Cinnamon Roll Murder Read Online Free Page B

it’ll work?”
    Lisa glanced down at little Sammy. He’d finished most of the food and fallen asleep snuggled in her arms. “Oh, yes,” she said, giving a happy smile. “It’ll work just fine.”
     
    When Hannah pulled up by the emergency entrance to Lake Eden Memorial Hospital, she was met by Freddy Sawyer, who had been pressed into service as an orderly, and Marlene Aldrich, one of Doc Knight’s interns.
    “Ben’s inside running triage,” Marlene said, motioning for Freddy to help the two couples out of the back of Hannah’s cookie truck. “Any serious injuries, Hannah?”
    “A possible concussion, a cut that may need stitches, and bumps, scrapes, and bruises. Nothing life threatening. The most serious is Buddy Neiman.” Hannah watched as Freddy carefully helped Buddy down from the cookie truck. “He plays keyboards with the Cinnamon Roll Six, the jazz band. Their band bus went into the ditch. Buddy hurt his wrist and we’re hoping it’s not broken.”
    Marlene inspected Buddy’s splint and gave a quick nod. “It’s fine for now. Get your whole group settled in the waiting room, and I’ll come to take Buddy to X-ray myself.”
    “I’ll get everyone settled,” Michelle said, and led the little group away. As soon as they were out of earshot, Marlene turned to Hannah. “I heard them play at Club Nineteen in the Cities, and Buddy was terrific. The whole band was terrific. Are any of the rest of them injured?”
    “Just Buddy. Someone else is bringing the rest of them in. Is there anything I can do to help out, Marlene?”
    “Just get your group coffee, or something to eat if they’re hungry. The kitchen’s closed, but the vending machines in the lobby have sandwiches and fruit, and things like that. We’ll be by to check out your people just as soon as we can.”
    “How’s Freddy doing?” Hannah asked as they entered the emergency room doors. Ever since the mildly retarded young man had started to work for Doc Knight and his staff at the hospital, he’d seemed more relaxed and cheerful.
    “Freddy’s great. He really loves to work, and once he learns how to do something, he never forgets. This place couldn’t run without him. I tell him that every day, and he always gives me that big smile of his and says his mother used to tell him that.” Marlene stopped and gave a little sigh. “And speaking of mothers, I almost forgot to tell you. Yours is here, and she said she wanted to see you right away if you came in. I think she’s in Doc Knight’s office making phone calls to bring in the Rainbow Ladies.”
    “Okay. I’ll find her.”
    Hannah helped Michelle get beverages and snacks from the vending machines for the two couples, Lynnette, and Buddy. Once she’d made sure they were comfortably settled, she went off in search of her mother.
    Delores Swensen had taken over as leader of the group of women now called the Rainbow Ladies, a hospital auxiliary that helped patients fill out paperwork, acted as companions to those who didn’t have family present for their treatments and procedures, visited anyone who didn’t have visitors, read books to patients who were bored with watching television, and generally served as a liaison between patients, family members, and the hospital staff.
    The new responsibility their mother had taken on had come as a surprise to all three of her daughters. Hannah, Michelle, and Andrea all knew that their mother was not known for her charity work. Andrea thought that their mother might have become more sympathetic to those less fortunate now that she was older, but Hannah and Michelle still thought there must be another motive. Delores wasn’t a joiner and she certainly wasn’t a do-gooder. There had to be a reason for this sudden change, and they had yet to discover what it was.
    Before Delores had taken over this charitable group, it had been known as the Gray Ladies. The gray smocks the women wore were definitely not to their mother’s liking. Delores