by Joanne Fluke
The voice startled her, and she shot to her feet. Herb was standing at the open window.
“You can stop looking, Hannah. We took the picture without Uncle Gus. Norman’s going to stick around, so if he shows up later, we’ll take another one.”
“He won’t show up.” Her voice sounded strained to her own ears, and Hannah cleared her throat.
“What do you mean, He won’t show up?”
Hannah cleared her throat again. “He’s…he…call Mike and Bill on your cell phone, will you? It’s important.”
“Okay, but why?”
“They need to come out here. Uncle Gus is…gone,” she forced out the words, knowing full well that the woman who hated euphemisms had just used one.
“You mean he left the family reunion without even saying goodbye?”
“Not exactly,” Hannah said, sighing as she avoided yet another a direct answer. “Just tell them to hurry. And don’t let anyone in until they get here.”
Chapter Seven
Hannah gazed out across the blue-green expanse of the lake. The sun was shining brightly, the water sparkled as she skimmed it with the tips of her fingers, and a light breeze lifted her hair from the nape of her neck. The warmth of the sun and the serene beauty of the lake was almost enough to erase the memory of Gus…almost, but not quite.
Norman rowed smoothly across the water. He’d been waiting for her when she left the pavilion, and he’d led her down to the water and launched the boat.
“Where are we going?” Hannah asked him. They were in the middle of Eden Lake, and she was glad to get away from the continual questions about what had happened, the speculation about who could have done such a terrible thing to Gus, and why.
“We’re here.” Norman dropped the anchor next to a huge bed of pink and white water lilies.
“Where’s here?”
“Eden Lake’s water lily garden. Marge told me her father added plants to it every summer.”
“It’s gorgeous. And all this time, I never knew it was here.”
“Are you okay, Hannah?”
“I’m a whole lot better now,” she said, admiring the water lilies. “All I need is a white dress and a straw bonnet with a ribbon around it and I could pose for Monet’s The Boat at Giverny.”
“Or the girl who’s not paddling in Renoir’s The Skiff. But I don’t think she has a hat on.”
“It’s hard to tell with the impressionists. Of course I could always jump in and be a floating face in the middle of any of Monet’s water lily paintings. It would be like Where’s Waldo? and nobody would even spot me.”
“Don’t do that. Or at least don’t do it before you have some lunch.” Norman opened the hamper Hannah hadn’t noticed before and took out two stemmed glasses. “Let’s start with the drinks. Champagne? Or lemonade?”
“I think it’d better be lemonade. Mike hasn’t interviewed me yet.”
“Smart choice.” Norman filled her glass with lemonade from the thermos he’d brought and handed her a sandwich. “Here. You need this.”
Hannah accepted the sandwich and bit into it. “Egg salad. My favorite! And this is really good egg salad. Who made it?”
“I did.”
Hannah looked at him in surprise. “I thought you didn’t cook.”
“I don’t. But anybody can hard boil an egg, and the rest is just chopping it up, mixing it with other stuff, and spreading it on bread.”
“Okay…” Hannah stopped and took another bite to be sure. “But this is gourmet egg salad. It even has bits of bacon in it. How did you make it?”
“I’m not sure. I just kept adding things until it tasted right.”
“Well, please write it down the next time you make it. I want the recipe.”
“Really?” Norman looked surprised.
“Yes, really. Egg salad is one of my favorite comfort foods. If I eat it, I feel better. It’s like macaroni and cheese, or chicken soup. It makes me feel warm and loved.”
Norman smiled. “You are loved, Hannah.”
Hannah wasn’t sure what to say. She knew Norman loved her, and she loved him, too. She wanted to tell him she’d marry him and be with him always, but she couldn’t. As long as she also had feelings for Mike, it wouldn’t be fair to marry Norman.
Norman reached out to put an arm around her. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“I’m glad you did,” Hannah said, reaching out to give him a little hug. And then she changed the subject. “Moishe was really crazy last night. I was so tired, I slept through the noise, but my downstairs neighbor called me at two-thirty in the morning.”
“What was Moishe doing?”
“Racing around the tub in my master bathroom. He was making a terrible racket.”
Norman began to frown. “Sounds like the Big Guy isn’t happy. Is it because you’ve been gone so much lately?”
“Maybe. He also shredded my couch pillow and left little bits of stuffing all over the floor.”
“Definitely not happy. I’d invite him out to play with Cuddles, but she’s gone on vacation.”
Hannah realized she hadn’t really talked to Norman for at least a week. They’d both been so busy they hadn’t had time to go out to dinner, or just sit over coffee and converse. “What’s all this about sending your cat on a vacation?” she asked.
“Oh, I didn’t send her. Marguerite dropped by and asked if she could take Cuddles to her friend’s house for the week. Since she had Cuddles before I adopted her, I thought it was only fair. Her friend has an older male Persian, and everything’s set up for cats. Marguerite thought Cuddles would be in her element.”
“But what if she’s not?” Hannah was a bit worried. Cats could be finicky about the company they kept.
