Raspberry Danish Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  “Of course. That first night, I was so shocked at Doc’s proposal, I ate everything on my plate without even tasting it. And now that we do this every year, I think I might actually learn to like it.”

  Hannah couldn’t help bursting into laughter and neither could Michelle. Delores stared at them in confusion for a moment, and then she joined in the laughter. They were still laughing when there was a knock on the back door.

  “I’ll get it,” Michelle said as she got up to answer it. A moment later, she ushered her friend P.K. into the kitchen and gestured to a stool next to Delores at the work station.

  “Hello, P.K.,” Delores greeted Ross’s assistant at KCOW Television. “I was going to call you this morning to thank you for calling Hannah every day to let her know if Ross had called you. And thank you, too, for doing those commercials for Michelle’s plays.”

  P.K. smiled at her. “Please don’t let anyone at the station hear you call them commercials, Delores.”

  “But why?”

  “Because I’d have to charge for them if they were commercials.”

  Delores looked confused. “But what are they then?”

  “They’re public service announcements.”

  Delores laughed. “I see. And the station doesn’t charge for those?”

  “Of course not. We produce and air them as a community service.”

  P.K. smiled and Hannah was struck by how much he’d changed since he had run footage of the Hartland Flour baking contest for her. Then, he’d been the long-haired, rebel-type night tech guy from KCOW-TV. Now he was older, more mature, and very capable as Ross’s assistant videographer.

  “I thought you’d be at work by now, P.K.,” Delores said.

  “I should be, but I had to take my car in to Cyril’s garage. Turns out it needs a new alternator.” He turned to Hannah and Michelle. “I was wondering if somebody here could give me a ride to the station.”

  Michelle locked eyes with Hannah, and Hannah knew exactly what her youngest sister was asking. The question Michelle was asking was, Is it okay if I let P.K. use Ross’s car? Hannah gave a nod and Michelle smiled.

  “You can use Ross’s car,” Michelle told him. “I found the keys this morning and it’s parked in back of Claire’s dress shop. Keep it until your car is ready.”

  “Thanks, Mickie. But how are you going to get to work?”

  “I’ll ride in with Hannah. I’ve been riding with her all along, and another couple of mornings without a car won’t kill me.”

  “Thanks!” P.K. said, as Michelle drew the keys from her sweater pocket and handed them to him. “I promise I’ll be really careful with it, and it’ll only be for two days. Cyril said my car will be ready the day after tomorrow.”

  When P.K. started to rise to his feet, Hannah waved him back down. “Have a couple of bar cookies before you leave. And warm yourself up with coffee. It’s cold outside today.”

  “You have to stay for at least ten minutes,” Michelle told him. “Then I have to go over to Jordan High for rehearsal and you can give me a lift.”

  “Sure thing.” P.K. reached for a bar cookie and took a huge bite. “These are good,” he said. “Are they new?”

  Hannah nodded. “We’re going to call them Cherry Chocolate Bar Cookies. And they’re not all that’s new. Lisa’s Aunt Nancy gave us the recipe for Raspberry Danish this morning.”

  “We’re thinking about serving it here if we can bake individual portions,” Hannah added. “I’ll give you one of the large Danish to take home for breakfast tomorrow.”

  P.K. smiled in appreciation. “If it’s as good as these Cherry Chocolate Bar Cookies, it might not last until tomorrow.”

  “I don’t suppose you have . . .” Delores started to speak.

  “Don’t worry, Mother,” Michelle interrupted what she knew would be a request from their mother. “I know exactly what you’re going to say. Hannah and I remembered that Doc loves Raspberry Danish so we saved one for you.”

  CHERRY CHOCOLATE BAR COOKIES

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

  1 cup white (granulated) sugar

  ¾ cup salted butter (1 and ½ sticks, 6 ounces), softened

  1 large egg

  ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

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

  ¼ teaspoon baking powder

  1 jar (12 to 15 ounces) cherry preserves (that’s jam with cherries in it)

  2 cups flaked coconut, chopped into smaller pieces

  2 cups (12-ounce package by weight) semi-sweet chocolate chips

  Hannah’s 1st Note: If all you can find in your store is 11-ounce packages of chips, that’s close enough.

  Hannah’s 2nd Note: You can mix up these bar cookies by hand with a wooden spoon in a large bowl, or with an electric mixer. Either way will work just fine.

  Prepare a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan by spraying it with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray. Alternatively, you can line the cake pan with heavy-duty foil and spray that.

  Place the white sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the softened butter and mix until light and creamy.

  Beat in the egg, and the vanilla extract. Continue to mix until everything is well blended.

  In another bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and the baking powder. Mix until well blended.

  Hannah’s 3rd Note: You can mix the flour and the baking powder with a fork.

  Gradually add this flour mixture to the sugar and butter mixture. Beat until everything is well combined.

  Mix in the chopped walnuts. Continue to mix until they are well incorporated.

  Press ¾ of the dough into your prepared cake pan.

