by Joanne Fluke
Her mind refused to accept what her eyes were seeing. Hannah blinked but the ground was still dropping down below the Cadillac's tires. It took a moment for Hannah to make sense out of what was happening. The ground wasn't dropping; the Cadillac was rising. Ted was lifting it with the claw, a giant crane he used to move disabled cars and trucks.
Hannah glanced down again and wished she hadn't. The car was swaying sickeningly and the ground was receding fast. She shut her eyes and moaned softly in fear. She was terrified. It wasn't the height that frightened her. She could climb a ladder or an open staircase. She could even descend a fire escape, as she'd had to do in college. But when it came to swaying high in the air with nothing beneath her, she would much rather take a pass. It was the reason she'd never ridden in a hot air balloon, and why she'd refused to take Tracey on the Ferris wheel at the Winnetka County Fair last summer. Call it crazy, or phobic, or whatever, she really couldn't cope.
It was better if she didn't watch. The sight of the world swaying beneath her was enough to paralyze her mind. Hannah sank down with a groan and hugged the floorboards again. She had the sickening feeling that she knew what Ted was doing and it didn't bode well for her. Beatrice had told her about the new car crusher and how Ted used the crane to hoist the cars he wanted to crush and drop them inside. Beatrice had also mentioned that their efficient new piece of heavy machinery could reduce a luxury car into something approaching the size of a breadbox. Hannah wasn't sure exactly how big a breadbox was since no one had used them in years, but it was certainly smaller than she was and that brought up something she didn't really want to think about.
Cringing on the floorboards of the Cadillac wouldn't save her. Hannah took a deep breath and forced herself to look out the back window again. She was up really high, almost as high as the top of the trees, but she wouldn't think about that either. She took another deep breath and held it as she looked down at the ground.
Help had arrived! Mike was here in his squad car and he was talking to Ted!
Hannah stuck her head out the window and shouted, but her loudest yell was no match for the roar of the heavy machinery and the howling of the wind. The Cadillac was swaying right over Mike's head, but he didn't hear her. It was too far to jump, even if she were a daredevil, but there might be a way she could get Mike's attention.
Hannah scooted up between the front bucket seats. She grabbed the steering wheel and leaned on the horn. That should do it. But nothing happened and Hannah realized that there was no battery in the Cadillac. Ted must have removed it to sell it for parts before he scheduled this car for the crusher.
Not to be defeated by the absence of an easy way to get Mike's attention, Hannah stuck her head out of the hole where the passenger window used to be. Mike had gotten out of his cruiser and he was standing right below her. It was a case of so near and yet so far. Hannah knew she had to get his attention before he finished talking to Ted and left.
Quickly, Hannah wiggled out of her bomber jacket. She'd drop it right on Mike. Then, when he looked up to find out where it had come from, he'd see her leaning out the window. Hannah poked the jacket through the window, gave a little prayer for gravity to do its thing, and dropped it. It was perfect. It was going to fall right… uh-oh!
The wind gusted at the critical moment and the jacket sailed behind Mike, where he didn't notice. What else did she have to drop? Hannah glanced down at the bag of cupcakes. They'd have to do. She held one out the window and dropped it, but it fell short of the mark. She corrected her drop with the next one and she came a lot closer. One more and she should have it.
Hannah let out a whoop as the cupcake bonked Mike on the top of his head and bounced away. Ted said something and Hannah could see Mike smile and nod. Even though she was too far away to hear, Hannah could imagine the conversation. Ted had said, Really windy tonight, huh? And Mike had replied, That's a fact. For a second there, I thought someone was throwing things at me.
There was one thing Hannah knew for sure. If Mike left without looking up, her goose was cooked… or rather, pressed. She dropped the final cupcake and it hit Mike hard. Then she yelled for all she was worth and Mike looked up. But just as he figured it out, Ted jumped him.
Hannah's anguished cry reached no one's ears except her own. The man who was trying to save her was now in trouble. But what could she do to help him from a car that was suspended in the air?
