Joanne Fluke Christmas Bundle: Sugar Cookie Murder, Candy Cane Murder, Plum Pudding Murder, & Gingerbread Cookie Murder (76 page)

“Yes?”

“Can your group play for a couple more hours? Mike needs to keep people distracted while he investigates.”

“Of course we can,” Kirby said, looking a little calmer now that Hannah had given him a task to do. “Are they going to make an announcement about…you know?”

“No. No one except a few select people know about it. That’s why we need you to keep this completely under wraps
and play for as long as you can. We want people to think that everything is completely normal, except for the weather.”

“Got it,” Kirby said, nodding sharply. “Don’t worry about us, Hannah. I brought extra sheet music just in case. We can play all night, if that’s what it takes.”

H
annah was about to go trolling through the crowded room for her sister when Andrea came up carrying another dessert plate. “This pecan pie of yours is just wonderful! Remember when I was afraid I’d have the baby at Thanksgiving and I wouldn’t get to have your pie?”

“I remember.”

“Well, I had your pie at Thanksgiving, and now I’m having it again. And I
still
haven’t had the baby!”

“No one can hurry nature,” Hannah intoned, realizing how pompous that sounded, but unable to take it back.

“Sure they can. If there was a horse here right now, I’d take Lisa’s mother’s suggestion and ride him around the room until something happened.”

“And I’d probably boost you up in the saddle,” Hannah said, picturing the scene that would make and exploding in laughter. A scant second later, Andrea began to laugh, too. It was one of those wonderful moments when sisters who were very different happened to be on the same wavelength. When she was able to speak again without sputtering, Hannah said, “While we’re waiting for that horse, I’ve got a question for you. I need to know about Brandi’s engagement ring. Michelle saw it, but she couldn’t describe it except to say that she thought it looked expensive. Did you notice it?”

“Of course I did! It was gorgeous, and it looked like a really valuable antique.”

Hannah grabbed Andrea’s napkin, turned it inside out so she could write on a spot that wasn’t covered by Santa and his reindeer, and held her pen at the ready. “Okay. Describe it for me.”

“It was a square-cut emerald, at least two carats, surrounded by a frame of Tiffany-cut diamonds.”

Hannah gave a low whistle. Even though she knew next to nothing about jewelry, the ring Andrea was describing sounded expensive.

“The diamonds were blue-white, a really excellent color, and they had to be at least a half-carat apiece. And the setting was platinum. That’s more expensive than gold or silver.”

“Okay,” Hannah jotted it all down. “Do you have any idea how much a ring like that would cost?”

“Not really, but I’d guess it was worth a lot more than her fur coat. And Brandi and Martin were fighting about it.”

“Fighting?” Hannah asked, leaning forward.

“She wanted to wear it and he told her to take it off. They stared each other down for a minute and then she took it off her finger and dropped it in her purse. Is that all you need? I want to go back to the dessert table for some Candied Pecans.”

“Hold on, Little Piggy,” Hannah said, smiling to show her sister that it was a term of endearment. “Do you have your cell phone with you?”

“Of course I do! I’m a real estate professional.”

“Could you help me out and call all the wedding chapels in Las Vegas to find out where Brandi and Martin got married? There’s something I need to know.”

“Sure. It shouldn’t be that hard, especially since I know an Elvis impersonator married them. Once I find the right chapel, what do you want me to ask?”

“Try to get them to tell you what name Brandi used on
the marriage license. Michelle found out that her real first name was Mary, and Brandi let it slip that she grew up not too far from here.”

“I knew that had to be a stage name,” Andrea gave a little snort. “It was just too cutesy to be real. Brandi Wyen. I mean…really! I’ll go up to the lobby to call. The reception’s better up there.”

“Okay, just stick close to Lonnie. Don’t forget that there could be a killer in the building.”

“I won’t forget,” Andrea said, looking very serious as she headed up the stairs.

As Hannah approached the dessert table, she noticed that the Candied Pecans were almost gone. Since Andrea was doing her a favor and might miss out on the dessert she wanted, Hannah got in line, grabbed one of the little paper cups Edna had set out, and took some.

