by Joanne Fluke
Hannah sat down and sighed. What could a person use for a screwdriver if a person didn’t have a screwdriver? She’d once used a table knife, much to the dismay of her father who’d caught her doing it, but she didn’t have a table knife either. She took a deep breath, let it out again to relax, and that was when she remembered that Rhonda had been stabbed with a knife. Jed had been very anxious to recover that shoebox Freddy had given her and that meant there was something important inside. It had to contain the knife that Jed had used to stab Rhonda!
Hannah stood up to get the shoebox and sat back down to open it. She was chilled to the bone and her fingers were shaking so hard, she could barely untie the twine. When she lifted the lid and unrolled the old rag that was inside, she let out a cry of pure relief. It was a hunting knife, a long one with a sturdy, wicked-looking blade. She was about to grab it when she realized that the handle was metal and it might have fingerprints on it.
This consideration didn’t stop Hannah for long. Her situation was growing more desperate by the minute. She grabbed one of the nonskid mats that lined the cooler shelves and used it for a glove. Then she leaned forward and began to loosen the screws that held the cover of the electrical panel in place.
It took a few minutes, but at last the cover came off and Hannah stared at the array of wires inside. She could pull them loose, but that might not short out the circuit.
Hannah leaned closer to peer inside the panel. There was a caution sticker on one part, a warning to shut off the power before attempting to replace that part and to use properly insulated tools. Hannah glanced down at the metal blade of the knife. The power was on, and the knife blade wasn’t insulated. That made two out of two warnings she would ignore and it ought to do the trick. Unfortunately, the handle of the knife was also metal and she could fry. On the other hand, she was going to die anyway and it was worth a shot, especially if she wrapped the knife handle in the nonskid mat again.
Once that was accomplished, Hannah prepared for action. She had to hurry. Herb would be coming down the alley any minute. She took a split second to decide where to plunge the knife and decided to aim for the red sticker that read “Danger.” The cooler light would go out when the circuit blew, so she pushed the mixing bowl right up against the cooler door. Then she turned back to the open panel, took a deep breath, and stabbed.
The moment the tip of the knife blade hit the danger sticker, a huge ball of light knocked Hannah flat on her back. Despite the fact that she was seeing stars, Hannah sat up, crawled to the door, and listened. The alarm was going off next door. She’d done it and she was still alive! Now all she had to do was wait for Herb and bang on the cooler door when he came into her kitchen.
It seemed like forever, crouching there in the dark, but at last Hannah heard the back door open and she banged on the cooler door as hard as she could. A second later, she heard a mumbled expletive and then a shout.
“Hannah? Are you in there?”
“Yes!” Hannah shouted back at the top of her lungs.
“The handle’s padlocked, but I’ve got bolt cutters in the cruiser. Just sit tight for a minute.”
Just sit tight? Hannah started to giggle with a mixture of relief and anxiety. What else could she do but sit tight? She giggled as she heard Herb cutting off the padlock, and she giggled when she heard him open the door. She was still giggling when he pulled her to her feet and gathered her into his arms. Then she remembered about Freddy and her giggles stopped abruptly.
“What happened, Hannah?”
“Later,” Hannah said, taking a huge gulp of welcome air. “Do you have a police radio in your patrol car?”
“Sure.”
“Get through to the sheriff’s department and tell them to post a deputy in Freddy Sawyer’s hospital room. He’s going to be murdered at midnight. Tell them not to let anyone but Doc Knight in or out until they hear from me.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. Would a woman who’s been locked inside her own cooler by a stone-cold killer lie to you?”
Herb looked as if he wanted to ask a million questions, but he turned on his heel and rushed out to his patrol car to make the call. By the time he came back in, Hannah had already called the hospital and Doc Knight had promised to send his biggest orderly to stand guard in Freddy’s room until the deputy arrived. She’d also retrieved the murder weapon and packed it and the nonskid mat in Freddy’s shoebox.
