Christmas Sweets

by Joanne Fluke

  “No way! It looks more like an illegal operation that led into an internal conflict with . . .”

  “No, it doesn’t. Just let me . . .”

  “Better not. Look at that . . .”

  “Uh-oh,” Larry groaned.

  Matt began to frown. “Uh-oh what?”

  “Miss Jansen’s computer just went to the blue screen of death.”

  “What blue screen of death?” Matt interjected before they could revert to twin talk again.

  “You know, Mr. Sherwood,” Larry started to explain. “You only get the bright blue screen when . . .”

  “. . . your operating system’s compromised,” Gary ended the explanation.

  “That sounds bad,” Matt said, remembering his old college roommate talking about getting a blue screen and not being able to access the term paper he’d just finished.

  Gary gave a short laugh. “It’s always bad, and sometimes it’s a disaster. But we know a couple of fixes that might . . .”

  “. . . get it back online again,” Larry took over. “Just give us a minute, and we’ll get into the CMOS and run some internal checks.”

  “Take your time,” Matt said, sitting down on the couch by the window.

  The twins worked in silence for a moment, and then Gary gave a little cheer. “Okay. It’s up.”

  “That’s just the operating system,” Larry pointed out. “How about her files and her Internet provider?”

  “The files are here. Let me just sign on and see if . . .” Gary stopped speaking as the computer rang like a bell several times in succession. “It’s an instant message.”

  Larry frowned. “Better retrieve it and save it. If you don’t, she might lose it.”

  “Okay. I’ll just pull it up and . . . Wow!”

  “Wow, what?” Matt asked, leaning forward slightly.

  “I didn’t know Miss Jansen was engaged!”

  “Engaged?” both Matt and Larry asked at once.

  “Well, she must be. He’s asking her questions about their wedding.”

  Matt felt sick, and he was glad he was sitting down. “You shouldn’t read somebody else’s e-mail,” he said weakly.

  “But he’s talking about you,” Gary insisted. “You want to know what he says, don’t you?”

  “Yes, but we really ought to respect her privacy.” Matt’s voice trailed off. Of course he wanted to know what the message said. He’d been about to propose to Julie and that meant he needed to know.

  “How can it be private if it’s about you?” Larry challenged, and then he turned to his twin. “Go ahead and tell Mr. Sherwood what it says. Don’t read it out loud ’cause that would be snooping, but tell him the important parts.”

  “Okay. His name is Dan and he’s talking about something called a bachelor party. Do you know what that is?”

  “Oh, yes,” Matt said, the sick feeling rising in his stomach.

  “The wedding’s going to be in June, and Dan’s telling Miss Jansen that he just sent an e-mail to her colleague to invite him to the bachelor party.”

  “Me?” Matt managed to ask.

  “That’s right. He says, your colleague, Mr. Sherwood. And then he says something about how he’s looking forward to meeting you, and how glad he is that you’re keeping her amused over Christmas.”

  Amused? Julie had told her fiancé that he’d amused her? Matt felt like swearing a blue streak, or throwing something through the picture window that overlooked the quad, or tracking down Julie’s fiancé and taking him out with his bare hands. Any one of the three might have made him feel better, but he did none of them. Instead, Matt took a deep breath and let it out again slowly, hoping that his equilibrium would return and the twins wouldn’t notice how his hands were shaking.

  “That’s very interesting,” he said, pleased that his voice sounded calm, “but it’s really none of our business. Save the message and then go find Spenser. Tell him I’m going to drive you boys out to the mall for hamburgers, and after that we’ll take in a movie, or go bowling, or something.”

  “How about the girls?” Larry asked.

  “They can stay here with Miss Jansen. It’ll be boys night out, no girls allowed.”

  “Like a bachelor party?” Gary wanted to know.

  “’Course not,” Larry corrected him. “Spense told me about bachelor parties. All the guys drink a lot, and a lady in a bikini pops out of a cake.”

  “Do they eat the cake after she pops out?”

  “Spense didn’t say. Come on, Gary. Let’s go find him.”

