Blackberry Pie Murder (32 page)

Hannah walked in and greeted everyone with a smile.

Then she went straight to her spot on the couch and sat down. Her earlier ruminations seemed silly in retrospect.

As usual, Hannah was the filling in a Mike and Norman sandwich, sitting between them on the middle cushion, but tonight she didn’t mind at all. It might have had something to do with the fact that Norman started rubbing the kinks out of her neck while Mike spread some of his Busy Day Pate on a cracker for her. Michelle came in to hand her a chilled glass of wine and a full plate of food, and Hannah felt her spirits rise from the soles of her feet all the way up to the ceiling.

She had thought she was bone-tired, but now she was beginning to feel happy and full of energy. What a great welcome!

It was wonderful to be home with the people who loved you.

266

Joanne Fluke

As the conversation flowed around her and she ate Michelle’s excellent dinner, she felt renewed and refreshed.

“Try my new cookies, Hannah,” Andrea urged her.

“They’re called Golden Raisin Whippersnappers and I really like them.”

Hannah’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “But you don’t
like
raisins.”

“I know, but I like these cookies. I think it’s the golden raisins. It’s the brown ones I don’t really like.”

Hannah reached for a cookie and took a bite, chewing and swallowing quickly. “These are great, Andrea! They’re as light as air and they have just the right amount of sweetness.

Is that cinnamon I taste?”

“Yes. It’s in the powdered sugar I used when I coated them. I figured cinnamon went with raisins.”

“Oh, it does,” Michelle jumped into the conversation.

“And everybody who had one at the coffee shop thought so, too. Andrea brought them in for us to try, and they were a huge hit.”

“Then we’ll add them to the menu,” Hannah promised, making an executive decision that she knew would please her sister.

“Do we have to leave some for Bill, or can I have another couple of cookies?” Mike asked Andrea.

“Help yourself,” Andrea answered. “You don’t have to leave any for him.”

Hannah came close to groaning. It seemed the ongoing feud was still going on. And the longer it lasted, the more difficult it would be to resolve.

“Still mad at him?” Mike asked.

“Yes, but I left two dozen on the kitchen counter for him when I left this morning. And I left another two dozen for Grandma McCann and the girls.”

Hannah breathed a breath of relief. Andrea might not know it yet, but the feud was nearing its demise. If Andrea was leaving cookies for Bill, it wouldn’t last much longer.

BLACKBERRY PIE MURDER

267

“Are you rested enough to tell us what happened in the Cities today?” Andrea asked. “I don’t want to rush you, but my curiosity is killing me.”

“Let me get you another glass of wine first,” Mike said to Hannah. “How about you, Andrea? Do you want a refill?”

“Yes. I just love this wine, but make it only half a glass, please. I promised Tracey I’d be home by eight so we could read a chapter in her new book before bedtime.”

“I’ll get it,” Michelle said, jumping to her feet before Mike could even get up from the couch. This made Hannah smile.

Michelle knew Mike would probably grab the jug and bring it into the living room, never suspecting that they were keeping the brand, price, and source of Andrea’s favorite wine a secret from her.

When the coffee cups and glasses were filled, or half-filled in Andrea’s case, Hannah told her story. She made it entertaining, but she also gave them the facts they’d learned from Starlet.

“So the upshot was,” she concluded, “Starlet confirmed the rumor that one of Keith Branson’s girls died from a beating. The girl’s name was Sugar, but that was her street name and Starlet didn’t know her real name. She also said that she’d heard that Keith was dead and at first she was glad about that. But then Keith’s girlfriend, Lady Die, had taken over, and she was even worse than Keith had been.”

Andrea looked shocked at this information. “I didn’t know that they had women pimps.”

“Oh, yeah,” Mike said. “Sometimes the women are even tougher on the girls than the men.”

“Starlet said the word on the street was that Lady Die was in the hotel room with Keith when he beat up on Sugar. Starlet said she heard that Lady Die was the one who beat her so badly, she died.”

