Peach Cobbler Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  Norman, dressed formally in a dark suit, white shirt, and tie, walked up to the cake table with his digital camera. “Say, Don’t you dare take a picture of me!”

  “Don’t you dare take a picture of me!” Hannah said, laughing over the absurdity as he snapped the picture.

  “Works every time. The minute people say the words, they laugh. This is a good one of you…want to see?”

  Hannah took the camera Norman handed her and peered at the small preview screen. It was a good picture, perhaps the best anyone had ever taken of her. Her eyes were sparkling, her smile was genuine, and she looked highly amused. Norman had been right to replace Say Cheese on his photographer’s vocabulary list.

  “I think I got some great shots so far. Do you want to see them when the reception’s over? I could follow you home and hook my camera up to your television.”

  Hannah laughed. “That’s a pretty sneaky way to ask for an after-party date.”

  “You’re right. I would have asked you before, but I thought you’d be with Mike.”

  “You did?” Hannah frowned slightly. “Why did you think that?”

  “Because he told me he asked you when I ran into him this morning.”

  Hannah began to do a slow burn. “Did he tell you I said yes?”

  “Not exactly. I just assumed…”

  “Assumption is the mother of misunderstanding,” Hannah interrupted. “Never assume.”

  “Yes, ma’am. So did you say yes when he asked you?”

  “No. I haven’t talked to him since then and it doesn’t matter anyway, because he’s not here. So yes, I’d love it if you followed me home and showed me your photos after the party’s over.”

  The next few minutes were busy at the dessert buffet. Guests had finished their first helpings and were back for seconds or thirds. Lake Edenites, or whatever collective noun the language pundits assigned to the residents of Hannah’s hometown, loved their desserts. When Tracey was three, she’d looked up at her aunt and asked, “Why don’t we have dessert for breakfast?” Hannah had figured that was a legitimate question, especially in Lake Eden.

  When Andrea had sent out the wedding invitations with the announcement that there would be a dessert buffet at the reception, she’d received hundreds of calls from people who’d wanted to bring a dessert. Andrea had told them all to bring whatever they wished, and there were pies, cakes, puddings, custards, fruit bowls, pastries in all shapes and forms, and frozen desserts that matched the temperature outside. Hannah had no doubt that the calorie count from the collective treats on the table and in Sally’s kitchen waiting to be served would be enough to feed a small country for several weeks.

  “Hi, Miss Swensen,” Amber Coombs greeted her. She was wearing one of Sally’s waitress uniforms and Hannah assumed that she was working out at the Lake Eden Inn on the weekends during her senior year of high school.

  “Hi, Amber. How’s your mom?”

  “She’s great. She got a promotion out at CostMart and she manages the whole cosmetic section now. I’m supposed to relieve you so you can have fun. Sally said.”

  “Thanks!” Hannah was delighted to be relieved. She’d been standing behind the wedding cake station for almost an hour and the unaccustomed high heels she was wearing made her feet hurt. “Where’s Sally?”

  “In the kitchen. Dick’s showing her how to work the new cappuccino machine. She told me to hurry out here and tell you not to worry, that no one answered the phone. Does that make sense?”

  “Somewhat,” Hannah said, giving Amber a wave and walking gratefully away from the table. She was free to mingle, and even more important, she was free to sit down!

  After sinking into the first unoccupied chair she encountered, Hannah thought about Sally’s message. She was almost positive that Shawna Lee would have answered the phone if she’d been at the Magnolia Blossom Bakery. After all, a phone call might be a catering order that she could shove down Hannah’s throat. No answer meant she wasn’t there and that meant Shawna Lee and Mike weren’t closeted in her apartment above the bakery. This was a big relief and Hannah spent several enjoyable moments imagining that Shawna Lee had set out for the reception on time, but a careless driver had run her off the road. The other driver had kept on going, not realizing that she’d gone in the ditch, and now Hannah’s rival in both business and boyfriend was freezing her tail off, hiking to the nearest farmhouse in her party clothes.

