Christmas Cake Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  “I remember. I was one of those kids and so were Andrea and Michelle. But Essie didn’t make a profit on her story-time, did she?”

  “Not a cent. She just liked children and wanted to do something for them and their families. I wish we’d known what dire straits Essie was in, but I guess she was too proud to ask for help.”

  “That’s what Mother said and both of you are probably right.” Hannah stopped and took a deep breath. “But we’re all going to help Essie now.”

  “Do you mean because your mother, Grandma Knudson, and Annie are on the case?”

  “That’s part of it. Separately, each one is a force. Together. . .” Hannah paused as she tried to come up with the perfect word.

  “They’re indomitable,” Rod supplied it.

  “Exactly. When Grandma Knudson and Annie visited Essie in the hospital, Essie said that her fondest wish was that she could see the hotel ballroom the way it was the night she met Alton at the first Christmas Ball.”

  Rod held up his hand to stop her. “Let me guess. Grandma Knudson and Annie talked your mother into helping to recreate the Christmas Ball for Essie.”

  “Yes, and Mother recruited all of us to help her. Michelle, Lisa, and I are in charge of the dessert buffet and she wants us to recreate it, just the way it was then. She also wants us to bake all the cakes for the Christmas Cake Parade. The only problem is, we’re not sure what they looked like. Mother can’t help us with that part of it because she was still in grade school and children weren’t allowed to attend the Christmas Ball.”

  Rod did his best to stifle a laugh, but he couldn’t quite manage it. “Delores told you that she was in grade school at the time?”

  “Yes. And I know that you were in her class, so I’m assuming that you didn’t go to the ball either.”

  “Well . . .” Rod paused and Hannah could tell he was debating the wisdom of contradicting Delores. He was silent for a moment and then he must have come to a decision, because he went on speaking. “I was in your mother’s class. That much is true. And I wasn’t allowed to go to the Christmas Ball. But both of us were in high school, not grade school.”

  “That’s what I thought and thanks for telling me. I thought that the age Mother claimed to be wasn’t her real age. I’m curious, though. If you were in high school, why weren’t you allowed to go to the ball?”

  “Because they were serving champagne and my mother was a strict teetotaler. She didn’t want me anywhere near what she called Devil Juice. My dad wouldn’t have gone either, but he managed to convince her that someone had to cover the event for the newspaper.”

  Hannah felt her hopes begin to rise. “Did your father take photos of the ball for the paper?”

  “He certainly did. They’re in the archives in the back room. You’re welcome to look if you promise not to tell your mother that I ratted her out to you.”

  Hannah and Rod exchanged grins. “I promise I’ll never tell her,” Hannah said.

  “That’s good enough for me. Have at it, Hannah. And come out here when you need a breath of fresh air. It’s pretty dusty back there.”

  * * *

  After three trips outside to breathe the fresh, cold air, Hannah found what she needed. The newspaper photos were old and brittle, but Rod had a copier in the main room and she took the newspaper to him.

  “I found it and there’s a photo of the dessert buffet. Can you copy it for me?”

  “Of course.” Rod drew the newspaper out of its folder and carried it to the copier. He spread it out carefully, copied the photos and article, returned the original paper to its folder, and handed the copies to Hannah.

  “Remember your promise,” he warned her.

  “I won’t forget. Both of us would be in for it if I tell Mother that I know she’s being creative with her age.”

  “Creative?” Rod laughed. “That’s a nice way of putting it. Do you want me to give you a ride back to your mother’s house, Hannah? It’s cold outside.”

  “Thanks, but I’ll walk. It’s only a couple of blocks. It’s not as cold as it was yesterday, and I want to stop at the hardware store. I need a new reading lamp.” Hannah took her parka off the rack by the front door and put it on. Then she wrapped her warm winter scarf around her neck, and pulled on her gloves. “Did you happen to block out the date on the paper, Rod?”

  “Relax. There’s no date on anything I copied, Hannah. I used the copier to enlarge the photo to the size my father would have printed them in his darkroom. That way, you can tell your mother that I found the actual photos and I copied them for you.”

