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pantry, she'd get in a few good licks before she turned him over to the sheriff!
    Once she had moved silently into position, Hannah inched the door open with her foot. She glanced inside, and what see saw caused the pot to slip from her nerveless fingers. Her earlier assumption was wrong. Connie mace hadn't left last night.
    The Cooking Sweetheart was facedown on the pantry floor, her arms and legs sprawled out like a kid who'd hit the surface of Eden Lake in an ungainly belly dive. She had been struck down by a massive blow to the head in the act of sampling one of Hannah's Blue Blueberry Muffins.
    Shock rendered Hannah immobile for a moment, but then she knelt down to feel for a pulse. The biggest celebrity ever to set foot in Lake Eden would never star in another episode of her television show or pose for pictures in her magazine. Connie Mac was dead.

Chapter 7
    Hannah was pacing the parking lot, trying to banish the gruesome sight from her mind, when she spotted the headlights of an approaching car. As it passed under the streetlight in the middle of the alley, she realized that it was Norman's car and that they had an early-morning coffee date.
    Norman stepped on the gas when he spotted the sheriff's department cruiser. One glimpse of his concerned face as he jumped out of his car was all it took for Hannah to forgive him for not being jealous of her dinner with Mike.
    "Are you all right, Hannah?" Norman asked, pulling her into his arms before she even had time to answer.
    Hannah nodded, almost hating to admit it because it was so good to be hugged. Norman was solid and dependable, and it felt a lot better than she'd remembered to be in his arms. Actually, it was quite habit-forming. Once there, she didn't want to leave.
    "What happened?" Norman asked her.
    "Connie Mac's dead and I found her in my pantry this morning and someone bashed in her head when she was eating one of my muffins and I called the sheriff's department and that's why they're here." Hannah's words came out in a rush, with no pause for punctuation. She reminded herself to slow down so that Norman could understand her, and went on. 'Someone killed Connie Mac last night while she was baking the Winter Carnival cake.'
    'That's horrible. Do they know what time it happened?'
    Hannah shook her head. 'Not yet. Doc Knight's examining her now.'
    'Well, it must have been after nine.'
    'How do you know that?'
    'I grabbed a quick sandwich and then I came back to test my fill lights. I saw Connie Mac and Janie through your window when I left to go home.'
    'You'd better tell Mike and Bill.'
    'I will. I'm sorry you were the one to find her, Hannah. It must have been awful.'
    'It was.' Hannah nodded. Then she took a deep breath and managed a shaky laugh. 'After all the others, you'd think I'd be used to it by now.'
    'I don't think you ever get used to something like that.'
    'Maybe not, but if I keep on finding dead bodies, I'd better put the sheriff's number on speed-dial.'
    Norman chuckled. 'Your sense of humor is coming back. You're gong to be fine, Hannah.'
    'Of course I am.'
    The back door of The Cookie Jar opened and Mike stepped out. He frowned when he spotted Norman, but then he put on a polite smile as he strode forward across the snow. 'Hi, Norman. It's a good thing you're here. Hannah shouldn't be alone at a time like this. I would have stayed with her myself, but I've got a job to do inside.'
    'Go ahead,' Norman responded. 'I'll stay with Hannah.'
    That comment earned another frown from Mike, and Hannah's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Norman and Mike were facing off like two banty roosters, and she was no spring chicken.
    'I've got some bad news for you, Hannah.' Mike didn't look happy as he turned to her. 'Your shop is a crime scene. We'll be securing it in a couple of minutes.'
    It took a moment for that to sink in. When it did, Hannah groaned. She'd seen enough cop shows and movies to know that only authorized personnel were allowed past the barrier of