Coconut Layer Cake Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  Hannah wondered briefly if Michelle was anthropomorphizing, but her sister had a valid point. Perhaps it would be different if she’d been there to carry Moishe up the stairs, but they wouldn’t know that until the renovation was finished and she tried it.

  “So did you take him back to Mother and Doc’s place?” Hannah asked.

  “No, I thought he’d be lonely with Mother gone and Doc at the hospital all day. I called Norman and he said he’d come right out to get Moishe and take him to his house.”

  Hannah drew a sigh of relief. “Oh, good! Moishe loves playing with Cuddles. He’s still there, isn’t he?”

  “Yes, and Norman told me that Moishe and Cuddles have been playing practically nonstop. Everybody’s fine here, Hannah, except”—Michelle’s voice broke and she stopped speaking to clear her throat”—except Lonnie.”

  “What’s wrong with Lonnie? Is he sick?”

  “No. There’s been a murder, a woman Lonnie knew from his high school class, Darcy Hicks. And Lonnie . . .” Michelle choked up again, and then she began to sob.

  “Calm down, honey,” Hannah said, trying to make her voice as comforting as possible despite the alarm she was feeling. “Tell me what’s wrong with Lonnie.”

  “It’s awful, Hannah!”

  “I understand,” Hannah said, but of course she couldn’t possibly understand if Michelle didn’t tell her what was wrong. “Whatever it is, it’s going to be okay. I’ll catch the first flight out and come right back to Lake Eden if you need me.”

  “I do! I need you, Hannah! There’s nobody else who can help! And I’m too upset to do it alone!”

  “Do what, Michelle?”

  “Help Lonnie!”

  Hannah realized that her youngest sister was almost hysterical, but Michelle still hadn’t told her what was wrong. Somehow she had to reassure Michelle so that Michelle would explain what had happened.

  “All right, Michelle. I promise you that I’ll help Lonnie. I’ll come right back and do whatever I can for him. But first, honey, you have to tell me what’s wrong.”

  “Oh!” Michelle sounded shocked. “Yes! Of course I do! I’m just so rattled, Hannah. Just give me a second . . . okay?”

  “I’ll give you as long as you need. Get a drink of water, try to calm down, and then tell me exactly what happened. Just put down the phone, go get some water, and I’ll be right here when you come back.”

  Hannah heard Michelle put the phone down. There was the sound of a chair being pushed back. Then a cupboard door opened with a bang and there was the sound of water running. Michelle must have been in the kitchen at the condo when the phone rang. A chair creaked as Michelle sat down again, and Hannah heard her take a deep breath. Then she took another deep breath and picked up the phone.

  “I’m back,” she said, and her voice was steadier. “You’re there, aren’t you, Hannah?”

  “I’m here. Now tell me.”

  “Lonnie’s classmate, Darcy Hicks, has been murdered. And Lonnie’s the . . .” Michelle swallowed audibly, took another breath, and managed to choke out the words. “Lonnie’s the main suspect!”

  Chapter Five

  It hadn’t taken long for Hannah to pack. She’d pulled her clothes out of the closet, Maria had folded them and packed them in her suitcase, and now, less than a half-hour later, Robby was driving her to the airport. Hannah took a sip from the bottle of water that Robby had placed in the cup holder in front of her seat, and then she dialed Michelle’s number.

  Michelle answered immediately. “Are you coming, Hannah?”

  “Yes, I’m on my way to the airport right now.”

  “Is Mother coming?”

  “No, Lynne’s travel agent explained that it was a family emergency. There was only one seat left and I got it. Mother’s coming tomorrow afternoon. Are you okay, Michelle?”

  “Yes, now that you’re coming home. Lonnie’s been a real basket case. Of course I don’t blame him, but I’m finding it hard to be upbeat. Lonnie was so happy the night he went out to meet Brian and Cassie. They split up after their baby died, and both of them were miserable.”

  “Their baby died?”

  “Yes, it was SIDS, sudden infant death syndrome.” Michelle sighed deeply. “And to make things even worse, Cassie’d had two miscarriages before that. But little Meredith seemed to be strong and healthy. Lonnie went to the hospital to see the baby and told me that he’d never seen Cassie and Brian so happy.”

