Plum Pudding Murder Bundle with Candy Cane Murder & Sugar Cookie Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  Place the butter and the chips in a medium-size microwave-safe bowl. Heat the contents for 90 seconds on HIGH. Take the bowl out of the microwave and try to stir the contents smooth. (Chocolate chips sometimes maintain their shape even when they’re melted.) If you’re able to stir the mixture smooth, set it on the counter and let it cool. If the chips aren’t melted yet, microwave them in 20-second intervals on HIGH until they are.

  When you’re able to cup your hands around the bowl comfortably and you don’t think the chocolate mixture is so hot it’ll cook the eggs you’re about to add, separate 4 eggs into yolks and whites. Put the whites in the refrigerator to add to scrambled eggs the next morning, and whisk the yolks until they’re thoroughly mixed. Then slowly add them to your bowl with the chocolate mixture, stirring all the while.

  Add 5 more whole eggs to your mixture one at a time, stirring thoroughly after each addition.

  Blend in the white sugar, stirring until it’s thoroughly incorporated.

  Mix in the flour and stir until the batter is smooth and free from lumps.

  Transfer the batter to the pans you’ve selected, dividing it up between 9 large muffin tins, 6 large popover tins, 8 small soufflé dishes, 6 large soufflé dishes, or 6 disposable foil pot pie tins. Place the pans you used on a baking sheet and slip them in the oven.

  Bake at 500 degrees F. for EXACTLY 7 minutes. Set the oven timer and don’t open the oven door while they’re baking. The success of this recipe depends on high even heat for a limited amount of time. You want to bake the outside and leave the inside filled with hot molten chocolate.

  When your timer rings, immediately take the cakes from the oven and place them on a wire rack. The damp center of each cake will be barely visible and they may jiggle a bit when you move them to the cooling rack. Don’t worry. That’s the way they’re supposed to be.

  Give the cakes 2 minutes to set up slightly. Then upend them on dessert plates or bowls. Use two forks to pull apart the tops to expose the chocolate sauce in the center.

  Use a small ice cream scoop to drop vanilla ice cream in the center of the rich molten chocolate.

  Serve immediately to rave reviews.

  Yield: 9 cakes in large muffin tins, 6 cakes in large removable popover tins, 8 cakes in small soufflé dishes, 6 cakes in large soufflé dishes, or 6 cakes in disposable foil pot pie tins.

  If you have leftover cakes, they can be reheated in the microwave, but they won’t be the same. They’ll still be tasty, but the centers will turn into moist cake rather than hot fudge sauce.

  Hannah’s Note: If I want my dessert to be extra fancy, I make up some of the fruit sauce I use on potato pancakes and create little designs around the edge of large dessert plates while the Hot Fudge Sundae Cakes are baking. Mother prefers it that way. My sisters like it with their choice of ice cream. Andrea prefers chocolate, Michelle likes butterbrickle, and I think it tastes best with coffee ice cream.

  Chapter Five

  When Norman pulled into the crowded parking lot, Hannah saw her sister standing in the center of a parking space right next to the entrance, waving her arms frantically. Andrea’s green Volvo was parked next to the spot and it didn’t take an expert on string theory to surmise that she was standing there to save the parking place for them.

  The first thing Hannah heard when she emerged from Norman’s car was a tinny version of Hark the Herald Angels Sing played at earsplitting volume. She glanced across the street at the houses nearby, and wondered whether any of the homeowners had filed nuisance complaints.

  Hannah covered her ears and gave a little groan. And then she greeted her sister. “Hi, Andrea.”

  “Hi, Hannah.” Andrea turned to Norman. “I’m really glad you came along. Three opinions are better than two.”

  “And four opinions are even better,” Hannah told her. “Mike should be here any minute, and before he gets here I need to warn you about standing in the middle of parking spots to save them. That really wasn’t smart, Andrea. What if someone had pulled in too fast? They could have plowed right into you.”

  “But nobody would do that! Everybody knows I’m the sheriff’s wife!”

  “True, but what if they didn’t see you in time? It’s not exactly daylight out here.”

