Carrot Cake Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  “Well…maybe. It was really quiet and there wasn’t anyone else out. It just stands to reason that the person I saw go across the road and around to the front of the pavilion is the murderer.”

  Hannah drew in her breath sharply. “Did this person see you?”

  “No. He didn’t even know I was there. Or maybe it was a she, a woman wearing pants and a jacket. I was a long ways away, and I couldn’t really tell.”

  Hannah glanced out the window over the sink. If Michelle had been in the kitchen of the cottage at two in the morning, she would have had a perfect view of the road and the entrance to the pavilion. “You were standing at the sink at two in the morning?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means that’s not precisely correct.”

  “I know that’s what it means!” Hannah gave a little sigh. That made twice today that she’d fallen into a semantic trap. “Why don’t you just tell me where you were?” she suggested.

  “Down on the dock with Lonnie. We were swimming and we climbed up on the dock to take a rest.”

  At two in the morning?! Hannah’s mind shouted, but she didn’t voice the sentiment. And she didn’t ask about swimming attire, either, since she was supposed to be the nonprude.

  “And you saw this person at two o’clock?” she asked instead of the thousand and one questions she really wanted to ask.

  “I think it was about two. I met Lonnie on the dock at one-thirty. Mother and Carrie were asleep by then. And by the time we climbed back up on the dock and got our towels, it was probably close to two.”

  “But you don’t know for sure, because you weren’t wearing a watch.”

  “That’s right. I don’t have a waterproof watch. As a matter of fact, I wasn’t wearing…”

  “You said you saw this person walk across the road. Did he get out of a car?”

  “There was no car. I would have heard it drive up. It was really quiet except for the crickets and the frogs and the mosquitoes. And the lapping of the waves against the dock, and the loons across the lake.”

  “Describe the person for me,” Hannah interrupted her sister before she could hear more than she wanted to hear. “You said you couldn’t be sure whether it was a man or a woman?”

  “That’s right. I just saw him or her through the trees. And this person went inside and didn’t come out while we were sitting on the dock.”

  “And that was how long?”

  “I was in bed by two-thirty. I know because I looked at the clock. Do you think I should tell Mike what I saw?”

  Hannah shrugged. “You probably don’t need to do that. I’m sure Lonnie has already told him.”

  “No, he hasn’t. Lonnie didn’t see the person. He was sitting with his back to the road. I was right next to him, facing the other way. I really don’t want to tell Mike unless you think I absolutely have to. Mother’s bound to hear about it, and I shouldn’t have been out that late.”

  “Let me get this straight,” Hannah said, reaching into her purse for her steno notebook and grabbing a pen. She really wanted to cut her baby sister a break, but this was a murder investigation. “Tell me exactly what you saw and when you saw it.”

  “I saw a person walk across the road, go around the side of the pavilion, and enter through the front door.”

  “You know, for sure, that this person went inside?”

  Michelle nodded. “Light spilled out on the concrete when the door opened. A second later, the light disappeared, so the door must have shut again.”

  “Makes sense. And you were so far away you couldn’t tell the identity of this person, or even if that person was a man or a woman?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Giving your best estimate, you think it was about two in the morning when the person went inside the pavilion?”

  “I think so.”

  “Would you have seen the person if he or she had come back out while you were still sitting on the dock?”

  “Yes. The light would have spilled out again when the door opened, and I would have noticed it.”

  “So you believe that the person was inside the pavilion for the entire period from two to two-thirty? And two-thirty is the time you left the dock and went back into the cottage?”

  “A little before two-thirty. I already told you, I looked at the clock when I climbed in bed, and it was two-thirty. And I know the lights were still on inside the pavilion.”

  “How do you know that?” Hannah asked, remembering that when she’d checked the next day, the lights had been off.

  “Because I saw light leaking out one of the shutters when I passed by the kitchen window on my way to the bedroom.”

