by Joanne Fluke
“Yes.” Norman took the kitchen towel that Hannah handed him, removed the foil and the little cage over the cork from the top of the bottle, and extracted the cork with an ease that Hannah envied. “You did that so well!” she complimented him.
“Thanks. Shall I take the ice bucket and champagne to your mother?”
“Yes. She likes to pour. I’ll bring the glasses and a mug for your ginger ale.”
Once Hannah had delivered the glassware, she hurried back to the kitchen and put the Cocktail Munchie Mix she’d made in a bowl. She found cute paper cocktail napkins in a drawer, along with her mother’s monogrammed coasters, and hurried out to the living room to join the mothers and Norman. They were just sitting down in chairs arranged around her mother’s round coffee table when the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it,” Norman said, jumping to his feet. “You ladies just sit here and enjoy your drinks.”
“He’s so thoughtful,” Delores commented to Carrie.
“Yes, he is,” Hannah agreed. “Norman opened the champagne and he didn’t spill a drop.”
“I taught him how to do that,” Carrie said proudly. “When Norman’s father came home from the dental clinic on Saturday nights, he liked to have champagne before dinner.”
“Hello, everyone.” Andrea came into the room. She was wearing a lavender silk suit, and with her light blond hair arranged in a sleek chignon, she looked like a fashion model.
“What a lovely suit!” Carrie complimented her, and then she turned to Andrea’s husband, Bill Todd. “How are you, Bill?”
“Good,” Bill said, sitting down next to Delores. “I’m sorry we’re a little late. Grandma McCann was just putting Tracey to bed, and we wanted to tuck her in and kiss her good night.”
“Of course you did,” Delores said with a smile. “I used to do the same thing when I had to leave for one of my clubs and Lars was babysitting with the girls.” She turned to Hannah. “Do you remember that?”
“Yes, I do,” Hannah said, hoping that her father had never told Delores how the minute she drove off in her car, he let Hannah and her younger sisters get back up from bed again, and watch television with him until they fell asleep on the couch.
“Red wine?” Norman asked Bill, as Delores poured a glass of champagne for Andrea.
“Yes, please.”
Andrea smiled. “Bill’s not on call tonight. He’s actually got the night off and it’s the first time this week.”
The doorbell rang again, but this time Hannah got up. “It’s probably Mike,” she said, “since he’s the only one not here. I’ll get it.”
“And I’ll get Bill’s wine,” Norman offered quickly. “I saw the bottle on the kitchen counter.”
As soon as everyone had the beverage they wanted, the conversation began to flow. Hannah told them all about her visit with Joe at the hospital, and then she turned to Mike. “Will Sheriff Grant let you help us find out more about Joe and where he came from?”
Mike shook his head. “Sorry, Hannah. I asked, but he said exactly what I thought he’d say, that since Joe’s case didn’t include a crime, he wouldn’t let me work on it.”
“I was there when he said that,” Bill told them. “Both of us tried to get Sheriff Grant to budge, but he wouldn’t give an inch.”
“Then we’ll just have to solve the mystery of Joe’s identity ourselves,” Delores said, turning to Hannah. “That’s right, isn’t it, dear?”
“That’s right,” Hannah agreed, finishing her glass of champagne and standing up. “I’m going to go make the salad.” She turned to Delores. “Would you like me to heat the chicken?”
“Yes, dear. It’s already in the oven. All you have to do is turn it on.”
“I’ll get the table,” Andrea offered, rising from her chair. “Do you want the china, Mother?”
“Of course, since it’s a celebration. Isn’t that right, Hannah?”
“That’s right,” Hannah confirmed it, glad that she’d figured out a way to refer to their party tonight. “We’re all going to celebrate Carrie’s anniversary.”
Carrie looked thoroughly puzzled. “My anniversary?! What do you mean, Hannah? My anniversary of what?”
“You mean you don’t know?” Hannah asked her.
“No! I have no idea what you’re talking about!”
“Then I’d better tell you. I know that today isn’t the actual date, but since we’re all together tonight, I thought it was a good time to celebrate the thirty-fourth anniversary of your twentieth birthday!”