  Andrea thought about that for a moment and Hannah could tell from her sister’s set expression that she wasn’t willing to give up the argument quite yet. “Norman saw me in plenty of time. He slowed down.”

  “Norman’s a good driver. But what if someone else had been driving, someone who’d stopped at the Lake Eden Municipal Liquor Store to have a couple of hot toddies before coming here to buy a tree?”

  “Well…” Andrea sighed. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have been standing there in the middle of the space.” She turned to Norman. “Don’t tell Bill, okay?”

  Norman smiled. “Don’t worry, I won’t. I know what can happen to a messenger who delivers bad news.”

  “What’s that?” Andrea asked.

  “Sometimes they’re killed. Sophocles’ messenger in Antigone starts right off by saying, Don’t kill the messenger.”

  “That’s awful!” Andrea was clearly appalled. “You can’t just go around murdering people because you don’t like the news they give you. Did the killers get life sentences? Or did this happen in a state with capital punishment?”

  Hannah was used to her sister’s hit or miss brush with literature and history and she hurried to explain. “This happened a long time ago in a different part of the world, and nobody really knows what happened. But the phrase stuck with us. Shakespeare used it in Henry IV, Part 2, and some people say that Oscar Wilde and Mark Twain used it, too.”

  “Mark Twain’s real name was Samuel Clemens,” Andrea announced, clearly proud of herself for remembering. She turned to look as a car entered the parking lot and gave a smile. “Oh, good! Here comes Mike. But there’s no space left. I wonder where he’s going to park.”

  “Anywhere he wants to,” Hannah replied, watching as Mike turned on the flashing red lights on top of his cruiser and pulled up horizontally behind Norman’s sedan and Andrea’s Volvo.

  Once Mike had joined them, Andrea gave them the note Tracey had brought home from her teacher. The tree should be between four and five feet tall, it should have short needles, and the branches should have space between them so that it would be easier for the children to hang ornaments.

  “Blue Spruce,” Mike said.

  “Or Scotch Pine,” Norman offered. “Let’s go see what kind of trees the Crazy Elf has.”

  “I’m just glad you all came along with me,” Andrea said, leading the way toward the entrance. “Bill always picks out our tree. He doesn’t go to a tree lot. His parents have plenty of pines on the back forty and he drives out there to cut one down every year.”

  “Does Tracey go with him?” Norman asked her.

  “For the last two years. Before that she was too little.” Andrea turned back to Hannah. “You used to go with Dad when he picked out the tree, didn’t you?”

  “Yes, but we got ours from the Red Owl. Florence’s father had them trucked in, and he stood them up outside the store like spears against the brick wall.”

  “They didn’t thaw them out?” Norman asked.

  “No, they were frozen solid. A delivery came in one time when I was there with Dad. The trees were stacked in a flat bed truck with a tarp tied over the back. The thing I remember best is how they were trussed up with twine like mummies. I asked Dad how he could tell what they’d look like when they thawed out, and he said there was a trick to it.”

  “What trick?” Andrea grabbed Hannah’s arm. “You’d better tell us. Maybe the Crazy Elf’s trees are frozen, too.”

  “Dad’s trick didn’t make any sense to me at the time. He said the tree should resemble a carrot and the height should be two times the circumference of the base. And when I asked him what that meant, he said you had to wrap a string around the bottom, cut it off with a knife, and then see if the s
tring would reach halfway up to the top of the tree. I watched him do it.”

  “Wow!” Mike sounded impressed. “You must have had some beautiful trees.”

  “We did, except for one year. Dad and I brought home the tree and he put it in the stand. He took off the twine and then it was time for me to go up to bed. He told me that the tree would thaw out before I got up the next morning and it would be beautiful.”

  “Was it?” Andrea asked. “I don’t remember this at all.”

  “You couldn’t remember it. You were just a baby. And yes, it thawed overnight. But it must have been old because every single needle fell off while we were sleeping and it was perfectly bare when I came down the stairs in the morning.”

  “Dad must have been very disappointed.” Andrea looked sympathetic. “What did he do?”