  “Okay,” Hannah said, flipping her notebook shut. “I’ve got it all down.”

  “So what do you think? Do I have to tell Mike?”

  “No. All you saw was a shadowy figure entering the pavilion and not coming out again. That’s not going to help in Mike’s investigation. He already knows somebody went inside to kill Gus, because Gus didn’t stab himself in the chest.”

  Michelle looked very relieved. “Thanks, Hannah! I’m really glad Mother won’t know I was out so late. I’m too old to punish or anything like that, but she gives me that look.”

  “What look?”

  “You know the one. It’s her hurt look. And then she says, Oh, Michelle! I’m so disappointed in you! And then I know I’ve let her down, and it just about kills me.”

  “That’s why she does it,” Hannah said, remembering the very same phrase with her name in the culprit spot.

  The screen door opened, and Andrea hurried in, carrying a Jell-O mold. She headed straight for the refrigerator, opened the door, and found a place for it inside. “I hope my Lemon Fluff Jell-O Mold didn’t get hot and melt!”

  “What’s in it?” Hannah asked her.

  “Lemon Jell-O, lemon pie filling, crushed pineapple, and Cool Whip.”

  “Cool Whip and not real sweetened whipped cream?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Then it should be fine. Cool Whip doesn’t break down as fast as whipped cream. And even if your mold got a little runny, it’ll firm up again before dinner. There’s plenty of time.”

  “Oh, good. And you’ll help me unmold it? I’m not very good at that.”

  “Of course I will,” Hannah promised her. “Michelle said you were out on the road talking to Bertie Straub?”

  “That’s right. I was making an appointment for this weekend. She’s going to give me a full weave, and this time it’s going to be in four colors. I’ve never done more than three, but I want a reddish blond in the mix. And I’m having a layer cut to give my hair more body.”

  “A four-color weave’s going to take all morning,” Michelle commented.

  “You don’t know the half of it! I’m also booked for a manicure, a pedicure, and a full makeover. And when I’m all through with that, I’m heading down to Claire’s to try on some of her sexy summer sundresses. The next time you see me, I’ll be a new me.”

  “But I like the old you,” Michelle said.

  “So do I,” Hannah added. “I think you look just fine the way you are. I really don’t know why you want to be a new you, when…” her voice trailed off as the obvious reason occurred to her. Mike had mentioned it on the phone this morning. “Ronni Ward?” she guessed.

  “Of course not! I just want to look good, that’s all. When you’ve been married for as long as Bill and I have, you have to work to rekindle the romance every now and then, and…” Andrea stopped speaking and gave a little sigh. “You’re right. It’s Ronni Ward. Bill told me she was back in town when he got home last night. How did you find out about it?”

  “Mike. He called me this morning to give me the number for the Animal Channel for Moishe, and he mentioned it.”

  “Did he also mention that Ronni rented the apartment across the hall from him?” Andrea asked.

  “He did.”

 
“Are you jealous?” Michelle raised the question.

  “Mike and I don’t have that kind of commitment. It’s true that I date him, but I go out with Norman, too. That means I don’t have any right to be jealous.”

  Andrea gave a nod of concurrence. “That’s a perfectly reasonable point, but it’s not what Michelle asked. Are you jealous?”

  “What do you think?” Hannah faced them squarely.

  “You’re jealous.” Andrea spoke for both of them. “You just don’t know what to do about it, that’s all.”

  LEMON FLUFF JELL-O

  3 small (3-ounces apiece) packages of Lemon Jell-O

  2 cups water

  1 large can (20-ounces) crushed pineapple

  2 cups cold water***

  1 small (2-cup) container Cool-Whip (or any other whipped, non-dairy dessert topping)

  1 can (enough to make an 8-inch pie) lemon pie filling****

  Drain the can of crushed pineapple. Save the liquid to use later.

  Boil two cups of water in a small saucepan. Take it off the burner.

