on her. We called out to her and when she didn't answer, we started to go down the stairs. But then we saw Mother coming up."

Mike made a note in his book. "Was the house still creaking when you went down there?"

"Creaking? No."

"Then the wind had stopped?"

"There wasn't any wind."

"Interesting," Mike said, referring to his notes again. "How about the rats? Were they as large as your mother said?"

"What rats? We didn't see any rats."

Mike began to grin. "I think your mother must have embellished her story just a bit. How about the gruesome trail of glistening blood?"

"No blood," Hannah said, shaking her head.

"Okay. We'll just file your mother's statement under *f for 'fiction' and go with the ones that you and Norman gave us. At least they match what we found at the crime scene." Mike took another sip of his coffee and stood up. "Thanks, Hannah. I've got to run. The fingerprint team should be finished by now."

Hannah reached out to grab his arm. "Not so fast. Was I right?"

"About what?"

"About the shoe. Was it Rhonda's?"

Mike looked as if he didn't want to say, but then he nodded. "Yes. Doc Knight made a positive identification."

"Poor Rhonda." Hannah sighed deeply. "How did she die?"

"It's too early to tell"

"But was she murdered?"

"The autopsy report isn't in yet."

"I'm asking for your personal opinion." Hannah gave an exasperated sigh. "Do you think that Rhonda was murdered? Or did it look like an accident?"

Mike thought it over for a moment and then he relented. "This is unofficial. If you quote me I'll deny it, but it didn't LEMON MERINGUE PIE MURDER 75.

look like an accident to me. Now don't ask me any more questions, Hannah. That's all I'm saying."

"Just one more thing. Why didn't Rhonda's killer finish burying her? She told everyone that she was going on vacation and no one would have missed her for two weeks. Her killer could have bought himself a lot more time if he'd finished burying her."

"I know that."

"Then you think he was scared off before he could finish filling in her grave?"

"That's possible."

"What I can't figure out is why anyone wanted to kill Rhonda. She could be exasperating at times, but everyone I know seemed to like her well enough. How about the crime scene? Did you find any clues?"

Mike's eyes narrowed. "You're not going to interfere with our investigation, are you? You don't have any reason to get involved this time around."

"You're right," Hannah said, meeting his eyes squarely. "I've got enough to do without solving murder cases. Of course I'll tell you if I hear anything important, but that's as far as it'll go."

"Good." Mike gave her one of his melt-your-heart smiles and pulled her into his arms for a hug. "Bill and I are perfectly capable of running a murder investigation without you."

"Of course you are," Hannah said, hiding her grin against the maroon lapel of his sheriff's uniform. She'd already helped them solve several murder cases, but Mike was clearly a.s.serting his professional independence.

"I won't deny that you helped us a lot in the past, but I don't want people to think we can't do our job without you."

"I understand," Hannah breathed, snuggling a little closer. Mike's hugs were wonderful. He was tall and rugged, and being in his arms made her feel fragile and feminine.

Mike's cell phone rang, disrupting the moment, and he answered it. He listened for a moment. "Okay. I'll be out there in ten minutes."

76.

"You have to go?" Hannah asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes, but I'll call you later. The forensic guys are finished and Bill's waiting for me out at the crime scene."

"Take some cookies with you," Hannah said, heading for the counter to put some in a bag.

"Thanks. We probably won't get a break until late and they'll tide us over." Mike took the cookies and gave her a lopsided grin. "Remember what I said, Hannah. Bill and I can handle it."

Walnuttoes Do not preheat oven- dough must chill before baking.

2 cups chocolate chips (a 12-ounce bag) 1 !12 cups brown sugar 3/4 cup b.u.t.ter (1 7/? sticks) 4 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups flour (not sifted) 2 cups finely chopped walnuts approx. 1/2 cup additional white sugar in a small bowl Melt chocolate chips with b.u.t.ter. (Microwave on high for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth.) Mix in sugar and let cool. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in vanilla, baking powder and salt. Add flour and mix well, then add nuts and mix in.

77.

Chill dough for at least 4 hours, overnight is even better.

When you're ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees E, rack in the middle position.

