Christmas Caramel Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  Mike laughed. “I knew you’d get around to that, but I just gave you a piece of information. It’s your turn to cough up something for me. Who’s on your suspect list?”

  “Mayor Bascomb, but I cleared him.”

  Mike reached out to tip her chin up so that he could look into her eyes. “Do I detect a slightly disappointed look on your face?”

  “Maybe. He did have a perfect motive.”

  “I know. And I cleared him, too. But I asked you who was on your list, not who you cleared.”

  Hannah sighed. She wished that Mike wasn’t quite so logical. She had to give him something before he’d divulge any more information.”

  “Give it up, Hannah,” Mike prompted her.

  There was no choice. Hannah knew that she had to tell him. “All right. You win. It’s Stephanie Bascomb.”

  “Stephanie?”

  “Yes.”

  “But she got what she wanted from the mayor. I talked to Claire, and the clothes she bought cost a lot of money. And then I went out to the mall and talked to her jeweler. The mayor paid a small fortune for that ring. Stephanie got her usual revenge and then some.”

  “I know. I heard about the diamond. Lisa saw it and she said it was as big as a boulder.”

  “Well . . . Lisa’s exaggerating a bit, but it is extremely large. But Stephanie already had her new clothes and her new diamond when the victim was murdered. What motive would Stephanie have for actually killing Phyllis?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe Stephanie thought that Phyllis would do it all over again. Or . . . maybe she wanted to get even with Phyllis for asking the mayor to set her up in an apartment.”

  “That’s weak, Hannah.”

  “Okay, try this one on for size. Stephanie always supports the Lake Eden Players. She even introduces the actors when they take their curtain call. Maybe she didn’t want Phyllis to be Mrs. Claus because she felt that Phyllis wasn’t worthy of being included in a Lake Eden Players production.”

  “That’s a little more plausible, but Stephanie has an alibi. She went out for drinks with the mayor after his council meeting.”

  “Yes, but he didn’t pick her up until nine. She was alone before that. And Doc set the window for the time of death from eight to ten that night.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “A little birdie told me.”

  Mike smiled. “A little birdie named Mother?”

  “Whatever. I don’t have to reveal my sources unless it interferes with your official investigation. We have a deal, don’t we?”

  “We do.”

  “If Phyllis was murdered at the beginning of the window of death period, Stephanie would have had time to kill her.”

  “You think that Stephanie had time to drive out to the Corner Tavern, bash in the victim’s head, get rid of the murder weapon, drive back home, clean up, and be dressed and ready to go when the mayor picked her up at nine last night?”

  “Yes. It would be tight, but if she was determined to get rid of Phyllis, she could do it. And there’s even another possibility that would have saved Stephanie some time. She could have been in the school parking lot, waiting for Phyllis to come out of the auditorium. Rod published the rehearsal schedule in the Lake Eden Journal. Stephanie could have followed Phyllis out to the Corner Tavern and intercepted her before she could get inside. That would explain why Bonnie Surma didn’t see Phyllis walk in. Stephanie killed Phyllis before she got anywhere near the entrance to the restaurant.”

  Mike thought about that for a few moments. “It’s unlikely, but possible,” he conceded. “You were there at the school, Hannah. Did you see Phyllis come out?”

  “No. I told you this before. Lisa left before Tory Bascomb dismissed the cast and the crew. When we drove off, none of them had come out yet.”

  “Did you see Stephanie’s car in the school parking lot?”

  “No, but there were a lot of other cars and I wasn’t looking for it.”

  “Fair enough. I’ll have my team go through Stephanie’s car to see if they can find anything.”

  “How are you going to do that? Are you going to tell Stephanie that she’s a suspect?”

  “There’s no need for that. Don’t worry, Hannah. I have a way to get her car so that my guys can go through it, and it won’t arouse either Stephanie’s or the mayor’s suspicions.”

  “You’re going to do something sneaky?”

