phobia from me. I don’t like to step on the weighing device either.” Hannah gave Moishe a little pat and headed for the kitchen. “Since I’m going out with Nor-BLACKBERRY PIE MURDER
51
man, you’re going to need something for dinner. I’ll see what’s in the refrigerator.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m sure there’s something. And if there’s not, I can always call out for a pizza. Lonnie said Bertanelli’s delivers in the summer.”
“That’s true. They hire high school kids with their own cars and pay them mileage. It’s good for the kids and Bert told me that it’s great for their business.”
Hannah had just stepped into the kitchen when the phone rang. “I’ll get it,” she called out to Michelle, and picked up the wall phone by the kitchen table. “The Cookie Jar. This is Hannah speak . . . oops!”
There was laughter on the other end of the line. “Did you forget you’d left work?” her caller asked.
“I did. Hi Ken.” Hannah recognized Kenneth Purvis, the Jordan High principal’s voice. “What’s up at the school?”
“The combined sports teams just held the drawing for their annual raffle.”
“That’s nice,” Hannah said, wondering why Ken was calling to tell her about it.
“I’m calling to tell you that you won the grand prize, Hannah!” Ken answered her unspoken question.
“I did?” Hannah was completely astounded. She vaguely remembered buying raffle tickets from several members of the Gulls football team when they came into The Cookie Jar.
The Jordan High combined sports teams held a big raffle every year to raise money for athletic uniforms and sports supplies, but she didn’t remember anything about the prizes for this year. “That’s just fantastic, Ken! What did I win?”
“You don’t remember what the grand prize was?”
“Actually . . . no. I didn’t think I’d win and I really didn’t pay any attention to the flyer. I just bought the tickets the way I do every year to help out the school.”
“Well, you’re in for a big surprise then. The grand prize is magnificent and it’s worth over a thousand dollars!”
52
Joanne Fluke
“Wow!” Hannah could feel her excitement grow. “Tell me, Ken. What is it?”
There was silence for a moment and then Ken chuckled.
“I’m not going to tell you. I’m just going to let them deliver it on Monday and surprise you. Can you be home between one and two?”
“No, but can’t you deliver it to me at The Cookie Jar?”
“It’s too bulky for that, and too heavy, too. You’d never get it home on your own. Besides, the boys have to assemble it, set it up, and plug it in. Do you have anyone that can let us in? A friend? A neighbor who lives in the complex?”
Hannah thought fast. “My downstairs neighbor could do it, but she works afternoons for Janice Cox at Kiddie Korner.
Her husband’s home, but he works the night shift at DelRay Manufacturing and he’ll be sleeping. Maybe Norman could come out to let them in, but I really hate to ask him. Doc Bennett’s on vacation and Norman’s been really busy at the dental clinic.”
“Not a problem. How about if we stop by your shop and pick up a key? The four boys delivering it are trustworthy and I’ll ride along in the truck to supervise.”
“That’ll work. Just be careful of Moishe. I don’t want him to get out.”
“That won’t be a problem. I’ll recruit Kathy. She loves cats and she’ll ride along to take care of Moishe.”
“Perfect,” Hannah declared, remembering how enamored Ken’s wife had been with Moishe when he’d spent his days at The Cookie Jar during the production of the independent feature that Ross Barton had filmed in Lake Eden.
“One other question,” Ken said. “Where do you want us to put it?”
Several of the words Ken had used to describe her prize flashed through Hannah’s mind. Assemble. Set up. Plug in .
Her thousand dollar prize could be anything from a new big screen television to a
51
man, you’re going to need something for dinner. I’ll see what’s in the refrigerator.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m sure there’s something. And if there’s not, I can always call out for a pizza. Lonnie said Bertanelli’s delivers in the summer.”
“That’s true. They hire high school kids with their own cars and pay them mileage. It’s good for the kids and Bert told me that it’s great for their business.”
Hannah had just stepped into the kitchen when the phone rang. “I’ll get it,” she called out to Michelle, and picked up the wall phone by the kitchen table. “The Cookie Jar. This is Hannah speak . . . oops!”
There was laughter on the other end of the line. “Did you forget you’d left work?” her caller asked.
“I did. Hi Ken.” Hannah recognized Kenneth Purvis, the Jordan High principal’s voice. “What’s up at the school?”
“The combined sports teams just held the drawing for their annual raffle.”
“That’s nice,” Hannah said, wondering why Ken was calling to tell her about it.
“I’m calling to tell you that you won the grand prize, Hannah!” Ken answered her unspoken question.
“I did?” Hannah was completely astounded. She vaguely remembered buying raffle tickets from several members of the Gulls football team when they came into The Cookie Jar.
The Jordan High combined sports teams held a big raffle every year to raise money for athletic uniforms and sports supplies, but she didn’t remember anything about the prizes for this year. “That’s just fantastic, Ken! What did I win?”
“You don’t remember what the grand prize was?”
“Actually . . . no. I didn’t think I’d win and I really didn’t pay any attention to the flyer. I just bought the tickets the way I do every year to help out the school.”
“Well, you’re in for a big surprise then. The grand prize is magnificent and it’s worth over a thousand dollars!”
52
Joanne Fluke
“Wow!” Hannah could feel her excitement grow. “Tell me, Ken. What is it?”
There was silence for a moment and then Ken chuckled.
“I’m not going to tell you. I’m just going to let them deliver it on Monday and surprise you. Can you be home between one and two?”
“No, but can’t you deliver it to me at The Cookie Jar?”
“It’s too bulky for that, and too heavy, too. You’d never get it home on your own. Besides, the boys have to assemble it, set it up, and plug it in. Do you have anyone that can let us in? A friend? A neighbor who lives in the complex?”
Hannah thought fast. “My downstairs neighbor could do it, but she works afternoons for Janice Cox at Kiddie Korner.
Her husband’s home, but he works the night shift at DelRay Manufacturing and he’ll be sleeping. Maybe Norman could come out to let them in, but I really hate to ask him. Doc Bennett’s on vacation and Norman’s been really busy at the dental clinic.”
“Not a problem. How about if we stop by your shop and pick up a key? The four boys delivering it are trustworthy and I’ll ride along in the truck to supervise.”
“That’ll work. Just be careful of Moishe. I don’t want him to get out.”
“That won’t be a problem. I’ll recruit Kathy. She loves cats and she’ll ride along to take care of Moishe.”
“Perfect,” Hannah declared, remembering how enamored Ken’s wife had been with Moishe when he’d spent his days at The Cookie Jar during the production of the independent feature that Ross Barton had filmed in Lake Eden.
“One other question,” Ken said. “Where do you want us to put it?”
Several of the words Ken had used to describe her prize flashed through Hannah’s mind. Assemble. Set up. Plug in .
Her thousand dollar prize could be anything from a new big screen television to a
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