Raspberry Danish Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  Prepare your pan(s) by lining a pie plate with foil. (If you chose to use the tubes of refrigerated breadstick dough, also line a cookie sheet with foil.)

  In a small bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, oregano, parsley, and basil. Mix the ingredients together thoroughly.

  Hannah’s 1st Note: If you’ve just taken your package of cream cheese out of the refrigerator and you need to soften it in a hurry, simply unwrap it, place it in a small, microwave-safe bowl and heat it in the microwave on HIGH for 20 seconds. Let it sit in the microwave for a minute and then try to stir it smooth. Repeat as often as necessary until you achieve a smooth texture. Then take the bowl out of the microwave and mix in the oregano, parsley, and basil. Mix thoroughly.

  Spread the cream cheese and herb mixture out in the bottom of your prepared pie pan.

  In a separate bowl, mix the shredded parmesan and shredded mozzarella cheeses together.

  Hannah’s 2nd Note: You can use your impeccably clean fingers to mix the cheese together.

  Sprinkle HALF of the shredded cheese mixture on top of the cream cheese and herb mixture.

  Measure out the cup of spaghetti sauce and place it in a small bowl.

  Mix the onion and the minced garlic (or the onion powder and garlic powder) into the spaghetti sauce.

  Spoon the spaghetti sauce mixture over the top of the contents of the pie pan. Use a rubber spatula to spread it out evenly, but DO NOT MIX it in.

  Sprinkle the remaining cheese mixture over the top of the spaghetti sauce mixture.

  Arrange the pepperoni evenly on top of the cheese.

  Place the sliced olives on top of the pepperoni.

  Pat the button mushrooms dry with paper towels and then arrange them on top of the olives.

  Bake your Hockey Playoff Pizza Dip at 350 degrees F., for a total of 25 to 30 minutes.

  After your pizza dip has been in the oven for 5 minutes, place the garlic bread in the oven and bake according to package directions.

  If you’ve decided to make the soft breadsticks instead of the garlic bread, cut each breadstick in 2 pieces, and follow the package directions to bake them. Coordinate baking times so that everything comes out of the oven at approximately the same time.

  Slice your garlic bread, put the slices in a napkin-lined basket, and serve it with your dip. Since you’ve already cut the soft breadsticks in 2 pieces, simply place them in a napkin-lined basket.

  Hannah’s 3rd Note: You might want to bake the soft breadsticks a bit longer so that they will hold their shape when your guests dip them in the Hockey Playoff Pizza Dip. Both the soft breadsticks and the garlic bread should be on the crispy side for ease in dipping. You can also use chips in place of the bread.

  Chapter Nineteen

  They had almost finished their drinks by the time Dick was through refilling glasses and delivering his dip. Hannah, who had been keeping an eye on the time, gave a relieved sigh. She wanted to interview Dick tonight and she really hadn’t wanted to come back to the bar with karaoke going full swing.

  “Okay, Hannah,” he said leaning over the bar toward the three of them. “I’ve got at least five minutes before anyone’s going to want a refill.”

  “Thanks, Dick. And before I forget to tell you, your pizza dip was wonderful.”

  As Norman and Michelle took turns complimenting Dick on his college friend’s creation, Hannah drew her murder book out of her purse and grabbed one of the numerous pens that had dropped down to the bottom. Then, when there was a lull in the conversation, she began to ask the questions she’d thought of on the drive out to the Inn. “Please tell me about the last time you saw P.K.”

  “Of course. P.K. came in after work with Scotty. I’d never seen them together before, so I was a little curious. They ordered drinks, beer for Scotty and a Virgin Cuba Libre for P.K.”

  “Did they seem to be friendly?” Hannah asked.

  “Not exactly. Polite, yes. Friendly, not when they first came in the bar.”

  “But they were friendly later?” Michelle asked the obvious question.

  “Yes. P.K. was okay from the beginning, but Scotty was a little reserved. It’s hard to tell with him, but I’ve known him long enough to read his body language.”