Roll walnut-sized dough b.a.l.l.s with your hands. (This is messy-wear thin plastic gloves if you wish. If dough becomes too warm between rollings, return it to the refrigerator.) Drop dough b.a.l.l.s into a small bowl with white sugar and roll around to coat. Then place them on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet. Smush them down with a greased spatula.

Bake at 350 degrees E for 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute, then remove to wire rack. (If you leave them on the cookie sheet too long, they 'II stick.) Yield: 8 to 10 dozen, depending on cookie size.

78.

(Delores says these cookies taste like the Walnetto caramels she loved as a child. She also told me that she likes the cookies better, because they don't pull out her fillings.)

79.

Chapter Seven.

Hannah was ready to return to the coffee shop when the back door opened and Delores poked her head in. "Are you busy, dear?"

"I've got a minute," Hannah greeted her. "Come in and have a cookie. I've got Peanut b.u.t.ter Melts, Apricot Drops, or Chocolate Chip Crunches."

Delores sat down on the stool Mike had vacated at the stainless-steel workstation. "I'll take a Chocolate Chip Crunch. You're going to investigate, aren't you?"

"No," Hannah answered, pouring a mug of coffee and setting it down in front of her mother.

"But you've got to investigate!"

"Why?"

"Because Rhonda's dead and we need to find out who killed her."

Hannah gulped. She'd told no one except Mike about the lime green tennis shoe. "How do you know it was Rhonda?"

"Bill told Andrea, and Andrea told me. I just got off the phone with her."

"What else did you learn?" Despite her resolve, Hannah's curiosity was aroused.

"Rhonda was stabbed with a knife."

LEMON MERINGUE PIE MURDER 81.

"Bill told Andrea that?"

"No, Bill and Mike don't know it yet. Minnie Holtzmeier told me."

"How does Minnie know?"

"Her son was driving the ambulance that took Rhonda to the morgue and he heard the two paramedics talking in the back. One of them said that it was a single stab wound and the blade of the knife went in between two ribs to puncture Rhonda's heart. The other one said Rhonda must have died instantly and that was a blessing."

"That's interesting, but I promised Mike I wouldn't interfere." Hannah placed two cookies on a napkin and carried them over to Delores. Her mother had only asked for one, but she always ate two and it would save her a return trip. "Don't pa.s.s that information around, Mother. It might hamper the investigation and it's really none of your business."

"Of course it's my business. I have a vested interest."

Hannah was puzzled. "What vested interest?"

"I'm the one who found Rhonda! I owe it to her to do everything in my power to see that her killer is caught. Haven't you heard that when you save someone's life, you bear a responsibility to them?"

Hannah had heard that line in a score of bad movies. "But you didn't save Rhonda's life. Rhonda was already dead when you found her."

"I know, but it still amounts to the same thing."

Hannah shook her head to clear it. Her mother's logic left a lot to be desired. She thought about pointing out the dissimilarities, but she wisely kept her silence. Arguing with Delores was an exercise in futility.

"You have a vested interest, too."

"What's my vested interest?" Hannah asked, regretting the question the moment it had left her lips.

"Rhonda's last meal was a piece of your Lemon Meringue Pie. If that's not a vested interest, I don't know what is! You have to help me investigate. It's your duty."

82.

"But you told me you didn't want me to investigate any more murders."

"That's perfectly true. It's not the sort of thing I want my daughter involved in, but these are extenuating circ.u.mstances. I'll run the investigation and you can just help me." Delores took a bite of her cookie and chewed thoughtfully. "What do you mink we should do first?"

Hide under the bed until this blows over? Lock ourselves in a cell to save Mike and Bill the trouble of doing it later? Hannah bit her tongue hard to keep from voicing any of her thoughts.

"I think we should make a list of the people who wanted Rhonda dead. That's the logical place to start. Get out your notebook, dear."

Hannah reached for one of the blank steno pads she kept handy. There was no way she was getting involved in Rhonda's murder investigation, but Delores didn't seem capable of taking no for an answer and it couldn't hurt to write down what her mother dictated. "Okay. I'm ready."

"Write down Norman."