“Now will you tell me what happened?” Herb asked, staring at Hannah with a mixture of alarm and admiration.
“I’ll tell you on the way out to the sheriff’s station. I know who killed Rhonda and I need to give them the facts. And I know who has that old bank robbery money, too.”
“And you want me to drive you out there?”
“Rhonda’s killer is the one who locked me in my cooler and plugged up the air vent. I think I’m still a little shaky from the cold and the lack of oxygen. Not only that, I had to short out the power with the murder weapon and I got knocked back against the wall.”
“No problem,” Herb said, holding the door open for her.
“Good. Mike’s not going to be too happy about the murder weapon. I bent it a little when I used it for a screwdriver and it’s got a burn hole in the blade from shorting out the power. Maybe they can still lift some fingerprints if I didn’t smudge them with the nonskid mat. Are you sure you don’t mind driving me?”
“Anytime, Hannah.” Herb shook his head as they went out the door. “Let me see if I got this straight. You got locked in the cooler by Rhonda’s killer, you used the murder weapon as a screwdriver and a tool to short out the circuit, you discovered that Freddy was targeted for murder at midnight tonight, and you know who has the loot from that old bank robbery?”
“That about sums it up. I’m sorry about pulling you away from your rounds, Herb. I owe you, big-time.”
“Maybe I should listen in at the sheriff’s station. Then you won’t have to explain it all twice.”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll tell them I want you with me.”
“Okay, then you already paid me back.” Herb opened the door of his patrol car for Hannah and helped her in.
“How did I pay you?” Hannah asked, buckling her seat belt and leaning back for the ride.
“I’ll be there to see the expression on Mike’s face when you explain all this. Believe me, Hannah. You paid me big-time!”
Chapter
Thirty
“Y ou look great, Hannah,” Norman said as Hannah approached the largest table in the dining room at the Lake Eden Inn.
“Thanks, Norman.” Hannah gave him a warm smile and then she turned to Delores and Carrie. “You’re here early.”
Delores nodded. “I know. I wanted everything to be perfect.”
“I’m sure it will be.” Hannah pulled out a chair, but her mother shook her head.
“Not there, dear. I want you to sit on Norman’s right.”
Hannah rolled her eyes, but she took the chair her mother indicated. Delores always liked to arrange the seating at her parties, and she was the one who’d invited them for dinner to celebrate the solving of Rhonda’s murder case.
“Aren’t these flowers gorgeous?” Delores gestured toward the colorful centerpiece of summer flowers. “Herb Beeseman sent them. They must be for you.”
“For me?” Hannah was puzzled.
“Of course. You solved Rhonda’s murder. But you really should have brought a gift for Herb. He’s the one who rescued you from that cooler.”
“I did bring something for Herb,” Hannah defended herself. “He’s been asking for pineapple cookies for ages and I came up with a new cookie bar recipe. They’re called Pineapple Right-Side-Up Bars and they’re in Sally’s kitchen, along with my pizza cutter.”
Norman looked puzzled. “Your pizza cutter?”
“It’s something I learned from my college roommate. Cynthia always used a pizza cutter on pans of brownies. It works better than a knife.”<
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“Hi, everybody!” Tracey called out, tugging at Andrea’s hand to hurry her along toward the table. She was dressed in a pale blue silk dress with white lace around the sleeves and the hemline. “Look at me. I’m all dressed up for dinner.”
“And you look just lovely,” Delores said, patting the chair next to her.
“I know. Daddy told me I’m almost as pretty as Mommy. He’s coming in a minute with Uncle Mike.” Tracey climbed up in the chair next to Delores and grinned at everyone. “Hi, Uncle Norman.”
Andrea passed by the back of Hannah’s chair on her way around the table, and Hannah pulled her down for a private word. “Tracey’s calling everyone uncle again.”
“I know. I taught her not to discriminate,” Andrea whispered back and then she straightened up to address the whole table. “How many people are coming?”