  “Was it different than it usually is when he comes in here?” Norman asked.

  Dick nodded. “They sat down at a table and Scotty sat up straight, not relaxed at all, and he didn’t prop his elbows on the table the way he usually does.”

  “Anything else?” Hannah asked him.

  “Yes. Scotty didn’t touch his beer right away, and he likes to drink off the layer of foam on top.” Dick stopped and gave a little shrug. “I know these things are little things, but they tell me what kind of mood my regulars are in.”

  “And Scotty didn’t behave the way he usually did?” Hannah asked.

  “No. Something was different with him. He looked at his beer, but he didn’t pick up the glass to drink it. And he didn’t dig into the pizza dip until after he’d talked to P.K. for a couple of minutes.”

  “Did you overhear anything they said?” Michelle asked.

  “No. I wasn’t that close. I was curious because Scotty wasn’t his usual self, but I didn’t want to be obvious. I just watched to see what was going to happen because I could tell they were talking about something serious.”

  “How could you tell?” Hannah followed up.

  “Because Scotty locked eyes with P.K. and he didn’t look away for a couple of minutes. And then both of them took a sip of their drinks and dug into my pizza dip. There were other things too, things that told me everything was okay between them.”

  Hannah didn’t say anything. She just raised her eyebrows in an unspoken question, and Dick went on.

  “Scotty came out here almost every week with five or six friends, and he was buddy-buddy with them. They laughed a lot and kidded each other the way good friends do.”

  Norman looked curious. “And Scotty acted like that after he had the conversation with P.K.?”

  “Not exactly. They still weren’t buddy-buddy, but I could tell that they were getting along. Scotty’s elbows went up on the table and he took a big swallow of his beer. And he smiled at P.K. for the first time since they sat down. There was another thing, too. They were passing the basket of chips back and forth. That’s when I figured out that whatever had been bothering Scotty had been resolved.”

  “You notice a lot about people, Dick,” Michelle told him. “Did you take psychology courses in college?”

  Dick shook his head. “Never. But I’ve been a bartender for a long time. That’s how I paid for college. It’s a skill a good bartender picks up because it’s needed.”

  “Needed?” Michelle looked confused. “I know you have to pay attention to people so you notice when they need something, but it sounds as if you notice a lot more than that.”

  “That’s true. Bartenders need to become familiar with the people they serve. It’s a matter of self-preservation.”

  “How so?” Norman asked.

  “As a bartender, you don’t want to serve another drink to someone who’s about to cross the line between having a good time and becoming too drunk to drive. If you do that, it’s actionable. A good bartender knows when to cut someone off, and that means you have to watch for all sorts of little signs that will tip you off.”

  “Did Scotty ever get . . .” Hannah paused. She’d been about to ask if Scotty had ever gotten drunk, but Dick probably wouldn’t tell her.

  “Did he get a little tipsy?” Dick supplied the rest of her question.

  “Yes.”

  “Only once that I can remember. He usually had no more than three glasses of beer. The only time I saw him drink more was when he was in here with his wife. It was his birthday and they were celebrating with a bunch of their friends. I was wondering if I should stop serving him, but his wife came up to the bar and assured me that she was driving home. She even showed me the car keys.”

  Hannah che
cked another item off her mental checklist. She knew that occasionally, when someone had one too many drinks, resentments flared. “So Scotty wasn’t a heavy drinker?”

  “No.” Dick shook his head. “I never saw Scotty order a mixed drink. He was a beer man, but only tap beer. He never drank bottled beer and a glass of beer would last him at least an hour, sometimes longer. Heavy drinkers generally go for something with more alcoholic content, like hard liquor or fortified beer or wine. I know what you really want to know, Hannah, so I’ll cut to the chase. There’s no way Scotty left here drunk the night he was here with P.K.”

  Dick’s phone rang and he turned around to answer it. A moment later, he was back. “That was Sally. Your table’s ready and she wants to know if it’s all right to join you for dessert. She said she has some information for you.”

