Devil’s Food Cake Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  “It’s good to see you smiling,” Norman said, opening the passenger door for her.

  “That’s because I’m with you,” Hannah said, and left it at that. It was true. She always felt better when she was with Norman. There was a second factor that accounted for her improved mood, but Hannah decided not to mention that the image of Doctor Bev languishing in her apartment alone made her feel much better.

  “Hannah? We’re here.”

  A voice roused Hannah from her extremely pleasant nap. It was a nice voice, a caring voice, and for a moment she thought her father was waking her in the morning so that she could get ready for school. But it wasn’t her father’s voice. It was…Norman. And she’d fallen asleep on their first date in a whole month!

  “Oh, Norman! I’m so sorry! I didn’t think I was that tired, but…why are you parking here? It’s a loading zone.”

  “I called Sally and cleared it. She said there won’t be any deliveries tonight. I didn’t want you to have to walk all the way from the parking lot.”

  “Thank you, Norman.” Hannah gave him a big smile, even though the cold night air might have chased away the cobwebs in her mind and the almost overwhelming urge to go back to sleep. But even the short distance from the car to the front door of the inn did the trick. By the time Norman opened the door, Hannah was feeling much more alert.

  Once they’d hung up their coats and switched from boots to the shoes they’d brought with them, Hannah and Norman headed straight for the dining room. As they stepped inside, Sally greeted them.

  “I was wondering when you’d get here,” she said. “I have a new dessert tonight and there are only a few servings left. Do you want me to save you a couple?”

  Norman nodded. “That would be great. What is it?”

  “Pear Crunch Pie. It’s Rhanna’s recipe. You remember her, don’t you Hannah? She managed the whole place for me during our first year.”

  “I remember. You were fit to be tied when she retired and moved to California.”

  “What’s the best thing on the menu tonight, Sally?” Norman asked her. “Hannah needs to relax with a nice glass of wine and some really great comfort food. And actually…I could use the same thing. Not the wine, though. It’s fizzy water for me. And whatever you have in the way of comfort food would be perfect for me, too.”

  “You came to the right place,” Sally said, smiling broadly. “I figured a lot of folks would need something hot and hearty tonight. It’s so cold out there. So I made Brisket and Veggies.”

  “That’s what I want!” Hannah said quickly.

  “Me, too,” Norman echoed her choice.

  “Wonderful. Just relax and leave everything to me.” Sally turned to pat Hannah’s shoulder. “I saved one of the private booths for you. That way nobody can come to your table to ask you questions.”

  Hannah was grateful. She hadn’t even considered that possibility, but Sally was right. Everyone from Lake Eden would want to hear the story of how she found Reverend Matthew’s body. “Thanks, Sally. That was really thoughtful.”

  “I’ll tell Dot to seat you and pull the curtains.”

  Sally gestured and Dot Larson, Sally’s head waitress, led them up the steps to the raised part of the dining room and seated them in the end booth.

  “How’s the baby, Dot?” Hannah asked, before Dot could pull the curtains.

  “Growing like a weed. He’s got one speed and that’s full throttle. If we had a bigger house, Mom would never be able to keep up with him.”

  “Your mother babysits while you’re at work here?” Norman asked.

  “That’s right. It works out really well. I have the five to ten shift during the week, and Mom comes over at four-thirty. She fixes supper for Jimmy when he gets home at five-thirty, feeds Jamie and puts him to bed, and she’s back home in time to watch her favorite shows. Taking care of Jamie gives her something to do now that Dad’s gone.”

  “I’m sorry to hear your father died,” Norman said quickly.

  “Oh, he’s not dead!” Dot gave a merry laugh. “He’s just up in Alaska with the dogs for the season. Mom usually goes with him, but there’s not much for her to do up there while he’s off mushing. To tell the truth, I think she’s glad she could use babysitting with Jamie as an excuse not to go this year.”

