Apple Turnover Murder (Hannah Swensen, #13)(62)

Hannah looked down at the earring that rested on her sister’s palm. “Where was it?” she asked.

“On the floor behind the headboard. I got down on the rug to look under the bed and I spotted it. Have you ever seen anything like it before?”

Hannah drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Yes,” she said. “I have.”

“Who do you think … what’s that?!” Andrea grabbed Hannah’s arm and pointed toward the living room.

There was a swishing sound as the outside door opened, and a click as it shut again. Someone had come into Bradford’s apartment!

“Quick! Under the bed!” Andrea whispered, but Hannah grabbed her arm and pulled her the other way.

“The closet,” she whispered, opening the door and shoving Andrea inside. A second later, she joined her sister in the walk-in closet and not a moment too soon, for they heard footfalls on the carpet coming toward the bedroom.

“The earring,” Andrea breathed, passing it to Hannah in a rush, almost like they’d done in the games of Hot Potato they used to play with their grandparents. The only difference was that this time there wasn’t any music … only the sound of someone walking into the bedroom and stopping by the bed.

The door to the closet was louvered and Hannah moved to a better position. She could barely make out a woman bent over at the waist, peering under the bed. She might not have known who it was if she hadn’t seen that outfit earlier.

“Can you see who it is?” Andrea whispered, close to Hannah’s ear.

“Stephanie Bascomb. Take a deep breath and stay right here. I’m going out to confront the first lady of Lake Eden.”

There was an audible gasp from Andrea, but Hannah didn’t worry about that. As Stephanie straightened up and whirled to face the closet, Hannah pushed the door open and stepped out, shutting it behind her so that Andrea would remain hidden.

“Hannah!” Stephanie exclaimed, her hand fluttering toward her throat. “What are you doing here?”

Hannah didn’t bother to answer. She just crossed the floor to Stephanie and held out her hand. Then she opened it so Stephanie could see the earring. “Looking for this?” she asked.

“Yes! But it’s not what you think. I lost it on Monday afternoon when Bradford and I met to discuss the talent show.”

Hannah raised her eyebrows. “Really?”

“We had to work out the order of the contestants, and how long he should speak, and things like that.”

Hannah had the urge to ask Stephanie how her earring had gotten into the bedroom if all they’d done was discuss the talent show, but she didn’t. It really wasn’t any business of hers.

“So …” Stephanie stopped and swallowed with difficulty. “Could I please have my earring now?”

“Of course.” Hannah waited until she visibly relaxed before she threw in the condition she’d decided should be invoked. “But first you have to tell me where you were between the time the curtain went down after the first act on Wednesday night and the time the police went backstage.”

Stephanie’s mouth dropped open. “Surely you don’t think that I would ever …”

“No, I don’t think you did,” Hannah interrupted her. “But I still need to know exactly where you were during intermission.”

Stephanie thought for a second. “I left my seat with Richard and we walked back to the lobby. We stood in line for coffee and turnovers, and then we joined Stan and Lolly Kramer, and Al and Sally Percy. They’re some of our biggest supporters, you know.”

“Were you with them until the gong sounded to signal the end of intermission?”

“Heavens, no! Richard and I made the rounds. We talked to your mother and Bud Hauge.” Stephanie paused and frowned slightly. “She’s not really interested in him … is she?”

“Bud’s an old friend, I think.”

“That’s what I thought, since I saw her with Doc Knight at the Blackjack table tonight. He’s a much better catch.”

“I don’t think Mother is looking to catch anything other than a good night’s sleep. Let’s get back to Wednesday night. Did you talk to anyone after you left Mother and Bud?”

“Hal and Rose MacDermott. And after we left them, we talked to Howie and Kitty Levine. Then we went on to George and Pam Baxter, Eleanor and Otis Cox, and Lorna Kusak.”

“Who else?”

“That was it. The gong rang and we went back in to sit down.”

“And you sat there with Mayor Bascomb until the authorities came?”

“That’s right. I never left my seat.” Stephanie gave an exasperated sigh. “Could I please have my earring back now?”

“Certainly.” Hannah held out her hand and Stephanie snatched up the earring. “By the way … how did you get into Bradford’s apartment tonight?”

“I still had his key.”

“You still had his key?”

The color fled from Stephanie’s face. She knew she’d incriminated herself, and Hannah could almost see the wheels turning in her mind, looking for the perfect excuse. “That’s right. He gave me his extra key,” she said. “I told him I thought I’d lost my earring in his apartment, and he told me to drive out and get it after the talent show was over. He said he was going out with friends and he wouldn’t be back until late.”