Banana Cream Pie Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  “I didn’t realize you worked here, Georgina,” Hannah said, fishing for information.

  “Only a couple shifts a week,” Georgina responded with a smile. “It gets really busy when we have a special on Reubens or Patty Melts. We get very crowded then.”

  The voice was right, Hannah concluded, remembering the last time Georgina had asked her if she wanted onion rings or fries with her burger. Her memory for faces might be faulty and of course the uniform was different, but her initial assumption was correct. “You’re still working at the Corner Tavern, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, on the weekends,” Georgina confirmed it. “What would you and your mother like to have for lunch, Hannah?”

  “I’ll have the Cobb Salad,” Delores said, “and could you put the dressing on the side, Georgina?”

  “I sure can. Do you want the salad mixed together in the kitchen, or do you want it with the meat, cheese, hard-boiled eggs, sliced avocados, and chopped tomatoes arranged in nice little ribbons on the top of the lettuce?”

  “They can toss it in the kitchen,” Delores told her. “I’ve seen it the other way and it’s really pretty, but I always make a mess when I toss it at the table myself.”

  Georgina gave a little laugh. “Don’t feel alone. A lot of people order the pretty version the first time around, but after they discover how full that bowl is, they decide to have it tossed in the kitchen. Anything to drink with that, Delores?”

  “Mango iced tea. I had some sent up to me last week and it was delicious!”

  “It’s one of my favorites, too.” Georgina made a note on her order pad and then she turned to Hannah. “How about you, Hannah?”

  Hannah motioned her a little closer. “Are the burgers as good as they are at the Corner Tavern?”

  “Well . . .” Georgina paused to glance around to make sure no one was listening to their conversation. “In a word? That would be a big no! They’re not nearly as juicy and the fry cook doesn’t seem to know how to fix them any way except well done. And the fries that come with them aren’t very good either.”

  “Then what else would you suggest?” Hannah asked.

  “Nothing deep fried and that leaves sandwiches. We’ve got a really good Turkey Stack on whole wheat.”

  “What’s in a Turkey Stack?” Hannah asked her.

  “Two slices of roast turkey. We roast it fresh every day from a turkey grown right here in the turkey barns outside of Lake Eden. You know it’s fresh because it’s home-killed meat.”

  Hannah gave an involuntary shudder. She knew where the meat she ate came from, but she really didn’t like to think about how it got from the farm to the meat counter in Florence’s Red Owl Grocery. “What else besides roast turkey?”

  “I’ll explain the whole thing. I watched the sandwich guy make one yesterday. As a matter of fact, that’s what I had for lunch. He starts with two slices of whole wheat bread. We get it from a bakery in The Cities that delivers every day.”

  Hannah found herself wondering if that bakery was where Michelle got the wonderful rye bread she bought, but she didn’t ask. Right now she was more interested in how the sandwich she’d already decided to order was made. “Two slices of whole wheat bread,” she repeated. “What’s next, Georgina?”

  “He spreads both slices of bread with a mixture of mayo and stone ground mustard. Then he sets one to the side and assembles the sandwich on the other slice. First, he puts on a slice of Emmentaler.”

  “What’s that?” Delores asked her.

  “Swiss cheese. The sandwich guy says it’s the best Swiss cheese you can buy. I think he said it comes from Emmental, a town in Switzerland.” Georgina turned back to Hannah. “Then he puts one slice of roast turkey on top of the cheese. And that gets topped with whole berry cranberry sauce that we make right here.”

  Hannah began to smile. “So far it sounds great. What goes on top of the cranberry sauce?”

  “Another slice of roast turkey. And on top of that turkey is a little layer of coleslaw, not enough to make it really wet, but enough to add a good crunch.”

  “Coleslaw!” Delores repeated, sounding a bit shocked.

  “It’s really not that unusual,” Hannah told her mother. “The deli down the block from Michelle’s house uses coleslaw on top of their corned beef sandwiches.”

