Hannah thought back to the murder scene. It probably wouldn’t be politic to mention the smashed mini cream puffs, especially since Delores wanted them served at her book launch party. She didn’t want to mention the tipped stools at the bar, either. It could be something the police might use to weed out suspects. She needed a tidbit of information that was shocking enough for the Lake Eden gossip hotline, but not gross enough to upset Delores.

“I had to turn her over,” Hannah said, lighting on something titillating enough for her mother, but not something the police were likely to keep under their hats.

“You did?” Delores gave a little shiver, and Hannah knew it was more of excitement than fright.

“At first I thought someone had dropped their exercise outfit in the hot tub. Then I recognized that it was one of the outfits that the female staff wore, and I went to fish it out.”

“Oh, my!” Delores shivered again. “And you actually turned her over?”

“I did. I reached out and grabbed the outfit, and that’s when I realized that someone was wearing it.”

“Oh, my!” Delores repeated, and her voice was slightly breathless.

“I think turning her over was instinctive. I didn’t really think about it, I just did it. I don’t know if I thought she was still alive, or I could help, or what. I just rolled her over, looked at her face, and saw that she was Ronni Ward.”

“The anchorman on the news team said she suffered a blow to the head.” Delores stopped and cleared her throat. “Could I have a cup of coffee, dear? Black, of course. Hearing about something like this always makes me a little shaky.”

And caffeine will certainly help with that! Hannah thought, but of course she didn’t say it. Instead she brought her mother two newly frosted Carrot Cake Cookies along with the mug of coffee.

“Thank you, dear!” Delores took a sip of her coffee and sighed deeply. “I needed that. What are these cookies? They’re pretty.”

“They’re Terry’s Carrot Cake Cookies. She’s a friend of Lisa’s from Wisconsin. I mixed them up when I got back from the gym, and I just finished frosting them when you came in. I know they’re not chocolate, but they’re good.”

“Not everything has to be chocolate, dear. Of course that would be nice, but there’s room for other flavors.” Delores picked up a cookie and bit into it. “Cream cheese frosting?” she asked after she’d taken another bite.

“Yes. So what do you think?”

“They’re perfection, dear. And they do taste just like carrot cake.” Delores finished one cookie and took a bite from the second. “Now tell me more about Ronni’s appearance, dear.”

“While you’re eating?”