“Things are different this morning,” Hannah told him past the lump in her throat. “I don’t have to leave for work early because my trial starts today and Howie is picking me up to take me to the Winnetka County Courthouse.”
Moishe made a sound that was halfway between a growl and a purr. She’d never heard him make that particular sound before and Hannah interpreted it as an expression of sympathy with her plight.
“It’s going to be okay,” she reassured him. “Howie told me that the only thing happening today is jury selection. I’ll be home tonight . . . probably earlier than usual.”
Moishe had no reaction to that statement, either verbally or physically. He simply stared at her with a perfectly blank kitty expression. Hannah was sure he’d understood her. At least she hoped he had.
“Howie said not to worry, so you shouldn’t worry either.”
“Rrrrow.”
This was definitely a response to her words and Hannah took it as such. “I know. It’s impossible not to worry, but I want you to think about what’s going to happen when I come home tonight. I’m going to call Michelle and Andrea when court is adjourned for the day and they’re going to come over with Chinese takeout. They’re both helping out at The Cookie Jar today since I can’t be there.”
“Rrroww?”
Moishe’s response was definitely a question. Hannah was sure of it. “That’s right. Chinese takeout. And both Andrea and Michelle know that you like shrimp. When I talked to them last night they promised to bring extra. We’ll all have a nice family dinner together.”
As Hannah watched, Moishe’s expression changed. His eyes widened in what appeared to be alarm and the fur began to bristle on his back. She was initially puzzled by his reaction and then she realized exactly what she’d said.
“You can relax, Moishe. I know I said family dinner, but Mother’s not coming. She’s still on the cruise to Alaska. I think today’s the day they’re going to Taku Point in a seaplane to see the glaciers and have a grilled salmon shore lunch.”
“Rrrrrrow!”
Hannah laughed. She’d done it again. She’d used one of the words Moishe knew particularly well. “I know. I said salmon. I’ll go get you some salmon treats, and then it’s time for me to leave. Howie should be pulling up any minute now. He’s always punctual.”
She retrieved the treat canister from the kitchen and returned to the back of the couch where her feline roommate was waiting, his tail swishing back and forth like a metronome beating out a march tempo. “Here you go.” She shook out several of the fish-shaped, salmon-flavored treats and placed them on the back of the couch next to him. “That ought to tide you over until I get home.”
People claimed it was impossible for cats to smile, but Hannah was positive that Moishe’s expression was close to glee as he stared down at his favorite treats. Then his gaze shifted back to her and he purred loudly.
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you tonight then. And we’ll have dinner with Andrea and Michelle. And Moishe . . . one of your favorite people is coming to visit me in a week. You remember Ross when he was here with the movie, don’t you?”
“Rowww.”
Hannah wasn’t sure if that was a yes or a no, so she didn’t comment. Moishe had liked Ross the last time he’d come to Lake Eden. Ross had even carried Moishe, in his leash and his harness, out to a table at The Cookie Jar when the crew had come in for lunch. Moishe had enjoyed all the attention the film crew had given him.
Hannah gave her pet a final scratch under the chin and forced herself to walk to the door. She didn’t want to leave, but she knew she had to. She unlocked it, pulled it open, stepped outside, and shut the door behind her, testing it once to make certain that it was locked. Then she stood there on the landing for a brief moment, blinking back the moisture that welled up in her eyes. She’d never been the type to break into tears at the slightest provocation, but she’d done her share of tearing up lately. If this was a by-product of being in love, she hoped she’d learn to control it soon.
“Silly!” she chided herself, descending the outside staircase and squelching the urge to glance up to see if Moishe was watching her from the living room window. She buttoned her coat and told herself that he was probably busy chowing down on his treats.
It was a chilly Minnesota morning, colder than usual for the third week in September, and Hannah shivered as she took the sidewalk that wound around the condo buildings. There was a light sprinkling of frost on the yellow and dark orange chrysanthemums in the planters that separated the buildings. Soon the gardeners would dig up the root clumps to separate them. All that would be left in the planters would be the evergreen shrubs, which would provide spots of green against the white winter snow.
The arrival of the first snowfall in Minnesota was unpredictable. It could occur at any time from the month of October on. It was not at all unusual for it to snow on Halloween, and Minnesota mothers made sure that a warm coat and warm pants could fit under their children’s Halloween costumes.
Everyone who lived in the Midwest had to be prepared for a winter with sixty to seventy inches of snow. Of course some of it melted in the early months, but the banks of snow the plows left at the sides of the road could reach heights that were taller than the roofs of cars. Snow season could last for six months, starting in October and tapering off to end in April. Delores and Doc both said they remembered one year, they thought it had been in the seventies, when there had been a blizzard in May.
