Coconut Layer Cake Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  It only took a moment to pull on her slippers and a scant five minutes later, Hannah was in the shower, fully waking up as the multiple water jets relaxed her stiff muscles. Moishe had stolen her pillow again, a feline necessity since Cuddles had appropriated his.

  Less than ten minutes later, fully awake and dressed, Hannah tiptoed past the guest room Norman was using and hurried downstairs to the kitchen. She pushed open the door, stepped inside, and was immediately seduced by her favorite morning aroma. “Coffee!” she breathed.

  “Sit down. I’ll pour you a cup,” a voice said, and Hannah turned toward the booth in the corner of Norman’s kitchen.

  “Lynne!” Hannah exclaimed, obviously startled at the sight of her friend. “I thought you said you were going to sleep in this morning.”

  “I was, but I heard your shower running and I decided to come down here and make the coffee.” Lynne patted the bench of the booth. “Slide in. You take it black . . . right?”

  “Right. The coffee smells wonderful!”

  “It should. I noticed that Norman had Blue Mountain beans from a place in New York and I used that. It’s supposed to be the best coffee in the world.”

  “I believe it,” Hannah said, inhaling the delicious scent.

  “There was a note with my name on it next to the bag,” Lynne told her, pouring a mug for Hannah and carrying it to the booth. “It said, If you get up before I do, use this coffee for Hannah. Norman loves you, you know.”

  Hannah knew she was smiling as she accepted the coffee from Lynne. “I know.”

  “Do you love him?”

  “Yes, but not quite the way he wants me to.”

  “Give it time.” She waited until Hannah had taken her first sip of coffee, and then she asked, “How do you like it?”

  “It’s wonderful!”

  “I heard that,” Norman said, appearing in the doorway. “I came in and shut off your alarm, Hannah. Lisa called and said she didn’t need you early this morning. Lonnie was there and he filled Lisa in on the morning he found Darcy. He told her he wants her to tell the story because someone who hears it might come forward with new information.”

  “Good for him!” Hannah said, giving Norman a smile. “I was hoping he might do something like that, but I didn’t want to ask him to do it. Lonnie’s still a bit . . .”

  “Fragile?” Norman suggested.

  “That’s it, exactly. He doesn’t really want to talk about his experience and how he felt, but he will if he thinks it might possibly help to catch Darcy’s killer.”

  “Is Lisa telling the story of the murder today?” Lynne asked.

  “Yes,” Norman answered. “She said she had it all worked out when she called here.” He turned to Hannah. “That’s one of the reasons she didn’t want you to come in to help them bake this morning. Lisa said she wanted you to follow up any leads you already had. She assured me that she had plenty of help with Aunt Nancy, Marge, and Jack. And she said that Andrea called to find out what time she should come in to help wait on tables.”

  “I’ll help, too,” Lynne promised. “All I have to do this morning is rent or buy a car and drive out to the KCOW-TV station to talk to the owner about the Movies In Minnesota festival.”

  “They’re still going to do it?” Norman asked her.

  “Yes, but they’re waiting until June. That way they won’t run into big problems with the weather.”

  “Makes sense,” Hannah commented. “But I need Andrea today.”

  “And I’ll take Lynne out to Cyril’s to ask about renting or buying a car,” Norman promised.

  Just then the stove timer dinged and Lynne got up from her chair. “Breakfast is almost ready,” she told them. “I made Easy Cheesy Eggs Benedict.”

  “What’s that?” Hannah asked her.

  “You’ll see,” Lynne promised. “My mother always made them on Christmas morning with my Aunt Daryl. I still remember helping them when I got older.”

  “What did you do?” Norman was curious.

  “I buttered the English muffins before they went in the oven,” Lynne told them. “I can hardly wait to see if you like them. I’m really hoping I made them right.”

  “I’m sure you did,” Hannah said quickly. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “Yes, get out three plates and put them on the counter, and I’ll get the eggs and Canadian bacon out of the oven.”

  “I can help, too,” Norman offered.

  “Okay. Check the cheese sauce. It’s in your microwave. If it’s hot enough, take it out and you can ladle it over the eggs when I take them out of the muffin pan.”

  Hannah began to smile. This recipe sounded fascinating. “So, they’re like Eggs Benedict without the Hollandaise Sauce?”

  “Exactly. I could have made it from scratch, but it’s quicker and easier with the cheese sauce.”

  All three of them got up to complete their assigned tasks and only scant minutes later, they were sitting down to eat Lynne’s creation.

  “Delicious!” Hannah pronounced. “Will you give me the recipe?”

  “Of course.”

  “They’re really great!” Norman agreed, turning to Lynne. “Is this why you wanted me to drop by the Quick Stop on the way to my house last night?”

  “Yes, I haven’t had these in years, but since I helped to make them every Christmas morning, I remembered how to do it. It’s wonderful to have them this morning, almost like being home again.”

  “You can make this your Christmas tradition,” Hannah told her, reacting to the wistful expression on Lynne’s face. She knew Lynne’s parents had died several years ago and since their house had been sold, it was impossible for Lynne to revisit the site of her childhood memories.

