Red Velvet Cupcake Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  “But?”

  “How do you know there’s a but?”

  “Because you’re my sister and I know you. And you must have a but because you had to think before you answered me.”

  “Guilty as charged,” Hannah said, and then she wished she hadn’t put it quite that way in light of her recent circumstances. “You’re right, Andrea. There’s a but.”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s a real showplace, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable living here.”

  “Neither would I! Just the thought of raising kids in this living room with the white leather furniture makes me nervous. And that’s where the television is. What if the kids wanted a snack while they were watching cartoons? I’d be spending a fortune in leather cleaner. And then there’s the Steinway. Tracey takes piano lessons, but she’s barely past the “Chopsticks” phase. And Bethie pounds the keys every chance she gets. They need a practice piano, not a fine musical instrument. That Steinway deserves to belong to a concert pianist.”

  “Agreed,” Hannah said. “It just about killed me when you said Roger and Doctor Bev bought it for decoration.”

  “And then there’s the location of the bedrooms. They’re so big and far apart that we’d never hear Bethie or Tracey if they called us at night. Don’t get me wrong. It’s beautiful, but it’s no place to raise a regular family.”

  “Do you think different furnishings would make it . . .” Hannah paused to think of the right word. “. . . homier?”

  “Absolutely. The things Roger and Doctor Bev chose are gorgeous, but they’re off-putting. They dictate a certain lifestyle that’s just not the norm here in Lake Eden.”

  “Lifestyles of the rich and famous?”

  “Exactly. And that’s why I asked the executive account specialist at the furniture store if the furniture could be exchanged for other furniture if the new buyers didn’t like it. He said yes, as long as it was an exchange and not a refund.”

  “But can the new buyer . . .” Again Hannah hesitated. “What’s that phrase you used for buying something more expensive than what you were selling?”

  “Buy up?”

  “That’s it. Can the new owners do an exchange down? What I mean is, say the person who buys the penthouse doesn’t want the white leather sectional and what they’d like is something smaller in fabric. Can they exchange for something cheaper?”

  “Yes, but they won’t get a refund. Instead they’ll have a store credit. So if they get something less expensive and smaller, they can also get a recliner for him, a rocker for her, chairs for the kids, and . . . well . . . anything they want. They just can’t get money back.”

  “That’s perfect,” Hannah said, “especially with the Steinway. You could probably furnish a two-bedroom condo with the money they paid for that.”

  “I think you’re right. I didn’t ask how much it was, but I’m willing to bet it was a bundle.” Andrea led the way to the staircase leading up to the rooftop garden. “Come and see their patio furniture, Hannah. I don’t think anyone will want to exchange that!”

  “Oh, my!” Hannah exclaimed as she stepped out onto the rooftop garden and saw the dome. Curved pieces of what looked like glass rose to a height of at least twenty feet above their heads, framing a sparkling panorama of the town and the surrounding area including the blue sky and puffy white clouds above. The lake glittered through the pines in the distance and when a raven flew close to the dome, Hannah actually ducked. “Do birds ever hit it?”

  “The manufacturer says no, that the struts between the panes give it structure and the birds know that they can’t fly through it.”

  “That’s good. I wouldn’t like to be relaxing up here in the lap of luxury and see some poor bird hit the dome. It’s so clear it looks like glass, but didn’t you say it was some kind of Plexiglas?”

  “It’s Plexiglas, but it’s a special kind that’s relatively new on the market. Each section is tinted, double-paned, and argon-filled. If it were just plain glass, it would be really hot up here. We’re in direct sunlight and it’s hot out today.”

  “You’re right and it’s cool here.” Hannah held out her arm. “I can’t feel the heat of the sun at all.”

  “That’s the argon filling between the panes. It insulates it, but you don’t see it.”

  “Well, it’s just amazing. And you can see a full three-sixty except for the area with the staircase and that space right next to it. Why didn’t they put windows in that space?”

  “Because that’s where the window-washing safety cage is docked.”

  “The what?”

