“Maybe I do, but that doesn’t mean I love you any less.” Michelle smiled at Hannah. “I’ll go out front and ask Lisa to come back here right after she does the crowd reaction. I think she’s just about at that point in her story, but I’ll check it out to make sure.”

Both Hannah and Michelle moved closer to the door, where they could hear Lisa’s voice.

“She saw a mound at the bottom of the snow-covered ditch, a mound the same size as a body. She didn’t want to think that way, but you know Hannah. Anyone else would have climbed back up to the top of the ditch just as fast as they could and run back inside to get help. But not our Hannah. Do you think she hesitated?”

“No!” the crowd in the coffee shop chorused.

“Of course she didn’t hesitate,” a male voice called out and Hannah knew exactly who it was. “Hannah’s got slaydar!”

“Mike?” Michelle asked.

“Who else?” Hannah confirmed it.

“I’ve heard Lisa tell this story twice, and she’s winding down now,” Michelle informed her. “I’ll go out and give her the high sign.”

“Do you think she’ll know what you mean?”

“She’ll know.” Michelle sounded certain. “Lisa and I worked out a series of hand signals right after the last Lake Eden murder. If I stand at the back of the house and run my finger across my throat, it means I want her to end her story as soon as she can. And when I beckon to her and point toward the kitchen, she’ll know that we want her to come back here right after she finishes.”

Hannah glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. “Okay. Go ahead. Marge, and Lisa’s dad, should be here by now, and they can handle the coffee shop.”

After Michelle had left, Hannah placed the trays of unbaked Angel Jellies inside the industrial oven. She had set the timer, poured herself a fresh cup of coffee, and taken a stool at the stainless-steel workstation when Michelle came back from the coffee shop.

“Lisa read my signal,” she reported. “She should be here in a moment or two.”

“Good. I don’t want her to be caught unaware when Mayor Bascomb comes in.”

“You don’t think Lisa will turn down a chance to play Mrs. Claus, do you?”

“No. She really wanted to be Mrs. Claus. She mentioned it to me a couple of times. The only reason she might hesitate is if she thinks I can’t handle the concession stand alone.”

“You don’t have to handle anything alone with me here,” Michelle pointed out. “I’ll help you, and Lisa can play Mrs. Claus. That should make Herb happy, too.”

Hannah thought about the kiss she’d seen between Phyllis and Herb. “I hope so,” she said.