Blackberry Pie Murder (A Hannah Swensen Mystery)
Page 30
“Wonderful!” Delores said, “Truffles are one of my favorite things.” She gave Sally a grateful smile and reached into the box for one. She took a bite and her smile grew even wider. “This one is strawberry and they’re wonderful, Sally!”
“Thank you. And now I’d better get the rest of the entrees Doc and the girls ordered. Doc said you’d be having refreshments at the bridal shower, but are you sure you don’t want something else to eat?”
“Well . . . a little chicken salad sandwich with the crusts cut off only goes so far. Do you have your oso bucco tonight?”
“We do.”
“Then I’ll have that. And what I don’t finish, Doc will probably have for breakfast . . . right, Doc?”
“TMI, Lori.”
Delores laughed. “Too much information. I learned that just the other day from Hannah.” She turned back to Sally. “Please forget you heard that.”
“Consider it forgotten,” Sally said. She patted Delores on the shoulder and then she hurried back to the kitchen.
“I have a toast,” Delores said when Sally had left. “I want to thank all of you for being so patient with me. I know I promised I wouldn’t change my mind again, but I just had the best idea for the wedding.”
The three Swensen sisters and Lisa exchanged glances. It was clear that all four of them were thinking the same thought. Uh-oh! She’s going to do it again!
“What’s your idea, Mother?” Hannah asked.
“Pink! Wouldn’t pink be a perfect wedding color?”
Hannah came close to groaning. With her red hair she did not look pretty in pink. “Does this mean you’re going to wear pink on your wedding?”
“No, dear. I was thinking about the bridesmaid dresses and the bridal bouquet. I think little pink roses mixed with something white would be absolutely perfect. Pink and white. It’s a simply lovely combination. Yes, I’ve decided. I want white for the other wedding color.”
“You’re planning to wear white?” Lisa asked.
“Heavens no! I’d never wear white. This is a second wedding for me and I’m not exactly the blushing bride, you know.”
Doc laughed. “You can say that again!”
While Hannah, Michelle, Andrea, and Lisa struggled to contain their laughter, Delores turned to Doc in shock.
“Doc!” she exclaimed, her eyes flashing fire.
“Relax, Lori. Three of the four girls sitting at this table are your daughters, and I delivered all three of them. I know you’re not the blushing bride.”
“Oh,” Delores said, and her angry expression turned into a smile. “Of course you know. You were my doctor.”
“I’m still your doctor.”
“Yes, you are.” Delores turned back to them again. “I’m sorry I’ve been so indecisive about the wedding plans. It’s just . . . well . . . I want everything to be perfect.”
“That’s okay, Mother,” Hannah said, and she meant it.
Andrea nodded. “Don’t worry about it, Mother.”
“We’re fine with anything you decide,” Michelle said.
“It’s your wedding, after all,” Lisa added her comment. “You’re the one who has to decide.”
“But I’ve been changing my mind too much after I promised Hannah I wouldn’t.” Delores looked contrite. “I want to apologize and tell you that I plan to do my very best to stick with what I decided.”
“Fine with us,” Hannah said, and everyone else nodded their agreement.
“Oh, good!” Delores looked very relieved. “For a moment there, I thought you were about to give up on me.”
“We’d never do that,” Hannah responded for all of them.
“Well, you’re all very understanding and sweet,” Delores said, and then she turned to Doc. “I have good girls, don’t I, dear?”
“The best in the world,” Doc said, winking at them before he pulled Delores into his arms and hugged her.
Andrea smiled at Delores. “We’re all very happy for you, Mother.”
“And we’re very happy to plan your wedding,” Hannah added.
It was a happy moment. The wedding planners were saved future aggravation and Doc had accomplished that. As far as everyone at this table was concerned, Delores was marrying the perfect man for her . . . and for them, too!
And then the roof came crashing in, metaphorically of course, because Howie came up to their table. “You all look very happy,” Howie said.
“We are,” Delores said, smiling at him. “What’s the good word, Howie?”
Howie looked slightly embarrassed. “I’m afraid it’s not very good, Delores. Can I see you in private, Hannah?”
Hannah felt her heart rate escalate. Howie looked very solemn. “Of course,” she said.
“Is this about the trial?” Doc asked him.
“Yes. When is the wedding?”
“September twentieth,” Delores told him. “And of course you and Kitty are invited. I’ll get the invitations out soon.”
“Thank you,” Howie said politely, and then he turned to Doc again. “I really should talk to Hannah in private.”
Hannah made a move to get up, but Doc motioned her back down to her seat. “If this is about the trial, it concerns all of us. What is it, Howie? Spit it out.”
“Hannah?” Howie turned to her.
Hannah swallowed hard. She was terribly afraid that their happy evening would be spoiled, but now that Howie had brought it up, there was nothing to do but discuss it in front of her family. “Go ahead, Howie. Tell us all.”
“Your trial is scheduled for the first week in September, Hannah. That means it should be over by the time your mother gets married.”
