Coconut Layer Cake Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  Chapter Nineteen

  Hannah was sitting at the stainless steel work station in the kitchen of The Cookie Jar when there was a soft knock at the door. Since she didn’t recognize the knock, she went to the door and looked through the peephole that Mike and Lonnie had installed. It only took one glance before she hurried to open the door.

  “Lynne!” She greeted her guest with a smile. “Let me take your coat.”

  “Thanks, Hannah.” Lynne shrugged out of her bright red parka and handed it to Hannah. “I’m so glad I finally found the right coat for this weather! It’s freezing out there.”

  “I love your parka,” Hannah said, admiring the lightweight garment as she hung it on a hook. “Did you buy it here?”

  “No, your mother warned me that it would be cold when we got here, so I bought it in California. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a parka in California?”

  “Not really,” Hannah said, motioning to a stool at the work station. “Sit down and I’ll get you a cup of coffee.”

  “That would be great!” Lynne gave a little laugh. “I spent one whole afternoon shopping for that parka and I almost gave up when your mother suggested that I try a sporting goods store! Nobody in California needs a parka unless they go to a ski resort.”

  Hannah began to smile. “You’re right, of course. California weather never really gets cold enough for parkas.”

  “I’m really glad your mother and Doc Knight have their climate-controlled garden. That’s where we are having tea with Stephanie Bascom this afternoon. That’s another reason I dropped by to see you. Your mother wondered if you could bake something for our tea.”

  “What does Mother want to serve?”

  “Oh.” Lynne giggled. “What does Stephanie like with her champagne glass of tea?”

  “Any kind of appetizer will do just fine. Why don’t I prepare a plate of cookies? That’s good with champagne.”

  “Great!” Lynne began to smile. “I really love your cookies.”

  “Perfect. I’ll have it ready to go at two-thirty for you. Did you get a rental car from Cyril this morning?”

  “I did better than that. I bought a Land Rover, and I love it! I drove it out to KCOW-TV this morning and Chuck Wilson complimented me on my choice.”

  “What did you think of Chuck?”

  “He’s okay. He looks in the mirror a little too much for me, but a lot of people I’ve worked with are like that. He seems like a nice guy, though. And he promised to help me through my first couple of weeks on-air.”

  “First couple of weeks on-air?” Hannah set down her coffee mug and stared at Lynne in confusion. “What do you mean?”

  A happy smile crossed Lynne’s face. “I got a job, Hannah! They gave me a tryout and they hired me to anchor the KCOW News with Chuck. We’re going to be co-anchors.”

  “How about Dee-Dee Hughes? Did she get fired?”

  Lynne shook her head. “No, she’s moving. Chuck told me that she met some high-powered lawyer at a conference in Minneapolis, got engaged a couple of weeks later, and married him two weeks ago. She’s moving to New York with him next week, and she told Chuck that her new husband doesn’t want her to work. She didn’t even bother to give notice. She just told everyone at the station that she was leaving and that was that.”

  Hannah was shocked. “You mean . . . she just quit with no notice or anything? And she left the rest of the news team in the lurch?”

  “That’s right. Believe me, Chuck wasn’t happy about that! He told me he’s been anchoring the news by himself for a week now while the producer looks for a replacement.”

  Hannah began to smile. “And you’re Dee-Dee’s replacement. Good for you, Lynne!”

  “I’m really happy about it. The hours are fine and now that I have good transportation, I’m starting on Monday.”

  “That’s wonderful!” Hannah was pleased for her friend. “You’re really something, Lynne. You’ve been here less than twenty-four hours and you already have a place to live, a car, and a new career.”

  Lynne took a sip of her coffee and began to smile. “You’re right. The only thing I’m missing is a cookie.”

  “Oh, no!” Hannah was thoroughly chagrined. “I’m sorry, Lynne. I was going to fill a plate with cookies and I got so excited for you, I forgot.”

  “That’s okay. I was just teasing. But I really would like a cookie. What fantastic cookies do you have to celebrate my new job?”