  Hannah’s 4th Note: You can set aside one cup of the mixture and press the rest in the cake pan. That’s close enough.

  Flatten the mixture in the cake pan with a metal spatula or with the palms of your impeccably clean hands.

  Open the jar of cherry preserves. Take off the lid and place the glass jar in the microwave.

  Heat the jar on HIGH for 20 seconds. Let it cool in the microwave for 1 minute.

  Spread the cherry preserves evenly over the mixture in the cake pan. Smooth it out with a rubber spatula.

  If you haven’t already chopped your coconut flakes into smaller pieces, do it now. (If you have a food processor, use the steel blade to chop your coconut.)

  Sprinkle the chopped coconut over the cherry preserves as evenly as you can.

  Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the coconut flakes.

  Crumble remaining dough mixture over the top of the chips.

  Press down lightly with your impeccably clean palms.

  Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 to 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

  Remove the Cherry Chocolate Bar Cookies from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack.

  Cool completely and then cut into brownie-sized bars.

  Serve with plenty of strong coffee or tall glasses of cold milk.

  Yield: Approximately 3 dozen delicious cookie bars.

  Hannah’s 5th Note: These are Mother’s favorite cookie bars and our customers at The Cookie Jar loved them so much, they’ve become a permanent part of our cookie menu.

  Hannah’s 6th Note: Sometimes, just to please my chocoholic mother, I frost these cookie bars before I cut them into pieces. I usually use my Neverfail Fudge Frosting recipe because it’s so quick and easy.

  The Neverfail Fudge Frosting recipe follows:

  NEVERFAIL FUDGE FROSTING

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

  1 cup white (granulated) sugar

  ⅓ cup heavy cream (that’s whipping cream)

  ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  Place the butter, sugar, and cream into a medium-size saucepan on the stovetop.

  Turn the burner to MEDIUM-HIGH heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring consta
ntly.

  Continue to stir and turn the heat down to MEDIUM. Stir for 2 minutes.

  Add the half-cup of chocolate chips. Stir them in, and then move the saucepan to a cold burner. Don’t forget to turn off the heat on the original burner!

  Let the mixture cool, without stirring, for one minute and then stir in the vanilla extract.

  Pour the frosting on the top of the cake pan and spread it out quickly with a heat-resistant rubber spatula.

  Cool the frosting completely before you cut and serve. If you wish, you can place the pan in the refrigerator, uncovered, until the frosting is cool and has “set”.

  Chapter Three

  When Michelle came in the back kitchen door at three in the afternoon with cheeks rosy from the cold, Hannah rushed to get her a cup of hot coffee. “I thought you were going to call me to pick you up.”

  “I was, but I decided to walk.”

  “You’re shivering,” Hannah said, turning to glance at the indoor-outdoor thermometer mounted on the kitchen window as she carried the mug of coffee to her sister. “It’s twenty-two degrees out there, and that doesn’t take the wind chill factor into account.”

  “I knew that it was cold, but it felt wonderful at first. The cold air was nice and bracing, and I enjoyed it for almost a block. Then I started to shiver and the cold air began to hurt my throat.”

  “Did you tie your scarf around your face and breathe through that?”

  “Yes. And I had a real problem doing it with my mittens on. I had to take them off to tie on my scarf.”

  “Why didn’t you walk back to the school and call me?”

  “Because I was halfway here. I figured I’d be just as cold when I arrived back at the school as I’d be when I got here. Besides, the wind was at my back when I walked here. If I’d turned around, it would have been blowing in my face.”

  Hannah gave a little laugh. “I can’t argue with your logic. You’re absolutely right, but if it’s this cold tomorrow, don’t do it again. I’ll be happy to drive you to the school for rehearsal and pick you up when you’re ready to come back here.”

  “But you’re really busy here during the day.”

  “True, but if I’m busy, Marge, or Aunt Nancy, or Lisa will come to get you. We can always spare one of us, and I don’t want you walking in weather like this and getting sick.”

  “Doc says there’s no medical basis for that. You can’t catch a cold from the cold.”

  “I know, but I still don’t want you walking. Just call, okay?”

  “Okay. If it stays this cold, I’ll take you up on that. But it’s really not all that cold. It’s just that the wind cuts right through you.”

  “The wind robs your body of heat. That’s what the wind chill factor is all about. It would be interesting to know how long it would take a cup of water to freeze on the top of my truck.”

  Michelle cupped her hands a little tighter around her coffee mug. “You can try it if you want to. I’m not going out there again . . . at least not until it’s time to go home. And then I’m going to sprint for your cookie truck.”

  There was one knock on the back door, but before either one of them could get up to answer it, the door opened and Norman rushed in. “Sorry, girls. I would have waited for you to answer the door, but I was so cold, I just wanted to get inside where it was warm.”

  “You walked here?” Michelle asked him.

  Norman nodded. “I didn’t think it was this cold. Maybe I’m just not acclimated to winter weather yet, but it feels like it’s below freezing out there.”

