'It was hanging on the wall in the back room, right next to the door.'
'And you just spotted it hanging there?'
Andrea shook her head. 'I knew where it was supposed to be. It's a legal requirement for every retail establishment in the county.'
'And you knew that because you're a real estate agent?'
'That's right. Can I ask you a question, Hannah?'
'Sure.'
'I thought you were going to take Greg's head off when you hit him with that frying pan. How did you learn to swing like that?'
'In Little League, I guess.'
'But Dad took me to all your games, and you always struck out.'
'That's true, but Greg's head is a lot bigger than a baseball. And I guess I just wasn't motivated enough back then.'
Andrea nodded and then cocked her head to the side. 'I hear sirens out on the highway.'
'Me, too. It must be Mike and Bill.'
'What are we going to tell them, Hannah?'
'As little as possible.'
'You're right.' Andrea looked thoughtful. 'I'll take care of Bill. You take care of Mike.'
The noise of the siren was louder now. It sounded as though more than one patrol car had responded, and that was good. Mike and Bill wouldn't ask too many questions if other officers were present. Hannah heard them pull into the parking lot, and she turned to her sister. 'You go down and let them in. I'll stay here and watch Greg.'
'They can get in. They've got a passkey.'
'Is that something else you know because you're a real estate agent?'
'No, the dispatcher told me.'
The sirens made a dying bleep and then the back door banged. Hannah could hear heavy footsteps on the stairs, and much sooner than she thought possible, the glass door banged open and a total of six deputies rushed in, Bill and Mike in the lead.
'We're okay!' Hannah shouted out. 'We've got him tied up back here.'
'You take Mike, I'll take Bill,' Andrea reminded her, and then she rushed out to throw herself into her husband's arms.
After the four other deputies had carried Greg off, Hannah turned to Mike. He didn't look happy, and Hannah knew she had to say something. 'I'm sorry, Mike. I know I shouldn't have come out here without telling you, but one thing led to another and . . . are you mad at me?'
'Mad isn't the word.' Hannah sighed. A hunk of granite was more yielding than Mike was being right now. 'You've got to believe me, Mike. I didn't know that Greg was the killer. I'm as shocked as you are.'
'Well. . . at least no one got hurt. Why did you come out here, anyway?'
'Andrea and I were looking for clues. I know we shouldn't have done it without telling you, but I figured that I could save you some time by doing some of the legwork. I was only trying to help you.'
'Some help! You almost got yourself killed!'
'But I didn't know that was going to happen. Do you really think I would have brought Andrea out here with me if I'd thought it was dangerous?'
'No. I guess not.' Hannah stared up into his face. His frown lines had smoothed out, and she could tell that he was relenting somewhat. 'We were going to come straight to you and Bill with anything we found.'
'You're sure about that?'
'Oh, yes. Absolutely.'
'All right. I believe you,' Mike said and pulled her into his arms. 'You don't leave me a whole lot of choice, Hannah. I've got to figure out some way to keep you safe.'
Hannah looked up to study his expression. He didn't look angry, but there was no telling what was running through is mind. 'You're not going to lock me up, are you?'
'No, I've got something else in mind.'
'What is it?'
'We'll start by having dinner at the inn tomorrow night. Right after that, I'm going to show you what to do in a clinch.'
Hannah wasn't sure what to say. Was Mike talking about self-defense classes again? Or did he have something else in mind? She was still trying to think of a response when Mike bent down and kissed her, and then she stopped thinking altogether.
Several minutes later, or perhaps it was longer, Mike released her. 'I have to get back to work, Hannah.'
'But why? You've got Greg's confession. The case is closed.'
'There's still a ton of paperwork to do.' Mike turned her around and marched her toward the door, where Andrea and Bill were waiting for them. 'And I really ought to make you do it, since you seem to be angling for my job.'
-32- Hannah glanced at her reflection in the mirror that hung above the bar at the Lake Eden Inn. Mike had gone off to check on their reservations, and she was feeling very sophisticated tonight. She was wearing her new green silk dress, the one that Claire Rodgers had selected for this very special night. Hannah had dashed next door to Beau Monde Fashions on her prelunch break, and even though Claire had given her a discount, she'd still spent a small fortune on just the right outfit.
The dress really was beautiful, and Hannah knew it looked good on her. The deep green brought out the color of her eyes, and it made her hair look more auburn than red. Since she'd always believed that her hair could double as a beacon to warn sailors away from dangerous rocks, this was a minor miracle.
Even Moishe had seemed impressed with Hannah's new look. He'd curled up in the middle of her bed as she'd dressed, and when she was finished, he'd followed her down the hallway, purring and rubbing up against her expensive real-silk nylons.
How could nylons be silk? Hannah thought about that inconsistency for a moment before turning her mind to other, more pressing matters. Even though it had been late, she'd gone to see Mrs. Canfield the previous evening, to tell her that Greg was in jail for the murders of Connie Mac and Alan Carpenter. Fearing that she'd be forced to deal with hysteria, tears, or perhaps even worse, Hannah had been relieved to find that her elderly neighbor had taken it in stride. Mrs. Canfield would be all right. Minnesota women were tough.
Thinking about Greg had depressed Hannah, and after she had fed Moishe and crawled into bed, she'd turned her thoughts to the clinch that Mike had mentioned. By the time she'd dropped off to sleep, she'd managed to convince herself that Mike had simply chosen a unique way to tell her that he'd planned a romantic evening. Hannah wasn't averse to a bit more romance in her life. There was only one thing that bothered her about the evening that Mike had planned, and that was . . . .
Norman. And there he was, in the doorway with Carrie and Delores. Hannah sighed and a wave of guilt washed over her. Why hadn't Norman taken their mothers to the Corner Tavern?
'Hi, Hannah. You look really pretty.' Norman came over to take her hand. 'I didn't know you'd be here tonight. How about joining us?'
'Uh . . .well, actually . . .'
'Hi, Norman.' Mike chose that moment to return. 'What are you doing out here?'
'I got roped into taking the mothers out to dinner. They're celebrating tonight, but they won't tell me why.'
'Really?' Hannah's curiosity was aroused. 'I spoke to Mother this morning, and she didn't mention anything about a celebration. It's not Carrie's birthday, is it?'
'No, that's in June. How about your mother?'
'Not until September fifteenth. I wonder what . . .'
'Hi, Mike. Are we late?' Bill interrupted Hannah's speculations as he rushed up with Andrea.
'You're fine. Sally's setting up for us right now,' Mike answered, and then he turned to Hannah to explain. 'Bill told me that he was taking Andrea out for dinner tonight, and I thought we'd make it a foursome. That's all right with you, isn't it?'
