Coconut Layer Cake Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  * * *

  Once they got to Cyril’s Garage, Hannah parked her cookie truck and they hurried inside the building. Cyril’s office was down the hall and Hannah led the way. The door was shut, and she gave a knock and then opened the door to find Cyril sitting behind his desk, paging through a stack of invoices.

  “We’re here,” Hannah announced, walking to one of the chairs that flanked Cyril’s desk.

  “Make yourself comfortable,” Cyril said, motioning to the chairs in front of his desk. “I appreciate what you’re doing for my son, Hannah. You too, Norman. I know in my heart that Lonnie would never do such a thing, even if he was drunk, or drugged. It’s just not in his nature.”

  “We know that, too,” Norman said.

  “It looks to us like somebody set Lonnie up,” Hannah told him. “We’re going to do our best to find out who.”

  “You’ll do that. You always do.” Cyril gave a nod. “Do you two want coffee?”

  “No, thanks,” Hannah answered for both of them. She’d had Cyril’s coffee before and it was so strong, it could peel the paint off a new car. “It’s nice of you to offer, Cyril, but we just had coffee.”

  “Hannah brought you something from The Cookie Jar,” Norman announced, setting the large bag of cookies on Cyril’s desk.

  A big grin spread over Cyril’s face as he looked at the size of the bag. “Thanks, darlin’,” he said, and a bit of an Irish accent colored his words. “The guys love your cookies. I’ll put this bag in the lunch room for their morning break.” He eyed the cake pan Hannah was carrying. “What else did you bring?”

  “Something special for you,” Hannah told him, holding the cake up so he could see. “It’s a Georgia Peach Cake and I baked it this morning. You’ll need to put it in your refrigerator for a couple of hours before you slice it.”

  “Sounds good,” Cyril said, taking the cake and peeking under the foil. “Smells good, too.” He swiveled his desk chair, opened the small refrigerator behind his desk, and placed the cake inside. Then he swiveled back and gave Hannah another smile. “Bridget’s crazy about your cakes. You know she’s going to want the recipe, right?”

  “I know and I printed it out for her.” Hannah opened her saddlebag-size purse, took out several folded sheets of paper, and handed them to him. “Just to warn you, there’s peach liqueur in this cake. Some of the alcohol evaporated when it was baked, but not all.”

  “Sounds fine to me,” Cyril said. “Maybe I’ll encourage Bridget to have two pieces tonight.” He gave a devilish grin and waited for both Norman and Hannah to laugh. “And I’ll make sure none of my mechanics go near it. We’re really busy today and a couple of the cars need major work.”

  “Then I guess we’d better get down to business so you can get out there and supervise,” Hannah suggested. “Thanks for personally diagnosing Darcy’s car.”

  “No problem. I know why Mike asked me to do it, and I wore gloves when I lifted the hood. Tell him that, will you?”

  “Of course we will,” Norman promised.

  “What did you find wrong with Darcy’s car?” Hannah got back to the reason they’d come.

  “It’s simple, Hannah. There’s nothing mechanical that’s wrong with Darcy’s car. Any mechanic in my shop could get it running again in less than two minutes.”

  Norman and Hannah exchanged startled glances. “What do you mean?” Hannah asked him.

  “Darcy has . . .” Cyril stopped and frowned. “I should have said, Darcy had quick-release battery cables on her car.”

  “So someone released a battery cable to disable her car?” Norman guessed.

  “Yes, both of them. If Darcy had raised the hood, she would have seen the loose battery cables right off the bat.”

  “What are the chances of those cables coming loose by accident?” Hannah asked.

  “That would be zero. Somebody got under Darcy’s hood and did it deliberately.”

  “So it couldn’t have happened if Darcy drove over a curb? Or hit something with her car that bounced it up and down?” Norman pursued that line of questioning.

  “Impossible,” Cyril shook his head. “Those quick-release cables are pretty tight, and it takes some muscle to release them. You have to squeeze the sides together like a pair of pliers grasping something.”

  “It wasn’t any kind of accident, then,” Norman stated the obvious.

  “No, it was deliberate. Somebody had to lift the hood and do it. But that wasn’t the only thing wrong with Darcy’s car. Someone who really knew this make and model of car did something to make sure Darcy wouldn’t be able to drive it.”

  Cyril sat back in his desk chair and waited for them to react.

  “What did this second person do?” Norman asked.

  “Darcy’s car has a fuse box under the hood. It’s not clearly visible, so you have to know where it is to locate it. This person knew where it was, or looked for it until he located it, and then he removed one particular fuse.”

  “Wait a second,” Norman said. “Those fuses control things like the airbags and the interior lights, don’t they?”

  “Right you are, boyo.” Cyril lapsed back into his Irish accent. “That’s the usual pattern for a fuse box under the hood. That was the case with Darcy’s car, but her fuse box also included the fuse that controlled the fuel pump. Whoever did it knew which fuse that was, because that’s the only one he pulled. You do know what effect that would have on a car, don’t you?”