  Once they’d assured Dick that it would be fine if Sally joined them for dessert, Hannah, Michelle, and Norman left Dick’s bar. They walked down the hallway to the restaurant and entered the alcove that contained the receptionist’s stand.

  Dot Larson was working as the hostess and she greeted them warmly. “Hi, guys! Sally said you were coming out for dinner. She saved a private booth for you and she asked me to take you there.” Dot turned to Hannah. “Did Dick tell you that Sally wants to join you for dessert?”

  “Yes, he did, and we told him that was just fine. Thanks for asking, Dot. How’s the baby?”

  “He’s not a baby anymore. If you ask him, he’s a big boy now. And that means he gives my mother a run for her money!”

  “Your mom is still babysitting for you?” Michelle asked her.

  “Yes. She wants to babysit until Jamie gets in preschool. Then it’ll be only half-days. That’ll be two years from now, Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.”

  Hannah smiled. “You always say that.”

  “That’s because my grandmother came from delta country and they were flooded out every four years or so. And before I forget, Sally wanted me to remind you to enter our Christmas decorating contest. All you have to do is join a committee, bring your favorite ornament from home, and hang it on your tree. All employees vote and the three best Christmas trees win a trophy.” Dot turned to Norman. “Follow me, and I’ll show you which booth Sally chose for you tonight and introduce you to your waitress. She’s new, but she’s really good and I know you’ll like her.”

  With Dot in the lead, the three of them climbed up the steps leading to the raised area on the far side of the dining room. They walked past the curtained booths and stopped at the one on the far end.

  “Sally saved this one for you,” Dot told them. “She told me that she had something important to tell you. I’m thinking that it’s either about the convention, or P.K.’s murder.”

  Hannah just smiled. She doubted very much that the bulk of Sally’s conversation would be about the convention. She wouldn’t have needed to put them in a curtained booth if that were the case. Hannah was almost certain that Sally wanted to tell them something about P.K. that might relate, in some way, to the murder investigation. Hannah’s curiosity was piqued, but she knew it wouldn’t be satisfied until after they’d finished their entrées and it was time for dessert, coffee, and whatever Sally had to impart.

  “Just one more thing before I leave,” Dot said after they were seated. “Sally says she really wants you to try her new appetizer.”

  Hannah almost groaned. She knew she’d eaten far too much of Dick’s pizza dip and now there was another appetizer to try.

  “It’s called Crunchy Salty Cheesy Prosciutto and Asparagus Rolls, and they’re very light and not at all filling,” Dot said, as if she’d somehow read Hannah’s mind.

  “They sound great!” Michelle commented, taking a sip of the wine that she’d brought with her from the bar. “I love asparagus. I think it’s my favorite vegetable.”

  “And it goes so well with prosciutto,” Norman added.

  Hannah felt her appetite beginning to return. “What does Sally use for the wrapper?” she asked.

  “Puff pastry rolled out thin,” Dot told them. “They’re great with phyllo dough too, but it’s a lot harder to work with. They’re baked in a hot oven so they turn out nice and crisp and they’re served hot.”

  Yes, her appetite was definitely coming back, Hannah decided as she thought about Sally’s new creation. Perhaps she could have an entrée after all and still have room for dessert.

  Their waitress arrived and poured more wine for Michelle and a glass for Hannah. She was carrying a glass of iced tea for Norman, and she set it down in front of him. She whisked away his nearly empty glass, handed it to her busboy, and turned to them again. “Dot told me you wanted to try Sally’s new appetizer, and that’s baking right now for you. Have you thought about what you’d like for an entrée, or would you like a little more time?”

  “I’m ready with my entrée order,” Michelle told her. “I’ll have the center-cut pork chop with fingerling potatoes. I know that comes with carrots in sweet mustard sauce, but could I have creamed spinach instead?”

  “Certainly,” their waitress responded. “All of the entrees tonight come with Piccadilly Cheese Mini Muffins that we include in the bread basket. Is that all right, or would you rather have sourdough soft rolls?”

