by Joanne Fluke
Michelle gave a little nod. “That’s a smart idea on Sally’s part. It’ll be almost like a food court.”
“Yes, except we’ll be the only food booth. Brooke and Loren are so busy catering breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for the vendors, they won’t have time to supply cookies for the cookie booth. Sally said she expected about fifty vendors and almost a hundred have signed up.”
“That’s great. And I want to help you in the booth. We don’t have any rehearsals over the weekend, and Friday’s a half day at school. I’m available on all three days.”
A delighted smile spread over Hannah’s face. “That’s the best news I’ve gotten all week. And you’ll have your own transportation to come and go as you please.”
“What do you mean?” Michelle drew a deep breath and began to frown. “It’s very generous of you, Hannah, but . . .” She stopped and swallowed. “Well . . . I hope you’ll understand, but I really don’t think I can drive Ross’s car again, not after . . . you know.”
“Of course not! I feel the same way. I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about what happened. And that’s why I decided to sell it.”
Michelle looked puzzled. “But, Hannah . . . how can you sell it? It’s Ross’s car.”
“Not anymore. It’s my car now. Cyril found the pink slip, and Ross signed it over to me on the afternoon he left.”
“Oh, Hannah!” Michelle sounded as if she wanted to cry. “Do you think that means Ross knew he wasn’t coming back?”
“Maybe. I guess that’s the obvious conclusion. If he hadn’t taken the condo keys with him, I’d be convinced of it. But he did, and now I’m not quite sure what all this means.”
Michelle thought about that for a moment. “It means he was looking out for you. Otherwise he wouldn’t have taken the time to sign the pink slip.”
“He was looking out for you, too. He left the keys in your top dresser drawer.”
“You’re right. And Ross had no way of knowing that P.K. would be killed in his car and neither one of us would want to drive it again.”
Both sisters were silent for a moment, and then Hannah sighed. “Well, even if he didn’t know it was going to happen, Ross managed to solve a problem for you.”
“What problem?”
“Transportation. Cyril has a buyer for Ross’s car, and I told him to pick out a couple of used cars that would be good for you. If everything works out all right, we’ll just do an even trade.”
“But . . . Ross didn’t intend to buy me a car,” Michelle objected. “He intended to give his car to you.”
“The keys were in your dresser drawer, not mine. That settles it for me. Ross wanted you to have a car so we’re going out to Cyril’s Garage tomorrow morning and you’re going to choose which car you think is the best for you. I don’t want any argument on this, Michelle.”
“Well . . . if you’re sure . . .”
“I’m sure.” Hannah pulled into her parking spot in back of The Cookie Jar. “Now let’s bake some cookies for Cyril. I told him I’d send some out to the garage when his mechanic came here with the pink slip.”
“What are we baking?”
“Irish Potato Cookies. He should like those.”
Michelle nodded, and then she reached across the seat of Hannah’s cookie truck to hug her sister. “Thanks, Hannah. You’re the best sister in the whole world!”
IRISH POTATO COOKIES
This dough must chill before baking.
1 and ½ cups white (granulated) sugar
1 cup salted butter (½ pound, 2 sticks), softened to
room temperature
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
3 cups instant mashed potato flakes (I used Hungry Jack Original)
1 cup finely chopped walnuts (measure AFTER chopping)
½ cup powdered (confectioners’) sugar in a bowl for later
Place the white (granulated) sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer.
Hannah’s 1st Note: This recipe is a lot easier to make if you use an electric mixer. You can do it by hand, but it will take much longer.
Add the softened butter and mix until the two ingredients are well combined and the mixture is light in color and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one by one, beating after each addition.
Add the cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Mix until everything is well combined.
Add the vanilla extract and mix it in.
Measure out the all-purpose flour in a separate bowl.
Mix it into the sugar, butter, and egg mixture in half-cup increments at LOW speed, mixing well after each addition.
Add the instant mashed potato flakes in half-cup increments, mixing well after each addition. Beat until everything is well incorporated.
Mix in the chopped walnuts. Beat for at least a minute on MEDIUM speed until everything is thoroughly combined.
Hannah’s 2nd Note: At this point, you can add several drops of green food coloring if you are making these cookies for St. Patrick’s Day. Try to achieve a nice pale green.
Scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl and give your Irish Potato Cookie dough a final stir with a wooden spoon by hand.
Prepare your cookie sheets by spraying them with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray, or covering them with parchment paper.
Scoop out a small amount of cookie dough with a spoon from your silverware drawer and try to form a dough ball with your impeccably clean hands. If this is too difficult because the dough is too soft, cover your bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 30 minutes to an hour. (Overnight is fine too, but then don’t forget to shut off the oven!)
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the center position.
While your oven is preheating, place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. You will use it to coat the cookie dough balls you will form.
Form balls of cookie dough 1 inch in diameter with your impeccably clean hands.
