Strawberry Shortcake Murder (31 page)

“I thought you were going to take a nap.”

“I am.” Hannah yawned widely. “But I’m willing to wake up for that.”

When Hannah woke up at three-fifteen, she felt ninety percent better. She padded into the kitchen, put on the coffee, and sat down at the table to wait for it to drip down into the carafe. Moishe went straight to his food bowl and seemed surprised to see that it was still full. He’d chosen to take a nap with her, rather than scarf down his kitty crunchies.

“It’s not morning, Moishe,” Hannah told him. “It’s afternoon.”

Moishe cocked his head to stare at her. He looked puzzled, and Hannah laughed. “Never mind. Time is a difficult concept. I’m not sure I understand it either.”

The coffee was ready and Hannah got up to pour herself a cup. She inhaled the steam and felt the remaining ten percent better, bringing her up to a hundred percent. There was nothing like a cup of coffee when you woke up in the morning, even if the morning was actually afternoon.

By the time she’d finished her third cup, Hannah was ready to face the remainder of the day. There wasn’t much left. It was overcasts, and the sky was already darkening outside her kitchen window.

“I’ve got to go, Moishe,” Hannah said, and as if on cue, the phone rang. Delores? Andrea? Mike? Hannah wanted to let the answering machine get it, but she was too curious to wait through her outgoing message. She shoved back her chair, lifted the receiver, and answered.

“Hannah?” It was Mason Kimball’s voice. “We’ve got a problem, and I need you on the set early.”

“Okay. What’s the problem?”

“We’re changing the format for the show tonight, and I need to go over some things with you.”

“When do you want me there?”

“Ten minutes ago. This could take a while. You’d better bring your outfit for tonight and you can change in Dee-Dee’s mobile dressing room. How soon can you get here?”

Hannah glanced at the clock. It was three-thirty. “I’m leaving right now. I have to stop at the shop to pick up my box of ingredients for tonight, then I’ll drive right over. I should be there by four-fifteen.”

“Good. Come straight to the set. No one’s there right now, and it’s my only chance to check out camera angles with you.”

Hannah said good-bye and made quick work of gathering up her things and leaving the condo complex.

Traffic was light, and Hannah made good time. She breezed in the back door of The Cookie Jar at three-forty-five and pushed through the swinging door to tell Lisa that she was back.

“Hi, Lisa.” Hannah caught her new partner in the act of draping the mirror behind the counter with a garland made of pine branches. “That looks nice.”

“Thanks, Hannah. Dad made it in one of his craft classes at the Senior Center. Are you here to stay?”

Hannah shook her head. “No, I’m just passing through. Mason Kimball called, and he wants me on the set early. I just stopped by to pick up the box of ingredients for tonight.”

“It’s on the counter next to the sink. Just take the one box. I’ll bring the chilled dough, and Dad can carry in the one with the pans and the bowls.”

“Your dad’s coming to see you again?”

“Mr. Drevlow can’t make it, but Mrs. Beeseman offered to sit with him while I’m up there helping you on the set.”

“Really?” Hannah tried not to sound as surprised as she felt. Marge Beeseman usually sat with her own group of friends.

“Herb asked her. Dad told him how much he wanted to go, and Herb said he’d arrange it.”

Hannah started to smile. Things must be getting serious between Herb and Lisa if he’d asked his mother to do a favor for her.

“After the show, we’re all going out to the inn for the party. Dad says he’s going to ask Mrs. Beeseman to dance. He’s still a real good dancer. And she promised Herb that if Dad asked her, she would.”

Hannah’s smile grew wider as she pictured the unlikely double date. “I’ve got to run, Lisa. I’ll see you later, at the school. If Mike calls before you leave, tell him I don’t know any more than I did last night.”

“I will.” Lisa stepped back and eyed the pine garland critically. “I think it needs some red-velvet bows.”

“You’re my decorating expert. If you want to buy bows, take some money out of the register. Get a receipt and leave it in the tax box under the counter.”

“Red-velvet bows are tax deductible?”

“Stan Kramer does our taxes. And with Stan, everything’s a tax deduction.”

Hannah glanced at her watch as she pulled into the school parking lot. She was ten minutes early, and that was a miracle. It would give her time to return the pen before she met Mason on the set.