  “That was brilliant!” Hannah complimented him.

  “I have my moments. There’s no way I wanted to get either of us in trouble with your mother!”

  * * *

  Hannah was smiling as she went out the door, and she was still smiling when she let herself into her mother’s house with her new reading lamp and the precious copies in hand.

  “I’m home!” she called out, but no one answered. Delores, Michelle, and Lisa must still be at the hospital with Essie. She glanced at the kitchen clock and realized that she had time to make her mother’s favorite meatloaf for dinner. Baked potatoes with sour cream and chives would be nice too, and since she had time, she could even try to make the peach pie that her mother loved for dessert.

  Even though she knew that she couldn’t carry a tune, Hannah hummed a Christmas carol as she mixed up the meatloaf and prepared the potatoes for baking. Her mother’s favorite pie, Anytime Peach Pie made with canned peaches, was next and Hannah sang as she rolled out the crust and filled it. She was on the fifth verse of a Christmas carol that no one who heard her would be able to recognize, when the front doorbell rang. She hurried to open it and was surprised to see Michelle and Lisa standing on the front porch. “Where’s Mother?” Hannah asked them.

  “She dropped us off here and told us that she was going to drive over to see Carrie Rhodes to ask her if she’ll help with the Christmas Ball.”

  “That’s good news,” Hannah said, beginning to smile. Carrie and Delores had been friends for years and even though Carrie had called and dropped by, Delores had pleaded exhaustion and said she couldn’t see Carrie. “Mother is definitely feeling better if she went to see Carrie.”

  “That’s what I told Lisa,” Michelle commented. “What smells so good, Hannah?”

  “Meatloaf, baked potatoes, and the Anytime Peach Pie I just made. I managed to get everything in the oven at once.”

  “I just love peach pie!” Lisa said. “Where did you get peaches this time of year? I went to the Red Owl two days ago and Florence didn’t have them.”

  “That’s why I called it Anytime Peach Pie. It’s made with canned peaches so you can bake it even when the stores don’t have fresh, ripe peaches.”

  “What a great idea! We’ll set the table in the dining room again if you want us to,” Lisa offered as they hung their parkas in the closet.

  “Hannah made one of Mother’s favorite meals again,” Michelle told Lisa. “Mother just loves Hannah’s meatloaf and her peach pie.”

  The two girls got to work and in less than ten minutes, the table in the dining room was set. Hannah stood in the doorway and gave an approving nod. “The table looks wonderful. I’ve always loved that wine-colored tablecloth. And I see you have some flowers arranged as a centerpiece again.”

  “Lisa did that,” Michelle told her. “She’s going to teach me about flower arrangement.”

  “How did your learn?” Hannah asked Lisa.

  “From my mom. She took one of those adult classes out at the community college before she got sick.” Lisa turned to Michelle. “It’s really fun to make something beautiful. You’ll see.”

  “Let’s all go in the living room,” Hannah suggested. “I bought a new reading lamp today and I want to show it to you. I thought it might make it easier for me to read Essie’s notebooks.”

  Michelle and Lisa followed Hannah into the living room. When she took the new
reading lamp out of its box, the two girls agreed that it was bound to be an improvement over the tabletop lamp that Hannah had been using. They helped to set it up, choosing the proper sized bulb, plugged it in, and then they turned it on.

  “It’s much better,” Lisa decided, giving a little nod.

  “I think so, too,” Michelle agreed. “Do you have time to sit down, Hannah?”

  Hannah glanced at her watch. “Yes, I have a few minutes.”

  Michelle and Lisa exchanged glances and then Michelle went on. “Good. There’s something we want to talk to you about.”

  “What is it?” Hannah asked, perching on the arm of the sofa.

  “If you don’t mind telling us, we were wondering what your future plans were now that Mother’s finally getting back to normal.”

  “Plans?”

  “Yes, plans,” Lisa said. “Michelle and I wanted to know if you were going back to college to get your doctorate.”

  “I’m not going back to college,” Hannah told them, making up her mind on the spot. “I’ve been in college for almost six years and it’s time for me to decide what I want to do with my life.”

