“It did,” Michelle told her. “And Herb’s been out late almost every night this month. He says he’s working late, but Lisa’s not so sure that’s the truth.”

Danielle nodded. “I get it. Working late at the office, hmmm? Do you know that there used to be a bar in St. Cloud called The Office? That way, the guys who came there to drink could say that they were at the office and they wouldn’t be lying.”

“That’s funny, but not really,” Michelle said.

“I know.” Danielle took a sip of her tea. “Poor Lisa! What can I do to help you, Hannah?”

“Give me a timeline for the drinks you had with the mayor and Stephanie last night.”

“I can do that, but . . .” Danielle stopped speaking and her eyes narrowed. “I do understand. The mayor’s a suspect because . . . well, you know why. And Stephanie’s a suspect because she’s always jealous of the women the mayor finds attractive.”

“That’s right,” Hannah said.

“Let me think.” Danielle shut her eyes for a moment or two, and then she opened them again. “The mayor and Stephanie picked me up at nine. And Del was already in their car. He told me he’d ridden over to their house to pick up Stephanie. I was watching out the window for them to pull up, and I looked at the clock in the reception area on the way out the door. And we got home at . . . oh, dear. I’m not sure that I even noticed what time. . . .” Danielle stopped speaking and began to smile. “Wait a minute. I can give you the exact time that I got back here.”

As Hannah and Michelle watched, Danielle pulled out her cell phone and touched the screen. She touched it a second time and then she nodded. “Ten twenty-five,” she told them. “I know because I sent a text to Benton to tell him that I was back so that he could come over when he finished work. The time’s right here on the text.”

“That clears the mayor,” Hannah said.

Danielle looked slightly puzzled. “But it doesn’t clear Stephanie?” she asked.

“No. I know that the mayor was in a city council meeting and he left with Del. That means he was with someone for the entire period between eight and ten. But Stephanie wasn’t at the city council meeting. She was at home, alone. She had a whole hour, between eight and nine, to drive out to the Corner Tavern and kill Phyllis.”

CHOCOLATE CARAMELS (KATHY & JOHN’S YUMMY NUMMY CARAMELS FOR MUMMY)