“You can come back tomorrow. Try the pumpkin muffin.” Hanna moved forward, pushing him out to the sidewalk. “We have a meeting right now and can’t—”
“With me.”
Stella frowned. She’d basically been frowning ever since she arrived. “Excuse me?”
“I apologize for the subterfuge.” He was smart enough to wince. “I wanted to meet you all and figured you wouldn’t just agree to talk with me without more information.”
Hanna continued to block his access. “So, you forced a confrontation?”
“Who are you?” Stella’s stern expression matched her no-nonsense tone. “And don’t tell us your name again. You know what I’m asking.”
“Of course.” That overblown confidence seemed to slip a notch. He swallowed twice before finishing his thought. “I’m in town doing research.”
I already hated this conversation. “Do it somewhere else.”
“That’s not really a choice I have. See, my project involves this town and all of you.”
I knew he was going to say something like that, but the words still hit like a slap. There was only one thing that bound the three of us together—the Tanners—and that loose association wasn’t known outside of our circle.
Damn it, this was that author guy.
“Explain.” Stella barked out the order.
Hanna finally shifted to the side, giving the guy a slim opportunity to get a better peek at us. “You have five minutes before I call the police. I’d talk fast.”
He took advantage of the opening and stepped into the café, letting the door shut behind him. “I’m writing about the Tanners.”
Hearing the truth was worse than I’d imagined. “Absolutely not.”
“No.” Stella shook her head as if to emphasize her position. “We’re not interested.”
Hanna gestured toward the street. “Looks like you didn’t need the full five minutes.”
“Wait.” The room started to spin. I gripped the edge of the counter to keep from falling off the stool. I had so many questions but went for the most pressing one. “Did someone hire you?”
He shrugged. “I can’t say.”
“Of course not. How convenient.” Hanna pointed toward the front door and the darkness beyond. “Have a good night.”
“Look, I know this is a difficult topic. Reliving it isn’t going to be easy but forgetting it has to be impossible. There are a lot of moving parts and unanswered questions about the Tanners, and I’m afraid you’re three of them.”
Hanna’s expression remained unreadable. “Uh-huh.”
“We can handle this in a way that honors the Tanners and keeps you all protected.” He held up both hands, as if trying to ward off any pummeling verbal blows before they could land. “I promise to be respectful and honest. To provide anonymity where possible.”
“No one needs a book on this subject.” The thought of it made me queasy.
“The emergency hearing revived interest.” He said the words in a rush. “It was about Xavier Tanner’s estate.”
“Well, he did die.” Stella looked ready to add something else but stopped.
“I know how he wanted his assets distributed,” Gabe said. “Do you?”
Bombshell dropped.
I heard the sharp intake of breath and hoped the telling sound didn’t come from me.
“How could you know something like that?” Hanna asked.
