“Not as much as I’d like, dear. Running Granny’s Attic is a full-time job, even with all three of us. And after I get home, it’s all I can do to grab a bite to eat, switch on my laptop, and work for a couple of hours.”

“Work?” Hannah zeroed in on her mother’s last statement. “What are you working on?”

Delores glanced at the clock on the wall. “Oh, just a little hobby of mine. You wouldn’t be interested. I’d better run, dear. I left Carrie at the shop all alone. She’ll need my help.”

“But you’re not open for business,” Hannah pointed out.

“I know, but there are still things to do.” Delores stood up, shrugged into her coat, and headed for the door. “Inventory, straightening up, things like that. Later, dear.”

Hannah stared at the door that closed behind her mother, but there were no answers written on the white paint that covered the wood. Delores had a secret and she was guarding it carefully. Hannah figured that it would come out sooner or later, but in the meantime her curiosity was killing her.

“Hannah?” Lisa pushed open the swinging door that separated the kitchen from the coffee shop and glanced in at her partner. “Mike’s here to see you and I told him I’d check to see if you were busy. He says he needs to ask you some questions.”

“What a coincidence!” Hannah said with a grin. “I’d like to ask him some questions, too.”

“Shall I go out and lead the lamb to the slaughter?”

“Yes, but I wouldn’t put it quite that way to the lamb.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t.” Lisa went through the swinging door, but she turned around to stick her head back into the kitchen again. “If we’re betting on who gets the most questions answered, my money’s on you.”

“Thanks, Hannah.” Mike picked up the mug of coffee that Hannah had poured him and took a big gulp. “This would be a whole lot easier if Bill hadn’t gone to that convention. I’m working a double shift most days.”

“Filling in for Bill as acting sheriff, plus heading up Dean’s murder investigation?”

“That’s right. I got four hours’ sleep last night and I considered myself lucky.”

If you’d just swallow that silly pride of yours and let me help you, you’d get more sleep, Hannah thought, but of course she didn’t say it. She also didn’t commiserate too much. She’d had less than four hours’ sleep herself, but she wasn’t about to tell Mike the identity of the person with whom she’d had a late date!

“I know what you’re thinking.”

“You do?” Hannah felt a little tingle of alarm. Had Mike heard about her dinner with Ross?