  “The window-washing safety cage. I’ll show you.” Andrea stepped over to the edge of the dome and took what looked like a television remote out of a pocket built into the three-foot-high wall that supported the dome. “Watch this.”

  Hannah watched as Andrea aimed the remote at the space next to the staircase and pressed a button. Almost immediately something looking vaguely like a cage began to emerge. As it moved closer to the place where Andrea was standing, she unlatched fasteners on one of the struts and pulled the section open.

  “That’s really clever,” Hannah said, watching as the cage stopped directly in front of the open section.

  “I know. The first time I saw it, I couldn’t believe my eyes. All you have to do if you’re a window washer is climb aboard with your equipment and drive it around the track on the outside of the dome. It’s got controls inside and you can stop, wash a section, and then move on. It’s rated really high for safety because once you’re in place, you can’t fall off like you could on traditional scaffolding.”

  Hannah came over for a closer look. “I wouldn’t want to climb in there, but I’m impressed.”

  “I feel exactly the same way. When Roger first showed it to me, he asked me if I wanted to go for a ride.”

  “Did you?”

  “Absolutely not! I told him I’d rather die than get into something that hung outside the dome above the third floor!” Andrea shut the hinged section, fastened it in place, and pointed the remote at the cage. “There it goes. It fits into an enclosure on the outside of the building where it can’t get rained or snowed on.”

  “Pure genius,” Hannah said.

  “I think so too. Let’s go look at that patio furniture. I’m willing to bet that if you bought this place, you wouldn’t replace it.”

  Hannah grinned as she followed her sister to the pool area. Once a real estate agent, always a real estate agent. It was clear that Andrea hadn’t given up on trying to sell her the penthouse. That was ridiculous, but Hannah found herself hoping that she’d know the people who bought it and they’d ask her to visit them often.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “Ready?” Norman asked, coming in the back door of The Cookie Jar with Moishe.

  “I’m ready,” Hannah said, bending down to give Moishe a pet. “You brought Moishe in with you.”

  “Of course I did. I’d never leave a pet in the car. Do you have any idea how hot it can get in a closed car?”

  “Yes, and I’d never do it either, even if I thought I’d only be a minute. A minute has a way of stretching into longer than you expect.” Hannah picked up the two bakery boxes on the counter. “I’d better not forget these.”

  “What are they?”

  “Monkey Bread for Barbara. Lisa gave me the recipe. It’s from her sister, Tony. Do you want to take my truck?”

  “No, let’s leave it for Michelle.”

  “That’s fine with me. Let’s go.”

  Once they got to the car, Norman opened the trunk so that she could put the bakery boxes inside and then he opened one of the rear doors and set Moishe on the seat. Then he opened her door and Hannah got in. “Thanks, Norman,” she said. “You’re a good doorman.”

  “I’ll remember that if I ever give up dentistry. It could be a second career choice for me.” Norman slid in behind the wheel. “What’s Monkey Bread?” he asked her as he started the car and backed out of the par
king space.

  “It’s like a giant chocolate chip cinnamon roll baked in a Bundt pan. Mother said Barbara was hungry for cinnamon rolls and chocolate so I brought her Monkey Bread. It’s made with refrigerated biscuits, the kind you buy in tubes at the store.”

  “So it’s a lot faster to make Monkey Bread than it is to make yeast dough?”

  “Right. I didn’t really have time to bake my Special Cinnamon Rolls so Lisa suggested Monkey Bread as an alternative. One thing I like about it is that you can slice it like a cake, or pull off chunks and eat it that way.”

  Norman turned left at the end of Main Street and drove out of town. “Is there any news, Hannah?”

  Hannah knew exactly what Norman meant. When he asked about news, he wasn’t referring to Lake Eden gossip or national headlines. Norman knew that Mike had taken her in for questioning. He wanted to know if there were any new developments.

  “There’s news on a different front,” Hannah told him. “We managed to clear up Clayton Wallace’s situation this afternoon.”

  “You can prove it wasn’t a suicide?”

  “No, I can’t prove it, but what I learned casts serious doubts that he committed suicide. And that should be enough to get the Minneapolis Police Department to change their findings.”

