Chocolate Cream Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen #24)(21)

Hannah had felt a bit guilty staying at home when The Cookie Jar was open for business, but Lisa had convinced her. And there were several recipes she wanted to test. But this morning, Hannah’s mini-vacation had ended as early as sunrise when she’d glanced out the window to see a beautiful, calm morning outside.

Once she’d unlocked the back door to the kitchen, Hannah stepped inside, slid out of her boots, changed to shoes, and hung up her parka. Then she headed straight for the kitchen coffeepot to make herself a fresh, hot supply of her favorite morning wake-up drink.

A few minutes later, coffee mug in hand, she’d opened the swinging door to the coffee shop. Everything was in place, ready to go, and she was the only occupant in the building. Instead of feeling lonely, Hannah was grateful for this time alone in one of her favorite places. She carried her coffee to her favorite table in the back of the coffee shop and sat there, sipping and waiting for the sun to come up.

It was so quiet in The Cookie Jar, Hannah could hear the clock on the wall behind the counter clicking off the minutes. This was her favorite time of day, the half-light that began to brighten the sky right before the sun peeked over the horizon. Shapes began to appear in the distance, and the shops across the street gained recognizable form. There was nothing else moving. No cars. No lights. It was as if she were the only person awake at this hour in Lake Eden. There was a sense of peace, of feeling comfortable in her own skin, the beginnings of happiness after Hannah’s long weeks of feeling abandoned and bereft. She relished in the moment until she heard a knock at the back kitchen door.

Could it be Norman? Or Mike? Or Michelle? Or Delores? Hannah went through the possibilities with lightning speed as she rose to her feet and hurried to the door. The knock came again, just as she reached it, and that was when she realized that the knock was not distinctive and she could not identify it. It was probably an early delivery of baking supplies that Lisa had ordered.

“Coming!” she called out, releasing the deadbolt and turning the doorknob. She pulled the door open and gasped in shock as she recognized the man standing there. Despite the warning Mike had given him, it was Ross! He was back!

“Hannah!” he said, reaching out to her.

Hannah stepped back out of sheer reflex. “Ross. What are you doing here?”

“I love you, Hannah. My wife is going to get a divorce and I want to marry you again the minute it’s final.”

Hannah shivered at the thought. “No!” she said. “Never!”

“But, Hannah . . . I love you. All I need is the money I left in the safe deposit box. I’ll give it to my wife and she’ll file the papers.”

Hannah felt cold all over and it had nothing to do with the freezing temperature outside. “No!” she said again, even louder this time. “You’re a liar and a cheat! I wouldn’t marry you again even if you were the last man on earth!”

“But I’ll make it up to you, I promise. And this wasn’t my fault, Hannah. When I left my wife a year ago, she said she was going to divorce me. She was the one who didn’t keep her word, not me!”

Hannah just stared at the man she thought she’d loved. Her heart was leaden in her chest and she knew she could never trust him again. “No!” she said again. “Go away and don’t come back!”

“Look, Hannah. I’ll be perfectly honest with you. I’m in big trouble and I need that money. Just give me the money and the key that was under the money in the safe deposit box and I’ll never bother you again.”

“I don’t carry that key with me.”

“All right, fine! Where’s the money!?”

Hannah heard a note of desperation in Ross’s voice and she did something she never thought she’d be able to do. She faced him squarely and smiled. “It’s back in your checking account, along with the money you deposited in my bank account. Write yourself a check, cash it at the bank, and get out of town! There’s nothing here for you.”

“I can’t wait until the bank opens. I’m in danger here. Mike said a lot of people are mad at me and he couldn’t be responsible for protecting me. Why do you think I drove all night to get here before anyone else was awake?”

Hannah just stared at him. There was no way she was going to invite him inside to hide until the bank opened. “Mike’s right,” she said coldly. “I guess you’ll just have to be careful. You got yourself into this mess and you’ll have to get yourself out. I can’t help you. And I don’t want to help you!”

“I’ve got to get that money!”

“Fine. You know where it is. Come back as soon as the bank opens and get it. I told you before. It’s in your account. I don’t want your money. You can’t make up for the way you treated me with any amount of money!”

A cold, hard expression crossed Ross’s face, an expression that Hannah had never seen before. Suddenly, she realized that everyone in town was still asleep and she was alone with a dangerous man.

“Don’t play games with me, Hannah! I can hurt you! And believe me, I will!”

Hannah took another step back as Ross moved toward her again. The sky was lightening and she could see the way his eyes had narrowed. He didn’t love her despite what he’d said. And she was suddenly afraid.

“What do you want, Hannah? Half the money?”