Hannah stopped in her tracks and turned around to stare. Lisa was diminutive, only five feet tall, and Hannah was willing to bet that she didn’t weigh in at much over a hundred pounds, but her young partner was tireless when it came to getting things done. “You finished the baking and set everything up in the coffee shop?”

“Yes.”

“What time did you get here anyway?”

“Five thirty. Herb had to run out to highway patrol headquarters for an early meeting, and I didn’t feel like sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee alone.”

“What kind of meeting?”

“I’ll tell you all about it right after your shower. You’re not going to believe what Mayor Bascomb is thinking about doing now!”

Hannah made short work of her shower. Lisa’s husband, Herb Beeseman, was their small town’s only law enforcement officer, and he reported directly to the mayor. If anyone knew what Mayor Bascomb was planning to do next, it was Herb.

When Hannah emerged wearing jeans that she thought might be a wee bit looser in the waist, a mug of strong black coffee was waiting for her at the stainless steel work island. She sat down on a stool, took a huge swallow of coffee, and gave a sigh of contentment. “Okay. Tell me what our esteemed mayor has up his sleeve this time.”

“Red-light cameras.”

“On what? There aren’t any stoplights in Lake Eden.”

Lisa just smiled. “You’re right. There aren’t any…yet.”

“He’s at it again!” Hannah groaned and put her head in her hands. “Don’t tell me he’s still fixated on putting in a light at the end of Main Street?”

“No, he’s not.”

“Well, thank goodness for that!” Hannah took another sip of life-enhancing caffeine, but before she even swallowed, a dreadful thought crossed her mind. “He’s given up the idea of having one at the end of Main Street, but he wants to put one somewhere else?”

“That’s right.”

“I’m afraid to ask, but…where?”

“Third and Main. Remember that traffic survey the varsity baseball team did last summer?”

Hannah had seen several members of the baseball team, equipped with folding chairs and beach umbrellas, staking out various corners in Lake Eden to count the cars that passed through the intersections. “I remember, but I thought it was just an excuse to pay for their new uniforms from the city budget.”

“So did everybody else, but it seems Mayor Bascomb had a double agenda. He asked Herb to tally up the results last week, and the most heavily trafficked corner in town is ours.”

“But we don’t need a stoplight. As far as I know, there’s never been an accident on our corner.”