“Thanks, Norman. I hope this isn’t a wild goose chase. I don’t even know if the man was from Minnesota. He could have been from anywhere.”

“That’s true, but maybe I can narrow it down for you. I’ve been to quite a few dental conventions and dentists come from all over to attend those. As a matter of fact, there was a seminar about tooth jewelry and the techniques used to embed it at last year’s dental convention. I didn’t go to that particular seminar, but I’ll check the program and see who taught it. And I’ll call to see if I can get a list of which dentists attended.” Norman gave her another hug and then he stood up. “I’d better go if I want to catch Doc while he’s still awake. I’ll see you tomorrow, Hannah.”

Hannah walked him to the door, a far different procedure than she had performed at her condo countless times in the past. This time she couldn’t open the door. Rick had locked it from the outside.

Norman gave her a final hug that felt so good, tears came to her eyes, and then Rick was there to let him out. Hannah walked back to her cot and sat down again, but, surprisingly, she didn’t feel terribly bereft. She was alone, she was locked in, but all of her friends and relatives were helping her get the information she needed.

The bag Norman had brought was still sitting beside her on the cot. Hannah reached inside and pulled out the package. She tore off the gift wrap, felt slightly guilty for not saving the paper and the ribbon, and uncovered the prettiest, fluffiest blanket that she’d ever seen. It was patterned with cats, darling little cats, so many different breeds of cats that she couldn’t name them all. They were romping and playing all over the surface of the blanket, and every single cat was as cute as it could be. They were all in different poses, chasing butterflies, and balls, and each other, and just looking at them made Hannah smile in delight.

She spent almost an hour looking at each cat, trying to decide which one was the cutest, and then she stretched out on the cot and picked up her book. Soon she was engrossed in the mystery again, and before the hands on the clock on the wall outside the holding cell had reached the hands-up position, she was fast sleep under the cat blanket that Norman had brought just for her.

Chapter Ten

It was wonderful being out of the cell! One of the female deputies had led her to the shower that the female prisoners used and waited for her just outside the door. Hannah hadn’t even minded that there was an observation window as she unwrapped the strawberry-scented soap and used it to take her shower. Then she’d rinsed off, dried off on the not-so-soft towels the deputy had given her, and dressed in clean clothing.