Strawberry Shortcake Murder hsm-2

by Joanne Fluke

  Hannah worked efficiently, measuring ingredients and putting them into plastic containers. Once she’d assembled everything she needed, she began to store them in the box. There was a container of sugar, a pound of butter, and a plastic bag filled with diced apricots. Hannah added a loaf of sliced white bread, stuck in her handwritten recipe, and walked to the cooler to make sure she had plenty of eggs and cream. When she’d clamped the lid on the box, she turned to find Andrea staring at her curiously. “What?”

  “I was just trying to figure out what you’re baking tonight.”

  “Apricot Bread Pudding. It was one of Great-Grandma Elsa’s favorite recipes, but she used raisins instead of apricots. I like it better this way.”

  “So do I. Apricots are a lot better than raisins. So what are you going to do, Hannah?”

  “There isn’t time actually to bake it during the news, so I’ll make it ahead of time and prepare another one on camera. That’s what I did with the Pound Plus Cake for Strawberry Shortcake Swensen.”

  “Not that. I mean, what are we going to do about Danielle? We’ve got to help her.”

  “I know. But how about Bill? He’s not going to like it if you get involved in another murder investigation.”

  Andrea waved off that concern. “He’s so busy, he won’t even notice. Let’s go and visit Danielle at the hospital. We need to get all the facts we can before we start.”

  “You can’t visit her, Andrea. I talked Mike into letting me see her, but I’m the only one.”

  “I know. Bill told me. But Rick Murphy’s guarding her door, and I know him from high school. If I keep him busy talking to me, he won’t be able to overhear what you and Danielle are saying.”

  “That’s brilliant.” Hannah was impressed.

  “Thanks. So you’re going to let me help, aren’t you, Hannah?”

  Hannah hesitated, taking time to fill a bag with cookies for Danielle. “Bill may kill me when he finds out, but I could really use you.”

  “That’s great!” Andrea was obviously delighted. “You know, I really like to do things with you, Hannah. It’s just a pity it took Ron LaSalle’s murder to bring us together like this.”

  Hannah thought about that as she went to tell Lisa to hold the fort until they got back. It was a pity that her relationship with Andrea hadn’t smoothed out into friendship until they’d investigated their first murder together. Before that it had been a competition between the two sisters, each feeling the other had the edge.

  Andrea had been the popular sister, the one who’d never lacked for a date. Pretty and petite, the picture of the quintessential prom queen, she’d been at ease in any social situation, especially when it had involved boys. Andrea had been a younger version of Delores, and her popularity proved it. Hannah, on the other hand, had resembled her father. She’d been tall, lanky, and extremely capable, with an unfortunate tendency to indulge her wicked sense of humor. The boys had liked Hannah well enough as a study partner or a wise-cracking pal, but she certainly hadn’t made any male teenage palms turn sweaty. That had been Andrea’s forte. Bill always said that Andrea could charm the birds right out of the trees, and it was true. And Hannah knew that the only way she could achieve the same effect was to load a shotgun and shoot them down.

  When Hannah came back into the bakery, she grabbed her winter parka and the box of ingredients, and turned to find Andrea frowning. “What is it now?”

  “You’re not going to the hospital like that, are you?”

  “Like what?” Hannah was puzzled.

  “In that ratty old parka.”

  “My ratty old parka was new last year,” Hannah informed her. “And it’s a lot warmer than that silly trench coat of yours.”

  “My coat’s not silly. It’s a perfect knock-off of the leather trench coat that was featured in Vogue last month!”

  “That’s New York. This is Minnesota. You don’t wear an unlined coat that barely covers your knees when it’s in the low teens outside.”

  “I do.” Andrea slipped into her coat and headed for the back door. Once she’d stepped out, she turned back to Hannah. “Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you have to look like an Eskimo. My coat is a fashion statement.”

  “It’s a fashion statement that’s going to give you frostbite from the knees down.” Hannah led the way to her truck. “At least wear some wool slacks with it.”

