Blackberry Pie Murder (7 page)

Hannah had explained that she didn’t want to drive any motor vehicle quite yet, and Michelle had volunteered.

“Home never looked so good!” Hannah said as her sister drove down the ramp of her underground garage and pulled into her parking spot.

“Home’s a good place to be after a rough day.” There was empathy in Michelle’s voice. “And you had a very rough day.”

“Not as rough as the man I hit.” Hannah got out of Cyril’s loaner, which was a newer model Buick with air-conditioning that actually worked, and started up the stairs. For the first time she wished her garage didn’t have stairs to the street level and her condo wasn’t on the second floor. She felt like a zombie and she simply had to get back some energy before Norman arrived to take her out to dinner.

“Your turn, or mine?” Michelle asked when they arrived at Hannah’s door.

“Yours. I’ll unlock and open. You brace yourself.”

“Ready.”

Hannah opened the door and quickly stepped to the side.

50

Joanne Fluke

Michelle jumped into position in front of the doorway and braced herself for what was about to happen. Both of them heard the thump as Moishe jumped off the back of the living room couch and streaked toward the door. A second later, he was airborne until he landed in Michelle’s outstretched arms.

“That was a good one, Moishe,” Michelle said, giving him a scratch under the chin as she carried him inside and placed him in his favorite position on the back of the couch. Then she turned to Hannah. “Is he getting heavier?”

“I don’t know. He could be. He’s been really hungry lately.

Maybe I’d better put him on a diet.”

As if in response to Hannah’s comment, Moishe let out a yowl. Then he turned to give Hannah a baleful look.

“I think he knows that word,” Michelle said.

“I think you’re right. He just gave me the same death ray glance Mother used to give us when we did something really bad. I should have said that I might have to change his eating habits.”

Both sisters turned to look at Moishe, but his expression was perfectly neutral and he made no sound. “That works,”

Michelle said.

“It works for now, but he’ll figure it out. Moishe’s a really smart cat. I’ll call Dr. Bob and see if I can get an appointment for tomorrow. They can check him out and put him on the scale.”

Moishe gave another yowl and the fur on his back began to bristle.

“He doesn’t like Dr. Bob anymore?” Michelle asked, staring at the cat who had narrowed his eyes and laid back his ears.

“He adores Dr. Bob. And Sue, too. That’s not it. He just heard me say the word . . .” Hannah stopped until she thought of another word . . . “weighing device. I think he caught that particular phobia from me. I don’t like to step on the weighing device either.” Hannah gave Moishe a little pat and headed for the kitchen. “Since I’m going out with Nor-BLACKBERRY PIE MURDER

51

man, you’re going to need something for dinner. I’ll see what’s in the refrigerator.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m sure there’s something. And if there’s not, I can always call out for a pizza. Lonnie said Bertanelli’s delivers in the summer.”

“That’s true. They hire high school kids with their own cars and pay them mileage. It’s good for the kids and Bert told me that it’s great for their business.”

Hannah had just stepped into the kitchen when the phone rang. “I’ll get it,” she called out to Michelle, and picked up the wall phone by the kitchen table. “The Cookie Jar. This is Hannah speak . . . oops!”

There was laughter on the other end of the line. “Did you forget you’d left work?” her caller asked.

“I did. Hi Ken.” Hannah recognized Kenneth Purvis, the Jordan High principal’s voice. “What’s up at the school?”

“The combined sports teams just held the drawing for their annual raffle.”

“That’s nice,” Hannah said, wondering why Ken was calling to tell her about it.

“I’m calling to tell you that you won the grand prize, Hannah!” Ken answered her unspoken question.

“I did?” Hannah was completely astounded. She vaguely remembered buying raffle tickets from several members of the Gulls football team when they came into The Cookie Jar.

The Jordan High combined sports teams held a big raffle every year to raise money for athletic uniforms and sports supplies, but she didn’t remember anything about the prizes for this year. “That’s just fantastic, Ken! What did I win?”

