Plum Pudding Murder. Joanne Fluke

that were modeled after the programs for alcoholics.

      “I’m not following Carrie on purpose,” Mike tried to explain. “It’s just that she leaves the mall when it closes and so do I. Mall Security is shorthanded and I’m taking a couple of shifts until they find somebody to hire full-time.”

      “Lots of people like to shop at the mall until it closes. It’s the only place where you can walk for miles in the winter without a coat and boots. What makes you think that Carrie’s shoplifting?”

      “I told you it’s just a hunch, but every time I see her loading her trunk with packages, she looks guilty.”

      Hannah had to admit that Mike’s hunches were usually right. But she still wasn’t willing to believe that Norman’s mother had a problem with shoplifting. “Those packages she loads in her trunk…can you tell what stores they’re from?”

      “Last night it was The Glass Slipper. It’s an upscale shoe store. It was a really big bag, Hannah. She must have had six pairs of shoes in there.”

      “Did you check with The Glass Slipper to see if she bought anything?”

      Mike gave her a look that would have withered the hardiest tree in the forest. “Of course I did! I’m not a rookie, you know.”

      “I know that. What did they tell you?”

      “That she bought six pairs of shoes and put them on a credit card. The card was good. They checked.”

      “Then she didn’t shoplift.”

      “Not from The Glass Slipper. She had some other packages in the trunk, but I didn’t get close enough to notice the store names.”

      “Okay.” Hannah drew a deep breath. “You don’t know anything for sure, so let it go, at least until a store reports lost inventory. They do that, don’t they?”

      “Every Friday. You’re right, Hannah. I can’t jump to conclusions. I just didn’t like the look on her face when she spotted me. It was like she was afraid I’d question her or something, and she’s never looked at me like that before.”

      “I understand,” Hannah said, taking his arm and giving it a little squeeze. “Perhaps it was nothing. You must have been tired after working at the station all day and then putting in a shift at the mall.”

      “I was. But I wasn’t imagining that look.”

      “Okay. Let’s drop it for now and think about something really important.”

      “What’s that?”

      “Shall we ride Santa’s Magic Sleigh first, or go talk to Larry about his cookie order?”

      “Let’s go talk to Larry,” Mike decided. “I’ve got a couple of questions for him.”

      “What questions?”

      “It’s about the sign I saw on the checkout booth we passed on our way in.”

      “What sign?”

      “The one that said, We sell below cost and make it up on volume.”

      Hannah’s mouth dropped open. “But…but…” she sputtered. “That’s impossible!”

      “I know it is. I want to find out if that’s Larry’s idea of a joke, or if he really believes it.”

      As she walked down the snowy path with Mike, Hannah just shook her head. Although she’d been dreading it, she now hoped her mother would invite her to small business class again. Larry Jaeger’s sign was bad business whether it was a joke, or not. That meant she had something to contribute to the bad business practices segment of the class. The more she thought about it, the funnier it became and Hannah chuckled all the way to Elf Headquarters. She could hardly wait to tell Miss Whiting about this!

      HOLLY JOLLY COFFEE

      1 cup strong coffee, steaming hot

      1 packet hot cocoa mix (the kind that makes one cup)

      ¼ teaspoon orange extract^***

      Mix everything up together and top with sweetened whipped cream.