Fudge Cupcake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #5)(50)

"Why not?" Hannah asked.

"One died in an accident last year, another was in Europe with his wife, and a third was in Chicago for the birth of his granddaughter."

"Did you check on Harry?"

"Of course. I called and chatted with his wife. She mentioned that they went to a dinner party that night."

"Thanks, Barbara," Hannah said, jotting down all the pertinent information. Barbara had done her work for her and it was time to move on. "I went out to the sheriff's station and spoke to Shawna Lee. She's taking your place while you're on leave."

Barbara stared at Hannah in surprise. "She is?"

"That's right. You don't approve?"

Barbara looked very uncomfortable. "It's not that Shawna Lee's incompetent. She's actually a very good secretary. But her people skills are… well… let's just say that I wouldn't have chosen her. What was she doing when you saw her?"

"She said she'd found some reports that were misfiled and she was putting them back in the proper place."

Barbara began to frown. "I certainly hope she didn't mention it to anybody, especially since she probably thought I'd done it."

"I don't know about that, but she did think you'd done it. She was very understanding about it, though. She said she knew you'd worked for Sheriff Grant for years and you were bound to be shocked and upset over his murder."

"That's true," Barbara said, "but I didn't misfile those reports. Sheriff Grant's the one who couldn't put a file back in its jacket. He was always pulling reports and taking them home with him. And he insisted on putting them back in the file drawer himself so I wouldn't know which ones he'd taken."

"He was that secretive?"

"Oh, yes. He didn't want anyone to know his business, not even me. I used to call him James Bond."

Hannah grinned at the comparison between the handsome, debonair James Bond and short, stocky Sheriff Grant. "I'll bet you didn't say it to his face."

"Yes, I did. He took it as a huge compliment. He was really into James Bond things. I think he fancied himself as some sort of super spy." Barbara chuckled a bit over the memory. "He really thought he was putting one over on me with those reports."

"But he wasn't?"

"Heavens, no! I knew exactly which reports he'd taken. They were the ones that I found misfiled."

Hannah laughed, but she sobered quickly as something occurred to her. "Do you think the misfiled reports could have something to do with the big case he was working on to win the election?"

"Oh, I don't think so. If Sheriff Grant took them as part of his investigation, he would have kept them."

Hannah drew in her breath sharply as she remembered a comment Shawna Lee had made. "Shawna Lee told me she thought one report was missing."

"Why did she think that?"

"Because there was one hanging file folder with nothing in it."

"She's right. I never put a hanging file folder in the cabinet unless there's a report in it."

"If you went out there and looked, is there any way you could tell which report was missing?"

Barbara shook her head. "Sorry, Hannah. The hanging file folders weren't labeled. I really wouldn't have the slightest idea."

Hannah sat there thinking for a moment. She had the sneaking suspicion that the missing report was an important clue to Sheriff Grant's murder, but she had no idea how to find it. "It's a lot easier in the movies."

"It sure is! And it's a lot more exciting and romantic, too."

"I'm not that sure about the romance," Hannah said, remembering the smoldering looks Shawna Lee had given Mike at Bertanelli's. "I heard you were thinking about quitting. You're not going to do it, are you?"

"Well… I've been there a long time and the pay's not that good. I was doing some thinking about taking early retirement."

"Please don't," Hannah said with a frown.

"Why not?"

"Two words. Shawna and Lee. If Bill wins the election for sheriff, she might end up as his secretary. Andrea's really upset about that and she asked me to plead with you to go back to work."

"I see. How about if Bill doesn't win?"

"Then Mike will keep the job of acting sheriff until the board elects a new one. And Shawna Lee will be his secretary."

"So then you want me to go back to work, too."

"Right. How about it, Barbara? You're not going to let us down, are you?"

"Well…" Barbara gave a little sigh. "I guess I could go back for a while, at least until the new sheriff gets off to a good start."

Hannah started to grin. "Thanks, Barbara. We were hoping you'd stay at least for a month or so. That'll give Andrea a chance to explore other career options for Shawna Lee."

"Other career options?" Barbara looked puzzled.

"That's right. Preferably something in a foreign country, or perhaps outer space."





Chapter Eighteen





"Thought I heard you come in." Lisa opened the swinging door to the kitchen and stuck her head in.