  Empty the three packages of Lemon Jell-O powder into the recently boiled water. Stir until the Jell-O is dissolved. This step should take about 2 minutes. (There’s nothing worse than Jell-O powder that doesn’t dissolve. It makes a layer of sweet lemon rubber at the bottom of your Jell-O mold and the mixture on top is runny. To tell if Jell-O powder is dissolved, reach in with your impeccably clean fingers and rub a bit of liquid between your thumb and your finger. If it’s not gritty, it’s dissolved.)

  When the Jell-O powder is dissolved, combine the pineapple juice with cold water to make 2 cups of liquid. Add this to your saucepan and stir it in.

  Refrigerate your saucepan until the Jell-O is partially set. (This should take approximately 45 minutes.)

  Put the Jell-O mixture into a bowl and whip it with a whisk or an electric mixer.

  Fold in the Cool-Whip.

  Fold in the lemon pie filling. (This is the time to make the instant pudding and pie filling and fold it into your Jell-O if you couldn’t find canned pie filling.)

  Fold in the drained, crushed pineapple and blend thoroughly.

  Spray a 2-quart Jell-O mold, or a standard-sized Bundt pan with Pam or another nonstick spray. You’ll also need a second, much smaller bowl or mold to hold the Jell-O that won’t quite fit in the first mold.

  Transfer the Jell-O mixture to your molds and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours before serving.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The three sisters worked in silence, helping Hannah assemble the casseroles she was making for tonight’s dinner. Andrea opened cans, Michelle chopped onions, and Hannah fried hamburger, enough for four batches of Wanmansita Casserole.

  “To tell you the truth, Hannah, I really don’t know what to do about Ronni Ward, either.” Andrea broke the heavy silence that had fallen over them. “It’s just that I thought a complete makeover might help. I shouldn’t have said that about you being jealous.”

  “That’s true. You were dead wrong, you know. The sinking feeling in my stomach and the overwhelming urge to wrap my hands around Ronni Ward’s perfectly shaped throat and squeeze couldn’t possibly be caused by jealousy.”

  Both Andrea and Michelle burst into laughter, and Hannah joined in. It was a good moment sandwiched in between all the bad things that had happened lately, and all three wanted to savor it for as long as they could.

  When they’d quieted down again, Andrea turned to Hannah. “How about a makeover for you, too? I can run and find Bertie and make an appointment, my treat.”

  “No, thanks. I don’t think it would help.” Hannah carried the first casserole to the preheated oven and slipped it inside.

  “Okay then. How about going out to Heavenly Bodies at the mall with me?”

  “What’s Heavenly Bodies?” Michelle asked.

  “It’s a new fitness club. Their motto is, We’ll make you look like a star. That’s because of the name. Do you get it?”

  Michelle groaned and gave Hannah one of those I-don’t-believe-she-said-that looks.

  “We get it,” Hannah answered Andrea. “You know how I feel about fitness clubs. They’d have to open at three A.M. for me to go there before work. And after work, I’m too tired to go anywhere that requires any effort. It would be a waste of money for me to join.”

  “But this one’s different. They give you a key to the outside door and you can come in anytime, day or night, twenty-four seven.”

  “They have around-the-clock staff?” Michelle looked interested.

  “No, but they’ve got an agreement with the guards at the mall to come in to check every hour.”

  “That doesn’t sound very safe to me,” Hannah said. “I wouldn’t want to go there by myself at three in the morning, knowing that dozens of other people had keys and any one of them could unlock the door and walk in on me.”

  “I wouldn’t feel safe, either,” Michelle added her opinion. “It would be creepy to go to a gym alone at night.”

  Andrea shrugged. “Go during the day, then. You could always go on your lunch hour. Lisa would be happy to handle the coffee shop by herself for an hour or so, especially if she thought it was helping you.”

