Devil’s Food Cake Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  “No, it’s probably Mike,” Mike said, stepping in. “Didn’t you look through the peephole?”

  “It doesn’t do any good. Hello, Mike. Good to see you. And goodnight, Mike. I’m going to bed.”

  “Goodnight, Michelle,” Mike said as she left the room, and then he turned to Hannah. “What’s the matter with your peephole?”

  “It’s the outside light,” Hannah explained, coming over to take his coat. “I petitioned the association to move the light so my visitors’ faces aren’t in shadow. They approved it, but the handyman hasn’t been around to do it yet.”

  “I’ll do it on my day off,” Mike promised.

  “But you don’t have to …”

  “I want to. I want you safe, Hannah. It’s after eleven at night. You should know who it is before you open the door. Besides, I’m law enforcement, and that means I’m responsible for your safety and well-being. I have a vested interest in keeping you around.”

  “Oh, really?” Hannah said as Mike moved closer. She tried to keep it casual, but she knew what was coming and her voice shook slightly. “What’s that?”

  “I’ll show you.”

  Before Hannah could do more than draw in her breath, Mike pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

  It felt good to be loved, even by the man she was almost convinced was wrong for her. He’d been dating Doctor Bev, and he hadn’t even mentioned it to her. Of course he also hadn’t mentioned the other women he’d dated, like Shawna Lee Quinn, her sister Vanessa, and Ronni Ward. Then again Norman, who she suspected was right for her, had been up-front about taking Bev out to dinner when Hannah had a date with Mike. Except tonight. Tonight Norman had betrayed her, and …

  Hannah stopped thinking. Mike’s kiss was too compelling to spoil with thoughts of anything but him and how very good it felt to be loved, even if it wasn’t forever.

  STRAWBERRY SHORTBREAD BAR COOKIES

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

  Hannah’s 1st Note: These are really easy and fast to make. Almost everyone loves them, including Baby Bethie, and they’re not even chocolate!

  3 cups all purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)

  ¾ cup powdered (confectioner’s) sugar (don’t sift unless it’s got big lumps)

  1 and ½ cups salted butter, softened (3 sticks, 12 ounces, ¾ pound)

  1 can (21 ounces) strawberry pie filling (I used Comstock)***

  *** - If you can’t find strawberry pie filling, you can use another berry filling, like raspberry, or blueberry. You can also use pie fillings of larger fruits like peach, apple, or whatever. If you do that, cut the fruit pieces into smaller pieces so that each bar cookie will have some. I just put my apple or peach pie filling in the food processor with the steel blade and zoop it up just short of being pureed. I’m not sure about using lemon pie filling. I haven’t tried that yet.

  FIRST STEP: Mix the flour and the powdered sugar together in a medium-sized bowl.

  Cut in the softened butter with a two knives or a pastry cutter until the resulting mixture resembles bread crumbs or coarse corn meal.

  (You can also do this in a food processor using cold butter cut into chunks that you layer between the powdered sugar and flour mixture and process with the steel blade, using an on-and-off pulsing motion.)

  Spread HALF of this mixture (approximately 3 cups will be fine) into a greased (or sprayed with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray) 9-inch by 13-inch pan. (That’s a standard size rectangular cake pan.)

  Bake at 350 degrees F. for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden brown.

  Remove the pan to a wire rack or a cold burner on the stove, but DON’T TURN OFF THE OVEN!

  Let the crust cool for 5 minutes.

  SECOND STEP: Spread the pie filling over the top of the crust you just baked.

  Sprinkle the crust with the other half of the crust mixture you saved. Try to do this as evenly as possible. Don’t worry about little gaps in the topping. It will spread out and fill in a bit as it bakes.

  Gently press the top crust down with the flat blade of a metal spatula.

  Bake the cookie bars at 350 degrees F. for another 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden.

  Turn off the oven and remove the pan to a wire rack or a cold burner to cool completely.

  When the bars are completely cool, cover the pan with foil and refrigerate them until you’re ready to cut them.

