killed her so she couldn't call the publisher to get him fired.'
Sally nodded. 'Okay, but that's still only four. Who's the fifth, Hannah?'
'Remember that conversation you overheard between Connie Mac and Alan? The man who was getting half of something could have killed Connie Mac to keep her from changing their agreement.'
'I didn't even think of that,' Sally said, obviously impressed. 'But how are you going to find out who he is?'
Hannah turned to her sister. 'You can ask Alan. He'll probably try to fob you off with lawyer-client privilege, but it's worth a try.'
'I'll get it out of him,' Andrea promised.
Sally glanced at her watch and sighed. 'This is getting interesting, but it's past time for me to go out there and play hostess. Come on and I'll treat you to the buffet.'
'Just one more thing before you go.' Hannah stopped Sally before she could leave. 'Do you have any idea where Janie Burkholtz is?'
'She's probably at the table with the rest of the Connie Mac people. They always sit together.'
'She's not there,' Andrea said. 'Mike called her this morning, and when Janie didn't answer the phone in her room, he sent one of the maids up to check. There was no sign of Janie, her bed hadn't been slept in, and all of her things were gone. We need to find her before Bill and Mike do.'
Sally nodded. 'Why don't you ask Paul? Janie had dinner with him Thursday night, and she would have told him if she needed time off.'
'We'll do that,' Hannah promised, and then she started to frown as another, very unwelcome thought occurred to her. 'Did you get the impression that Janie and Paul were close?'
'I guess you could say that. They seemed to have a great time together. As a matter of fact, one of my waitresses said . . . '
Sally stopped speaking abruptly and Hannah leaned forward. 'What?'
'It was probably nothing. You know how Dot Truman is. She just got engaged and she sees romance under every bush.'
Under any other circumstances, Hannah would have laughed at Sally's description, but this was far too serious. 'I still need to know what Dot said.'
'All right. It's just that Paul and Janie sat there for quite a while, laughing and talking and whatever. And that was the night before Connie Mac got here.'
'And Dot said . . . . ?' Andrea prompted.
'She told me it was pretty obvious to her that Paul had something going on the side.'
Hannah glanced at her sister in time to see her wince. It wasn't the sort of news that either of them wanted to hear. 'Is Dot Truman scheduled to work today?'
'I'm not sure. I'll have to check.' Sally got to her feet. 'Come on, you two. I have to mingle with the guests and you have to eat. We can talk more later.'
Sally and Andrea got up, but Hannah didn't. She was still considering what Dot Truman had said. Janie had a sensible head on her shoulders, and Hannah didn't think she'd be foolish enough to have an affair with her boss's husband. On the other hand, common sense could fly out the window when love walked in the door.
'Come on, Hannah,' Andrea nudged her.
'Okay.' Hannah slipped her notebook into her purse, and then another thought occurred to her. What if Janie and Paul were perfectly innocent and it only looked as if they were lovers? If Dot Truman had assumed that they were having an affair, Connie Mac could have come to the same conclusion. That would certainly explain why she'd been on the warpath yesterday afternoon.
'Hannah?' Andrea nudged her again. 'Let's go get something to eat.'
'Right.' Hannah slid off her stool, intending to leave, when another piece of the puzzle clicked into place.
'Hannah?' Andrea sounded impatient.
'Hold your horses; I'm coming.' Hannah grabbed her purse and followed Andrea into the dining room. On any other morning, the sight of Sally's buffet table would have made her as hungry as a bear, but she barely glanced at the tempting array. Her mind was still back at the crime scene, thinking about Janie and Connie Mac.
Once Bill and Mike had
Sally nodded. 'Okay, but that's still only four. Who's the fifth, Hannah?'
'Remember that conversation you overheard between Connie Mac and Alan? The man who was getting half of something could have killed Connie Mac to keep her from changing their agreement.'
'I didn't even think of that,' Sally said, obviously impressed. 'But how are you going to find out who he is?'
Hannah turned to her sister. 'You can ask Alan. He'll probably try to fob you off with lawyer-client privilege, but it's worth a try.'
'I'll get it out of him,' Andrea promised.
Sally glanced at her watch and sighed. 'This is getting interesting, but it's past time for me to go out there and play hostess. Come on and I'll treat you to the buffet.'
'Just one more thing before you go.' Hannah stopped Sally before she could leave. 'Do you have any idea where Janie Burkholtz is?'
'She's probably at the table with the rest of the Connie Mac people. They always sit together.'
'She's not there,' Andrea said. 'Mike called her this morning, and when Janie didn't answer the phone in her room, he sent one of the maids up to check. There was no sign of Janie, her bed hadn't been slept in, and all of her things were gone. We need to find her before Bill and Mike do.'
Sally nodded. 'Why don't you ask Paul? Janie had dinner with him Thursday night, and she would have told him if she needed time off.'
'We'll do that,' Hannah promised, and then she started to frown as another, very unwelcome thought occurred to her. 'Did you get the impression that Janie and Paul were close?'
'I guess you could say that. They seemed to have a great time together. As a matter of fact, one of my waitresses said . . . '
Sally stopped speaking abruptly and Hannah leaned forward. 'What?'
'It was probably nothing. You know how Dot Truman is. She just got engaged and she sees romance under every bush.'
Under any other circumstances, Hannah would have laughed at Sally's description, but this was far too serious. 'I still need to know what Dot said.'
'All right. It's just that Paul and Janie sat there for quite a while, laughing and talking and whatever. And that was the night before Connie Mac got here.'
'And Dot said . . . . ?' Andrea prompted.
'She told me it was pretty obvious to her that Paul had something going on the side.'
Hannah glanced at her sister in time to see her wince. It wasn't the sort of news that either of them wanted to hear. 'Is Dot Truman scheduled to work today?'
'I'm not sure. I'll have to check.' Sally got to her feet. 'Come on, you two. I have to mingle with the guests and you have to eat. We can talk more later.'
Sally and Andrea got up, but Hannah didn't. She was still considering what Dot Truman had said. Janie had a sensible head on her shoulders, and Hannah didn't think she'd be foolish enough to have an affair with her boss's husband. On the other hand, common sense could fly out the window when love walked in the door.
'Come on, Hannah,' Andrea nudged her.
'Okay.' Hannah slipped her notebook into her purse, and then another thought occurred to her. What if Janie and Paul were perfectly innocent and it only looked as if they were lovers? If Dot Truman had assumed that they were having an affair, Connie Mac could have come to the same conclusion. That would certainly explain why she'd been on the warpath yesterday afternoon.
'Hannah?' Andrea nudged her again. 'Let's go get something to eat.'
'Right.' Hannah slid off her stool, intending to leave, when another piece of the puzzle clicked into place.
'Hannah?' Andrea sounded impatient.
'Hold your horses; I'm coming.' Hannah grabbed her purse and followed Andrea into the dining room. On any other morning, the sight of Sally's buffet table would have made her as hungry as a bear, but she barely glanced at the tempting array. Her mind was still back at the crime scene, thinking about Janie and Connie Mac.
Once Bill and Mike had
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