Hannah thought fast. The Cadillac was stripped. There was nothing loose inside that she could throw. But she still had her boots and they might do some damage if she dropped them from this height. Hannah quickly removed them and dangled one out the window. Then she looked down to aim.
Ted was on top of Mike, fighting for the upper hand, when Hannah dropped her boot. It landed on Ted's shoulder and he shrugged it off, but that minor distraction gave Mike just enough time to gain the advantage and roll over on top. Hannah was watching with her heart in her throat when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Bill and Norman were here and they were rushing to Mike's aid.
Hannah gave a huge sigh of relief. That had been close. As Bill helped Mike subdue Ted and cuff him, Hannah raised both hands and clasped them in a victory salute. And then the Cadillac began to lower, inch by inch, foot by foot, with a squeal of steel cables. Since Bill and Mike were still busy taking Ted into custody, Hannah knew that Norman had found the proper lever to lower the car.
When the wheels of the Cadillac touched the ground, Hannah didn't waste any time climbing out of the car. Her knees were shaking, she was missing a boot, and her jacket was long gone. Her hands were smeared with chocolate, but when she saw Ted sitting in the back of the cruiser, a huge smile spread over her face. The good guys had won again.
Once her boot was back on her foot and Norman had found her jacket, Hannah was full of questions for Mike. "How did you know I was out here?"
"You'll answer my questions first," Mike ordered, grabbing her by the arm. "Did you know that car was headed for the crusher?"
Hannah was about to say something nasty about his highhanded attitude when she realized that his hand was shaking. Mike had been so terrified for her that he was still trembling. That fact that Mike was shaking made her start to tremble a bit, too. "I knew it where it was headed," she admitted in a small voice, "and I would have ended up there if you hadn't shown up."
"Attempted murder?" Mike asked, still hanging onto her arm as if he never wanted to let her go.
"That's right."
"Because you figured out that Ted killed Sheriff Grant?"
Hannah hesitated. This was her chance to let Mike save face. "*I wasn't really sure he'd done it until he took off after me."
"And that was when you put the pieces together?"
Hannah nodded. In a way it was true. She hadn't known, for certain, until Ted had started whacking that tire iron against his palm. "My turn. Why did you come out here?"
"Lonnie called to tell me about the stolen car report and I came out here to ask Ted some questions about the cars he used for salvage. I had no idea that you were here or that you were in danger."
Hannah turned to Norman, who was standing next to Bill. "Why are you here?"
"I drove out to the sheriff's station to get some dental claim forms. I was just talking to Bill when Andrea called to ask if you were there and to say that you were late to pick up Tracey."
Hannah gave Norman a warm smile for catching on and not mentioning their investigation, and then she turned to Bill. "And Andrea told you she'd sent me out here to pick up the taillight for you?"
"That's right. When I couldn't get Ted on the phone, Norman and I drove out here."
"Good thing you did," Hannah said, glancing over at Mike. "Right, Mike?"
"That's right. I would have gotten him cuffed by myself eventually, but it was a lot easier this way. What evidence do you have for me, Hannah?"
"There's a tire iron on the counter in the office. It might be the murder weapon and you'll probably want to test
it for traces of blood. And you'd better call Clara and Marguerite Hollenbeck right away and tell them not to remove that stain on Krista's party dress. It could be Sheriff Grant's blood."
"Anything else?" Mike fought to keep the pleasant expression on his face and Hannah knew he hated to ask her for advice.
"Just one thing. I think Ted was running a stolen car ring and a chop shop, but I wasn't able to find anything to confirm that."
"We'll find it," Mike said. He looked less aggravated and Hannah knew she'd scored some points. Of course she could tell him exactly where to find the parts list for the man in Minneapolis and the bill of lading for the stolen cars, but she'd let him do it on his own. As Mike was so fond of saying, he was the law enforcement specialist, not her.
