Hannah’s eyebrows rose in surprise. She couldn’t believe that Mike was suggesting something illegal. “Believe me, I’d like to! His yowling drives me crazy, but I’m taking a chance just having him here. I think it’s okay as long as he’s away from the cookies we bake and serve, but I’m not a hundred percent sure of that.”

“Don’t worry about it, Hannah. You can forget about the health board.”

Hannah’s mouth dropped open. “Forget about the health board? I can’t believe you said that, Mike. The health board has the power to cite me and fine me. And if the inspector’s really in a bad mood, they could yank my license and close me down!”

“No, they can’t. You’re already closed down for the week. What you have here is a private party for the movie cast and crew. And since Moishe is an official part of the cast, he’s got a perfect right to be here.”

Hannah turned to look at Lisa, who shrugged. “Maybe I’m crazy, but it sounds reasonable to me.”

“Me, too,” Norman said, giving Moishe a scratch under the chin.

“Our eardrums salute you,” Hannah said with a grin, turning back to Mike. “But

are you sure I won’t get into trouble?”

“I’m sure. Don’t forget that I’m the acting sheriff. If I say that it’s a private party and health department regulations don’t apply, then it’s a private party and health department regulations don’t apply.”

Hannah clamped her lips shut. She suspected that the power of his new office might be corrupting Mike, but she’d wait until next week to point it out to him.

The first arrivals started to trickle in shortly after they opened at ten o’clock. Hannah met Sophie, the wardrobe mistress, and Honey, the head beautician. Ross had rented Bertie Straub’s shop, the Cut ’n Curl, for the week and Honey was using it as her headquarters. Bertie was acting as an advisor on hairstyles of the fifties, and unlike Delores, who didn’t want to admit that she remembered the fifties, Bertie didn’t seem to mind at all.