Banana Cream Pie Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  “Great. Thanks, Sally.”

  “Here.” Sally handed her the papers. “These are for you.”

  “What are they?”

  “The recipe for Peanut Butter Cheesecake. Since Michelle ordered three pieces, I figured she’d want it.”

  “You figured right. She reminded me to ask you for the recipe this morning. I had half of her slice last night. It’s a great cheesecake, Sally.”

  “Thanks. Dick likes it, too.” Sally led the way down the hall and into the main dining room where Dot was waiting to show them to their booth.

  Sally waited until they were seated and Dot had left and then she leaned forward toward Hannah. “Tori called to reserve this booth every time she made a reservation. And that was at least three times a week.”

  “Dick said she was in the bar quite often. And she enjoyed singing on Karaoke Night.”

  “Tori was good. Usually I was too busy to duck in there to hear her, but I saw her perform a couple of times. The mayor’s not bad, either. They did a duet one night that would knock your socks off. It was ‘I Got You, Babe,’ the song that made Sonny and Cher famous.”

  “I didn’t know Mayor Bascomb could sing!”

  “Neither did Stephanie from the look on her face. I’ve seen freshly caught trout that looked less surprised than she did.”

  “Was she angry with the mayor for getting up to sing?”

  “Oh, no! Stephanie loved it, once she realized he had a good voice. He even coaxed her up there to do one song with them.”

  “Sounds like a fun-filled night.”

  “It was, but not until Tori got rid of the man she met for dinner. Their waitress told me that they were fighting all the way through their meal. And Tori wouldn’t let her come in to serve their food. She just told her to leave it on the stand outside the curtains and they’d bring it in themselves.”

  “Did your waitress recognize the man?”

  “No. She said she never got a good look at his face. Every time she pulled back the curtain, he turned his face away from her. And she probably wouldn’t have recognized him anyway. She lives twenty miles away and drives in to work here. She described his shoes, though. Did Dick tell you he saw the man come in?”

  “Yes, he did. Did the waitress tell you anything else about the fight they had?”

  “She did. She said Tori told him to get lost, that she never wanted to see him again, and that it had been a mistake in the first place. He tried to bring her around, but she didn’t want to hear it, and he ended up leaving halfway through the entrée.”

  “Did Tori go after him?”

  Sally laughed. “Heavens, no! The waitress said she looked relieved that he was gone. She ordered another vodka martini, chatted with the waitress for a few minutes, and ate her dinner. As a matter of fact, she even ordered dessert, so I guess she couldn’t have been too upset about breaking up with him, if that’s what it was.”

  “What did Tori do after she finished her dinner?”

  “She used her cell phone to call the mayor and Stephanie and ask them to join her in the bar. I checked the bill and she’d had three vodka martinis by that time and she was pretty sloshed. And that’s what I wanted to tell you about. It might not have anything to do with Tori’s murder, but you never know.”

  “You’re right. You never do. Thanks for telling me, Sally.”

  “You’re welcome. I ordered for you, if that’s all right. I’ve got a new warm duck salad that I want you to try.”

  “Perfect!” Hannah said, and she meant it. She loved duck and Sally prepared it beautifully.

  The salad was every bit as wonderful as Hannah expected it to be, and they chatted about inconsequential things over lunch.

  * * *

  Hannah thanked Sally again for the lunch, the information, and the cheesecake recipe, waved at Dick on her way out, and went to the cloakroom to change into her boots and put on her parka.

  Since she’d parked in a spot very close to the entrance, it didn’t take Hannah long to start her cookie truck and drive back to town. Once there, she went straight to Jordan High to see if Michelle was through with her rehearsal.

  * * *

  “I told you he’d break your heart!”

  “But Mother . . . I know he loves me! And he promised me that he’d never . . .”

  “Men always promise,” the woman playing Tricia’s mother interrupted her. “Believe me, dear. It means nothing.”

  “But I know he means it, Mother.”

  “Of course he does . . . right now. But just wait. Another one will come along. And then another. And then another. And each time he’ll promise, and each time he may very well mean it. But . . . listen to me carefully, dear.”

  Hannah watched as the older woman she didn’t recognize stepped closer to Tricia. In the bright lights from the stage, she could see the tears glistening in the older woman’s eyes.

  “I love you, dear. And I’d never lie to you. He can promise and promise, but that won’t stop it from happening again. Once they cheat, they’ll cheat again.”

  “But, Mother. I love him. What can I do?”

  The older woman stepped away and sighed deeply. “Nothing, dear. You can do nothing. But I can. There’s only one thing that’ll stop him. And I’ll take care of that for you!”

  As the curtain closed on the scene, Hannah felt a chill run down her spine. Even though the words were never actually spoken, she knew exactly what the older woman was going to do in the next act of the play.

  “Good!” Michelle said, standing up and motioning for the house lights to go on. “That was much better, Tricia. And Vivian? I really didn’t think there was any way you could improve on your performance yesterday, but today was even better. You really ought to be on the stage.”

  “Thank you,” the older actress responded.