  Gary started to join his twin, but then he turned back to the computer. “Do you want me to shut this off, Mr. Sherwood?”

  “I’ll do it. I’ve got an e-mail I have to send, and I need to check something in that last report Miss Jansen wrote for Dr. Caulder. Just meet me by the car at five o’clock sharp and we’ll leave.”

  “Thanks, Mr. Sherwood,” Gary said.

  “It’ll be fun,” Larry added.

  The twins headed for the door, but just as they got there, Matt thought of something else. “Better not say anything to anybody about that e-mail from Miss Jansen’s fiancé.”

  “Right,” Larry agreed.

  “We won’t,” Gary promised. “She might not understand how we had to open it to save it.”

  Once the boys had left and closed the door behind them, Matt sat down at the computer desk and opened Julie’s e-mail. He was going to do something he knew he shouldn’t do, but in the interests of his own sanity, he had to know exactly what was going on with the woman he’d intended to make his wife.

  MULTIPLE-CHOICE BAR COOKIES

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

  ½ cup butter (one stick, ¼ pound)

  1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

  Column A Column B

  (1½ cups of) (2 cups of)

  Graham Cracker Crumbs Chocolate Chips

  Vanilla Wafer Crumbs Butterscotch Chips

  Chocolate Wafer Crumbs Peanut Butter Chips

  Animal Cracker Crumbs Raisins (regular or golden)

  Sugar Cookie Crumbs M & M’s(without nuts)

  Column C Column D

  (1½ cups of) (1 cup of)

  Flaked Coconut (5 oz.) Chopped Walnuts

  Rice Krispies Chopped Pecans

  Miniature Marshmallows

  (2½ cups) Chopped Peanuts

  Frosted Cornflakes (crumbled) Chopped Cashews

  Melt the butter and pour it into in a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan. Tip the pan to coat the bottom.

  1. Evenly sprinkle one from Column A over the melted butter.

  2. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over the crumbs.

  3. Evenly sprinkle one from Column B on top.

  4. Evenly sprinkle one from Column C on top of that.

  5. Evenly sprinkle something from Column D over the very top.

  Press everything down with the palms of your impeccably clean hands. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Cool thoroughly on a wire rack and cut into brownie-sized bars.

  Make sure you cut these before you refrigerate them or they’ll be very difficult to cut.

  Hannah’s Note: Kids love to help make these bars when they get to choose the ingredients.

  Chapter Nine

  The moment that Hannah pulled open the heavy front door of Aames House, she knew that something was wrong. Instead of the childish laughter that had greeted her on every other visit, there was only the sound of quiet voices from the kitchen where Julie and the girls were waiting for her. The group baking yesterday afternoon had been so much fun, the girls had asked if they could do it again today. Of course Hannah had agreed. Tonight was Christmas Eve, and The Cookie Jar was closed. Hannah and Lisa had plenty of time to start the holiday fun by baking Christmas sugar cookies with Julie and the girls.

  “What’s the matter?” Lisa asked, as Hannah stopped and listened.

  “It’s quiet . . . too quiet.”

  “Like in an old western
when the Indians are about to ride up over the top of the hill and attack?”

  “Not exactly, but the general concept’s the same. Something’s wrong, and I’ve got the feeling it’s something big. Let’s go find out if I’m right or if I’ve seen too many movies.”

  Hannah led the way down the hallway to the kitchen and pushed open the door. Julie was standing at the central workstation with the girls, who were talking quietly among themselves.

  “Uh-oh,” Hannah said under her breath as she caught sight of Julie. Even though she’d tried to cover the traces of tears with makeup and there was a brave little smile on her face, Julie’s eyelids were puffy, and Hannah suspected she’d been crying most of the night.

  Lisa nudged Hannah and moved closer so she wouldn’t be overheard. “You’re right. It’s something big. I’ll take over with the cookies and the girls if you want to have coffee with Julie in the dining room and find out what’s wrong.”