“Thank goodness for that!” Delores said, looking very relieved. “Hannah’s a bridesmaid, you know.”
“I know,” Howie said, turning back to Hannah. “I need you in my office next week to discuss strategy.”
Hannah nodded. Her mouth was too dry to speak. She wanted to ask him if everything was going to be all right, but perhaps the question was better left unasked for now.
“I’ll be there,” She forced out the words, and then she turned to her mother. “Don’t worry, Mother. You heard Howie. Everything will be settled by the time you get married.”
Delores smiled and motioned for Sally to bring an extra chair for Howie. “Champagne?”
“Just one glass. I have to meet a client at my office.”
“At this time of night?” Doc asked him.
“Yes. It’s an assault and battery charge and this case is complicated.”
“You work too hard, Howie,” Delores said as Dot arrived with a chair for Howie and poured champagne for him.
As the conversation flowed around her, Hannah managed to keep the smile on her face. Howie wanted to have a strategy meeting. What did he mean by that? Was her case even more complicated than the case he was discussing with another client tonight?
Somehow Hannah managed to keep the fixed smile on her face, but she didn’t meet anyone’s eyes, especially not Howie’s. She was afraid she’d burst into tears. Was Howie going to try to convince her to accept a plea bargain? And should she do that if he said it was advisable? If she did, would she be locked in prison so that she couldn’t be a part of her mother’s wedding to Doc?!
BLACKBERRY PIE MARTINI
To make this drink you will need a martini glass, a martini shaker OR a pitcher filled with ice, and a drink strainer.
The Rimming Mixture:
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (use the store-bought kind—it’s ground finer than if you grate it)
¼ cup white (granulated) sugar
The Drink:
2 ounces of Tito’s Handmade Vodka
1 ounce Triple Sec
¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
2 ounces Torani Blackberry Syrup (or fresh or frozen blackberry puree)
The Garnish:
blackberry as a garnish
Mix the cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar together in a sauce
r or small salad plate that is slightly larger than the rim of your martini glass. (I used the cap of my flour jar turned upside down to do this—it fit perfectly.)
Dip your impeccably clean fingertip in a bit of lemon juice and run it around the rim of the martini glass. (The object here is to make it wet on top of the rim so the rimming mixture will stick.)
Turn the glass upside down in the shallow bowl and move it around a bit so that the rimming mixture coats the tip of the rim.
Set the rimmed glass on the counter while you make the drink.
Combine the drink ingredients in a martini shaker. Add ice and shake for 5 to 10 seconds, but not long enough to melt the ice cubes.
Strain the mixture into your rimmed martini glass, add the blackberry garnish, and serve.
Alternatively, you can make this in a pitcher filled with ice, stir until the mixture is icy cold (but not long enough to melt the ice—you don’t want it to dilute the martini), and strain the mixture into your rimmed martini glass.
Drop a fresh or frozen blackberry into your martini as a garnish.
Yield: 1 delicious martini that tastes like blackberry pie!
Hannah’s Note: If you’re only making one Blackberry Pie Martini, you’ll have some rimming mixture left over. Put it in the cupboard and use it to sprinkle on hot buttered toast in the morning to make cinnamon toast.
BLACKBERRY PIE COOLER (NON-ALCOHOLIC BLACKBERRY PIE “MARTINI”)
The Rimming Mixture:
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (use the store-bought kind—it’s ground rather than grated)
¼ cup white (granulated) sugar
The Drink:
2 ounces white cranberry juice
2 ounces fresh lemon juice
2 ounces Torani Blackberry Syrup OR fresh blackberry puree
The Garnish:
1 fresh or frozen blackberry as a garnish
Mix the cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar together in a saucer or small salad plate that is slightly larger than the rim of your martini glass. (I used the cap of my flour jar turned upside down to do this—it fit perfectly.)
Dip your impeccably clean fingertip in a bit of lemon juice and run it around the rim of the martini glass. (The object here is to make it wet on top of the rim so the rimming mixture will stick.)
Turn the glass upside down in the shallow bowl and move it around a bit so that the rimming mixture coats the tip of the rim.
Set the rimmed glass on the counter while you make the drink.
Combine the drink ingredients in a martini shaker. Add ice and shake for 5 to 10 seconds, but not long enough to melt the ice cubes.
Strain the mixture into your rimmed martini glass, add the blackberry garnish, and serve.
Alternatively, you can make this in a pitcher filled with ice, stir until the mixture is icy cold (but not long enough to melt the ice—you don’t want it to dilute the martini), and strain the mixture into your rimmed martini glass.
Drop a fresh or frozen blackberry into your drink as a garnish.
Yield: 1 delicious non-alcoholic “martini” that tastes like blackberry pie!
Hannah’s Note: If you’re only making one Blackberry Pie “Martini”, you’ll have some rimming mixture left over. Put it in the cupboard and use it to sprinkle on hot buttered toast in the morning to make cinnamon toast.