  “It is,” Hannah told him. “I just looked at the thermometer and it’s twenty-two degrees.”

  “I thought so!”

  “And it feels like it’s even colder with the wind chill,” Michelle added. “I’ll get you a hot cup of coffee.”

  “And I’ll take your coat,” Hannah said. “You’ll warm up faster without it.” She waited until Norman had handed it to her. “Now sit down, cup your hands around that mug of hot coffee Michelle just poured for you, and I’ll get a couple of cookies.”

  The words were no sooner out of her mouth than there was another blast of cold air as the back door opened and Mike came in. “Brrrr!” he said, closing the door behind him. “Winter’s here, that’s for sure. I’m switching to my parka tomorrow.”

  Hannah glanced at his uniform jacket. It was wool, but it certainly wasn’t as warm as a parka would be. “I think that’s a very good idea. You look chilled to the bone.”

  “I am and I only walked in from the parking lot.” He turned to see Norman sitting at the work station and walked over to take the stool next to him. “That wind is brutal.”

  “Tell me about it. I walked here from the clinic.”

  “Well, I’ll give you a ride back when I leave. It’s too cold to walk today.”

  Hannah placed a plate of cookies in front of the two men. She sat down across from them and gave Mike a questioning look. Her questioning look meant, Did you find out anything about Ross? Mike gave a slight shake of his head and Hannah knew that meant, Nothing yet, but I’ll find him eventually. The words were unspoken, but both of them knew what the other meant. It was the unspoken ritual they’d gone through ever since Ross had left and Mike had told Hannah that he’d use every means at his disposal to find her new husband. Hannah knew that Mike was still searching and he wouldn’t stop until he’d found out why Ross had left her and where he’d gone.

  “These cookies are great, Hannah,” Norman said as he finished his first one and reached over for another. “What do you call them?”

  “Marge brought in a recipe for Light Fandango Cookies, but that wasn’t very descriptive. I asked her if we could change the name and we’re calling them Pineapple Crunch Cookies.”

  “I think they’re some of your best,” Mike commented, proving that he was sincere by reaching for another cookie. He had just taken a bite when his cell phone began to vibrate against the metal surface of the work station. “I have to check this,” he said, grabbing the phone and glancing at the display.

  Hannah watched as Mike began to frown. His frown deepened as he finished reading the text. “What is it?” she asked him.

  “Bad accident out on the highway. Two fatalities, four injuries. They’re calling for backup, and I have to get out there right away.” Mike turned to Norman. “Take the rest of your coffee with you. I’ll drop you off on my way to the highway.”

  Hannah was on her feet immediately. She grabbed two takeout bags from the stack on the counter and dumped half of the remaining cookies in each bag. “Take these with you.”

  “Thanks, Hannah,” Mike said, grabbing his bag of cookies. “Be careful when you drive home tonight. The roads are icing over.”

  “I will be,” Hannah promised.

  “Better yet, let me take you home,” Norman offered. “I just got new snow tires on my car and the back tires on your truck look like they need to be replaced. The tread’s worn down to practically nothing.”

  Hannah shook her head. “Thanks, but we’ll be okay. I’m a very careful driver.”

  “Take these with you,” Michelle said arriving at the work station with another, even larger bag. I filled a bunch of coffee’s to go and I threw in some sugar and creamers. You can give them out at the scene.”

  “You guys are great,” Norman said, as Michelle poured the rest of his coffee into a takeout cup, clamped on the lid, and handed it to him.

  Less than a minute later, the back kitchen door closed behind the two men. Michelle went to make another pot of coffee, and Hannah sat back down on the stool she’d so quickly vacated. “It was nice of Norman to offer to drive us home, and now I’m wondering if I should have said yes.”

  “It’s not too late,” Michelle pointed out, returning to her own stool. “You can always call him at the clinic.”

  “I know. It’s just that Norman is going to want to take us out for something to eat and . . . well . . .”

  “You want to be alone.�
��

  “Yes. I know I’ll be tired and I don’t think I’ll have the energy to be good company, if you know what I mean.”

  “I know exactly what you mean. I’m like that during finals week. I don’t want to see anybody, including Lonnie. I just want to relax and get a good night’s sleep. Let’s stop at the Corner Tavern for a hamburger on our way home. It’s tiring to drive in blowing snow, especially if it comes straight at you. If we stop to eat, we’ll have a break halfway home.”

  “That sounds good. We’ll do that, Michelle.”

  “Except we’ll have to leave here at five-thirty. We need to be back at the condo by seven-thirty.”

  “You have a date with Lonnie?” Hannah guessed.

  “No. P.K. filmed another advertisement for the Thanksgiving play. He said that since it’s for the Lake Eden Players, the big boss said they’d run it tonight. It’s going to air between eight and eight-thirty.”

  “He just filmed it today and they’re running it tonight?”

  “Yes. He was going to go straight back to the station, edit it, and turn it in. I don’t know if I should believe him, but he said that it was no trouble at all.”