  “And then the insurance company will have to pay off?”

  “That’s it exactly. I’ll tell you all about it later, but I do have a little news on that other front.”

  “The accident that wasn’t an accident?”

  “Yes,” Hannah answered, turning toward him. “At least Mike doesn’t think I did it.”

  “Are you sure? Michelle said he was pretty rough on you down at the sheriff’s station last night.”

  “That’s true. He was. But things were different today.”

  “He hauled you in for questioning again?”

  “No, of course not.” Hannah took a moment to choose her next words. She didn’t want to get Mike in trouble for coming to see her. “I talked to him today. He’s on my side, Norman.”

  “Are you sure?” Norman didn’t look convinced. “Remember, Hannah. He’s a cop first, and a friend second.”

  “I haven’t forgotten that.”

  “Good. I’m sure Howie told you to be careful.”

  “Oh, he did. And I am being careful. Actually, I might not have to be careful for too much longer, not if my dream is true.”

  Norman didn’t say anything and for a long moment, there was no sound except for the swoosh of the tires on the asphalt roadway and the hum of the powerful engine. “What dream is that?” Norman finally asked.

  Hannah knew exactly what he was thinking. Norman was wondering whether she’d slipped over the edge of sanity from the stress.

  “I’m not crazy, Norman,” she reassured him. “It’s true that I’m under a lot of stress knowing that I’m the prime suspect, and that’s probably why I had such a dreadful nightmare last night. But part of the dream came from my memory of diving down to the car in the pond. I won’t go into details. It’s not important and it was standard nightmare fare. But there was a thermos on the passenger seat in my dream, and it got knocked to the floorboards. I’ve been trying to remember, and I think there really was a thermos in Doctor Bev’s car. And since the only time I ever saw the inside of her car was when it was underwater, the memory had to come from that.”

  “Okay,” Norman said, still sounding a bit dubious.

  “If there is a thermos on the floorboards and the cap is on tight, the contents might prove my innocence.”

  “Poison in the thermos and not in your cupcakes?” Norman asked, catching on immediately.

  “Yes, but not a traditional poison. Doc Knight ran more tests and he identified the cause of death. It was an overdose of a powerful prescription tranquilizer.”

  “That puts a different spin on it,” Norman said. And then, even though he tried not to show any emotion, he shivered slightly. “Tell me she was dead when she went into the water.”

  “Doc Knight said she was. Mike told me.”

  “Okay.” Norman looked very relieved. “I know dead is dead, and nothing will change that, but the idea of Bev drowning really bothered me.”

  “Me, too,” Hannah said.

  They were silent then, each thinking their own thoughts. Norman may have been reliving the good times with Doctor Bev. She knew there must have been some, or they wouldn’t have gotten engaged the first time. Perhaps it was rather naïve of her, but she still believed that there was some good in everyone.

  Moishe crawled between the bucket seats and settled in her lap. He began to purr and the sound was comforting. Hannah closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she saw that they were approaching Eden Lake and she lowered her window. She loved the damp green smell of the lake with the teeming life beneath its surface.

  Life on the shore was equally rich and plentiful. Small animals scurried beneath the trees, insects flitted and buzzed in an effort to claim the air, and birds called from the tall trees that lined both sides of the road, their branches almost meeting overhead.

  The lacy green tunnel widened as they approached the hospital. Norman turned into the curving access road that led to the parking lot, and Hannah drew a deep, steadying breath. She reached down to pet Moishe, not entirely to reassure him, but also to reassure herself.

  Norman parked in a spot very close to the door, shut off the engine, and turned to her. He reached out and touched her face, caressing her cheek. “Ready?” he asked.

  Hannah hesitated for one brief moment, wondering how such a small gesture on Norman’s part could be so comforting, and then she smiled. “Ready,” she said.

  The nurse at the reception desk was a welcome surprise. It was Jenny, and Hannah gave her a big smile. “Hi, Jenny,” she said. “Meet Norman Rhodes. He’s the town dentist.”