"It's after eight," Norman said after a quick glance at his watch. "If Mike and Bill don't need us, let's go get Tracey and take her to the Haunted Basement."
"I'll call Andrea and tell her you're on the way," Bill said, and then he turned to glance at Mike. "That's okay, isn't it?"
Mike nodded. He was obviously in the mood to be magnanimous, now that Sheriff Grant's killer was in custody. "Sure. Go ahead and do the Halloween thing with the kids. You can drop by the station when you're through and give us your statements."
"Your car, or mine?" Norman asked, walking with Hannah toward the office.
"Both. You go pick up Tracey and Karen and take them to the Haunted Basement. I'll run home to feed Moishe and join you there with the Corn Cookies for the party."
"Okay," Norman said, stepping forward to open the door of Hannah's truck. "Too bad I didn't bring a costume."
Hannah climbed in the driver's seat and reached in the back for her minimal costume. "I've got one you can use. I'll pick up another old sheet at the condo and come as a ghost."
"Cornflakes?" Norman looked puzzled as he accepted the box, but he started to laugh the moment she handed him the plastic knife. "This is just great, Hannah."
Hannah's eyes widened. If Norman had caught on to her visual pun, he'd be the first person in Lake Eden who had. And then Hannah remembered what Beatrice had said about Doctor Love and how romantic partners should share similar senses of humor. "Do you know what it is?"
"Sure," Norman said, grinning at her. "It's just brilliant, Hannah. I've worn a lot of Halloween costumes over the years, but I've never been a cereal killer before."
Chapter Thirty-One
It was seven o'clock on election night when Hannah emerged from her bedroom. She was wearing the new outfit Delores had insisted on buying for her from Beau Monde Fashions, a blue silk dress that Claire had recommended. Hannah had found shoes to match at the mall, blue leather heels with a red, white, and blue braided strap that had been marked down to practically nothing. She was fairly sure the shoes were leftovers from the Fourth of July, but they worked beautifully for what would surely turn out to be Bill's victory party.
Hannah took one last look at the election coverage on KCOW television before she headed off to the kitchen. Bill had already won over eighty percent of the vote and the victory party at the Lake Eden Inn would be standing room only, except for Andrea. Doc Knight had given her permission to attend as long as there was a place for her to recline and elevate her feet. Since a simple chair wouldn't do, Delores had contributed a fancy antique lounge chair for Andrea to use.
There was a smile on Hannah's face as she dished up Moishe's yogurt. Doctor Bob and Sue had come up with a solution that suited both human and feline. The moment that Hannah placed the dish on the coffee table, Moishe jumped up and stood there expectantly.
"Hold on a second," Hannah said, loosening the cap on the vitamin bottle. But the cat who'd hidden under the bed when threatened by the very same bottle just sat there and purred. Hannah squelched her desire to say I told you so to her cat and squirted a stream of vitamins over the top. A scant second later, Moishe was eagerly lapping it up.
Hannah was just about to pick up the new purse her mother and Andrea had insisted she buy when there was a knock at the door. Andrea had called earlier to say that she was sending a car for Hannah and even though Hannah had told her it wasn't necessary, her sister had insisted.
A box from The Cookie Jar sat on the counter and Hannah picked it up. It was a special present for Bill, a pan of his favorite Apple Orchard Cookie Bars. Hannah figured the treat was appropriate since Ted Koester had confessed to killing Sheriff Grant and was behind bars awaiting his trial.
Hannah opened the door with a smile on her face, but that smile quickly changed to an expression of surprise. Instead of the hired driver that Andrea had led her to expect, both Norman and Mike were standing there.
"Hi, Hannah," Norman said, giving her a grin and then turning to Mike.
"We're your drivers tonight." Mike reached out to take her arm. "Andrea asked both of us to escort you."
"That's nice," Hannah said, making a mental note to have a long talk with her sister. If Andrea had hoped to promote jealousy between the two, it had backfired. Both Norman and Mike looked as happy as clams.
