by Joanne Fluke
“Of course,” Delores replied for both of them.
“Here, Hannah.” Al held out the key to the bakery. “You’ll probably want to do some planning later today and there’s no reason why you can’t have the key now.”
“Thank you,” Hannah said. She felt like jumping up and down in excitement, but she settled for giving him a huge smile.
Hannah followed her mother out of the bakery and after they’d thanked Al and said their goodbyes, they got back into the car.
“Let’s stop at the Red Owl on the way back to the house,” Delores suggested. “I want to put you to work baking desserts for Essie’s Christmas Ball and that means you have to buy ingredients. I’ll talk to Florence and open an account for you. And while we’re there, we can pick up something for dinner tonight. And perhaps you can bake one of those desserts from those photos that Rod found for you.”
“I’ll be happy to do that,” Hannah told her. “Since the highlight of the first Christmas Ball was the cake parade, I thought I’d bake a cake.”
“That would be nice. And if there’s any left, we can send a piece home with Lisa and I’ll take a slice to Essie tomorrow. What kind of cake are you thinking of baking, dear?”
“I’m not sure yet, Mother.”
“Whatever you choose, I know it’ll be wonderful. Essie has quite a sweet tooth and she loved the last treat you baked for her. I checked with Doc Knight before I left the hospital yesterday and he said that Essie has no restrictions on her diet. He also told me that she needs to gain weight, so anything you bake will be perfect for her.”
Delores pulled into a parking spot in front of the Red Owl Grocery store and they both got out of the car. When they stepped inside, Delores went off to find Florence and Hannah went to the rack to get a shopping cart and select the ingredients for dinner. For dessert, she’d bake a lemon cake. A neighbor she’d had in college had given her a slice of the lemon cake she’d baked and it had been so good, Hannah had immediately asked her for the recipe. She hadn’t had time to bake it then, but she still remembered all the ingredients. If Delores liked it, perhaps it could be part of the cake parade at Essie’s Christmas Ball.
Luckily, Florence carried all the ingredients that Hannah needed. She’d frost the cake with her favorite Cool Whip frosting and it would be ready when Delores, Michelle, and Lisa came back from visiting Essie at the hospital. Since Hannah liked to give credit where credit was due, she’d use Kim’s name for the cake and she’d call it Ultimate Lemon Bundt Cake.
Hannah glanced at her watch. It was only ten-thirty and she’d be home by eleven. That was plenty of time to make something in the slow cooker for dinner. If Florence had a nice boneless pork roast, she could cook it with mushrooms and the strips of tri-colored bell peppers she’d seen in the frozen vegetable section. If her creation turned out well, she’d call it Melt-in-Your-Mouth Pork Roast. She’d serve it with her favorite potatoes mashed with butter and cream cheese, and they could have the mushroom gravy with peppers that would cook in the bottom of the slow cooker. She’d need to serve another vegetable for a well-balanced meal, but that was easy. She’d pick up a package of frozen green beans, cook them at the last minute on the stovetop, and toss them with butter and bits of bacon.
Once Hannah had planned their evening meal, she gathered the rest of the ingredients she’d need and arrived in the checkout line only seconds before her mother did.
“Do you have everything you need for tonight’s dinner?” Delores asked her.
“Yes, I do. You still have that slow cooker I gave you for Christmas two years ago, don’t you?”
Delores nodded, but Hannah noticed that she looked slightly embarrassed. “It still works, doesn’t it?” she asked.
“I . . . assume it does,” Delores replied, and then she sighed. “I hate to admit it, Hannah, but I never got around to taking it out of the box. I really was going to try to learn to use it, but you know that I’m not a very good cook.”
“That’s okay, Mother. If you can still find it, I’ll use it to make our dinner tonight. Then you can decide if you like it or not.”
“Of course I can find the slow cooker.” Delores looked slightly affronted. “It’s sitting on the top shelf of the pantry. I really should have taken it out of the box, at least, but . . .” Delores stopped speaking and sighed again. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings by not using it, Hannah.”
“That’s all right. I’m just glad you still have it. And if you like tonight’s dinner and want to learn how to make it, I’ll be glad to teach you.”
“You could try, but I really don’t think it’ll do any good.” Delores gave a little laugh. “And by the way, that was nicely done, dear. You’re very understanding, but I’m a terrible cook. You were trying to save my pride, but I don’t have any pride when it comes to cooking. I know how hopeless I am.”
“That doesn’t matter, Mother. You have lots of other talents.”
“I do?”
“Yes, you do. You’re a genius at finding gorgeous antiques and buying them for incredibly low prices.”
Delores began to smile. “I am good at that, aren’t I?”
“That and many other things. We’d be standing here for the rest of the morning if I tried to list them all.”
“I can name the most important talent I have,” Delores said with a smile.
“What’s that, Mother?”
“I raised an extremely thoughtful and kindhearted daughter who wouldn’t hurt her mother’s feelings for the world. And I believe that’s my finest achievement to date.”
MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH PORK ROAST
Made in a 4 or 5 quart capacity slow cooker.
