Christmas Cupcake Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  Your frosting is ready to use.

  Hannah’s 2nd Note: If you want to keep this frosting soft for several minutes, place the top part of the double boiler over the hot water again. This will enable you to use the frosting for ten minutes or so before it hardens.

  If your frosting begins to harden and you’re not yet ready to frost your cupcakes, simply heat the water in the bottom part of the double boiler again and place the top part over the reheated water. Give it a couple of minutes and then stir the frosting to soften it again.

  Once you have frosted your cupcakes, give the pan to your favorite person to scrape with a spoon and eat.

  Another alternative is to frost soda crackers, salt side down, or sugar cookies for snacking.

  If you wish, you can cut the maraschino cherries in half, lengthwise, and place a half cherry, rounded side up, on top of each cupcake before the frosting hardens.

  Hannah’s 3rd Note: Once this frosting cools, it’s just like fudge.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Would you care for more coffee, Miss Jackson?” Joe asked, carrying the silver carafe of coffee to the nearest table.

  “Thank you, Joe. I’d love another cup.”

  Hannah watched Betty Jackson smile at Joe as he poured her coffee. Betty looked happy that someone was paying attention to her.

  “And was that one sugar and two creams, Miss Jackson?”

  “Why, yes!”

  Hannah had trouble keeping a straight face. Betty was acting as if Joe were the most clever man she’d ever met, simply because he’d remembered how she took her coffee.

  “Did you enjoy Hannah’s Strawberry Cupcake?”

  “I certainly did! I decided that two cupcakes would be my limit at this party, but now I can’t decide if I want another strawberry or if I want to try the German Chocolate Cupcakes.”

  Joe smiled down at her. “I can help you make your decision, Miss Jackson. Why don’t you have a half and half?”

  Betty looked surprised. “A half and half?”

  “Yes. I’ll cut a Strawberry Cupcake in two and do the same with a German Chocolate Cupcake. Hannah brought some extra cupcake papers with her and I’ll put both halves in a new paper and deliver it to you.”

  Betty looked absolutely delighted. “That would be perfect! But what if no one wants the half cupcakes that are left?”

  “I’ll have the other half and half,” Janice Cox, who was sitting across from Betty, volunteered. “What a great idea, Joe! I want cupcakes at my wedding reception, but Drew and I can’t agree on which cupcakes we want. Do you think Hannah will make us half and half of vanilla cream and chocolate fudge?”

  “I’m willing to bet she will. Of course it might cost a little extra because it’s more work for her.”

  “That’s okay,” Janice said quickly.

  Joe told her, “Why don’t you ask Hannah later tonight and put in your order if she says yes?”

  That idea was a stroke of genius, Hannah’s rational mind told her. And Joe even mentioned that it would take more time and cost extra. He’s a very good businessman.

  Hannah watched as Joe cut the two cupcakes in half, arranged the halves in two pristine cupcake papers, and delivered them to Betty and Janice. Both women looked as if they were delighted with their new treat. Now that she thought about it, Joe had charmed every woman at the holiday party, and the men seemed to like him, too. No wonder Joe’s mother had been happy for his help at her parties! There was no doubt about it. Joe was a likeable, personable guy and there had to be people out there who loved him and missed him dreadfully. She had to find them quickly, so that Joe could go back home again.

  * * *

  The party was over and Hannah stood at the door with the hostess, Irma York, wishing the guests good-bye and a safe trip home. While she was helping Irma with her hostess duties, Joe was busy packing up dishes, plates, silverware, and the cupcakes that were left. Irma had already told Joe to pack the cupcakes up in a box and leave them with her. She planned to take them to a meeting of the Lake Eden Regency Romance Readers the next afternoon and serve them the way Joe had developed for Betty Jackson and Janice Cox.

  “It was a lovely party, Irma,” Hannah told her, as Irma closed the front door behind the last guest. “I love the decorations you used on the card tables.”

  “My aunt Carolyn did those. If you have time, Hannah, she’d like a word with you.”

