by Joanne Fluke
Her head was spinning, and Hannah did her best to stop reliving the exhausting events of the day, but the memory reel in her mind had started to play and she couldn’t seem to put it on pause. There had been the call from Lisa, the revelation of a vehicle footprint parked next to Herb’s car, and . . .
That’s enough! the rational part of Hannah’s mind warned. Hannah’s exhausted. No more, please.
For once, the suspicious part of Hannah’s mind remained silent in tacit agreement, and Hannah drifted off into a mindless and peaceful sleep.
“Hannah?” A voice she knew intruded on her rest. “We’re home, Hannah.”
“Home,” she repeated the word, and a tired smile appeared on her face. She was home. Dad and Mother would be there and they would tuck her into bed and read her a story before she went to sleep. The thought was comforting and she almost dropped off again, but someone touched her shoulder.
“I need to go to sleep, Dad,” she said, her words heavy with the lethargy that consumed her. “No school . . . please.”
There was a chuckle, a nice chuckle from the person next to her. But it was not her dad’s chuckle, and her eyes opened immediately.
“It’s Norman, Hannah. I just pulled up in front of the house. Try to wake up now, and I’ll come around and open the door for you.”
“Not yet,” Hannah said, her tired body rebelling. “Need to sleep more.”
“You can sleep more when you get inside,” the voice told her. “Wake up, Hannah. Or . . . do you want me to carry you inside?”
Norman wants to carry Hannah inside! Hannah’s rational mind repeated. That’s so sweet.
That’s so crazy! Hannah’s suspicious mind argued. Norman would probably get a hernia!
Hannah laughed. She couldn’t help it, and her eyes flew open. “You’d probably get a hernia!” she repeated the phrase her suspicious mind had used. “I’m awake, Norman. It’s okay.”
“All right, if you’re sure, but I promise I won’t drop you, Hannah. I’ve been working out at the gym every morning.”
Hannah laughed and reached out to take his arm. “Thanks for the offer, but I can walk. I’m awake now, Norman. Really I am.”
“I have the feeling it’s not going to be for long,” Norman said, opening his door and coming around the back of the car to open hers. “Come on, Hannah. Let’s get you inside before you fall asleep again.”
The cold winter air was bracing, and Hannah really was awake by the time she’d walked to Norman’s front door.
“I’ll catch the cats,” Norman offered, unlocking it and getting ready to turn the knob.
“Both Moishe and Cuddles?”
“Yes, I told you I’ve been working out. I’m used to lifting weights.”
“All right, if you say so, but that’s almost as challenging as carrying me.” Hannah watched as Norman took up a stance in front of the door and, when he was ready, pushed it open.
The race was on! Hannah heard both cats come thundering down the hallway, their nails clicking on the wooden flooring. A moment later, Moishe hit the air, hurtling straight into Norman’s arms. Cuddles, who was close behind, landed next to Moishe, narrowly missing his head.
“Oooooff!” Norman gasped, and then he started to laugh when both cats hung on to the material of his parka as he hurried in the door to the living room and deposited them, rather unceremoniously, on the back of the couch.
“That looked a bit painful,” Hannah remarked, coming back from the kitchen with the can of salmon-flavored, fish-shaped treats that both cats loved.
“It wasn’t really painful, but it was surprising. I didn’t realize how much weight it would add to the total when they leaped through the air and landed.”
“Every action has an equal and opposite reaction?” Hannah guessed.
“I’m not sure, but I think I should check with my trainer before I do this again.”
“Good idea.” Hannah laughed again. “How about some hot chocolate to soothe the sore arms you’ll probably have in the morning.”
“Excellent idea, but I’ll make it. Go up and get ready for bed, Hannah. By the time you come down to the den, it’ll be ready.”
