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Cunningham to do the same. Laying both
aprons over a kitchen chair, she invited the two men back into the living room.
They all took their original places as Sadie continued.
    “Anne usually stays up late—sometimes until two
or three in the morning. And then she sleeps in. I’ve told her that she’s going
to have to get a better schedule for Trevor. He’ll go to school in a few years
and she’ll regret not . . .” She stopped and swallowed. Anne would
never regret anything again. Sadie looked at the floor and took a deep breath,
trying to hold back another round of tears.
    “So maybe you went over there,” Detective Madsen began. She
lifted her head and looked at him—he couldn’t mean . . .
    “You said yourself that everyone else in the circle had gone
for the day and based on the timer on Ms. Lemmon’s oven that left just you and—”
    “Well, Mrs. Hoffmiller, you’ve been very helpful,” Detective
Cunningham cut in. “We may need to ask you a few more questions later. Will
that be okay?”
    “Sure,” she said, stunned by the accusation Detective Madsen
had thrown at her but still wanting to be helpful. She looked at Detective
Cunningham. “Thank you for your help with the applesauce. You saved me a lot of
time.”
    “You’re welcome,” he said. As soon as he shut his mouth
Detective Madsen was talking again.
    “You’ll be staying in town?”
    Her heart sank again. That’s what the TV cops said to people
who were considered “people of interest” in a case. Was she a person of
interest? Could she really be a suspect?
    “My friend’s daughter is getting married in Colorado Springs
next weekend—I can still go to that, can’t I?”
    “Hopefully we’ll have this all wrapped up by then,” Detective
Cunningham said.
    Detective Madsen stared at his partner before adding, “But you
will need to check with us first.” He seemed to be trying to make Detective
Cunningham understand it as much as Sadie.
    “I didn’t kill Anne,” Sadie said, her voice shaking. How could
they think such a thing?
    “No one said you did,” Detective Madsen said, turning to face
her, his expression blank. Detective Cunningham’s jaw flexed and he shook his
head slightly while Detective Madsen continued. “Why are you jumping to that
assumption on our part?”
    Sadie looked at the floor and tried to think of an explanation
that wouldn’t make her seem even more guilty. She was about to speak when the
front door flew open. Both men were on their feet in mere moments.

Chapter 4

    Sadie was
hardly rattled—apparently her nerves were sufficiently numbed
from the day’s events.
    “Ron,” she said with a sigh, getting up from the chair and
walking to him. He pulled her into a tight hug. It had never felt so good to be
held. She hoped he’d never let go and everything would just disappear in his
embrace. She was surprised, however, to feel how tense he was.
    “I just heard,” Ron said into her hair. “Do you know what
happened?”
    “I thought you weren’t married,” Detective Madsen said,
interrupting the moment.
    Sadie pulled out of the embrace, but Ron kept a protective arm
around her shoulders that, for some reason, made her feel uncomfortable, as if
his reasons were not solely to comfort her. “Ron Bradley, this is Detective
Madsen and Detective Cunningham. Ron and I have been dating for about a year
and a half.”
    “We’re engaged,” Ron said, pulling her a little closer.
    Sadie’s cheeks reddened, embarrassed that she hadn’t said it
first and yet not liking the way it made her sound like some silly girl. “Well,
yes, we’re engaged.” She caught Detective Madsen’s eyes as they darted to her
ring-free left hand and she felt the need to explain. “We haven’t
gotten around to rings yet.”
    “She’s not answering any more questions without a lawyer,” Ron
announced bluntly.
    Sadie snapped her head to look at him. “What?” she asked.
    “Is that the case?” Detective Cunningham