Wedding Cake Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  Hannah’s 1st Note: If there’s any banana left over, save it in a covered container in the refrigerator to add to pancakes in the morning. It may turn dark overnight, but that doesn’t matter. The kids will love the taste, especially if you also add a few chocolate chips to your pancake batter when you put it in the frying pan!

  Fold the frozen or fresh blueberries into your muffin batter. Mix gently so the blueberries will stay intact.

  Fill the muffin tins three-quarters full and set them aside. If you have any batter left over, grease the bottom of a small tea-bread loaf pan and fill it with your remaining batter.

  To make the Crumb Topping, mix the sugar and the flour in a small bowl. Add the softened butter and cut it in until it’s crumbly. (You can also do this in a food processor with chilled butter and the steel blade.)

  Fill the remaining space in the muffin cups with the crumb topping.

  Bake your muffins in a 375 F. degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. (The tea-bread should bake about 10 minutes longer than the muffins.)

  When your muffins are baked, set the muffin pan on a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes. (The muffins need to cool in the pan for easy removal.) Then just tip them out of the cups and enjoy.

  These are wonderful when they’re slightly warm, but the banana and blueberry flavors will intensify if you store them in a covered container overnight.

  Hannah’s 2nd Note: To freeze bananas for baking or drinks, buy perfectly ripe bananas, peel them, cut them into 2 pieces and place the pieces into a closeable plastic sandwich bag. Bag all the bananas you want to freeze this way. When you have as many as you want, slip the sandwich bags into a large freezer bag and stick them in your freezer. Freeze them solid before using them, but they can be stored in your freezer for as long as 6 months.

  To thaw frozen bananas, take out as many as you need, extract them from the sandwich bag and place the frozen pieces in a bowl on your counter. Cover the bowl and let it warm for twenty to thirty minutes. Your bananas will turn to banana puree all by themselves without benefit of food processor or blender. Stir them up, measure out what you need, and use them for baking or for blended drinks.

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  It was their practice session before the final challenge, and they were working in Sally’s kitchen. The stove timer rang, and Hannah removed both pies from the oven and set them on a rack to cool. Their section of the kitchen smelled so good, her mouth was watering.

  “What do you think?” she asked Michelle. “The top crust pie, or the French crumble pie?”

  “Both. Let’s give the judges a little slice of both pies. It shows your versatility.”

  “Good idea. How about the toppings?” Hannah pointed to the tray Michelle had prepared with slices of sharp cheddar cheese, the vanilla ice cream that Michelle had made in the ice cream maker, and Hannah’s Cinnamon Crème Fraiche.

  “Serve all three on the tray and let them choose. Do you want to taste my ice cream?”

  “You betcha!”

  Michelle laughed and dished up a scoop for Hannah. She waited until Hannah had tasted it and then she asked, “Is it good enough?”

  “I don’t know. I’d have to eat at least a gallon to be sure.” She waited until Michelle laughed and then she did, too. “It’s wonderful, Michelle! And I wasn’t kidding about eating more. I could sit down right here and eat the whole gallon.”

  “Then it’s a go for the final challenge?”

  “I think we’ve done the right thing, Michelle. Your ice cream is phenomenal and Mom’s Apple Pie is the best pie I make.”

  “That’s true, as long as you don’t count your Lemon Meringue, or your Key Lime Pie, or any of the other pies you bake.”

  “Thanks, Michelle. How about coffee? Are we serving it tomorrow night?”

  “I think we’d better. It’s become almost a tradition with the judges. Let’s pick our things in the truck and then see if Sally has anything left on her breakfast buffet. Maybe we’ll run into someone we need to see.”

  Hannah smiled. “Like Loren, or Rodney. We haven’t had a chance to talk to them. If we’re lucky, they’ll come down from their rooms at different times and we can catch them alone.”

  Michelle picked up the ice cream bowl and carried it to their designated freezer.

  “Lock it after you put it in,” Hannah reminded her. “I don’t trust Gloria not to tamper with our ingredients.”

  “I agree, and I will. We have to interview her, too . . . don’t we?”

