Hannah watched Mike come in, carrying her tray of cream puffs. She noticed that he’d stuck a candle into each puff, but the platter was covered with plastic wrap. He set it behind the counter, where no one could see it, and gave Ronni a big kiss on the lips that lasted a lot longer than Hannah wanted it to. Then the partygoers began to file in, and Mike took a proprietary place at Ronni’s side with his arm around her waist.

“Mike’s acting like the host,” Andrea said, and then she glanced over at Hannah. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Why not? It’s true.”

“Yes, but…oh look! There’s Mayor Bascomb!” Andrea sounded grateful that something else had come up on the screen.

Before much more time had passed, the room was filled with people. Someone had contributed a case of beer, and others drank soft drinks or concoctions from the blender that one of the sheriff’s deputies was manning behind the counter.

“Lonnie,” Michelle breathed, and Hannah turned to glance at her youngest sister. Michelle looked worried, and Hannah wondered if she feared that Lonnie would give the birthday girl the same kind of greeting that Mike had. But instead of heading over to greet Ronni, he gave a little wave in her general direction and got himself a beer from the case at the end of the counter. Then he started talking to a couple of other deputies who were there, and Hannah saw Michelle visibly relax.

“No women,” Norman said after another few minutes of watching.

Hannah turned to look at him. “You’re right! It’s all men.”

“Maybe that’s because she worked at the sheriff’s department, and it’s mostly men out there,” Michelle suggested.

“Are you kidding?” Hannah just laughed. “There are a couple of women deputies, not to mention quite a few secretaries.”

“Maybe she invited them and they didn’t come,” Norman suggested. But after a look from the three Swensen sisters, he gave up on that excuse.

“There’s Tad,” Michelle said, pointing at the man who’d just walked in the door. “Just look at that gorgeous bouquet of flowers! Would a stalker bring his victim flowers?”

“It does seem unusual,” Hannah said, thinking of what Tad’s nephew had confided to the class at Kiddie Korner and wondering if it was relevant.

“What is she doing?” Michelle’s mouth fell open as she watched the screen. “Ronni won’t even take them! She’s pointing to the door, and…”

“Tad’s leaving with the flowers,” Andrea said, just as shocked as Michelle. “And he looks really embarrassed. She must have said something mean to him.”

“Look at her now. She’s laughing,” Norman said, and his brows knit together in a disapproving frown.

“She’s laughing at him,” Hannah said.