Free Powdered Peril by Jessica Beck Page A

I do for you, ladies?” Hillary asked as we walked into her office.
    “We need your help,” I said as I slid the list of numbers across the desk to her. “Is there any way you can tell us who has these phone numbers?”
    She didn’t even glance at the list, but instead kept watching us. “I have to ask you something first. Is this official city business?”
    “No,” I said. “It’s just a favor for two friends.”
    Hillary frowned. “Well, I’m sorry, but I can’t use city computers to help you.”
    I reached for the numbers as I said, “That’s fine. Thanks anyway. We understand.”
    She stopped me before I could retrieve the list. “However, I was about to take my break, and no one tells me what to do when I’m on my own time.” She reached down and brought up a notebook computer, opening it in one fluid motion. After a few moments, Hillary took the list, typed in the first number, and then said, “It will just take a second.”
    Grace looked at me. “I could have done that myself.”
    “But there’s no need to,” Hillary replied. “I’m doing it for you.” She looked at the screen, and then said, “The first number belongs to Cutnip.”
    Why would Leah be talking to someone at the local beauty shop? I kind of doubted that Burt would call them unless he was looking for his new wife, but then again, I knew that Marge wasn’t a big fan of Cutnip’s identical styling results.
    “What else do you have?” I asked.
    Hillary didn’t even have to type in the second number. As she looked at it, she said, “This one came directly from upstairs,” she said, a little surprised.
    “From any telephone in particular?”
    “Unless I’m mistaken, and I know that I’m not, this is the mayor’s direct phone number,” she admitted.
    Was George following up on the case himself, even though I’d asked him not to? Our next stop had to be upstairs so we could ask him, but there was one more number on the list.
    “And how about the last one?”
    Hillary punched the number in, and then said, “Whoever owns it is in Montview,” she said. “Someone named Ida Belle. Here’s the address,” she said as she copied it down on the back of our original paper.
    As she wrote, I asked, “I’m curious; is there some kind of secret database you can tap into to find those numbers?”
    Hillary laughed. “It’s called a reverse directory. It’s amazing how much information is out there if you just know where to look. Is that all I can do for you?”
    “Thanks, you’ve been a big help,” I said.
    “Posh, it was nothing,” Hillary replied.
    “I wouldn’t say that. It’s good for half a dozen donuts and a big cup of coffee, any time you want to come by to claim it.”
    Hillary laughed. “I’ve been offered a great many bribes over the course of my time here, but I have to admit, never donuts.”
    “More’s the pity,” I said. Then it hit me what she’d just said. “Hey, it’s not a bribe. It’s just the only concrete way I have to thank you for helping us.”
    “In that case, I’ll see you tomorrow morning before work,” Hillary said. She glanced at her watch, and then said, “If I hurry, I’ll still have just enough time to eat lunch.” She looked at each of us in turn, and then added, “All I have is a ham sandwich, but I’d be glad to split it three ways if you’d care to join me.”
    “Thanks for the offer, but we’re in kind of a rush,” I said.
    As we started for the door, she said, “Tell the new mayor I said hello.”
    “What makes you think that’s where we’re going?” Grace asked.
    “Please, ladies, I’d be disappointed in you both if you weren’t planning to see what that telephone call was all about. You are investigating the murder, aren’t you?”
    “We might do a little digging,” I admitted.
    “Well, I sincerely hope that you find Peter’s killer. It’s all rather unpleasant business, isn’t it?”
    “There’s no doubt about it,” I said.
    As we headed up