  When Dot bustled off to get their drinks, Hannah amused herself by peeking through the curtains at the other diners. “Howie and Kitty Levine just walked in,” she reported to Norman. “And there’s Pam and George Baxter. And right behind them is…Mother!”

  “Yours, or mine?”

  “Mine. She’s all alone.”

  “Would you like to ask her to join us?”

  Hannah debated for a moment. She really wanted to be alone with Norman, but she knew Delores hated to dine by herself.

  “Hannah? I’ll do whatever you want.”

  Norman was waiting for an answer. Hannah sighed deeply and dipped her head. “No, I don’t really want to invite her to join us, but I suppose we should.”

  “Then we will. Would you like me to go over and ask her?”

  “That would be good,” Hannah said, crossing her fingers for luck. It was possible that Delores was meeting some friends for dinner and the rest of her party hadn’t arrived yet. She’d certainly taken care with her appearance, but then she always did. Delores was definitely the most attractive woman of her age in Lake Eden, perhaps even in Winnetka County.

  Tonight her mother was dressed in a designer suit. Hannah knew that it was a designer suit even though she wasn’t a fashion expert like Andrea, because Delores never bought anything that wasn’t a designer creation. Tonight’s outfit was made of soft green wool in a superfine weave that reminded Hannah of luna moths with gossamer wings. It was a shade of green that was lighter than an avocado and darker than the sprout of a crocus when it poked its head above ground in the Spring. Only Delores could get away with wearing such an unforgiving material and style. The jacket was nipped in at the waist, setting any excess pounds on display for all to see. Delores, of course, had none. The skirt was pencil thin and would show any imperfections. Delores, of course, had none. In short, Delores Swensen looked ravishing. Her hair was perfect, her makeup was flawless, and her appearance was top of the line. She’d obviously taken time to get ready for tonight’s dinner, and Hannah was curious to see who her dining companion or companions would be.

  While Norman was gone, their drinks arrived. Dot brought sparkling water with a wedge of lime for Norman, and what she said was Sally’s favorite Estate Melon wine from De Ponte Cellars in Dundee Hills, Oregon. Her eye to the crack in the curtains, Hannah sipped her wine and watched Norman talk to her mother.

  Delores wasn’t getting up. Hannah decided that was a good sign. Norman would be escorting her back to their private booth by now if she’d accepted their invitation to join them. But something was definitely going on, because Norman left her mother’s table and headed out of the dining room.

  Please don’t let it be a dental emergency, Hannah’s mind pleaded. And if it is, let him call Doctor Bev to take care of it. This is the first time we’ve been alone in ages, and I’m not willing to cut our time short.

  Dot arrived with the bread basket before Hannah could speculate further. She lifted the napkin that covered the heated treasures inside and gave a little smile of contentment. There were three breads tonight. Nestled on the right side of the bread basket were two of Sally’s cornbread and honey muffins. Three Easy Cheesy Biscuits were on the right, and that also made Hannah smile. She’d gotten the recipe from a friend and passed it on to Sally.

  It was the bread in the center of the bread basket that had caused Hannah to smile in delight. Sally’s Apricot Bread was delightful. Sally had given her the recipe months ago, but she hadn’t gotten around to baking it yet. Perhaps tonight would be the night. She could bake a batch with Norman when they got back to her condo. A batch made two loaves and if they baked a double batch, she could give one to Norman, one to h
er mother, who also loved it, and keep two loaves for herself.

  Hannah was just spreading soft butter on her warm apricot bread when Norman pushed back the curtain and slid into the booth. “I take it Mother’s not going to join us for dinner?” she asked, her smile still in place.

  “No, she’s waiting for her date.”

  “Who’s her date?”

  “She didn’t say. But she did ask me if you were investigating Reverend Matthew’s murder.”

  “What did you tell her?”

  “I said I thought you probably would, that I thought you felt a certain responsibility when you discovered a murder victim.” Norman leaned forward toward her. “Am I right?”

  “Yes,” Hannah answered, although she hadn’t really decided until this very moment. “Will you help?”

