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sell more chocolate out of town than we do in Warner Pier. We’re well acquainted with the FedEx and UPS drivers.
    After they’d been in business a year or so, Aunt Nettie and Uncle Phil needed to hire more help, and eventually the business operation shook out with Aunt Nettie managing the workshop and overseeing the twenty-five or so ladies whomake the chocolates, and Uncle Phil handling the business and shipping ends and supervising the small retail shop.
    After Uncle Phil died, Aunt Nettie hired me to run the business side. But through all this, the shop had remained at the same address. Things changed, of course. The building they were in went on the market, so they bought it. The store next door closed, so they expanded into that space. As the mail-order business grew, they added a shipping room at the back. But the workshop and retail store remained small, and my office was an eight-by-eight glass cubicle overlooking the retail area on one side and the workshop on another.
    Until Sissy started work, that office housed the whole business department. I definitely couldn’t share it with another person; it would barely hold my desk. So we had adapted a small storage room for Sissy. She and I had to walk through a corner of the shop to reach each other, though we did have an intercom as part of our telephone system. But Sissy was pretty much stuck in a closet—a well-ventilated closet, but a very small space in an inconspicuous part of the business.
    Until the parade started, I hadn’t realized this would turn out to be a big advantage. Because beginning Monday morning, we had a small boom in business.
    The retail shop is always busy during the summer tourist season, but that morning we weren’t drawing tourists. No, we were invaded by locals.
    Barbara, manager of our bank branch, came in to buy a half pound of Amaretto truffles (“milk chocolate filling flavored with almond liqueur, enrobed in milk chocolate, and dusted with chopped almonds”).
    “These are my mom’s favorites,” she said, “and tomorrow is her birthday.”
    She spoke a little too casually, and she looked all aroundthe office and the shop. It was obvious Barbara was checking out the news that we’d hired Sissy Smith.
    “Nice present,” I said. “I’m glad you came in. I want you to meet our new bookkeeper. She’ll be doing some of our banking.”
    “Oh! You’ve finally hired some office help?”
    “Sure have.”
    We both sounded as innocent as lambs.
    I took Barbara’s money, then led her back to Sissy’s little office. The two of them shook hands, and we all acted friendly and casual.
    It was after Barbara left that Sissy spoke. “The gauntlet begins,” she said. “Everybody’s going to want to get a look at me.”
    “Warner Pier is a small town,” I said. “There aren’t that many people to come by for a look. How are you coming with the payroll records?”
    “You haven’t asked me to do anything complicated yet.”
    “I warned you the job would be routine.”
    “Routine sounds great. After the past four months, I love routine.”
    Barbara’s visit set the pattern for the day.
    At ten thirty, Sarajane, the B and B owner, came in personally to buy five pounds of mint truffles (“dark chocolate mint-flavored filling, covered in dark chocolate, and embellished with pale green stripes”). She buys these all the time to place on her guests’ pillows, but usually she expects me to deliver them.
    At eleven o’clock, Jason Foster, who runs the Warner Point Restaurant, bought several pounds of Kahlúa truffles (“milk chocolate centers, flavored with coffee liqueur, covered with milk chocolate and decorated with dark chocolate stripes”). Hesaid he was going to experiment with offering them to accompany after-dinner coffee. Since Jason already offers a fabulous dessert cart, I didn’t really expect him to add TenHuis chocolates to his menu, but I didn’t turn down the money.
    After lunch, four Warner Pier teachers came