As she walked, Hannah thought about the long, cold winter that stretched out before her. She couldn’t help but wonder if she’d be around to shovel the sidewalk at The Cookie Jar. If she was convicted of vehicular homicide and had to go to prison, would her partner, Lisa, keep their business running? Would there be enough income for Hannah to continue to make the monthly mortgage payment on her condo? And what would happen to Moishe? She’d taken care of Cuddles for Norman. Would he take care of Moishe for her? If Ross got the job and moved to Lake Eden should she ask him to take care of Moishe until she got out of prison? Or would prison mean the end of their romance? If neither man was willing to do it, would someone in her family volunteer? Questions like these had kept her from sleep for most of the preceding night.
“Don’t borrow trouble!” Hannah told herself sternly. Then she looked around quickly and was relieved to find that no one else was on the sidewalk. None of her neighbors had heard her talking to herself.
Howie’s car was parked right where he’d said it would be, in the first space of the visitor’s lot. Hannah hurried toward the black Lexus, an appropriate car for Lake Eden’s finest lawyer. Howie gave his clients notepads with that sentiment printed on the top of every page. It was his little joke since he was also Lake Eden’s only lawyer.
“Good morning, Hannah,” Howie greeted her as she slid into the leather-covered passenger seat.
Is it a good morning, Howie? Hannah thought, but she didn’t voice the question. Instead, she responded, “Good morning, Howie. Did you bring coffee for Judge Colfax?”
“We’ll stop on our way to the courthouse.”
“Okay. When you give him the coffee, give him this, too.” Hannah handed him a small white bag.
“What is it?”
“A couple of my Double Fudge Brownies. I figured it might sweeten him up. But don’t tell him they’re from me. I don’t want to get accused of bribery on top of everything else.”
“Got it.” Howie placed the bag on the backseat. “Say, Hannah . . . those brownies aren’t poisoned, are they?”
“Good heavens, no!”
“Just checking. I had two of your Double Fudge Brownies yesterday and they’re great.”
Hannah shivered again as Howie put the car in gear and pulled out of the parking lot. This time it wasn’t from the cold. It was a shiver of guilt. She had killed someone with her cookie truck. There was no escaping that fact, even though there had been mitigating circumstances. It had happened during a summer storm with blinding rai
n and lightning flashing all around her. Lisa had been in the passenger seat and Hannah had been trying to make it to a grove of trees where she thought that they would be protected from the driving rain and the lightning bolts. She hadn’t known that, just around the bend, there was a fallen branch that blocked the road. She’d swerved to avoid it, lost control, and hit the man by the side of the road. Even though it had been an accident, she had caused someone’s death and now she had to face the consequences.
Howie glanced over at her. “Relax, Hannah. Everything will be fine. Judge Colfax isn’t a bad judge. He’s just incompetent.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Hannah couldn’t help but ask him.
“No, it’s supposed to make you laugh.” Howie turned to smile at her. “You’re taking all this too seriously, Hannah.”
“Maybe that’s because I’m the one on trial and you’re not.”
“Yup. That could account for it. Lean back and relax. This’ll all be over much sooner than you think.”
Only if you’re planning to ram your car into a bridge abutment, Hannah thought as Howie turned onto the access road that led to the highway.
DOUBLE FUDGE BROWNIES
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
Jo Fluke’s Note: Last year, on a book tour for Blackberry Pie Murder, I asked anyone with a really good double fudge brownie recipe to please send it to me. I was overwhelmed with all the recipes Hannah fans sent. It took months to test them and I ate brownies until I didn’t think I could ever face another rich, chocolate confection. (I also gained over 5 pounds in the process, but I had a wonderfully delicious time!)
This recipe is Hannah’s combination of elements from all those incredible brownie recipes. If you sent a recipe to me, you’ll probably recognize some element of your recipe in this one.
Thank you all for making my winter so much fun! (And also so fattening, but we won’t talk about that.)
1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s)
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup white (granulated) sugar
1 cup brown sugar (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
¾ cup salted butter (1 and ½ sticks, 6 ounces)
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (I used Bakers)
1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs, beaten (just whip them up in a glass with a fork)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Nestle)
Jo Fluke’s Note: Be careful when you buy semi-sweet chocolate baking squares. Bakers has repackaged. A box used to contain 8 ounces in one-ounce squares wrapped in white paper. The new box contains only 4 ounces and it takes 4 little squares to make one ounce.
Line a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan with heavy duty foil. Spray the foil with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray.
Place the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, white sugar and brown sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on LOW speed until they are thoroughly combined.
Place the stick and a half of salted butter in a microwave-safe bowl. (I used a quart Pyrex measuring cup.)
Break the semi-sweet chocolate squares in pieces and place them on top of the butter.
