by Joanne Fluke
“You said it!” Michelle took another bite. “These are worth a boatload of information.”
“They’re the chocolate caramels I told you about yesterday. Marge took over for me out front and I made a batch and stuck them in the cooler. And a couple of hours later, I came back here and wrapped them in wax paper. I hope Danielle likes them. And I hope she knows something about the murder. It’s really unnerving to be a suspect.”
* * *
“I’ve never been up here before,” Michelle said, as Hannah pulled open the heavy door a few feet from the entrance to the Red Owl Grocery store.
“You’ll love it. It was just an empty space until Danielle rented it, but it has big floor-to-ceiling windows in the front and Danielle’s walled off part of the back for living quarters.”
Hannah led the way up the long, carpeted staircase. As they climbed, she gestured toward the walls. “What do you think?”
“Very clever.” Michelle obviously admired the sets of footsteps that diagrammed classic dances, each set depicted in a different color. “Listen, Hannah. I think I hear a waltz.”
“You do. Danielle must have an adult class.”
As they climbed, the music changed to a polka. “Music for a wedding reception?” Michelle guessed.
“It sounds like it. Danielle mentioned that wedding parties were a big part of her business.”
“Because of the first bride and groom dance?”
“Yes, but there’s a new trend around Lake Eden. After the bride and groom dance, the whole wedding party gets out there for the next dance. And then the bride’s mother dances with the groom’s father, and the groom’s mother dances with the bride’s father.”
“That’s a lot of dancing. Who started all that anyway?”
Hannah shrugged. “I don’t know, but I wouldn’t put it past Danielle. She’s always looking for ways to increase her business.”
The music switched again and a slow dance began to play. It rolled out in a wave to greet them as Hannah opened the studio door. “Let’s wait right here in the reception area until Danielle’s class is over.”
It turned out that they were in luck because right after the slow dance had ended, the music stopped and a few moments later, Danielle’s customers began to emerge from the practice room and file out. After Hannah and Michelle had greeted the people they knew and exchanged pleasantries with the ones they didn’t, Danielle came out and saw them sitting there.
“Hi, Hannah. Michelle. How are you?”
“We’re fine,” Hannah said, handing her the bag Lisa had filled for her. “We brought you something.”
“Oooh!” Danielle began to smile as she peeked inside. “Candy! What kind is it?”
“Chocolate caramels that Lisa made.”
“I love caramels.” Danielle held out the bag. “Would you like one?” she offered.
“We already tested them down at The Cookie Jar,” Michelle told her. “We wanted to make sure they were as good as they looked. Do you have a few minutes to talk, Danielle?”
“I have at least a half hour before my next class comes in. Come with me, and I’ll put on the coffee.” Danielle led them into the interior. They walked through the class area and into her living quarters. It was one large area, almost like an artist’s loft, with a bedroom that was cordoned off with a curtain, a living room with a sofa and an easy chair, a tiny bathroom off to the side of the bedroom alcove, and a small, but workable kitchen.
“Sit down.” Danielle gestured toward her kitchen table. “I’m sure you’re here for a reason, and it’s probably not for dance lessons.”
“You’re right,” Hannah told her, noticing the coffee machine on Danielle’s counter. “I thought you drank tea, Danielle.”
“I do. Benton gave me this machine, and it makes both tea and coffee.” She held up a small cup-like pod. “Would you like French roast, Italian roast, or espresso?”
“French roast,” Hannah answered, choosing her favorite.
“The same for me,” Michelle concurred.
“Just listen,” Danielle said as she put a coffee pod into the machine and set an empty cup on the tray below. “It pokes holes in the pod and forces hot water through. And it takes less than a minute.”
Hannah and Michelle watched as the machine worked. And less than a minute later, Hannah had her cup of coffee. Another thirty seconds or so, and Michelle had hers. And then Danielle made her cup of tea.
“You look too serious for a social visit,” Danielle said as she sat down. “Is this about Phyllis Bates?”