BLACKBERRY PIE MURDER RECIPE INDEX
Tio Tito’s Sublime Lime Bar Cookies
Treasure Chest Cookies (Lisa’s Aunt Nancy’s Babysitter’s Cookies)
Chip Chip Hooray Cookies
Grandma’s Buttermilk Pie
Cream Cheese and Herb Scones
Fettuccini “Porcini” (Australian Fettucini)
Rummy Tum Tum Cake
Rummy Tum Tum Chocolate Frosting
Winnie’s Fresh Blackberry Pie (“Blackbeard Pie”)
Fresh Blackberry Cookies
Orange Crisps
Chocolate Orange Crisps
Airy Berry Cookies
Chocolate Drizzle
Chocolate Hazelnut Crackles (Nutella Cookies)
Bacon, Egg, and Cheddar Cheese Toast Cups
Graham Cracker Cake
Triple Chocolate Cookies
Butterscotch Brickle Bar Cookies
Golden Raisin Whippersnapper Cookies
Blue Apple Muffins
Yummy Yam Cookies (Sweet Potato or Yam Cookies)
Easy Pralines
Blackberry Pie Martini
Blackberry Pie Cooler
(Non-Alcoholic Blackberry Pie “Martini”)
Baking Conversion Chart
These conversions are approximate, but they’ll work just fine for Hannah Swensen’s recipes.
VOLUME
U.S. Metric
½ teaspoon 2 milliliters
1 teaspoon 5 milliliters
1 tablespoon 15 milliliters
¼ cup 50 milliliters
cup 75 milliliters
½ cup 125 milliliters
¾ cup 175 milliliters
1 cup ¼ liter
WEIGHT
U.S. Metric
1 ounce 28 grams
1 pound 454 grams
OVEN TEMPERATURE
Degrees Fahrenheit Degrees Centigrade British (Regulo) Gas Mark
325 degrees F. 165 degrees C. 3
350 degrees F. 175 degrees C. 4
375 degrees F. 190 degrees C. 5
Note: Hannah’s rectangular sheet cake pan, 9 inches by 13 inches, is approximately 23 centimeters by 32.5 centimeters.
A Letter From Joanne Fluke
Years before Hannah Swensen unlocked the back door at The Cookie Jar, I went to visit a friend and her newborn daughter in Las Vegas. I flew out of Minneapolis in the middle of a snowstorm, happy to be escaping the cold Minnesota winter. When we landed in Vegas, I met my friend and switched to sandals for the drive to her place. As I stuffed my snow boots in my suitcase, I thought of how wonderful it was to breathe warm air that hadn’t come out of a furnace vent!
We drove out of town and took the road to Mount Charleston. Soon there was snow on the ground and it got deeper and icier as we climbed higher. I thought I’d be relaxing by a pool in the warm sun, but it seemed that I was returning to cold weather much sooner than I’d expected!
We walked in to their log cabin near the mountain top. Their access road wasn’t plowed and residents had to park on the shoulder of the highway. It wasn’t far and I marveled at the breathtaking scenery. How gorgeous! And how glad I was that I had my snow boots!
By the time we turned in for the night, I was imagining what might happen if someone lived in an exclusive, high-rise condo in this beautiful but terrifyingly isolated place. What if there was a blizzard? And what if a killer terrorized the residents who were stranded with no help from the outside world? This was the moment I knew I had to write Dead Giveaway and set it high on Mount Charleston. I hope you enjoy reading it when it’s re-released in May 2014. Even though I know it’s fiction, I still can’t re-read it without shivering!
Prologue
The meeting took place in a high-rise office building, twenty stories above the Vegas Strip. The five men wore fashionably-cut business suits. There wasn’t a bodyguard in sight, the strains of Italian aria did not fill the air, and no one’s name was Guido.
The tanned blond man looked uncomfortable as he addressed the senior member of the group. “I’m sorry it has to be this way, but our only option is to take a hard line.”
Reluctantly, the older man nodded, perspiring heavily. “I know, I know. She thinks she’s in love and she won’t listen to reason. She doesn’t realize he’s playing her for a fool.”
“She’s already talked too much.” The short, thin man frowned. “We managed to take care of it this time, but we can’t take another chance.”
The older man peered into their faces for some sign of compassion, but no one would meet his eyes. “But she’s my daughter! There’s got to be some other way!”
The fourth member of the group, a heavyset man with a ruddy complexion, sighed deeply. “You know we’re reasonable men. If there’s another solution, we’re willing to consider it.”
“What if I personally guarantee her silence? Put a guard on her day and night?”
There was a silence for a long moment and then the heavyset man shook his head. “We know your intentions are good, but you can’t control her forever. She’ll manage to slip her guard sooner or later and then . . .”
The fifth member of the group, silent until this point, held up his hand. “I know that I speak for every man here when I say that we respect your feelings for your daughter.” The heavyset man nodded along with the others. “And because of that respect which we all share, I have worked out a plan to keep her alive but eliminate the threat she poses.”
They all leaned forward as he outlined the details. An expression of anguish came over the older man’s face as he listened, but then he nodded reluctantly. It was better than nothing.