  (Chilling them makes them easier to cut.)

  When you’re ready to serve them, cut the Strawberry Shortbread Bar Cookies into brownie-sized pieces, arrange them on a pretty platter, and if you like, sprinkle the top with extra powdered sugar.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “You’ve got goose bumps,” Mike said, chuckling a bit as he reached out and shut the front door. “Sorry about that. I totally forgot the door was open.”

  “That’s okay,” Hannah said, deciding not to mention that she hadn’t even noticed, and the icy air that was coming in the open door probably wasn’t the cause anyway. Since it would be very easy to go straight back into Mike’s arms again and continue right where they’d left off, she stepped back slightly and smiled at him. “Did you get a chance to have something for dinner?”

  “No. I was going to stop by the Corner Tavern, but things got rushed at the station. Did you ask because you’re going to feed me? Or was it just a matter of curiosity?”

  “When have I ever failed to feed you?” Hannah answered his question with another question.

  “Good! I’m starving. What did you have in mind?” Hannah thought fast. She had a number of quickie meals in her repertoire, and her choice depended on the ingredients she had on hand. “How about Welsh Rarebit?”

  “Sounds great!” Mike said, giving her the devilish grin that always made her heart beat faster. “What is it?”

  “You say it sounds good, but you don’t know what it is?” “Yeah. And that’s because everything you make is good. Come on, Hannah…tell me what it is.”

  “It’s like a puffy cheese sandwich with only one piece of bread. And I’ve got Strawberry Shortbread Bar Cookies for dessert.”

  “Oh, boy! I guess I knocked on the right door tonight! Can I start with dessert?”

  “Of course,” Hannah said, heading for the kitchen. “I’ll put on a fresh pot of coffee and bring out a platter of bar cookies for you to munch on. And then I’ll start the Welsh Rarebit. It only takes about fifteen minutes.”

  “I’m in no hurry. I’ll just throw some mice for the big guy. He likes that, don’t you, Moishe?”

  Hannah watched as her cat turned into a shameless sycophant, rubbing up against Mike’s legs and purring so loudly she could hear him from the kitchen doorway. Moishe adored Mike. It seemed that all animals adored Mike. She’d seen him with Herb’s pup, Dillon, and Mike knew exactly where to scratch his ears and which toys were his favorites. He was also really good with Norman’s cat, Cuddles. Mike was the type of guy that everybody’s pet loved.

  Hannah had put on the coffee and she was setting the oven for the proper temperature when she happened to look at the top of the refrigerator. There was a sock ball leaning up against the ice bucket she almost never used.

  “Oh, no! Not again!” she said, giving a heartfelt sigh. This was the fourth or fifth sock ball she’d found on top of the refrigerator and there was no way she’d dropped that many on her way from the laundry room to her bedroom. Either she was doing strange things in her sleep, or Moishe had somehow discovered how to open her sock drawer.

  “Is there something wrong?” Mike asked, and Hannah turned to see him standing in the open kitchen doorway, a toy mouse in his hand. Moishe was right next to him, looking oh-so-ingenuous.

  Hannah said nothing. She just pointed to the top of the refrigerator where the sock ball sat.

  “Rolled up socks?” Mike asked her.

  “That’s right. And I’m almost positive that I
didn’t put that sock ball there.”

  Mike turned to look at Moishe, who looked back up at him and started to purr. “You think he did?” Mike asked her.

  “Yes, but I can’t figure out how he does it. I keep them in a drawer in the bedroom, and it sticks. It’s really hard to get open.”

  “Let me see,” Mike said.

  Hannah led the way to her bedroom and pointed to the drawer filled with similar sock balls. “Try to open it, and you’ll see what I mean,” she told him.

  Mike grasped the handle and pulled. The drawer didn’t move. He pulled again, a bit harder, and it still didn’t budge. “It’s really sticking,” he said.

  “I know. Sometimes if you jiggle and pull at the same time, it’ll come open.”