  “He got somebody to fill in for him at the hardware store, and he went out to Grandma and Grandpa Swensen’s farm to cut down another tree.”

  Andrea looked worried. “I hope that doesn’t happen to Tracey’s tree!” She turned around to face the three of them. “Does anybody know how to tell if a tree is fresh or not?”

  “I do,” Norman spoke up. “All you have to do is feel the needles. If they feel dry and break off in your hand, it’s an old tree.”

  “There’s an easier way,” Mike said. “I flash my badge and demand to see the invoice for the last batch of trees. And then I demand to see a tree from that batch.”

  Norman clapped Mike on the shoulder. “That’s better than my way. Let’s go in and see what they’ve got.”

  As they walked into the park, Hannah noticed the rows of sleds lined up just inside the gate. They were painted bright green and each sled had room for a child. Behind the area where the child would be seated was a large red box that looked like the bed of a supermarket shopping cart. The box was obviously meant to store items to be purchased and it was large enough to hold quite a few.

  “Clever,” Norman said, also noticing the sleds.

  “And how,” Hannah replied. “I wonder what they do if a mother comes in with two kids.”

  “That’s where I come in.”

  All four of them turned to look as a blond girl in a green elf costume spoke to them. “I’m Mary and I’ll be your elf for tonight.”

  “Do you really say that to all the customers?” Hannah asked her.

  “No, just to you. I’m kidding, Miss Swensen. I’m Tricia Barthel’s younger sister, and I don’t blame you for not recognizing me in this getup.”

  “It’s better than the one I wore last Christmas at the Lake Eden Inn. At least your tights aren’t too tight.”

  “Hi, Mary,” Andrea smiled at the girl. “I’m looking for a tree for my daughter’s classroom. It has to be between four and five feet tall with short needles and branches that make it easy for a child to hang ornaments.”

  “We’ve got just the thing. Follow me to the smaller tree tent and I’ll show you a couple you’ll like.”

  They all trooped after Mary to a tent near the edge of the lot. It wasn’t a prime location and Hannah guessed that the larger, more expensive trees were housed in the closer tents. On the way they passed the Crazy Elf Toy Shop, the Crazy Elf Ornament Center, and the Crazy Elf Tree Stand Store. And all the while We Wish You a Merry Christmas was blaring out over the speakers.

  Hannah moved closer to Mary the elf. “Doesn’t the music drive you crazy?” she asked.

  “It did at first, but now I’m so used to it, I don’t even hear it. I guess if it stopped I’d notice, but it won’t stop until eleven tonight.”

  “Haven’t the neighbors complained about the noise?”

  “No. I asked the elf manager how Mr. Jaeger got away with making so much noise, and she told me that he gave everyone in the houses next to the park a free tree and a fifty-dollar gift certificate for the shops.”

  “Smart,” Hannah said. Most people could use extra money around the holidays and a free tree with fifty dollars worth of ornaments or toys was a nice Christmas bonus for anyone.

  “Here we are,” Mary announced, leading the way into one of the large tents that were fashioned out of canvas with green and red stripes. “All of these trees have short needles.”

  The air inside smelled heavenly, like walking through a stand of pines, and Hannah took a deep breath and smiled. She was more than a little relieved to see that the tent was warmed by space heaters and all of the trees were thawed. At least she wouldn’t have to put her father’s trick to the test.

  “The Blue Spruces are here,” Mary pointed to a section that was roped off with blue tape. “I wouldn’t recommend those. The needles might drop off in a warm classroom.”

  “Thanks for telling us,” Andrea said, and Hannah could tell she was grateful. “What are those trees?” she asked, pointing to the largest section.

  “Those are Scotch Pines.” Mary led the way to the green-roped section. “A lot of teachers have been buying those. They’re the most popular Christmas tree and needle retention is really good. They tend to stay on even when the tree is dry.”

  Hannah glanced at Andrea. She was almost positive she knew exactly what her sister was going to do. Andrea was a firm believer that an item’s worth was directly proportional to its price.