  “Of course. I’m already helping. I asked your mother if she’d known Reverend Matthew when he stayed with Grandma Knudson as a teenager.”

  “What did she say?”

  “She said she knew him slightly. But she also said her date for the evening knew him much better than she did.”

  Hannah was silent for a moment, taking that in. It had already occurred to her that Reverend Matthew could have been killed due to an old grudge, or something that had happened in Lake Eden in the past. “That could be helpful, depending on what it is. I think we should all get together over coffee and dessert.”

  “I’m ahead of you,” Norman said, looking quite satisfied with himself. “I invited them to join us for dessert. And I checked with Sally right after I talked with your mother. She said she’d save the rest of the pear pie for the four of us.”

  “Great! Thanks, Norman.” Hannah took a bite of her apricot bread and made a little sound of contentment. And then she remembered what she had wanted to ask him. “How about later at my condo? Would you like to help me make a batch of Sally’s Apricot Bread? I’ll give you a loaf to take home.”

  Norman reached out to take her hand. “Sounds like fun,” he said. “I really love to bake with you.”

  “And I really love to bake with you,” Hannah said, putting down her half-eaten slice of bread so that she could lay her other hand over his.

  BRISKET AND VEGGIES

  Hannah’s 1st Note: Before she would give me this recipe, Sally made me promise to tell you that although this is the easiest recipe in the world, you have to pretend you’ve been toiling over a hot stove all day. She says it was her mother’s secret recipe, and now it’s yours, too.

  4 to 5 pound beef brisket (not corned!)

  2 cans (approx. 10 ounces apiece) condensed golden mushroom soup

  3 medium potatoes (sweet, regular, it doesn’t matter)

  5 stalks celery, leaves removed

  6 small white or yellow onions 6 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks

  salt and pepper to taste one package Lawry’s brown gravy mix (the kind that makes one cup)

  Spread a layer of soup in the bottom of a disposable roaster (that’s about ½ can) and place the roaster on a cookie sheet for stability.

  Salt and pepper the brisket on both sides and then plunk it, fat side up, in the middle of the roaster.

  Peel the potatoes and cut each one into six chunks. Arrange them on top of the soup and around the sides of the brisket.

  Cut the celery stalks into 2-inch pieces. Arrange them on top of the soup and around the sides of the meat.

  Peel the onions. Cut them in half and arrange them on top of the soup and around the sides of the brisket.

  Peel the carrots. Cut them in 2-inch chunks and arrange them on top of the soup and around the sides of the meat.

  Hannah’s 2nd Note: If you don’t want to go to all this work, just buy a couple of packages of frozen stew vegetables and dump them (you don’t have to thaw them) on top of the soup and around the sides of the brisket.

  Salt and pepper the veggies and then slather the remaining soup over the top of everything in the roaster. Cover the roaster with a sheet of heavy duty foil to keep the steam in.

  Bake your Brisket and Veggies at 350 degrees F. for 4 to 5 hours, or until it practically falls apart.

  Hannah’s 3rd Note: Sally says to tell you that it’s practically impossible to over-bake this dish, that it just gets better and better.

  Take off the foil the last half-hour of baking.

  When the time is up, remove the roaster from the oven and let it cool for another half-hour before serving.

  Hannah’s 4th Note: If the liquid around the brisket is too thin to use for gravy, Sally puts it in a saucepan on the stove, heats it to almost boiling, and adds a package of Lawry’s brown gravy mix (the kind that makes one cup) to thicken it.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Oh, good! It’s Doc Knight,” Hannah told Norman with a smile. She’d been peeking out of the curtain every so often between bites of Sally’s wonderful Brisket and Veggies, waiting for her mother’s dinner companion to appear.

  “She’s seen a lot of him lately,” Norman commented.

  “She has?”

  “Mother told me that she volunteered to organize the Gray Ladies.”

  “Who are the Gray Ladies?”

  “A group of ladies who go out to the hospital to visit the patients on off-hours. Delores makes out their schedule.”