“Twelve,” Delores answered. “All of us, plus Lisa and Herb. And Lonnie is coming with Michelle.”
“We’re here.” Bill came up to the table with Mike. Both of them were wearing their uniforms and they looked very handsome.
“Sit right here, Bill.” Delores gestured to a chair next to Andrea. “Mike? Take that place by Hannah.”
Hannah maintained her pleasant expression, but she resolved to have a talk with her mother about the seating arrangements for these family gatherings. Her mother always sandwiched her in between Norman and Mike, and she was beginning to feel like peanut butter.
“Did you see Freddy this morning?” Andrea asked her.
“Yes, I did. I drove out to the hospital right after I delivered my cookies for the church bake sale.” Hannah gave a small smile. Thanks to the layer of plastic wrap on top of her bowl, her dough had been intact and she’d baked her cookies early this morning. If she didn’t tell, no one would ever guess what that batch of Molasses Crackles had been through. “Doc Knight says Freddy’s going to make a full recovery. I was there when they took him off the respirator and the first thing he told us was that Jed had attacked him.”
“Did he understand why?” Norman asked.
“He did after we explained it. Freddy said he hoped they’d lock Jed up for good so he couldn’t hurt anyone else.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Mike said. “We got a full confession. And since we found the stolen money in Jed’s truck, the only question now is who gets to prosecute him first, the Feds or us.”
“Hi!” Lisa was grinning ear-to-ear as she approached the table with Herb. “I’m sorry we’re late. We stopped at the hospital to see Freddy and he wanted to tell us all about his new job.”
Herb pulled out a chair for Lisa, then took his place at the table. “Doc Knight found a job for Freddy at the hospital doing maintenance work and taking care of the grounds.”
“There’s Aunt Michelle!” Tracey said, standing up to wave. “And Uncle Lonnie’s with her.”
Hannah laughed at the shocked expression on Andrea’s face. It was clear her sister was now regretting teaching Tracey indiscriminate use of the term “uncle.” It wasn’t that Andrea disliked Lonnie, but she’d made it clear that she didn’t approve of Michelle dating anyone in law enforcement. She’d explained that it was all right for Hannah since she was older and more independent, but she felt that Michelle should have a boyfriend with a less demanding job.
“Isn’t it a beautiful evening?” Lisa asked, looking straight at Hannah and closing one eye in a wink. “I think this is the best night of my life. And there’s even a full moon!”
Hannah stared hard at Lisa. Something was definitely wrong with her partner. Lisa’s eyes were sparkling, her face was flushed, and she looked as if she’d been awarded the Nobel Prize, the Miss Universe crown, and an Olympic gold medal all at once. If Hannah hadn’t known better, she might have suspected that Lisa was giddy on champagne, but the cork was still in the bottle.
“Are you okay, Lisa?” Hannah asked.
“I’ve never been more okay in my life!” Lisa gave a little giggle and reached for her water glass.
Hannah blinked. Lisa was holding her water glass awkwardly, with her finger held straight out as if it hurt. She was about to ask how she’d injured her hand and whether Doc Knight had given her pain pills when Andrea let out a gasp.
“Oh, my!” Andrea squealed and rushed over to hug Lisa. “Why didn’t you say something sooner? This is just wonderful!”
Hannah regarded her sister with total amazement. Had everyone gone crazy? “What’s wonderful?”
“This!” Andrea reached for Lisa’s hand and held it aloft. “Lisa and Herb are engaged!”
Hannah laughed long and hard, even though she felt like total fool for not noticing the ring earlier. The champagne was opened, along with a bottle of sparkling apple juice for Tracey to share with Norman, who said that since he was driving, he’d pass on the champagne.
Congratulations flowed for several joyful minutes. Then Delores asked the question that was in everyone’s mind. “When is the wedding?”
“On December thirty-first,” Herb answered her, with a grin. “Lisa wanted to wait until the busy season was over at The Cookie Jar, but she still wanted me to get the tax break.”