Roll the dough balls in the bowl of powdered sugar, one at a time, and place them on the cookie sheets, 12 dough balls to a standard-sized sheet. Flatten the dough balls a bit with a metal spatula or the heel of your impeccably clean hand.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 10 to 12 minutes, or until your cookies are golden around the edges.
Take your cookies out of the oven and cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then remove them to a wire rack.
If you’ve covered your cookie sheets with parchment paper, all you have to do is grasp the edges of the paper and pull them, cookies and all, onto the wire rack.
Yield: Approximately 8 dozen tender and delicious cookies, depending on cookie size
Chapter Ten
Hannah glanced in her living room window as she followed Michelle up the covered staircase that led to her condo. Usually Moishe was sitting on the sill staring out at her, but he wasn’t there today. Perhaps he was sleeping and hadn’t heard them climb the stairs. Now that she thought about it, Moishe had been sleeping a lot lately.
“I’ll catch him if you open the door, Hannah,” Michelle offered as Hannah reached the landing.
“Okay. Brace yourself.” Hannah pulled out her keys and waited until Michelle was standing within a foot of the door with her body braced for the impact.
“Here we go,” Hannah warned, inserting her key in the lock, unlocking the door, and opening it.
Both sisters stood there for a moment waiting, but there was no sound from inside. The door was open, but Moishe was nowhere in sight.
“Where do you suppose he’s . . .” Michelle began to ask when an orange and white blur bolted out the door and jumped into her arms. She made a sound that was halfway between a groan and an exclamation, and then she laughed.
“He answered your question,” Hannah
told her.
“I guess!” Michelle was smiling as she carried Moishe inside and placed him in his favorite spot on the back of the couch.
Hannah watched as her feline roommate played his usual game with Michelle. He looked up at her with an expression that Hannah could only describe as pathetic and gave a plaintive meow. Then he reached out with his paw, claws drawn in, and plunked it on the top of her hand. Hannah knew exactly what her cat wanted, but did Michelle know?
“Okay, you got it,” Michelle said with a laugh. “Just hang on, Moishe. I’ll get your kitty treats.”
Convinced that her sister had all the bases covered, Hannah set the box she was carrying on the table and walked over to check the phone to see if there were any messages. The red light was blinking and the numeral five was displayed. That meant five people had called while she’d been at work. She pressed the button to play the messages, and was treated to a quintet of sales calls from a roofer, someone who called himself a handyman, a woman who wanted to sell her long-term health insurance, and someone she’d never heard of who warned her that it was time for the annual checkup of her heating and air-conditioning system. The last call, the fifth one, was the most interesting. It was a survey, supposedly, to find out if she had a home security system. If she already had a system, the caller wanted to know which make and model she had and how recently it had been installed.
Hannah was laughing out loud as she erased the messages, and she turned to see Michelle standing next to her.
“What’s so funny?” Michelle asked her.
“That last message. Did you hear it?”
“Yes. I know they said it was a survey, but it was really a sales call, wasn’t it?”
“Not necessarily. Mike warned me about calls like that. Sometimes they’re more sinister than simple sales calls. The caller is gathering information about your home. If you tell them which kind of security system you have, they can compile a list for criminals who want to defeat your security system and break into your house.”
“Oh! I didn’t think of that. Did Mike tell you to just hang up, or what?”
“He said to tell them that you just installed a state-of-the-art system. And then, before they can ask any more questions, to hang up.”
“I’ll do that from now on and I’ll tell my housemates to do the same. The Jambalaya smells great, Hannah. Do you have to add anything else to it before we serve it?”
“Yes, but it’s easy. About a half hour before everyone comes, I’ll thaw the shrimp and add it to the slow cooker. And then I’ll cook the rice so it’s all ready to add to the crock right before serving.”
“I’ll help you with that. Do you want me to bake some Cheesy Garlic Crescent Rolls to go with our salad? I noticed that you had a can of crescent rolls that’s about to expire in the refrigerator.”
“That would be great. Do I have everything you need to make them?”
“Yes. There’s some shredded cheese on the second shelf, and you have garlic in the mesh basket with the onions. What are we having for dessert? Do you need me to make something quick?”
Hannah shook her head. “No, I’ve got that covered. I baked an Ultimate Fudgy Chocolate Bundt Cake while you were at the school.”
“Is that what was in the box you carried up the stairs?”
“Yes, but I didn’t have time to frost it.”
“I’ll frost it now. You have a tub of Cool Whip in the refrigerator and I know how to make Cool Whip Fudge Frosting.”
“You’re doing all the work, Michelle.”
“Not really. You shopped, drove back here to put up the Jambalaya, and baked the cake. All I’m doing is throwing together the rolls and frosting the cake.”
“But you must be tired, Michelle. You didn’t get much sleep last night. Wouldn’t you rather use the time before everyone comes to take a nap?”