  “Some might call it that. Others would call it brilliant.” Mike gave her the devilish grin that always made Hannah’s knees turn weak. “What are you doing for dinner tonight?”

  Hannah couldn’t hide her look of surprise. “Are you inviting me out to dinner when you’re in the middle of an investigation?”

  “No. I’d like to ask you out to dinner, but I’m on call until this case is solved. I just want to know where you are at all times. I worry about you, Hannah.”

  “That’s really . . .” Hannah paused, trying to come up with the perfect word. “That’s really sweet.”

  “It’s not sweet. It’s necessary. You’re really good at identifying the killer, but that usually gets you into trouble. I just want a little warning, okay? One of these times I might not be around to protect you. And I do want to protect you, Hannah. I care about you.” Mike reached out for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I don’t want to see anything bad to happen to you.”

  Hannah’s first instinct was to bristle. She wanted to recount the number of times she’d confronted a killer alone and taken the proper action to save herself. She wasn’t some kind of delicate tropical flower that had to be kept in a hothouse and cosseted. But Mike did have a point. She’d gotten into trouble a couple of times and Mike had been there. He had saved her. There was no denying that. And she had no way of knowing the future. It was possible that a similar situation could happen again.

  “Okay,” Hannah told him, although it went totally against her fiercely independent nature. “I’ll be glad to give you my schedule for the evening, if it’ll make you feel any better.”

  Mike pulled out the small notebook that he always carried in the shirt pocket of his uniform, and unclipped his pen. “Okay,” he said. “Shoot.”

  “Isn’t that a rather dangerous thing for a cop to say?” Hannah asked him, unable to resist the joke.

  “Not to you. I know you don’t keep a gun in The Cookie Jar. Where will you be, Hannah?”

  “I’ll be right here until four-thirty. I’m going to let Lisa close up today. Michelle and I will head back to the condo to get something to eat and feed Moishe. And then we’ll drive back to town to attend the last rehearsal of the play at the school auditorium.”

  “And after that?”

  “Back to the condo until early tomorrow morning, when Michelle and I should get here about five. You’re welcome to drop by then for coffee and cookies if you want to check up on me and get the schedule for my day.”

  “Thanks, Hannah. I appreciate that. And you won’t go anywhere else?”

  “I’m not planning on it.”

  Mike looked properly grateful for her cooperation, and Hannah couldn’t help but wonder if they were on a new footing as she walked him to the door. When they got there, she opened it for Mike, but he didn’t step out. Instead, he pulled her into his arms and gave her a hug. “If you deviate from the schedule you gave me for tonight, please text or call,” Mike told her after ending the hug. “I don’t want to remove another cold dead body from a snowbank.”

  CHOCOLATE-COVERED MINT COOKIES

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

  1 cup salted butter, softened (2 sticks, 8 ounces,

  ½ pound)

  1 small package (makes 4 half-cups) chocolate instant pudding mix (NOT sugar-free)

  ½ cup white (granulated) sugar ½ cup packed brown sugar

  1 egg, beaten

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  ¼ teaspoon salt

  ½ teaspoo
n ground cinnamon

  1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)

  1 and ½ cups quick rolled oats (not instant—the Quick 1-minute kind)

  1 cup chocolate-covered mints (I used Junior Mints)

  1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (a 6-ounce pack- age—I used Nestle)

  In a medium bowl and using an electric mixer, on MEDIUM SPEED, beat the softened butter with the dry chocolate pudding mix. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

  Add the white sugar and the brown sugar. Continue to beat on MEDIUM speed until the contents are well-mixed.

  Add the egg and the vanilla. Mix well.

  Add the baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix until they are well incorporated.

  Add the flour in half-cup increments, mixing after each addition.

  Add the rolled oats in half-cup increments, mixing after each addition.

  Remove the bowl from the mixer and give it a final stir by hand. You will finish the rest of this recipe by hand.