  When Lisa spotted Hannah at the table, she made a beeline for her friend and partner with her new groom in tow. Hannah noticed that she’d changed to her “going-away” outfit, a red woolen dress with a matching jacket, even though they wouldn’t be going away. Neither Lisa nor Herb wanted to be far away from her father and they’d decided to stay in the honeymoon suite at the Lake Eden Inn for a week, rather than hop a plane to Hawaii, or Tahiti, and worry about him the whole time they were gone.

  “I’m glad you’re finally sitting down,” Lisa said, giving Hannah a smile.

  “Me, too,” Herb echoed Lisa’s sentiment. “We saw you standing there for over an hour cutting those incredible wedding cakes.”

  “Do we have a lot of leftovers from the buffet?” Lisa asked.

  “Two more wedding cakes, one of each kind, and seconds of almost every dessert that was out on the table. Practically everyone in town brought something.”

  “That’s so nice,” Lisa said with a smile. “Herb and I noticed that there was quite a lot left, and we thought we should donate it to charity.”

  “The soup kitchen, the retirement home, places like that,” Herb explained. “We were wondering if you’d…”

  “Say no more,” Hannah interrupted, using one of her favorite lines from an old Monty Python routine.

  “Pull out anything you’d like and take it,” Lisa offered.

  “No, thanks. It was all wonderful, but my hips don’t need it.”

  “How about Moishe?” Herb asked. “Do you ever give him dessert?”

  “Only ratberry pie and chocolate mouse,” Hannah replied, her quip earning a merry laugh from both bride and groom.

  “Thanks, Hannah!” Lisa reached out to give her a hug, an action that was unusual for her. Although Lisa was a warm and loving person, she seldom made affectionate gestures in public. “This was the best wedding in the whole world and none of it would have happened without you and Andrea!”

  After a few more moments of chatter about the wedding and the reception, Lisa and Herb joined the dancers on the floor. Hannah leaned back in her chair—it was surprising how comfortable a folding chair could be when she was too tired to feel the metal digging into her back—and wiggled her feet out of her shoes.

  Wishing for a foot massage, or the luxury of a steaming Jacuzzi, Hannah made do with flexing her feet under the table. She winced slightly in the process and a moment later, Delores and Winthrop came rushing up to her table.

  “Are you all right, dear?” Delores looked concerned.

  “I’m fine, but my feet aren’t. I’m not used to wearing high heels.”

  “Speaking of heels, have you heard from Mike?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m talking about your date with him, the one he asked for on the card with your flowers.”

  “How do you know about that?” Hannah stared at her mother in shock. She’d told Lisa about the flowers Mike had sent and his clever way of asking her for a date, but she hadn’t mentioned it to anyone else.

  “The deliveryman told me when he brought the bouquet that Winthrop sent, beautiful pink tea roses in a crystal vase.”

  “That’s nice,” Hannah said perfunctorily, giving Winthrop a polite smile. “How did the deliveryman know what was on my card?”

  “Kyle was the one who wrote it down,” Delores explained. “Mike phoned in his order and dictated his message.”

  “Oh.” Hannah gave a little sigh. So much for privacy. Her mother was a charter member of the Lake Eden gossip hotline and by now, everyone at the wedding receptio
n knew that Mike had asked her for a date and he still hadn’t shown up.

  “He’s not here, is he?” Delores asked.

  “You know he’s not.”

  “And he hasn’t called you?”

  “No, he hasn’t tried to contact me at all. I think it’s safe to say that he stood me up.”

  “Perhaps he’s involved in urgent police business and he hasn’t had a moment to call you,” Winthrop suggested, making an attempt to defend his sex. And then, when both Hannah and Delores turned to him with incredulous looks, he shrugged. “Then again, perhaps not.”

  “Are you going to let him off the hook if he shows up before the reception’s over?” Delores wanted to know.

  “Not if he’s ambulatory, and he won’t show up if he’s not. I’ll tell him that since he didn’t bother to call to say he’d be late, I concluded that he wasn’t coming, and I accepted a date with someone else.”