“You don’t remember what the grand prize was?”

“Actually . . . no. I didn’t think I’d win and I really didn’t pay any attention to the flyer. I just bought the tickets the way I do every year to help out the school.”

“Well, you’re in for a big surprise then. The grand prize is magnificent and it’s worth over a thousand dollars!”

52

Joanne Fluke

“Wow!” Hannah could feel her excitement grow. “Tell me, Ken. What is it?”

There was silence for a moment and then Ken chuckled.

“I’m not going to tell you. I’m just going to let them deliver it on Monday and surprise you. Can you be home between one and two?”

“No, but can’t you deliver it to me at The Cookie Jar?”

“It’s too bulky for that, and too heavy, too. You’d never get it home on your own. Besides, the boys have to assemble it, set it up, and plug it in. Do you have anyone that can let us in? A friend? A neighbor who lives in the complex?”

Hannah thought fast. “My downstairs neighbor could do it, but she works afternoons for Janice Cox at Kiddie Korner.

Her husband’s home, but he works the night shift at DelRay Manufacturing and he’ll be sleeping. Maybe Norman could come out to let them in, but I really hate to ask him. Doc Bennett’s on vacation and Norman’s been really busy at the dental clinic.”

“Not a problem. How about if we stop by your shop and pick up a key? The four boys delivering it are trustworthy and I’ll ride along in the truck to supervise.”

“That’ll work. Just be careful of Moishe. I don’t want him to get out.”

“That won’t be a problem. I’ll recruit Kathy. She loves cats and she’ll ride along to take care of Moishe.”

“Perfect,” Hannah declared, remembering how enamored Ken’s wife had been with Moishe when he’d spent his days at The Cookie Jar during the production of the independent feature that Ross Barton had filmed in Lake Eden.

“One other question,” Ken said. “Where do you want us to put it?”

Several of the words Ken had used to describe her prize flashed through Hannah’s mind.
Assemble. Set up. Plug in
.

Her thousand dollar prize could be anything from a new big screen television to a refrigerator with a water and ice dis-BLACKBERRY PIE MURDER

53

penser in the door. “I have to know what it is before I can tell you where to put it.”

“And I’m not going to tell you and spoil the surprise. Do you trust us to decide? I’ll consult with Kathy to get the woman’s viewpoint. And if you don’t like the place we choose, all you have to do is call us and we’ll move it to wherever you’d rather have it.”

“That works for me. Thanks, Ken. This is exciting. I’ll expect you at The Cookie Jar on Monday. And when I get home from work, I can ooh and ahh over my wonderful grand prize.”

When Hannah had replaced the receiver in the cradle, she turned to see Michelle standing behind her.

“I heard,” Michelle said. “You’d better buy a lottery ticket tonight. The jackpot is way up there and your luck’s changing for the better.”

“Thank goodness for that! It certainly didn’t start out being very lucky.”

“I know, but it’s a lot better now. You won a raffle and you’re going to have dinner at the best restaurant in the Lake Eden area with a man you love. What could be better than that?”

Nothing unless I can go back to this morning and avoid
killing that man,
Hannah thought, but she didn’t say it. That thought was depressing and she didn’t want to voice it. “Let’s put your theory to the test. I’ll open the refrigerator door and see if I can find something perfect for you to eat,” she said, crossing to the refrigerator, opening the door, and perusing the contents of the shelves inside.

“Do you have any bread?” Michelle asked, peering around her.

“Yes.”

“How about butter?”

“I always have butter.”

“Then I’ve got the perfect dinner if that box behind the sour cream is what I think it is.”

54

Joanne Fluke

“This one?” Hannah moved a box of Velveeta cheese to the front of the shelf.

“Yes. I’ll have a grilled cheese with some sliced tomatoes on the side. It’s one of my favorite meals. And I saw the ketchup so I’m all set. I just love grilled cheese cut in quarters and dipped in ketchup.”

