Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  Hannah used her key to unlock her mother’s door, and both sisters walked in. As they went through the spacious living room, they heard voices coming from the penthouse’s domed garden.

  “Somebody’s here this early?” Andrea asked, stopping short.

  “I guess. Maybe Doc’s home from the hospital already. Do you want me to go see who’s here?”

  “Yes. You can take out the appetizers when you go and get them started on those. I need another minute or two to calm down. I’m still mad at myself for not telling the mayor what I really think of him!”

  Hannah hid a smile. It had sounded to her and Terry as if Andrea had told the mayor exactly that!

  “I should have slapped him harder,” Andrea insisted, taking the champagne out of the refrigerator. “I had the perfect chance to really teach him a lesson and I blew it!”

  “I think you taught him something, Andrea.”

  “I hope so! He had it coming! Nobody’s ever yelled at me like that before!”

  Hannah turned to look at her younger sister. Andrea’s eyes were blazing with hate and she looked positively unhinged. “Whoa! Take it easy, Andrea, it’s over now!”

  “He really made me mad, Hannah!”

  Hannah walked over and put her arm around her sister’s unyielding shoulder. “I know he did. We heard. And you were right to get mad. I probably would have killed him.”

  “Maybe I should have, he’s scum of the earth! The way he treats women is a disgrace! He uses them and then he throws them away like . . . like trash! I don’t know how Stephanie puts up with him”

  “That’s true, too. Careful opening that champagne, Andrea. The way you feel right now, you’ll pop that cork and put a hole right through the ceiling!”

  That did it. Andrea laughed. “No, I won’t. This is Perrier-Jouët and it’s really expensive champagne. I might be tempted with something cheaper, but not this!”

  Hannah was smiling as she carried the appetizer trays out to the penthouse garden, but her smile faded in a hurry when she saw who her mother’s guest was. “Hello, Mrs. Bascomb,” she said politely, setting the appetizer trays down on the tables her mother had set out for her guests.

  “Call me Stephanie, dear,” the mayor’s wife responded. “I’m over here so often, there’s no need to be formal.”

  Oh, boy! The rational part of Hannah’s brain responded. You’d better hurry back in the kitchen and tell Andrea that the mayor’s wife is here! But it was too late. Andrea had just stepped into the garden with the open bottle of champagne.

  “Hello, Mother,” Andrea said, setting the silver champagne bucket on the table closest to Delores. “And hello ”—Andrea turned to look at the chair across from Delores—“Mrs. Bascomb?”

  “Hello, Andrea,” Stephanie Bascomb greeted her. “Your mother told me that you went to see my husband this afternoon. How did that go?”

  “I . . . I . . .” Andrea shot Hannah a panicked look.

  “It didn’t go well,” Hannah said quickly, since Andrea seemed incapable of finishing her sentence.

  “I was afraid of that. It’s like I was telling your mother . . . Richard has been a bear all week, yelling at poor Terry for nothing at all and coming home to me in a foul mood. Sit down and have a glass of champagne, Andrea. And let me say that what Richard did to your husband was absolutely horrible! I tried to tell him that last night and I swear he came close to taking my head off. One of his little conquests must have put him in a bad mood. I wish I knew who the new one was so I could congratulate her for getting his goat. Now tell me exactly what happened so I can read Richard the riot act later.”

  Andrea exchanged startled glances with Hannah. “Well . . . I did my best to stay calm and collected, but I’m afraid I . . .” She stopped and glanced at Hannah again.

  Hannah picked up the story. “He shouted at her. Terry and I could hear him even though the door to his office was shut. Andrea was amazing, really she was. She kept her temper for a lot longer than I would have if someone had accused me of being stupid.”

  A pained expression crossed Stephanie’s face. “That’s his favorite insult.” She turned to Andrea. “I hope you got up and marched right out of there before he could say another word.”

  “Uh . . . not exactly,” Andrea admitted, and then she turned to look at Hannah for help again.

  “When the mayor shouted that he’d listened to Andrea’s pathetic sniveling for long enough and she was as stupid as her husband, my sister . . . lost it.”

