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part-time as interns. Their dark heads were bent over what Esther called mushroom fantasies—crisp little toast wedges covered in a mushroom-celery mix that the girls had sautéed in butter and sherry. The room smelled wonderful.
    Before I could say anything to Esther, Parker raised a hand. “I’m Jay Parker of the Pine Haven Police Department. I wonder if I could speak to you, Mrs. Reynolds, and you, Mr. Reynolds? Perhaps in a different room?”
    Everyone stopped dicing, chopping, and stuffing and looked up at us for a pregnant moment. Then Esther said, “What’s wrong? Is it one of my children?”
    I suppose that would be every mother’s fear, always.
    â€œOh, Esther,
no
!” I cried. “It’s just—I had a little—incident today, and—” To my utter embarrassment, I started to cry again.
    Esther’s eyes widened in horror. Parker said, “In another room?”
    The four of us traipsed through a door and into Esther and Jim’s private apartment, leaving poor Gabby and Nicole gaping after us. They probably went straight to their phones to run a Google search on the police blotter for Pine Haven. We sat on Esther’s living room couches, and Parker filled them in succinctly on the day: my delivery, the ill-fated Santa, my unfortunate presence at a crime scene, the potential danger of my situation.
    â€œI’m not saying that Lilah is definitely in danger. We’ll know more after we gather some additional information, and I need to get back to that.” Parker looked at his watch with something near desperation. “But I wondered if there was any way that you could keep Lilah to inside work today.I realize she probably helps you with deliveries or serving at parties, but perhaps she could take up more tasks here, and—”
    â€œYou can’t be serious?” I said, gaping at him.
    Jim spoke in his calm voice. “Lilah, he’s being wise. We can get Gabby and Nicole to help us out at the reception, and you can man the phones here and start tomorrow’s soufflés. It won’t affect the timing of things in the least.”
    Esther didn’t seem to have heard anything after the word
murder
. Now she came and sat beside me, taking my hands. “Oh, Lilah. You must have been so afraid.”
    I hugged her. Esther was always brisk and efficient, but she was quite maternal when the situation called for it.
    â€œI have to go. I’ll be back for Lilah tonight,” Parker said.
    â€œI can get my family to pick me up, Parker.”
    He stood; his keys were in his hand. “If you make other arrangements, call me. Otherwise I’ll be here at the end of your shift, which will be—?”
    â€œToday? Around eight o’clock,” Jim said.
    â€œAll right.” Parker nodded at me. “Good-bye.” And with one quick blue glance around the room, he took three long strides and was out the door.
    â€œA man of few words,” said Jim.
    I said nothing.
    â€œHe’s the one, isn’t he?” Esther asked me. “The one who broke your heart?”
    I tried to make light of it. “There’s more than one person who answers that description, actually.”
    â€œIt must have been so hard, having to be around him after such a tense situation.”
    â€œIt was okay. He was decent.” I still had my arms wrapped around Esther; I peeled them away and said, “I need to get to work.”
    Jim stood. “In a minute, Lilah. You’ve been invaluable around here for the last month and a half, and you’ve been overworking yourself between this job and your little sideline. Sit there and take some deep breaths. Then you come out and work when you’re ready. And in the meantime, you can decide what you want to do for a ride. You’re always welcome to stay here, if you wish.”
    â€œThanks, Jim. Really, thanks.” He strolled over and patted my head, then went