  “Well, I don’t want to buy the cheapest,” Andrea said, confirming Hannah’s supposition. “How about those?” she asked, pointing to the smallest red-roped section. “They’re gorgeous.”

  “Oh, those are the Noble Firs. They’re much more expensive, but they’re…” Mary moved a bit closer and lowered her voice even though there was no one else in the tent. “I probably shouldn’t say anything, but they’re the freshest trees we have and they won’t drop their needles in a hot classroom. Not only that, their needles are more pliable.” Mary plucked one off and rubbed it between her fingers. “When the needles get old, they’re really sharp. I guess that’s why they call them needles. These won’t get sharp until the kids leave school for Christmas vacation.”

  “Then I’ll take one,” Andrea said, walking over to take a look. “But they’re all mixed up in the section together. Is there a way to tell how tall they are without measuring?”

  “I’ll show you,” Mary said, gesturing to Andrea. “Just follow me and I’ll explain the color coding on the tags.”

  As Andrea and Mary walked deeper into the forest of trees in the red section, Norman moved closer to Hannah. “They’re only on calling birds and already my head hurts.”

  For a moment Hannah was thoroughly mystified and then she realized that We Wish You a Merry Christmas had ended and The Twelve Days of Christmas had taken its place. “Eight verses to go,” she said. “I’ve probably got some aspirin in my purse. Do you want a couple?”

  “No, thanks. I’ll be fine just as soon as we get out of here.”

  “Hey, Hannah.” Mike walked up to join them. “What do you say we try out the Yule Log?”

  Hannah took one look at the Yule Log ride and shook her head. The “log” part was hollow and it held seats with harness-type safety belts to prevent falling as it swayed back and forth. The seats were divided into sets of pairs facing each other. At the apex of one end the rider was looking straight down at his partner, and at the apex of the other, their positions were reversed. The momentum gained on the downswings must have been fierce because the people who were riding were screaming every time they descended. Perhaps, when she was younger, she would have regarded his invitation as a challenge and gone on the ride just to prove she could. Now that she was older, she was wiser. “Thanks, but no thanks,” she said.

  “Then how about Santa’s Magic Sleigh?”

  “The Ferris wheel?”

  “Yes, but each car is decorated like a sleigh and there’s a plastic reindeer in front. You can see the whole park from the top of the wheel,” Mike gestured toward the designer Ferris wheel that was slowly revolving in the distance.

  Hannah knew she could handle that ride, but there was another cons
ideration. “Only if I can take the reins.”

  “But they don’t really do anything. I mean, the reindeer doesn’t move or anything and…”

  “I know. I was just kidding you. Let’s wait until Andrea picks out her tree and then we can all go.”

  “You two go ahead,” Norman said. “I’ll help Andrea with the tree. It won’t be hard now that Mary’s steered us to the right type.”

  “Are you sure?” Hannah asked, wondering if Norman was just being polite.

  “I’m positive. And don’t worry if you have to wait in line. You’ve got plenty of time. It’s going to take a while for Andrea to choose, and then they have to net her tree and tie it on top of her car.”

  “All right then.” Hannah turned to Mike. “Let’s stop off at the Crazy Elf Cookie Shop on the way. I want to see if they really are running out of cookies.”

  Hannah and Mike walked down the path between the tents. It was labeled North Pole Avenue and at the end was a row of log cabins. Each one had a sign hanging over the door on a pole that jutted out from the cabin. The sign reminded Hannah of the pictures she’d seen of English pubs, but it was clear these log cabins didn’t sell roast beef sandwiches and stout.

  “Larry spent big bucks on those buildings,” Mike said, gesturing toward the Crazy Elf Toy Shop.

  “How do you know?”

  “I priced them when I lived in The Cities. I wanted to put one in the backyard for the mower, and the snow blower, and things like that.”

  “How much were they?”

  “It was a thousand for the smallest one, and that was a couple of years back. These have got to be the largest. They’re huge. And unless Larry got a real deal, they’ve got to run over five thousand apiece.”

  “Maybe he’s renting,” Hannah suggested.

  “That would make sense since he’ll be closing down right after Christmas. Either that, or he plans to put them up for sale.”