  “Yes. I need to know where Gloria was between one and three in the morning on the night that Chef Duquesne was murdered. And I need a timetable for Mayor Bascomb, too. That means I have four suspects left to interview and only three days to do it. Gloria, Loren, and Rodney will probably leave on Sunday for home.”

  “Then we’ll save Mayor Bascomb for last,” Michelle decided. “He’s not going anywhere. Come on, Hannah. Let’s hurry and load up those pies, then we’ll come back for Sally’s buffet. Just looking at them is too much for me. I’m practically starving to death.”

  Hannah laughed. “After four Blue Banana Muffins?”

  “Yes. I wonder if Sally’s got waffles this morning. I could do with a couple of those. And maybe an omelet or eggs Benedict on the side. I really like Sally’s hollandaise.”

  Hannah turned around to stare at her youngest sister. Michelle had a perfect figure and she ate every time she got hungry. The same was true of Andrea and Delores. It made Hannah wish that she’d inherited the same metabolism, or body type, or whatever it was that allowed her mother and sisters to eat anytime they wanted and still not gain an ounce.

  “Uh-oh!” Michelle said as they walked into the dining room and surveyed Sally’s breakfast buffet.

  Hannah turned to her in surprise. “What’s wrong?”

  “Loren and Rodney. They’re sitting together at that corner table. What are we going to do now?”

  “We’ll go with our original plan. I’ll talk to Rodney and you’ll talk to Loren. And then, when you’re talking to Loren, notice something on his plate and say you didn’t see whatever dish it was. Ask him where he got it and I’ll bet he’ll offer to show you.”

  “You’re probably right. Loren seems like a gentleman. And when I get him alone, I’ll be able to ask him if he spent the whole night with Brooke.”

  “Yes, if you can figure out how to do it.”

  “I already figured that out. All I have to do is ask him to alibi Brooke for the time of the murder and he’ll say he was with her if he was.”

  “How are you going to know if he’s protecting her, or telling the truth?”

  “Easy. He’ll be uncomfortable if he has to lie for Brooke. He’ll do it, but it’ll show on his face.”

  “Okay. That sounds like a plan to me. Do you think you can give me a few minutes alone with Rodney?”

  “That’s easy. Brooke just walked in with her assistant and they took a table near the front. I’ll point that out to Loren and we’ll walk over to say hello.”

  Their plan worked like a charm, and five minutes later, Hannah was alone with Rodney while Michelle and Loren went off to find Sally’s corned beef hash. “Did you practice for tomorrow yet?” Hannah asked him.

  “Not yet. I’ve got the kitchen from twelve to one-thirty. How about you?”

  “Michelle and I just got through. I had to put things away in the cooler, though. Michelle hasn’t been able to go in there since she found Chef Duquesne. It really bothers her.”

  “That’s understandable. From what I heard, it can’t have been a pretty sight.”

  “I guess the police aren’t getting anywhere with their investigation. At least that’s what I heard. Were you in the hotel when Chef Duquesne was murdered?”

  “What time was that?”

  “Between one and three in the morning.”

  “Actually . . . no. I was so excited about tying for first place with you in the cake challenge, I couldn’t sleep. I went for a drive around t
he lake. You live in a pretty place, Hannah.”

  “Yes, I do. You ought to see the lake in the summer. It’s just lovely. What time did you get back from your drive?”

  Rodney stared at her for a moment. “Why all the questions? You don’t suspect me of killing him, do you?”

  “Of course not. Why would you? You took first place with that incredible cake of yours.”

  “True. He wasn’t very nice to some of the other contestants, though. As I remember, Gloria really didn’t do very well that night.”

  “You’re right. I think she came in last. Relax, Rodney. The only reason I asked about the time you got back is to find out if you saw anyone when you came in the front door.”

  “Oh. Okay. Well, for one thing, I didn’t use the front door. I used the back door. I came in the back way because I was parked out there.”

  “But then you had to walk past the kitchen door.”

  “Right! I didn’t even think about that! Of course I didn’t know about Chef Duquesne then.”

  “What time did you leave, and what time did you come back? It could be important, Rodney.”

