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of self-esteem that she could muster at the moment.
    I locked the door on my way out, and then hurried over to the donut shop to check in with Nan before I took off. I wasn’t at all certain what I was expecting to find, but seeing the place full of happy customers hadn’t been one of the thoughts passing through my mind.
    Nan finished with her last customer, and then turned to me. “Back so soon?”
    “Just stopping in, actually. Is everything okay here?” I asked.
    “Better than that. Folks love your new donut, Suzanne. It’s a real hit.”
    I’d forgotten all about my new creation, and nodded absently at the news. “That’s nice. Listen, I hate to do this to you, but I’ve got a friend who needs me. I know it’s lousy timing, and you have every right to say no, but would you mind watching the shop a little longer?”
    “Go, don’t worry about a thing here. We close at eleven, right?”
    “I’ll be back long before that,” I said hastily.
    “Don’t worry if you can’t make it. Everything is under control here.”
    I was suddenly very glad that I had Nan in my corner. I knew that I’d always miss Emma and the drama of her ever-changing love life, but it wasn’t the worst thing in the world having someone a little older at the shop now who had a calmer perspective about everything.
    *   *   *
    I parked my Jeep in the ER parking lot, but I had a tough time finding Grace once I was there. I was starting to panic when my friend Penny Parsons saw me. Dressed in her disheveled scrubs, she looked as though she’d had a rough shift nursing, but it didn’t stop her from smiling when she saw me. “Suzanne Hart, what brings you to my corner of the woods?”
    “I’m here looking for Grace Gauge,” I said. Penny and I had shared some rough times lately, but we were back on solid ground now, something I was extremely grateful for.
    “Why would she be here? Did something happen to her?” Penny asked, concern evident on her face.
    “Not exactly,” I answered. “She’s here with Chief Martin so they can get a splinter removed from her hand.”
    “How bad is it?” Penny asked, clearly confused by my reply.
    “The splinter? It’s barely there. The mess she’s in? I’m afraid it’s quite a bit worse than that.” I didn’t want to go into much detail where idle ears could overhear our conversation. “It’s a long story, and I’ll tell you all of it sometime, but now I’m here with some clothes for her. I’m guessing that your shift is over, but is there someone I could ask for help tracking her down?”
    Penny smiled. “Don’t worry, this won’t take a second. Stay right here.”
    She went to the front information desk, and then tapped a few keys on the computer before frowning and looking back at me.
    “What is it?” I asked.
    “Let me make a quick call first,” she said.
    Penny was on the phone for over a minute, and then finally hung up and walked back over to me.
    “She’s still here, isn’t she?” I asked. Had the police chief already taken her away?
    “Yes, but Chief Martin told me that I should tell you to leave the clothes with me, and he’d collect them shortly.” She made no move to take the bag from my hands.
    “We both know that I’m not doing that, though, don’t we?” I asked with a smile.
    “How could I take them, when I’m not still here?” Penny returned, with a wicked grin of her own. “Someday you really will have to tell me what this is all about.”
    “I’ve got a feeling you’ll find out pretty soon without hearing it from me,” I answered. “Thanks, Penny.”
    “What are friends for? I was glad to do it. Good night, Suzanne.”
    “Good night,” I said, though it was just past eight in the morning. I thought I kept odd hours until I realized how many varying shifts Penny worked. At least my schedule was consistent from day to day.
    Chief Martin came out ten minutes later, looking around for Penny.
    When he saw me, he didn’t exactly smile,