  “I know just the thing!” Hannah jumped up and headed for the baker’s rack. “I just made these Snowflake and Ice Cookies. I haven’t even tried them yet.”

  “Then we’ll try them together,” Lynne said, as Hannah filled a plate with her newest cookie.

  “Not without me, you won’t,” Norman said, coming in from the coffee shop, just in time to hear Lynne’s comment. “Those sound like interesting cookies.”

  “I’ll get Norman a cup of coffee,” Lynne offered, “and we will all try them.”

  Once Hannah set the cookie plate in front of them and they’d all tasted them and pronounced them excellent, Norman turned to Hannah.

  “Lonnie’s coming in with the cartons of things from your bedroom at the condo,” he told her. “Do you want me to text him and tell him to take them to your mother’s place?”

  Hannah thought about that for a moment, and then she shook her head. “I don’t want to store them there. I think it would be better if I got a storage unit. That way I could go through the boxes whenever I had any free time and decide which things I wanted to keep.”

  “I have some room in my garage,” Norman offered.

  Again, Hannah shook her head. “You’re already storing all Ross’s old film and video equipment. I’d rather take my things to that storage place out by the community college.”

  “Whatever you want,” Norman agreed. “I’ve got a trailer hitch on my car and we can take them out there whenever you like.”

  Hannah glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. “I can go at noon if that’s okay with you. I’ve got Lisa, Aunt Nancy, Marge, and Andrea handling the coffee shop for the noon rush.”

  “That’s fine with me,” Norman agreed. “I’ll give Lonnie a call and see if that’s okay with him.”

  Norman got up and moved away so that they could talk while he called Lonnie.

  “Norman’s so considerate,” Lynne commented.

  “Yes, he is. That’s one of the things I like best about him. Norman’s a real gentleman and he always considers other people’s feelings.”

  “Yes, especially yours. I’ve noticed that.”

  Lynne looked a bit concerned and Hannah wasn’t sure why. “You look a little worried,” she said. “Tell me why.”

  “Well . . . I really should offer to help you and Norman unload your things, but I arranged to meet your mother for lunch at Red Velvet Lounge at noon. If you need me, I can call and cancel.”

  “All set with Lonnie,” Norman said, coming back to the work station just in time to hear Lynne’s comment. “You don’t have to cancel, Lynne. Lonnie told me that there’s not that much, and Hannah and I can handle it.”

  “Whatever you say,” Lynne said, and Hannah noticed that she looked relieved.

  “Are you prepping for your tea with Stephanie Bascomb?” Hannah guessed.

  “Actually, yes. When I told your mother that I was willing to pay rent if Stephanie would let me into the condo early, your mother told me not to offer that. And then she suggested that we ply Stephanie with . . .” Lynne stopped in mid-sentence and glanced at Norman.

  “It’s okay, Lynne,” Norman reassured her. “Hannah told me about the type of tea that Delores serves when Stephanie Bascomb comes for a visit.”

  “Oh, good!” Lynne said, sounding very relieved. “I didn’t want to give any secrets away.” She turned to Hannah. “I’ll run over to Granny’s Attic to meet your mother, then. There might be something I can do to help her in the store before lunch.”

  “I’ll walk you out,”
Noman offered, standing up so that he could help her into her parka and open the back door for her. When he came back, he sat down again and smiled at Hannah. “I told Lynne that if Stephanie wouldn’t let her move in early, she was welcome to stay at my place. That’s all right with you, isn’t it?”

  “It’s fine with me.”

  “I thought so, but I really should have asked you first. My apologies, Hannah.”

  “No need for . . .” Hannah stopped speaking when she heard another knock on the back kitchen door.

  “Mike?” Norman asked her.

  “Yes, I’d recognize his knock anywhere.”

  Norman laughed. “Me too, now that you taught me to listen for it. Mike still does the Let me in or I’ll break the door down! type of knock. If you get coffee for him, I’ll go let him in.”