“Yes,” Hannah answered.
“And you’re investigating?”
“That’s right. I have to find the killer, Danielle. Lisa is a suspect and it’s the only way I can clear her.”
“She doesn’t have an alibi?”
“No. We were together until nine at The Cookie Jar, but then she drove home to feed her dogs and let them run in the yard, and I went straight out to The Corner Tavern. She didn’t meet me there until around ten.”
Danielle looked concerned. “So there was an hour, from nine to ten, when Lisa was alone?”
“That’s right.”
“And the time of death was . . . ?”
“Between eight and ten,” Michelle answered her. “Hannah and I looked at the autopsy report.”
Danielle shivered slightly. “I get a sick feeling in my stomach every time I think of that.”
Hannah wasn’t sure whether Danielle was referring to the autopsy the fact that Phyllis was murdered, or if it had reminded Danielle of her own husband’s violent death. Instead of asking a question that might be painful for Danielle, Hannah decided to change the subject, but Michelle spoke up before Hannah could open her mouth.
“Unfortunately, Lisa does have a motive,” Michelle said.
“Because Herb dated Phyllis in high school, and now they’re working together?” Danielle asked, looking a bit skeptical.
“That’s part of it, but there’s more,” Hannah said. “Mayor Bascomb appointed Phyllis as this year’s Mrs. Santa Claus.”
Danielle nodded. “I know about that. The mother of one of my ballet students told me. And she said that Lisa was hoping to be Mrs. Claus.”
“That’s right,” Hannah agreed. “Lisa and I went to the auditorium last night to pick up this year’s Christmas gift bags. The Lake Eden Players were just rehearsing the end of A Christmas Carol, and we stayed because Lisa wanted to see how Herb and Phyllis would act when they played Mr. and Mrs. Claus.”
“Herb with Phyllis,” Danielle said with a nod. “That must have been hard for Lisa to take.”
“Oh, it’s not just that!” Hannah told her. “Usually Santa hugs Mrs. Claus when they’ve given out candy and cookies to the kids in the audience.”
“Yes,” Danielle said. “They always do that.”
“Well, this year Tory Bascomb decided to do things differently. When she was through criticizing the Mrs. Santa costume that Phyllis was wearing . . .”
“Wait a minute,” Danielle interrupted. “Isn’t it the same costume that every Mrs. Claus wears?”
“It’s supposed to be, but Phyllis claimed that the costume didn’t fit and she rented her own costume from a place in the Cities. Tory said it looked like something a stripper would wear for a routine at Christmas.”
Danielle gave a little laugh. “That figures. Was Tory right?”
“Oh, yes. The costume was very revealing.”
“And that bothered Lisa?”
“That’s only part of it. Tory directed Phyllis to give Herb a stage kiss right before they pulled the final curtain. But Phyllis didn’t give him a stage kiss. It was a real kiss, and it was obvious that she was interested in Herb.”
“Uh-oh,” Danielle said. “That must have made Lisa very jealous.”
“It did,” Michelle told her. “And Herb’s been out late almost every night this month. He says he’s working late, but Lisa’s not so sure that’s the truth.”
Dani
elle nodded. “I get it. Working late at the office, hmmm? Do you know that there used to be a bar in St. Cloud called The Office? That way, the guys who came there to drink could say that they were at the office and they wouldn’t be lying.”
“That’s funny, but not really,” Michelle said.
“I know.” Danielle took a sip of her tea. “Poor Lisa! What can I do to help you, Hannah?”
“Give me a timeline for the drinks you had with the mayor and Stephanie last night.”
“I can do that, but . . .” Danielle stopped speaking and her eyes narrowed. “I do understand. The mayor’s a suspect because . . . well, you know why. And Stephanie’s a suspect because she’s always jealous of the women the mayor finds attractive.”
“That’s right,” Hannah said.