“Hannah!” Delores looked completely horrified for a moment. Then her expression changed and she began to smile. This told Hannah that her mother had done the mental math, and all was well.
“My thirty-fourth anniversary of . . .” Carrie stopped in mid-sentence and began to laugh. “You’re right, Hannah! How clever of you!”
“We got you a little something for your anniversary,” Andrea said, removing the beautifully wrapped box from the large tote bag she’d carried in with her. “We hope you like it.”
“Oh, my!” Carrie exclaimed, unwrapping it quickly and lifting off the lid. “A beautiful sweater! And it’s my favorite color of blue! It’s so soft and . . . is this cashmere?”
“Yes, it is,” Andrea told her.
“How wonderful!” Carrie was clearly delighted. “I’d love to wear it right now, but I think I’ll wait until my actual birthday.” She turned to Norman. “I might just have to make a trip to the mall to buy an outfit to go with it.”
“I’ll go with you,” Delores offered immediately. “And if you’d like, we’ll go tomorrow morning. We can have lunch at that little French place and stop at the hospital on our way home to see Joe, if Doc will let us visit.”
“He said it was fine,” Hannah told her quickly. “Joe mentioned that he wanted to see you, and Doc says he’s stable enough to have a few visitors.”
“That’s good news, too!” Carrie said. “This is the best anniversary of my birthday that I’ve ever had!”
CHRISTMAS DATE CUPCAKES
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
Ingredients:
2 cups chopped pitted dates or whole pitted dates (you can usually find the chopped, pitted dates in the produce section of your grocery store during the Christmas holiday season)
2 and ¾ cups water or cold coffee
¼ cup rum or brandy
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup softened, salted butter (2 sticks, ½ pound)
2 cups white (granulated) sugar
4 large eggs
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
Hannah’s 1st Note: If you can’t find chopped, pitted dates, buy whole pitted dates, sprinkle them with 2 Tablespoons of flour, and then chop them in a food processor before measuring out the 2 cups you’ll need.
Hannah’s 2nd Note: If you don’t want to use liquor in this recipe, use 3 cups of water and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Hannah’s 3rd Note: This recipe is simple to make with an electric mixer, but you can also do it by hand with a mixing spoon if you wish.
Place the chopped, pitted dates in a medium-sized, microwave safe bowl.
Measure out 2 and ¾ cups of water or cold coffee and pour it into the bowl on top of the dates.
Add the quarter cup of rum or brandy and mix with a spoon.
Heat the bowl in the microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes or until you can see that the liquids begin to boil.
Use oven mitts or potholders to take the bowl out of the microwave and set it on a towel on the kitchen counter.
Add the baking soda to the bowl. (Be careful – the baking soda may foam up a bit.)
Give the bowl with the dates, liquids, and baking soda a stir with a mixing spoon.
Leave the bowl on the kitchen counter to cool.
Place 1 cup of softened, salted butter in the bowl of an electric mixer.
Sprinkle the 2 cups of white (granulated) sugar on top of the butter.
Turn on the mixer and beat the butter and sugar on LOW speed until they are mixed together.
Turn the mixer up to MEDIUM speed and beat the butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy. Don’t stop beating until the mixture is a uniform color.
Crack the eggs and add them to the mixer bowl, one at a time, beating on LOW speed after each addition.
Add the salt to the bowl and beat that in.
Shut off the mixer and feel the bowl with the dates. If it’s not so hot it could cook the eggs, turn the mixer on LOW speed.
Use a rubber spatula to gradually add the date mixture to the ingredients in the bowl of your electric mixer.
With the mixer still on LOW speed, add the flour in 1-cup increments, beating after each addition.
Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl with the rubber spatula, and resume beating at MEDIUM speed.
When everything is thoroughly mixed, shut off the mixer again, and let your cupcake batter sit while you prepare your cupcake pans.
You will need two 12-cup cupcake pans to bake these delicious cupcakes.
