Banana Cream Pie Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  Delores moved toward the wet carpet. She rounded the corner of the couch and stopped, reaching out to steady herself as she saw a sight that she knew would haunt her dreams for years to come. Tori was sprawled on the rug, a sticky red stain on one of the beautiful silk caftans she wore on evenings that she worked at home.

  The stain on the caftan glistened in the light from the tiny bulbs in the ceiling. Delores shuddered as she saw the crystal champagne flute tipped on its side on the floor, its expensive contents now permanently embedded in the plush white fibers. Thank goodness the blood hadn’t gotten on the carpet! That could have permanently ruined it. She’d have to give Tori the name of a good carpet cleaning firm so that they could remove the champagne stain.

  “Ohhhh!” Delores gave a cry that ended in a sob. Tori wouldn’t need the name of a carpet cleaner. Tori would never need anything again. Tori was dead! Her friend was dead!

  Tears began to fall from her eyes, but Delores couldn’t seem to look away. Her friend’s eyes seemed fixed on the ceiling and her mouth was slightly open, as if she were protesting the cruel twist of fate that had befallen her.

  “It’s okay, Delores. We’re here.”

  The sound of a calm male voice released Delores from her horrid fixation and she managed to turn to face the sound. It was Mike, and he had brought Lonnie with him. They had both come to help her. She wanted to thank them, but she couldn’t seem to find the words.

  “Lonnie’s going to take you back upstairs and stay with you until Michelle comes.”

  “Michelle’s still here?” Delores recovered enough to ask about her youngest daughter. “I thought she was going back to college tonight.”

  “She was, but she decided to stay until Hannah and Ross get back. I’ll be up later to take your statement.”

  As Lonnie took her arm, Delores began to shake. It was as if she had been hit with a blast of icy winter wind. She leaned heavily on Lonnie’s arm as he led her from the room, from the awful sight of the friend she’d never see again, the friend who wouldn’t come over for coffee in the morning, the downstairs neighbor who would no longer sit by the pool under the climate-controlled dome in Delores and Doc’s penthouse garden, and chat about her career on the stage. Tori would never collect her lifetime achievement award and hear the applause of her peers. Victoria Bascomb’s stellar life had ended, and Delores was overwhelmed with grief and sadness.

  As she entered the penthouse on Lonnie’s arm and sank onto the soft cushions of the couch, another emotion began to grow in her mind. It replaced the heaviness of her sadness, at least for the moment. That emotion was anger, anger that her friend had died in such a senseless manner. How dare someone come into Tori’s home and hurt her!

  As Delores sat there waiting for Michelle to arrive, she was filled with a fiery resolve. She had to tell Hannah that Tori had been murdered. The moment that Michelle arrived, they had to try to reach Hannah. They needed her and she had to help them. Her eldest daughter would know where to start and what to do. Hannah had to come home to Lake Eden immediately so that they could find Tori’s killer and make him pay for the horrible crime he had committed!

  Chapter Two

  Hannah Swensen Barton sat on the balcony of the owner’s suite, a chilled glass of champagne in her hand. She gave a happy smile as she watched the sun sink lower in the sky. The gentle lapping of the waves created a rhythm of contentment in her heart and she knew that she’d never felt so joyous and fulfilled. Marriage was wonderful. She loved Ross with every fiber of her being and she truly felt one with him.

  At the same time, she was happy to be alone for a few moments, to rediscover herself as a person and not half of a couple. She’d missed her alone time in the early morning, sitting at her kitchen table in her old nightgown, sipping coffee and letting her mind gather the energy to deal with the day ahead.

  Early morning and late night were the times that her creative juices flourished, unchecked by the necessity of making conversation. Those were the times when she came up with ideas for new recipes, for improvements she could make at The Cookie Jar, for wonderfully personalized gifts she could make or buy for her family. Of course there were times when solitude was lonely, but she’d been with Ross for every waking moment of their honeymoon. There was no denying that it had been wonderful, but it had also felt just a bit confining, perhaps even . . . Hannah stopped herself in mid-thought and attempted to ignore the word that had flashed in her mind. That word was stifling. Not all of the time. Certainly not. But occasionally, she needed some room to think and to breathe.