Norman just sighed and shook his head. “It’s a terrible life for these girls. And most of them get into it young, before 268

Joanne Fluke

they know what’s really going on. They don’t learn the truth until it’s too late for them to get out.”

Hannah reached out to squeeze his hand. Norman looked very sad and she knew he was remembering the volunteer work he’d done at the Seattle dental clinic for the unfortunate people who lived on the street.

“There was only one more thing that Starlet told us and it’s important,” Hannah went on. “She said Keith left last week for some little town because he was chasing a girl who ran away so he could take her back.”

“Who?” Mike asked.

“Someone she knew as Honey, but I’m afraid that doesn’t help us much. We don’t even know if Honey passed through Lake Eden. Keith may have just stopped here on his way to somewhere else.”

“How about the diamond in the tooth?” Norman asked her. “Did Starlet know anything about that?”

“No. Starlet was relatively new to the street. She said she’d been working for less than a year, and Keith had the diamond in his tooth when she met him.”

“Where did she meet him?” Mike asked.

“In her hometown in Wisconsin. She didn’t mention the name of the town, and we didn’t want to press her.”

“Okay,” Mike said. “How about the ring?”

“She knew nothing about that. She said she didn’t think that Keith ever wore a ring. I think Doc’s theory is right and that Keith picked it up after the man who fought with him lost it.”

“Did she say any more about Lady Die?” Lonnie asked.

“Not really, just that she was really nasty and mean.”

“I’ll call Stella and give her Lady Die’s name,” Mike said.

“Or better yet, I’ll talk to some of the guys I know in Vice.”

“If you talk to Stella, thank her for me,” Hannah told him.

“And . . . ask her if there’s any way she can arrest Starlet for something so that they can bring her into the station. Lady BLACKBERRY PIE MURDER

269

Die sounds dangerous and if she finds out that Starlet talked to us, Starlet could be in big trouble.”

Mike shook his head. “It’s not going to work, Hannah.

Stella’s got enough juice to do it, but she can’t keep Starlet there indefinitely.”

“I know, but maybe Starlet will tell Stella where she’s from and she can get out of Minneapolis and go back there.”

“I’ll mention it, but it’s probably not going to happen,”

Mike said and he sounded sad and very weary. “You can’t rescue somebody who doesn’t want to be rescued. And it doesn’t sound to me like Starlet wants to go back home quite yet.”

Hannah thought that over for a moment. Perhaps Mike was right. Starlet had expressed no desire to go back home and she had seemed content to stay on her corner.

“You did a good job, Hannah,” Norman said, “and so did your mother.”

“That’s right,” Mike agreed, and Hannah knew he was making a deliberate effort to be upbeat for her benefit. “You can’t save them all, Hannah.”

“I know. It’s just a shame, that’s all.”

Mike gave a humorous chuckle. “Why do you think I got out of Vice and became a homicide detective? Murderers are a lot more fun than pimps and prostitutes.”

They all stared at Mike for a moment and then Hannah burst into laughter. That broke the ice and everyone laughed.

“I’ve got to go,” Mike said when they’d quieted down.

“Hannah’s tired and I’ve got an early day tomorrow.”

“You’re back at the department?” Andrea asked him, and Hannah noticed that she sounded hopeful.

“Nope. Your husband’s as stubborn as a mule, but he’ll come around eventually. I’ve just got some loose ends to tie up, that’s all.”

“And I have to read a whole chapter to Tracey.” Andrea stood up and turned to Mike. “Walk me down to my car?”

“Sure thing.”

270

Joanne Fluke

“Both of us will,” Norman said, rising to his feet. “I’ve got an early day, too.”

Lonnie glanced at his watch. “So do I, and it starts at mid-night. They’ve got me on swing shift tonight.”

Once goodbyes were said, the living room emptied out quickly. In the space of a couple of minutes, Michelle and Hannah were the only two left.

“It’s bedtime for me,” Michelle said, yawning widely.

“How about you, Hannah?”

It had to be true that yawns were contagious because Hannah yawned, too. “I’ll turn in now.” She looked down at the cat who was curled up in her lap. “And I think Moishe has already turned in.”