  Mike did as she described and the drawer slid out reluctantly. “Moishe couldn’t have opened this. It’s a really heavy drawer,” he said.

  “The dresser’s an antique, and they knew how to build them to last back then. Mother says it’s solid mahogany, the same as my bedstead.”

  Mike turned to look at the bed and then he sighed deeply.

  “What’s wrong?” Hannah asked.

  “It’s your bed. It looks all soft, and comfortable, and warm, and…I’ve got to get out of here!”

  Hannah laughed and grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the hallway. “I take it you haven’t had much sleep lately.”

  “No, not much. Between that jewel robbery in the Cities, a couple of scams involving senior citizens, three stolen cars, and now the church murder case, I’ve been working doubles almost every day.”

  “Well, take a nap on the couch while I make the Welsh Rarebit,” Hannah suggested. “They say that fifteen or twenty minutes of sleep can make a huge difference.”

  “Oh, it’ll make a huge difference all right!” Mike said with a grin. “If I go to sleep, I’ll stay asleep, and you’ll have to drag me out the door in the morning.”

  “I’ll take your word for it,” Hannah said. “I’ll bring the coffee and you can start eating those bars. The sugar may give you a lift.”

  As she arranged a tray for the coffee and put the cookie bars on a plate for Mike, Hannah thought about how she could parlay the information she’d gathered into something of value from Mike. She would tell him about Alice’s visit to the parsonage on Sunday night, but she’d make sure to say that Alice had an alibi. If Mike needed to substantiate that, he could talk to Digger the way they had. That exchange should earn her a piece of information about the official investigation from Mike. And if that worked out, she might even mention…no, she wouldn’t tell Mike about Lenny Peske and how he used to pal around with Paul, not until they’d had the chance to go out to the Eagle to question Lenny. If Mike got there first, it would take away the element of surprise, and surprise could give them the advantage. With the twists and turns this investigation was taking, they needed every advantage they could get.

  “Wow!” Mike said with a sigh as he put down his fork. “That was incredible, Hannah. It had the perfect amount of hot sauce for me.”

  “Thanks,” Hannah said, glad that she’d doubled the amount of hot sauce in the recipe for the fiery flavor-loving sheriff’s detective.

  Mike reached across the table to pick up the carafe to pour another cup of coffee for Hannah. He refilled his own cup, returned the carafe to its trivet, and gave her a smile. “So how’s the investigation coming?” he asked her.

  “Investigation?” Hannah attempted an innocent expression. “You know I like to leave all that to the professionals.”

  “Right. Just like you always come to a full and complete stop at every stop sign and never ever go over the speed limit.”

  “How’s your investigation going?” Hannah countered. There was no use denying that she was involved in Paul’s murder case. Mike knew better.

  “It’s a tough case.”

  “Because you’re suddenly investigating Paul’s murder rather than Reverend Matthew’s?”

  “Yes, but that’s only part of it. There’s also the history.”

  “The fact that they went to school right here in Lake Eden and the murder might relate to that?”

  “Exactly.” Mike sat back on the couch and looked at her intently.

  “What?” Hannah asked. Mike was staring at her so closely, she almost wondered if she had suddenly sprouted a second nose.

  “I wish you weren’t a baker.”

  Hannah reared back slightly. “But I thought you liked what I baked!”

  “I did. I do! I was just wishing that you were a detective and you were on my team. It’d make life a lot easier.”

  “How so?” Hannah asked, knowing full well that she was begging for a compliment. After what Norman had put her through tonight, she could use one!

  “Because you’re good at it, better than anybody else on my team. And then I wouldn’t have to be careful about what I say around you.”

  “Why do you have to be careful?” Hannah asked, still feeling a warm glow from the compliment.

  “It’s police procedure. We’re never supposed to discuss a case with anyone except other law enforcement personnel.”

  Hannah gave a little sigh, but secretly she was pleased. Perhaps he hadn’t meant to do it, or perhaps he had, but Mike had opened the door to further discussion of the murder case. “Then I guess I can’t tell you what I learned today,” she said. “If I’m not other law enforcement personnel, you probably can’t take me seriously.”