  “That’s another point. I don’t think it would be helping me.” Hannah picked up another casserole and slid it into the oven. “I’ve never been able to stick with an exercise program, and there’s no reason to think it would be different this time. I start out just fine, but after a week or so, I start making excuses for not exercising. And then, before I realize what I’m doing, it’s been over a month since I’ve jogged, or used the treadmill, or whatever I planned to do. Besides…” Hannah paused to carry the remaining casseroles to the oven, and when she came back, she plunked down on the stool at the counter and sighed. “Look, Andrea…it doesn’t really matter how cute the club’s name is or the promises they make. Let’s face reality here. We all know I’m never going to look like a star.”

  “Well, you are a star as far as I’m concerned!” Andrea looked very serious.

  “With me, too,” Michelle chimed in.

  “Thanks,” Hannah said. It was nice to get a vote of confidence from her sisters.

  “Let’s not talk about makeovers, or fitness clubs, or Ronni Ward anymore, then. It’s just too depressing.” Andrea reached into the briefcase she was carrying and pulled out an envelope. “Let’s talk about murder instead.”

  There was perfect silence for a nanosecond, and then both Hannah and Michelle burst into a volley of laughter. Andrea looked slightly puzzled for a moment, and then she began to smile. “I didn’t realize I made a joke,” she said, handing the envelope to Hannah. “I brought these for you.”

  “What are they?”

  “Crime scene photos. Bill brought them home with him last night, and I scanned them into the computer after he went to bed. I printed them out this morning as soon as he left for work.”

  “Thanks, Andrea. These will help me a lot.” Hannah didn’t mention that Mike had offered to give her a set of the crime scene photos. “Did you look at them?”

  “No. You know I don’t like gory things. I figured I’d let you look first, and you could show me the ones that aren’t too awful.”

  Michelle began to frown. “Wait a second. How did you scan the photos and print them out without looking at them?”

  “It was easy. They go face down on the scanner, so that was no problem. And then, when I brought them up on the screen to print them out this morning, I just peeked through my fingers, clicked on them, and sent them to the printer.”

  “But they came out face-up, didn’t they?” Hannah questioned her. And then, when both of her sisters turned to look at her in surprise, she asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “You’ve been using your computer!” Andrea exclaimed.

  “Of course I’ve been using my computer. Norman’s been giving me lessons. Mother’s using a computer, for crying out loud! I don’
t want to be the only holdout in the family.”

  “It’s a matter of pride,” Michelle explained to Andrea.

  “No, it’s actually a matter of necessity,” Hannah countered. “I got tired of asking Norman to look up things on the Internet for me.”

  Andrea gave a smile of approval. “Well, good for you,” she said. “And speaking of good, those casseroles you put in the oven are starting to smell great. What are they called again?”

  “Wanmansita Casseroles. It’s Gary Hayes’s recipe. You remember Gary and Sally, don’t you? They used to live right across the street from Mother.”

  “Sally with the apron collection!” Michelle identified her. “You used to take me over there, and she’d let me look at her aprons while you talked about recipes and stuff.”

  “That’s right.”

  “Wait a second.” Andrea began to frown. “That doesn’t make sense.”

  “Sure it does. I used to get home from school early because I had study hall last period. And I’d take Michelle over to Sally’s with me.”

  “Not that. I remember that you went over there. It’s just that Sally and Gary lived right here in Lake Eden. And if they lived here, why does Gary call it a casserole?”

  For a moment Hannah was confused, but then she realized what her sister was asking. “You mean, the word casserole, instead of the word hotdish?”

  “Yes. Everybody in Lake Eden says hotdish. What’s the difference, anyway?”

  “I’m not positive, but I don’t think there’s any difference between a casserole and a hotdish. It’s probably another example of regional dialogue,” Hannah did her best to explain.

  “You mean like pop and soda?” Michelle asked.

  “Exactly right. Sally said it was an old recipe from Gary’s family, and I think they came from Oklahoma. They must call a hotdish a casserole there. Or it got passed on to another relative who changed the word hotdish to casserole.”