  She took a sip of her champagne. She didn’t really want it, but Ross had poured it for her and he’d think that she didn’t like it if her glass was still untouched. She rose to her feet, walked to the second bathroom that their butler had called the powder room, and poured half of the champagne down the drain.

  On her way back to the balcony, she felt a bit disloyal. Ross had chosen the champagne especially for her. It wasn’t that she didn’t like it. She did. It was just that she didn’t feel like drinking it now, on the last night of their cruise. She wanted to savor every moment, to stock up the memories for later, for after they’d returned to their lives in Lake Eden.

  The sun was almost down and it cast a golden path across the sea, a glistening bridge between day and night. Hannah looked up and smiled as she realized the stars were beginning to appear in the sky. They seemed to be bigger and more brilliant out here on the ocean than they ever had in Lake Eden. Going on a cruise was a wonderful adventure and she hoped that they could afford to do it again sometime.

  “I’m back, honey.” A voice spoke behind her and Hannah almost jumped.

  “Ross! I didn’t hear you come in. Is everything all right with the purser?”

  “Everything’s fine. They just charged us for a couple of things we didn’t get, like the shore excursions we canceled in Cabo.”

  “Oh.” Hannah blushed, hoping that he couldn’t see it in the twilight of the approaching night. She remembered precisely why they had stayed in their stateroom and hadn’t gone on their planned shore excursion.

  “I straightened it all out and while I was at it, I made reservations at the French Bistro for tonight.”

  Hannah began to frown. “But I thought we were just going to stay here. After those appetizers you ordered from the butler, I’m not really very hungry.”

  “You don’t have to be hungry. Their portions are small. I checked it out when I walked by. And I made sure we have a great table by the window. Their cuisine looked really good and I thought you’d enjoy going there.”

  “Oh, I’m sure I will!” Hannah said quickly, realizing that Ross had sounded a bit disappointed that she wasn’t more enthusiastic. “What time is our reservation? And is it a dress-up place?”

  Ross glance at his watch. “We’ve got a half hour before we have to leave. And it’s not formal, but it’s something the hostess called smart casual. What you have on is fine, Cookie.”

  Hannah glanced down at her black pants and aqua blue sweater. If she changed her shoes, put on some jewelry, and covered her sweater with the black jacket she’d brought, she should pass for smart casual. “It’ll only take a moment or two for me to get ready.”

  “We’ve got plenty of time.” Ross picked up her half-filled glass. “I’ll top this off and get a glass for myself.”

  Hannah watched him as he went back inside. Ross anticipated what he thought were her needs and sometimes he was wrong. But she supposed that was better than not being concerned at all. She chided herself for being too picky. She was probably just not used to all this attention. She’d been single for years now, living alone except for her cat, Moishe, and she was used to taking care of herself. She should be grateful for the way Ross lavished attention on her.

  As she sat there, waiting for the champagne she didn’t really want, Hannah told herself that things would be very different when they got back to Lake Eden. Then they would have their separate careers and th
ey wouldn’t be together twenty-four hours a day. It was entirely possible she’d miss this time and regret that she hadn’t been more grateful to the man who obviously loved her so much.

  “Here you go, Cookie.” Ross stepped out on the balcony carrying the two champagne glasses and a piece of paper. “Our butler was just here and he brought this.”

  “What is it?”

  “A message from your sister, Michelle. The butler said it just came in.”

  Hannah’s heart began to pound as she reached out for the paper that Ross was holding.

  “I hope everything’s okay,” he said, echoing Hannah’s own thoughts. And then he noticed that her hands were shaking. “Are you all right, honey?”