  “I can take you seriously. Detectives get information from many different sources.”

  “And sometimes you have to give information to get information, right?”

  Mike’s eyes narrowed. “Are you proposing some type of exchange?”

  “I’m not proposing anything. I’m just saying that you might have information I’d find interesting, and I might have information that you’d find interesting.”

  “Sounds like an exchange to me,” Mike said, clearly amused. “What have you got, Hannah?”

  “You first. Mine is something I know you don’t know.”

  “Okay…how about the time of death?”

  “I’ve already got it. You’ll have to come up with something better than that.”

  “The murder weapon?”

  “You recovered it?”

  “No, but we know what it is.”

  Hannah gave a little laugh. “So do I. It was a gun.”

  “Yes, but what caliber? What type? You don’t know that, do you?”

  “No, but is that important?”

  “Not really. Not unless we find it. But just for your information, it was a twenty-two semiautomatic. We found the shell casing.”

  “Big whoop!” Hannah said, causing Mike to chortle. “Laugh all you want, but that’s not enough. My information is worth more than that.”

  “Give me a little taste and I’ll decide if I should give you something better.”

  “Well…okay.” Hannah thought for a moment. “You noticed the birdcage at the crime scene, didn’t you?”

  “Of course we did. Rick Murphy lifted the cover and recognized Pete Nunke’s mynah bird.”

  “I covered the cage right after I found the body,” Hannah told him.

  “Why did you do …” Mike began to smile. “I get it. You didn’t want the bird to see the corpse.”

  “Something like that, yes. But Jacob, the bird, saw the whole thing. And mynah birds talk.”

  Mike let out a laugh. “And the bird told you who the murderer is?”

  “No, but Jacob mimics people’s voices. And he was talking a blue streak at Grandma Knudson’s this afternoon. He said, It’s almost eleven-thirty. I’ve got to get back. And Norman and I recognized the voice.”

  “Really!” Mike said, sounding much more interested than he had before. “Who was it?”

  “Not quite yet. You haven’t told me anything of interest yet.”

  “Okay…how about this? I checked Paul’s prison record. He was in for armed robbery, and he s
hot a security guard.”

  “With a twenty-two?” Hannah guessed.

  “You’re good, Hannah. And you’re right. The gun was never recovered. Now tell me who the mynah bird fingered for being in the church office.”

  “Alice Vogel. She used to go out with Matthew in high school, and she met him again on the night he was killed.”

  “No wonder she seemed rattled when Lonnie and I talked to her this afternoon!”

  “Alice is even more rattled now. Michelle and I talked to her early this evening, and we told her that Paul was masquerading as Reverend Matthew and that Paul was the one who was murdered. Poor Alice just couldn’t take it in. She got Digger to fill in at the tournament for her and went straight home to try to regroup.”

  “I wonder if Alice guessed that the man she met wasn’t Reverend Matthew,” Mike speculated. “If she thought she’d been duped, that might have made her angry enough to …”

  “Stop!” Hannah interrupted. “Alice didn’t do it. She’s got an alibi. We talked to Digger, and he said that Alice was back at the bowling alley by twenty to twelve Sunday night.”

  “Okay, but she could have gone back after she closed.”

  “She could have, but the time frame’s wrong. Alice didn’t close until after two in the morning. She had Night Owl League for the DelRay employees who get off at eleven.”

  Mike looked thoughtful. “Did you ask her if she saw anyone around the church?”

  “Of course I did. She said absolutely nothing was moving when she walked to her car. No one walking, no cars driving by, no other cars parked in front of the parsonage, the church, or in the church lot.”

  “Okay. I’d better talk to her for form’s sake, but it can wait until I chase down another couple of leads.”

  “Leads?” Hannah asked, leaning forward.

  Mike leaned forward too, and cupped his hands around her face. “No,” he said, giving her lips a brush with his. “That’s enough for tonight. When you get more, call me and we’ll do another exchange.”