As she drove around the building and prepared to pull up next to the production truck, she saw P.K. standing on the metal steps, smoking. Hannah rolled down her window and called out to him. “I’ve got the pen you let me use last might. Wait a second, and I’ll give it to you.”

P.K. walked over to her truck as she parked. Hannah left the garment bag hanging from the hook in the back. She could get it later, after she finished talking to Mason on the set. P.K. took her box of ingredients, and they walked toward the production truck together.

“I can let you in, but I’ve got to take off,” P.K. informed her, setting the box on the top step and unlocking the door. “I have to run out to the station to pick up some things. Do you want me to put this box on the set for you?”

“I can take it. I have to go there anyway. Do you want me to put the pen in Mason’s office?”

“Yeah. There’s a penholder on his desk. Just stick it in there and make sure you lock up when you leave.”

“I will,” Hannah promised, stepping aside so that P.K. could descend the narrow steps. She gave a little wave as he headed off to his car, then she opened the door and stepped inside the production truck.

Mason’s office was at the far end of the hall, in the very back of the truck. Hannah passed the room where she’d watched Rudy’s outtakes and stopped with her hand on the knob of Mason’s closed door. She knew he wasn’t here, but she knocked anyway, just in case someone else was using his office and Rudy hadn’t known about it. When there was no answer, she opened the door and stepped in.

The room was a lot smaller than Hannah had thought it would be, just a cubbyhole with a desk, a swivel chair, and bare walls devoid of pictures. For a moment, Hannah wondered why no one had bothered to decorate the boss’s office, but then she remembered that this was a mobile production truck. Pictures would have fallen off the walls and broken in transit.

There were pictures on Mason’s desk Hannah noticed them as she slipped the keepsake pen in the holder. He probably kept them in a desk drawer when the truck was moving, taken them out and arranged them on the top of his desk. There was one of Ellen in a gold frame, smiling at the camera and looking ten year younger. There was another of Mason and Craig, and Hannah could tell that it was recent photo. Father and son were both beaming, and together, they were holding up a silver trophy. It was a cup with a silver basketball at its base and both of them looked proud and happy.

She stared at the picture for a moment. It must have been taken at the award ceremony that Delores had mentioned, when Craig had broken Jordan High’s scoring record. Craig was dressed in his basketball uniform and Mason was wearing a blue blazer with a white shirt and…

Hannah gasped as she noticed something shiny on Mason’s shirtsleeve. The sleeve of his blazer had pulled up as he’d lifted the award with Craig and his cuff link was exposed. She picked up the photo for a closer look and almost dropped it as she realized that Mason’s cuff link was shaped like a horse head with a diamond for the eye.

She stood there for a moment, her knees shaking and her heart racing with the awful realization. Mason had lied to her about the cuff links. He’d had them all along.

And that meant Mason was the killer.

Hannah froze as she heard footsteps outside, approaching the production truck. Someone was coming, and she had to get out of Mason’s office right away. She couldn’t let him know that she’d seen the picture and guessed his secret.

For one frightening moment, Hannah’s feet refused to obey her command to flee. Then panic took over and she dashed out of Masons office in a flash, rushing down the hall and heading straight for the phone on P.K.’s desk. She had to call Mike right away and tell him that Mason Kimball was the killer.

Hannah had just grabbed the phone when she heard heavy footsteps on the metal stairs. And then the door opened and Mason came in. He was wearing a smile that made Hannah shudder as the phone dropped from her nerveless fingers.

“There you are, Hannah.” Mason gave her his chilling smile. “I believe we have an appointment?”

Hannah took a deep breath. She had no choice but to brazen it out. Perhaps Mason didn’t know she’d realized that he was the murderer, and it was only her own fear that was playing tricks with her mind.

“You’re right. Let’s go, Mason.” Hannah brushed past him and headed for the door. “I was just returning a pen that I borrowed from P.K. last night. Don’t let me forget to lock the door behind us.”

Mason didn’t say anything, but Hannah could feel his menacing presence behind her as she reached for the doorknob. She had to get outside. They were alone in here, but there might be people in the parking lot. She’d be safe around other people.

Her hands were trembling so hard, she couldn’t turn the doorknob. Hannah tried once and failed. Then Mason reached forward, around her waist, and Hannah had all she could do not to scream out in terror.

