by Joanne Fluke
Sally stopped speaking abruptly and Hannah leaned forward. 'What?'
'It was probably nothing. You know how Dot Truman is. She just got engaged and she sees romance under every bush.'
Under any other circumstances, Hannah would have laughed at Sally's description, but this was far too serious. 'I still need to know what Dot said.'
'All right. It's just that Paul and Janie sat there for quite a while, laughing and talking and whatever. And that was the night before Connie Mac got here.'
'And Dot said . . . . ?' Andrea prompted.
'She told me it was pretty obvious to her that Paul had something going on the side.'
Hannah glanced at her sister in time to see her wince. It wasn't the sort of news that either of them wanted to hear. 'Is Dot Truman scheduled to work today?'
'I'm not sure. I'll have to check.' Sally got to her feet. 'Come on, you two. I have to mingle with the guests and you have to eat. We can talk more later.'
Sally and Andrea got up, but Hannah didn't. She was still considering what Dot Truman had said. Janie had a sensible head on her shoulders, and Hannah didn't think she'd be foolish enough to have an affair with her boss's husband. On the other hand, common sense could fly out the window when love walked in the door.
'Come on, Hannah,' Andrea nudged her.
'Okay.' Hannah slipped her notebook into her purse, and then another thought occurred to her. What if Janie and Paul were perfectly innocent and it only looked as if they were lovers? If Dot Truman had assumed that they were having an affair, Connie Mac could have come to the same conclusion. That would certainly explain why she'd been on the warpath yesterday afternoon.
'Hannah?' Andrea nudged her again. 'Let's go get something to eat.'
'Right.' Hannah slid off her stool, intending to leave, when another piece of the puzzle clicked into place.
'Hannah?' Andrea sounded impatient.
'Hold your horses; I'm coming.' Hannah grabbed her purse and followed Andrea into the dining room. On any other morning, the sight of Sally's buffet table would have made her as hungry as a bear, but she barely glanced at the tempting array. Her mind was still back at the crime scene, thinking about Janie and Connie Mac.
Once Bill and Mike had interviewed Dot Truman, they'd suspect Janie of being the 'other woman.' Jealousy was a powerful motive for murder, and even if Paul swore that he wasn't involved with Janie, it wouldn't hold much water. Mike and Bill would expect him to deny it.
'Get in line, Hannah.'
Andrea gave her a none-too-gentle shove, and Hannah got in line at the sideboard, where Sally's staff had set out the plates and the silverware. She moved forward automatically, still thinking about the case that Mike and Bill could build against Janie. Money also was a powerful motive for murder, and Connie Mac had made millions over the years. They might even think that Janie had killed Connie Mac so that Paul could inherit her empire.
Hannah sighed as she reached the front of the line and picked up a plate. One thing was clear. They had to find Janie and get her side of the story before Bill and Mike had time to build an even stronger case against her.
-10- The two sisters split up when they arrived at the buffet table, and went down opposite sides. Sally always set out a mirror-image buffet to shorten the lines. Then, by unspoken agreement, they headed off toward the horseshoe-shaped mahogany bar. Sally and Dick didn't open the bar until lunchtime, and it was the only unpopulated spot in the room.
Once they'd hoisted themselves up on the comfortable padded-leather barstools, both Hannah and Andrea spent several minutes eating without exchanging a word. Sally put on the best breakfast buffet in three counties, and both sisters believed that it would be a crime to let her Eggs Benedict or Quiche Lorraine get cold.
'It's not true. Janie would have told me,' Andrea insisted, finishing the last bite of her quiche.
'Are you sure? You haven't been in touch for a while.'
'We're still just as close as we were in high school.' Andrea speared one of Sally's famous breakfast sausages with her fork. 'Besides, Janie doesn't have an aggressive bone in her body. There's no way she could have killed Connie Mac.'
'Unless she did it in self-defense.'
'What do you mean?' Andrea stopped in the act of lifting her fork to her mouth.
'I've got a possible scenario. Listen, and I'll run it past you.'
'Okay. Go ahead.'
'Let's assume that Connie Mac thought Janie was having an affair with. . .'