  “I certainly do!” Norman said quickly. “A car that can’t get fuel won’t run.”

  “Right!” Cyril said, “Somebody opened the fuse box, took out that particular fuse, and closed it up again.”

  “So either battery cables or that fuse would disable Darcy’s car,” Hannah asked, and then she looked up at Cyril. “Am I right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you think the same person would have done both of those things?” Norman asked him.

  Cyril shook his head. “No, there was no need to do both, either one would have done the trick.”

  “Belt and suspenders?” Noman asked him.

  Cyril chuckled. “My father used to say that! He used to also call it overkill, but I didn’t want to say that in Darcy’s case.”

  All three of them were quiet for a moment, and then Hannah broke the silence. “Is there any way of telling which action came first? The battery? Or the fuse box?”

  “Not really,” Cyril said. “I’ve got a theory about that, though.”

  “What’s that?” Norman asked.

  “I can’t be positive, but I think two different people tried to disable Darcy’s car.”

  “Why two?” Hannah asked him.

  “Because whoever pulled that fuse knew something about cars and her car in particular. Maybe he has the same model of car, or he could have known which model she drove and researched it online. However he did it, he knew exactly which fuse to pull.”

  “And if he hadn’t known which fuse, he would have pulled them all?” Norman asked.

  “Yes, that’s it, exactly.”

  “Is there any way of telling which came first, the chicken or the egg?” Hannah asked him.

  Cyril threw back his head and laughed. “It could have happened either way.”

  “But if the battery cables were released first, would the second person have bothered to find the fuse fox and pull that particular fuse?” Norman asked.

  Cyril shrugged. “Maybe. He might have been afraid that Darcy would spot the loose battery cables and hook them back up again. Taking out the fuse was sneakier, and most people wouldn’t have thought to check that. Either that, or the person who pulled the fuse did it first. And another person, coming along after that first person, didn’t realize that the car was already disabled and pulled the battery cables.”

  Hannah gave a dejected sigh. “It’s possible either way. And that means we still don’t know if there was one person, two people, or whether the battery cables or the fuse box came first.”


  “And that means we don’t have any useful information,” Norman concluded.

  “Oh, yes, we do!” Hannah corrected him. “We know that someone who tampered with Darcy’s car knew a lot about that particular make and model of car.”

  “It’s a lead, even though it’s very tenuous. It means that someone was angry enough to disable her car. And if they were angry enough to do this to her car, perhaps they were angry enough to kill her!”

  They were all silent for a moment. It was a sobering thought. And then Norman turned to Cyril. “Did one of your mechanics tow Darcy’s car here?”

  “No, the auto club did it and I saw it come in. They used a flatbed tow truck. Darcy was driving her father’s SUV, and it can’t be towed by a regular tow truck.”

  “Did the person who towed it in look under the hood?”

  Cyril shook his head. “Darcy told them to just bring it here, that I’d worked on it before and I’d know what was wrong.”

  “Do you know where the car was when the auto club picked it up?”

  “Yes, the guy from the auto club was complaining about that. The car was in the employees’ parking lot at DelRay Manufacturing. That’s where Darcy worked.”

  Hannah and Norman exchanged glances. The first thing they had to do was find out if the employees’ parking lot was accessible to the public. If it wasn’t, whoever had disabled Darcy’s car must have worked at DelRay.

  “Do you know which shift Darcy worked?” Hannah asked Cyril.

  “It must have been the day shift. The auto club towing service brought her car in at about six-thirty in the evening.”

  “Is there anything else you can tell us that might help in the investigation into Darcy’s murder?” Norman followed up.

  “Nothing that I can think of at the moment.”

  “If you think of anything . . . anything at all, please call us,” Hannah told him.

  “I will.”

  Hannah stood up. “We’ll let you get back to work, then. Thanks for talking to us, Cyril.”

  “Will you keep me informed?” Cyril asked, standing up to shake Norman’s hand. He turned to Hannah, gave her a hug, and sighed as if the weight of the world were on his shoulders. “May the road rise up to meet you, and may the wind be always at your back.”

  It was almost like one of Reverend Bob’s benedictions and Hannah felt tears come to her eyes.

  “Thank you, Cyril,” she managed to say.

  Norman reached out to place his hand on Cyril’s shoulder. “May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields,” he said, “and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand.”

  Cyril looked at Norman in surprise. “How did you know that? You’re not Irish, are you?”

  Norman shook his head. “Not me, but my best friend in Seattle was another dentist named Sean O’Connor. He told me his family was Shanty Irish.”

  “You say he was your best friend?”

  Norman nodded. “We still get together every time we go to dental conventions. Sean knows the best Irish pubs in every city.”

  “Sounds like a fine fellow,” Cyril said, beginning to smile. “I knew there was something about you I liked, besides the fact you fixed my teeth without hurting me.”

  GEORGIA PEACH CAKE

  Preheat oven to 325°F., rack in the middle position.