  “Hello, Norman.” Jenny turned to him. “Do you have a card? I need to make an appointment for a cleaning.”

  Norman produced the card and Jenny tucked it away in the pocket on her uniform. “I don’t have any classes tonight, so I’m filling in for the receptionist while she’s on break.”

  “Do you live here?” Hannah teased.

  “I ought to. It would certainly save time since I’m almost always here. As a matter of fact, I’m working the night shift tonight.”

  “Didn’t Mother say she was taking you home after I saw you at The Cookie Jar?”

  “That was the plan, but Doc Knight called and needed me for the night shift. When we left you, your mother took me to my place so that I could change to a fresh uniform and then we stopped at her house so that she could change into her dress clothes.”

  “She must have plans for tonight,” Hannah speculated.

  “Oh, she does. When Doc Knight finishes up, they’re going out to the Lake Eden Inn for dinner.” Jenny came out from behind the desk to pet Moishe. “This must be Moishe. Your mother told me all about him.”

  “Did she tell you all about him?”

  “Shredded stockings and all.” Jenny did a deep knee bend so that she was on Moishe’s level. “You’re a handsome fellow, aren’t you, Moishe?”

  Moishe purred, soaking up the attention, and Hannah smiled the proud cat owner’s smile. “He likes you, Jenny.”

  “And I like him. You three can go right down to Miss Donnelly’s room. She’s expecting you.”

  Hannah and Norman walked down the hallway with Moishe leading the way. Hannah was surprised at how well he walked on a leash. He seemed quite comfortable in this environment and that was good. She even began to wonder if he could be a therapy cat for some of Doc Knight’s other patients.

  “Are there any nuts in that Monkey Bread?” Norman asked her.

  “No. I decided not to put them in. I wasn’t sure if Barbara could chew them.”

  “She might be able to chew them, but she still has some healing to do. Soft food would be best for a week or so.”

  “How was she when you sa
w her?”

  “Good. She was really happy to get the bridge even though it’s only a temporary. She said she was tired of looking like a bag lady.”

  “So she was . . . rational?”

  “Yes. She didn’t say anything strange at all. And she knew who I was and who Doc Knight was. She even called her nurse by name.” Norman stopped and frowned slightly. “Of course the nurse was wearing a name tag, so I guess that’s not as important as I thought it was.”

  “It’s still a big improvement.”

  “I know. I told Roger that, and he seemed very relieved. He was really worried about Barbara’s condition.”

  “Roger visited Barbara?”

  “No, I ran into him in the lobby. He was out here to visit his father.”

  Hannah sighed deeply. “Poor Roger!”

  “I know. First he got the news that his father was terminal, and now his fiancée is dead. He didn’t look good, Hannah. I don’t think he got any sleep at all last night.”

  “I can believe that.”

  “All he could talk about was how much he missed Bev. I think he really loved her.”

  Hannah didn’t reply, mostly because she didn’t know what to say. Roger may have loved Doctor Bev, but it was a cinch she hadn’t loved him. She’d made it clear to Hannah, Andrea, and Lisa that she regarded Roger as a gourmet meal ticket and no more than that. Roger would have been bitterly disappointed if he’d married Doctor Bev and then found out the truth about her. It would be kinder to leave him with his illusions.

  “Why so quiet?” Norman asked.

  “Just thinking,” Hannah said, not wanting to mention the subject of her thoughts even though she was ninety-nine percent certain that Norman no longer had any illusions about Doctor Bev.

  Norman’s cell phone rang and he glanced at the display. “It’s Mike,” he said. “I think I’d better take it.”

  They were only steps from the small waiting room for expectant fathers and Hannah glanced in to see that it was deserted. “In here,” she said, leading the way.

  “Hi, Mike,” Norman greeted him as he took a chair by the window overlooking the lake. “What’s up?” He listened a minute and then he gave a little laugh. “You’re right. She’s here. Hold on a second and I’ll put her on the . . . What was that? You did? Four times?” There was another pause and then Norman laughed. “You’re probably right. Just a second and I’ll check.”