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Authors: Joanne Fluke
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else?”
“Just that they had something important to tell you and it couldn’t wait.”
Hannah and Norman exchanged glances. The phrase something important to Delores could be used to describe almost anything that affected her from the new acquisition at her antique store to the announcement that she’d actually agreed to something they’d suggested for her wedding.
“Thanks for the early warning,” Hannah told her. “We’ll expect them in twenty minutes or so.”
Norman gave Hannah a questioning look and she re-60
Joanne Fluke
sponded with a little nod. She knew exactly what his silent query meant.
“Please invite them to join us for dinner,” Norman said, correctly interpreting Hannah’s nod.
“I’ll do that.” Sally turned back to Hannah. “There’s a new dessert tonight. It’s Buttermilk Pie.”
“I’ve never heard of Buttermilk Pie,” Norman told her.
“I’m going to order it.”
“Isn’t that a Southern dessert?” Hannah asked.
“Yes. My assistant chef has relatives in the South and this is his grandmother’s recipe.”
“Please save a piece for me, too,” Hannah added her request to Norman’s. “I’ve never tasted Buttermilk Pie, either.”
Sally leaned a little closer so that she couldn’t be over-heard. “Did your mother like my entrée suggestion for her wedding reception?”
“I’ve got bad news on that score,” Hannah said, giving a little sigh. “I haven’t mentioned it to her yet. This morning she told me that she wasn’t that fond of salmon. It’s a great idea, Sally, but she’ll never go for it.”
“What did you suggest?” Norman asked Sally, and Hannah knew he was feeling a little out of the loop when it came to the wedding plans.
“Filet of salmon with champagne sauce,” Sally told him.
“I’ve been suggesting everything I can think of that I can manage with such a large crowd, but Delores has rejected everything.”
“But why?” Norman asked, turning to Hannah. “Everything Sally makes is delicious.”
“You know that, and I know that. Mother knows it too, but absolutely nothing we suggest pleases her lately.”
“Maybe it does please her, but the problem is that she doesn’t want to relinquish the reins,” Norman guessed.
“That’s exactly right. She doesn’t want to plan the wedding, but she still wants to run the show.”
BLACKBERRY PIE MURDER
61
“It sounds like you’ve got a real problem,” Sally offered her opinion. “I just wish I had that salmon dish on the menu tonight. Then Delores could have tasted it before you suggested it.”
“Do you think it would have worked?” Norman asked.
“Maybe, especially if I sprinkled a little of her favorite caviar on top of the champagne sauce. That might have been enough to make her suggest it to you instead of the other way around.”
“That might have worked,” Hannah said, but she wasn’t convinced. “What’s the special tonight, Sally?”
“Coq au vin. And I also have a petite filet with wild mushroom sauce.”
“I’ll have the coq au vin,” Norman told her. “It’s one of my favorites.”
“Mine, too,” Hannah said. She debated between the filet and the chicken for a second or two, and then she decided on the chicken. “Make that two, Sally,” she said.
When Sally left to go back to the kitchen, Dot Larson, Sally’s head waitress, appeared at tableside almost miracu-lously. It was one of Dot’s talents. She hovered unobtrusively and there were times when she seemed to materialize out of thin air. Hannah gave a fleeting thought to how privy she must be to private conversations and how much value that could be in a murder investigation. Both Hannah and Lisa used that trick at The Cookie Jar, but it could be valuable here as well. Perhaps they should try to co-opt Dot in the next murder investigation.
“Hi, Dot,” Hannah greeted her warmly.
Dot smiled at both of them. “Hello, Hannah. Hi, Norman.
Good to see you here tonight.”
“How’s
“Just that they had something important to tell you and it couldn’t wait.”
Hannah and Norman exchanged glances. The phrase something important to Delores could be used to describe almost anything that affected her from the new acquisition at her antique store to the announcement that she’d actually agreed to something they’d suggested for her wedding.
“Thanks for the early warning,” Hannah told her. “We’ll expect them in twenty minutes or so.”
Norman gave Hannah a questioning look and she re-60
Joanne Fluke
sponded with a little nod. She knew exactly what his silent query meant.
“Please invite them to join us for dinner,” Norman said, correctly interpreting Hannah’s nod.
“I’ll do that.” Sally turned back to Hannah. “There’s a new dessert tonight. It’s Buttermilk Pie.”
“I’ve never heard of Buttermilk Pie,” Norman told her.
“I’m going to order it.”
“Isn’t that a Southern dessert?” Hannah asked.
“Yes. My assistant chef has relatives in the South and this is his grandmother’s recipe.”
“Please save a piece for me, too,” Hannah added her request to Norman’s. “I’ve never tasted Buttermilk Pie, either.”
Sally leaned a little closer so that she couldn’t be over-heard. “Did your mother like my entrée suggestion for her wedding reception?”
“I’ve got bad news on that score,” Hannah said, giving a little sigh. “I haven’t mentioned it to her yet. This morning she told me that she wasn’t that fond of salmon. It’s a great idea, Sally, but she’ll never go for it.”
“What did you suggest?” Norman asked Sally, and Hannah knew he was feeling a little out of the loop when it came to the wedding plans.
“Filet of salmon with champagne sauce,” Sally told him.
“I’ve been suggesting everything I can think of that I can manage with such a large crowd, but Delores has rejected everything.”
“But why?” Norman asked, turning to Hannah. “Everything Sally makes is delicious.”
“You know that, and I know that. Mother knows it too, but absolutely nothing we suggest pleases her lately.”
“Maybe it does please her, but the problem is that she doesn’t want to relinquish the reins,” Norman guessed.
“That’s exactly right. She doesn’t want to plan the wedding, but she still wants to run the show.”
BLACKBERRY PIE MURDER
61
“It sounds like you’ve got a real problem,” Sally offered her opinion. “I just wish I had that salmon dish on the menu tonight. Then Delores could have tasted it before you suggested it.”
“Do you think it would have worked?” Norman asked.
“Maybe, especially if I sprinkled a little of her favorite caviar on top of the champagne sauce. That might have been enough to make her suggest it to you instead of the other way around.”
“That might have worked,” Hannah said, but she wasn’t convinced. “What’s the special tonight, Sally?”
“Coq au vin. And I also have a petite filet with wild mushroom sauce.”
“I’ll have the coq au vin,” Norman told her. “It’s one of my favorites.”
“Mine, too,” Hannah said. She debated between the filet and the chicken for a second or two, and then she decided on the chicken. “Make that two, Sally,” she said.
When Sally left to go back to the kitchen, Dot Larson, Sally’s head waitress, appeared at tableside almost miracu-lously. It was one of Dot’s talents. She hovered unobtrusively and there were times when she seemed to materialize out of thin air. Hannah gave a fleeting thought to how privy she must be to private conversations and how much value that could be in a murder investigation. Both Hannah and Lisa used that trick at The Cookie Jar, but it could be valuable here as well. Perhaps they should try to co-opt Dot in the next murder investigation.
“Hi, Dot,” Hannah greeted her warmly.
Dot smiled at both of them. “Hello, Hannah. Hi, Norman.
Good to see you here tonight.”
“How’s
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