2 cans CONDENSED cream of mushroom soup (I used Campbell’s 10 and ¾-ounce cans)
1 can CONDENSED cream of celery soup (I used Campbell’s 10 and ¾-ounce can)
3 or 4 pound boneless lean pork loin roast (rolled and tied with string is okay, but it won’t look as pretty when you slice it)
1 large yellow onion, chopped into small pieces
2 stalks celery, chopped into small pieces (don’t use the leaves)
2 packages DRY pork gravy mix (I used Schilling, the kind that you heat with one cup of water)
1 package frozen 3-color pepper strips (I used C&W 14-ounce bag)
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
salt (for later when you adjust the seasonings)
black pepper (for later when you adjust the seasonings—freshly ground is best)
hot sauce (for later when you adjust the seasonings—I used Slap ‘Ya Mama hot sauce)
Spray the inside of the crock of your slow cooker with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray. (This will make it easier to clean later and prevent sticking.)
Open the three cans of soup and mix them together in a bowl.
Use approximately 1/3 of the soup mixture to spread out in the bottom of your slow cooker.
If your pork roast has a layer of fat on top, cut it off as best you can with a knife.
Spread out the chopped onion on the bottom of your slow cooker.
Spread out the chopped celery on top of the chopped onion.Lay the pork roast on top of the onion and celery bed.
Slather half of the soup that is left in your bowl on top of the pork roast.
Sprinkle 1 packet of DRY gravy mix on top of the condensed soup.
Sprinkle the frozen peppers over the dry gravy mix.
Add the onion powder and the garlic powder to the condensed soup that is left in your bowl and mix them in.
Slather the rest of the condensed soup over the frozen peppers.
Put the lid on your slow cooker and make sure it’s plugged in.
Hannah’s 1st Note: Don’t laugh. When I was in college, I put a lovely meal in my slow cooker one morning and forgot to plug it in. I turned it on, but with no electricity it didn’t heat. During the day I ran into several of my college friends and invited them to my apartment for dinner. Whe
n I got home from my last class, the slow cooker was stone cold and I had to call out for pizza.
Turn your slow cooker on HIGH and cook for 4 hours.
At the end of 4 hours, turn your slow cooker down to LOW and cook for an additional 3 hours.
Hannah’s 2nd Note: Your meal will be ready to eat in approximately 7 hours, but you don’t have to serve it immediately. It will hold in the slow cooker for an additional hour if necessary.
Twenty minutes before your guests arrive, take the pork roast out of the slow cooker and set it on a carving board. Cover it loosely with foil.
When you’re ready to serve, slice your pork.
Taste a bit of the gravy that has formed in the bottom of the crock and adjust the seasonings. If the gravy has thickened nicely and you don’t think you’ll need the second package of DRY gravy mix, it’s okay to add more salt if you think it’s needed. If the gravy is thin and you plan to use that second gravy package, DO NOT add more salt. The gravy package is quite salty.
Feel free to add a bit of hot sauce and put the bottle on the table for any guests who want their meal spicier.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the peppers, onions, and celery and make a ring of the savory combination around the outside of a meat platter.
Arrange the pork slices in the center of the platter.
If the gravy in the bottom of the crock is too thin, add the second package of DRY gravy mix now. Turn the slow cooker up to HIGH and it will cook rapidly.
When the gravy is ready, place it in a gravy bowl. If it thickens too much, thin it with a little water.
Serve with baked or mashed potatoes, a vegetable or a salad, and hot rolls with plenty of butter.
Yield: This meal will serve 6 to 8 people, depending on their appetites and how many sides you serve.
Chapter Eight
“That was a wonderful meal, Hannah!” Delores complimented Hannah. “I love pork and your roast was so nice and tender.”
“And the peppers added a lot,” Lisa said.
“I loved the mushroom and pepper gravy,” Michelle added her praise. “I had two helpings of mashed potatoes and gravy, and I never have more than one.”
“Thanks,” Hannah acknowledged the compliments. “We’ll have leftover pork roast for sandwiches tomorrow.” She turned to Lisa. “Does your dad like pork?”
“He always says he’s a meat and potatoes man, and I know Mom used to fix pork a lot when I was growing up.”
“Then I’ll send a couple of slices home with you so you can make a sandwich for his lunch tomorrow.”
“Come on, girls,” Delores picked up her plate and stood up. “Let’s clear the table and put away the leftovers.”
“Do you want me to put on the coffee now so we can have dessert?” Hannah asked.
“No, dear. We can have it later. We’ll take care of everything in the kitchen. All I want you to do is go into the living room, turn on the fireplace, and get ready to read more of Essie’s exciting story.”
* * *
She opened her eyes early again, too nervous to sleep longer. Today would be a dangerous time and she prayed that she could get on the train without any of her bosses’ men identifying her. She couldn’t let any of her anxiety show. She had to be calm and collected, just another traveler who had somewhere to go and some time she had to arrive. She would take her cue from the other travelers, watching them carefully and mimicking their actions. She couldn’t call attention to herself in any way and she had to act as if it were just another morning on the train, a day very much like the one the other commuters were having.