There was a sleepy yowl from Moishe as she stood up to follow Michelle down the hall. “Come on, then,” Hannah told him. “I’m so tired tonight, you can probably steal my pillow and I won’t even notice it’s gone.”

! % { # 9 *

GOLDEN RAISIN WHIPPERSNAPPER

COOKIES

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

For the Cookies:

1⁄2 cup boiling water

1 teaspoon brandy extract

1⁄2 cup golden raisins
(Andrea uses golden raisins,

but you could use regular raisins if you prefer)

1 large egg

2 cups thawed, not frozen Cool Whip
(measure

this—Andrea said her tub of Cool Whip

contained a little over 3 cups.)

1 package
(approximately 18 ounces)
spice cake mix
(Andrea used Duncan Hines)

For Rolling Cookie Balls:

1⁄2 cup powdered
(confectioner’s)
sugar 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Either boil the half-cup of water on the stove and then pour it into a microwave-safe bowl OR heat the half-cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl
(Andrea used a one-

cup Pyrex measuring cup)
for 60 seconds on HIGH. This might not be boiling, but it will be hot enough for your purposes.

Add the brandy extract to your hot water.

! % { # 9 *

271

! % { # 9 *

Sprinkle in the raisins and set the bowl on the counter while you prepare the cookie sheets.

Chill 2 teaspoons from your silverware drawer by sticking them in the freezer. You want them really icy cold. This will make it a lot easier to form the cookies after the dough is mixed.

Prepare your cookie sheets by spraying them with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray, or lining them with parchment paper, which you will then spray with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk the egg in a large mixing bowl.

Measure out 2 cups of Cool Whip and stir them into the egg.

Check your raisins to see if they’ve plumped up. If they have, drain them and then pat them dry with a paper towel. If they haven’t plumped, give them a little more time before you drain them and dry them off.

When your raisins are plumped and drained, add them to the mixing bowl and stir them in by hand. Mix very gently and don’t over-stir. You don’t want to stir all the air out of the Cool Whip.

Sprinkle the cake mix over the top of your mixing bowl.

Fold it in very gently, mixing only until everything is combined. The object here is to keep as much air in the cookie batter as possible.

! % { # 9 *

272

! % { # 9 *

Place the 1⁄2 cup of powdered sugar in a separate small bowl.
(You don’t have to sift it unless it’s got big lumps.)

Add the cinnamon to the bowl and stir it all up with a fork. Mix until the cinnamon is thoroughly combined with the sugar.

Take your teaspoons out of the freezer and drop the cookie dough by chilled and rounded teaspoonfuls into the bowl of powdered sugar and cinnamon. Roll the cookie dough ball around in the bowl with your fingers to coat it on all sides.

Hannah’s 1st Note: Roll only one cookie dough ball at a
time. If you roll too many at once, they’ll stick together and
you’ll have a real mess. This dough is very sticky, so you
must keep your fingers coated with the sugar-cinnamon
mixture.

Hannah’s 2nd Note: If you’re really having trouble with
the sticky dough, refrigerate your mixing bowl and dough
for one hour. Then take it out and try it again. If you do
this, don’t forget to turn off your oven. You can preheat it
again a few minutes before you take the cookie dough out
of the refrigerator.

Place each coated cookie dough ball on the cookie sheets you’ve prepared, 12 cookies to each standard-size sheet.

Bake the cookies at 350 degrees F. for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are firm to the touch when tapped very lightly on the top with a fingertip.

! % { # 9 *

273

! % { # 9 *

When the cookies have baked, take them out of the oven and let them cool on the cookie sheets for 2 minutes.

Then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Hannah’s 3rd Note: If you used parchment paper, all
you have to do is wait 2 minutes and then pull the whole
sheet of parchment paper onto a wire cooling rack. Just
leave the Golden Raisin Whippersnappers on the parchment paper until they’re cool, and then simply peel them
off.

Yield: 3 to 4 dozen delicious cookies, depending on cookie size.

Andrea likes these cookies even though she doesn’t like

raisins. I think it may be because of the brandy extract.