  “Good idea.” Hannah took a deep breath and waded into deep waters. Julie might resist her probing, but she looked so miserable, they couldn’t just stand by and pretend nothing was wrong.

  “Hi, Hannah,” Julie said as Hannah approached her. “The girls are all ready to bake Christmas cookies.”

  “And Lisa’s all ready to teach them how to do it. Let’s get a cup of coffee and go into the dining room.”

  It was proof of Julie’s misery that she didn’t even voice an objection or say something about how she should help to supervise her students. She just poured coffee for both of them and carried the cups into the adjoining room.

  “I guess the makeup didn’t work,” Julie said, setting the cups down on place mats.

  “It might fool someone who was visually challenged on a night with no moon.” Hannah opened one of the bakery boxes she’d carried in with her. “We brought along all the leftover cookies for the kids. These are Twin Chocolate Delights. Eat one.”

  “Thanks, Hannah, but I’m not really hungry.”

  “You don’t have to be hungry. Just eat one. The endorphins in the chocolate will help.”

  “Help what?”

  “Whatever it is that’s making you cry. You want to feel better, don’t you?”

  “Of course I do, but . . .”

  “Then take a bite. It’ll work, I almost guarantee it. Chocolate creates a feeling of well-being, calms frazzled nerves, relieves stress, and puts daily problems into perspective.”

  Julie gave a brief little smile, and Hannah was very glad to see it. “You sound like a commercial for a new drug. The only thing you’re missing is the part about the side effects.”

  “You may experience a slight weight gain if you overdose,” Hannah said in her best announcer’s voice. “Ask your local baker if chocolate is right for you.”

  This time Julie’s smile was a bit wider. She reached into the box, chose a cookie, and took a bite. “These are good,” she said, after she’d swallowed.

  “Of course they are. If I calculated right, they’re over seventy percent good stuff.”

  “What’s good stuff?”

  “Chocolate, butter, and sugar. But let’s not talk about nutrition.”

  “Or the lack of it,” Julie countered, finishing her first cookie and reaching for a second.

  “Right.” Hannah was pleased as Julie’s second cookie began to go the way of the first. “Now tell me what’s got you so upset. I’m assuming you had a fight with Matt?”

  “Yes.”

  “Over what?”

  “Over e-mail.”

  Hannah thought fast. Asking Julie questions was a little like cracking almonds. If she applied too much pressure, Julie might be crushed by the weight of her problem and start crying again. Still, she had to know the facts. “You mean Matt’s been sending you e-mail?”

  “No, he’s been getting e-mail . . .” Julie stopped to take a deep breath, “. . . from my fiancé. And I don’t even have a fiancé!”

  “Then how did . . . What . . . Did he . . .” Hannah sputtered while she went through the possibilities in her mind. “Let me get this straight. Matt got an e-mail from a guy who said he was your fiancé, and now he thinks you’re engaged?”

  “Exactly. And Matt also thinks I was just amusing myself with him because I was bored and this Dan who claims to be my fiancé is all the way out in Montana.”

  “Uh-oh.”

  “Uh-oh is right. I tried to tell Matt that it must be a case of mistaken identity, that there must be another Julie Jansen and that I don’t even know a guy named Dan. But he wouldn’t listen.” Julie’s eyes filled with tears.

  Hannah thought about that for a moment, and then she stood up. “Okay. I’m going to go talk to Matt.”

  “It won’t do any good,” Julie warned.

  “Maybe not, but I have to try. You stay here and eat a couple more cookies. I’ll be back just as soon as I can.”

  * * *

  “I really don’t want to talk about it. Not only that, it’s really none of your business.”

  “Yes, it is,” Hannah countered. Matt was being rude, but she didn’t take offense. It was clear by his expression that believing Julie was engaged had wounded him deeply. “I talked to Julie and she told me about the man who claims to be her fiancé.”

  “The man who is her fiancé.”

  “Whatever. Let’s leave that open for now. I’d like to see the e-mail he sent, if you still have it.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I just can’t believe that Julie would lie to both of us about being engaged. I admit I haven’t seen her since she was in high school, but it seems so out of character for her.”