  Winthrop gave her an approving nod. “Excellent, my dear! A gentleman should never take a woman for granted. It’s just not done. Detective Kingston owes you an apology and if I were you, I wouldn’t be too quick to accept it. Informing him that you arranged another date when he failed to appear is a marvelous tactic.”

  “It’s not a tactic.”

  “It’s not?” Winthrop looked surprised.

  Hannah smiled and felt good for the first time that evening. “I do have a date after the reception. With Norman Rhodes.”

  LISA’S WEDDING COOKIE CAKE

  This cake must be refrigerated to set up—make it the night BEFORE you plan to serve it.

  8 small packages of chocolate pudding mix***

  10 cups (2½ quarts) whole milk (or Half ’n Half if you want to splurge)

  2 one-pound packages of graham crackers

  4-quart bowl

  Sweetened whipped cream for frosting and topping

  Line the inside of your bowl with long strips of plastic wrap, leaving enough wrap to fold back over the top when your cake is finished.

  Cover the bottom of the bowl with graham crackers, all the way out to the sides. You can break them in half or quarters if you want, but it’s also okay just to overlap them. (Unlike a jigsaw puzzle, it doesn’t matter if some pieces don’t fit together exactly.)

  Make the first two packages of pudding using 2½ CUPS OF MILK, not the 4 cups called for in the directions on the box.

  Pour approximately a third of the pudding over the layer of graham crackers in your bowl. Gently spread it out with a rubber spatula. (It doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth, just not wildly uneven, that’s all.)

  Put another layer of graham crackers on top of the pudding in the bowl. (Again, it doesn’t have to be perfect—the pudding will soak into the graham crackers and all will be forgiven.)

  Put half of the remaining pudding on top of the second layer of graham crackers. Spread it out so it covers them.

  Lay down another layer of graham crackers and top it with the remaining pudding. Spread out the pudding and lay down another layer of graham crackers. (Don’t bother to wash out the bowl or pan you used to make your pudding. You’re just going to make another batch.)

  Using another 2 packages of pudding and another 2½ cups of milk, make your second batch of pudding.

  There are more graham crackers to cover now, since the bowl is wider. Use half of the pudding to cover the graham crackers. Smooth the pudding with your rubber spatula, lay down another layer of graham crackers, cover it with the remaining pudding, and top it with another layer of graham crackers. (I’ll bet you’re already guessing what the rest of the cake will be like!)

  Make the third batch of pudding using 2 packages of mix and 2½ cups of milk. Put half on top of the graham crackers in your bowl, spread it out, and top it with more graham crackers. Now use the rest of the pudding and top it again with graham crackers.

  One more time! Make the final batch of pudding using 2 packages of pudding mix and 2½ cups of milk. Spread half the pudding over the graham crackers, smooth it, and cover it with more graham crackers. Put on the rest of the pudding, smooth it, and this time cover it with a DOUBLE LAYER OF GRAHAM CRACKERS.

  (Wasn’t that easy? Even if you don’t bake, you can make this cake.)

  Fold in the edges of the plastic wrap to cover the contents of your bowl. Find a plate that will fit inside the bowl on top of the cake. Put it in right side up so that it’ll push the cake down when it settles. Set a weight on top of the plate. I use a can of fruit.

  Refrigerate the cake until time to serve.

  When you’re ready to serve, remove the weight and the plate, peel back the plastic wrap, and center a serving platter, right side down, over the top of the bowl. Invert the bowl, lift it off, and peel off the plastic wrap.

  Frost your cake with sweetened whipped cream. (Hannah whips her own cream, but you can use the kind in the can if it’s easier for you.)

  Slice the cake as you would a pie, in wedge-shaped pieces. Everyone will ooh and ahh when you do. Pass a dish of sweetened whipped cream for those who want more, and enjoy!

  HERB’S WEDDING COOKIE CAKE

  This cake must be refrigerated to set up—make it the night BEFORE you plan to serve it.

  8 small packages of vanilla pudding mix***

  10 cups (2½ quarts) whole milk (or Half ’n Half if you want to splurge)

  2 pounds chocolate cookies wafers****

  4-quart bowl

  Sweetened whipped cream for frosting and topping.