  “Will you make these at my house this year?” Norman asked her. “I’ve had everyone here for breakfast on Christmas Day for two years in a row.”

  “I’d love to!” Lynne gave him a grateful smile. “I’ve really missed the friendships I had, growing up in a small town. Neighbors . . . friends . . . relatives . . . we all used to get together on Christmas morning.”

  “Then you’ll just have to join us, especially since you’ll be living here in Lake Eden,” Norman told her. “Do you have any idea when your moving van will be here with your furniture?”

  Lynne shook her head. “I’m not sure, but I didn’t pack any big furniture. I didn’t want much to remind me of my”—she stopped and gave a little sigh—“old life. I want to start fresh in Lake Eden, and that means buying my own furniture. That’s another thing I’m going to check into today. Tori Bascomb’s condo won’t be mine for two weeks, but I’m hoping that Mayor Bascomb and his wife will let me in early.” She turned to smile at Hannah. “Your mother already arranged to have Stephanie Bascomb and me over for coffee this afternoon in the penthouse garden. She says that all the furniture is still in the condo, and she thinks Mrs. Bascomb will let me use it until I replace it with mine.”

  “You do know that coffee in the penthouse garden won’t have coffee, don’t you?” Hannah asked her.

  “Yes, your mother told me. She thought the second bottle of Perrier Jouët might convince Stephanie to let me move in early.”

  Norman laughed. “Mrs. Bascomb will probably offer to let you use it if you buy some pieces from her.”

  “That would be good,” Lynne said. “I especially like the furniture in the studio she used for acting lessons, and the living room furniture will do just fine for a while.”

  Hannah exchanged glances with Norman. From the look on Norman’s face, it was clear he remembered hiding under Tori’s bed when Al Percy had come into her apartment.

  In response to Norman’s raised eyebrows, Hannah gave a little shake of her head. Perhaps they’d tell Lynne about that later, but for right now, it should be their secret.

  EASY CHEESY EGGS BENEDICT

  Preheat oven to 350°F. degrees.

  Place your oven rack in the middle position, and

  position a seco
nd rack in the slot above it.

  Hannah’s 1st Note: Before you start to preheat your oven, make sure that a 12-cup muffin pan will fit on the rack you put in the middle position. If it won’t, move the rack you put above it up another notch so that the muffin pan will fit.

  Ingredients:

  6 English muffins

  ½ stick softened, salted butter (2 ounces, 4 Tablespoons)

  12 slices Canadian bacon

  12 large eggs

  Salt and pepper to taste

  Cheese Sauce:

  10.5-ounce (net weight) can of Campbell’s condensed Cheddar Cheese soup

  Garnish:

  Sprinkling of paprika on top of the cheese sauce before serving (fresh Hungarian paprika is best)

  Directions:

  Prepare a 12-cup muffin pan by spraying the inside of the cups with Pam, or another nonstick cooking spray, or buttering them.

  Take out a cookie sheet to use for the English muffins. (It does not need to be prepared by spraying or buttering since the English muffin halves will be placed on it with the cut, buttered side up.)

  Separate the English muffins into 12 halves. (You can either cut them or pull them apart.)

  Spread the cut (or torn) side of the English muffins with the softened, salted butter.

  Place the English muffin halves, buttered side up, on the cookie sheet and place the cookie sheet on the kitchen counter.

  Hannah’s 2nd Note: The Canadian bacon and eggs that you will put in the muffin cups must go into the oven first because they will take longer to cook. You will put the cookie sheet with the English muffins into the oven when the eggs are halfway done.

  Place a Canadian bacon slice in the bottom of each muffin cup. Press it down so it covers the bottom and goes a bit up the sides.

  Crack an egg and tip the contents into one of the muffin cups on top of the Canadian bacon. Try not to break the yolks. Repeat this for all 12 muffin cups.

  Slip the muffin tin into the preheated oven and set your stove timer for 7 minutes. (The eggs won’t be done, but that’s when you’ll put in the buttered English muffins.)

  Hannah’s 3rd Note: The goal here is to have everything done at the same time.

  While your eggs are baking, you will prepare your cheese sauce. This is really super easy, much easier than making a hollandaise sauce.

  Open the can of Campbell’s condensed Cheddar Cheese soup.

  Spoon or use a small rubber spatula to remove the soup from the can and place it into a microwave-safe bowl.

  Hannah’s 4th Note: A word of caution! Do not add water or milk to the soup, even if you think it’s too thick. The sauce should be thick and cheesy, and it will be spooned over hot baked eggs.

  Heat the soup on HIGH in the microwave for 1 minute.

  Let the bowl stand in the microwave for 1 minute.

  Taste the cheese sauce. If it’s not hot enough, heat it in 30-second increments with 30-second stand time until it is.

  Leave the soup in the microwave until you’re ready to take your Cheesy Eggs Benedict out of the oven. Then, if it’s not hot enough, you’ll reheat it while you plate the Canadian bacon and eggs.