  “I don’t blame you one bit, dear!” Delores slipped her arm around Andrea’s shoulders. “If he’d said something like that to me, I would have been furious.”

  Andrea nodded. “I . . . I was furious. I was so furious, I . . . I slapped him!”

  “Atta girl!” Stephanie gave a decisive nod. “I would have done exactly the same thing! What happened next?”

  “My slap was so hard that he fell over backwards in his chair.”

  “Exactly what he deserved!” Stephanie agreed. “Good for you, Andrea. No one else has ever had the nerve to stand up to him before. Richard’s problem has always been that he thinks he’s more important than anyone else. And he’s so full of himself he’s the only man I’ve ever met who can strut while he’s sitting down!”

  Hannah burst into laughter and so did Delores. And both of them were pleased when Andrea joined in.

  “I’m sorry he gave you such a rough time, Andrea,” Stephanie apologized for her husband. “Richard thinks that if he yells the loudest, he can intimidate everyone else.”

  “But he doesn’t intimidate you, does he, Stephanie?” Delores asked her.

  “Not anymore. I finally figured out the way to get his goat was to hit him in the pocketbook.” She turned back to Andrea. “Take a sip of champagne and try to put him right out of your mind, dear. Nothing bad is going to happen to your husband. I know that Richard threatened to fire Bill, but he can’t, not legally. Bill won the election fair and square, and none of the other mayors in the county will let Richard get away with railroading him. Just don’t let Bill get mad and quit. That’s exactly what Richard wants.”

  “Can I tell Bill that tonight?” Andrea asked her.

  “Yes, and you can also tell him that I’ll do my best to talk some sense into Richard when I see him.” She stopped speaking, glanced at her watch, and stood up. “And now, I’d better go. Richard promised to be home on time tonight, and I’m going to be armed and ready for any arguments he gives me.”

  “Wait! Mrs. Bascomb . . .” Andrea started to say, but Stephanie interrupted her.

  “It’s Stephanie. And don’t worry about a thing, dear. I’ll take care of Richard for you and you’ll never hear another word about how he’s going to fire Bill!”

  “I’ll see you out, Stephanie,” Delores said as she stood up. “And I really appreciate you coming here this afternoon.”

  Hannah and Andrea exchanged glances after Delores had left the penthouse garden. “Do you think Mother invited her over here on purpose?” Andrea asked.

  “That’s what it sounded like to me.”

  “Because she was worried that I couldn’t deal with Mayor Bascomb?”

  Tread carefully, Hannah’s rational mind warned. You know how fragile your sister is right now.

  Hannah gave a little laugh. “It seems to me that you dealt with Mayor Bascomb pretty well on your own! At least it sounded like that from the outer office.”

  Andrea smiled. “I certainly wasn’t planning on slapping him, but . . . maybe I shouldn’t admit this, but it felt really good when I did!”

  “Stephanie certainly enjoyed hearing about it,” Hannah said.

  “Do you really think so?”

  “Yes, I was watching her and she looked really impressed.”

  Andrea thought about that for a moment. “I think you’re right. And she convinced me that she was on Bill’s side. Do you think she’s really going to try to talk some sense into the mayor when he gets home?”


  “Absolutely. But don’t get your hopes up too high, Andrea. Mayor Bascomb has a reputation for being stubborn.”

  Mistake, Hannah’s rational mind told her. Now your sister’s worried again. You’d better think of some way to distract her.

  “Let’s go in the kitchen and check on dinner,” Hannah suggested. “Bring your champagne, and you can finish drinking it there.”

  “Okay.” Andrea picked up her glass and followed Hannah to the kitchen. Their mother’s penthouse kitchen was enormous, with two wall ovens, a fireplace against one corner flanked by a table and chairs, and two dishwashers. The stove was the best that money could buy, and the countertops were beautiful pink marble.

  “I love this kitchen,” Andrea said, taking a seat at the table by the fireplace. “What are you making for dinner, Hannah? Whatever it is, it smells fantastic.”

  “It’s Stroganoff Light.”

  “Stroganoff Light? You mean, without all that wonderful sour cream?”

  Hannah shook her head. “No, it’s just that I made it with chicken breasts instead of beef. Mother said she wanted a chicken dish tonight because Doc was gaining a little weight.”