“Let me think.” Danielle shut her eyes for a moment or two, and then she opened them again. “The mayor and Stephanie picked me up at nine. And Del was already in their car. He told me he’d ridden over to their house to pick up Stephanie. I was watching out the window for them to pull up, and I looked at the clock in the reception area on the way out the door. And we got home at . . . oh, dear. I’m not sure that I even noticed what time. . . .” Danielle stopped speaking and began to smile. “Wait a minute. I can give you the exact time that I got back here.”
As Hannah and Michelle watched, Danielle pulled out her cell phone and touched the screen. She touched it a second time and then she nodded. “Ten twenty-five,” she told them. “I know because I sent a text to Benton to tell him that I was back so that he could come over when he finished work. The time’s right here on the text.”
“That clears the mayor,” Hannah said.
Danielle looked slightly puzzled. “But it doesn’t clear Stephanie?” she asked.
“No. I know that the mayor was in a city council meeting and he left with Del. That means he was with someone for the entire period between eight and ten. But Stephanie wasn’t at the city council meeting. She was at home, alone. She had a whole hour, between eight and nine, to drive out to the Corner Tavern and kill Phyllis.”
CHOCOLATE CARAMELS (KATHY & JOHN’S YUMMY NUMMY CARAMELS FOR MUMMY)
To make this candy, you will need a candy thermometer. I use the kind with a glass tube and a sliding metal clamp that attaches to the side of a saucepan. And even though the recipe calls for a 3-quart saucepan, I always use my 4-quart saucepan. That way I don’t have to worry about the candy boiling up over the sides.
½ cup finely chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
1 cup brown sugar (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup dark Karo syrup
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
2 ounces unsweeted baking chocolate (I used Baker’s)
½ cup butter (1 stick, 4 ounces, ¼ pound)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Before you start, spray a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray.
Sprinkle the chopped nuts evenly across the bottom of the cake pan.
Place the cake pan on a folded kitchen towel on the kitchen counter.
Get out a 3-quart saucepan (or a 4-quart saucepan) and your candy thermometer. Place the thermometer inside the saucepan with the sliding clamp on the outside. Slide the thermometer through the clamp until it’s approximately ½ inch from the bottom of the saucepan. (If the bulb touches the bottom of the saucepan, your reading will be wildly off.)
On a cold burner, combine the brown sugar, salt, dark Karo syrup, sweetened condensed milk, unsweetened chocolate, and butter.
Turn the burner on MEDIUM HIGH heat. STIR the candy mixture CONSTANTLY until it boils. (This will take about 10 minutes, so pull up a stool and get comfortable while you stir.)
Continue stirring until your candy thermometer reaches 250 degrees F. Continue to stir for one more minute and move the saucepan to a cold burner.
Add the vanilla extract to the candy mixture and stir it in. (This could sputter a bit, so be careful.)
Let the candy mixture sit on the cold burner for 5 minutes.
When 5 minutes have passed, pour the candy mixture evenly over the nuts in the cake pan. (Use a heat-resistant spatula so that you can get every delicious drop.)
Leave the cake pan on the counter for 20 additional minutes to cool. Then cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. (Overnight is fine too.)
When you’re ready to serve your Chocolate Caramels, cut the caramels into squares with a buttered knife. Make sure you cut all the way to the bottom of the cake pan.
Pry out the caramels, one by one, and wrap each one in wax paper.
Yield: 3 dozen or so bonbon-size pieces of delicious candy, depending on the size of the pieces you cut. Store in a covered container.
Chapter Nine
“The kitchen smells wonderful!” Michelle said as Hannah pulled the last pan of Chocolate-Covered Mint Cookies from the oven.
“I know. I love to make these cookies. It always reminds me of Christmas. There’s something about mint and candy canes that just goes with the whole season.”
“And chocolate. Don’t forget the chocolate.”
“Chocolate’s not seasonal. It’s good any time of the year. Chocolate’s like oxygen. It’s elemental.”