  “But I thought you wanted to be a college professor,” Michelle said. “Don’t you need a doctorate for that?”

  “You do, but I changed my mind about that.”

  “Do you want to be a high school teacher?” This time it was Lisa who asked the question.

  “I don’t think so. Actually, I’m not sure I want to teach at all.”

  Michelle looked worried. “What do you want to do?”

  “I don’t know yet. I’ll just have to get a job and figure it out. All I know is that I want to go in a new direction.”

  “But . . . you don’t want to stay here and live with Mother, do you?”

  “No, Michelle. I want to get my own place and that means I need to find a job.”

  “What kind of job would you like to have?” Lisa asked her.

  “I don’t know. Almost six years of college ought to qualify me to do something.”

  “You could always get a job out at DelRay Manufacturing,” Michelle suggested. “They’re hiring out there. I saw something in the paper about an executive secretary position and Mother knows Del Woodley. I’m sure he could find something for you.”

  Hannah couldn’t help feeling slightly depressed at the thought of holding down a secretarial job or something on the assembly line for the rest of her life.

  “I think we’re asking the wrong questions,” Lisa said, noticing Hannah’s lack of enthusiasm. “If you could have any career you wanted to have, what would it be? Tell us your dream job.”

  Hannah thought about that for a moment and then she decided. “I love to bake and I’d really like to have my own bakery and coffee shop. That sounds a little crazy because I’ve never had any culinary training, but that’s my dream job.”

  “Excuse me, girls.”

  Hannah, Lisa, and Michelle turned to see Delores standing in the living room doorway. “I came in through the kitchen and the stove timer’s ringing. Is there something in the oven that has to come out now?”

  “My pie!” Hannah said.

  “I’ll get it,” Lisa said, jumping up before Hannah could move and hurrying to the kitchen.

  “It smells marvelous, dear,” Delores told Hannah. “Is it my favorite Anytime Peach Pie?”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “I’m back,” Lisa announced, coming in from the kitchen. “I put the pie on a rack on the back porch. I thought it would cool faster that way. Is that all right, Hannah?”

  “That’s just fine, Lisa. And you’re right. It’ll be cool by the time we’re ready for dessert.”

  “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help overhearing part of your conversation,” Delores told them, taking off her coat and folding it over her arm. “Are you sure you don’t want to go back to college, Hannah?”

  “I’m sure,” Hannah told her, knowing that the last thing she wanted to do was return to college and meet the associate professor she’d loved, walking across the campus with his new wife. It was just too painful to contemplate, but that wasn’t the only reason she didn’t want to go back.

  “Why is that, dear?” Delores asked her.

  “Part of the reason is exactly what I told the girls. I’m beginning to regret my career choice. I’m just not sure that I want to teach at the college level.”

  “Then I think I might have a solution for you,” Delores told her. “Just let me hang up my coat and freshen up a bit and then I’ll tell you about it. Is that all right, Hannah?”

  “Of course,” Hannah replied, wondering what possible solution her mother could have.

  “Do I smell meatloaf, Hannah?” Delores turned back at the doorway to ask.

  “Yes, you were right on two counts, the peach pie and the meatloaf. Can you sniff out what I’ll be serving with the meatloaf?”

  “No, but I hope it’s baked potatoes.”

  “Now you’re three for three,” Hannah said with a laugh. “And there’s a salad chilling in the refrigerator.”

  “Perfect! You’re a marvelous cook, Hannah, and I’m simply starved! How long will it be before dinner is ready?”

  Hannah glanced at her watch again. “Less than thirty minutes, Mother. Do you think you can wait that long?”

  “I’m not sure, but I’ll have to, won’t I?”

  “Yes, for the main course and dessert, but I have some cheese and crackers. Why don’t I pour you a glass of champagne and we’ll sit in here and munch until our dinner is ready?”

  “Lovely! I’ll join you here in a few minutes. Let’s have a fire in the fireplace. That will be nice and cozy.”

  “I can start it,” Lisa offered, glancing at the fireplace. “You have logs in the grate, but they won’t last for long. If the wood is outside, I’ll bring in more.”

