“Financially?”

“Their mortgage payments must be sky-high, and there’s always something that needs to be fixed. Boyd tries to do it all himself, but heaven knows he’s not a plumber or an electrician. I swear Danielle doesn’t appreciate how hard he works, but what else can you expect, coming from a family like hers?”

“She doesn’t work, does she?” Lucille asked.

“Of course not. She wouldn’t lift a finger to help them out. Boyd says he doesn’t want her to work, but I think he’s just covering up for the fact that she’s too lazy to hold down a job.”

Hannah had heard quite enough criticism about Danielle. She picked up her tray, stuck on her “May I serve you” smile and walked over to tap Maryann on the shoulder. “More cookies, ladies?”

“Hello, Hannah.” Maryann seemed surprised to see her. “These are wonderful cookies, dear. And to think that they’re authentic! I was just commenting on how delicious they were, wasn’t I, Lucille?”

Lucille smiled. “We’re so lucky to have you back in town, Hannah. I don’t know how the Lake Eden Regency Romance Club ever managed to serve refreshments without you.”

“Thank you. I’m so glad you like the cookies.” Hannah waited until both Maryann and Lucille had taken another cookie and then she moved on to another table. The Mall of America didn’t open until eleven and Coach Watson had been with his sister until then. One more suspect had been eliminated and if her luck ran true to form, the bouncer at Twin Pines would have an alibi, too. Then she’d be back to square one.

Hannah sighed as she finished serving the cookies and went back to fetch the carafes of coffee and tea. Solving crimes certainly wasn’t as easy as they made it seem in the movies.

Chapter Twelve

Hannah pulled into the parking lot at the Tri-County Mall and turned to Lisa with a frown. “I hate to shop!”

“It won’t be so bad, Hannah. All you need is a pair of shoes. And it’s really nice of your mother to pay for them.”

“Oh, yeah?” Hannah turned to her with lifted eyebrows. “Mother’s gifts always have strings attached. The shoes have to be Italian and they can’t have more than a three-inch heel.”

Lisa shrugged. “Italian is good and you never wear high heels anyway.”

“Wait, there’s more. I’m not supposed to buy anything except fine leather, no man-made materials allowed, and I have to ask the salesman to guarantee that the color won’t run if it gets wet. She made me promise to put them on and walk around the store twice to make sure they don’t pinch my feet.”

“That doesn’t sound so hard. Come on, Hannah. The mall closes at seven and it’s already six-thirty.”

Hannah sighed and got out of her truck. A light snow was falling and the temperature had dropped ten degrees since the sun had gone down. She didn’t like to go to the mall at the best of times and this was the worst. The parking lot was packed with cars, she was pressed for time, and she needed to buy the shoes tonight. As far as Hannah was concerned, this hasty shopping trip to buy a last-minute item was a perfect recipe for disaster.