  “I’ll try the mini muffins. I’ve never had those before.” Michelle turned to Hannah and Norman. “Would you two excuse me for a moment? I have to make a phone call to see if Lonnie can drop by the condo later, and the reception isn’t very good in these curtained booths.”

  “Sally’s got a hotspot in her office,” their waitress told her. “If you stand in the hallway outside the office door, the reception’s really good. I always duck out there when I need to make a call.”

  “Thanks,” Michelle said and rose to her feet. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “Go ahead, Michelle,” Hannah said with a nod. Perhaps Michelle’s cell phone didn’t work well in this curtained booth, but their sister-to-sister radar was working just fine. She knew exactly why Michelle wanted Lonnie to drop by to see them tonight.

  “I’d better tell you what I want now before I forget,” Norman said to the waitress. “You can leave the iced tea, but could I please have a glass of ginger ale, too? I’m really thirsty tonight.”

  “I’ll bring one now and another with your entrée,” their waitress promised. “Did you have any of Dick’s pizza dip?”

  “We all did,” Hannah answered her.

  “Then that’s probably why you’re thirsty. Dick loves to spice it up.” She turned to Hannah. “And for you, ma’am?”

  “I have a question before I order my entrée. What are Piccadilly Cheese Mini Muffins? I don’t believe I’ve ever seen them on the menu before.”

  “That’s because they’re a new item tonight. We’re trying them out with our customers. Sally got the recipe from her grandmother, and they were very popular in her grandfather’s pub.”

  “Then I’d like to try one, also,” Hannah decided. “And for an entrée, I’ll have the half Cornish game hen with sautéed button mushrooms and wild rice.”

  “Very good,” their waitress said, jotting it down on her pad before she turned to Norman. “And for your entrée, sir?”

  “I’ll have the duck with raspberry sauce, and the braised snow peas.”

  “Would you care to try the Piccadilly Cheese Mini Muffins?” their waitress asked him.

  Norman looked over at Hannah and smiled. “Absolutely. I don’t want to be the only holdout.”

  “I’ll send my busboy over with the muffins and the rest of tonight’s bread basket,” their waitress said, pulling aside the curtains and stepping out of the booth. She closed the curtains behind her, and Hannah turned to face Norman. “Michelle is calling Lonnie to come over tonight so that we can try to find out how Mike is coming along with his investigation.”

  “I guessed that.”

  “Then will you please come over after you drop us at The Cookie Jar?�
��

  “Of course I will. I’ll stay at your place for as long as you need me, Hannah.”

  At that exact moment, the curtains were pulled aside and Delores stood there glaring. She glanced behind her and stepped in quickly, pulling the curtains shut behind her. “Hannah Louise Swensen! How dare you? And you, Norman. You should know better than this!”

  Both Hannah and Norman stared at Delores with puzzled expressions. “Norman knows better than what, Mother?” Hannah asked her.

  “I heard what you said to my daughter, Norman! It’s simply scandalous!”

  It took a moment, but then Hannah realized what her mother had overheard. The last thing Norman had said to her before Delores had jerked back the curtains was, I’ll stay at your place for as long as you need me, Hannah.

  “But, Mother. You don’t understand,” Hannah began to explain. “Norman didn’t mean . . .”

  “I know precisely what Norman meant!” Delores interrupted her. “And I can tell you right now that I do not approve!”

  “Calm down, Mother,” Hannah pleaded. “You don’t know what Norman meant. If you’ll listen to me for a moment, I’ll tell you.”

  “You want me to listen to you?” Delores looked completely outraged. “I’m ashamed of you, Hannah! You should know better than to come out here with Norman and sit in a private booth with him. It fairly shouts to the whole world that you have something to conceal!”

  “But, Mother . . . you just don’t understand!”

  “Oh, I understand perfectly and let me tell you what you should understand. Married women do not hide behind curtains with men who are not their husbands! Ross hasn’t even been gone for three full weeks and you’ve already found someone to replace him!”