look at me in the same way again. Mostly, I’m concerned about my mother. She’d be devastated.”
Hannah’s mind whirled. Norman had admitted that Lucy was blackmailing him. Could she have attempted the same thing with Boyd? And how about Claire? Lucy had waltzed into The Cookie Jar wearing a new coat from Beau Monde, and she owned the expensive scarf that Luanne had wanted to buy for her mother. The story Lucy had told about her book advance had been pure hogwash. Hannah had thought so at the time. And now she suspected that every penny of Lucy’s newfound wealth had come from the people she’d threatened to expose.
“Hannah?”
“Yes?” Hannah put her thoughts on hold and turned to Norman.
“I asked you a question. Do you have to know what Lucy found out about me?”
Hannah made an instant decision. “No.”
“Are you afraid you won’t like me anymore if you find out what it is?”
“You should know better than that, Norman!” Hannah gave him a stern look. “Your secret is your secret. But if you ever choose to tell me about it, I absolutely guarantee that it won’t change my feelings for you.”
“Thanks, Hannah. Maybe I’ll tell you later, but not right now.”
“That’s good enough for me.” Hannah did her best to squelch her curiosity over what Norman had done. “Think carefully, Norman. Do you think that Lucy could be pulling this same thing with any other people in town?”
Norman shrugged. “That’s certainly possible. As a reporter, she has access to all sorts of information. That’s how she found out about me. Actually, I wouldn’t put it past her. When she came into my office and demanded that I fix her teeth, I got the impression that she’d done this type of thing before.”
“What made you think that?”
“She knew exactly what she was doing. She handed me her story, told me to read it, and said she had a deal for me. And she warned me that if I even thought about turning her in, I’d see it printed on the front page of the Lake Eden Journal the next day.”
Hannah was surprised at Norman’s naivete. “And you believed her?”
“Of course not. I was sure that Rod would never print it, but she could still tell people, and you know how gossip spreads in a town the size of Lake Eden. Besides…”
“Spill it, Norman,” Hannah ordered. “I want to know.”
“At that point, I was really angry. And I was looking forward to working on her teeth. I figured I could jab her with the dullest needle I’ve got.”
Hannah laughed. She couldn’t help it. And she was glad to see that Norman joined in. “Did you?”
“No. Once I started working, my professional side took over. I’m a good dentist, Hannah.”
“I’m sure you are.”
Norman took a sip of his red cream soda and sighed. “What do you think I should do about it, Hannah? Report it to Sheriff Grant?”
“Not yet. So far, you’re the only victim we know about. I think we should try to find some of the others first.”
“You’re sure there are others?”
“I’m almost positive. Don’t forget that Lucy called Boyd. She was probably pulling the same thing with him. And there have to be others. She’s been spending money like it’s going out of style.”
“But how are you going to find her other victims? They’re not going to come up and tell you about it. You’re going to need proof.”
“Proof.” Hannah repeated the word and started to smile. “That’s it, Norman. Did Lucy have proof that the story she wrote about you was true?”
“Yes. She had a letter from…”
“Never mind,” Hannah interrupted him. “I don’t need to know where it was from. But she did have proof?”
“Yes. The letter she showed me was a copy, but she said she had the original.”
“Then all I have to do is find out where she keeps it. There’s bound to be things from her other victims there. I can find out who they are and…” Hannah stopped speaking in mid-sentence, and a smile spread over her face. “Forget I said that. I must be tired. I don’t have to track down Lucy’s other victims. All I have to do is steal her proof.”
“But how are you going to do that? You don’t even know where she keeps it.”
“It wouldn’t be in the newspaper office. Rod might find it.” Hannah began to eliminate the possibilities. “And she wouldn’t keep it in a safe-deposit box because the bank’s closed at night and she might need it. She wouldn’t trust anyone else to keep it for her, it’s just too important. And that means it’s got to be in her apartment.”
“That makes sense, but there’s no way Lucy is going to give you permission to search her apartment.”
“I wasn’t planning to ask for her permission. When is her next appointment?”
“Tomorrow morning at seven. She’s coming in early, and I’m doing impressions. But you can’t break into her apartment, Hannah. That’s illegal.”
“So is extortion. How long can you keep her in the chair?”
“I don’t know.” Norman frowned, and Hannah could tell his morals were kicking up a fuss.
“You’ve got to cooperate with me, Norman. I’m going to need at least an hour.”
Norman gave a sigh and caved in. “I can manage that. I’ll mix in extra water with the impression powder and it’ll take longer to set. But I can’t keep her longer than an hour.”
“That’s okay. It’s a small apartment, and I should be through by then. Call Lucy’s number when she leaves your office so I’ll know it’s time to head out.”
“Okay, but I don’t like this, Hannah. What if you get caught?”
“I won’t,” Hannah reassured him, wishing that she had someone to reassure her.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F., rack in the middle position
1 cup melted butter (
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 large eggs, beaten (
2 1/2 cups flour (
1 cup raisins (
2 cups GROUND dry oatmeal (
Melt the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Add the sugar and mix. Then mix in the vanilla, salt, and the baking soda.
When the mixture has cooled to room temperature, stir in the eggs. Add the flour and stir it all up. Then mix in the raisins.
Prepare your oatmeal (
Roll walnut-sized dough balls with your hands and place them on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet. (
Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