  “Do they now?” Georgina sounded as if she’d just discovered the key to something that had been puzzling her. “So that’s where he got it!”

  “He who?” Delores asked.

  Hannah bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. Her mother almost always used impeccable grammar and the question, He who? coming from her mother’s mouth was hilarious.

  “I’m talking about the sandwich guy. And now I know why he puts on coleslaw. He told me he used to work in St. Paul and I’ll bet he worked at that deli!”

  “That could be,” Hannah agreed with a smile, although she suspected that more than one deli made their sandwiches with coleslaw. “Is that it for the sandwich, Georgina?”

  “Almost. He puts on another slice of Swiss cheese. He told me that the cheese acts like a moisture barrier so he puts that on top of the stack. And then he picks up the other slice of bread that’s already spread with the mayo and mustard, and slaps it on top. That’s the whole sandwich. To cut it, he pushes it down on top so it won’t fall apart when he slices it. And he serves it with a cup of our Special Corn Chowder.”

  “Special Corn Chowder?” Delores looked interested. “What makes your corn chowder special?”

  “There’s nothing special about the chowder itself. It’s so easy to make, I even do it at home when my grandkids come over for lunch. The special part is a little dollop of jalapeño jelly on the top of the bowl with a half dozen or so pieces of salted popcorn sprinkled over it.”

  “Good heavens!” Delores exclaimed. “I’m not sure if that sounds appetizing or not, but it certainly does sound intriguing.” She turned to look at Hannah. “I’ve never heard of anyone serving corn chowder like that before, have you?”

  “Never, but I think we owe it to the Red Velvet Lounge to try some. I’ll have the Turkey Stack, Georgina, with mango iced tea and a cup of your Special Corn Chowder.” She turned to Delores. “You can taste mine if you want to, Mother.”

  “No thank you, dear,” Delores said firmly. “Please cancel my previous order, Georgina. I’m going to have my own Turkey Stack and Special Corn Chowder. It sounds like the most interesting lunch I’ve had in years!”

  “Good choice, Delores,” Georgina complimented her. “I’ll put in your orders and bring your drinks. And then I’ll sit down and talk to you on my break. I didn’t get one this morning, so I’ll tell the manager I’m taking it now.” She turned to Hannah. “When I get back, you can do what you came here to do.”

  Hannah frowned slightly. “You mean . . . eat?”

  “No, I mean you can start asking me questions about Tori and Mayor Bascomb. I know you’re investigating. You always do. And I know that’s why you came in today for lunch. But I know even more than that. You’re just lucky I was working the afternoon shift when Tori came in here with Stan Kramer. Those two had a very interesting conversation and I heard the whole thing. Let me tell you, I wouldn’t be surprised if what I’m going to tell you leads you straight to Tori’s killer!”

  TURKEY STACK SANDWICH

  2 medium-thick slices of firm whole wheat bread

  cup mayonnaise (I used Best Foods Mayonnaise)

  cup stone ground mustard (I used Dijon)

  2 sandwich-size slices of Swiss cheese (I used Kraft)

  2 sandwich-size slices of roast turkey breast

  cup whole berry cranberry sauce (I made my own from fresh cranberries)

  cup coleslaw made from finely shredded cabbage

  Place the two slices of wheat bread on a cutting board.

  Mix the eighth-cup of mayonnaise with the eighth-cup of stone ground mustard.

  Spread the mayonnaise and mustard mixture on the surface of
the two slices of bread.

  Push one slice of bread to the side (that’s the top of your sandwich) and work with the other slice.

  Start by topping your bottom slice of bread with a slice of Swiss cheese.

  Place one sandwich-size slice of roast turkey on top of the Swiss cheese.

  Spread the turkey with the cranberry sauce.

  Hannah’s 1st Note: If there’s any cranberry sauce left over, feel free to eat it along with your sandwich after it’s assembled.