  Stir in the chocolate-covered mints by hand, being careful not to over-stir and crush them.

  Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips and stir them in. Again, stir lightly so that you don’t crush the mints.

  Prepare your cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper, or spraying lightly with Pam or another non-stick cooking spray.

  Drop, by rounded teaspoons, no more than 12 cookies to a standard-sized sheet. You can also use a 2-teaspoon size scooper if you wish.

  Bake the Chocolate-Covered Mint Cookies at 350 degrees F. for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

  Cool the cookies for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet, and then remove them to a wire rack to complete cooling. (If you’ve used parchment paper, you can simply leave the cookies on the paper and pull it over to the wire rack.) Wait until the cookies are completely cool before you try to peel them off the parchment paper.

  Yield: Makes approximately 5 dozen deliciously minty and chocolatey cookies.

  Chapter Ten

  “Thanks, Norman!” Hannah said, as Norman walked in the door of the Jordan High auditorium carrying a very large box. She knew exactly what was in the box because she’d called him earlier and asked him to bring his popcorn machine to the auditorium.

  “No problem. I’ve got all the things you need to make a batch of popcorn in the car. I’ll go get the other box.”

  Hannah quickly shrugged into her parka. “Hold on a second and I’ll walk out with you.”

  “Okay, but I don’t need help. Wouldn’t you rather stay here, where it’s warm?”

  “No, I’d rather go with you. Come on, Norman. Let’s get that second box so we can figure out how to use your popcorn machine before it’s time for the first intermission.”

  “But there’s no audience. It’s just a rehearsal.”

  “I know, but the Lake Eden Players might like some popcorn to munch on between acts. And everyone on the makeup and technical crews would enjoy it.”

  “You’re right, Hannah. Let’s go.”

  Norman led the way outside and Hannah followed. The moment they got outside the door, Norman turned to her. “Okay, Hannah. Why did you need to talk to me alone?”

  Hannah smiled. She should have known that Norman would catch her true purpose in walking out with him. “Because Lisa was standing with Michelle at the counter and I wanted to ask you if you’d discovered anything that might help to clear her.”

  “Makes sense. And, as a matter of fact, I did discover a partial alibi for her.”

  “Oh, Norman! You’re wonderful!” Hannah threw her arms around him and gave him a hug. It wasn’t much of a hug because they were both wearing bulky, padded parkas and her arms barely reached around him. “Tell me what you discovered.”

  “I stopped by Mother and Earl’s this afternoon. Earl was there, warming up after a whole morning of plowing out Lake Eden city streets, and Mother was making Janelle’s Chicken Soup for him.”

  “I love that soup! I wish I’d gone with you.”

  “So do I. You know I love to spend time with you, Hannah. Anyway, I had a bowl of soup with them, and Earl and I got to talking. Earl said he was driving the snowplow last night.”

  “Last night,” Hannah repeated, beginning to understand why Norman was telling her about Earl’s snowplow schedule. “Where did Earl plow? And when?”

  “That’s what I love about you Hannah.” Norman slipped his arm around her waist as they walked to his car. “You catch on right away.”

  “Maybe. What time?”

  “He was going to plow Lisa’s street at nine-thirty-five, but he noticed that Lisa’s car was parked in front of the house. He knows that Lisa and Herb have a two-car garage and they always park there when they come home at night. Since Lisa’s car was out on the street, Earl figured that she planned to go out again.”

  “That was smart of him,” Hannah commented.

  “I thought so, too. Earl told me that the plow he uses leaves a pretty high bank of snow and he didn’t want to block Lisa in if she needed to get her car out again, so he passed by her street and started plowing a few streets over.”

  “Earl’s a really nice guy,” Hannah said, having trouble containing her excitement. “When did he come back with the plow?”

  “He thinks it was about ten minutes later because he plowed the streets on either side of her.”

  “And when Earl got back there, Lisa’s car was gone?”