Hannah didn’t need a second invitation. She climbed the stairs, both cats in her wake, and went into the master bedroom. Again, she felt a bit guilty about taking the room that Norman had designed for himself, but she assuaged her guilt with plans for the breakfast she would make for Norman in the morning. They’d have Hot Cross Buns, a recipe she’d been meaning to try for Easter. Humming the tune from the old English ditty, she treated the cats, who had taken up positions on the pillows, with her completely unmusical rendition of “one a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns.”
“Did you like that?” she asked them when she’d dressed in her warmest pajamas, robe, and slippers. Since there was no answer, she turned to look at them and found that they were fast asleep.
“Oh, well,” she said to the sleeping cats. “That could be a blessing if my third-grade teacher was right and I should never sing where anyone can hear me.”
The cats didn’t wake when she opened the bedroom door and left the room to pad softly down the stairs. She found Norman in the den, sitting in the spot he liked on the couch, soft mellow jazz playing in the background. “I can turn that off if you want to watch something on TV,” he offered.
“No, thanks. The music is nice and relaxing. Who’s playing?”
“Kenny G. It’s from one of my albums. I used to play this every night when I came home if I’d had a busy day at the clinic.”
“I can see why,” Hannah told him. “It’s very relaxing.” She sat down next to him on the couch, picked up the mug of hot chocolate he’d made for her, and took a sip. “Good,” she said. “Did you make it from scratch?”
“No,” he replied. “It’s from Swiss Miss Pods that I brewed in my Keurig. That’s my go-to when I’m tired and don’t feel like making things from scratch.”
Hannah took another sip and smiled. “Thanks for telling me. It’s every bit as good as the hot chocolate I make and it’s a lot easier, isn’t it?”
“It’s much easier. I just wish someone made bouillon pods. Sometimes I’d like that for breakfast, after I’ve had too many cups of coffee.”
They sat there sipping hot chocolate and listening to the music for a minute or two, and then Hannah sighed. “What do you think about the information that Herb gave us tonight?”
“It’s interesting. I’m glad he told us, because now we can go to see Earl tomorrow and ask him if he noticed anything else.”
“Like what?”
“Like . . . a cigarette butt that the driver dropped out of the window. Or . . . a discarded candy wrapper. Or even a handkerchief with initials on it.”
Hannah smiled, but she said nothing.
“What?” Norman asked, noticing her smile.
“I think you’ve been reading too much Perry Mason. Or maybe watching old reruns of Colombo, or Murder, She Wrote.”
Norman laughed. “You’re probably right. It’s usually not that easy, is it, Hannah?”
Hannah shook her head. “All I know is that it’s never been that easy for me. I’d be a very happy camper right now if a big, fat clue fell into my lap.”
“Maybe tomorrow,” Norman said, slipping his arm around her shoulders. “Drink up, Hannah, and let’s go up to bed. You need a full night’s sleep and you don’t have to get up early tomorrow. Lisa said you should sleep in, remember?”
“You’re right. Thanks for reminding me, Norman. I promise I’ll sleep as late as I can.”
But you decided you were going to make Hot Cross Buns for Norman in the morning for breakfast, her rational mind reminded her.
But she didn’t promise Norman to bake for him in the morning, Hannah’s suspicious mind argued. And that means Norman will never know the difference.
But Hannah will, her rational mind responded. Hannah keeps her promises.
“Yes, I do,” Hannah said, not rea
lizing that she was speaking aloud.
“Yes, you do what?” Norman asked her.
“Yes, I do think I’ll sleep later than usual,” Hannah said quickly. “Thanks for reminding me, Norman.”
Hannah got out of that one, her suspicious mind said.
Maybe, but let’s wait and see, Hannah’s rational mind countered. Knowing Hannah, she’ll be up early anyway so that she can bake those Hot Cross Buns.
PEANUT BUTTER CRISP COOKIES
DO NOT preheat oven, dough must chill before baking.
