Winnie gave a deep sigh. “I said they could use it if they didn’t move the statue my brother made of the first mayor, but that highfaluting director wanted it out of the way. He said it would ruin the shot. He wanted to move it clear over by the bandstand. I figured for sure they’d break it and Arnie put a lot of work into making it. It’s the only thing of his I got left.”

“Maybe they don’t have to move it that far. How would you feel about it if they just hoisted it up out of camera range?”

“You mean

they could just pick it straight up and leave it dangling in the air while they did whatever they had to do?”

“That’s exactly what I mean.”

Winnie considered that for a minute and then she shrugged. “I don’t know what to say. Would I still get the money?”

“I’ll have to check for sure, but I think so.”

“Well just between you and me, it would sure come in handy right now. Elmer Petersen over in Eagle Bend’s selling off twenty head, and he’s got a couple of Jerseys I wouldn’t mind mixing in with mine. They’re good producers according to Betty Jackson over at the dairy.”

“So you’ll agree if you get the money?”

Hannah was wise enough not to say a word as Winnie thought it over. The seconds ticked by so slowly it seemed that time had stopped, but finally Winnie gave a little nod. “I’ll sign that paper if they swear they’ll just lift up the statue and put it right back down again when they’re through. No moving it anywhere. Just up and back down. And I’m going to be right there to make sure they do it right.”

“I’ll call Ross and find out if it’s a deal,” Hannah promised, refilling Winnie’s coffee cup and then heading for the phone.

“Hi, Hannah,” Ross said, answering on the first ring of his cell phone. “I was just about to call you.”

“Well, I beat you to it. I’m sitting here with Winnie Henderson and she’s going to sign that release form to use the park as a location, with some stipulations.”

“What stipulations?”

“Dean was going to actually move the statue somewhere else and then put it back again. Winnie wants it lifted up in the air, held there by a crane or something, and then put right back down again.”

“We can do that,” Ross said. “We’d have to use a crane to lift it anyway.”

“She wants to be there to make sure you do it right, and she also wants the

hold on a second,” Hannah covered the mouthpiece with her hand and turned to Winnie. “How much did Dean promise to pay you if you signed the release?”