“She’s fine. Marguerite called me this morning to report.”
“And if she hadn’t been fine, you would have jumped in your car and driven up to get her?”
“Of course. I miss her a lot, but it’s good for Marguerite to have this time with her. And after all, I promised we’d have split custody.”
Hannah took another bite of her sandwich and gave a little sigh of pleasure. Norman just had to write down the ingredients! She’d never tasted an egg salad she liked better. “How about Clara?” she asked, knowing that Marguerite’s sister was allergic to cats, dogs, birds, and a whole long list of other things. “Did Doc Knight find a better allergy medicine for her?”
“No, but Clara and Marguerite are taking separate vacations this year. Clara’s going to a church retreat, and Marguerite’s visiting her friend in Duluth.”
“They’ve never done that before, have they?”
“No. Marguerite says they’ve always gone everywhere together, but it was Clara’s idea to split up this year. Clara’s crazy about Cuddles, you know. It’s just that she can’t be around her without having a reaction. She told Marguerite to bring Cuddles to the condo while she was gone, but Marguerite thought it would be easier to go to her friend’s house.”
“Kitty dander. It would take a professional cleaning crew to get all the allergens out of the condo for Clara if Marguerite brought Cuddles there.”
“Exactly. So tell me more about Moishe. I know you’ve been gone a lot, but has anything else changed in your routine?”
“Not really, unless you count the cable.”
“There’s something wrong with your cable?”
“It still works, but our lineup’s changed and they haven’t sent a new cable guide. We’ve got over two hundred channels now, and I haven’t been able to find Moishe’s favorite.”
“The Animal Channel?”
“Yes. Do you get it?”
“I get it, but I have a dish. How about Andrea?”
“They’ve got a dish, too. And Mother never watches it, so she’s no help.”
“You could always call the cable company and ask.” Norman suggested.
“I will, if I ever get a couple of hours to spend on hold. I tried yesterday afternoon, but th
eir business office isn’t open on Sunday.”
“I think I’m beginning to understand something here,” Norman looked thoughtful. “Moishe’s lonely because you’ve been gone so much, and he doesn’t have his favorite television channel to watch. Is there anything else he doesn’t have?”
“Mice. There’s plenty to eat outside right now and the field mice won’t come in until the first cold snap. And the maintenance guys replaced the weather stripping on all the doors and windows, so I don’t have as many bugs.”
“No Animal Channel, no mice, no bugs,” Norman reiterated. “Maybe he’s bored.”
Hannah thought about that for a minute. “You could be right. But what can I do about it? I can’t take him to work with me.”
“I’ll call around. Somebody’s bound to know the new cable lineup. I’ll get the number of the Animal Channel and tell you.”
“That would be great!” Hannah said. Norman was always so good to her. “Maybe I should loosen a little bit of that weather stripping and let some bugs in for him.”
“Don’t do that. I’ve got another idea that might work. They’re having a sale on Kitty Kondos at the pet store in the mall.”
“What are Kitty Kondos?”
“They’re three-story activity centers covered with carpeting. The base is the first story. It’s a big tub-like thing that supports the rest of the structure.”
“Tub-like?” Hannah gave a wry smile. “Moishe should like that!”
“True, but this tub is carpeted inside and out. He can race around the middle to his heart’s content and it won’t make any noise.”
“That sounds good, especially for Sue and Phil. What’s on the next tier?”
“It’s the second story of the tub with an opening on both sides. A covered plank juts out and leads to a frame covered in carpet with all sorts of toys on strings. The clerk said she has one at home, and her cats just love to walk the plank and bat at the toys. And on the other side, there’s a mesh hammock. She said it’s a favorite nap place for older cats because nothing from the floor can bother them.”
“And there’s another story above that?”
“That’s the penthouse, and there’s a little outside staircase leading down to the floor. It’s a faster exit than ducking down through the tubs.”
“So how much does all this grandeur cost?” Hannah asked the important question.
“A dollar.”
“What?!”
“That’s what Moishe’s will cost. I’m getting one for Cuddles, and if I buy two, I can get the second one for only a dollar. I was going to do that anyway and give one to Moishe for Christmas. But from what you’ve told me, I think he needs it right now.”
Hannah’s eyes narrowed. “Are you sure you’re buying one for Cuddles and you’re not just trying to help me out?”
“I’m positive. I’ve even got the color picked out. I thought blue would go best in the living room, and that’s where I want to put it. She’s already got the kitty staircase I built in the den.”
The one you built for Moishe, Hannah filled in the unsaid part of Norman’s answer. He’d built the kitty staircase hoping that she’d marry him. And from what he’d said earlier, he still loved her even though she’d turned down his proposal.
“Well…if you’re sure you’re getting one anyway…” she said.
“I am. What color would you like?”
“You decide,” Hannah told him, because it didn’t really matter to her. Coordinating colors in her condo was not a high priority. There was also the fact that almost everything she owned came from the Lake Eden Helping Hands Thrift Store, and if she had a décor at all, it was economical eclectic.