Hannah applauded. “Smart girl.”
“Can I be in your wedding, Lisa?” Tracey asked. “I always wanted to be a flower girl.”
Lisa reached over to give her a hug. “I was just going to ask you if you’d be my flower girl. You’re my first choice. I’d like to make this is a real family wedding.”
“What a wonderful idea!” Delores clapped her hands. “Wouldn’t it be delightful to make it a double wedding and have a real family affair?”
Hannah fumed as her mother turned to smile first at Norman and then at Mike. Delores was getting positively blatant. Silence fell as both men shifted uncomfortably and Hannah knew she had to do something.
“A double wedding would be wonderful,” Hannah said, seizing the first idea that popped into her head and running with it, “but I really think that Michelle should finish college before she gets married.”
Michelle looked startled for a split second, but then she caught on. “You won’t get any argument from me. I want to get my degree before I settle down. That’s all right with you, isn’t it, Mother?”
“Of course it’s all right! But, I didn’t mean…”
Delores faltered and Hannah almost felt sorry for her…almost, but not quite. “I’ll come up with a special wedding cookie for you, Lisa. Something spectacular.”
“And I’ll help you with the wedding,” Andrea offered. “I just cleaned out my closet and I found all the plans I used for my wedding. And that reminds me…I’ve got a package in the car for you, Hannah. Remember those summer slacks we bought last year?”
“Oh, yes.” Hannah sighed. How could she forget? Those miserable slacks had prompted her diet.
“Well, we must have mixed them up when we took them out of my car. I don’t know how, but I ended up with yours.”
Hannah’s mouth dropped open. “You mean the slacks I have belong to you?”
“That’s right.”
Hannah’s head was still reeling when the waitress arrived to take their order. She wasn’t overweight. She’d been dieting to try to fit into Andrea’s slacks!
“Could I take your order?” the waitress asked, pausing by Hannah’s chair.
“Just one second,” Hannah said, and she turned to Andrea again. “Are you absolutely positive the slacks I have are yours?”
“Of course I am. The pair I wound up with is much too big for me.”
Hannah was grinning as she turned back to the waitress. “I’m skipping my salad and entrée tonight. Just bring me the dessert cart and park it right here.”
Pineapple Right-Side-Up Cookie Bars
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.,
with rack in middle position.
(Another recipe with a no-roll crust—don’t you just love it? )
2 cups flour (no need to sift)
1 cup softene
d butter (2 sticks, ½ pound)
½ cup white sugar
4 beaten eggs (just whip them up with a fork)
½ cup white sugar
½ cup frozen concentrated pineapple juice
½ cup drained crushed pineapple (if you have any left over, freeze it)
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons flour (that’s ¼ cup—don’t bother to sift )
FIRST STEP: Dump pineapple in a strainer and let it drain while you do this step. Cream butter with sugar and add flour. Mix well. (You can also do this in a food processor with hard butter cut into chunks and the steel blade. ) Spread mixture out in a greased 9 x 13 inch pan (that’s a standard sheet cake pan) , and press it down evenly with your hands.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven. (Don’t turn off oven!)
SECOND STEP: Mix eggs with sugar. Add pineapple concentrate, drained pineapple, and mix. Add salt and baking powder and stir it all up. Then add flour and mix thoroughly. (This will be runny—it’ll set in the oven.)
Pour this mixture on top of the pan you just baked and stick it back into the oven. Bake at 350 degrees F. for another 45–50 minutes. Then remove from oven.
Let cool thoroughly, then sprinkle a little powdered sugar on the top and cut into brownie-sized bars.
(Herb Beeseman loves these—it was the least I could do for him. Mother and Carrie love them too, but they like a double serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Marge Beeseman has refused to taste them, probably because she thinks she makes the best Pineapple Upside-Down Cake in the state of Minnesota and she doesn’t relish any interference.)