“Hey, Hannah?”

Hannah turned around to see Earl Flensburg, the county snowplow and tow truck driver, standing there in his boots and jacket. “Hi, Earl. Since you’re here, why don’t you get something to eat?”

“That’s what Edna said. She’s fixing me a plate in the kitchen. But before I can eat, I need to find Mike.”

“He’s upstairs in the little conference room right next to the library. He’s using it as a temporary office.”

“Okay. I need to get a paper signed for the paramedics. I plowed out that drift in the parking lot so they could get their rig in, but they can’t take…you know, what they came to get…” Earl’s voice faltered, and he cleared his throat noisily. “Heck of a world, huh Hannah? Anyways, they need Mike to sign this release paper.”

“I understand.” Hannah patted Earl on the back. For a gruff guy who bragged that he’d shot more game than anyone else in the county, he could be surprisingly sensitive when it came to human death.

Earl had just walked up the stairs when Andrea came down. There was a huge smile on her face and Hannah assumed she’d been successful in talking to whoever was on duty at the wedding chapel.

“That was fast!” Hannah met her sister at the bottom of the stairs.

“Of course it was. I just called one of the casinos, spoke to the woman at the desk, and got the number of the wedding chapel with the Elvis impersonator.”

“And the person at the chapel told you Brandi’s real name?”

Andrea gave Hannah an impudent grin. “Of course. But I’m not going to tell you until you hand over those pecans.”

“No problem. They were running low, and I figured I’d better snag some for you.”

“Thanks, Hannah. Now all I need is a fresh cup of coffee and a couple of those new cookies you brought.”

“Which new cookies? Lisa’s Pieces, or Heavenly Tea Cookies?”

Andrea looked surprised. “I didn’t know you had two new cookies! This changes everything.”

“I’m sure it does. You want one of each?”

“That would be perfect. Could you hurry, Hannah? These nuts won’t last me for long. This has got to have something to do with the baby.”

“What?”

“The way I’ve been eating tonight. I’m craving sweets with a vengeance. I’ve eaten more dessert than I’ve ever eaten before in my life, but I still want more.”

It didn’t take Hannah long to fetch the coffee and cookies. “Here you go,” she said, putting them down on the table in front of her sister.

“Are these Lisa’s Pieces?” Andrea asked, picking up one of the cookies and raising it to her mouth.

“Yes. You promised to tell me. Now, give.”

“Minglemurber.”

“What?”

“Minglemurber.” Andrea shook her head, swallowed twice, and took a sip of coffee. “Sorry about that. That cookie was delicious, by the way. Brandi’s real name was Mary Kay Hinklemeyer.”

Hannah jotted it down on the inside of the snowflake napkin she’d taken from the dessert table. She held it up so her sister could see. “Spelled like this?”

“That’s right. She was twenty-six years old when she married Martin, and her place of birth was…”

“Was where?” Hannah asked when Andrea stopped speaking and gave her an impish grin. “Cut it out, Andrea! If you say you want more cookies before you’ll tell me, I’ll have Mike lock you up for extortion.”

Andrea laughed. “I was going to tell you…really. I just wanted to draw it out a little and build up the surprise. Mary Kay Hinklemeyer was born in Browerville, Minnesota!”

“Browerville?” Hannah asked, hardly daring to believe her ears. “Now we’re getting somewhere! There’s got to be someone here who used to live in Browerville, or someone who has relatives in Browerville. They would have known Mary Kay when she was growing up, and they’d probably know the family.”

“I’m back!” Michelle announced, rushing up to their table. “I talked to Mike and told him everything that Brandi told me.”

“Great. I hoped he appreciated it.”

Michelle shrugged. “I don’t think so. I was just getting to the part about the ring when he got a call and he told me he’d talk to me later.”

Hannah thought about that for a moment. The ring could be important, but Mike didn’t seem all that interested. Perhaps he was just snowed under by too much information coming at him at once. She could help. She could go upstairs and tell him that the ring appeared to be a bone of contention
between Martin and Brandi, and it could be important. She could also describe it, thanks to Andrea.