“Okay, where do you want to put it?”
“You can decide that, too.”
“How about right next to your desk in the living room? That way Moishe will have something else to do, and he won’t bother you when you use your computer.”
“Good idea,” Hannah said, not willing to admit that the only time she used her computer was when Norman came over to give her a word processing or Internet lesson.
Norman stared at her for a moment, and then he shook his head. “There’s something wrong, isn’t there,” he said, and it was more of a statement than a question.
“What could possibly be wrong? Didn’t I just agree with everything you suggested?”
“That’s just it. You agreed with everything I suggested. That’s not normal for you, Hannah. I think you’re still in shock.”
“Maybe I am,” Hannah said, and only after the words had left her lips did she realize that she was agreeing with him again. “I guess I must be,” she concluded.
“Then you need a dose of your own medicine. Hold on a second and I’ll get some.”
Hannah watched as he reached into the picnic hamper and pulled out a covered cake pan. “Dessert?” she guessed.
“Yes, and you’re going to love it. I had a piece while I was waiting for you to come out of the pavilion.”
“It’s chocolate!” Hannah started to smile as Norman removed the cover and she caught a whiff of the delightful aroma.
“It’s Marge’s Cocoa Fudge Cake.”
“She mentioned it last night. And she said she was going to bake it today.”
Norman dished it up on a paper plate and held it out to her. “I forgot forks. You’ll have to pick it up with your hands.”
“Not a problem.” Hannah picked up the cake and bit into it. She gave a little moan of pleasure as she tasted it, and then she took another bite, a bigger one than the first. Once that was gone, she gave Norman a smile that came straight from her heart. “It’s incredible!”
“Lisa gave it to me when she saw me packing up the picnic for you. She said you’d need chocolate.”
“Oh, I do. I do!”
“She also said to tell you that Marge wrote down the recipe in case you want it.”
“In case I want it? Of course I want it! Was there ever any doubt?”
“Lisa thought you’d like it. That’s why she gave me both cakes. Marge made two so she could give one whole cake to Gus.”
“Lisa thought we could eat two cakes?”
“No, but she thought seeing them out at the lunch buffet would make Marge sad.”
“She’s probably right,” Hannah said, thinking about what Gus had said at the dance last night and how he was looking forward to a piece of Marge’s cake.
Norman glanced at his watch and clamped the lid back on the cake pan. “Time to go, Hannah.”
“Go where?”
“To meet Mike and Bill at the yellow cottage. That’s where Patsy and Mac are staying. They volunteered to let Mike and Bill use it as a temporary headquarters to interview the relatives.”
“Now I get it.” Hannah started to smile. “Lisa probably wants me to dish up that second cake for Mike and his team.”
“That’s right. She figured the endorphins in the chocolate would put Mike in a good mood and he’ll be more likely to answer questions.”
“What questions? It’s the other way around. Mike’s going to interview me. He’ll be the one asking the questions.”
“Lisa knows that, but she also knows you. She told me she knows that you get all the information you can so that you can investigate. She spent some time with Marge and Patsy this afternoon, and they all want you to help them. They said that the sooner you catch the killer, the faster everyone can get back to normal and enjoy the family reunion again.”
“Then they’re going on with the reunion?”
“Absolutely. They all got together and took a vote on it. People came hundreds of miles to be here, and it would be heartbreaking if they had to turn right around and go back home again. Granny Truog’s here and she’s over a hundred. This could be the last chance she has to see some of her relatives.”
“Everything you said makes sense. It would be a real pity to call it off.”
“So are you going to help Lisa out and take the case?”
COCOA FUDGE CAKE
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
Hannah’s 1stNote: Marge says to tell you that she got this recipe from two girls she met on the bus to Fargo, Sandy and Patricia. They used margarine, but since Marge is from a dairy state and she knows that there’s no substitute for butter, she uses regular salted butter in her cake. She says she made a couple of other changes too, but it’s been so long she doesn’t remember what they are.
Before you start, grease and flour a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan. (You can also spray with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray and then dust it lightly with flour.)
2 cups white (granulated) sugar
2 cups flour (don’t sift—just level it off with a knife)
——————
1 cup butter (2 sticks, ½ pound)
1 cup water
3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s)
——————-
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs, beaten (just whip them up in a glass with a fork)
In a large bowl, stir the sugar and the flour together. Set it aside on the counter.
Put the butter, water, and cocoa powder into a saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
Pour the cocoa mixture over the sugar and flour, and mix it all up together. (You can do this on medium speed with an electric mixer, if you wish.)
Hannah’s 2ndNote: Marge says you shouldn’t be a neatnik and wash your saucepan. If you make the frosting, you’ll use it again.
Whisk the milk, vanilla extract, baking soda and eggs together in a small bowl. (I used a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup.)
Add the egg mixture to the large bowl. Stir it until it’s thoroughly incorporated.
Pour the batter into a 9-inch by 13-inch greased and floured cake pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes. When the cake begins to shrink away from the sides of the pan, it’s done.