Joanne Fluke by Plum Pudding Murder

Author:Plum Pudding Murder [Murder, Plum Pudding]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-11-15T20:53:15+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Their drive through the Lake Eden Inn parking lot to attempt to identify cars turned out to be an exercise in futility. There were simply too many cars they didn’t recognize. Carrie’s car was not present. It was obvious that she’d ridden out to the Lake Eden Inn with her dinner companion. Finally, after the third round trip, Hannah decided to call off the search.

“Forget it, Norman. This isn’t doing any good. Unless you want to sit here and burn gas until your mother comes out, let’s go pick up the check from Larry. Once we’ve got that, we can take a detour past your mother’s house to see if she’s home yet.”

Norman looked surprised. “You want to go in and ask who was in the booth with her?”

“Of course not. That would just put her on the defensive and she probably wouldn’t tell me anyway. I want to see if there’s a car parked in front of her house. If there is, all we have to do is copy down the license number and ask Mike to run it for us.”

“Good thinking.” Norman pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the highway. They wound their way down what looked like a huge, never-ending tunnel flanked by snow banks. It was a little strange seeing snow banks as high as the top of the car on both sides, and it was evident from the height of the snow that Sally’s husband, Dick, had used his mini-snowplow to clear the road multiple times this winter so that the guests could drive in.

Once they reached the highway, Norman increased his speed and Hannah leaned back to enjoy the ride. The radio was tuned to a classic jazz station, the interior of the car was warm, and the passenger seat was extremely comfortable. The phrase, All’s right with the world, floated through Hannah’s mind. Things were always right when she was with Norman. There were times, like right now, when she really couldn’t understand her reluctance to marry him and be comfortable like this for the rest of her life. She loved him, she enjoyed being with him, and she’d love to live in the house they’d designed together. Norman would be a great husband, but just when she was about to say yes, thoughts of Mike got in the way. Perhaps she needed a shrink. But going to a psychotherapist would take time and time was one thing she didn’t have. There were no spare fifty-minute hours during the Christmas season.

“Why so quiet?” Norman asked, taking her out of the dilemma she didn’t seem to be able to solve anyway.

“I was thinking about time,” Hannah said, telling him what she termed a partial truth.

“It must be pretty hectic for you this time of year with Christmas so close. Is there any way I can help you?”

“You’re already helping me. You treated me to a wonderful dinner and now you’re taking me to the Crazy Elf to pick up the check I failed to ask for this afternoon.

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