Part 34 (2/2)

and her cooler. If she could figure out a way to short out that circuit, the alarm would sound and Herb would respond. He'd check Granny's Attic first, but then he'd come into The Cookie Jar. And when he came into her kitchen to check to see that her freezer and cooler were still working, she'd use the metal bowl with the dough she'd just mixed to bang on the cooler door for all she was worth.

How could she short out the circuit? Hannah glanced around her. She couldn't get at any switches, but there was an electrical panel near the floor in the back. She got down on her hands and knees to examine it and started to frown. It was held-in place by screws and she didn't have a screwdriver. She spent precious minutes trying to loosen the screws with her fingernails, but the last repairman who'd come to check the cooler had tightened the screws down much too diligently.

Hannah sat down and sighed. What could a person use for a screwdriver if a person didn't have a screwdriver? She'd once used a table knife, much to the dismay of her fattier who'd caught her doing it, but she didn't have a table knife either. She took a deep breath, let it out again to relax, and that was when she remembered that Rhonda had been stabbed with a knife. Jed had been very anxious to recover that s...o...b..x Freddy had given her and that meant there was something important inside. It had to contain the knife that Jed had used to stab Rhonda!

Hannah stood up to get the s...o...b..x and sat back down to open it. She was chilled to the bone and her fingers were shaking so hard, she could barely untie the twine. When she lifted the lid and unrolled the old rag that was inside, she let out a cry of pure relief. It was a hunting knife, a long one with a st.u.r.dy, wicked-looking blade. She was about to grab it when she realized that the handle was metal and it might have fingerprints on it.

This consideration didn't stop Hannah for long. Her situation was growing more desperate by the minute. She grabbed one of the nonskid mats that lined the cooler shelves and 318.

used it for a glove. Then she leaned forward and began to loosen the screws that held the cover of the electrical panel in place.

It took a few minutes, but at last the cover came off and Hannah stared at the array of wires inside. She could pull them loose, but that might not short out the circuit.

Hannah leaned closer to peer inside the panel. There was a caution sticker on one part, a warning to shut off the power before attempting to replace that part and to use properly insulated tools. Hannah glanced down at the metal blade of the knife. The power was on, and the knife blade wasn't insulated. That made two out of two warnings she would ignore and it ought to do the trick. Unfortunately, the handle of the knife was also metal and she could fry. On the other hand, she was going to die anyway and it was worth a shot, especially if she wrapped the knife handle in the nonskid mat again.

Once that was accomplished, Hannah prepared for action. She had to hurry. Herb would be coming down the alley any minute. She took a split second to decide where to plunge the knife and decided to aim for the red sticker that read ”Danger.” The cooler light would go out when the circuit blew, so she pushed the mixing bowl right up against the cooler door. Then she turned back to the open panel, took a deep breath, and stabbed.

The moment the tip of the knife blade hit the danger sticker, a huge ball of light knocked Hannah flat on her back. Despite the fact that she was seeing stars, Hannah sat up, crawled to the door, and listened. The alarm was going off next door. She'd done it and she was still alive! Now all she had to do was wait for Herb and bang on the cooler door when he came into her kitchen.

It seemed like forever, crouching there in the dark, but at last Hannah heard the back door open and she banged on the cooler door as hard as she could. A second later, she heard a mumbled expletive and then a shout.

”Hannah? Are you in there?”

319.

”Yes!” Hannah shouted back at the top of her lungs.

”The handle's padlocked, but I've got bolt cutters in the cruiser. Just sit tight for a minute.”

Just sit tight? Hannah started to giggle with a mixture of relief and anxiety. What else could she do but sit tight? She giggled as she heard Herb cutting off the padlock, and she giggled when she heard him open the door. She was still giggling when he pulled her to her feet and gathered her into his arms. Then she remembered about Freddy and her giggles stopped abruptly.

”What happened, Hannah?”

”Later,” Hannah said, taking a huge gulp of welcome air. ”Do you have a police radio in your patrol car?”

”Sure.”

”Get through to the sheriff's department and tell them to post a deputy in Freddy Sawyer's hospital room. He's going to be murdered at midnight. Tell them not to let anyone but Doc Knight in or out until they hear from me.”

”Are you sure?”

”I'm positive. Would a woman who's been locked inside her own cooler by a stone-cold killer lie to you?”

Herb looked as if he wanted to ask a million questions, but he turned on his heel and rushed out to his patrol car to make the call. By the time he came back in, Hannah had already called the hospital and Doc Knight had promised to send his biggest orderly to stand guard in Freddy's room until the deputy arrived She'd also retrieved the murder weapon and packed it and the nonskid mat in Freddy's shoe-box.

”Now will you tell me what happened?” Herb asked, staring at Hannah with a mixture of alarm and admiration.

”I'll tell you on the way out to the sheriff's station. I know who killed Rhonda and I need to give them the facts. And I know who has that old bank robbery money, too.”

”And you want me to drive you out there?”

”Rhonda's killer is the one who locked me in my cooler and plugged up the air vent I think I'm still a little shaky 320.

from the cold and the lack of oxygen. Not only that, I had to short out the power with the murder weapon and I got knocked back against the wall.”

”No problem,” Herb said, holding the door open for her.

”Good. Mike's not going to be too happy about the murder weapon. I bent it a little when I used it for a screwdriver and it's got a burn hole in the blade from shorting out the power. Maybe they can still lift some fingerprints if I didn't smudge them with the nonskid mat. Are you sure you don't mind driving me?”

”Anytime, Hannah.” Herb shook his head as they went out the door. ”Let me see if I got this straight. You got locked in the cooler by Rhonda's killer, you used the murder weapon as a screwdriver and a tool to short out the circuit, you discovered that Freddy was targeted for murder at midnight tonight, and you know who has the loot from that old bank robbery?”

”That about sums it up. I'm sorry about pulling you away from your rounds, Herb. I owe you, big-time.”

”Maybe I should listen in at the sheriff's station. Then you won't have to explain it all twice.”

”That's a good idea. I'll tell them I want you with me.”

”Okay, then you already paid me back.” Herb opened the door of his patrol car for Hannah and helped her in.

”How did I pay you?” Hannah asked, buckling her seat belt and leaning back for the ride.

”I'll be there to see the expression on Mike's face when you explain all this. Believe me, Hannah. You paid me big-time!”

Chapter Thirty.

You look great, Hannah,” Norman said as Hannah ap--proached the largest table in the dining room at the Lake Eden Inn.

”Thanks, Norman.” Hannah gave him a warm smile and then she turned to Delores and Carrie. ”You're here early.”

Delores nodded. ”I know. I wanted everything to be perfect.”

”I'm sure it will be.” Hannah pulled out a chair, but her mother shook her head.

”Not there, dear. I want you to sit on Norman's right.”

Hannah rolled her eyes, but she took the chair her mother indicated. Delores always liked to arrange the seating at her parties, and she was the one who'd invited them for dinner to celebrate the solving of Rhonda's murder case.

”Aren't these flowers gorgeous?” Delores gestured toward the colorful centerpiece of summer flowers. ”Herb Beeseman sent them. They must be for you.”

”For me?” Hannah was puzzled.

”Of course. You solved Rhonda's murder. But you really should have brought a gift for Herb. He's the one who rescued you from that cooler.”

”I did bring something for Herb,” Hannah defended her- 322.

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