Mike laughed and gave Hannah another little hug. “I love the way your mind works. The answer is, it could go either way. Someone who’s familiar with Dean’s work habits and knew that he usually demonstrated roles for his actors could have set the whole thing up to kill Dean.”

“And on the other hand, someone who didn’t know Dean’s work habits might have set it up to kill Burke?”

“That’s right.”

“So then we have to treat both Dean and Burke as victims and look at the people who have motives for killing either one of them?”

“Exactly, but what’s this we stuff?” Mike began to scowl. “I’m the detective here, not you.”

“I know that.”

“I know you know, but I want you to promise that you won’t investigate on your own.”

Hannah nodded, but that didn’t seem to be good enough for Mike. He was still scowling.

“I want you to promise out loud,” Mike insisted.

Hannah hesitated, but then she realized that Mike’s wording had given her an out. She gave him the sweetest, most guileless smile she could muster and said, “I promise I won’t investigate on my own.”

“Okay, ’nuff said.” Mike gave her another hug and a push toward the door. “Go back to The Cookie Jar. I’ll wait for Doc Knight and then I’ll come right over.”

Hannah stopped at the door where Rick Murphy was frisking the last of the witnesses. He took one look at Hannah, made sure the last witness was out of earshot, and shook his head. “I don’t need to search you, Hannah.”

“Yes, you do. Mike said you have to search everyone.” Hannah held her arms out to side and let Rick examine her pockets and frisk her for any weapon concealed on her person. “I want Mike to be sure I didn’t leave with that prop gun.”

Once she was outside on the sidewalk, Hannah started to grin. She’d promised Mike that she wouldn’t investigate on her own, and she wouldn’t. She’d just nose around and see what turned up, and she wouldn’t do that alone either

not when she had her two sisters, Norman, Delores, Carrie, and the rest of her extended family to help her!

Chapter

Chapter

Twenty-One

When Hannah came in the front door of The Cookie Jar, she found her extended family already organized. Andrea and Lisa were making the rounds with coffee and cookies, while Carrie and Delores were handling hot water for tea and tea bags. They were listening so intently as they waited on the tables that Hannah imagined she could see their ears revolving like Moishe’s did when he heard the patter of tiny mouse feet in the space behind the walls.