  “That’s awful! How old was the baby when she died?”

  “She was almost five weeks. Cassie told me she woke up one morning and Meredith was still sleeping so she got up and made the coffee. Then she came back to get the baby and . . . and Meredith was dead! It just about killed both of them, Hannah. They saw a family grief counselor for a month or so and it seemed to help Brian, but Cassie just couldn’t get over the loss. She ended up leaving Brian and going to a new counselor, who seemed to help. Cassie made it through somehow, and she got back together with Brian. And now there’s a new tragedy. And to make things even worse, their friend, Lonnie, could be charged with Darcy’s murder!”

  “Take it easy, Michelle. Mike’s a good detective and so is Lonnie’s brother, Rick. I’m sure they’ll clear Lonnie and find Darcy’s killer.”

  “But . . . you don’t understand, Hannah! I didn’t get a chance to tell you the whole story on the phone earlier, but there’s a big problem with the sheriff’s department.”

  “What’s that?”

  “There aren’t any detectives left who can work on the case. And that’s why we need you.”

  “I don’t understand. How about Mike? Isn’t he handling the investigation?”

  “He can’t. Bill had to pull him from the case because Lonnie’s his partner and the department has a rule about that. Bill says it’s because partners have too much at stake and they’re too emotionally involved to be objective.”

  Hannah thought about that for a moment. “I guess that makes sense. How about Rick? He’s on the case, isn’t he?”

  “No, there’s a rule about that, too. If someone in your immediate family is a murder suspect, no one in the family can be involved in the investigation.”

  “So . . . who’s left?”

  “A deputy that just made detective and Bill. That’s it, Hannah. And that’s another reason why I needed you to come back home.”

  “I understand, Michelle, and I’ll be there tonight. We’ll talk about it when I get there.”

  “Is there anything else you need to know right now?” Michelle asked her.

  “Only one thing. Can somebody arrange for my transportation back to Lake Eden? My plane is supposed to land at six-ten tonight.”

  “We’ve already taken care of that. Norman’s going to pick you up at the airport and bring you right back here to the condo. There’s just one thing . . .” Michelle paused for a moment, and then she went on. “I’m not sure how to put this, but . . . do you think you’ll be all right if you stay here at the condo? Your bedroom’s not done yet, but you can have my room and I’ll sleep on the couch.”

  Hannah drew a deep breath. She knew she really didn’t want to go back to the condo, even though she wouldn’t have to go into her bedroom.... “I’m not sure. Let’s talk about that when I get there.”

  “Okay. I’ve got to go, Hannah. I have to do some shopping at the Red Owl.”

  “Will you call Norman and ask him to bring Moishe with him when he comes to pick me up?” Hannah asked her. “I really miss him.”

  “I would, but Norman’s already left for the airport.”

  “So early? Unless there’s a problem with traffic, he’s going to have to wait for at least an hour and a half before my plane lands.”

  “He knows that, but he said he was driving down early so he could drop in to see Judy and Diana.”

  Hannah smiled. Norman was such a good man. Even though he knew now that Diana wasn’t his daughter, he still kept in touch with her grandmother, Judy Thorndike. He even invit
ed both of them to come to his house to stay whenever they wanted to visit him.

  “It’s okay, Michelle,” Hannah said quickly. “I’m sure Norman will stop at his house to pick up Moishe before we come to the condo.”

  “Uh . . . okay.”

  Hannah caught the hesitation in Michelle’s voice. “Why do you sound like that’s not a good idea?”

  Michelle sighed so loudly that Hannah could hear it over the phone. “That would be fine, but I’m really worried about Lonnie. He’s on pins and needles about having you interview him. Once he gets here, I don’t want to have him wait too long or he’ll just get more and more nervous.”

  “No problem,” Hannah said quickly. “I’ll have Norman bring me straight to the condo. We can always pick up Moishe later. It’s not that far from Mother’s penthouse, and I’ll probably stay there anyway.”

  “Oh . . . uh . . . you may not want to do that.”

