Babs shook her head. “I’m not proud of what I did next, but I was so cold and so shocked, I just brushed the snow off my blouse and skirt, and came back in the kitchen.”

“No one saw you?”

“No one was there. I ran some warm water in the kitchen sink and soaked my hands until I could feel them again. There were no bloodstains. I checked for that. And then, since my shoes were soaked all the way through, I went to the cloakroom and switched to my boots.”

Hannah folded the napkin and stuck it in her sweater pocket. “You know what I have to tell you to do, don’t you?”

“I know. I’ll go up and tell Mike, but please let me tell the kids first. I want Martin to hear it from me.”

Hannah thought about that for a moment. It was a highly unorthodox and definitely against the police procedure, but she was no longer working with Mike and she didn’t have to follow his rules. “Okay,” she said. “Let’s go find Martin and Shirley.”

It didn’t take long to locate Martin and Shirley and find a quiet corner so that Babs could tell them her story. When she was through, Martin made a strangled sound. “You killed Brandi?”

“She didn’t kill Brandi,” Shirley spoke up. “It was an accident. The only reason Babs went after Brandi was to recover the stolen knife.”

Babs nodded. “Shirley’s right. I’m really sorry, but it was an accident. She came after me with the knife and both of us slipped in the snow. I just hope Mike will believe me. I have to go tell him now.”

“You can’t!” Martin objected, grabbing his mother’s arm. “Don’t tell him, Mom. He’ll arrest you for murder!”

“I don’t think he will. After all it was an accident. And don’t forget that Brandi had a weapon and I didn’t.”

“But he won’t know that. No one else saw Brandi steal the knife, and some smart lawyer could argue that you took the knife and went out to confront Brandi to get the ring back. You could be convicted, Mom. You could go to jail!”

“Relax, Martin,” Hannah said. “Norman has a photo of Brandi stealing the cake knife.”

“He does? That’s … that’s great! Then you think everything is going to be all right?”

“I think it will be, especially since your mother’s fingerprints won’t be on the knife. She might have to spend a few hours down at the sheriff’s station, and she may even have to stay down there until they can corroborate her account of what happened with Doc Knight’s findings, but I’m sure she’ll be cleared.”

“We’ll go along with you, Mom,” Martin said, taking his mother’s arm.

Shirley took her other arm. “Absolutely. And once we get over this hurdle, Martin and I have some news for you.”

“Really?” Babs gave the first smile Hannah had seen cross her face all evening. “I think I know what it is, and that’s just wonderful!”