Key Lime Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke Page B

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    â€œNot anymore. I bought it.”
    Hannah was surprised. Clothing at Claire’s boutique was expensive, even if you got a good neighbor discount the way she did. And everything Claire carried was classic. Willa’s new summer sundress was a throwback to the fifties with a circle skirt and a sleeveless top with a matching bolero jacket. It was made of polished cotton in a gorgeous shade of light coral that Hannah wished she could wear.
    â€œNew hair and a new dress?” Pam looked very surprised. “Did you come into some money you didn’t tell me about?”
    â€œNo. I put this on my credit card, and I’ll have my check from the beauty contest organizers before the bill comes in. I really hated to max out my card, but…I just had to do it.”
    Pam cocked her head and gave Willa a scrutinizing look. “There’s got to be a man involved,” she said. “How about it, Willa?”
    â€œThere’s always a man involved, isn’t there?” Willa gave a little laugh.
    Hannah could see that Willa was embarrassed. Her cheeks were turning pink. But Pam didn’t seem to want to let it go.
    â€œRemember when we went to see Madame Zaar at the school carnival?” she asked Willa.
    â€œOf course.” Willa looked a bit relieved, and Hannah could tell she thought that Pam had changed the subject. “I thought Mrs. Purvis was perfect as a fortune teller.”
    â€œIt was a great outfit,” Hannah agreed. The principal’s wife, Kathy Purvis, had looked so different in her costume that hardly anyone had recognized her.
    â€œShe predicted that a tall, dark, handsome stranger would come into your life,” Pam reminded her with a grin. “I’ll have to tell her that she was right.”
    â€œShe wasn’t right. He hasn’t come into my life…at least not yet.”
    Hannah watched as the color rose in Willa’s cheeks again. She was trying to be flippant, but it was obvious she didn’t want to discuss the man in question. To save her the discomfort of further probing by her supervising teacher, Hannah decided to change the subject. “Whoever he is, he’s going to love the color of your dress,” she said. “I wish I could wear that color, but my dad won’t let me.”
    â€œYour dad?” Pam looked confused. “But…didn’t your father die a couple of years ago?”
    â€œHe did, but his red hair lives on through me. I can’t wear red, pink, maroon, coral, or peach unless I want to cause traffic accidents. I guess I’ll just have to eat my heart out. And speaking of eating…I’m ready for the next entry. How about you, Willa?”
    â€œI’ll be ready just as soon as I fill out this scorecard.” Willa filled it out quickly and handed it to Pam. “Okay, I’m ready. What’s the next pie?”
    â€œKey lime.”
    Willa gave a little sigh. “I love key lime pie, but I bet it’s not made from real key limes.”
    â€œThen you lose,” Pam said, flipping over the card. “It says so right here…key limes, freshly squeezed.”
    â€œBut are they really?” Willa wanted to know.
    â€œYes. Here’s a letter from the contestant. She says her daughter flew to Mexico on vacation and brought the key limes back with her.”
    â€œMexico?” Willa sounded surprised. “I thought key limes came from Florida.”
    Hannah shook her head. “Not so much anymore. There are still a few growers down there, but key limes aren’t an easy crop to produce. They’re susceptible to all sorts of things. They grow much better in Mexico. If you see key limes in a grocery store, that’s probably where they’re from.”
    â€œHere’s a photo,” Pam said, passing it over to them. “The little ones are key limes, and they’re right next to a lemon so you can see how small they are.”
    â€œThey