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and Ryan had been standing there too long. Those waiting to get from out of the cold and into the barn slid past them impatiently. I shoved programs at them as they went. “Go on. I got this,” I said. “The show starts in five minutes.”
    â€œWhere will you be sitting?” my mother asked.
    â€œI’ll grab a seat as soon as everyone else is seated.”
    â€œCan’t you sit with us?”
    I shook my head. “That place is reserved for the progressive diners. I wasn’t going to be sitting there anyway.”
    Mom pursed her lips. “I feel like we have hardly seen you since we arrived. I hope the entire visit won’t be like this.”
    A pang of guilt hit me. “It won’t, I promise. Today was exceptionally busy. Tomorrow will be calmer, you’ll see.”
    â€œYes, of course it will be,” my father said as he led Ryan and my mother to their seats.
    Willow knelt down and scratched Oliver under the chin. “I’m glad you brought Oliver too. We need him for the play.”
    â€œWh-what?” I asked.
    Oliver gave me a pleading look.
    â€œThere is a dog in act two. He sits with Eve’s character as she sings to him about leaving the Amish. Any dog will do. Plus imagine how dashing he will look onstage!”
    Oliver bumped his head against her leg as if to say, “Well, that is true, but please don’t embarrass me.”
    â€œWhat happened to the other dog?”
    â€œHe belonged to an animal trainer in Canton. The snow is really bad in Stark County, and she couldn’t get him here.”
    â€œI don’t know. Oliver has never been on a stage before. The bright lights might bother him, or he might become afraid and run off. What if a bird gets into the barn? Then we’ll really have some trouble.”
    â€œDon’t be silly. We don’t have to worry about Oliver’s fear of birds. There aren’t any in the barn. We would have seen them by now in all this commotion. He will do great. He has that star quality.”
    Oliver shuffled behind my legs.
    Before I could argue, Willow took Oliver’s leash from my hand and led my Frenchie away. I watched them go with a knot of dread growing in my stomach. As Oliver went, he looked back at me forlornly. I trusted Willow with my dog, but Oliver, although a ham, simply wasn’t an actor.
    I continued to hand out programs and point out open seats to guests. The sheriff came up to me.
    â€œProgram?”
    He patted the back pocket of his uniform. “I got one. What’s wrong with you? You look like you lost your best friend. Did Ryan say or do something?”
    â€œRyan is a problem, yes, but I’m frowning because I did lose my best friend. Willow took Oliver backstage.”
    â€œWhy?”
    I interrupted our conversation to pass out three more programs.
    â€œIt seems the dog actor in the play is snowbound, and she needed Oliver as the stand-in. He knows Willow, but you know how scatterbrained she can be. Oliver could get scared back there by himself with no one he knows.”
    â€œI’ll send Anderson backstage to keep an eye on him. I need to put someone near the back anyway to keep an eye on the south entrance to the barn.”
    â€œWould you?” I sighed with relief. “Thanks.” I considered his last statement. “Do you suspect trouble tonight?”
    â€œI always suspect trouble. I’m a cop.”
    I frowned.
    â€œBut nothing out of the ordinary. My deputies have canvased the property. Nahum isn’t around.”
    â€œGood.”
    The houselights flashed, warning the audience the play was about to begin.
    â€œYou’d better get to your seat,” I said.
    He winked. “You too.”
    I snapped up an empty hay bale near the barn door. It was a chilly post, but I would be able to see any latecomers and hand them a program.
    As I settled onto my hay bale seat, I wondered how Oliver was getting on. I was just