see that Andrea had taken the opposite chair. 'Sorry, Andrea. I didn't even see you come in. Are you through already?'
'Yes, and I've got something for you.'
Hannah perked up immediately. 'What is it?'
'I couldn't talk to the Connie Mac people. They're all out at the boutique, getting ready for the opening. But I talked to the writer who's doing Connie Mac's biography, and he told me that he saw Alan last night.'
'Great,' Hannah said, and she began to smile. 'Good job, Andrea. What time?'
'Twelve-thirty. He didn't talk to Alan. He just saw him out the window, walking down to the lakeshore.'
'He's sure it was Alan?'
'Oh, yes. He recognized him by his hat. Alan always wore one of those Russian fur hats when he went out for a walk.'
'They're called ushankas, but other people wear them, too.'
'I know, but. . .' Andrea stopped and stared at Hannah's : plate of french fries. 'Are you going to eat those?'
Hannah shook her head and pushed the plate to Andrea. 'But what?'
'But Alan always wore it. . . . is there any ketchup?'
'Yes, here.' Hannah picked up the squeeze bottle of ketchup and passed it over. 'Alan always what?'
'He wore his Russian hat with the earflaps down. The writer said it looks really silly that way and most people just let their ears get cold, but Alan always pulled the flaps down and they looked like dog ears.'
'Okay,' Hannah said, picking up her pen to write down what Andrea had told her. She was about to flip to a new page when a name caught her eye. Jane. Alex's grandmother had been named Jane. 'Hold on a second. I've got to check something.'
With rising excitement Hannah found the section of notes she'd taken on the story that Jack Herman had told her. Janie's birth mother had named her in honor of her grandmother, who had died recently. Alex said her grandmother had died over twenty-five years ago. And Janie was twenty-five.
'What did you find?' Andrea asked, catching her sister's excitement.
'I'm not sure.' Hannah pushed back her chair and stood up. 'I'll be right back. I've got to talk to somebody and it can't wait.'
'Do you need me?'
'Not this time. It'll only take a second or two and they might clear the table if both of us leave. Stay here and eat the french fries.' Hannah picked up the side of blue cheese dressing and handed it to her sister. 'Try dipping them in that. It's a lot better than ketchup.'
'I. . . I don't know what you mean.'
'I asked you a simple question,' Hannah stated, giving Alex her fiercest stare. They were standing outside the service entrance to the kitchen, sheltered from the wind by two large metal Dumpsters. 'Is Janie Burkholtz your daughter?'
Alex swallowed hard. And then tears came to her eyes. Hannah could see them well up, and she felt like a rat for harassing her. 'Look, Alex. I really need to know. And I promise you, I won't tell anyone.'
'But I . . . ' Alex sighed and a single tear spilled over and rolled down her cheek. 'I was so careful all these years. I never wanted Janie to know. Who told you?'
'That's not important.'
'Yes, it is. I've never told anybody except Isobel and Garland. And I finally told Janie's biological father, but I know he wouldn't tell anyone.'
Hannah reached out to take her arm. 'It's okay, Alex. Nobody told me. I just guessed.'
'But how?'
'I just wondered how you and Janie could be so close when you'd just met for the first time. That's all. Are you going to tell Janie that you're her mother?'
'No! I can't tell her, Hannah. It wouldn't be fair to Isobel and Garland. They're her real parents. They loved her, and they raised her, and they gave her a wonderful home. It might change the way she thinks of them, and that wouldn't be right. You won't tell her, will you?'
'I promise I won't,' Hannah assured her. 'Is that why you took the job as Sally's assistant, so that you could see her?'
'Yes. Isobel called to tell me that Janie would be here.
We've kept in touch over the years. She said she had a bad feeling about going away on the cruise. She was afraid that something might happen to Janie while they were away, and she wanted someone here to look after her. She also thought that I should meet Janie. I never have, you know. They've sent me pictures and videotapes, but that's not the same thing.'
'No, it's not.'
'And then, when I finally met Janie, it was. . . just wonderful. She's so bright and pretty and lovely. And she seemed to like me, too. It's been the best week of my life.'
Hannah smiled. 'We love Janie, too. How about her father? Was he angry that you hadn't told him before?'
'No. Of course he was shocked, but he's a very nice man and he said he understood why I did things the way I did. And since he's never had any other children, he promised that he'd look out for Janie anonymously and provide for her in his will. He also promised that he'd never tell her unless Isobel, Garland, and I all agreed that it was the right thing to do.'
'Thank you for telling me,' Hannah said, reaching in her pocket to pullout a tissue. She handed it to Alex and waited until the older woman had composed herself. 'You don't have to worry, Alex. Your secret is safe with me. Now let's go back in. It's freezing out here.'
When they reentered the kitchen, Alex went off to take inventory of the supplies that had been delivered that morning, and Hannah headed toward the swinging door to the f restaurant. As she passed by the bank of deep fryers, where Sally was standing, a thought popped into her mind that chilled her more than the icy wind that had blown across the tops of the Dumpsters. Was it possible that Alex had caught a glimpse of Janie when she'd come back to the inn on Saturday night? If she'd noticed Janie's tears and the bruise on her arm, and if she'd suspected that Connie Mac had caused them, then Alex had possessed the perfect motive for driving to The Cookie Jar and killing Connie Mac.
'Hannah?' Sally pulled up one of the metal baskets filled with golden french fries and hooked it in place to drain. 'You look grim. What's the matter?'
Hannah glanced around her, but none of the kitchen workers were close enough to hear. 'Where was Alex on Friday night?'
'In the bar with me. She served the hot appetizers and filled in for my waitresses when they took their breaks.'
'She was there all night?'
'We closed at one and Alex didn't leave until one-thirty. I tried to get her to take a break around ten, but she said she was okay and she made me take one, instead.' Sally paused and her eyes narrowed. 'Don't tell me you suspect Alex!'
'Not really, but I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't check everybody out.'
'I guess that's true,' Sally said but she still looked puzzled. 'I don't understand how Alex ended up on your suspect list. What possible reason could she have for killing Connie Mac?'
Hannah thought fast. She couldn't tell Sally the real reason, and she had to think of another. 'She's mentioned several times that she didn't like Connie Mac.'
'Who did? And before you ask, I have an alibi, too.' Sally tipped the fryer basket and flipped the hot french fries out onto a plate. 'You're going back to the restaurant, aren't you?'
'Yes. Andrea's waiting for me.'
'Then take her these.' Sally put the plate on a tray, added a dish of blue cheese dressing, and handed it to Hannah. 'I made a double order so you could share.'
Hannah stopped at the counter, sprinkled on salt, and balanced the tray in one hand as she went through the swinging door. The trip to their table only took a few seconds, but Hannah managed to snitch two fries on the way. When she set the tray down in front of her sister, Andrea was frowning.
