“It looks wonderful!” Hannah said, watching as Sally cut two slices from the flan that was sitting in the center of the silver tray and placed them in crystal dessert dishes. She added several dollops of caramel whipped cream, and placed the dessert dishes in front of Hannah and Ross.

“Be honest,” she warned them. “And be critical, too. Tell me if I need to add something to make it better.”

Hannah and Ross picked up their dessert spoons and took bites almost simultaneously. Then both of them smiled.

“Delicious!” Hannah declared.

“Oh, yes!” Ross concurred, taking another bite. “The chocolate is really rich, and it’s perfect with the caramel whipped cream.”

“Thanks!” Sally said, looking relieved as she turned to Hannah. “I’m still trying to figure out how to decorate this flan to make it even more Christmassy.”

“It looks great just the way it is,” Hannah told her, “but it could be more festive for Christmas. I’ll let you know if I think of anything. And I’ll ask Lisa. She’s my decorating expert.”

“Just one more thing,” Sally said, picking up the platter. “What do you think I should call it?”

“Call it exactly what it is,” Hannah suggested. “Chocolate Flan with Caramel Whipped Cream. If you call it something else, your wait staff will have to answer questions about what it is.”

Sally nodded. “That’s a really good point. Thanks for the help and enjoy the rest of your dessert.”

When Sally had left their table, Ross turned to Hannah. “I’ve never tasted Lisa’s chocolate caramels. Are you making them for Christmas this year?”

“Only if you really want us to,” Hannah said, frowning slightly. “I know it’s silly to be superstitious, but . . . well . . . they were bad luck last year.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, last Christmas was . . . pretty strange in the giant scheme of things. You weren’t here, so you wouldn’t know, but something bad happened with the caramels.”

“Something bad?”

“Yes. I found some of them at a murder scene.”

“Tell me all about it.” Ross leaned forward and covered Hannah’s hand with his.

“Well . . .” Hannah drew a deep breath. “This is going to take a while. It’s a really long story.”

Ross glanced at his watch. “That’s okay. It’s only six-thirty. What time does Sally close the dining room?”

“She’s open until ten.” Hannah was silent for a moment, and then she looked amused. “It could take almost that long to tell you. Are you sure you want to listen to a long story now?”

“I’m positive. You’ve got me curious, Cookie. Tell me.”

“Okay.” Hannah gave a mock sigh. “Just remember, you asked for it. But first, we’ll need more coffee.”

Hannah waited until one of the waitresses had brought a fresh carafe of coffee, and then she began her story.