can't re- member something right away, he makes himself think of something else. Then it flutters straight into his mind.'
'Ready, Tracey?' Andrea came over to take her daughter's hand. 'Thank Francine for letting you play with Danny.'
After Tracey had thanked Francine, Andrea herded her toward the door. Hannah lagged behind to take one last peek at Danny. He'd fallen asleep with his fist in his mouth, and as she stood there, she found herself wishing that her life had taken a different turn. If she'd married, she'd probably have children by now.
'He's a very good baby,' Francine said softly, reaching out to straighten his blanket. 'Sally and Dick are so lucky.'
'Yes, they are. I'd better go. I'll see you later, Francine.'
Hannah walked out and shut the door softly behind her. Danny was sweet and he'd definitely awakened her maternal instincts.
'What took you so long?' Andrea called out from the end of the hallway.
'I was just looking at Danny.' Hannah hurried to catch up with her sister and her niece. They had a murder to solve, and she could think about her lack of progeny later.
-13- It was only five miles to the Quick Stop, and Hannah negotiated the icy roads with a practiced ease. Once she'd reached a straight stretch of highway, she glanced at her sister. 'Did you find out anything interesting?'
'A couple of things.' Andrea swiveled in her seat to look back at her daughter. 'We can talk about it. Tracey's got one of her books and she never listens to anyone when she's reading.'
'That'll come in handy when she's sharing a dorm room in college,' Hannah said, remembering the times she'd lost herself in her studies when her roommates were discussing the men they were dating.
'Francine feels awful about mentioning Ezekiel's ghost. She had no idea that reporter would take her seriously. His name is Larry Kruger, by the way. And I was right about Connie Mac's ancestors. Her great-great- uncle was F. E. Laughlin's secretary.'
'But was he playing in that poker game?' Hannah stepped on the gas to pass a lumbering bus.
'Francine says he could have been. F. E. always took his secretary along when he came to Lake Eden. He liked to work in the daytime and relax at night. And we know his secretary was there, because Francine found a letter he'd written on that date.'
'All right. You convinced me,' Hannah conceded, turning off the highway to take the access road. The Quick Stop was impossible to miss, even in a near-blizzard. The old wooden building was painted bright red with yellow trim around the windows, and it loomed like a beacon against the banks of snow.
Andrea waited until Hannah had parked at the side of the building. 'It's time to put your book away, Tracey. We're here.'
'But I'm just getting to the best part.' Tracey looked up from her book reluctantly. 'Can't I stay here and read?'
'It's too cold, honey. You'd turn into an icicle in two seconds flat.'
'But Aunt Hannah can leave the heater on. I won't touch anything, I promise.'
Andrea shook her head. 'That's not a good idea. Come on, Tracey. If you come inside with us, I'll buy you a snack.'
Hannah had all she could do not to laugh. Andrea, the mother who'd vowed to do everything perfectly, was bribing her daughter with fast food.
'Okay, Mommy.' Tracey shut her book and stashed it in her backpack. Then she looked up at her mother and grinned. 'Can I have a hot dog?'
'May I have a hot dog,' Hannah corrected her. 'You don't have to ask, Aunt Hannah. You're all grown up and you can eat anything you want to.'
Andrea cracked up and so did Hannah. When they'd recovered, Andrea turned to her sister with a teasing smile. 'See what you get for correcting people all the time? Now you'll have to eat one of Sean and Don's hot dogs.'
'That's not exactly a punishment,' Hannah informed her, 'especially if it's smothered with mustard and pickles.'
'That's exactly the way I like mine,' Tracey commented, zipping up her parka and waiting for her mother to get out and open her door.
After Tracey had climbed out of her truck, Hannah retrieved a bag of the twins' favorite cookies. She never sold day-old cookies in her shop, but the twins wouldn't mind. Her cookies were a whole lot fresher than the cookies they sold in little plastic packages.
The snow crunched underfoot as they walked the few feet to the front door. The building itself was almost fifty years old, and the twins had spent one whole summer renovating it. They'd added living quarters in the rear, put on a new roof, and painted it inside and out. Their color choices more than made up for the black-and-white Minnesota winter landscape outside the windows. The front counter was bright blue, the shelves were bright yellow, and the inner walls were a brilliant green.
The first aroma that hit Hannah's nose when they pushed open the door was of freshly brewed coffee. Quick Stop coffee was a source of controversy in Lake Eden. Some people said it was so thick, your spoon would stand straight up in the cup. Others argued that you'd lose your spoon if you stirred it for more than a second, because the acid would melt it away. Hannah wasn't sure which opinion was accurate, since she'd never had occasion to put it to the test. She drank her coffee black.
'Hi, Hannah. Tell me that bag is what I think it is.' Sean, or perhaps it was Don, looked up from the newspaper he was reading at the counter. The newspaper was covering the name embroidered on his purple Quick Stop shirt, and Hannah had never been able to tell the twins apart.
'It is.' Hannah set the bag on the counter. 'I brought you a dozen Twin Chocolate Delights.'
'Those are our favorites, and not just because of the name. I've been meaning to talk to you about your cookies. Do you think we could work out a deal to stock them out here?'
'Why not?' Hannah smiled at him. New business was always welcome.
'What'll it be? It's my treat.'
'Just coffee, please. It smells wonderful.'
'And for you?' He turned to Andrea.
'I'll have the same,' Andrea answered, 'With extra sugar and cream.'
'And how about you, little lady?'
'I'd like a hot dog, please,' Tracey spoke up, 'but only if Mommy says it's okay.'
'I guess we'd better ask her, then.' Sean, or Don, slid off his stool and rose to his feet. Hannah caught a glimpse of the name on his shirt. This twin was Don. 'Is it okay, Mommy?'
Andrea nodded. 'She likes it with pickles and mustard, but go a little light on the mustard. And give her a package of chips, too. The plain kind, not flavored.'
'Where's Sean today?' Hannah asked, following him to the glass-enclosed spit where the hotdogs seemed to turn eternally.
'I'm Sean.'
'But. . .' Hannah began to frown. 'Your shirt says you're Don.'
'That's because it's Don's shirt. Mine haven't come back from the laundry yet.' Sean glanced up at the clock that hung over the counter, then pressed a buzzer near the cash register. 'Don's favorite program just ended. He'll be out here in a second.'
When Don arrived, Andrea chatted with him while Sean prepared Tracey's hot dog. Once it had been decorated with mustard and chopped pickles, Sean wrapped it in a sheet of Quick Stop waxed paper and placed it in a cardboard carry-out box with a package of chips.
'Here you go.' Sean handed the takeout box to Tracey and gestured toward an area near the front windows. 'We have tables over there.'
The tables had been painted an array of bright colors, and Andrea pointed to the bright orange one, the one farthest from the counter. 'Why don't you eat your lunch at the orange table, honey? Your aunt Hannah and I need to talk to Sean and Don.'
'Okay, Mommy,' Tracey said with a resigned sigh. 'I just knew you were going to talk about grownup stuff