'Hold it right there!' Andrea set down her fork with a clatter. 'Janie would never have an affair with another woman's husband!'
'I said thought. It doesn't really matter whether Janie was or wasn't, as long as Connie Mac thought she was. Once they were alone at The Cookie Jar last night, Connie Mac confronted Janie about it and it turned ugly. . . .'
'It wouldn't have happened that way,' Andrea interrupted again. 'Janie would have done everything she could to convince Connie Mac that she was wrong.'
'You know how stubborn Connie Mac could be. What if Janie couldn't convince her?'
Andrea thought about that for a minute. 'Then Janie would have left.'
'What if Connie Mac blocked the back door? Do you think Janie would have pushed her out of the way?'
Hannah let Andrea think about it while she stared at the glasses that were hanging on a rack over the bar. They were absolutely spotless, and she wondered idly whether Sally's staff had to wash them every day.
'Janie wouldn't have pushed her,' Andrea said at last. 'I'm pretty sure of that. If she couldn't leave, she would have gone into another room until Connie Mac cooled down.'
'Which other room?'
'The coffee shop, or . . .' Andrea hesitated, and then she sighed. 'I see where you're going. You think Janie ducked into the pantry to get away and Connie Mac followed her.'
Hannah nodded. 'Knowing Janie, do you think it could have happened that way?'
'Maybe. It does make sense. But we won't know for sure until we find Janie and ask her.'
'Exactly. Any ideas about where she is?'
'Not really. Janie told me her parents were on a cruise. I don't think she'd drive all the way down to Florida if they weren't home.'
'Could she be hiding out with someone in town?'
'When she called me, she said she hadn't kept in touch with anyone in Lake Eden. Besides, I'm her best friend. She would have come to me.'
'Are you sure?' Hannah didn't say anything else. She just kept silent and let Andrea work it out by herself.
Andrea sighed deeply and shook her head. 'She might have wanted to call me, but she knows what Bill does for a living. Maybe she contacted one of the other girls we ran around with in high school.'
'Do you have their numbers with you?'
'Of course. You never know when a hot property is going to hit the market, and I like to give my friends first crack.' Andrea reached inside her purse and pulled out her cell phone. She punched in a number and then she looked up at Hannah. 'I know it's crazy, but I'm still hungry. Will you get me a couple of Sally's biscuits?'
'Sure. I'll be right back.'
'Bring some ham slices, too. And don't forget the butter and apricot jam.'
'Coming right up.'
Even though the situation with Janie was grim, Hannah was grinning as she left the bar and headed back to the buffet table. Andrea claimed she wasn't pregnant, but perhaps she just didn't know it yet. If her sister's breakfast this morning was any indication, Hannah would have a brand-new niece or nephew by Thanksgiving.
'Hannah?' Sally caught her on her way to the buffet table. 'Dot Truman's not on the schedule for today. And I've been thinking about who might know where Janie's gone. I think you should talk to Alex Matthews.'
'Is he one of the Connie Mac people?'
'No, and he's a she. Her first name is Alexandra, but she prefers Alex and she's my temporary assistant. I hired her the day after Dick left for Arizona, and she's fabulous. You must have seen her in the
kitchen. She organized my staff when they wheeled out the buffet.'
Hannah nodded, remembering the efficient dark-haired woman who'd directed Sally's kitchen help. 'Janie and Alex are close?'
'Closer than most. It was one of those instant rapport things. They just clicked, you know?' Sally glanced at her watch. 'Alex is upstairs right now, checking on the maids, but she'll be back in the kitchen in about ten minutes.'
'We'll talk to her. Thanks, Sally.'
After Sally had left on her rounds again, Hannah filled Andrea's plate and headed back to the bar. She got there just as Andrea was slipping her cell phone back into her purse.
'Any luck?'
'No. I called everyone we hung around with in high school, and no one's seen Janie. They didn't even know she was in town. I think she must have left Lake Eden.'
Hannah hoisted herself up on the bar stool and set the plate she'd filled in front of her sister. 'Sally just gave me a possible lead.' Andrea sliced open a biscuit, spread it with butter and apricot jam, and slipped in a slice of ham. She took a bite and smiled. 'Just let me finish eating and we'll go follow up on it.'
