chaise longue.
“Here’s Moishe,” Delores said as Moishe spotted Hannah and ran toward her.
“Rrroow!” Moishe yowled a greeting as he jumped up into her lap. He crawled up her body to lick her face, and she laughed through her tears and reached down to pet him. “It’s okay, Moishe,” she told him. And surprisingly, it was okay. Here they were, nestled in the bosom of her family, surrounded by the people that loved her. Hannah felt the weight of shock and grief lighten and she drew a relieved breath. The weight was still there but wasn’t as heavy as it had been.
Moishe purred as she stroked his soft fur and Hannah knew that he was putting the trauma of hiding outside in the dark behind him. He was safe here in her lap, surrounded by Delores, and Michelle, and Andrea, and Norman. And that was when Hannah realized that she was safe too, and she managed a shaky smile.
“Thank you,” she said to all of them. “I’m so glad I’m here with you.”
Chapter Twenty-two
When Hannah woke up in the morning, the sun was in the wrong place. For one brief moment she thought she’d slept all morning and it was late afternoon. But then she realized that the sun wasn’t the only thing out of place. The dresser wasn’t against the right wall next to the door. The closet wasn’t on her right, and the mirrors had been replaced with wooden doors. And the bed was king-size rather than queen-size. And that was when she finally realized that she was not at home in her own condo.
Reality swam in, doing a rapid Australian crawl, and even though she fought to stop its advance before it got to the bad part, the memories of the previous night rushed back. Ross on the bed, covered in blood and almost unrecognizable. Splatters of his lifeblood on the wall and the carpet that Andrea had chosen for their condo. She was in her mother and Doc’s penthouse, and the guest bedroom began to spin around her in dizzying circles.
You’re stronger than that. Get over it, her rational mind told her. And when she opened her eyes, the bedroom was stationary once again.
Oh, how she wanted to stay right where she was now, safe in her mother’s guest room, not thinking and not feeling! You can’t do that, her rational mind reminded her. You have work to do and only you can do it.
Hannah sat up and shoved her feet into her slippers. Her mission, her obligation, was clear. It was her duty to discover the identity of Ross’s killer, learn why he’d been murdered in the condo they’d shared for such a brief time, and make sure that the killer was punished for the awful crime that had been committed. She had to make sure that justice was done.
Even though her tired body clamored for more rest, Hannah rose to her feet. She turned to look at the pillow next to hers and felt grateful as she saw that Moishe was sleeping there. He was a comfort and he loved her unconditionally. If only Ross could have been that way!
Don’t think, just do, her rational mind told her, and Hannah shrugged into her chenille robe, the one her mother hated because it was so old and so worn. How had her robe gotten here? She pondered that question as she walked to the adjoining bathroom to take her morning shower.
Her question was answered when she came out of the shower. There was a note propped up on her dresser and it was in Michelle’s handwriting. Sleep in this morning, Hannah. You don’t have to go to work. Aunt Nancy, Lisa, and I have everything covered at The Cookie Jar.
Hannah’s lips curved up in a small smile. And then she noticed the open suitcase on the bench at the foot of the bed. Clean clothes, but how had they gotten to her mother’s penthouse?
These were in the dryer, another note read. It was propped up on top of a pair of Hannah’s clean jeans and Hannah didn’t need a signature to know that this was more of her thoughtful youngest sister’s work. Michelle must have gone back to the condo last night to collect clean clothes for her. And since the master bedroom was probably taped off as a crime scene, Michelle had been resourceful enough to check the dryer in the laundry room and discover the clothes Hannah hadn’t taken out before they’d left for