“Okay. There’s half a bag of potato chips in the cupboard so you can have some of those, too. I made Chip Chip Hooray Cookies a couple of nights ago and they were left over. If you want some cookies for dessert, they’re in the cookie jar.”

“I love those cookies. That’s perfect, Hannah. I’m going to be having a gourmet meal.” Michelle glanced up at the clock and frowned. “I’ll feed Moishe. You don’t have time. If Norman’s picking you up at six-thirty and you want to shower and change, you’d better get cracking. It’s already ten after six. And don’t forget to buy that lottery ticket before you come back.”

! % { # 9 *

CHIP CHIP HOORAY COOKIES

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

1 and 1⁄2 cups softened butter
(3 sticks, 3⁄4 pound, 12

ounces
)

1 and ¼ cups white
(granulated)
sugar 2 large egg yolks (
Save the whites in a small,

covered plastic container to make Angel Kiss

Cookies or Angel Pillow Cookies)

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 and 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
(pack it down in the

cup when you measure it)

1 and 1⁄2 cups finely crushed plain regular potato chips
(measure AFTER crushing—I used Lay’s,

put them in a plastic zip-lock bag and crushed

them with my hands)

3⁄4 cup white chocolate chips
(I used Nestle Premium

White)

3⁄4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
(I used Nestle)

1⁄3 cup white
(granulated)
sugar for dipping
Hannah’s 1st Note: Use regular potato chips, the thin
salty ones. Don’t use baked chips, or rippled chips, or
chips with the peels on, or kettle fried, or flavored, or anything that’s supposed to be better for you than those wonderfully greasy, salty old-fashioned crunchy potato chips.

! % { # 9 *

55

! % { # 9 *

Lisa’s Note: I made these for the 4th of July picnic at
Eden Lake and rolled them in a combination of white, red,
and blue sugar.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar, egg yolks, salt, and vanilla extract until the mixture is light and fluffy.

(You can do this by hand, but it’s a lot easier with an elec-

tric mixer.)

Add the flour in one-half cup increments, mixing well after each addition.

Add the crushed potato chips and mix well.

Take the bowl out of the mixer and add the white and semi-sweet chips by hand. Stir them in so that they are evenly distributed.

Form one-inch dough balls with your hands and place them on an UNGREASED cookie sheet, 12 to a standard-sized sheet.
(As an alternative, you can line your cookie

sheets with parchment paper.)

Place the sugar in a small bowl. Spray the flat bottom of a drinking glass with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray, dip it in the sugar, and use it to flatten each dough ball.
(Dip the glass in the sugar for each cookie ball.)

Bake your cookies at 350 degrees F., for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are starting to turn golden at the edges.
(Mine took the full 12 minutes.)

! % { # 9 *

56

! % { # 9 *

Let the Chip Chip Hooray Cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.
(If you used parchment paper, all you

have to do is pull it over to the wire rack and let the cook-

ies cool right on the paper.)

Yield: Approximately 6 to 7 dozen crunchy, shortbread-like cookies, depending on cookie size.

! % { # 9 *

57

Chapter

!
Six
#

“Did I tell you how good you look tonight, Hannah?”

Norman asked as he reached for the decanter of chilled water on their table and poured glasses for both of them.

“Yes, you did. And I thanked you. That’s what Mother always says a woman should do when a man compliments her appearance. She’s supposed to say that and nothing more.

But then I spoiled your compliment by saying that of course you thought I looked good because you gave me this outfit for my birthday.”

Norman laughed. “I know I did. Claire picked it out for me. But that’s not all I was talking about. You’re also happier than you were this morning and when you’re happy, you’re beautiful.”

Several responses flew through Hannah’s mind, the first of which was
Have you had your eyes checked lately? You obviously need glasses.
The second response was
Don’t be silly. I
know I’m not beautiful
, and the third was
Are you trying to
butter me up for some reason?
But Hannah decided to follow her mother’s instructions and she didn’t say any of those.