Mike held the bakery box while Norman helped Hannah into her coat. Then Mike locked the door behind them and both men escorted her down the stairs.
"Look! It's snowing!" Hannah lifted her face to the night sky as a few gentle flakes started to fall. They swirled lazily under the old-fashioned streetlights the builder had installed in the condo complex and fell to the walkway, keeping their form for a moment or two and then melting.
"Do you want to go back for your boots?" Norman asked. "There could be snow on the ground before the party's over."
"Not really," Hannah said, glancing down at her shoes. Even if she'd owned a pair of dress boots, they wouldn't have looked good with her dress.
"She doesn't need boots," Mike declared, motioning to Norman. "Excuse us for a second, Hannah. We have to work out some logistics."
Hannah stared after Mike in some confusion as he pulled Norman a few feet away and spoke to him in a low voice. But the night was too beautiful to spend staring at two men discussing something or other, and she watched the snowflakes instead.
Even though there had been the predictable uproar at Ted Koester's arrest, things had calmed down quite rapidly. Beatrice was cleared of any wrongdoing regarding the chop shop and stolen car ring, and one of her grown sons was coming back home to help her run the salvage yard. She'd told Hannah that she'd suspected something was wrong, but she'd never dreamed that her husband had killed Sheriff Grant.
The jury was still out on Winthrop Harrington the Second. Norman was attempting to check several British databanks, but so far he'd learned nothing. Unfortunately, Winthrop was out of town and wouldn't be attending Bill's victory party. Hannah figured that she'd meet him eventually and then she'd make up her own mind.
Now that Barbara Donnelly had returned to work, Shawna Lee Quinn was back in the typing pool. That distance wasn't far enough to suit Andrea and she'd told Hannah that she planned to deal with that problem just as soon as little Billy was born and she was back on her feet.
"Your chair awaits you," Norman said, and Hannah whirled around to find both men standing behind her with crossed and clasped hands.
"You're going to carry me?" Hannah asked, not quite believing it.
"That's right." Mike moved forward and so did Norman.
"Sit down, Hannah. And put your arms around our shoulders. We'll carry you to the car."
Feeling just a bit like a damsel in distress and enjoying it immensely, Hannah took a seat on their crossed arms and steadied herself. And then her two escorts began to walk, carrying her down the path toward the waiting car in the first powdery snow of the winter.
"Lovely," Hannah breathed, not sure of the etiquette in such a situation, but loving every moment of it.
Apple Orchard Bars
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup brown
sugar firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 beaten eggs (you can beat them up with a fork)
1/2 cup rolled oats (uncooked oatmeal)
1 cup peeled chopped apple (I used 2 medium Gala apples)
2 cups flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups flour (not sifted)
Melt butter, add the sugars, and stir. Add baking soda, salt, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon, and beaten eggs. Mix well. Then add chopped apple and 1 1/2 cups flaked coconut. (Reserve 1/2 cup for on top.)Add the flour and mix it all thoroughly.
Grease a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan. Spoon the dough in and smooth it with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the 1/2 cup coconut you reserved evenly on top.
Bake at 375 degrees F. for 25 to 30 minutes, or until slightly browned on top.
Let cool and cut into bars like brownies.
(Bill likes these with hot chocolate-he says it brings out the taste of the apples.)
(Tracey's still trying to convince Andrea that they're health food and she should have them for breakfast.)
Baking Conversion Chart
These conversions are approximate, but they'll work just fine for Hannah Swensen's recipes.
VOLUME:
U.S. Metric
1/2 teaspoon 2 milliliters
1 teaspoon 5 milliliters
1 Tablespoon 15 milliliters
1/4 cup 50 milliliters
1/3 cup 75 milliliters
1/2 cup 125 milliliters
3/4 cup 175 milliliters
1 cup 1/4 liter
WEIGHT:
U.S. Metric
1 ounce 28 grams
1 pound 454 grams
