Part 28 (1/2)
”Some people do, but canning jars are more expensive and you can put jam in any kind of gla.s.s container if you seal it with wax on the top.”
”I didn't know that”
”It's true. When my college roommate got married, I was a bridesmaid and by the time I'd paid for my dress, I didn't have much money left for a gift. I bought a dozen winegla.s.ses on sale, filled them with homemade grape jelly, and gave them as my wedding present.”
”That's very you, Hannah.”
”What do you mean?”
”It's sweet, and practical, and.,.” Norman shrugged.
250 ”It's just something you'd do, that's all. You'd make a great wife for a man with no money.”
”Thanks... I think.” Hannah chuckled. It was a strange thing to say, but she was sure it was meant as a compliment.
”I'd better get going. I've got a case of gum disease in ten minutes.”
Hannah's chuckle turned into a laugh and she was still laughing as Norman picked up his package of Orange Snaps and headed out the door.
Lisa looked at the last print and shook her head. ”I'm sorry, Hannah. I don't see anything even approaching a clue.”
”Neither did we.” Hannah gathered up the prints and stuck them back into the envelope Norman had brought. ”I still have the feeling I'm missing something, but I don't know what it is.”
”You could always borrow Dad's technique. He says if he thinks of something else, the thing he was trying to think of usually pops right into his head.”
”At this point, I'm willing to try anything. I'll make the cookie deliveries. I always think best when I'm working.”
”Okay.” Lisa reached into her ap.r.o.n pocket and pulled out a list. ”On your way back could you stop at the Red Owl? I thought of a dessert to make for tomorrow, but I need a few things.”
”No problem. What are you making?”
”Cupcakes decorated especially for the Fourth. They're going to be really exciting, Hannah.”
”I'm sure they will be.” Hannah was smiling as she went back to the kitchen to pack up the cookies for delivery. She'd never thought of cupcakes as being particularly exciting before, but perhaps Lisa was on to something.
”Thanks for driving me, Andrea,” Hannah said, collapsing into the pa.s.senger's seat and leaning her head back against LEMON MERINGUE PIE MURDER.
251.
the headrest. Andrea had arrived just as she was about to load her cookie deliveries and offered to drive Hannah in her car. ”That's the last of them. Just drop me at my truck and I'll run to the Red Owl.”
”I can stop at the Red Owl. I have to pick up some things for tomorrow anyway.”
”You're sure?”
”Positive,” Andrea said and turned to smile at Hannah. ”Besides, I want to collect my share of thanks for renting the second floor to Danielle. If she hadn't come along, it'd still be vacant.”
By the time Andrea pulled up outside the Red Owl in her Volvo, the shower that had been threatening all afternoon with dark skies and occasional flashes of lightning had turned into a full-scale downpour. Andrea took one look at the fat raindrops pelting down on the winds.h.i.+eld and suggested they wait until the worst of the rain had subsided.
”Good idea,” Hannah said, wondering what they'd find to talk about. The Cookie Jar float was a taboo subject, but the murder case wasn't. ”I'd like to show you some crime-scene photos.”
”No way,” Andrea said, s.h.i.+vering slightly.
”Why not?”
”Because I don't like gore in any way, shape, or form. I don't even let Bill show me crime-scene photos.”
”These aren't gory. It's just Mrs. Voelker's bas.e.m.e.nt and the furnace room, that's all.”
”Then there's no body?”
Hannah shook her head. ”No body.”
”That might be okay. But if there's nothing there, why do you want me to see them?”
”Just look and tell me if you see anything that looks out of place.”
”What's wrong with this picture?” Andrea asked, smiling at her sister. They'd both had Miss Gladke in second grade and that had been one of her favorite techniques to get the cla.s.s involved in a discussion.
252 ”Right.” Hannah reached in her purse and drew out the envelope of prints that Norman had developed.
Andrea took her time paging through the prints. By the time she'd finished examining each one, the inside of her winds.h.i.+eld was steaming up, ”What happened to the rain gutters?”
”Where?” Hannah asked, glancing down at the top photo on Andrea's stack.
”On cars. Heaven knows my Volvo was expensive enough and it's got everything else. Remember the little ledge Dad used to have above the windows in the Chrysler? He could roll down the windows and the rain wouldn't come in.”
Hannah knew Andrea was off on a tangent, but she understood her sister's reasoning. It was getting pretty steamy in her closed car. ”So did you notice anything in the pictures?”
”Nothing really jumped out at me except those mayo jars.” Andrea flipped to the picture of the shelves behind the furnace.
”But they're not unusual. Lots of people save mayo jars for jams and jellies. Don't you remember how Grandma Ingrid used to bring us mayo jars full of rhubarb jam?”
”Of course I remember. I loved Grandma Ingrid's rhubarb jam, but that's not what I'm talking about.” Andrea pointed to the photo. ”I just thought it was odd that these three jars in the middle of the top shelf are red.”
Hannah took a quick look. ”They're just a different kind of jam, that's all.”
”I know that, but Mrs. Voelker was so organized. Each section holds a different type of jam. The top shelf looks like peach, the middle shelf looks like blueberry, and the bottom shelf looks like strawberry.”
”So?”
”So why did she move three jars of strawberry jam up to the peach shelf? You can tell she did. There are three empty places on the strawberry shelf, way over here at the end.”
Hannah looked again. Andrea was right. Somebody had moved three jars of strawberry jam up to the top shelf. ”You're LEMON MERINGUE PIE MURDER 253.
a genius, Andrea! That's what I've been missing and you spotted it.”
”I'm glad, but I don't know what you're so excited about. Mrs. Voelker probably ate the peach jam and her companion moved the strawberry up where it would be easier to reach.”
”I don't think so. Look at that strawberry shelf again. It's all dusty between the jars, but there are three perfectly clean spots where the strawberry jam used to sit.”