Hannah bit her tongue to keep from voicing the comment that popped into her head. If they waited for Andrea to finish eating, Janie would have time to get halfway around the world in a rowboat.
They found Alex in the kitchen, taking her coffee break. After they had introduced themselves and told her that Sally had sent them, Hannah asked her about Janie.
'Yes, I know Janie.' Alex looked a bit worried. 'Is anything wrong?'
Hannah smiled to reassure her. She'd found that she learned much more when she didn't alarm the people she questioned. 'Janie's a good friend of ours. Andrea went to high school with her.'
'Of course.' Alex turned to Andrea with a smile. 'I didn't connect the name at first. You're her best friend and you married the handsome quarterback. Janie flew back here for your wedding and she caught your bridal bouquet.'
Andrea smiled back. 'That's right. Bill helped me practice for a solid week and I pegged it straight at her.'
'How did you meet Janie?' Hannah pressed on before Andrea could ask what else Janie had said about her wedding.
'One of the maids called in sick the day she checked in, and I took some fresh towels up to her room. She's a lovely girl.'
'Then you didn't know her before she checked in at the inn?'
Alex shook her head. 'We just got to talking and we discovered that we had a lot in common.'
'Like what?' Hannah asked.
'Just a lot of little things. Janie's crazy about old musicals and so am I. Our favorite dessert is coffee ice cream with chocolate sauce, we do crossword puzzles to relax, and we both like to read biographies. Janie says we're birds of a feather.'
'Do you happen to know where Janie went when she left the inn last night?' Hannah asked.
'I didn't see her at all last night. Why? Is there something wrong?'
Hannah started to shake her head, but then she reconsidered. If Alex was a friend, she deserved to know the situation. 'We're not sure. Janie packed up all her things last night and left.'
'She did?' Alex was clearly surprised. 'Do you know why?'
'We think she might have had a fight with Connie Mac,' Andrea answered the question.
'That's possible. I was at the desk when Mrs. Macintyre left, and she stomped out of here in a huff. Janie came down a minute or two later and I asked her why she wasn't riding in the limo. She said that Mrs. MacIntyre had told her to take her own car and that she was in a nasty mood. '
'Do you think Janie quit?' Andrea asked.
'Oh, no. Janie needed her job and she's not a quitter. Mrs. MacIntyre probably fired her again.'
Andrea's mouth opened, and Hannah sent her a warning glance. It snapped shut again and Hannah turned back to Alex. 'You said again. Was Janie fired before?'
'Oh, yes. But she said it was never more than a few hours before Mrs. MacIntyre would call to rehire her.'
'Why would she go back to a job like that?' Hannah was amazed.
'That's exactly what I asked her.' Alex gave a little laugh. 'And Janie said that Mrs. MacIntyre was the only fly in the ointment. She loved her job and she really liked all the people on the staff.'
'How about Mr. MacIntyre?' Hannah glanced at her sister, but Andrea's mouth was glued shut.
'She absolutely adored him. She said he was a saint for putting up with his wife all these years, and that he deserved a lot better.'
Hannah almost groaned aloud. She didn't think that Janie and Paul had been more than friends, but Bill and Mike would put a very different spin on Alex's answer.
'Janie never goes along to the book signings,' Alex went on, 'and we were going to get together this afternoon. I hope Mrs. MacIntyre called to rehire her this morning.'
'She didn't,' Hannah said, not relishing the task of telling someone else that Connie Mac was dead.
'But why? She needs Janie. No one else can put up with her. She went through twelve assistants the year before Janie carne on board.'
'I'm sure she would have called Janie,' Andrea said, taking over, 'but that was impossible. Connie Mac died last night.'
Alex's eyes widened. 'She's dead? Why didn't anyone tell me? I thought her face was awfully red when she left yesterday afternoon, but I figured she was just angry. Was it her heart?'
Hannah clamped her lips shut to keep from saying, Of course not. Connie Mac didn't have a heart. Andrea had barged in and now she could deal with telling Alex how Connie Mac had died.