  “Yes. That helps, doesn’t it, Hannah?”

  “Yes! It proves that Lisa went home to feed the dogs. And it takes fifteen minutes to get from Lisa’s house to the Corner Tavern.”

  “That means Lisa couldn’t have gotten there until ten minutes before ten. And then there’s only another ten minutes of her time that’s unaccounted for?”

  “That’s right. It doesn’t clear Lisa, but it makes her a much more unlikely suspect. Lisa met me inside at around ten. And that means she would have had only ten minutes to kill Phyllis, change to her ankle boots, and hurry into the restaurant to meet me.” Hannah put her arms around Norman again and hugged him as tightly as she could. “Thank you so much! It helps a whole lot.”

  “Does it help enough to invite me to your place after the rehearsal is over?”

  “Of course it does!” Hannah responded immediately. “You know you’re always welcome.”

  “Good. I’ll stop for pizza and meet you and Michelle at the condo. And now, we’d better get these supplies inside before the first act ends and we don’t have time to figure out the machine and make the popcorn.”

  * * *

  “That went well!” Hannah commented as she drove out of the school parking lot and headed for the highway.”

  “And everyone loved the popcorn,” Michelle reported. “There were quite a few people who came straight from work and they were really hungry.”

  “I’m going to drive past The Cookie Jar to make sure our Christmas lights are on,” Hannah told her. “I had to move the timer this morning, and I’m not sure I set the time correctly.”

  “Why did you have to move it?”

  “Lisa told me that one of our customers almost tripped over the extension cord, so I decided to move the timer to a closer wall socket.”

  “That was probably smart.”

  “While I was at it, I put on a new timer, too. It’s one that fits flat to the wall with the plug on the side.” Hannah drove up to Main Street and turned at the corner. The lights were on, and she gave a satisfied smile as they went past. “I must have done it right. They’re still on.”

  “And they look really good. I’m glad that all the businesses on Main Street leave their Christmas lights on at night.”

  “So am I. It really looks festive. Herb was smart convincing everyone that leaving on the Christmas lights was a deterrent to thieves.”

  “Speaking of Herb, did you manage to talk to Lisa?”

  “Yes.” Hannah turned onto the highway and drove toward her cond
o complex. “I think I convinced her that Herb isn’t seeing another woman. I told her exactly what Mike told me, and that seemed to satisfy her. And she was very relieved that Herb had an alibi.”

  “Do you mind if I bake when we get to your place? It won’t take long.”

  “I never mind when you bake. What are you making?”

  “A Christmas Orange Raisin Cake.”

  “Is that a new recipe?”

  “Not really. It’s an adaptation of Grandma Elsa’s Christmas Date Cake. I’ve been thinking about it all day, and I’ve got everything I need to make it.”

  There was very little traffic, and it didn’t take long to drive to the condo complex, and Hannah parked in her designated spot in the underground garage. The two sisters walked up the outside staircase together, and Hannah gave a little wave as she spotted Moishe on the window ledge, waiting for them to get home. “I guess it’s a little silly to wave to Moishe,” she said with a laugh. “You’re not going to believe this, but once he waved back at me.”

  “You’re kidding, aren’t you?” Michelle asked.

  “No. When I climbed up the stairs and waved at him, he raised his right paw and put it up against the glass.”

  “Okay,” Michelle said, but she didn’t sound convinced. “Maybe he was after a bug or something.”

  “Maybe, but I prefer to believe that he was waving back at me.” Hannah reached the landing first and waited for Michelle to climb the last few steps. “You, or me?” she asked.

  “I’ll do it.” Michelle positioned herself for the furry orange and white ball that would jump through the air and land in her arms once the door was opened.

  “Ready?” Hannah asked her.

  “Ready.”

  Hannah unlocked the door and stood to the side. She reached out to open it, moved out of the way just in time, and watched as Moishe hurtled himself airborne and straight into Michelle’s waiting arms.