“I don’t need a nap. I’m all jazzed up about getting my own car in the morning. You look like you need a nap much more than I do. Why don’t you go stretch out on your bed for twenty minutes or so? I’ll wake you a few minutes before they come so you have time to freshen up.”
Hannah was about to refuse when she reconsidered. She’d worked hard all day and she was very tired. A short nap was exactly what she needed.
* * *
Hannah opened her eyes. It was dark outside her bedroom window and for a moment, she thought it was morning. Then she remembered that she had stretched out to take a nap before Norman and Mike arrived. Had Michelle forgotten to wake her up? Or had she awakened on her own? Since she couldn’t hear the sound of voices and Moishe was still with her and not playing with Cuddles, she assumed it was the latter.
“Time to get up, sleepyhead,” she told the cat who was stretched out on half of her pillow. It was amazing how long Moishe was when he slept in her bed. There were times when he ended up with both pillows and she found herself sleeping on the very edge of the mattress. “Let’s go, Moishe. You’re getting company tonight. Norman is bringing Cuddles to play with you.”
At the sound of his best friend’s name, Moishe lifted his head. Then he sat up, gave a little shake, and watched her as she washed her face, brushed her hair, and changed to a clean sweater.
“Let’s go see how Michelle is doing in the kitchen,” Hannah said, and Moishe jumped off the mattress to pad down the hallway after her as she walked toward the kitchen.
As Hannah passed her desk in the living room, she noticed her personal checkbook sitting next to her daily calendar. She paused to pick it up, and put it in her saddlebag purse. She knew her balance because she subtracted the amount of every check she wrote and kept a running balance. She had three hundred and seventy-six dollars in that account, and she might need some or all of that money if Michelle’s car cost more than Cyril could get from the sale of Ross’s car. If the car Michelle chose cost more than that, she would pay it off on Cyril’s time-payment plan.
As she entered the kitchen, Hannah began to smile. The Jambalaya she’d made smelled wonderful. She moved to the slow cooker, peered through the glass lid, and saw that Michelle had thawed the shrimp and stirred it in.
“You’re up,” Michelle said. “I made coffee if you want some.”
“Coffee would be great,” Hannah told her, taking her favorite cup from the cupboard and heading for the coffeepot to fill it. Then she sat down at the kitchen table and watched Michelle as her sister carried a covered pot to the crockpot and set it down on a folded kitchen towel.
“Rice?” Hannah made an educated guess.
“Yes. I made a mixture of brown rice, red rice, and white. Is that all right?”
“That’s perfect. Variety’s always nice when it comes to food. Did you have time to frost the cake, or shall I do it?”
“It’s frosted, and I put it in the refrigerator. It should be refrigerated for at least thirty minutes so the frosting will set.”
“When did you have time to do all that?”
“While you were sleeping. You needed the rest, Hannah. I checked on you a couple of times and you were out like a light.” Michelle reached down to pet Moishe, who was looking at his food bowl expectantly. “Moishe was out like a light, too. He was even snoring.”
At that instant, Hannah had an unwelcome thought. Did she snore and was that why Ross had left her? She was almost afraid to ask, but she had to know. “Was I snoring, too?”
“No. At least I don’t think you were. You had the blanket pulled up over your face so I’m not sure I would have heard it.”
“I was just curious,” Hannah said, deciding it was best to change the subject. “I’ll set the table.”
“Sounds good.” Michelle went to the counter, finished rolling up the last Cheesy Garlic Crescent Roll, and carried the pan to the refrigerator. “I’ll put these in the oven when they get here.”
As Michelle opened the refrigerator door, Hannah spotted her Ultimate Fudgy Chocolate Cake. Michelle had frosted it perfectly, and it looked delicious. There was a large salad
bowl on the middle shelf, and she asked, “What’s in the salad bowl?”
“I made a cut green bean, chopped hardboiled egg, and crumbled bacon salad. There’s a sweet vinegar and ginger dressing in the bottom of the bowl, and I’ll toss it when the guys arrive.”
“But . . . I didn’t buy any green beans. How did you . . . ?”
“You had a package in the freezer,” Michelle explained, anticipating the rest of Hannah’s question. “All I had to do was cook them. And you had a couple of hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator.”
Hannah got out a clean tablecloth and walked to the dining room table. As she folded the matching cloth napkins, she thought about how much easier it was to entertain when Michelle stayed with her. She went back into the kitchen to gather dishes, bowls, glasses, and silverware, but before she opened the cupboard door, she went to Michelle and gave her a hug.
Michelle smiled and hugged her back. “What was that for?” she asked.
“That was because I love you. And it was also a thank-you for all the work you did while I was sleeping.”
JAMBALAYA
(Make this recipe in a 3-and-a-half or 4-quart slow cooker.)
12 ounces of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 green bell peppers
1 medium onion
2 stalks crisp celery