  “Act Three tomorrow,” Michelle told the cast that was now sitting on the apron of the stage. “If everyone comes on time, we can get through act three and even have time to break for lunch.”

  “When will we rehearse all three acts together?” Tricia asked Michelle.

  “That’ll be next week on Monday. Or perhaps on Sunday if Act Three goes well tomorrow.” Michelle glanced down at her notebook. “I need everyone here at noon Saturday with everything they’re bringing for the bake sale. I have the list, and when you get here, we’ll price everything and set it out. The bake sale will take place right after the pie eating contest.”

  “And the pie eating contest begins at one?” Trudi Schumann asked.

  “That’s right. I talked to Rod Metcalf this morning. He’s going to run a feature article on the contest and the bake sale in tomorrow’s paper. And he also agreed to sell tickets to the contest for us at the newspaper office.”

  “Who are the contestants?” Becky Summers asked her.

  “One is Rose McDermott. She said she loves Hannah’s Banana Cream Pie. Not only that, Rose and Hal are going to sell contest tickets at the café.”

  “Too bad you couldn’t talk your mother into being a contestant,” Tricia said. “Everyone in town would have turned up for that!”

  Michelle laughed right along with everyone else. “You’re right, Tricia. I’m a fast talker and I’m pretty convincing, but I’m not that convincing! I don’t think anyone could talk my mother into getting pie on her face in public.”

  “Who else are you planning to ask?” Trudi wanted to know.

  “I’m talking to Mayor Bascomb about it this afternoon.”

  “Good luck!” Trudi looked amused. “Our mayor thinks of himself as dignified. I don’t think he’d want to be seen with pie on his face either.”

  “I’ll try to convince Mayor Bascomb,” Michelle promised. “Do any of you have suggestions for the other contestant?”

  “How about Al Percy?” Loretta Richardson suggested. “Everyone in town knows Al. He’s president of the Lions Club, he supports all the athletics at Jordan High, and he was the Grand Marshall of the Fourth of July par
ade last year.”

  “That’s a good idea!” Trudi said. “Al would be perfect. And he prints his own flyers down at the real estate office. I bet he’d do some for us for the play.”

  “Thanks, Loretta!” Michelle said. “Since Andrea works there, I’ll drop by and ask her to ask Al.”

  “Perfect!” Trudi said with a smile. “Andrea can talk anybody into anything.”

  “I have a favor to ask of you, Trudi,” Michelle said. “Do you think you could get Cliff to sell tickets to the pie eating contest at the hardware store?”

  “I’ll do that and I know he will. I’ll run over there this afternoon and ask him.”

  “Thanks, Trudi.” Michelle gave her a smile, and then she turned to the rest of the group. “Thanks, everyone. That was a really good rehearsal and this is going to be a great play. I want all of you to pick up tickets on the way out. They’re on a table in the lobby in packs of twenties. Take as many as you think you can sell and get out there tomorrow and sell them. And don’t forget to tell everyone that there’ll be a bake sale after the contest and we’ll have a drawing for one of Hannah’s pies.”

  “I wish we knew if the mayor was going to be a contestant,” Loretta said. “That would make it a lot easier to sell tickets.”

  “You’re right. I’ll call Trudi if I’m successful at getting the mayor to agree, and she’ll pass the word to all of you. And I’ll check with Andrea about Al.” Michelle picked up her things and smiled. “Okay. That’s it for today. I’ll see you all here tomorrow for Act Three.”

  Michelle glanced around and caught sight of Hannah standing at the back of the auditorium. She gave a little wave, and hurried to join her older sister. “Hi, Hannah,” she said when she arrived at her side. “I didn’t see you come in.”

  “I’ve been here for a few minutes.” Hannah moved a bit closer so she wouldn’t be overheard by the Lake Eden Players who were leaving. “Vivian is a really good actress.”

  “I know. And Tricia told me that Tori never complimented her on her performance. She also said that Tori never complimented anyone else, either. They all mentioned that Tori was a good director, but I don’t think anyone liked her very much.”

  Hannah’s mind snapped into high gear. “Did any one of the Lake Eden Players really dislike Tori?”

  “Not really. And believe me, I asked that question!” Michelle gave a little laugh. “I’m learning how your mind works, Hannah. I knew you’d ask me that.”

  “Just checking,” Hannah said. “For a minute there, I thought I’d have another suspect.”

  “No such luck. Did Sally tell you anything useful, Hannah? And did she give you the cheesecake recipe? And did Ross get back to you about Tori’s business manager?”

  “Yes, yes, and no. Let’s go talk to the mayor, Michelle. I’ll tell you all about it when we get back to The Cookie Jar.”

  PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKE WITH CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER SAUCE

  The Crust:

  2 cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs (measure AFTER crushing—I used Nabisco chocolate wafers)

  ¾ stick melted butter (6 Tablespoons, 3 ounces)

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  Pour the melted butter and vanilla extract over the cookie crumbs. Mix with a fork until everything is evenly moistened.

