Free Ice Cream Murder by Leighann Dobbs

coming in and out … in and out. The sound of the surf, the gulls, the warming sun. The waves in and out … in and out.”
    Lexy could feel herself relaxing, deeper and deeper. She settled back into the chair, not a care in the world.
    “Picture yourself at Regis’ birthday dinner,” Helen droned. “You’ve just served the ice cream. What do you see?”
    Lexy pictured the dining room at the lodge clearly in her mind’s eye. “The room is all set up. Lots of people milling around.”
    “Can you see the head table?”
    “Yes. The Banks family is seated with their ice cream.”
    “Focus on Regis … what do you see?”
    “He’s sitting, talking to Winston, then leans over toward Olivia. Winston rips open one of those wet-naps and is rubbing his hands with it. Now Cora is behind them, bends down to whisper in Regis’ ear. Oh, crap.”
    “What?”  
    “A man is approaching the table. Big, broad shoulders. Dark, longish hair, kind of curly. I don’t know who he is, but he’s blocked my view!”  
    Helen tightened her hold on Lexy’s wrist. “Focus on the ice cream dish in front of Regis.”
    “That’s the problem, I can’t see it - my view is totally blocked! Wait. Now the man is moving away, going back to his table. Regis is standing up to make his speech. The ice cream could have already been switched and I didn’t see it.”
    Helen sighed. “Okay, when I count to three you’ll wake up refreshed and happy. One. Two. Three.”
    Lexy’s eyes snapped open. She felt like she’d just slept the best sleep of her life. She remembered only bits and pieces about what happened while she’d been under hypnosis though. “Did you get anything?”
    “Unfortunately, no. Someone blocked your view.”
    “Ughh … Sorry. I’d hoped we’d be able to prove it was Winston. At least to ourselves, anyway. I don’t think hypnosis is admissible in court, but at least we’d know and I’m sure Jack would believe us and open the case.”
    “Don’t feel bad. All is not lost.” Nans put the brownie she’d plucked from the top tier of the pastry dish on her plate. “Maybe Anna was watching from a different spot in the room and saw the switch.”
    Lexy got up and Anna sat in the chair next to Helen, who took her wrist and put her under hypnosis, the same as she’d done to Lexy.
    “What do you see at the head table?” Helen asked.
    “Cora. She’s giving me a dirty look. She’s unhappy we’re late serving the ice cream.”
    “What about Regis. Can you see him?”
    “Yes. He’s talking to Winston … now he’s turned to listen to something Olivia is saying.”
    “Is he eating the ice cream?”
    Anna paused. “No. It doesn’t look like he’s eaten any yet.”
    “Okay. What’s happening now?”
    “Someone at a table is signaling me. They want more coffee. I get a pot from the back and top off their cup.”
    “What about the head table?”  
    “Regis is making his speech.”
    Helen exchanged a look with Nans, who nodded. Lexy’s stomach sank as Helen brought Anna out of the hypnotized state. Anna had been busy pouring coffee when the ice cream switch happened, so she didn’t see the switch either.
    “Well, that was disappointing.” Ida mumbled, swooping the filling out of the side of a Whoopee pie with her finger and licking it off.
    “I know,” Nans sighed. “We’ll just have to hope an incriminating shot shows up at the photographer’s. A picture will be better anyway, as it will provide indisputable proof.”
    Ida turned to Anna. “Do you know who the photographer was?”
    “Yes, Lexy asked me to bring his card.” She fished a business card out of her back pocket and handed it to Ida who glanced at it and then passed it on to Nans.
    Nans squinted at the card. “I’ll get in touch with him first thing in the morning.”
    “Say, what was the big announcement Regis was going to make?” Helen asked.
    Lexy and Anna looked at each other and shrugged. “No idea.”
    Ida wrinkled her brow.