  Andrea laughed. “So you made stroganoff the regular way with mushrooms, and onions, and sour cream?”

  “Exactly right.”

  “And somehow you’re going to convince Mother that stroganoff is part of a low-calorie meal?”

  “Oh, no. Not me. Since I did all the cooking, I thought I’d leave that part of it up to you.”

  Andrea burst out laughing. “I think that’s impossible, but I’m pretty sure Mother will forget all about the calories once she smells your Stroganoff Light.”

  Andrea’s cell phone rang and she pulled it out of her pocket. “It’s Bill. He’s probably calling to tell me he’s leaving work now.”

  Hannah was on her way back to the refrigerator when she saw the expression on Andrea’s face.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, hurrying over to her sister.

  “I understand, honey,” Andrea said. “I’ll see you when you get home, then.” She clicked off her phone and looked up at Hannah. “That unmitigated rat!” she said.

  “Bill?”

  “No, Mayor Bascomb. He just called Bill at the sheriff’s station and told him he wanted a detailed report of every citation and arrest Bill and his deputies made for the entire year!”

  “But, Andrea . . . it’s impossible to do all that in one night!”

  “Bill knows that. And I’m sure Mayor Bascomb realizes it, too. But you know Bill. He’s a stubborn, proud, Minnesota boy. He’s determined to deliver that report to Mayor Bascomb’s office by tomorrow morning.”

  Hannah gave a heartfelt sigh. “So Bill isn’t coming to dinner?”

  “No, he’s going to need all night to finish the list. He told me to stay and enjoy myself, but . . . I’m thinking I should go home, Hannah. I think the real reason Mayor Bascomb called Bill and made up this impossible task for him is because. . . I smacked him one. I just wish I could do something to fix things.”

  “You tried, Andrea. And you did your best. Don’t start blaming yourself for this.”

  “But if I hadn’t gone to see the mayor, he might have left Bill alone!”

  Andrea’s voice held a note of hysteria, and Hannah knew she had to say something to calm her sister.

  “Wrong,” Hannah said quickly. “Just answer this question honestly. Was Mayor Bascomb already furious with Bill when you entered his inner sanctum?”

  “Well . . . yes. Yes, he was practically steaming!”

  “Then it wasn’t anything you said. You tried to calm him down and talk him into reconsidering, but it didn’t work. If he’s angry with Bill now, it’s not your fault because he was already angry with Bill.”

  Andrea thought about that for a moment. “You’re right. Thanks, Hannah. I feel a lot better about it now.”

  “Good.” Hannah walked over to the enormous refrigerator and took out a springform pan.

  “What’s that?” Andrea asked.

  “Triple Chocolate Cheesecake for dessert. I just need to unmold it and decorate the tops.”

  “Tops?” Andrea picked up on Hannah’s use of the plural. “There’s more than one cheesecake?”

  “I decided to make three, just in case Mike showed up at the last minute.”

  “Great! Then there’ll be enough for us. You said triple chocolate. Are there three kinds of chocolate in your cheesecake?”

  “Yes, each layer is a different kind of chocolate.”

  “Ohhh!” Andrea gave a little sigh of delight. “That sounds like heaven to me. What are you going to put on top?”

  “A layer of sweetened whipped cream and chocolate curls. And if that looks too bare, I might just thaw some raspberries and sprinkle those on to add a little color.”

  Andrea watched while Hannah unmolded it and decorated the top of the cheesecake. “I wish I could have some, but I think I’d better finish my champagne and go home. I wouldn’t be good company for anyone tonight.”

  “You can take that cheesecake with you,” Hannah said. “I’ve got more that I’ll decorate for dinner. It’s a new recipe and I wanted to test it. I’ll dish up dinner for you and Bill, and you can take his to the station. He’s bound to get hungry and maybe the food will cheer him up.”

  “I’m sure it will, especially if I give him a big slice of your cheesecake. Bill loves cheesecake.” Andrea got up from her chair and walked over to give Hannah a little hug. “Thank you, Hannah.”

  “Are you sure you’ll be all right at home alone?”

