“My undercover agent?” That made Bill laugh, but once he realized that Hannah wasn’t laughing with him, he backtracked fast. “All right. Consider yourself my undercover agent. What else have you got?”

“The woman with the pink lipstick told me that Ron got into a fight at Twin Pines last night. She thinks he cracked a tooth because his jaw swelled up. Remember when I told you I saw him cupping his jaw this morning?”

“Right. You said you thought he was thinking about something important. I’ve got it right here in your interview notes.”

“Well, I was wrong. His tooth hurt and that’s why he had his hand on the side of his face.”

There was a moment of silence and Hannah heard a pen scratch. Bill was taking notes. Finally he said, “That makes sense. Did this woman know who Ron fought with at the casino?”

“No, it happened before she got there. I’ll try to find out for you, Bill.”

“I know I asked you to nose around, but this isn’t a game, Hannah.” Bill sounded worried. “Ron was murdered in cold blood and the killer won’t hesitate to take you out if he thinks you’re on to something.”

Hannah swallowed hard, the image of Ron’s lifeless body flitting across the screen of her mind. “You’re scaring me, Bill. Do you really think it could be that dangerous?”

“Of course it could. Promise me that you’ll be careful, Hannah. And call me right away with anything you learn, even if it’s four in the morning.”

“I will. Good night, Bill.” Hannah shivered as she hung up the phone. She’d been thinking of Ron’s murder as a puzzle to be solved, but Bill had reminded her that it was dangerous to try to uncover a killer. As she finished her wine, Hannah decided that she’d be a lot more cautious in the future.

There was a plaintive yowl from the direction of the coffee table and Hannah saw that Moishe was doing one of his incredibly wide kitty yawns. It was definitely time for bed. She scooped him up, carried him into the bedroom, and set him down on the mattress.

When she was ready for bed, Hannah climbed under the covers and pulled her roommate over for a cuddle. But Moishe had been a loner too long. Sweet words, ear scratches, and tabby treats would never turn him into a tame and obliging house cat. He permitted a few pets, but then he moved over to claim Hannah’s other pillow and ignored her completely by going to sleep.

Chapter Eight

Hannah woke up with a start. She’d been having a nightmare and Norman Rhodes, an insane dentist with a drill that sounded like a dump truck backing up, had been grinding her teeth. Since she’d refused to unclench her jaw, he’d been doing his evil dentistry right through her cheek. When she opened her eyes, she was relieved to find that it was only Moishe, licking her face with his sandpaper tongue to wake her.