  Matt hesitated, but then he nodded. “Okay. I understand how you feel, Hannah. I was taken in by her too. Come with me. It’s in the room I’m using as an office.”

  It was only a few steps to Matt’s office, and Hannah waited while he unlocked the door. Once she was seated on the couch next to the windows, Matt brought her a sheaf of papers. “What’s all this?” she asked.

  “The top one’s the e-mail I got from Dan. The others are copies of the messages he sent to Julie. I know it was wrong to do it, but I read them and printed them out.”

  “I don’t understand how you got her e-mail.”

  “The twins must have known her password or gotten around it somehow. They’re both computer whizzes.”

  “You asked the boys to break into Julie’s computer?” Hannah asked, clearly shocked.

  “No. The whole thing was accidental. The boys came to me because they heard something buzzing in Julie’s office and the door was locked. It turned out to be an alarm clock, but her computer was on. While we were there, the computer started acting up and the twins tried to fix it. They got it back online, but then an e-mail message came in and they were afraid that if they didn’t open it and save it, Julie would lose it.”

  “I see,” Hannah said, and both meanings of the word applied. While they’d been talking, she’d paged through the messages, and one thing had popped out loud and clear. “So the twins are computer experts?”

  “That’s right. They even dabble in programming. Both of their parents are in the technology field.”

  “So if anyone could make a computer act up, it would be the twins.”

  “True.” Matt’s eyes narrowed slightly. “But they don’t have a key to Julie’s office. How could they get the alarm clock to go off?”

  “I’m not sure, but I bet if you check you’ll find out that they went into Julie’s office while she was there. If one twin did or said something to distract her, it would be easy for the other one to set that alarm clock.”

  “You could be right, but how about all these messages from Julie’s fiancé? I’ve got them right here in black and white.”

  “Let me read you something,” Hannah said, paging through the stack to find the one she wanted. “According to the date, this one came in yesterday. I yearn for you more each day and fervently anticipate the instance when we can be united continually
. Does that sound like something a guy would write to his fiancée?”

  “Not really. I guess I was too upset to notice it before, but the wording’s very awkward.”

  “How about this one?” Hannah located a second sheet of paper. “The moments we’re estranged are anguish, but the future will soon arrive. I adore you more with each second that elapses.”

  Matt began to frown. “That’s even worse. It reminds me of something, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

  “It’s writing for Roget,” Hannah told him. “Somebody looked up some perfectly good words in the thesaurus and substituted bigger ones.”

  “You’re right! But who’d go to all that trouble for an e-mail?”

  Matt and Hannah exchanged glances. And then he answered his own question. “There’s only one person who’d do it. It was a kid who was trying to sound like an adult.”

  * * *

  Hannah headed for the kitchen at a trot. She’d check in with Lisa and the girls, tell Julie what was going on, and then she’d confront the boys. Matt said they were watching television in the lounge and that was a perfect place to elicit a confession from the three pranksters who’d almost been Julie and Matt’s undoing.

  A lovely scent wafted down the hallway as Hannah neared the kitchen. The girls were already baking. She’d mixed up the dough at The Cookie Jar before she’d left last night. Today the only thing to do was roll it out, cut it in Christmas shapes, bake it, and then frost it. From the mouthwatering aroma that hit her nostrils as she pushed the kitchen door open, Hannah could tell that the girls were well on their way to finishing the sugary Christmas treats.

  “Will you come look at my cookies, Miss Swensen?” Hope asked, running up to grab Hannah’s hand and pull her to the far end of the workstation. “I’m decorating the bells.”

  “And you’re doing a wonderful job, Hope. I especially like that one.” Hannah pointed to a red and green bell with markedly irregular stripes.

  “Serena likes that one too. She wants it for her Christmas present.”

  To the girls’ delight, Hannah inspected all the cookies and pronounced them good enough to eat. Then Lisa shooed her out of the kitchen and into the dining room to talk to Julie.