  “Of course I have time,” Hannah responded immediately, glancing at the food table and seeing that Joe was still busy packing up their things. “Will you introduce me? I don’t think I’ve ever met your aunt before.”

  “You haven’t. Aunt Carolyn doesn’t get out that much. She lives in a senior care facility for patients with memory problems.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “It’s not so bad. She’s still herself and she remembers a lot, especially about the old days. Gus and I have had wonderful evenings with her, talking about old times. And Gus gave her a haircut that she absolutely loves.”

  “I’ll remember to compliment her on that. Give me a clue, Irma. What sort of thing does your aunt want to discuss with me?”

  “She wants to ask about Joe. Delores told me that you were investigating Joe’s background and Aunt Carolyn thinks she might know something about that.”

  “Really?” Hannah felt a surge of excitement. She’d been hoping that someone at one of the holiday parties, a relative who might be visiting Lake Eden from some other locality, would provide a clue to Joe’s former life.

  Irma led Hannah over to an easy chair next to the fireplace. “Here’s Hannah, Aunt Carolyn.”

  Irma’s aunt gave Hannah a friendly smile. “Your cupcakes were wonderful, dear.”

  “Thank you. And your table decorations were simply beautiful. ”

  “I’m glad you enjoyed them. Irma asked me to help and I did my best for her. She’s a sweet girl, don’t you think?”

  “Yes. Irma’s a good friend of my mother’s. They belong to several of the same clubs.” Hannah glanced over at Joe, who was almost through packing up. It was time to ask what she might know about Joe. “Irma tells me that you might know something about Joe’s background.”

  “Oh. Well . . . I’m not sure, dear. My memory isn’t as good as it used to be. It’s not easy getting old, you know.”

  “Please tell me what you remember. It could be important when it comes to finding where Joe came from, and if he has relatives that are looking for him.”

  “Yes. Yes, of course. I don’t exactly remember Joe, but I did notice that he looks a lot like one of my former neighbors. It was a long time ago, dear, so I think that neighbor was probably Joe’s father, or maybe even his . . .” She turned to Irma. “What’s the name of the brother of someone’s father?”

  “Uncle?” Irma asked.

  “Yes. That’s it. This neighbor could have been Joe’s uncle.”

  “How long ago was this, Aunt Carolyn?” Irma asked her.

  “A long time, dear. It was right after I was married. We had to live with his parents until our house was ready. We were there for several months, and let me tell you, it wasn’t easy! His mother was . . . well . . . it’s a good thing I can’t remember the word for what she was! Let’s just say that she didn’t approve of me at all!”

  “How close was this neighbor to your mother-in-law’s place?” Hannah asked.

  “The building was on the top of the next hill. That was where they did the work.”

  “What work was that?” Irma asked her.

  “It was something to do with furniture. They fixed it. And then they sold it. My husband’s mother had her big oak table refin . . . fixed.”

  “So, they refinished furniture?” Hannah asked, providing the word that Irma’s aunt hadn’t been able to complete.

  “Yes! And they did the cloth on chairs and sofas, too. That’s called a word like the other one.”

  “Reupholstered.” This time, Irma provided the word.

/>   “That’s the word. I went to the building on the hill with my father-in-law to pay for the table they had refinished.”

  “And that’s where you saw Joe’s father or his uncle?” Hannah asked.

  “Yes. He looked just like Joe except I think Joe is even a little bit more good-looking. His ears are better. I always notice a man’s ears.”

  Hannah glanced at Joe again. He was carrying out the last load of party supplies and it was time to ask Irma’s aunt the crucial question. “Where did your husband’s parents live?”

  “Miles away from the house we bought, thank goodness!” Irma’s aunt responded immediately.

  “Was it in Minnesota?” Irma asked her.

  “Oh, yes. The land of ten thousand lakes. And there was a lake right there next to their farm.”

  “Do you remember the name of the lake?” Hannah asked.

  Irma’s aunt laughed. “I certainly do! It was Mud Lake, and my husband’s father told me that fishermen made the mistake of fishing there.”

  “The mistake?” Hannah asked.