  Line the inside of your bowl with long strips of plastic wrap, leaving enough wrap to fold back over the top when your cake is finished.

  Cover the bottom of the bowl with chocolate cookie wafers, all the way out to the sides. You can break them in half or quarters if you want, but it’s also okay just to overlap them. (Unlike a jigsaw puzzle, it doesn’t matter if some pieces don’t fit together exactly.)

  Make the first two packages of pudding using 2½ CUPS OF MILK, not the 4 cups called for in the directions on the box.

  Pour approximately a third of the pudding over the layer of chocolate cookie wafers in your bowl. Gently spread it out with a rubber spatula. (It doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth, just not wildly uneven, that’s all.)

  Put another layer of chocolate cookie wafers on top of the pudding in the bowl. (Again, it doesn’t have to be perfect—the pudding will soak into the cookie wafers and all will be forgiven.)

  Put half of the remaining pudding on top of the second layer of chocolate cookie wafers. Spread it out so it covers them.

  Lay down another layer of chocolate cookie wafers and top it with the remaining pudding. Spread out the pudding and lay down another layer of chocolate cookie wafers. (Don’t bother to wash out the bowl or pan you used to make your pudding. You’re just going to make another batch.)

  Using another 2 packages of pudding and another 2½ cups of milk, make your second batch of pudding.

  There are more chocolate cookie wafers to cover now, since the bowl is wider. Use half of the pudding to cover the cookies. Smooth the pudding with your rubber spatula, lay down another layer of chocolate cookie wafers, cover it with the remaining pudding, and top it with another layer of cookies. (I’ll bet you’re already guessing what the rest of the cake will be like!)

  Make the third batch of pudding using 2 packages of mix and 2½ cups of milk. Put half on top of the chocolate cookie wafers in your bowl, spread it out, and top it with more cookies. Now use the rest of the pudding and top it again with chocolate cookie wafers.

  One more time! Make the final batch of pudding using 2 packages of pudding mix and 2½ cups of milk. Spread half the pudding over the chocolate cookie wafers, smooth it, and cover it with more cookies. Put on the rest of the pudding, smooth it, and this time cover it with a DOUBLE LAYER OF CHOCOLATE COOKIE WAFERS.

  (Wasn’t that easy? Even if you don’t bake, you can make this cake.)

  Fold in the edges of the plastic wrap to cover the contents of your bowl. Find a plate that will fit
inside the bowl on top of the cake. Put it in right side up so that it’ll push the cake down slightly. Set a weight on top of the plate. I use a can of fruit.

  Refrigerate the cake until time to serve.

  When you’re ready to serve, remove the weight and the plate, peel back the plastic wrap, and center a serving platter, right side down, over the top of the bowl. Invert the bowl, lift it off, and peel off the plastic wrap.

  Frost your cake with sweetened whipped cream. (Hannah whips her own cream, but you can use the kind in the can if it’s easier for you.)

  Slice the cake as you would a pie, in wedge-shaped pieces. Everyone will ooh and ahh when you do. Pass a dish of sweetened whipped cream for those who want more, and enjoy!

  Chapter Nine

  Hannah’s teeth were chattering by the time she got to the end of the driveway. Dick had started her cookie truck to warm it up, but even though he’d turned her heater to the highest setting and put the fan on full power, the only thing that had accomplished was to make the buttons on the radio a little less icy.

  The gravel road that led out to the highway was smoother than it had been when Hannah had driven in. The new layer of snow that had fallen during the reception had filled in the ruts. Hannah was still careful. She had precious cargo. Sally’s waitresses had filled the back of her truck with leftover pies, cakes, puddings, and pastry, and she was driving into town to The Cookie Jar to put them in the walk-in cooler. Lisa and Herb had given her a list and in the morning, Hannah would deliver them to Reverend Sandburg’s soup kitchen at the Bible Church, the Lake Eden Convalescent Home, the Lakeview Senior Apartments, and the new Meals on Wheels program Pam Baxter and her seniors at Jordan High were running out of her home economics classroom.