  “Deal,” Hannah said, heading for the kitchen coffeepot as Norman went in the opposite direction.

  “Hi, Mike,” Hannah heard Norman say as she poured a mug of coffee. When she turned around to carry the coffee back to the work station, Mike had already hung up his parka and was sitting on a stool.

  “Hello, Mike,” she greeted him. “Would you like to taste my new cookies? They’re called Snowflake and Ice Cookies.”

  “Sure,” Mike agreed immediately. “I’m always up for tasting new cookies.”

  Hannah went to the bakers rack, filled a plate with Snowflake and Ice Cookies, and brought them back to Mike. “Here you go,” she said.

  Mike grabbed a cookie and tasted it. “Good!” he said, swallowing hastily. Then he finished his first cookie, took a second, and asked, “Did you find out who disabled Darcy’s car?”

  Hannah came close to laughing. She should have known that Mike would ask her about her trip to DelRay this morning. “Yes, but they have alibis for Darcy’s murder,” she answered.

  “Too bad,” Mike said with a sigh. “Did you learn anything else?”

  “Yes, Darcy flirted with Benton. She used to pass him notes when he came by to check the line.”

  “You’re going to check into that, aren’t you?” Mike asked.

  “Of course I am, right after I go out to rent a storage locker for the things Michelle and Lonnie packed up from my bedroom.”

  “When are you going to do that?”

  “At noon,” Norman told him.

  “Okay. I’ll help you unload, it’ll go faster that way.” Mike plucked another cookie from the tray and took a bite. “I’m meeting someone out at the Corner Tavern for lunch today, but that isn’t until one-thirty. That’s pretty late for me. I’m practically starving.”

  Hannah knew she didn’t dare glance at Norman or she’d burst into laughter. Mike had just eaten four cookies and he was starving?

  “I’m eating too much,” Mike said, looking slightly guilty. “I think it’s because I’m so frustrated with this situation with Lonnie. It’s practically killing me that I can’t help him. But if I start to investigate, it’ll taint the whole murder case and nothing I discover can be used.”

  “I know,” Hannah said, reaching out to pat Mike’s hand.

  Mike sighed and turned to Norman. “That’s what happened when my wife was murdered. I was working for the Minneapolis Police Department at the time and I just couldn’t leave it alone.”

  “I can understand that,” Norman said. “You wanted to do something to help.”

  “Yeah, and I messed it up.” Mike swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “Water over the dam, but it still gets to me. If I’d stayed hands off, we could have locked that little . . .” Mike stopped talking and blinked several times. “He was scum of the earth,” he concluded.

  All three of them were silent for a moment. Neither Hannah nor Norman knew exactly what to say to comfort Mike, and it was apparent to both of them that he was still grieving over his wife.

  “All we can do is do our best,” Norman said, reaching deeply into his bag of platitudes and squeezing Mike’s shoulder. “I know that’s what you thought you were doing. But this time, in Lonnie’s case, you’re restraining yourself. That’s really hard to do. I know that. I spent a couple of years regretting my reaction when bad things happened to someone I cared for.”

  Mike gave a little smile. “I know. I checked into your background when you first started dating Hannah. Actually . . . if I’d been in your position, I might have done the same thing you did.”

  “And I probably would have reacted exactly the way that you did,” Norman said.

  This whole male-bonding thing between Norman and Mike was getting a bit too serious for Hannah and she rose from her stool. “I’m going to go tell Lisa that we’ll be leaving at noon. You guys know where the cookies are if you want more.”

  On her way through the swinging door to the coffee shop, Hannah found she had mixed reactions. Her two former boyfriends were bonding and she supposed that was good. They were friends, she knew that. Did the fact that they were becoming even closer friends make her relationship with both of them even more of a triangle?

  “Are you okay?” Lisa asked, noticing that Hannah was standing just inside the coffee shop, deep in thought.

  “Oh! Yes, I’m fine. Do you have enough help for lunchtime? I have something I’d like to do, but I won’t leave if it’s a problem.”

