“He told me he can if it comes to that, but he’s really hoping it won’t.”

“Let me guess…Roger’s girlfriend wasn’t supposed to be staying with him, and she’ll get into trouble if she has to swear she was with him, for the whole night?”

“You got it.”

“She’s underage?” Hannah asked, crossing her fingers and hoping that wasn’t the case.

“No, it’s just that she’s got a scholarship and she lives in the dorms at Lake Eden Community College. Resident students, regardless of age, aren’t supposed to be out all night.”

“I understand,” Hannah said, and she did. “Roger doesn’t want to rat on his girlfriend unless it’s absolutely necessary to keep him from being arrested for a crime he didn’t commit.”

“That’s exactly right. It won’t come to that, will it?” Andrea looked worried.

“Not if I have anything to say about it.” Hannah pushed back her chair and got up as Michelle waved to them from the doorway. “Roger must have told you his impression of Stella Parks. What did he say about her?”

Andrea rose and they began to walk toward their younger sister. “Roger said that she was as tough as nails.”

“There’s that same cliché again.” Hannah gave a little laugh. “Stella seems to attract them. I’m actually looking forward to meeting her. It sounds as if she plays hardball. And there goes another cliché.”

Chapter Eighteen

“That’s Tad Newberg?” Michelle asked as she spotted the short, heavyset young man in the perfectly pressed uniform standing by the mall security station.

“Yes, that’s Tad. Why do you look so surprised?”

“I think I know him from somewhere, but I’m not sure where.”

“You probably saw him out here when you were shopping,” Andrea told her. “He’s been here for about two years.”

“Maybe,” Michelle said, but she sounded doubtful.

“Tell him you think you met him before,” Hannah suggested. “Maybe he’ll remember where it was. Even if the two of you can’t figure it out, it’ll keep him distracted so that Andrea can take pictures of the security monitors.”

“Hi, Hannah,” Tad greeted her as they stepped up to the station.

“Hello, Tad. I just wanted to drop by and thank you for your help the other night.”

“No thanks needed. That’s my job.”

“Both Andrea and I are grateful that you waited with us until the sheriff’s department arrived.”

“That’s right. We felt a lot safer with you there,” Andrea chimed in.

“They brought you some cookies,” Michelle held out the box. “They’re chocolate with mocha frosting.”

Tad looked genuinely pleased as he accepted the box. “Wow, thanks! I’m crazy about chocolate cookies.”

“Do you like chocolate sauerkraut cake?” Hannah asked him.

“I like it a lot. My sister-in-law makes one almost every Sunday for dinner. It’s my brother’s favorite cake.”