'Well. . . actually. . .' Andrea shot her sister a pleading glance, but Hannah pretended not to notice. "It was a little more serious than that. Connie Mac was. . . uh . . . killed.'
'You mean murdered?' Alex gasped and her face turned pale.
Hannah looked over at Andrea. She still had that pleading look on her face. Andrea, the smooth talker who could handle any situation, needed to be bailed out.
'The police think it's murder, but it could be an accident,' Hannah explained. 'That's why we need to find Janie. She was with Connie Mac last night and we want to ask her what happened.'
'Do the police think that Janie killed Connie Mac and ran away?' Alex looked sick at the thought.
Hannah took over. 'They think it's possible. That's why we want to find her before they do. We want to help her.'
Alex sat there quietly for a moment, and Hannah noticed that her hands were trembling. 'I'd help you if I could, but I really don't know where Janie's gone.'
'If she calls you, will you tell us?' Hannah asked.
'Yes, I will.'
Andrea pulled out one of her cards and handed it to Alex. 'Here's my cell phone number. Call me anytime, day or night.'
'I will.' Alex took the card and slipped it into her apron pocket. Then she blinked, and Hannah could see that she was fighting tears. 'Just find her, please. And tell me the minute you do. Poor Janie must be so frightened, out there all alone.'
There was nothing else to say, and Hannah motioned to Andrea. They had other people to see. It wasn't until they had left the kitchen that she asked the question that had been hovering in her mind ever since they'd concluded their interview. 'Don't you think that Alex's reaction was a little strange?'
'What reaction?'
'When we told her that Janie was missing, her hands started to tremble. And when she asked us to hurry and find her, she was blinking back tears.'
'That's not so strange,' Andrea objected. 'She was concerned.'
'I realize that, but don't you think it was a little out of proportion?'
'Not really. I feel exactly the same way. Every time I think about how lonely and scared Janie must be, I get tears in my eyes.'
'So do I, but we've known Janie all our lives. Alex only met her five days ago.'
'Oh.' Andrea was silent for a long moment. 'You're right. What does it mean?'
'I'm not sure, but I think we'd better find out. Let's go to the lobby and plan our strategy.'
> -11- Hannah led Andrea into the lobby and they took two overstuffed chairs next to the massive granite fireplace. It was as far from the desk as they could get, and they had the huge room all to themselves.
"Sally told me the granite slabs for the fireplace came from Cold Spring," Andrea informed her. "F. E. Laughlin used local granite and he had it carved with his own designs. Isn't it beautiful?"
"It's certainly impressive," Hannah said, deciding not to risk further comment. With murder foremost on her mind, the three-dimensional angels that appeared to be emerging from the gray-veined surface reminded her of headstones in a graveyard.
Andrea inched a little closer to the blaze that was burning in the grate and then unzipped her leather-bound organizer. "What do you want me to do first?"
"Go talk to Francine." Hannah found the page of notes she'd taken when they talked to Sally. "Find out what she knows about the fight that Connie Mac had with Kurt Howe. Then ask her opinion of the reporter who wrote the story about the ghost."
Andrea jotted it down with her gold Cross pen. "Do you really think he might have murdered Connie Mac to add excitement to his ghost story?"
"Not really, but it's something we have to rule out. And don't forget to ask if Francine knows Janie."
"You want me to ask everyone about Janie, don't you?"
"Absolutely."
"I'm writing down a series of questions," Andrea said, her pen flying swiftly across the page. "I want to know the last time they saw her, any friends she talked about, and whether she ever mentioned a particular place she liked to go, like a hotel or a resort."
"That's a very good idea." Hannah was impressed, Andrea seemed to have the questions about Janie covered.
"Then I'll ask them to put themselves in Janie's place and tell me where they think she might. . ." Andrea stopped speaking and stood up. "My phone's ringing."
"I didn't hear anything."
"I switched it to vibrate so it wouldn't disturb us. Maybe it's Alex. We asked her to phone if Janie called."
Hannah thought that was a little too much to hope for, but she was on full alert as Andrea retrieved her cell phone and answered the call.