  “I think so.” Hannah’s fingers touched the paper, but she couldn’t seem to grasp it and it dropped to the balcony floor.

  “Do you want me to read it for you?” Ross asked, picking it up. “Your hands are shaking.”

  “Yes! Thank you, Ross,” Hannah said gratefully, praying that nothing bad had happened to her mother, or her sisters, or Moishe, or anyone else in her extended family.

  “We’re all okay, including Moishe, but Mother wanted to give you a heads-up before you get home to Lake Eden.” Ross read aloud.

  Hannah realized that she’d been holding her breath and she let it out in a relieved sigh. “Thank Goodness! Go on, Ross. Please.”

  “Victoria Bascomb is dead. She was murdered and Mother found her body. She’s shaken up, of course, and she wants you to come home right away.”

  “Oh, dear!” Hannah said, beginning to frown. “We’re taking the shuttle to the airport when we dock, aren’t we, Ross?”

  “Of course. I made those arrangements online before we left Lake Eden. Miss Bascomb was your mother’s neighbor, wasn’t she?”

  “Yes. She lived one floor down from Mother and Doc’s penthouse. I wonder if Mother heard something.”

  “Yes, she did. It’s in the next sentence.” Ross began to read again. “Mother heard a gunshot and went downstairs to check on Tori. She says to tell you that she thinks Tori knew her killer and let him or her in, because she had one of your Banana Cream Pies and two dessert plates out on the coffee table.”

  Hannah groaned. “So my baked goods were at the murder scene again?”

  “I’m afraid so. I’m sorry, honey.” Ross handed her the paper and then he lifted her to her feet to hug her. “Do you want me to cancel our dinner reservations?”

  Hannah thought about that for a moment and then she shook her head. “No. I’m sorry that Mother had to find Tori’s body, and I can understand why she’s so upset. It must have been a terrible shock. And of course Mother wants me to investigate.”

  “But are you upset?”

  “Murder always upsets me. The idea that one person can callously take another person’s life is horrible. But if you’re asking if I felt a personal connection to Tori, the answer is no. I know she was Mother’s friend and neighbor, but I really didn’t know her that well.”

  Ross looked down at her searchingly. “I think I understand, honey. What I was really wondering is if you’re upset that one of your pies was found at the murder scene.”

  Hannah took a moment to assess her true feelings. “Yes and no. While it’s true that I don’t like my baked goods associated with murder, Tori was crazy about my Banana Cream Pie. She bought at least two every week.”

  “But a lot of your baked goods have been found at murder scenes, haven’t they?”

  Hannah sighed as she nodded. Ross was right. Ron, their Cozy Cow delivery man, had been eating one of her Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies when he’d been shot. And her Strawberry Shortcake Swensen had been spilled all over Danielle Watson’s garage when Coach Watson had been murdered. Then there was Connie Mac, who’d been in Hannah’s walk-in cooler at The Cookie Jar, filching one of Hannah’s Blue Blueberry Muffins when she’d met her end. And . . .

  Deliberately, Hannah pushed those thoughts out of her mind. She didn’t want to think about the number of times something she’d baked had been present at someone’s violent demise.

  “You’re right, Ross,” she admitted. “But that’s understandable if you think about it. I’m the only baker in Lake Eden and almost everyone who lives there loves desserts. If they don’t make desserts themselves, they buy them from The Cookie Jar. It’s a little like saying that clothing leads to murder because the victim is usually wearing it at the murder scene.”

  “So you don’t feel bad about your Banana Cream Pie being right there?”

  Hannah sighed. Ross was like a dog with a bone. He didn’t seem capable of letting the idea go. She could feel herself prickling with irritation, but she pushed that emotion back. “No, I don’t feel bad . . . not really, not if she wasn’t actually eating the pie when she was killed. It’s a great pie and it’s very popular in Lake Eden.”

  “Then you’re not going to stop baking it just because it was there when someone was killed?”

