“It’s either next to the stove, or leaning up against the side of the counter by the window,” Hannah told him. “Did Moishe lose his duck’s foot again?”

“Yes. It’s in that little space between the broom closet and the refrigerator.”

“Good luck fishing it out. Sometimes it goes under the refrigerator and I lose it.”

“I’ll get it. Never fear. Moishe’s directing the whole operation for me.”

All three sisters laughed. And all three were tempted to get up and go into the kitchen to watch. But they didn’t. They just sat there relaxing while Norman took care of the duck’s foot.

“If it slips under the refrigerator, do you have to move it to get out the duck’s foot?” Michelle asked.

“Yes, and I don’t. There’s a really short tube running to the icemaker and if it breaks, it’s a big plumbing bill. I just leave the duck’s foot there and hope for the best.”

“But doesn’t it smell?” Andrea wrinkled up her nose.

“No. I think maybe it’s because there’s not much meat on a duck’s foot.”

“Has Moishe lost more than one under there?” Michelle asked.

“Oh, yes. He gets one every time I have takeout Chinese food and that’s a couple of times a month. There must be at least a dozen under there, maybe more.”

“Success,” Norman reported, coming back into the living room holding a slightly grungier duck’s foot. “You’ve got a loose board back there, Hannah.”

“Okay. I’ll have someone take care of it.”

“I can help you with it one of these days,” Norman offered, handing her the duck’s foot. “I rinsed off the foot and dried it on a paper towel.”

“Thanks,” Hannah told him, accepting the webbed prize. “Here you go, Moishe.” She turned to her cat and wiggled the duck’s foot for him to see. “Follow the flying foot!”

The moment the avian appendage left Hannah’s hand, Moishe was off and running down the hall to chase it. There was a thump as he pounced and then a smothered yowl of triumph as he chomped down on it.

“Back to business,” Hannah said, waiting until Norman had resumed his seat. “So what’s Lonnie’s problem, Michelle? I’m assuming he doesn’t have an alibi.”

“That’s right. He told me he went out to Heavenly Bodies after his shift to cancel their movie date. Her birthday party had already started, and she was drinking.”

“Drinking?” Norman asked, picking up on the part of the story that Hannah was about to query.

“Yes, from a martini glass. Lonnie said it was a Green-teani. They carry diet green tea in the Snack Shack. You mix it with vodka and serve it over ice in a martini glass.”