“You’ve got a point,” Michelle said as she plucked a hot cookie from the baker’s rack and juggled it from hand to hand. “Do you think these are too hot to eat?”
“Here.” Hannah handed her sister a napkin. “You’d better let it cool a little or you might burn your mouth.”
“I’ve got a better idea. I’ll open the door, stand just inside, and stick out my hand with the cookie. It’ll cool faster that way.” Michelle opened the back kitchen door, extended her hand, and gasped as a shape materialized from the blowing snow and plucked the cookie from her hand.
“Thanks!” the shape said, stepping closer. “It’s not every day that someone comes out to greet me with a hot cookie.”
“Mike!” Michelle exclaimed as she recognized him. “You scared me half to death! Give me back that cookie. It’s mine.”
“Not anymore,” Mike said, biting into the cookie as he stepped into the kitchen. “This cookie’s too young to be outside alone in weather like this. It’s my duty to save it from the storm.”
“You ate my cookie!” Michelle accused as Mike popped the rest of the cookie in his mouth.
“There’s more where that came from,” Hannah said with a laugh. “Sit down, Mike. I’ll pour a cup of coffee for you.”
Michelle walked over to the baker’s rack and piled several more cookies on a napkin. “I’m not taking any more chances with these cookies. I’m going out front to eat them.”
Hannah delivered Mike’s coffee and dished up a plate of cookies for him. Then she sat down across from him at the workstation. “I figured you’d be here before closing,” she said. “You always come around the day after a murder to find out if I’ve discovered anything.”
“These are really good cookies, Hannah.” Mike picked one up and took a bite. “Have you?”
Hannah knew exactly what he was asking, but she didn’t get up to retrieve her murder book. “Not much.”
“But you are investigating.”
There were times when Hannah wished that Mike didn’t know her quite as well as he did. “I’m asking questions if that’s what you mean.”
“You probably already know that I’ll need to talk to Lisa.”
“I know. And Lisa knows, too. She mentioned it to me this morning.”
“Do you have her name on your suspect list?”
Hannah sighed deeply. “Yes,” she admitted. “Lisa’s name is there. But I intend to find an alibi for her.”
“Any luck so far?”
“Not yet.”
They sat there in silence for a moment, and then Hannah sighed again. “Is Herb one of your suspects?”
“Not an
ymore.”
“Why isn’t he?” Hannah was certain that she looked just as shocked as she felt.
“Herb has an alibi.”
“Wonderful!” Hannah began to smile. “That’s a big relief! Does Lisa know that Herb has an alibi?”
Mike shrugged. “I don’t know, but I doubt it.”
“Can I tell Lisa that you cleared Herb?”
“Sure, you can.”
“Good! She’ll be really happy to hear that Herb’s got an alibi. What is it?”
“Sorry, Hannah. I can’t tell you that.”
Hannah began to frown. “Why not?”
“Because I promised Herb that I wouldn’t tell anyone. And I don’t break my promises.”
Hannah’s frown deepened. “Will Herb tell Lisa his alibi?”
“I’m sure he won’t.”
Hannah swallowed hard. “Please tell me that Herb’s alibi doesn’t involve a girlfriend.”
“I can do that. Herb’s alibi doesn’t involve a girlfriend.”
“Are you sure? I mean, he’s been telling Lisa that he’s working late and she’s driven past city hall. Herb’s not at his office and his car is gone. She’s worried that he’s spending time with another woman.”
“He’s not.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.” Mike reached out to take Hannah’s hand. “Stop worrying, Hannah. And try to get Lisa to stop worrying. Herb isn’t with another woman.”
“Then where is he until after midnight almost every night?”
“That’s privileged information between Herb and me. I can’t tell you, Hannah. Now just let it go, okay?”
Hannah didn’t like it one little bit, but she nodded. “Okay. I won’t ask you any more questions about that. But now that Herb is cleared, who’s left on your suspect list?”