  “But that would defeat the whole purpose. Really, Hannah. You just have no fashion sense.”

  Hannah was getting ready to give her sister a piece of her mind when she realized that what they were fighting over was ridiculous. She started to grin as she unlocked her truck, climbed behind the wheel, and waited for Andrea to get in. Perhaps they’d always bicker the way they’d done in high school, but that bickering no longer had to escalate into a fight.

  Hannah waited until Andrea had buckled her seat belt, then backtracked with as much grace as possible. “Forget what I said, Andrea. I know my parka isn’t exactly attractive. And I agree that I could use a little of your fashion sense.”

  “And I could use a little of your common sense. It’s a lot colder than I thought it was going to be today.”

  “I’ve got a blanket.” Hannah reached in back to retrieve the old quilt she’d stuck in her truck for emergencies. “Wrap up, Andrea. This truck takes forever to get warm.”

  Andrea took the quilt and draped it over her lap. “Thanks, Hannah. Maybe we should go out to the mall sometime and advise each other.”

  That suggestion just floated on the icy air for a moment. Then both sisters started to laugh, imagining the fights they’d have if they ever went on a shopping trip together.

  * * *

  Lake Eden Memorial Hospital was on Old Lake Road, five miles from The Cookie Jar and well outside the downtown area. It had been built on a rise that overlooked the frozen surface of the lake, and it was Doc Knight’s pride and joy. The V-shaped cinder-block building had been painted a cheerful shade of yellow, and it was completely surrounded by small pines that had been planted so that each of the two dozen rooms would look out on perpetual greenery and a view of Eden Lake.

  Hannah drove around to the back of the building and entered the parking lot. There weren’t many cars this time of the day, and she pulled up next to Doc Knight’s new Explorer. There were posts with electrical outlets on the far row for the nurses and the staff, but Hannah decided that she didn’t need to plug in her truck. They wouldn’t be staying more than an hour and probably less.

  “Ready?” Hannah turned to her sister.

  Andrea nodded and removed the quilt. “I hate hospitals.”

  “Me too.” Hannah waited for Andrea to get out and locked up her truck. They fell into step together and when they reached the front of the hospital, Hannah pulled open the heavy glass door, and they stepped into the foyer. They stomped off their boots, wiping them on the mat, then went through the set of double doors that led into the large lobby.

  Visiting hours were posted on a sign above the reception desk. They were from two to four and seven to nine. It was almost noon, and the desk was deserted. Hannah didn’t bother to press the buzzer for assistance. How hard could it be to find Danielle’s room? It would be the only one with a uniformed sheriff’s deputy stationed outside.

  The hospital corridor smelled like disinfectant and cauliflower. At least Hannah hoped that it was cauliflower. The mixture made her wrinkle up her nose and wish for the soothing aromas of vanilla and chocolate.

  “It smells bad in here,” Andrea spoke in a hushed voice.

  “I know.” Hannah wondered if anyone had ever done a study of which smells made sick patients sicker. She’d be willing to bet that cauliflower would be right up near the top of the list.

  “I think it’s the food,” Andrea commented, as they neared a food cart and she spotted a lunch tray. “You brought Danielle some cookies, didn’t you? Nobody should have to eat food like that.”

  “Of course I did.” Hannah held up the ba
g she was carrying, filled to the brim with Cocoa Snaps, Pecan Crisps, and Chocolate Chip Crunches.

  “This food is all white.” Andrea made a face. “I knew it would be bad, but not this bad.”

  Hannah stared down at the tray. Andrea was right. The food had no color. There was a glop of vanilla pudding in a little plastic cup, an entrée of poached fish with some sort of white cream sauce on top, a scoop of mashed potatoes, a compartment filled with limp-looking steamed cauliflower, and a piece of white bread with a pat of butter. Hannah would have passed on lunch even if she’d been hungry. And from the look of the barely touched trays, so had most of the patients at Lake Eden Memorial.

  “That must be Danielle’s room.” Andrea pointed toward the far end of the hallway. “There’s Rick.”

