Hannah interpreted Michelle’s meaningful look and responded immediately. “That’s right. We were there. Michelle, why don’t you get the brownies out and cut some for Mike? And heat up his coffee a bit, will you?”
Michelle gave Hannah a grateful smile and went off to do as her sister had suggested. When she’d poured more coffee for Mike and given Hannah a cup, she walked to the walk-in cooler to get the brownies. When she came out of the cooler with the brownies and passed behind Mike, she gave Hannah a wink.
“Dick said Ross wasn’t there with you,” Mike continued.
“That’s right. We were only there for a short while and Ross wanted to watch something on the giant flat screen.”
“Wasn’t it a little late for you two girls to go out for a drink?”
“Of course it was, but that’s not why we went out there.” Hannah stopped speaking and did not explain further. Perhaps it was a bit mean, but she knew that not being completely forthcoming about last night’s visit to the Lake Eden Inn would drive Mike crazy. Now Mike would have to dig for the information, and it served him right for waylaying her the moment she’d come in the kitchen door.
Mike looked up as Michelle set a plate of brownies on the worktable. “Those look really good!”
“They are,” Michelle told him. “I cut one a little crooked so of course I had to eat it.”
“Of course you did,” he said with a grin.
Michelle turned to Hannah. “I’ll put the rest of these back in the cooler, Hannah. And then I’ll put on some more coffee. The kitchen pot’s almost empty.”
“Thanks, Michelle.” Hannah watched her sister walk back to the cooler. She had no doubt that Michelle would take her time about putting the brownies away and making another pot of coffee. She waited just long enough for Mike to take a huge bite of his brownie, and then she asked, “So how is the investigation coming along, Mike?”
“Mmmmff,” he said, waving aside her question and indicating that he’d answer her in a moment or two.
“Poor Mother’s still very upset over Tori’s death,” Hannah continued. “I probably should have invited her to join us for dinner last night since Doc had a staff meeting at the hospital, but I just didn’t feel like discussing Tori’s murder and I knew she’d ask you a bunch of questions.”
Mike swallowed and took another sip of coffee, so Hannah went on. “Mother’s going to want to know how you’re doing on the investigation, Mike. What should I tell her?”
“Just. . . . well.... just tell her it’s going as well as possible. How about you, Hannah? Is that why you were out at the Lake Eden Inn last night?”
“No, we went to see Michelle’s friend, Tricia Barthel. She works out there and we wanted to catch her before she was through with her shift.”
“Do you know that Tricia was one of the last people to see Tori alive?”
“Yes, she mentioned something about having an acting lesson at six that night, but that Tori had cut it short. Of course we asked her if she’d seen anyone who might have been going up to Tori’s condo, but she said she hadn’t met anyone on her way out of the Albion.”
“Yes. That’s what she told me. What is Michelle doing here, Hannah? I thought she was going back to college.”
“She did, but she came back to direct the Thanksgiving play.”
Mike looked over at Michelle, who was filling the display cookie jars at the far end of the kitchen. “Do you think she can do it?”
“I’m sure she can. Michelle’s very capable. She can do anything she sets her mind to.”
“And you think she’ll be able to help you investigate Tori’s murder?”
Hannah sighed. All the misdirected talking she’d done hadn’t done any good. Mike had gone straight to his goal.
“Hannah?”
“If Michelle does find out anything, I’m sure she’ll tell me.”
“And will you tell me?”
He’d zeroed in again! There were times when Hannah wished that Mike didn’t have such a one-track mind when it came to solving crimes. “Yes, Mike. I’ll tell you.”
“You’ll tell me right away? Or will you put off telling me until I uncover it myself?”
“I’ll tell you right away,” Hannah said, crossing her fingers under the table in the childish gesture they’d always used to negate a promise.
“Okay, then.” Mike finished his coffee in one swallow, grabbed another brownie, and stood up. “Thanks for the brownies, Hannah. I’d better get back to work . . . unless there’s anything you want to tell me right now?”
“I can’t think of anything,” Hannah said, deliberately steering her thoughts away from the subject of Mayor Bascomb and whether or not he’d gone up to Tori’s condo to confront her about her will.
*
Hannah had just taken the last two pans of Citrus Sugar Cookies out of the oven and slipped them onto shelves in the baker’s rack when Michelle came into the kitchen, carrying an empty display jar.
“We need more cookies,” she announced. “I’ll fill this and take it out to Lisa and then I’ll help you bake. Aunt Nancy came in early, and Marge and Jack are due in an hour, so Lisa said I could stay in the kitchen and help you.”
“That’s good news! I can’t believe how many cookies we went through in the past two hours. Every time I turned around, you were here with a display jar, filling it from the racks.”
“I know. If Lisa gets any better at telling murder stories, you’ll have to hire more kitchen help,” Michelle laughed.
“That or come in two hours earlier,” Hannah said, brushing back a curl that had escaped her baker’s cap.
“That might put a real crimp in your marriage,” Michelle warned. “You’re tired enough as it is. I’d suggest more help.”
“I agree. The way I feel right now, I could use a four-hour nap. And it’s not even noon yet.”
“Sit down and I’ll get you a cup of coffee,” Michelle offered. “You’re going to need some caffeine.”
“Caffeine may not help. I think my get up and go, got up and went.”
Michelle came over to the workstation with two cups of coffee and plunked one down in front of Hannah. “Do you know there’s a County-Western song like that?”
“Like what?”