  “Why not? I’ve been staying there ever since . . .”—Hannah stopped and took a deep, calming breath—“you know.”

  “I do, but Doc won’t be there and you’ll be all alone.”

  It was Hannah’s turn to sigh. She was beginning to feel almost sorry that her mother hadn’t taken the first flight home. She asked the obvious question. “Why won’t Doc be there?”

  “He has to stay at the hospital. There was a bad accident on the highway last night and he has three patients on life support.”

  “Oh, dear!” Hannah was immediately sympathetic. “Are they local? Someone I know?”

  “No, it’s a family from Michigan. It was a mother, father, and a three-year-old son.”

  “What happened?”

  “A semi driver fell asleep, crossed the center line, and hit their SUV head-on. Doc’s pretty sure the mother and son will make it, but the father’s in bad shape.”

  “How about the driver of the semi?”

  “He didn’t make it, and they had to close down the freeway and divert traffic. Every deputy except Lonnie, Mike, and Rick drove out there to help. Andrea and I went out with coffee and cookies for people who got stranded in their cars.”

  “It sounds like it was a bad night on the highway.”

  “It was. We’ve had a huge wave of bad weather since you’ve been gone. You got out just in time. What’s it like out there in California?”

  “It’s nice and warm, and the weather’s perfect.”

  “Bring some of that weather with you when you fly home.” There was silence for several moments, and then Michelle spoke again. “Do you ever wish you lived there, Hannah?”

  “Only when I hear about blizzards, tornados, and floods. I love Lake Eden, Michelle.”

  “Bad weather and all?”

  “Yes, bad weather and all.”

  Michelle laughed. “Me too. It’s going to be good to have you back, Hannah. I’ve missed you and it’s been lonely here without you.”

  “It’s kind of nice that you missed me, but . . .”

  “I know. You’re not sure you can stay here at the condo, but that’s all right. I’ll hold down the fort for you until you feel comfortable about coming home. I didn’t see what you did, Hannah. That’s probably why it doesn’t bother me.”

  Hannah began to smile. “Thanks, Michelle. I do love the condo. It’s just that the memories are . . .” Hannah paused, searching for the right word. “The memories are too fresh.”

  “I know. I mean, I don’t know, but I can understand anyway.”

  Grateful tears came to Hannah’s eyes. She truly appreciated her wonderful family, even with Delores and her fixation on Hollywood stars and looking younger than she actually was. Just wait until she told Michelle about the cosmetic commercial! They could have a good laugh over that.

  “I have to go, Hannah. I’m putting up something for dinner and Lonnie’s going to need some TLC. He’s a strong guy, but right now he’s . . . I’m not sure how to describe it, but . . .”

  “Fragile?” Hannah supplied the word she thought her sister was searching for.

  “Yes, fragile. This really devastated him, Hannah. I wouldn’t have called you if it had been just some little thing.”

  “I know that. And I’ll do everything I can to prove that Lonnie is innocent.”

  “I know you will. Bye, Hannah.”

  “Goodbye, Michelle. Give Lonnie a hug for me.”

  * * *

  “Excuse me?”

  Hannah awoke to a question from a pleasant female voice. She opened her eyes and blinked as she saw a young woman in a uniform leaning over her.

  “Yes?”

  “Sorry to wake you, but we’re on approach. Could I get you a cup of coffee before we land?”

  Hannah came back to awareness with a jolt. She was sitting in an airline seat, belted in with a magazine on her lap. She hadn’t thought she’d sleep on the flight home, but it was perfectly obvious that she’d slept through the drink cart and the mixed nuts, or pretzels, or whatever this airline served with beverages. She’d also slept through any meal that had been offered, and now they were about to land.

  “How long do we have before we land?” she asked.

  “Long enough for you to have two cups of coffee and a snack if you’d like,” the stewardess answered.

  “Yes to the coffee. I think I need it.”

  The stewardess smiled. “I’d say that you do. You fell asleep before we taxied out of the gate, and you probably would have slept through the landing if I hadn’t come over to wake you.”

