Cinnamon Roll Murder

he didn’t want anything to do with her, and ... and she murdered him!”

“You saw this woman?” Hannah asked her.

“I saw her. She was one of those women who like to pick up the musicians. You know the type. Dressed all sexy in a tight sweater and a skirt that barely covered ... well, you know. She couldn’t take her eyes off Buddy. I noticed because. . . well ... I had a thing going with Buddy at the time. After the show I saw her go backstage. I wanted to go back there to see what was going on, but I was clearing tables and I couldn’t find anybody to fill in for me. But later, when I took a smoke break, I saw them in the parking lot. She was hanging onto his arm and Buddy was trying to shake her off. She said, I’d know you anywhere, whatever that meant.”

Hannah and Andrea exchanged glances. Was it possible this woman had known Buddy’s real identity?

“What did Buddy say?” Hannah asked.

“He said, You got the wrong guy, lady. Leave me alone! And then she said something, and Buddy tried to shake her hand off his arm, but she wouldn’t let go of him. He finally hollered at her to let go, and she did. And then he shouted, I’m not the guy you think I am! And she shouted right back and this time I heard her. She said, Yes you are! I know you are! really loud. And then she slapped him and walked away.”

“Did you see where she went?”

“I think she went to a car. There’s no exit to the parking lot in the direction she was walking. But I didn’t stick around to find out which car or anything like that. I saw that Buddy was heading my way, so I ducked back inside the club. I didn’t want him to know I’d been listening to them fighting.”

“Did he mention anything about it to you?” Hannah asked, hoping that Buddy had let something slip about the woman Shelby had seen.

“He didn’t bring it up when he came in, but I did,” Shelby admitted. “His cheek was red from where she slapped it, and I asked him what happened.”

“What did he say?” Andrea asked, leaning forward expectantly.

“He said there was a crazy lady who came backstage and harassed him. He went out to the parking lot to get away from her, but she followed him and slapped him. I asked him why some lady would harass him, and he said that she seemed to think he was someone from her past. It’s just plain weird, Buddy said. Especially since I’m sure I’ve never seen her before in my life.”

“Can you describe the woman you saw in the parking lot in a little more detail?” Hannah asked her.

“Not really. I already told you what she was wearing. She wasn’t a real looker, just kind of average, but she had on a ton of makeup. And dark hair. She had dark hair. I took her picture with my cell phone when she was hanging onto Buddy in the parking lot, but it didn’t turn out very good. Hold on a second and I’ll find it for you.”

Hannah held her breath as Shelby clicked through the photos on her phone. This could be a real breakthrough! When Shelby found the one she was looking for, she gave a satisfied sigh. “Here it is,” she said. “There were over a hundred pictures on there, but I found it. The light was kind of bad in the parking lot and I was a ways away, but you can sort of see what she looks like. I was afraid to get any closer because I thought they might spot me, and I didn’t dare use the flash. If Buddy had seen me taking their picture, he would have thought it was a jealousy thing, you know?”

And Buddy would have been right, Hannah thought, but she didn’t say it. Instead she said, “I understand,” and took the phone from Shelby.

“Let me see, too.” Andrea moved her chair close to Hannah’s so that she could take a look. “It’s great that you took a picture, Shelby. And I think you’re right. This woman could have something to do with Buddy’s murder.”

Hannah felt like groaning as she stared at the small screen on Shelby’s phone. She could see two figures standing near a row of cars in the background, but neither one was close enough to be recognizable. “Is there any way to enlarge this?” she asked.

Shelby shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. Maybe. The guy at the phone store told me this phone had a pretty good camera.”

“Can you e-mail this photo to me?” Andrea asked.

“I think so, but I’m not sure how to do it. The phone store guy said I could send people photos right from my phone.”

“Do you mind if I try?” Andrea asked.

“Knock yourself out!” Shelby gave a little laugh. “I’ll go get your drinks while you try. If my phone rings, just don’t answer it. They’ll leave a message and I’ll get it on my break.”

Hannah watched as Andrea did things she didn’t understand to Shelby’s phone. It was a much fancier model than the one she owned, but she wasn’t a bit envious. All she really wanted to do was make calls and answer calls. Any other tricky features would just get in the way.

“Got it!” Andrea said, looking up with a grin. “I sent it to my e-mail at home, and then I sent it to my phone. Do you want me to send it to your phone?”

“You can’t.”

“Sure I can.”

“No, you can’t. My phone’s just a phone. It doesn’t do anything else.”

Andrea rolled her eyes. “You’re in the Stone Age, Hannah. You really should replace it with a newer model.”

“Why? It works just fine the way it is as long as I remember to charge it.”

“But really, Hannah. There are newer models that do so much more.”

“I’m sure there are, but I finally figured out this phone and I don’t want to switch.”

“All right. Fine. Stay behind the times. I bet you still have a typewriter somewhere in your closet.”

Hannah had a clear mental picture of the portable Olivetti she’d used to type her college term papers. It was perfectly good, and she kept it in a cabinet in her laundry room.

“Well? Do you still have a typewriter in your closet?”

“No,” Hannah said quite truthfully. “I don’t.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that! Maybe there’s hope for you yet.” Andrea glanced down at Shelby’s phone again. “Do you want to know what date Shelby saw this unrecognizable woman with Buddy?”

“Yes. That’s very important. We’ll ask her when she comes back.”

“We don’t need to ask her. I know.”

“You’re psychic?”

“No, I’m smart. And I’m in step with the new technology. The photos are grouped in her phone by date. All I had to do was access the date menu to find out it was taken on the second Saturday in February.”

“Sally and Dick were here!”

“What?”

“I asked Sally when she hired Cinnamon Roll Six to headline her jazz festival and she said it was right after the show on the second Saturday in February.”

Andrea tapped the screen of Shelby’s phone. “So Sally or Dick might have seen this woman?”

“It’s possible. We can go out to the Inn and ask.”

“There’s something else we can do first. We can ask Norman if he can enlarge this photo, or sharpen it, or do something so that we can recognize the woman.”

“I’m not sure that Norman can do that.”

“Why not? He’s always helped you with photographs before.”

“I know, but ... I’m not sure Doctor Bev will let him help us.”

“You’re not sure, so you’re not going to ask?” Andrea looked incredulous. “What happened to the woman who was going to fight for Norman? Did she turn back into a doormat when I wasn’t looking?”

Hannah sighed deeply. “No, she didn’t. I didn’t. I’ll call him myself and tell him we need his help.”

Shelby came up to their table carrying a tray with two tall glass cups. “One raspberry latte, and one chocolate and apricot latte,” she announced placing them on the table. Then she turned to Andrea. “Did you manage to send that picture?”