  “I can see that now. I didn’t check my watch when I left, but I think I left a little before one. And I know I was gone for two or three hours. I stopped off at some little place for a drink. It was quite a ways away, and I think they were open until one in the morning. I got back here after three. I’m pretty sure of that. When I got to bed it was three-thirty and I remember thinking that if I got up in time to make Sally’s breakfast buffet at ten in the morning, I’d get close to seven hours of sleep.”

  “Did you see anyone walking on your way out or when you came in?”

  “No one at all. The lobby was deserted. The night guy at the desk must have been somewhere else. I didn’t see anyone in the halls either.”

  “Thanks, Rodney,” Hannah said, even though he’d been of very little help to her. “If you remember anything you didn’t tell me about that night, will you let me know?”

  “Sure thing. No problem.” Rodney stood up and gave her a smile. “That’s enough breakfast for me. I’m going to go up and read through my recipe again before my practice time in the kitchen.”

  After Rodney left, Hannah went back to the buffet line for more coffee and when she got back to her table, Michelle was there. “What did you find out?” she asked her youngest sister.

  “Loren was with Brooke all night. He was a little embarrassed about telling me, but when I said she’d already told us, he was fine with it. He wasn’t lying, Hannah. I’m convinced of it. How about Rodney?”

  “He seemed sincere and his account of that night was reasonable.”

  “But you’re not convinced.”

  Hannah shrugged. “Not really, but I’m never convinced that anything is completely true until I can identify the killer.”

  “That’s fair. What do we do now?”

  “We go back to The Cookie Jar and find out what Lisa and Aunt Nancy need us to bake. Then we’ll check in with Andrea and Mother to see if they found out anything about Mayor Bascomb. After that . . . I don’t know.”

  “Do we have anything to do for the competition tomorrow night?”

  Hannah considered it, and then she shook her head. “No, not really. We did fine in practice today and I think we’re ready.”

  “Great! By the way, did Mother tell you that she invited all of us for dinner at the penthouse tonight?”

  “Oh, no!” Hannah groaned. “I’m sorry, Michelle . . . I really don’t think that I’m up for . . .”

  “Just listen for a second,” Michelle interrupted what was sure to be a refusal. “I already talked to Ross and it’s fine with him. Mother wants both Moishe and Cuddles to come. We’re going to eat outside under the dome, and she thought they’d like to play in the garden. Andrea and Bill are coming. Grandma McCann is taking Tracey and Bethie to a movie. And Mike, Lonnie, Norman, and Ross are going to meet us at Mother’s. What do you say, Hannah? Doesn’t it sound like a nice, relaxing evening?”

  Hannah thought about that for a minute. “Yes, it does . . . if it were anywhere else but Mother’s place.”

  “What’s wrong with Mother’s place? It’s beautiful, and she’s got a swimming pool and a Jacuzzi.”

  “I know. There’s just one thing, Michelle. I’d like to know if Mother is making her Hawaiian Pot Roast, or her EZ Lasagna.”

  “Neither one. Mother’s not cooking tonight. Doc’s picking up pizzas and salads at Bertanelli’s on his way home from the hospital.”

  “In that case, it’s a deal!” Hannah said, smiling at her sister. “Let’s take our apple pies with us and we can all have dessert.”

  * * *

  The sky was just beginning to darken when Michelle, Andrea, and Hannah climbed into the hot tub. A partially empty bottle of white wine sat in a cooler on the lip of the Jacuzzi, and all three Swensen sisters were holding one of their mother’s new non-breakable wineglasses.

  “These are nice,” Hannah said, sinking down in the bubbles and smiling.

  “Yes, they are,” Andrea agreed. “Mother told me she got a whole assortment of non-breakable glasses for the pool and Jacuzzi. She said she knocked one down from the lip of the pool and it didn’t even scratch.”

  “Speaking of things that got knocked down,” Hannah said to Andrea, “did you manage to find out anything about Mayor Bascomb?”

  Andrea laughed. “Yes, I did. Stephanie got him good this time. I saw that new ring he bought her, and it must have cost a fortune! I really didn’t find out much more about the mayor, although I did uncover some things about Gloria.”

  “What things?” Hannah moved a little closer.

  “Gloria was back in her room at Sally and Dick’s at eleven-thirty that night. I went out there for lunch yesterday and I talked to one of the waitresses in the bar. She said that Gloria called down to order a bottle of champagne and the waitress logged in the time.”