Place 2 cupcake papers in each cup. These cupcakes are moist, and if you use 2 papers, they will be easier for your guests to peel off before they eat the cupcakes.
Give the bowl with the cupcake batter a final stir by hand.
Use a spoon or a scooper to transfer the batter to the cupcake pan. Fill the cupcake papers ¾ (three-quarters) full. This way you will have room for the topping.
The Topping:
6 ounces (by weight) milk chocolate chips (1 cup)
½ cup white (granulated) sugar
½ cup chopped nuts (use any nuts you like – I prefer walnuts or pecans)
Place the milk chocolate chips in a bowl on the counter.
Place the white sugar in another bowl on the counter.
Place the chopped nuts in a third bowl on the counter.
Hannah’s 4th Note: The reason you’ll use three separate bowls is that you may have some of the topping ingredients left over. If you do, simply put the leftover chips back in their bag, put the white sugar back in its package or canister, and put the chopped nuts in a ziplock bag to use when you make another cake or cookie that calls for chopped nuts.
Sprinkle the top of each unbaked cupcake with milk chocolate chips.
Sprinkle the top of the milk chocolate chips with white sugar.
Sprinkle the top of the white sugar with chopped nuts.
When all the cupcakes have been topped, use a rubber spatula or your fingers to press the topping ingredients down gently. This will cause the topping to bake onto the cupcake batter, and not slide off when your guests take the cupcake papers off their baked cupcakes.
Bake your Christmas Date Cupcakes at 325 degrees F. for 30 to 40 minutes. Start testing after baking 30 minutes. A cake tester or a long toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake should come out clean when the cupcakes are done. (If you happen to stick the toothpick in and hit a milk chocolate chip, it’ll come out covered with melted chocolate—just wipe it off and stick it in again to test the actual cupcake batter.)
Let the cupcakes cool in the pan on a wire rack. These cupcakes can be served slightly warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Yield: 1 and ½ to 2 dozen delicious cupcakes, depending on how much batter you use per cupcake.
Chapter Ten
She knew she’d never been this cold, never in her life. She was so cold, she couldn’t move. Why was it so cold? Was she outside? Had she gotten out of her warm bed, opened her condo door, and gone outside in the snow without her boots and her parka? And if she had, why? She was sure she’d never walked in her sleep before. Why now?
She shivered again. People died from exposure to the cold in the winter. Was she going to die? The only part of her body that was warm was . . . her face! Her face was nice and warm, even hot. Did she have a fever? Was she ill?
There was something on her face. She could feel it. Whatever that something was, it made her face the only part of her body that wasn’t shaking with the cold. Was it a blanket? A furry, warm blanket? It made her feel like sneezing.
She attempted to reach up and feel it, but her arms didn’t seem to work. The blanket had an odor that reminded her of something, some kind of food. It wasn’t a bad odor. It was merely puzzling.
Without consciously willing it to, her nose started twitching. That was when she realized that she felt like sneezing. The warm, fuzzy thing, whatever it was, smelled vaguely like fish.
She made a mental list of what she knew. There was something warm on her face, but the rest of her was icy cold. And the warm, furry thing smelled like . . . fish? Yes! That was the smell. It smelled like fish and that made her wonder if somehow, she’d traveled to Alaska. Or perhaps she was at the North Pole on some kind of scientific expedition. But she wouldn’t be alone, if she’d volunteered to explore some phenomenon in the frozen North. Scientists didn’t go to the North Pole alone. They went in groups, so they could help each other survive in such a hostile environment. Why was she here? And why was she alone? Where were the rest of the scientists?
Perhaps she wasn’t alone. Perhaps one of her expedition mates had placed the fur on her face in an effort to keep her warm. They might have harvested a walrus or another furry arctic animal and used its fur to make a blanket. That would certainly explain why this furry blanket smelled like fish.
But this couldn’t be a blanket. It was much too small. It only covered her face and not even all of her face. It was something else, something that . . . moved! The too-small furry blanket had moved! She was sure of it!