  “Charity work?” Hannah was surprised, and it showed on her face. Delores wasn’t known for doing charity work.

  “I guess you could call it charity, but it’s more like community service. The patients in the hospital get lonely, and Doc keeps strict visiting hours. This way they can see the Rainbow Ladies in-between their regular visitors.”

  Hannah was confused. “Wait a second. You said they were Gray Ladies.”

  “They were, but your mother changed the name.”

  “Why did she do that?”

  “They used to wear gray smocks. Can you imagine your mother wearing a gray smock?”

  “No, I really can’t,” Hannah said quickly. Her mother was fond of colorful clothing and she didn’t consider gray a color.

  “Mother said Delores went to Claire’s shop and they ordered brightly colored jackets for all of the volunteers. They’re lightweight and washable, so the Rainbow Ladies wear them over a black top and black pants. Mother just loves hers. It’s turquoise and that’s her favorite color. Your mother brought a color wheel to their first meeting, and everyone chose a favorite color.”

  Hannah glanced out through the curtains again. Her mother was deep in conversation with Doc Knight. Perhaps they were discussing the Rainbow Ladies.

  Norman waited until she’d taken her last bite of brisket. “Do you have any leads yet?”

  “Not yet. I haven’t even started.”

  “Did you bring your murder book with you?”

  Hannah reached down to pat the leather saddlebag-size purse that her mother and Andrea kept trying to replace. She readily agreed that it was “ratty,” her mother’s word for all the scratches on the leather, but everything she needed to survive was in there…and then some.

  “Do you want to brainstorm about it now, before your Mother and Doc join us? Or would you rather just relax?”

  “Brainstorm,” Hannah said instantly, reaching into her purse for her shorthand notebook and a pen. “First let me describe the scene of the crime, and then you can help think of possible motives.”

  Describing the scene didn’t take long. Hannah had already done it twice in the past six hours, once in response to an official interrogation by Mike, and once at The Cookie Jar for Lisa. Each time she described it, it got a little easier, and she wondered if she was becoming jaded. She hoped not. Violent death was nothing to take lightly!

  “And the murder weapon was a gun?” Norman asked when she’d finished.

  “Yes, and he fell forward on the desk.”

  “Did they find the murder weapon?”

  “No. I asked Mike about that. But just as soon as the autopsy is…Doc!”

  Norman gave a little laugh.
“Yes, Doc. He’ll probably tell us his opinion. Doc’s seen a lot of gunshot wounds as county coroner, and chances are he’ll be right.”

  “It’ll give us something to go on until the ballistics lab sends their report. Mike said that would take at least three days, maybe as long as a week.”

  Norman was silent as Dot arrived. She cleared their plates and told them that Delores and Doc would be joining them in five minutes or so. Then she left with Norman’s credit card.

  “Let’s talk about motives while we’re waiting for them,” Norman suggested. “Why would anyone want to kill a minister?”

  “Maybe it had nothing to do with the fact that Reverend Matthew was a minister. Don’t forget that he lived here for a year when he was a senior in high school. Maybe someone with an old grudge seized the opportunity and killed him.”

  “Okay. Old grudge. What kind of old grudge?”

  “I don’t know. It could be jealousy. Grandma Knudson said that when Matthew was a senior at Jordan High, he was the quarterback and he dated the head cheerleader. She also said that the principal at the time thought Reverend Matthew’s cousin Paul was jealous of the time they spent together.”

  Norman thought about that for a moment. “But why would cousin Paul wait all these years to kill Reverend Matthew when the reverend didn’t end up marrying the cheerleader? And if cousin Paul was jealous of the time Reverend Matthew spent with the cheerleader, why didn’t he kill the cheerleader?”

  “I don’t know. Those are good points. I guess we’ll have to leave Paul out of it. No one knows where he is anyway. Reverend Matthew hired a private detective to find him when Paul’s mother was dying, but the detective couldn’t find Paul. The trail went cold at the state prison in Iowa right after Paul was released.”