1 and ⅔ cups peanut butter chips (10-ounce package – I used Reese’s made by Nestlé)
5 ounces salted butter (1 and ¼ sticks)
2 cups brown sugar (or white sugar with a scant 2 Tablespoons molasses mixed in)
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour (not sifted—pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
½ cup to 2 cups of white (granulated) sugar (to coat the cookie dough balls you will roll after your cookie dough is mixed and has chilled.)
Melt the peanut butter chips with the butter in a microwave-safe mixing bowl. (Microwave on high power for 90 seconds, then stir until smooth.)
Mix in the brown sugar.
Let the mixture cool on the kitchen counter until you can comfortably cup your hands around the outside of the mixing bowl.
Crack the eggs in a small bowl and whip them up with a fork or a whisk until they are a uniform color.
Add the beaten eggs to your mixing bowl and mix them in. Continue to mix until they are well incorporated.
Mix in the vanilla extract.
Add the baking powder and mix that in.
Add the salt and mix until all the ingredients are well blended.
Add the flour, one cup at a time, mixing after each addition.
Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator. (Overnight is even better.)
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
Prepare your cookie sheets by spraying them with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray. (Alternatively, you can line your cookie sheets with parchment paper.)
Place the half-cup of white granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. You will use this for coating cookie dough balls. (You may need to add more white sugar to your bowl from time to time.)
Roll walnut-sized cookie dough balls with your impeccably clean hands. (This can be very messy. Wear plastic gloves if you wish or, alternatively, wash your hands often.)
Drop the dough balls into the bowl with the white (granulated) sugar and roll them around until they’re coated. (Work with only one dough ball at a time or they will stick together as you roll them. If the dough gets too warm, stick it back in the refrigerator until you can handle it again.)
Place the cookie dough balls on your prepared cookie sheets, 12 to a standard sheet.
Press the cookie dough balls down slightly so they won’t roll off on their way to the oven. They will flatten when you bake them so don’t press them down too far.
Cover your cookie dough with plastic wrap again and return it to the refrigerator. It’s easier to work with when it’s cold.
Bake your Peanut Butter Crisp Cookies at 350 degrees F. for 12 to 14 minutes. Watch your first pan of cookies carefully. If they flatten and brown too quickly, turn your oven down to 325 degrees F., give it time to cool to that temperature, and see how that works for your next pan of cookies.
When your cookies are golden brown, remove the cookie sheets from the oven and cool them on cold stovetop burners or wire racks for 2 minutes. Then use a metal spatula to remove your cookies from the cookie sheets and place them on wire racks to cool completely.
If you used parchment paper on your cookie sheets, simply pull the paper off the cookie sheets and onto a wire rack, cookies and all.
Yield: Approximately 5 to 6 dozen crisp, tasty cookies, depending on cookie size.
To Serve: Place your Peanut Butter Crisp Cookies on a pretty platter and serve with strong, hot coffee or icy-cold glasses of milk.
Chapter Seventeen
There was a strange ringing noise in Hannah’s ears. A school bell? A ringing phone? A fire alarm? It wasn’t that intrusive, but it prevented her from falling asleep again. What was it? It sounded like some sort of tune, a song that she knew she should recognize. It seemed to be saying, “You’ve got to get up, you’ve got to get up, you’ve got to get up this morning.” But she wasn’t in the armed services and there was no reason for her to respond to this musical message.
Hannah rolled over and pulled the pillow up over her ears, dislodging Moishe quite unceremoniously. “Sorry,” she mumbled, doing her best to slip back into the peaceful sleep that had been interrupted by the trumpet interlude.
It was no use. The melody repeated itself, over and over, until she switched on the light and looked at the clock. Four, Zero, Zero?! Four o’clock in the morning? Why did she want to get up this early? She didn’t have to go into work early today. She distinctly remembered that Lisa had told her she could sleep in.
If you remember it now, you must have remembered it when you set your alarm last night, the suspicious part of her mind told her.