  Cake Batter Ingredients:

  1 cup softened, salted butter (2 sticks, 8 ounces, ½ pound)

  2 cups white (granulated) sugar

  4 large eggs

  1 teaspoon salt

  1 teaspoon baking powder

  ½ teaspoon baking soda

  ½ teaspoon cinnamon

  ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly ground is best, of course)

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1 teaspoon almond extract

  ½ cup peach jam

  3 cups all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)

  1 cup buttermilk (or whipping cream)

  This cake is made in a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan, either metal or glass. To prepare your cake pan, either spray it with Pam or another nonstick cooking or baking spray, or generously butter the bottom and sides of the pan.

  Hannah’s 1st Note: If Lisa and I are making this cake for catering, we use disposable foil cake pans. You can do this if you plan to give it to someone or take it to a potluck dinner. That way you won’t have to ask for the cake pan back.

  Hannah’s 2nd Note: The following instructions are for an electric mixer. You can also mix this cake by hand in a large bowl, but it will take a strong beating arm to do it.

  To Make the Cake Batter:

  Place the softened butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. With the mixer running at MEDIUM speed, beat the butter for a minute or two.

  With the mixer still running at MEDIUM speed, sprinkle in the white (granulated) sugar, beating as you sprinkle. Mix the butter and the sugar together until they form into a light, fluffy mixture.

  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

  Add the salt, baking powder, and baking soda, mixing until they are thoroughly combined.

  Mix in the cinnamon and the nutmeg.

  With the mixer still running, add the vanilla extract and the almond extract.

  Add the peach jam and mix that in until everything is thoroughly combined.

  Again, with the mixer running, add only one cup of the all-purpose flour. Beat it in thoroughly.

  Mix in ½ cup of the buttermilk or whipping cream.

  Add the second cup of all-purpose flour and mix well.

  Mix in the remaining ½ cup of buttermilk or whipping cream. Mix that in thoroughly.

  Add the remaining cup of all-purpose flour and beat on MEDIUM speed for 3 minutes, or until everything is thoroughly incorporated.

  Take the bowl out of the mixer and set it on the counter.

  If you haven’t already prepared your cake pan, do it now.

  Use a rubber spatula to transfer the cake batter to the cake pan.

  Smooth out the top of the batter with the rubber spatula so that it’s evenly distributed in the cake pan.

  Bake the cake in a preheated 325°F. oven for 50 minutes, or until a cake tester, thin bamboo skewer, or long toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out without batter clinging to it.

  If there is gooey cake batter on the tester you used, bake your Georgia Peach Cake for another 5 minutes and test it again. Continue to bake your cake in 5-minute intervals until it tests done.

  Take the cake out of the oven and set it on a cold stovetop burner or a wire rack to wait for its Butter Sauce.

  Butter Sauce Ingredients:

  ½ cup salted butter (1 stick, 4 ounces, ¼ pound)

  ½ cup white (granulated) sugar

  ¼ cup peach brandy or liqueur (I used Drillaud Peach Brandy—you can use peach juice if you don’t want to use alcohol in this cake)

  1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

  To Make the Butter Sauce:

  Take out a medium-size saucepan.

  Hannah’s 3rd Note: Don’t use a saucepan that’s black or brown on the inside. You’ll be using it again later when you make the icing and you need to be able to see when the butter turns brown.

  Place the ½ cup of salted butter in the bottom of the saucepan.

  Add the ½ cup of white (granulated) sugar.

  Stir in the ¼ cup of peach brandy, peach liqueur, or peach juice.

  Do not add the vanilla extract yet. The mixture in the saucepan must cook first.

  Heat the three ingredients in the saucepan on MEDIUM heat until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved, but DO NOT let the mixture come to a boil.

  Hannah’s 4th Note: You can do this in a microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for 90 seconds. (I used a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup.)

  Pull the saucepan over to a cold stovetop burner, shut off the burner you used, and add the Tablespoon of vanilla extract. (Be careful—it could sputt
er a bit.)

  Use a food pick or a thin wooden skewer to poke holes all over the top of your cake. Don’t be too gentle. You want the holes to go all the way down to the bottom of the cake. (I used a thin wooden skewer and poked about 45 holes in mine.)

  Pour the warm butter sauce over the top of the cake as evenly as you can. If you used a saucepan, don’t bother to wash it. You’ll be using it again when you make the frosting.

  Let the cake sit out on the wire rack or cold stovetop burner for at least 10 minutes so that the Butter Sauce has time to soak into the holes you poked and get all the way down to the bottom of your cake.

  Cover your Georgia Peach Cake with foil and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours. Overnight is fine, too.

  When 2 hours have passed, leave the cake in the refrigerator and start making the Brown Butter Icing.

  Brown Butter Icing Ingredients:

  ¼ cup salted butter (½ stick, 2 ounces, pound)

  2 cups powdered (confectioners’) sugar (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)