Fudge Cupcake Murder

    'Just be glad you're not in France.' Mike reached out to pour a cup of coffee for Hannah from the carafe. 'Their system is guilty until proven innocent, not the other way around like us.'

    Hannah clamped her lips shut. It seemed to her that the Winnetka County Sheriff's Department had adopted the French system. Bill had been suspended until he could prove his innocence.

    Twenty minutes later, their food had been served and they'd done a good job of cleaning their plates. Bill went up to the counter to order Andrea's takeout breakfast while Mike stayed behind in the booth with Hannah.

    Mike gave her a big smile and reached out to touch her hand. 'I've really missed you the past couple of days, Hannah.'

    It's been seven days, and that's more than a couple, Hannah thought, keeping her expression as neutral as possible. She could have argued with the verb in Mike's sentiment as well. How could sharing a booth at Bertanelli's with Shawna Lee Quinn possibly be construed as missing her?

    'I sure could have used your help last night,' Mike went on.

    'Oh, really?' Hannah's eyebrows shot up. From where she'd been sitting it hadn't looked as if Mike had needed help from anyone! 'With what?'

    'Remember the secretary I introduced you to the last time you came out to the station?'

    Hannah looked thoughtful, pretending to make an effort to remember. 'You mean the new one? Sharon Lee, or something like that?'

    'Shawna Lee. She was with the Minneapolis Police Department. I used to work with her.'

    Hannah did her best to look innocently interested. 'I think you might have mentioned that.'

    'She's only been here for a month and she doesn't know anyone in town. She could really use a friend.'

    How about an enemy? I could manage that, Hannah thought, but she didn't say it. Jealousy was an ugly emotion and it was better to keep it close to the vest. 'I'm sure she'll find one. People are friendly around here.'

    'That's true. I didn't really expect you to take her on as your pet project, but I thought maybe you could introduce her to somebody that…'

    'Ronni,' Hannah interrupted him.

    'What?'

    'Ronni Ward,' Hannah named Lake Eden's three-time bikini contest winner and the biggest flirt in Winnetka County. 'Does she still teach that step aerobics class out at the station?'

    'Yes, she does. It's really popular with the deputies.'

    'I'm sure it is. Maybe Shawna Lee should enroll. I think she'd have a lot in common with Ronni and they're about the same age.'

    'Thanks, Hannah.' Mike gave her a smile that sent Hannah's blood pressure soaring. 'I knew you'd come up with something. You're the nicest person I know and you're a real problem solver.'

    Hannah was just wondering if putting two flirts together would neutralize them, like subtracting a number from itself, when she looked up to see Bill approaching the booth. It was amazing what a difference an alibi made. Now that he was back on the job, Bill was standing up straighter, walking with more confidence, and smiling a whole lot more.

    'They said Andrea's takeout will be ready in ten minutes and the waitress will bring it over to you. Mike and I should leave. We've got a lot to do today.'

    'I'm really glad I'm not in the doghouse with you anymore, Hannah.' Mike scooted over to Hannah's side of the booth and kissed her on the cheek. Hannah had the urge to turn her head so that his lips connected with hers, but since Bill was watching, she didn't. 'I bet you're really relieved,' Mike said with a grin.

    Hannah wasn't at all sure what he meant. 'Why would I be relieved?'

    'Because now that Bill's back on the case with me, you can drop your murder investigation.'

    'That's right,' Bill said, smiling at Hannah. 'We're really grateful for everything you've done so far, but it's time for you to step aside and let the professionals take over.'

    Hannah's mouth fell open and she clacked it shut again, hoping that no one had noticed. 'You… um… want me to step aside?'

    'Yes.' Bill zipped up his jacket. 'Don't worry, Hannah. Now that we're both on the case, we'll have two trained observers to assess the situation.'

    And this from the trained observer who was ready to paint Andrea's light blue living room with bright yellow enamel! Hannah thought.

    Mike began to frown and Hannah knew that he, at least, had noticed her lack of enthusiasm. 'I really hope you're not going to interfere in our investigation. You are planning to drop it, aren't you?'

    Hannah just stared at Mike for a moment. Who did he think he was kidding? Dropping her investigation now would be like jerking a cake from the oven before it had time to rise…But both Mike and Bill seemed very serious and Hannah, knew it wouldn't be prudent to tell them that it was simply not in her nature to leave a job half-finished.

    'Of course I'll drop it,' Hannah said.

    'I really thought they were smarter than that,' Andrea said digging into her stack or pancakes. 'They actually expect us to drop it?'

    'That's what they said. And I told them I would.'

    'You did?' Andrea's fork dropped from her fingers with a clatter. 'But you were lying, weren't you?'

    'I wasn't exactly lying. I prefer to think of it as a half-truth. I promised them I'd drop the investigation, but I didn't say when I'd drop it.'

    'That's different.' Andrea gave a relieved smile. 'So what do we do next?'

    'Since you can't be on your feet, you can run our office from here.'

    'We have an office?' Andrea looked amused.

    'We do now.'

    'Okay, I'll run the office. Do you want me to call the rest of the names on that list Nettie gave us and see if they have alibis?'

    'That would be great. You're really good on the phone.'

    'Of course I am. I'm a real estate agent. What are you going to do?'

    'I'll run out to the sheriff's station and pump Barbara Donnelly for information about those old cases Sheriff Grant may have stolen. And while I'm there, I'll ask her about his work schedule. If we can figure out what he was doing and who he saw the day he was killed, that might help.'

    'A timeline,' Andrea said, nodding wisely. 'That's what they do in all the detective movies, but it hasn't really helped us yet.'

    'I know.' Hannah sighed deeply. Establishing a timeline for the day of Sheriff Grant's death would probably work about as well as standing at graveside, attempting to spot anyone suspicious.

    'Well, there's always a first time.' Andrea, ever the optimist, grabbed the maple bar Hannah had brought her for dessert and took a big bite.

    'Okay, I'm out of here,' Hannah said, plumping Andrea's pillows, moving the phone closer so that it was at hand, and fetching a second pen just in case the first ran out of ink. Then she waved goodbye and went back out to her cookie truck. She'd stop in to say hello to Lisa, ask her to tell Herb to call off the search for roofing trucks, stop at the vet's office to ask for more advice about Moishe and their on-going battle with the senior food, and deliver cookie orders on her way to the sheriff's station. And if she just happened to run into Shawna Lee Quinn while she was walking down the ugly green corridors of the sheriff's station, she planned to nicely, very nicely, put a little crimp in her plans to snare Mike.

    'Hannah? Is that you?' Shawna Lee's mouth curved up in a smile as Hannah walked into the sheriff's outer office. 'Mike told me all about you and how nice you were. I know I only met you once before, but I feel as if we're friends already!'

    Hannah forced a pleasant expression. There was a limit to how much bubbling enthusiasm she could take