  “I’m sure. You always say that the endorphins in chocolate make everyone feel better, so I’ll just have two slices of your cheesecake.”

  THREE CHEESE BACON BALL

  (This is a no-bake recipe.)

  Ingredients:

  2 and ½ cups crumbled bacon (I used Hormel Real Crumbled Bacon)

  8 ounces brick cream cheese, softened (I used Philadelphia in the silver package)

  ¾ cup crumbled blue cheese

  8 ounces finely shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

  1 teaspoon brown sugar

  3 drops hot sauce (I used Slap Ya Mama)

  Hannah’s 1st Note: If you can’t find finely shredded cheese, you can do it yourself with the food processor or with a box grater.

  Measure out the 2 and ½ cups of crumbled bacon and put it in a shallow bowl.

  Unwrap the cream cheese and put it in a microwave-safe mixing bowl.

  Microwave the cream cheese on HIGH for 1 minute.

  Let the bowl cool for 1 minute in the microwave.

  Take the bowl out of the microwave and set it on the kitchen counter.

  Measure out the blue cheese crumbles. If there are big pieces of blue cheese, use your impeccably clean fingers to break them into smaller pieces.

  Mix the blue cheese crumbles into the bowl with the cream cheese. Continue to mix until the two cheeses are thoroughly combined.

  Hannah’s 2nd Note: If the shredded white cheddar cheese is not finely shredded, use a knife to chop the shreds into smaller pieces.

  Mix the finely shredded white cheddar cheese into the bowl with the 2-cheese mixture. Stir until everything is thoroughly combined.

  Sprinkle in the teaspoon of brown sugar and mix it in well.

  Mix one cup of the finely chopped bacon bits into the bowl with the 3-cheese mixture. Stir until everything is well combined. Add the hot sauce, and stir it in thoroughly.

  With your impeccably clean hands, shape the cheese mixture into a ball and place it on a piece of wax paper.

  Roll the cheese ball in the rest of the crumbled bacon to coat the outside of the ball.

  Move the ball back to the sheet of wax paper and press it down slightly to flatten the ball on the bottom. This will enable it to sit nicely in the middle of a cheese plate, surrounded by an array of assorted crackers.

  Move the cheese ball to the freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm it up. You c
an also move it to the refrigerator for 3 hours.

  Once your cheese ball has firmed up, wrap it in plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator until 15 minutes before you plan to serve it.

  Yield: One 3-cheese ball that will serve as an appetizer for 4 to 6 guests. It is excellent with red wine, white wine, or champagne.

  Hannah’s 3rd Note: I served this cheese ball at Mother’s dinner party. Everyone asked for the recipe, even Andrea! Even though Andrea doesn’t like to cook or bake, I think she’ll actually make this recipe because it doesn’t call for an oven or a stovetop.

  Chapter Three

  “Marvelous dinner, Lori!” Doc said, putting down his fork and turning to smile at his wife. “When you said we were having chicken, I thought it would be a couple of Florence’s roasted entrées.”

  Delores laughed. “It would have been, but Hannah volunteered to cook tonight. She came over early to start the slow cooker so everything would be ready by the time you got home from the hospital.”

  Doc turned to Hannah. “Then thank you, honey. That was the best chicken dish I’ve had in a long time.”

  Delores began to frown. “You never told me that you didn’t like Florence’s roast chicken, Doc. You should have said something. I could have made my Hawaiian Pot Roast or my EZ Lasagna.”

  It was clear that Delores was upset, and Hannah gave a relieved sigh as Doc slipped his arm around his wife’s shoulders. Doc was an expert at saying the right thing, and Hannah had no doubt he would do it again to reassure Delores.

  “I love it when you cook, honey,” Doc said quickly, “but it’s a lot of work for you. I’d much rather have you well rested and cheerful when I get home from the hospital. We can always call down to the Red Velvet Lounge for something to eat, or go out to the Lake Eden Inn.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really. I love you and I want to make your life easier, not more difficult. I know that you don’t enjoy cooking that much and there’s no reason in the world why you should have to do it. Besides, I think I’ve put on a few pounds from all that good food you’ve made for me since we got married.”