Rather than think about a moving, furry blanket that could be a dangerous animal, she assessed the rest of her surroundings. She was lying on something hard and cold. Ice? Perhaps an ice floe? Had the others in the expedition put her on an ice floe and let her go out to sea because she was dying? And if that was the case, why had they covered her face with a small furry blanket?
The blanket moved again, and now it was making a strange noise. It sounded a bit like a car engine running, a noise caused by vibration. Could that noise be coming from the moving ice floe?
She tried to move, but her muscles didn’t cooperate. She was terribly uncomfortable and she wanted to sit up to see where she was. She thought about that and concentrated until she’d managed to raise her head up slightly. That was when the furry blanket slid off and made a dreadful noise!
The noise was a yowl, a loud, protesting yowl. It reminded her of something and . . .
“Where am I?” Hannah’s eyes flew open, but all she could see was inky blankness. She touched the hard surface and felt boards. She was on the floor. But which floor? And where was it?
There was a green light coming from above her. It was flashing a number, on and off, on and off, on and off. There was a four. After the four was a three and then a zero. And in between the four and the three was a colon. Four-thirty. Four-thirty in the morning. It was her digital alarm clock on the bedside table. But it was above her head, which meant that she was on the floor. Why was she on the floor? And where had that awful yowl come from?
“Moishe!” she said, reality coming in a rush. Moishe had been lying next to her, brushing against her face. But what was she doing on the floor? Had she fallen out of bed?
Slowly, a bit painfully, Hannah got to her feet. She turned to look at the bed and saw that Moishe was curled up on her pillow. Had he pushed her off the pillow and out of bed so that he could have her pillow?
The alarm clock began to beep and Hannah reached out, none too gently, to shut it off. She switched on the bedside lamp and glanced down at her furry pet. He was sleeping like an angel now that he had her expensive goose-down-filled pillow.
With a sigh, Hannah headed off to the master bathroom to take her morning shower. She’d stop at CostMart today on the way home from work, and buy another pillow. It was painfully obvious that
Moishe coveted her pillow and the only thing that would satisfy him was one just like hers.
Twenty minutes and three cups of strong coffee later, Hannah felt almost human again. She’d fed the cat who’d stolen her night’s rest and she couldn’t help but smile as she watched him attack his breakfast. This morning he was enjoying his usual kitty crunchies flavored with a generous helping of canned salmon. And now that she thought about it, and realized that his last meal had contained canned tuna, it was no longer a mystery why her moving, furry blanket had smelled like fish.
“Don’t worry, Moishe,” Hannah told him as she got up from her kitchen table. “I’ll be home in plenty of time to fix your dinner.”
As Hannah went out into the dark and took the outside, covered staircase to the underground garage, she thought about her winter schedule. It was still dark outside when she left her condo, but by the time she drove to The Cookie Jar and baked her first batch of cookies, the sky would begin to lighten. Like most people, Hannah always felt more cheerful when the sun rose and illuminated the landscape outside her kitchen window.
Veteran Minnesotans knew that winter was a season that tested their strength and determination. If you worked an eight-hour day shift inside a building, you had to drive to work in the dark, work your whole shift without going out into the sun, and drive home in the dark. In the dead of winter, the weak winter sun didn’t rise until after eight in the morning and it set close to four in the afternoon. The lack of sun to brighten the day was difficult for some people to endure. If you were lucky, and you could afford to leave Minnesota in the winter and travel to some place like Florida, or Arizona, or California until the Minnesota spring arrived, you were called snowbirds. These were the people who left right after the first snowfall and didn’t come back until the robins arrived to herald a warmer season.
The condo complex was well-lighted and Hannah had no trouble driving up the ramp to the ground floor and navigating the circular road past the other four-unit condo buildings. It was only after she left the lights of the complex behind her that her headlights were the only guide through the dark. Her lights cut a path through the packed snow on the road and it was impossible to tell where the shoulder of the road began. The tunnel her headlights cut through the darkness was mesmerizing, and Hannah knew she had to follow the deep ruts in the snow that other cars had made to keep from driving off the road.