  Delores laughed and Hannah and Michelle joined in. “Thank you for offering, Lisa, but we don’t need more wood,” Delores told her. “We have a gas fireplace.”

  “A gas fireplace?” Lisa looked surprised. “I’ve never seen one of those before.”

  “That’s probably because most people in town have wood-burning fireplaces. Lars converted ours when we moved into this house. You girls show Lisa how it works and I’ll be back as soon as I can. Then I’ll tell you my solution to Hannah’s problem.”

  Hannah waited until Delores had left the room and then she motioned to Lisa. “Come with me and I’ll show you how to turn on the fireplace.”

  Once Lisa had followed Hannah to the fireplace, Hannah pointed to a switch on the wall. “Do you see that switch?”

  “I see it. It looks like a light switch.”

  “It’s not, but it operates exactly the same way. Flick it up, Lisa. That turns on the fireplace.”

  “Okay.” Lisa looked a bit nervous as she flicked up the switch. And then she jumped back as the gas whooshed out of the gas line that ran beneath the concrete logs and burst into flames.

  “It’s easy, isn’t it?” Michelle asked Lisa as she came up to join them.

  “I’ll say! It sure beats putting on a coat and mittens and boots and going out in the backyard to get more wood from the woodpile.” She turned to Hannah. “Do you push the switch down to turn it off?”

  “Yes, but don’t do it now. We’ll let this room warm up a little while we arrange the cheese and crackers on a plate.”

  “Your fireplace is just amazing!” Lisa was clearly impressed as she followed Hannah to the kitchen. “If we had one at home, I’d never have to shovel the ashes into a pail when I cleaned under the grate. And we’d never have to worry that sparks would jump out onto the living room rug. And I’d never have to go outside with Dad to split wood. The only thing that’s missing is the smell of wood burning and that doesn’t bother me at all.”

  “Me neither,” Michelle agreed. “And the way our fireplace flickers looks almost real.”

  “It warms up the room too, because the flames are co
ntrolled, but real,” Hannah added.

  “How much does it cost to convert a wood-burning fireplace to one like yours?” Lisa asked Hannah.

  “I have no idea. Dad owned the hardware store so he got everything at a discount from his suppliers.”

  “That must have been nice.”

  “Oh, it was,” Michelle said. “Mother always had all the large and small appliances she wanted. I’ll never forget when we got our first food processor. Hannah used it to chop up hard-boiled eggs and she made me egg salad sandwiches for a solid week.”

  Lisa laughed. “I’ll bet you got sick of egg salad sandwiches.”

  “Nope, I still love them just as much as I ever did.”

  As she opened the refrigerator and took out the cheese, Hannah made a mental note to make egg salad sandwiches for Michelle. “Here’s the cheese,” she said, putting it on the kitchen table. “I’ll get knives and cutting boards for both of you and then I’ll look in the pantry to see what kinds of crackers we have on hand.”

  With all three of them working, the cheese and cracker platter was ready in a very short time. Michelle carried it to the living room and set it on the coffee table, Lisa laid out small paper plates and napkins, and Hannah opened her mother’s favorite champagne. They had just taken seats when Delores came down the stairs and entered the living room.

  “Oh, my!” Delores exclaimed when she saw the platter. “I didn’t realize I had that many different kinds of cheese.”

  “You didn’t,” Hannah told her. “I stopped at the Red Owl on the way home and Florence picked out some of her favorites. The brie is closest to you. Florence told me that it was a triple cream. Over here,” Hannah pointed to one of the cheeses, “we have a blue cheese. For sliced cheese we have white cheddar, Swiss, mild cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Havarti.”

  “We put the Ritz Crackers closest to you, Mother.” Michelle began to describe the crackers. “Next is a stone-ground wheat cracker, and there’s also a row of Carr’s water biscuits.”

  “Wonderful,” Delores said with a smile.

  “The napkins are paper towels from the roll in the kitchen that I folded in quarters,” Lisa told Delores. “And that’s because I couldn’t find any cocktail napkins.”