Craftie Ladies of Suspense

The Great Easter Bunny Heist—Part One—Lenora Worth
Ellie Cadberry’s hand shook as she dialed 911.
“Yes, I’ve just been robbed. By the Easter Bunny.”
“Good one, lady. Now I’m gonna hang-up so I can keep this line open for real crimes.”
“No, no!” Don’t hang-up! I own Ellie’s Interesting Collectibles and I’m telling you, I was robbed by someone dressed as an Easter Bunny.”
“Oh, goodness.” The dispatcher returned to professional mode and immediately verified the location of Ellie’s shop on Front Street. “We’re sending officers to the scene right now. Are you hurt?”
“Just my pride,” Ellie said, her shin throbbing. “I tried to trip him but he got away with all the money I had in the cash register and ... I think he might have taken some jewelry.”
“Officers on the way.” The dispatcher kept Ellie on the line.
“I hear the sirens,” Ellie said. “Thank you.”
She put down her cell and waited for the two uniformed policemen to hurry into the shop. This was Hopper’s Cove. Nobody ever got robbed in this bucolic mountain town. And why would someone dressed like an Easter bunny want to rob her shop anyway? Did the Easter Bunny need some of her prized Russian eggs instead of candy eggs?
She waited, ready to tell the officers exactly what had happened. But when Ellie glanced up and saw the man walking into her shop, her heart stopped. Where did the other two men go?
“Richard?”
“Ellie,” he said, his gray eyes sweeping over her. “Sorry. I heard the call over the dispatch radio. Are you all right?”
Richard Dubois. What was this big city detective doing back here in Hopper’s Cove? And why had the man who’d broken her heart five years ago have to be the first one to respond to her call for help?