  When your stove timer rings and 7 minutes have passed, pick up your cookie sheet with the buttered English muffins and quickly place it on the rack above the muffin tin. Shut the oven door and set the oven timer for another 7 minutes.

  Get out 6 breakfast plates and place them on your kitchen counter. Once your Easy Cheesy Eggs Benedict come out of the oven, you’ll want to serve them while they are hot.

  When your oven timer rings, open the oven door and look at the eggs in the muffin cups. The whites should be cooked. If they aren’t cooked, give them another minute or two in the oven. Most people like the whites of the eggs fully cooked and the yolks still a bit runny.

  If the English muffins are beginning to get too brown on top, take them out of the oven now and set them on a cold stovetop burner. They will stay warm until the whites of your eggs are cooked.

  Once the whites of the eggs are cooked to your satisfaction, take the muffin pan out of the oven and set it on a cold stovetop burner or a wire rack.

  Set 2 English muffin halves, buttered side up, on each breakfast plate.

  Carry the muffin tin over to the plates with the English muffins on them.

  With a spoon or kitchen tongs, carefully transfer the contents of each muffin cup on top of each English muffin half.

  Remove the cheddar cheese sauce from the microwave.

  Spoon a helping of cheese sauce over each egg.

  Hannah’s 5th Note: If there is any cheese sauce left over, distribute it evenly over the eggs on the plate.

  Sprinkle the paprika on top of the cheese sauce for a pretty garnish.

  Serve your Easy Cheesy Eggs Benedict to your guests while they are still hot.

  Hannah’s 6th Note: If you like, you can accompany this brunch dish with slices of melon or other fruit.

  Hannah’s 7th Note: If you invite Mike for breakfast and serve Easy Cheesy Egg Benedict, be sure to put a bottle of Slap Ya Mama hot sauce next to his plate.

  Yield: This recipe serves 6 guests. If you have double ovens, the way Andrea does, you can make enough for a dozen guests at once.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Hannah had just finished taking a pan of Peanut Butter Sugar Cookies out of the oven, when her sister Andrea opened the back kitchen door, stepped inside, hung up her parka, and walked over to where Hannah was standing.

  “Coffee?” Hannah asked, sliding the last pan of cookies onto the bakers rack.

  “Sure. Why not?”

  Hannah turned quickly and caught the dejected expression on Andrea’s face. “Your client didn’t like the house?” she guessed.

  “He still insists he wants to wait to see if Darcy’s brother puts her house up for sale. And the house I showed him fit every one of his requirements perfectly.”

  “Did he give you any reason for holding out for Darcy’s house?”

  “Yes, he said that he liked the view. I asked him what he meant because I don’t think the view is anything special. It’s just farmland, surrounded by some big, ugly rocks between Darcy’s place and the next property. I just don’t get it, Hannah.”

  “Maybe he’s just one of those people who are impossible to satisfy,” Hannah said, placing a cup of coffee in front of Andrea and filling a plate with fresh Peanut Butter Sugar Cookies.

  “Those look good,” Andrea said when Hannah carried them to the table, but she still looked disappointed. She reached for a cookie, took a bite, and smiled for the first time since she’d come in the door. “And they taste great, too.”

  “Thanks,” Hannah said, and then she decided to cheer Andrea up even more. “Do you happen to know anyone who works the day shift at DelRay?”

  Andrea gave a quick nod. “Sure. Glenn Rait works the day shift and so does Donnie Seifert.”

  “Do you know them well?”

  Andrea thought about that for a moment. “It’s not like we were close friends, but I know them.”

  “Do they know that you’re married to Bill?”

  Andrea began to frown. “I think so. Everybody in town knows I’m married to Bill.”

  “And they know that Bill’s the sheriff?”

  “Well . . . yes, I think so. They probably voted in the election. Why are you asking all these questions, Hannah?”

  “Because I’d like you to go with me to talk to Glenn and Donnie.”

  It took a moment, but then Andrea understood. “You want to question them about something, and you want me to go along to introduce you?”

  “That’s right. Since you knew them back when, they may be more open with me if you’re there.”

  “You’re probably right. When do you want to go?”

  “In an hour. I called earlier to find out when the day shift got a break and one of the secretaries told me.”

  “How long do they have?”

  “Fifteen minutes, but that sh
ould be long enough. If we get there early, I can save a table and you can bring them over to introduce them to me.”

  “I can do that,” Andrea said quickly. “Besides, it’ll be fun to see them again.”

  “I thought I’d bring cookies.”

  “Good idea! That could help, especially if you give Glenn some of these peanut butter cookies. I used to give him half of my sandwich when we had peanut butter for lunch in the cafeteria. Glenn is crazy about peanut butter.”

  “How about Donnie?”

  “I don’t remember, but Donnie was always Glenn’s best buddy. If Glenn starts to talk to you, Donnie will probably talk to you, too.”

  * * *

  “Be careful of that car, Hannah,” Andrea warned as they walked through the employee parking lot. “You’re walking too close to the back of that car.”