Heat on HIGH in the microwave for 1 minute. and then stir with a heat-resistant rubber spatula. (If you don’t have one, you really need to buy one. They’re not expensive and they’re dishwasher safe. You’ll use it a lot!)
Take the spatula out of the bowl and return the bowl to the microwave. Heat the butter and chocolate mixture for an additional minute.
Let the bowl sit in the microwave for 1 more minute and then take it out and stir it with the heat-resistant spatula again. If you can stir it smooth, let it sit on the counter to cool for at least 5 minutes. If you can’t stir it smooth, heat it in increments of 30 seconds, letting it sit in the microwave for 1 minute after each increment, until you can stir it smooth.
Hannah’s 1st Note: You can also do this on the stovetop over LOW heat, but make sure to stir it constantly so it won’t scorch.
Stir the vanilla into the melted butter and chocolate mixture. Let it continue to cool on the counter.
Add the eggs to your mixer bowl and beat everything together at MEDIUM speed until everything is incorporated.
Turn the mixer down to LOW speed and slowly pour the chocolate, butter, and vanilla extract mixture into the mixer bowl. Mix this until it’s combined, but do not over-beat.
Roughly chop the chocolate chips into smaller pieces. (I used my food processor with the steel blade.)
Take the bowl out of the mixer and fold in the chocolate chips by hand. (You can use the same heat-resistant spatula that you used earlier.)
Scoop the mixture into your prepared pan. The mixture will be very thick. Use the same rubber spatula to scrape the bowl and get every wonderful bit of yummy batter into the cake pan.
Smooth the batter out and then press it down evenly with the back of a metal spatula. Make sure the batter gets into the corners of the pan.
Bake your Double Fudge Brownies in your preheated oven at 350 degrees F. for exactly 23 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE! If you do, you’ll end up with dry brownies that taste like chocolate cake instead of chocolate fudge!
When you take your brownies out of the oven, set them on a cold stove burner or a wire rack to cool.
Hannah’s 2nd Note: My cake pan always has one square, the size of a brownie, missing when I make the frosting. I’m not going to admit to anything here. I think the brownie thief must have come into my kitchen to take one brownie when I wasn’t looking.
Make the Milk Chocolate Fudge Frosting.
Milk Chocolate Fudge Frosting:
2 Tablespoons (1 ounce) salted butter
2 cups milk chocolate chips (I used Nestle Milk Chocolate Chips, the 11.5-ounce package)
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk—I used Eagle Brand)
Place the butter in the bottom of a microwave-safe bowl. (I used a quart Pyrex measuring cup)
Place the milk chocolate chips on top of the butter.
Pour in the 14-ounce can of sweetened, condensed milk.
Heat on HIGH for 1 minute. Then remove from the microwave and stir with a heat resistant rubber spatula.
Return the bowl to the microwave and heat for another minute.
Let the bowl sit in the microwave for 1 minute and then take it out (careful—it may be hot to the touch!) and set it on the counter. Attempt to stir it smooth with the heat-resistant spatula.
If you can stir the mixture smooth, you’re done. If you can’t stir it smooth, return the bowl to the microwave and heat on HIGH in 30-second increments followed by 1 minute standing time, until you can stir it smooth.
To frost your Double Fudge Brownies, simply pour the frosting over the top of your brownies, using the heat-resistant rubber spatula to smooth the frosting into the corners.
Give the microwave-safe bowl to your favorite person to scrape clean. (If you’re alone when you’re baking these brownies, feel free to enjoy the frosting that’s clinging to the sides of the bowl all by yourself.)
Let the frosted brownies cool to room temperature until the frosting is “set”. Then cover with a sheet of foil and store them in a cool place.
Chapter Nine
Howie used his gate card to enter the garage and he parked in the area that was set aside for lawyers. The sign read COUNSELORS ONLY and Hannah wondered why they still used the British term for lawyers. Did that make American lawyers feel superior? And how about Gil Surma, the counselor at Jordan High. Could he park there if he had to come to the courthouse for any . . . ?
“Hannah? Let’s go.”
Hannah’s thought process stopped in mid-sentence as she realized that Howie had turned off the ignition, gotten out of the car, and walked around to open her door. “Sorry,” she a
pologized, getting out of the car. “Why are we parking here instead of on the street?”
“Because it’s secure parking. Reporters aren’t allowed inside. And this door leads directly to the elevators.”
Hannah noticed Howie’s use of the plural. “There’s more than one elevator?”
“Yes, and the people around here are all up in arms about it. They say it’s a waste of taxpayer money, but we have to comply with the new state mandate. The second elevator is for handicapped judges and it was put in less than a year ago. It leads up to a specially equipped courtroom on the second floor and similarly equipped chambers on the third floor.”
Double Fudge Brownie Murder (Hannah Swensen series Book 18) Page 9