  Cut a circle of parchment paper (or wax paper) to fit inside the bottom of a 9-inch Springform pan. Spray the pan with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray, set the paper circle in place, and spray that.

  Dump the moistened cookie crumbs in the pan. With impeccably clean hands, press the moistened cookie crumbs down over the paper circle and one inch up the sides.

  Stick the pan in the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the cheesecake.

  The Baked Topping:

  2 cups sour cream

  ½ cup white (granulated) sugar

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  Mix the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla together in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate. You will put on this topping right after the cheesecake comes out of the oven.

  The Chocolate Peanut Butter Sauce:

  11.75-ounce (by weight) jar of hot fudge ice cream topping (I used Smucker’s)

  ¼ cup peanut butter (I used smooth Jif, not the crunchy)

  In a separate microwave-safe bowl, spoon out the hot fudge ice cream topping and add the quarter cup of peanut butter on top.

  Stick the bowl in the microwave and heat it on HIGH for 30 seconds. Let it sit in the microwave for an additional 30 seconds and then stir. Let it cool on the counter, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it.

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position, while you mix up the cheesecake batter. By the time you’re through, the oven should be up to temperature and ready for you to bake.

  The Cheesecake Batter

  1 cup white (granulated) sugar

  3 eight-ounce packages brick cream cheese at room temperature (total of 24 ounces—I used Philadel- phia Cream Cheese in the silver box)

  ¼ cup peanut butter (I used Jif smooth peanut butter)

  ½ cup mayonnaise

  4 eggs

  2 cups peanut butter chips (I used Reese’s in an 11-ounce bag)

  2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  1 cup miniature chocolate chips (I used Nestlé— approximately half of an 11 or 12 ounce package)

  Place the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the blocks of cream cheese, the peanut butter, and the mayonnaise. Mix it at MEDIUM speed until the batter is smooth and creamy.

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

  Melt the peanut butter chips in a microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute. Let them sit in the microwave for one minute and then try to stir them smooth. (Chips may retain their shape, so stir to see if they’re actually melted. If not, microwave in 20-second increments followed by 20 seconds of standing time until you can stir them smooth.)

  Cool the melted chips for a minute or two on a cold stovetop burner or on a towel on the kitchen counter.

  Mix the peanut butter chips into the batter gradually at LOW speed.

  Add the vanilla extract and mix it in thoroughly.

  Scrape down the bowl and take it out of the mixer.

  Stir in the miniature chocolate chips by hand.

  Pour the batter on top of the chilled crust, set the pan on a cookie sheet to catch any drips, and bake it at 350 degrees F. for 55 to 60 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, but DON’T SHUT OFF THE OVEN.

  Starting in the center, spoon the sour cream topping over the top of the cheesecake, spreading it out in a circle to within a half-inch of the rim. Return the pan to the oven and bake your cheesecake for an additional 8 minutes.

  Take your cheesecake out of the oven and cool it in the pan on a wire rack. (This time, you can shut off the oven.) When the Springform pan is cool enough to pick up with your bare hands, place it in the refrigerator and chill it, uncovered, for at least 8 hours.

  To serve, run a knife around the inside rim of the pan, release the Springform catch on the side, and lift off the rim. Place a piece of waxed paper on a flat plate and tip it upside down over the top of your cheesecake. Invert the cheesecake so that it rests on the paper.

  Carefully pry off the bottom of the Springform pan and remove the paper from the crust.

  Invert a serving platter over the crust of your cheesecake. Flip the cheesecake right side up, take off the top plate, and remove the waxed paper.

  Take the bowl with the hot fudge peanut butter mixture out of the refrigerator, uncover it, and microwave the contents for 30 seconds on HIGH power. Let it sit in the microwave for 30 additional seconds and then spread the chocolate peanut butter sauce over the sour cream topping on your cheesecake. If the sauce hardens too fast when it touches the chilled cheesecake, simply microwave the sauce for another few seconds for ease in spreading. You can drizzle a little down the sides if you wish.

  Yield: The number of pie-shaped piec
es you can cut from this cheesecake depends entirely on you. If your guests love cheesecake, cut the pieces a little larger. If you’ve just had a big meal and your guests are too full to appreciate a large piece, cut smaller pieces. If you invited Mother to join you for dessert, you can depend on her to have a second piece, even if you decided to cut large pieces!

  Chapter Twenty

  “Thank you for seeing us, Mayor Bascomb,” Michelle said as they were ushered into his office.

  “It’s always a pleasure to see you, Michelle. How’s college?”

  “Good, Mayor Bascomb. You probably heard that I’m doing work-study for college credits here in Lake Eden for the rest of the semester.”

  “That’s wonderful, Michelle. I’m sure your family is glad to have you back in Lake Eden for a while. Isn’t that right, Hannah?”

  “Yes it is, Mayor Bascomb.”

  He gave Hannah the smile she always thought of as smarmy and turned back to Michelle. “Are you working at The Cookie Jar for your sister?”

  “Yes, but that’s not work-study. That’s because I love Hannah, and I love to bake.”