Maybe not, the rational part of her mind entered the imaginary conversation. There may be something Hannah wanted to do this early in the morning. Otherwise, why would Hannah set the alarm for this early?
Logical smogical, the suspicious half of her mind scoffed. She could have done it by habit.
That’s doubtful and you know it! Hannah needs more sleep. You know as well as I do that Hannah never gets enough sleep. She worked hard all day yesterday, and there’s no reason why she should have to go into The Cookie Jar before she’s needed.
“Hot Cross Buns,” Hannah said aloud, ending the internal conversation as she remembered why she’d wanted to get up early. “I have to get started on the Hot Cross Buns for breakfast.”
The moment she remembered it, Hannah was out of bed, slipping her feet into the moose hide, fur-lined slippers she’d brought with her and getting into her fleece robe.
The house was silent as Hannah hurried down the stairs and into the large kitchen that she’d helped to design. She switched on the lights, smiled as she noticed that she’d taken the precaution of getting the Keurig ready to go, and walked over to press the button for some eye-opening caffeine.
No more than two minutes later, Hannah was sitting at Norman’s kitchen table, reading through the recipe she’d printed out for Hot Cross Buns. She’d already set out everything she needed in a grocery bag on the counter and, after she’d finished one cup of wake-up coffee and started the next cup, she set about mixing the dough for the rolls.
The instructions were easy, and Hannah had no trouble following them, now that she was awake. She added two packages of active dry yeast to the lukewarm water and milk she’d put in a bowl. Once she’d sprinkled it with two teaspoons of white sugar, she stirred the mixture until the sugar was dissolved. Then she added the remaining half-cup of sugar and stirred while she thought about what she’d learned from Mike last night.
Hannah was still thinking about the number of suspects that Mike and Lonnie had interviewed as she measured out three-quarters of a cup of the instant mashed potatoes she’d made at The Cookie Jar and brought with her. Once she’d added those to her bowl, she sprinkled in the salt. She cracked the eggs and mixed them up in a glass with a fork, measured out the raisins, and added everything to her bowl. The flour came next and once she’d added that, one cupful at a time, she considered what Mike and Lonnie had told her about Bruce and his father, Robert. Why hadn’t Stephanie told her that Robert was in town?
These were all questions she needed to ask today. She wished that she could write them down, but her hands were covered with flour as she kneaded the dough.
When the
dough had reached the proper consistency and was smooth and pliable, Hannah gathered it up into a ball. Then she washed the bowl she’d used to mix the dough, dried it thoroughly, sprayed it with Pam, and set it next to the breadboard.
“Almost done with the first part,” she told herself aloud, as she rounded it up and put it in the bowl. She was feeling a bit proud of the fact she’d gotten up so early to make something special for Norman.
Hannah was smiling as she found a clean dish towel to cover the bowl and set it in a warm, draft-free place away from the kitchen window to rise. It would have to double in size, and that would take about an hour and a half.
One glance at the clock and Hannah set the alarm on her phone for ninety minutes. Then she walked to the couch that was next to the kitchen fireplace and sat down. She placed her phone on the coffee table in front of the couch, stretched out on the couch, and fell asleep almost immediately, visions of Hot Cross Buns dancing through her head.
When her phone alarm rang, Hannah sat up and glanced at the clock. It seemed like only minutes, but she’d slept soundly for an hour and a half. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, put another coffee pod in the Keurig, and made another cup of coffee. She had to wake up so that she could shape the rolls and get them in the oven.
Once her coffee was ready, Hannah took a scalding sip of the strong brew. Then she took the dish towel off the bowl and tipped the bowl upside down on the breadboard. She thought about Mike and Lonnie, and all the work they’d done interviewing Mayor Bascomb’s illicit love interests. Mike was a fine investigator and a superb interviewer. If they’d decided there was nothing of interest, then there wasn’t. She was convinced that Mike and Lonnie hadn’t missed anything.