  Place the other slice of roast turkey breast on top of the slice with the cranberry sauce.

  Drain the coleslaw and pat it dry with a paper towel. You don’t want a leaky sandwich!

  Arrange the coleslaw on top of the turkey slice in a thin layer.

  Hannah’s 2nd Note: Don’t use too much coleslaw. In this case, less is more. The slice of turkey doesn’t have to be completely covered with coleslaw. Your goal is simply to get a little bit of crunchy coleslaw in every bite.

  Top the coleslaw with the second slice of Swiss cheese.

  Cover your Turkey Stack Sandwich with the top slice of bread, mayonnaise and mustard side down.

  Press your sandwich down slightly with a wide spatula or with the palm of your impeccably clean hand. This will keep it from falling apart when you slice it.

  Slice your sandwich into two pieces crosswise and place the pieces on a plate.

  Serve your sandwich with a cup of Special Corn Chowder if you made it. If not, you can substitute corn chips or potato chips.

  Hannah’s 3rd Note: If you have leftover cranberry sauce and leftover coleslaw, don’t forget to put them on the table for your guests who would like more.

  Yield: One delicious sandwich. This recipe may be doubled, tripled, quadrupled, or repeated for the number of people you’ve invited to lunch.

  SPECIAL CORN CHOWDER

  (Made on the stovetop)

  1 cup whipping cream

  2 chicken bouillon cubes (or enough dry bouillon crystals or beads to make 2 cups of chicken broth)

  ½ stick (2 ounces, ¼ cup, pound) salted butter

  10-ounce bag frozen whole kernel corn

  2 sixteen-ounce cans cream style corn

  1 Tablespoon brown sugar

  ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg (freshly grated is best)

  ½ teaspoon onion salt

  ½ teaspoon garlic salt

  ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

  Hot sauce to taste (I used Slap Ya Mama)

  ¼ cup instant potato flakes (if needed to thicken the chowder)

  ____________________

  One jar of jalapeño jelly

  1 package microwave buttered popcorn

  On the stovetop, using a 3 to 4 quart saucepan over LOW heat, warm the cup of whipping cream with the chicken bouillon cubes and the salted butter. Stir constantly. You don’t want the cream to scorch. Continue to heat and stir until the bouillon cubes and the butter have dissolved.

  Add the bag of frozen corn kernels and stir until the corn has cooked. This will take about 6 minutes.

  Add the cans of cream-style corn and stir them in.

  Add the Tablespoon of brown sugar and the grated nutmeg. Mix well.

  Add the onion salt, garlic salt, black pepper, and hot sauce to taste. Heat everything until your Special Corn Chowder is piping hot.

  Check the chowder to see if it’s thick enough. If it’s too thick, add a little more whipping cream. If it’s too thin, sprinkle in a few of the instant potato flakes until it’s the right consistency.

  Add more salt, pepper, or hot sauce to suit the tastes of your family.

  Hannah’s 1st Note: Careful if you decide to add more hot sauce. Don’t forget that you’ll be topping each bowl with a teaspoon of jalapeño jelly, which will add its own “heat” to the dish.

  Turn the stovetop burner down to SIMMER and prepare your jalapeño jelly and popcorn for serving.

  Place approximately 3 Tablespoons of jalapeño jelly in a small, microwave-safe bowl.

  Heat the jelly on HIGH for 20 seconds to melt it. Stir to see if it’s melted and if not, give it another 10 to 15 seconds on HIGH in the microwave.

  Set the melted jelly on the counter.

  Follow the package directions to pop your buttered popcorn in the microwave. When it’s popped, and after it’s cooled enough so that you won’t burn yourself, open the bag and pour the popcorn into a bowl.

  Give your Special Corn Chowder another stir and ladle it into bowls.

  Top each bowl with a teaspoon of melted jalapeño jelly placed in the center of the bowl. It will spread out in a little puddle.