“Ready to go back to work?” Hannah asked, noticing that Andrea had eaten both cookies.

“Sure,” Andrea said, taking a last gulp of coffee. “That Tea Cookie was great! What do you want us to do?”

“Canvass the room and see if you can find anyone who knew Brandi when she lived in Browerville.”

“Browerville?” Michelle looked excited when Hannah nodded. “I know a couple kids who come from there. I can ask. Do we know her last name?”

“Yes, thanks to Andrea. It’s Mary Kay Hinklemeyer. Just take the names of everyone who knows the family and we’ll question them later.”

“Okay,” Andrea levered herself to her feet. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to beard the lion in his den and tell him that Brandi’s engagement ring might be important.”

“Yes?”

The voice that barked out when Hannah knocked on the door Mike was using as an office caused her to step back in pure reflex. Mike didn’t sound very friendly. “I’m sorry if I’m interrupting, but I need to talk to you.”

“Come.”

That response wasn’t very friendly either, but Hannah shrugged and opened the door. “It’s about Brandi’s engagement ring. Was it on her body?”

“You don’t need to know that.”

“Fine. But then you don’t need to know what kind of ring it was and what it was worth. And you also don’t need to know that Martin and Brandi were fighting about whether she should wear it in public, or not.”

“Okay…sorry, Hannah.” Mike gestured for Hannah to
come in and shut the door. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I apologize.”

“That’s okay. I know you’re under a lot of pressure.” Hannah sat down in the chair in front of the desk. “What do you want to know first?”

“Describe the ring. I’ll take notes.”

Hannah emptied her pocket of crumpled napkins and found the correct one. “Emerald in the center, at least two carats, perhaps larger. Surrounded by Tiffany-cut diamonds of approximately a half-carat apiece. The setting was platinum. That’s very expensive.”

“And the total estimated cost?” Mike asked, looking up to meet Hannah’s eyes.

“Uh…” Hannah took a deep breath and tried to keep her stomach from doing aerial gymnastics. Mike looked tired and haggard, and sexier than any other man on earth. “Andrea saw it, and she estimates close to fifty thousand. Do you think Brandi was killed for her ring?”

“It’s possible.”

“Then it wasn’t on her finger?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to,” Hannah said, giving him a smile. Perhaps it wasn’t fair when he was so tired, but she always felt good when she could outwit Mike. “I’ll let you know if I hear anything else. And just send someone to get me if you need me for anything.”

“I always need you, Hannah.” Mike bent over the desktop to touch his lips to hers. “Don’t ever think I don’t. Now go back and amuse yourself. I’ve got work to do here.”

Hannah headed out the door not sure whether she should be pleased or angry. Mike had said he always needed her, a compliment if she ever heard one. But he’d also told her to go amuse herself because he had work to do, a thinly veiled insult that negated his earlier compliment. Did that mean they were even?

Still debating the scorecard between them, Hannah headed back to the banquet room. As she descended the stairs, she saw Michelle at the bottom waiting for her.

“Good, you’re back. I’ve got something. It’s not exactly what you were expecting, but it’s something you should know.”

“Okay, what?” Hannah asked, leading Michelle over to an unoccupied corner.

“I asked Bertie Straub about the Hinklemeyer family, but Bertie didn’t know them. I was about to move on, but then Bertie told me some really interesting gossip. She said Mrs. Bascomb thinks the mayor met Brandi on his last trip to Vegas. Bertie heard them arguing about it. I think it’s true, Hannah. They’re sitting about as far apart as two people can get at the same table.”

“You didn’t try to talk to them?”

“No, I thought I should wait and tell you.”

“A wise decision,” Hannah said. “And while you’re a lot more tactful than I am, I think this is a job for Mother.”

“Mother?” Michelle sounded shocked.

“Yes, Mother. She used to babysit for Mayor Bascomb, and she’ll get the truth out of him.”

“You’re going to sic Mother on him,” Michelle said, looking pleased. “I admire you for thinking of it, Hannah. That’s completely diabolical.”