  “Do you think Gloria had Mayor Bascomb with her in her room?” Michelle asked.

  “No. I questioned the waitress about that, and she said she took the bottle of champagne up there herself and no one was there except Gloria.”

  “Was she sure of that?” Hannah asked. “I wouldn’t put it past Mayor Bascomb to hide in the bathroom or the closet until the waitress left.”

  “I asked her that. She said she noticed the bathroom door was wide open and so was the closet. There was no one else in the room. Not only that, the waitress brought up two glasses, and Gloria told her to take one back to the bar.”

  “Either our esteemed mayor struck out, or he’s a fast worker.” Michelle commented.

  “I heard that, Michelle!” Delores walked over to the Jacuzzi. “That wasn’t very polite, dear. But the information you received is correct, Andrea. Ricky-Ticky came home at twelve-thirty and he was reeking of perfume. That would lead me to believe that it was a rather rapid assignation.”

  “That’s exactly what I said!”

  “No, dear. That’s what you should have said. I phrased it much more delicately.”

  “Hold on.” Hannah knew she had to divert what might evolve into a mother-daughter skirmish. She turned to her mother. “How do you know what time Mayor Bascomb got home?”

  “I invited Stephanie for tea in the garden this afternoon and she told me. We had a nice bottle of white wine, just like the one I opened for you girls, and your caviar pie.”

  “You made my caviar pie?” Hannah was thoroughly shocked. As far as Hannah knew, Delores had never used any of her recipes before.

  “Yes, dear. I decided to try it because there’s no cooking or baking involved. And I must say that it turned out to be a smashing success.”

  “You mean that Stephanie got smashed,” Michelle interpreted her mother’s polite phrase.

  “Yes, although I wouldn’t have worded it quite that way, Michelle. Stephanie also mentioned that the mayor had lipstick on his shirt. She confronted him, of course. She’s had enough of these
encounters with her husband to recognize the signs. And he admitted everything and begged for her forgiveness.”

  “So she got a new wardrobe and expensive jewelry out of the mayor as an apology,” Andrea stated the obvious.

  “That’s correct, dear. She did get a bit tiresome extolling the beauty of her new wardrobe and telling me about all of the new gems she had, but she finally left.”

  “I hope she wasn’t driving!” Hannah said.

  “No, dear. I told her that I’d take her home, that she’d been through an ordeal with her husband and it probably wasn’t wise for her to drive all the way home.”

  “Good for you, Mother!” Michelle exclaimed. “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.”

  “Your sentiment is correct, dear. Stephanie was quite . . . wobbly on her feet, let us say. But of course, I couldn’t blame her for that. Most people would be a bit impaired if they consumed four glasses of wine in less than an hour.”

  “You’re one of the most devious people I know,” Hannah said. “And that’s a compliment!”

  “Thank you, Hannah. I’ll take it as such. Using a bottle of my best white wine did prove one thing. Given the time frame, Mayor Bascomb couldn’t have possibly killed Chef Duquesne.”

  Hannah frowned slightly. “This is really helpful information, Mother, and I do appreciate it, but it doesn’t entirely clear Mayor Bascomb. Andrea found out that Gloria called down for room service at eleven-thirty that night. And Mayor Bascomb wasn’t in her room. The waitress who delivered the champagne will substantiate that. But Mayor Bascomb could have dropped Gloria off and then gone to the kitchen to kill Chef Duquesne.”

  “But I haven’t told you everything yet!” Delores exclaimed. “Oh, dear! Perhaps I should have done that first.” She gestured toward the stack of thick towels by the side of the hot tub and then crooked her finger at her daughters. “Come with me, girls. I have something to show you.”

  A bit reluctantly, Hannah climbed out of the Jacuzzi. Her skin was beginning to turn very pink and she knew she’d been under the jets of hot water long enough, but she wanted to stay there for the rest of her life, and not think of Chef Duquesne’s murder at all. Unfortunately, she simply had to figure out who’d killed him. She needed to do it for Michelle, who’d found him, for Brooke, who was a suspect, and for herself, simply because she couldn’t bear the thought of leaving a murder case unsolved.