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Ruthanne threw him a distracted glance. “Give me your keys. I’ll go in through Cutty’s apartment.”

“Right. Yes.” Andy handed his keys over.

Ruthanne gave him a narrow, frowning look. Andy thought he knew what was on her mind.

“I wasn’t here last night. I stayed at Quinn’s.”

She nodded, though she was still frowning, still doubtful. She turned and went around the building. He could hear the pound of her boots on the wooden steps as she climbed to the apartment landing.

The door to the toy shop opened, and Mrs. Dubonnet cautiously poked her head out.

“What’s happening?”

“Ruthanne is going to get into the shop through the apartment.”

By now a small crowd was starting to gather, though it was clear no one knew why. Andy had no intention of filling in the blanks.

Mrs. Dubonnet urged, “Come wait in here, Andy,” and Andy obeyed, following her into the little shop gaily decorated with garland and candy canes and human-sized nutcrackers.

Inside, it was warm and cozy and smelled of gingerbread potpourri. Christmas music was playing from the back office: Nat King Cole’s “I’m the Happiest Christmas Tree.”

I’m the happiest Christmas tree

Ho ho ho, hee hee hee!

Apparently, he’d been sucked into a horror movie.

“Did you recognize who it was?” Mrs. Dubonnet was asking him. Her tone was hushed although they were the only two people in the shop.

“I think it’s my…” Andy swallowed on the word. He wasn’t even sure what the word would have been.

“Your…?” She was distracted as someone opened the shop door. “We’re not open! Sorry!” She hurriedly locked the door, turning back to Andy. “Times like this I wish Mr. Dubonnet was here.”

Andy murmured agreement, though even when Mr. Dubonnet had been alive, he had rarely been around.

Lost in their own unhappy thoughts, neither spoke for a minute or two.

Then Mrs. Dubonnet asked, “Who was that man in the funny hat? He acted like he knew you.”

“He was here…” When had that been? The days seemed to run together. “Saturday afternoon.”

“Looks like a suspicious character to me.”

“I don’t know. I thought he might be another dealer.”

“Maybe?”

Again, they fell silent, gazing out the window at the gathering crowd.

“Vultures,” Mrs. Dubonnet muttered. “I can’t understand what’s happening. First Cutty. Now this. You said you knew him?”

“Knew who?” Andy was still thinking of man in the green fedora.

Mrs. Dubonnet whispered, “The dead man.”

They both jumped as someone rapped hard on the door. Ruthanne was back.

Mrs. Dubonnet unlocked the door again and opened it. Ruthanne said from the doorway, “Andy, I need to speak to you.”