  “Yes. There weren’t any fish except dogfish, and everybody in Minnesota knows you need gloves to take dogfish off the hook because of the spines.” Irma’s aunt laughed. “They’re really ugly, Hannah.”

  “Were there any good fishing lakes nearby?” Hannah asked.

  “Yes, but it wasn’t the closest lake.”

  “Do you remember the name of that lake?” Irma asked her.

  “I want to say Clear Lake, but that was somewhere else. I think it was Long Lake or . . . Round Lake! That was it! I’m almost sure that the lake where the neighborhood kids went swimming was Round Lake.”

  * * *

  It only took a few moments to finish loading up the cookie truck, and soon Hannah and Joe were heading to The Cookie Jar.

  “Did you think it went well, Hannah?” Joe asked her.

  “It went very well. Irma was pleased, and everyone seemed to have a good time.”

  “Was I . . . okay?” Joe asked tentatively.

  “You were more than okay. Everyone was glad you were there, Joe. You’re very good with people. You seem to instinctively know the right thing to say. Everyone really liked you.”

  Joe gave a relieved sigh. “That’s good. I was a little worried. I haven’t done this sort of thing for a long time and I was much younger then.” He paused and cleared his throat. “I saw you talking to Miss Carolyn. She said she thought she knew me, but she wasn’t sure.”

  “That’s right.” Hannah turned into the alley and parked in her usual spot by the back kitchen door. “Come in for a cup of hot chocolate, Joe. I think both of us have had enough coffee for the day. We’ll relax a bit, and I’ll tell you exactly what Irma’s aunt said.”

  Once they’d carried in all the party things, Hannah made them both a cup of hot chocolate and motioned to a stool at the work station. “Sit down, Joe. I know you’re anxious about Irma’s aunt. She said she thought she knew you at first, but then she realized that you were much too young to be the person she thought she remembered. ”

  “Oh.” A strange combination of expressions crossed Joe’s face. At first he looked relieved, and then he appeared disappointed. “What else did she say, Hannah?”

  “She told me about living with her in-laws when she was first married. And she described a place very like the one you said you lived in when you were growing up.”

  “Really?”

  “That’s right. She even mentioned that there was a building next door that was on top of a hill.”

  Joe began to look hopeful. “That sounds like where I grew up, all right. Was this in Minnesota?”

  “Yes, she told me about two lakes, and they sounded like the lakes you described to me.”

  “I wonder if . . . oh, Hannah! Maybe she knew my parents!”

  “That’s what I was thinking. The only problem is that Irma’s aunt has trouble with her memory. Before we left, Irma called me aside and said that her aunt had brought some papers and photo albums with her and she promised me that they would go through them in the morning.”

  “Did Miss Carolyn remember any names?” Joe asked.

  “A couple. She said her husband’s parents were Ed and Bertha. Does that bring back any memories for you, Joe?”

  Joe shook his head. “No, not really. I’m almost sure the people on the next farm weren’t named Ed and . . . oh!”

  As Hannah watched, Joe’s face turned pale and beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. “Sara!” he gasped.

  “Who’s Sara?” Hannah asked quickly.

  “The next farm. My friend . . . growing up . . . her name was Sara!”

  “And you just remembered that?”

  “Yes. But her parents’ names were Ed and Bertha. They were . . . were . . . something else.” Joe reached up to hold his head in his hands. “I need a pill, Hannah! My head! It feels like it’s going to burst open!”

  “Just a minute, Joe. I’ll get you a glass of water.” Hannah rushed over to the sink to run a glass of water, while Joe drew the vial of pills from his shirt pocket. “Here you are,” she said, setting the glass down on the surface of the work station.

  Joe shook out a pill, popped it into his mouth, took a drink of water, and swallowed. And then he gave a relieved sigh. “I should be getting used to this by now. Whenever I remember something important, I get an awful headache. Sara is important, Hannah. She lived on the next farm. I’m sure of that now. Sara takes care of Donnie. I have to find them. And I . . . I love Sara!”

  STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

  4 large eggs

  ½ cup vegetable oil

  ½ cup strawberry liqueur

  1 cup (8 ounces by weight) sour cream

  1 Tablespoon strawberry jam

  Box of strawberry cake mix, the kind that makes a 9-inch by 13-inch cake or a 2-layer cake (I used Pillsbury)

  5.1-ounce package of DRY instant vanilla pudding and pie filling (I used Jell-O.)

  12-ounce (by weight) bag of white chocolate or vanilla baking chips (11-ounce package will do, too—I used Nestlé)

  Prepare your cupcake pans. You’ll need two 12-cup cupcake or muffin pans lined with double cupcake papers.

  Crack the eggs into the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix them up on LOW speed until they’re a uniform color.

  Pour in the half-cup of vegetable oil, and mix it in with the eggs on LOW speed.

  Add the half-cup of strawberry liqueur (or milk). Mix it in at LOW speed.

  Scoop out the container of sour cream and put it into a small bowl. Add the Tablespoon of strawberry jam and stir it in.

  Add the sour cream and strawberry jam mixture to your mixer bowl. Mix that in on LOW speed.

  When everything is well-combined, open the box of dry cake mix and sprinkle it on top of the liquid ingredients in the bowl of the mixer. Mix that in on LOW speed.

  Open the package of instant vanilla pudding and pie filling, and sprinkle in the contents. Mix it in on LOW speed.

  Shut off the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl, remove it from the mixer, and set it on the counter.

  If you have a food processor, put in the steel blade and pour in the white chocolate or vanilla baking chips. Process in an on-and-off motion to chop them in smaller pieces. (You can also do this with a knife on a cutting board if you don’t have a food processor.)

  Sprinkle the chopped white chocolate or vanilla baking chips in your bowl and stir them in by hand with a rubber spatula.

  Hannah’s 1st Note: If you don’t want to use strawberry liqueur in this recipe, use whole milk. Hank, down at the Lake Eden Municipal Liquor Store, told me that any alcohol used in cooking will break down at 160 degrees F.

  Hannah’s 2nd Note: The reason the white chips in this recipe are chopped in smaller pieces is that regular-size chips are larger and heavier, and they tend to sink down to the bottom of your cupcakes.

  Use the rubber s
patula or a spoon to transfer the cupcake batter to the prepared cupcake pan. Only fill them ¾ full.

  Place the cupcake pans into the center of your preheated oven.

  Bake your Strawberry Cupcakes at 350 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes.

  Before you take your cupcakes out of the oven, test for doneness by inserting a cake tester, thin wooden skewer, or long toothpick. Insert it into the middle of a cupcake. If the tester comes out clean, with no cupcake batter sticking to it, your cupcakes are done. If there is still unbaked batter clinging to the tester, shut the oven door and bake your cupcakes for 5 minutes longer.

  Take your cupcakes out of the oven and set the pans on cold stovetop burners or wire racks. Let them cool in the pans until they reach room temperature and then refrigerate them for 30 minutes before you frost them. (Overnight is fine, too)

  Frost your cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting. (Recipe and instructions follow.)

  Yield: Approximately 18 to 24 cupcakes, depending on cupcake size.

  To Serve: Serve with tall glasses of ice-cold milk or cups of strong coffee.

  STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

  ½ cup (1 stick) softened, salted butter

  8-ounce (net weight) package softened, brick-type cream cheese (I used Philadelphia in the silver package.)

  1 Tablespoon strawberry jam

  4 to 4 and ½ cups confectioners (powdered) sugar (no need to sift unless it’s got big lumps)

  Fresh strawberries to decorate. (Alternatively, you can sprinkle red decorators sugar on top of each frosted cupcake if desired.)

  Mix the softened butter with the softened cream cheese.

  If your strawberry jam has big pieces, cut them into small pieces with a sharp knife. Then add the strawberry jam and beat until the mixture is smooth.

  Hannah’s 1st Note: Do this next step at room temperature. If you heated the cream cheese or the butter to soften it, make sure it’s cooled down to room temperature before you continue.