  “Thank you for that!” Hannah said, and her gratitude was heartfelt. “Could I have the coffee right away, please?”

  “Of course. I’ll be right back.”

  The stewardess was true to her word. Once Hannah had made a hurried trip to the tiny closet that served as a bathroom and returned to her seat, the stewardess came down the aisle with a carafe of coffee and a cup. “How about a sweet roll to go with that?” she asked.

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “Cinnamon or caramel?”

  Hannah gave that a moment’s thought. “The cinnamon, please,” she said once she’d considered the fact that she might have to get up and go to the bathroom closet again to wash her hands if she got sticky caramel all over her fingers.

  A few moments later, the stewardess delivered Hannah’s cinnamon roll. Hannah took a sip of her coffee, picked up the roll, and bit into the perfectly round, perfectly frosted bun. She chewed, swallowed, and decided that she might have a new career baking cinnamon rolls for the airlines. The roll the stewardess had brought was perfectly formed, perfectly frosted, and perfectly spiced with cinnamon, but the end result was perfectly unremarkable. Given the choice a second time, Hannah might have gone for the caramel roll, but she had the sneaking suspicion that the end result might have been more of the same.

  “Butter?” the stewardess appeared again, bearing a small plate of gold foil-wrapped butter.

  “Thank you,” Hanna accepted the plate gratefully. She slathered butter over the top of her cinnamon roll, took another bite, and frowned. Unsalted butter and no salt shaker or packet of salt in sight. Why did people from non-dairy states seem to think that unsalted butter was so elegant? And why did cooks and pastry chefs all over the world call for unsalted or “sweet” butter? They did that even if a generous measure of salt was called for in the recipe. It was one of Hannah’s pet peeves. Why call for unsalted butter, especially if it was more expensive, when you were going to add salt to the recipe anyway? It just didn’t make sense to her.

  The stewardess came by Hannah’s seat again and removed the butter plate and the dish that had contained Hannah’s cinnamon roll. “Better drink the rest of that coffee fast,” she advised. “You have only five minutes left before the captain turns on the seat belt sign and I have to collect everything from the tray tables.”

  “Thanks for the warning,” Hannah said, smiling at the stewardess as she filled Hannah’s cup with more coffee. “I’ll gulp it, I promise.”

  The stewardess
laughed and moved away, and Hannah leaned back in her seat with her coffee cup. The cinnamon roll had been edible, the coffee was drinkable, and she surmised that the meal that had been served while she was sleeping had probably been perfectly prepared and adequate. Yes, indeed. There could be a new career for her in generating airplane food if she wished to pursue it. And she was very glad that she didn’t have the slightest desire to do so.

  The stewardess was approaching again, and Hannah made short work of gulping the rest of her coffee. She poured another half-cup, all that was left in the carafe, and managed to gulp that before the stewardess got to her seat.

  “Here you are.” Hannah handed her the coffee carafe and cup. “And thanks so much for waking me before we landed.”

  “That’s quite all right. I’m glad I could help to make your journey pleasant,” the stewardess responded with an answer that Hannah assumed had been taught to her in stewardess school. Then she smiled and leaned slightly closer. “You must have been hungry. You’re the only person I’ve served today who ate every crumb of the cinnamon roll.”

  Hannah laughed and settled back to await the landing. The man next to her in the window seat had the shade on the window open and she watched as the plane flew through a layer of cloud and a very tiny version of the outskirts of Minneapolis appeared below. The houses and buildings seemed to grow larger as the plane began to descend rapidly and Hannah spotted the freeway, complete with miniature trucks and cars. Their headlights were gleaming in the darkness and looked like strings of illuminated pearls.

  “Only a few more minutes,” the man in the window seat said to her. “We should be right on time as long as we taxi straight to the gate.”

  “That’s good,” Hannah responded.

  “You must have been tired. You slept almost all the way here,” the man said.

  Hannah smiled. “I guess I must have been.”

  The man turned to look out the window again and Hannah reached down to retrieve her cell phone from her carry-on that was stashed under the seat in front of her. As soon as they were on the ground, she’d call Norman to let him know that they’d landed.