  Hannah recognized the tall, lanky figure of Cyril Murphy’s oldest son. “How long do you think you can keep him talking?”

  “As long as you need. All I have to do is ask about his new baby. It’s their first.”

  Hannah stepped forward with her cookies, a smile pasted on her face. Rick reported directly to Mike, and if he suspected that this was any more than a friendly visit, he’d mention it. Hannah didn’t even want to think of what Mike would say if he realized that the Swensen sisters were on a mission to prove him wrong and catch Boyd’s real killer in the bargain.

  APRICOT BREAD PUDDING

  Do not preheat oven yet. The bread pudding must settle for 30 minutes before baking.

  8 slices of white bread (either homemade or “store bought”)

  1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick, 1/4 pound)

  1/3 cup white sugar

  1/2 cup chopped dried apricots (not too fine, you want some chunks)

  3 beaten eggs (just whip them up with a fork)

  2 1/4 cups top milk * (you can use light cream or Half ‘n Half)

  Heavy cream, sweetened whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream for a topping.

  Generously butter a 2-quart casserole. Remove the crusts from the bread and cut each slice into 4 triangles. (Just make an “X” with your knife.) Melt the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl and put in the bread triangles, tossing them lightly with a spoon until they’re coated with butter.

  Arrange approximately a third of the triangles in the bottom of the casserole. Sprinkle on a third of the sugar and half of the chopped apricots.

  Put down half of the remaining bread triangles, sprinkle on half of the remaining sugar, and add ALL of the remaining apricots.

  Cover with the rest of the bread triangles. Scrape the bowl to get out any butter that remains in the bottom of the bowl and put that on top. Sprinkle with the last of the sugar and set aside.

  Whip up the eggs in the butter bowl and whisk in the light cream. Pour this over the top of the casserole and let it stand at room temperature for thirty minutes. (This gives the bread time to absorb the egg and cream mixture.)

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position. Bake the bread pudding uncovered, for 45 to 55 minutes, until the pudding is set and the top is golden brown.

  Let it cool slightly (five minutes or so) and serve in dessert dishes with heavy cream, sweetened whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the top.

  You can make this with any dried fruit, including currants or raisins. Andrea likes apricots, Mother prefers dates, and Michelle thought it was “yummy” with dried pears. We didn’t try it with prunes. Carrie Rhodes is the only person I know who likes prunes (And I’m not going to comment on that!)

  Chapter Six

  “Oh, Hannah! You came!”

  “Of course I did. I said I would.” Hannah tried for a cheerful smile, but it was difficult. Danielle was sitting up in bed, there were traces of recent tears on her cheeks, and she was wearing the expression that Hannah thought of as the “whipped puppy look.”

  “I didn’t think they were going to let me have any visitors.” Danielle’s voice quavered slightly.

  “They weren’t, but I did some fast talking.” Danielle had “victim” written all over her, and Hannah knew she had to do something or they’d be defeated before they even started. Danielle needed a shot of courage and the belief that she controlled her own fate.

  “Have a Cocoa Snap.” Hannah reached into the bag and handed her a cookie. Then she placed the bag within easy reach on Danielle’s bed stand. “The chocolate will cheer you up and give you some energy.”

  Danielle bit into the cookie and the ghost of a smile crossed her lips. “Thanks, Hannah. These are good. I couldn’t eat my lunch. You should have seen…”

  “I did. I wouldn’t have eaten it, either.” Hannah interrupted her. A discussion of hospital food would only waste time. “I’ve got Andrea outside, running interference with Rick Murphy. I didn’t want to give him the chance to overhear us. We need to talk, Danielle.”

  Danielle brightened up considerably. “Then you’re going to help me?”

  “Of course I am, but I need to ask you some questions about Boyd. Can you forget how lousy you feel for a minute and concentrate?”

  “I feel a whole lot better now that you’re here.” A little color came back to Danielle’s cheeks, and she patted the side of her bed. “Sit down, Hannah, and I’ll tell you everything I know. It’s not much. Everything happened just like I said it did last night.”

