'How did you do that? You look gorgeous.'
'No, I don't. You're just trying to make me feel better.'
'I'm serious, Andrea. You look great.'
'Well. . . I always make an effort. Aren't you going to comb your hair before we go?'
Hannah reached up to pat her hair. It felt all right to her. 'Why should I?'
'Somebody might see you.'
'Who? The mall's closed and all we're doing is breaking into Alan's office.'
'But we could run into someone.'
'I hope not,' Hannah said. 'And if we do, I don't think anybody at the sheriff's department is going to care if my hair isn't perfect for my mug shot.'
-30-
As Hannah took the turnoff for the Tri-County Mall, she glanced over at her sister and noticed that she was shivering. 'Maybe you should stay in the truck. I can do this alone.'
'It'll take twice as long to go through the files if I don't help you.'
'That's okay. I don't mind. Look, Andrea . . . what we're doing isn't exactly legal. I don't blame you for being scared.'
Andrea shook her head. 'I'm not scared.'
'Then why are you shaking?'
'Because I'm cold. We should have taken my Volvo. It's got a better heater.'
Hannah wasn't convinced by her sister's explanation. 'Are you sure you're not shivering because you're scared?'
'I'm positive. I'm a little nervous, but I'm not scared. I'm going in, Hannah. At least it'll be warm in the mall.'
'Okay,' Hannah said, pulling around to the back of the mall and parking by the entrance the employees used. 'Grab the flashlights and let's go.'
A light snow began to fall as they got out of Hannah's truck and walked toward the door. Hannah glanced up at the huge flakes that were floating past the old-fashioned street-Iights that were placed at intervals around the building. 'It's snowing again.'
'I know. Isn't it gorgeous? Nights like this remind me of Christmas Eve. Remember how Dad used to drive us down to see the official Christmas tree in Lake Eden Park, and we'd always just miss Santa Claus? You used to roll down the car window and say, 'There he is! Up there in the sky! I think he just came from our house.' And by the time I looked, he was gone.'
'That was Dad's idea. Did you believe me?'
'I did for the first couple of years. After that, I pretended to believe because of Michelle. You were pretty convincing, Hannah. You even described the reindeer.'
They arrived at the door and Hannah opened it with the key Janie had marked. She'd never used this entrance before, and she was a bit surprised at how dreary it was.
'It's not very pretty, is it?' Andrea echoed Hannah's sentiments as she surveyed the green-and-beige walls.
'I guess they figure they don't need to decorate just for the employees.' Hannah reached out to take her sister's arm. 'Come with me. Janie told me how to get up to the second floor.'
'But we just take the escalator, don't we?'
'No, they shut them down at night. We have to use the stairs. If we run into anybody, let me do the talking.'
'What are you going to say?'
'That Janie sent us out here to pick up some papers from the boutique.'
'What if they don't believe you?'
'I'll just show them the keys. That should convince them we're supposed to be here.'
'But what if they think you stole the keys?'
Hannah grinned as she started up the stairs. Andrea complained about Tracey asking question after question, and now she was doing the very same thing. 'Relax. Janie promised to stay by the phone. I'll just give them her number and she'll confirm it.'
The doorway to the second floor was locked, and Hannah used the key to open it. When they stepped out into the deserted mall, Andrea shivered slightly. 'It looks different at night,' she whispered.
'I know,' Hannah whispered back. 'I'm glad they've got night-lights. At least we can see where we're going.'
Hannah walked forward with Andrea at her heels. Even though she tried to walk quietly, her footsteps echoed in the huge, empty space. Without the sound of music on the speaker system and the crowds of shoppers talking and laughing, every sound was magnified. The heater vents whooshed like surfacing whales, there was a loud ticking sound that appeared to come from the clock that hung on the wall over the cash register in the Fanny Farmer Candy shop, and the hum from a flickering fluorescent tube in the display window of Sammy's Sportswear was deafening. The shadows loomed large, and Hannah couldn't dismiss the possibility that someone could be lurking behind one of the mirrored posts that held up the roof, or pressed flat against the little alcoves that surrounded the entrances to the stores. The setting reminded Hannah of every bad horror movie she'd seen, and it was unnerving.
Andrea glanced behind her more times than Hannah could count as they hurried toward Connie Mac's Kitchen Boutique. Hannah had a compelling urge to do the same, but she didn't. Two pairs of eyes facing in opposite directions were much safer. She wished they had four pairs of eyes so they could cover the area completely. There's nobody out here except us, she told herself. And she repeated it over and over like a mantra until they arrived at the entrance to the boutique.
Hannah's fingers were shaking slightly as she unlocked the glass door to Connie Mac's store, but once they'd stepped inside and relocked the door behind them, she felt much safer. Although the banks of tiny bulbs the store used for nighttime security didn't give much illumination, her eyes were adjusting to the low level of light. At least they wouldn't bump into a display stand and break something expensive.
'Can we turn on the lights?' Andrea asked, sounding hopeful.
'No. One of the security guards might see them.'
'But there aren't any security guards at night.'
Hannah turned to her sister in surprise. 'How do you know that?'
'Bill told me. One of the guys at the department was looking for a second job right after Christmas. He came out here to apply for night security and the mall manager told him they didn't have night guards anymore.'
'Well. . . that's good to know,' Hannah said, not sure whether that revelation made her feel better or worse. A night guard could catch them going through Alan's files, but thinking that there was a guard in the building had made her feel a bit safer.
'So can we?'
It took a second for Hannah to remember her sister's initial question. 'No, we can't turn on the lights. Somebody else could be here working late.'
'But there were no other cars in the parking lot.'
'That's true, but I don't want to take any chances. One of the other store owners could be pulling up outside right now.
If he walks past here on the way to his store, he'll wonder why the lights are on. And if he calls the sheriff's department to report it, you could get busted by your own husband.'
'Good point,' Andrea said, giving up the argument.
The two sisters walked past counters and displays, heading for the back room. They were halfway there when Andrea pointed to a display of cast-iron pans. 'Look, Han:' nah. Grandma Ingrid had pans like those.'
'They're spiders,' Hannah told her.
'Where?' Andrea jumped back. 'I hate spiders!'
'I'm talking about the pans. They used to call them spiders.'
Andrea gave a sigh of relief and stepped back up to the display table. 'These prices are insane. Look at this