“Don’t worry,” she whispered to their unborn baby. “I know I can do it. I’ll convince anyone who sees me that it’s just another day for us, just another morning of commuting to work in the city. The only difference is that we won’t be getting off the train in New York. The city’s not safe for us. We’ll be staying on with the other people who are traveling to places beyond that.”
Once she’d bathed and dressed, she unzipped the duffel bag and gathered her belongings, preparing to pack them inside. That’s when she noticed a packet that had slipped down to the bottom of the bag. Since she hadn’t seen it before, her husband must have put it there when he’d tucked the money inside.
She drew out the packet and sat down on the edge of the bed to open it. The folded envelope was crisscrossed with layer after layer of tape. Since she didn’t want to tear it, it took her several minutes to open it.
When she finally succeeded in removing the tape, she opened the packet and stared down at the contents in shock. There were a number of glittering stones inside, and they looked similar to the diamond in the engagement ring that her husband had given her. The only difference was that these gems were larger and more brilliant.
Were they real? She touched one, but it gave up no secrets. Since she was not an authority on precious gems, it would probably take a jeweler’s expertise to answer that question.
One look at the packet told her that it was no longer usable. She had effectively destroyed it by pulling off the layers of tape. She had to think of a secure place to store the precious gems that her husband had given her. Her handbag would not be secure enough. There were purse snatchers on the streets, and some might be loitering in the train station, hoping to prey on hapless commuters. She needed a secure place where she could conceal her husband’s gift.
She glanced down at her dress and an idea flashed through her mind. Her older relatives had once mentioned that immigrants who fled their home countries had concealed gems and other small valuables in their clothing by sewing them into the hems of dresses and the collars of blouses and shirts.
It only took a moment to find the small sewing kit she carried in her purse. It was a simple sewing kit consisting of two needles and three colors of thread in a small pouch. The sleeves of her dress had been turned up twice to make the cuffs and that would be a perfect place to hide this treasure.
She knew she couldn’t simply sew the gems inside her hiding place. She had to wrap them in something so that their shape would not be noticeable. She tore off a piece of the original paper packet, folded the gems inside, and loosened several stitches on the underside of her cuff. The paper with the gems slipped in easily and she threaded a needle with dark blue thread, the same color as the material of her dress, and stitched the cuff shut again. She double-knotted the thread and since there was no scissors in her packet, she bit off the thread and tucked it back into the cuff.
“I did it,” she said to their unborn baby. “Your father’s treasure is safe with me.”
* * *
Hannah paused to take a sip from the water glass that Michelle had placed on the table for her. Then she looked up again and realized that both Lisa and Michelle were leaning forward on the couch.
“Sewing the diamonds into her cuff was really smart,” Michelle commented.
“I think so, too,” Lisa said in agreement. “I just hope she remembers to take them out when she gets to a place where she can wash her dress.”
Delores laughed. “I’m sure she’ll remember, especially if she thinks they’re real diamonds. I wonder if they are.”
“I think they are,” Michelle offered her opinion.
Lisa nodded. “Me too. It wouldn’t be a good story if they were fakes.”
“Do you want to read more, Hannah?” Delores asked.
“Yes, but I don’t think we’ll find out right away,” Hannah replied, taking another sip of water and picking up the notebook again.
“Why do you think that?” Lisa asked her.
“Because there’s a lot more of the story left and Essie’s so good at building suspense in her story. If she told us they were fake in the next couple of paragraphs, we might stop reading.”
Hannah’s three listeners thought about that for a moment and then all three of them nodded.
“Please go on, dear,” Delores told her. “We want to find out what happens when she gets to the train station.”<
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* * *
It didn’t take her long to finish packing her possessions in the duffel bag. She refolded the liner from her oversized raincoat and put that in the bottom. The coat she’d worn to work three mornings ago went in next and the new hairbrush, toothbrush, and toothpaste she’d purchased from the drugstore went on top. Before she zipped up the duffel bag, she briefly considered packing one of the towels from the bathroom, but it simply wasn’t in her nature to take anything that didn’t belong to her. She left the towel on the rack and closed the zipper on the duffel bag. There was nothing more to do. She was ready to go.
She wanted to move, to hurry, to leave, but it wasn’t yet time. There was no way she would arrive at the train station early and double the risk of being spotted. She sat down on the edge of the bed and attempted to relax until the alarm clock on the bedside table reached the time she’d planned to leave.
“It’s time,” she told their baby. “We’re going to leave now.” Then she got up to leave her room key on the dresser, picked up the duffel bag, and went out the door, shutting it behind her. She felt almost as if she were a bird leaving the nest. She had been safe here, but it wouldn’t be safe to stay any longer. She had to get out and go far, far away where the danger was less and they would be safe.
She took the back stairs, as she had the day before, and she was relieved to see the older clerk with the mustache sitting at the front desk. He was engrossed in some kind of paperwork and didn’t even look up as she passed his desk and went out the front door of the hotel.
The streets were filled with people this time of the morning. Some well-dressed employees were rushing to get to work in the surrounding office buildings, housewives who were up early were shopping in the markets that were open, workers who were employed in the factories bordering the train station were hurrying to punch timeclocks, and still others who had worked the night shift were heading back home to sleep. She let the tide of humanity carry her along with everyone else until she arrived at the train station.