  “No, I won’t stop baking it. I refuse to give in to superstition. I’ll make as many as my customers want to buy.”

  “Good!” Ross looked very relieved and Hannah was puzzled.

  “Why were you so concerned that I might take it off The Cookie Jar menu?”

  “Because I’ve never tasted it. And Banana Cream Pie is one of my very favorite pies.”

  Hannah gave a little laugh. “All right then. I’ll bake one for you when we get back to Lake Eden.”

  “Thanks, Hannah.” Ross gave her another hug and then he released her to glance at his watch. “If you’re going to freshen up, you’d better do it now. If we don’t leave here in a couple of minutes, we’ll lose our dinner res—” He stopped in mid-sentence. “Is it still okay if we go out to dinner?”

  “We can go. I’ll be just fine as long as you promise me one thing.”

  “What is it, Cookie?”

  “If they happen to have Banana Cream Pie on the dessert menu, promise me that you won’t order it. I want you to taste mine first!”

  HANNAH’S BANANA CREAM PIE

  Salted Pretzel Crust

  Banana Cream Pie Filling

  Whipped Caramel Topping

  Hannah’s 1st Note: Make the crust first. It has to cool before you put in the filling. Once the filling is in place, the pie must “set” before you make the whipped caramel topping.

  Salted Pretzel Crust

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

  2 cups finely crushed salted pretzels (measure AFTER crushing – this will take approximately ¾ of a 16-ounce bag of salted thin stick pretzels.) (I used Snyder’s original stick pretzels.)

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

  2 Tablespoons ( cup) firmly packed brown sugar

  Before you start to make the crust, prepare a 9-inch round Springform pan (the kind you’d use to make cheesecake with a clamp on the side that you can release to lift out the bottom). Spray the inside of the pan with Pam or another nonstick baking spray.

  Mix the 2 cups of crushed salted pretzels with the melted butter and the brown sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined.

  Hannah’s 2nd Note: You can crush the pretzels by putting them in a Ziploc bag and using a rolling pin, but it’s a lot easier if you put them in a food processor and use the steel blade in an on-and-off motion.

  Place the crust mixture into the bottom of the pan you’ve chosen. Using your impeccably clean hands, press it down as evenly as you can over the bottom and two inches up the sides.

  Bake your pretzel crumb crust at 350 degrees F. for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

  Take your crust out of the oven and let it cool on a cold stovetop burner or a wire rack for at least an hour. (Longer is fine, too. I’ve made my crust the day before I made the rest of the pie. If you do this, cover your crust loosely, but do not refrigerate it.)

  Banana Cream Pie Filling

  2 perfectly ripe bananas (yellow with no black spots on
the peel)

  2 packages (4-serving size each) instant vanilla pudding (I used Jell-O)

  2 and ¼ cups cold whole milk

  ¼ cup rum (I used Bacardi)

  1 cup thawed whipped topping (I used Cool Whip)

  Hannah’s 1st Note: Use a rum that’s colorless for a prettier pie.

  Hannah’s 2nd Note: If you’d like to make this recipe alcohol-free, simply use 2 and ½ cups of whole milk and forget about the rum in a bowl.

  To assemble the pie, slice the banana into quarter-inch rounds and place the banana slices in the bottom of the completely cooled pretzel crust.

  Mix the two packages of dry instant vanilla pudding with the milk and the rum in a bowl.

  Beat for 2 minutes with a whisk or a slotted spoon until the pudding has thickened.

  Add the cup of thawed whipped topping to the pudding and mix it in. Don’t overmix or you’ll mix out all the air in the topping. The air will give your pie volume and make it look prettier.

  Spoon the pudding mixture into the pretzel crust and smooth it out with a rubber spatula.

  Cover your partially-completed pie loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil or with wax paper. Then place the Springform pan inside the refrigerator for 4 hours to “set”.

  Whipped Caramel Topping

  1 cup whipped topping, thawed (I used thawed Cool Whip)