  “You may know something without knowing you know it.” Hannah realized that what she’d just said was confusing and she tried another tact. “I’ll ask the questions and you answer, okay?”

  “Okay, but just tell me one thing first. Are they going to arrest me?”

  “Not if I have anything to say about it. The last I heard, they were going to keep you in the hospital for at least five days.”

  “That’s better than going to jail,” Danielle said, but she didn’t look convinced. “I didn’t kill him, Hannah. You believe me, don’t you?”

  Hannah reached out and patted her hand. “I believe you. That’s why Andrea and I are going to try to catch the real killer. Now think about this carefully, Danielle. It could be very important. Did you notice any change in Boyd’s behavior lately? Say in the last week or so? Anything that made him unusually angry or upset?”

  “Well….” Danielle hesitated, and Hannah knew she was thinking it over. “He was really mad about The Gulls. They missed nine free throws in their last game. But that wasn’t unusual. He’s always angry if they lose.”

  “How about his classes?”

  “They were all okay. He was really proud of his fourth-period history class. They took some kind of an achievement test, and they all did really well.”

  “Was he having a problem with any of the faculty?”

  “No.” Danielle shook her head. “Everything was fine. The only thing I could think of that really upset him was that phone call he got on Tuesday.”

  Hannah felt a prickling of interest. Danielle hadn’t mentioned a phone call before. “What phone call was that?”

  “The one he got right after he came home for lunch. I was making him tomato soup in the microwave. He likes… liked that.”

  Danielle’s lip started to quiver as she changed the verb to past tense, and Hannah knew she’d better distract her. “Let’s get back to Boyd’s phone call. Who called him?”

  “I don’t know. He didn’t tell me.”

  “But you knew he got a phone call?”

  “Yes. Boyd was in the living room, waiting for me to bring him his lunch, and I answered the phone in the kitchen. It was a woman, and she asked for Boyd, so I called out for him to pick up the extension.”

  “You didn’t recognize her voice?”

  “No. it wasn’t anyone I ever talked to before. I’m sure of that. But I know it was a local call.”

  “How do you know that?” Hannah asked.

  “It was noon, and I heard the town clock strike one.”

  “You heard the clock strike one?”

  “Boyd was complaining about it the other day. It’s still set for daylight
saving’s time because Freddy Sawyer was sick with the flue when it was time to turn it back. You know spring forward, fall back?”

  “I know.”

  “Well, nobody else wanted to climb up there on the ladder, and it was a week before Freddy got back to work. Nobody seemed to notice the clock was off, and they hadn’t had any complaints, so they just decided to leave it until next spring.”

  “That figures.” Hannah was amused. There were times when things were very laid-back in Lake Eden. “Let’s get back to the phone call. Could you tell how old the woman was from her voice?”

  Danielle thought about it for a moment. “She didn’t sound as young as one of Boyd’s students, but she wasn’t old.”

  “Do you remember anything distinctive about her voice?”

  “Well… she sort of slurred her words.”

  Hannah’s ears perked up. “Did she sound drunk?”

  “Not really. It was more like some kind of speech impediment. My grandmother used to call it a ‘mouthful of mush.’ Do you think that’s important, Hannah?”

  “It could be. Tell me everything she said. Repeat it word for word.”

  “Okay. The first thing she said was, Is Boyd there? Except it came out iszh instead of is. And when I said he was, she said, Get him on the phone. She slurred that, too, except I can’t do it.”

  “Get him on the phone? Isn’t that kind of rude?”

  “I thought so. I mean, she didn’t call me by name or say please, or anything like that. She sounded like she was in a big hurry. And I know that Boyd was really angry after he’d talked to her.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Right after he talked to her, he came storming into the kitchen and his face was all red and kind of splotchy. It’s always that way when he’s mad. The first thing he did was accuse me of listening in on his private conversation, but I didn’t, Hannah. I swear it.”

  “I believe you.” Hannah thought she knew what had happened next. “Do you remember what he said?”