“I’ll get it,” Mason said, turning the knob and pushing the door open. But instead of letting her walk past him, he blocked the exit with his arm and turned around to face her. “Why are your hands shaking like that?”

“Because I’m freezing.” Hannah said the firs thing that popped into her mind. If Mason thought she was afraid of him, he’d know she’d guessed the truth. “The heater on my truck went out.”

Mason smiled again. “Very good, Hannah. If I didn’t know better, I might believe you.”

“What?” Hannah tried for her most innocent expression.

“I know you figured it out. It’s right on your face.”

Hannah felt her hopes die but she gave it one last shot. “Figured out what, Mason?”

“It’s too late to play games.” Mason gave a bitter laugh. “You tipped your hand when you asked me about the cuff links. I knew you’d seen the pictures Lucy took. But I figures no one would connect the cuff links with me and even if they did, they couldn’t prove anything then. Craig came out to the truck this afternoon to tell me you were asking about steroids, and I knew it wouldn’t be long before you put the pieces together. It’s a pity you figured it out, Hannah. Now I’ll have to kill you.”

Hannah swallowed hard, attempting to dislodge the lump of panic that filled her throat. “You can’t kill me here. P.K. will be back any minute.”

“No, he won’t. I waited until he left before I came in. But you’re right, Hannah. Someone could drive by hear the shot.” Mason reached out and grabbed her arm. “Come on. We’re going to the kitchen set. When they find your body on the news tonight, it’ll give the ratings a real boost.”

Hannah dug in her heels and refused to budge. Mason was strong, but so was she. If she could shove him away and pull the door shut, she could call Mike for help.

“Forget it, Hannah.” Mason pulled a gun from pocket and slammed the barrel up against her side. “I’ll kill you here, if you leave me no choice.”

Mason was serious. Hannah could see that from the determined expression on his face. He would kill her here, but if she cooperated and walked to the kitchen set with him, it would give her time to think of a way to escape.

“You win, Mason. I’m coming.” Hannah wasn’t about to argue with a loaded gun. As they walked down the steps, she spotted the box that P.K. had left on the steps and her brain kicked into gear. If it was still there when P.K. came back, he’d take it to the kitchen set for her. If she could delay Mason long enough, P.K. might arrive in time to save her.

“What’s this?” Mason kicked the box with his foot.

Hannah thought about lying, but she knew he wouldn’t buy it. “It’s my box of ingredients.”

“Take it with you,” Mason ordered, but then he changed his mind. “No. Hold it right there. What’s in it?”

“Butter, sugar, eggs, molasses, flour, soda, and spices,” Hannah rattled off the ingredients.

“Pick it up.”

Hannah picked up the box. She glanced inside and sighed as she realized that Lisa had put everything in soft plastic containers. She’d been hoping to swing the molasses bottle at Mason’s head, but the molasses was in Tupperware, and wasn’t much of a weapon.

“Walk.”

Mason prodded her with the gun barrel in his pocket and Hannah walked. She felt like prisoner walking to her execution until she remembered that Herb would be on duty in the auditorium. Perhaps she could give him some sort of signal that Mason wouldn’t catch, some trick phrase that would make him call Bill and Mike at the station. She was still trying to think of what it could be when Mason opened the auditorium door and pushed her inside.

Herb was gone. The sight of his empty chair made Hannah’s hopeful heart drop down to her toes. She should have expected it. Mason had planned all this out. He would have sent Herb on some fool errand, just as he’d done with P.K.

“This is a bad idea, Mason.” Hannah did her best to sound reasonable. She had to buy herself some time, think of some way to delay him. P.K. could return and come into the auditorium, Herb could come back from his errand, Mike could come in to check on the condition of the stage floor, practically anyone could happen along. That wouldn’t do much good if she was already dead, but she was still alive.

“It’s a very good idea. I made sure nobody would disturb us”

Mason gestured toward a sign that was posted on the auditorium door. It read, CLOSED SET—NO ADMITTANCE, in black block letters, and below it was a note in Mason’s handwriting, Hannah—I have a staff meeting at 4:45. Join me at the production truck at 5.

“When they find your body, they’ll assume you ignored the sign and went in to drop off your box. They’ll also assume that the killer followed you onto the set and killed you,” Mason said, sounding very proud of himself.