  “No problem,” Lisa said quickly. “Andrea just ran over to Al’s office to drop off some paperwork, and then she’s coming right back. Marge will be here in a minute for the noon rush, so I’ll have plenty of help. Just go do whatever you need, Hannah. And, as a matter of fact, you don’t have to come back in at all today. Everybody wants to free you up so you can find out who murdered Darcy.”

  Hannah began to smile. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Lisa.”

  “Well, you won’t have to find out. Now, go and do whatever you have to do and don’t worry about us.”

  Hannah reached out to pat Lisa’s shoulder. “Thanks. When Andrea comes in, would you ask her to stay until I get back? I should be back here by one at the latest.”

  “No problem.”

  “Tell her that I need her to help me with another interview this afternoon if she’s free.”

  “Oh, I’m sure she’ll be free. Andrea’s so happy you’re letting her help with this case. I . . . maybe I shouldn’t say this, but I think she was feeling a little left out lately.”

  Hannah was taken entirely by surprise. “She was?”

  “I think so. She used to help you with murder cases and lately you haven’t needed her. She loves to help you, Hannah.”

  “That’s good to hear, but . . . Andrea’s really busy with her real estate business and her family. I didn’t think I was right to take too much of her time away from those things.”

  “Andrea’s like you. She doesn’t know what to do with downtime. She told me once that she feels best when she stays busy.”

  “That’s good to know. Well, I can certainly use her to help me this time. It’s a hard case, Lisa.”

  “So you have a lot of suspects?”

  “I have enough, but more crop up every time I talk to someone. It’s complicated because Darcy was . . . well . . . there are quite a few people who didn’t like her all that much.”

  “I know. Darcy wasn’t in my class in high school, but I remember her. One of my sisters absolutely hated her because Darcy stole her boyfriend.” Lisa read Hannah’s aha! expression and gave a little laugh. “Forget it, Hannah. She was in Chicago the day Darcy was murdered and now she’s on vacation with her husband in the Bahamas. There’s no way she could have come back here and killed Darcy.”

  “That’s good. There’s no need for me to put her on my suspect list, then.”

  “That’s right, but all of us here are keeping our ears open for any productive leads. If we’re lucky, the invisible waitress trick will work in our favor again.”

  “Fingers crossed,” Hannah said, turning to head back to the kitchen. “Thanks, Lisa. I’ll check in with you when I get back.”

  SNOWFLA
KE AND ICE COOKIES

  Preheat oven to 375°F., rack in the middle position.

  2 cups white (granulated) sugar

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

  3 large eggs, beaten (just whip it up in a glass with a fork)

  1 teaspoon baking powder

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  ½ teaspoon salt

  ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly ground is best of course)

  ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom (if you don’t have it, substitute cinnamon)

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  ½ teaspoon coconut extract

  ½ cup milk

  ½ cup flaked coconut

  2 cups rolled oats (uncooked dry oatmeal—use the old-fashioned kind that takes 5 minutes to cook, not the quick 1-minute variety)

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

  1 cup white chocolate or vanilla baking chips (I used Nestlé vanilla baking chips)

  To Decorate:

  ¼ to ½ cup powdered (confectioners) sugar

  Place the white sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer.

  Place the softened butter on top of the sugar and mix at LOW speed for one minute or until the ingredients are blended.

  Turn the mixer to MEDIUM speed and add the eggs. Continue to mix until the butter, sugar, and eggs form a light and fluffy mixture.

  Turn the mixer down to LOW speed again and add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until they are combined.

  With the mixer still running on LOW speed, add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. Mix until they are thoroughly combined.

  Don’t turn off the mixer and add the vanilla extract and the coconut extract. Mix well.

  Then, with the mixer still on LOW speed, drizzle in the half-cup of milk.

  Shut off the mixer and measure out a half-cup of flaked coconut. With the mixer OFF, add it to your bowl. Then turn the mixer back to LOW speed and mix in the coconut.