope she has a tray of them at her Christmas party. The red and the green would be nice.”
Tricia began to look excited. “You’re right! Red and green are the Christmas colors and they’d be perfect for the party! Do you mind if I tell her?”
“Please do. Sit down, Tricia. I really need to talk to you.”
Tricia pulled out a chair and sat down. “I know you want to ask me about Tori. Since your mother found her, you’re probably investigating her murder.”
“That’s right,” Hannah said. “I heard you were there earlier that night for an acting lesson.”
Tricia sighed heavily. “I was, and I guess all that work I did will be wasted now. Without Tori, the Lake Eden Players won’t be able to put on their Thanksgiving play.”
“Oh, yes they will!” Michelle announced. “That’s why I’m here, Tricia. I’m a theater major at Macalester and I just finished an advanced class in directing. My professor sent me here to help you out.”
“You mean, you’ll be our director?”