  Top the jalapeño jelly with a half-dozen or so perfect pieces of hot popcorn and serve immediately.

  Yield: 4 generous bowls of Special Corn Chowder that everyone will enjoy. Almost everyone who tries it will never be satisfied with regular corn chowder again!

  Hannah’s 2nd Note: Save the rest of the popcorn for later and give the bowl to the kids after they’ve done their homework.

  Michelle’s Note: When I was little, Hannah used to make microwave popcorn for Andrea and me. She always poured it into a bowl, picked out the unpopped kernels so we wouldn’t bite down on one and hurt our teeth, and mixed the popcorn with M&Ms. It was a real treat to have the salted popcorn with the sweet, chocolate candy even though Andrea always made me eat the brown ones. She told me that the colored ones weren’t good for me because I was too young. Of course I didn’t believe that, but I never told her I didn’t mind because I counted a whole bag of M&Ms once when she was at cheerleading practice, and I discovered that there were a lot more brown M&Ms than colored ones!

  Chapter Thirteen

  Georgina was back in less than two minutes, carrying a tray with three tall glasses. She set it on the table, delivered theirs, and pulled up a chair to join them. “I decided to have a mango iced tea, too.”

  Scores of questions had occurred to Hannah as they’d waited for Georgina to reappear, but somehow she managed to quell them until their waitress had taken a sip of her iced tea.

  “Go ahead, Hannah,” Georgina told her. “I can see you’re just about bursting to ask me all those questions.”

  “You’re right. I am.” Hannah decided to get to the most important question first. “I know that Mayor Bascomb was here with Stephanie on the night that Tori was murdered. And I know that he said he was going up to her condo to straighten her out on something important.”

  “I figured you’d know all that. It’s one of the reasons I told my cousin, Irma. She’s the biggest gossip in town.”

  “Maybe,” Hannah agreed, deliberately not glancing at Delores, the cofounder of the telephone tree Hannah always referred to as the Lake Eden Gossip Hotline. “Do you know what time Mayor Bascomb got back here to the lounge?”

  “Not exactly, but I can give you a time frame. He left right before I went on my break at seven-thirty and he was back here, sitting with his wife when I got back at ten to eight. The night manager’s real strict about our breaks so I always watch the time.”

  Hannah sighed heavily. The mayor was in the clear if Delores was right about the time she’d heard Tori scream. Right then and there, Hannah decided to go up to her mother’s condo after lunch to check the time on her office clock.

  “Disappointing, isn’t it?” Georgina said, reading Hannah’s expression. “I call him the Teflon Mayor, you know. No matter what kind of trouble that man gets into, nothing ever sticks to him.”

  “You’re right, Georgina,” Delores said. “Ricky-Ticky gets away with a lot in this town, but so far he hasn’t murdered anybody. It’s mostly just trouble with . . .” she paused, trying to think of an appropriate word.

  “Trouble with remembering that he’s married,” Georgina finished the sentence for Delores. “There’s a lot of that going around lately. Kitty Levine was in for lunch a couple of weeks ago and she told me that Howie takes her to this big Winnetka County trial lawyers Christmas party every year. I guess those lawyers know how
to get loose once they’ve had a couple of drinks. She snapped a picture with her phone at the party two years ago while everybody was dancing and not one single guy was dancing with his own wife. And when they went to the party this last Christmas, all those lawyers had gotten divorced and had remarried the women they were dancing with in Kitty’s picture. That photo predicted the whole thing.”

  “That’s funny,” Hannah said, but once the words were out of her mouth, she amended it. “I mean, it’s funny that the picture predicted the future, but it probably wasn’t funny for the divorced wives.”

  “That’s what I thought, but Kitty said that once she’d looked around, most of those former wives had new husbands, too.”

  Hannah glanced at her watch as unobtrusively as she could, but Georgina saw her and laughed.

  “Okay, Hannah. I’ll get to the point. We can talk after I tell you about the last time I saw Tori.”