Chocolate Cream Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen #24)(23)

Mike shook his head. “Doug posted a sign on the door saying the bank won’t be open until Monday. Ross will see it and he’ll know he can’t get his money until then.”

“This could turn out to be good for you,” Lisa pointed out. “At least you won’t have to worry about Ross coming back to Lake Eden until Monday morning.”

“Not necessarily,” Mike pointed out. “Ross may decide to stay in the area until the bank opens on Monday.”

Hannah felt her anxiety begin to rise again. “Then I’m not safe anywhere in Lake Eden!”

Mike put his arm around her. “Yes, you are. It’s the best place you could possibly be. We’ll take care of you, Hannah. I promise.”

“I just want him gone!” Hannah said, and she felt tears coming to her eyes. “I never thought I’d say this, but I’m afraid of him!”

“You’d be a fool if you weren’t afraid,” Lisa said.

“That’s right.” Mike reached into his pocket and drew out his pen and notebook. “Okay, Hannah. I want you to tell me everything that happened from the time you first opened the door and saw Ross. Don’t leave anything out. I need to know everything he said and everything that you said until you locked the kitchen door behind you.”

“I’ll get coffee,” Lisa said, hurrying to fetch two cups of Hannah’s favorite beverage. She added a generous spoonful of sugar to Hannah’s cup and carried the coffee back to the work station.

“Thanks, Lisa,” Hannah said, raising the cup to her lips and taking a sip. A startled expression crossed her face as she swallowed. “I don’t take sugar!”

“You do today,” Lisa insisted. “You’re still shaking and it’ll help. And I’m willing to bet that you didn’t have breakfast before you came in this morning.”

“I . . .” Hannah stopped objecting and sighed instead. Lisa was right. She hadn’t bothered to eat breakfast. “You’re right, Lisa. I didn’t fix any breakfast this morning.”

“That’s what I thought. Drink the coffee,” Lisa ordered. “Your blood sugar’s probably low. Take a couple of swallows right now and then I’ll get you a plate of cookies that you can share with Mike. Tell him everything, Hannah. It doesn’t matter how small and insignificant you think it is. I’m going to go out to the coffee shop and get things ready to open in there.”

“Concentrate,” Mike ordered, once Lisa had left. “Tell me everything you remember, Hannah.”

Hannah took another swallow of coffee and a bite of her cookie, and began to recite the events that had happened after she’d heard the knock on the back kitchen door. It took quite a while and she was surprised at all the small things she remembered, even facts like how Ross had been dressed, the boots he’d been wearing, and how his appearance had changed in the weeks that had gone by since he’d left her.

“Very good, Hannah,” Mike said, closing his notebook and sliding it back into his pocket.

“I’m back,” Lisa announced, coming through the swinging door again. “Aunt Nancy and Marge are here and I’m going to start the baking.”

“I’ll help,” Hannah said, rising from the stool.

“No, just sit there, Hannah,” Lisa ordered. “You’ve been through an emotional morning already and I can handle the baking. Drink coffee, eat cookies, keep me company, and do your best to relax. That’s all I need from you right now.”

“Lisa’s right,” Mike told her. “You’ll be okay, Hannah. And just to be on the safe side, I’m going to assign a couple of my deputies to stay with you wherever you go. There’s no way we’re going to take any chances with your safety.”

“The minute he hears about this, Herb will offer to help,” Lisa told Mike. “Herb can watch the entrances to Lake Eden, and we can make sure Hannah is safe while she’s here at The Cookie Jar.”

“Thanks, Lisa. And tell Herb thanks, too. My detectives will make sure Hannah is escorted everywhere she goes,” Mike promised, and then he turned to Hannah. “You’ll have constant protection, Hannah. I’m going to order round-the-clock security for you.”

Hannah was about to tell him that she didn’t need bodyguards, but before she opened her mouth, she remembered the menacing look on Ross’s face when he’d tried to grab her and keep her from going inside. Perhaps she did need bodyguards.

Mike looked surprised when Hannah didn’t voice her objections to round-the-clock security. “You’re not going to argue with me about this?”

“No,” Hannah said, and then she gave a long, drawn-out sigh. “I don’t like it, but you’re right. Ross really scared me when he threatened to hurt me, and I know that I might need protection.”





Chapter Seven


“I’m really glad you’re here, Lisa,” Hannah said once Mike had left. “Where were you when the blizzard hit us?”

“At home with Herb. He’d just gotten off work. He was only home for a half hour or so when it started to snow, and we heard the blizzard warnings on KCOW. We just stayed in the house until the snow stopped blowing. How about you?”

“I was taking a nap at the condo. I slept for most of the afternoon.”