Chocolate Cream Pie Murder Read online

  ½ cup vegetable oil

  ½ cup whole milk

  1 Tablespoon grated pink grapefruit zest (just use the colored part)

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1 teaspoon baking powder

  1 teaspoon salt

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

  Hannah’s 1st Note: You will be using pink grapefruit zest in the cake recipe and pink grapefruit juice in the glaze recipe. Zest the pink grapefruit first and juice it later, when it’s time to make the glaze.

  Prepare a Bundt cake pan by spraying it with Pam, or another nonstick cooking spray, and then coating the insides with flour. To do this, sprinkle some flour in the bottom of the Bundt pan, stand over your kitchen wastebasket, and turn the cake pan so that the flour touches the sides and coats them. Don’t forget to coat the outside of the crater in the middle of the pan. When you’re through preparing your pan, hold it upside down over the wastebasket and shake out the excess flour.

  Place the softened butter in the bowl of an electric mixer.

  Add the white sugar and the softened cream cheese. Beat everything together until the mixture is light and fluffy.

  Mix in the eggs. Beat until they are thoroughly incorporated.

  Drizzle in the vegetable oil and continue to beat until the oil has been incorporated.

  Add the milk and the pink grapefruit zest. Mix them in thoroughly.

  Mix in the vanilla extract, the baking powder, and the salt. Mix well.

  Add the flour in half-cup increments, beating after each addition. The object is to create a smooth, well-mixed cake batter.

  Pour the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan.

  Bake at 325 degrees F. for 45 minutes or until the top surface of the cake does not indent when touched with a finger. Be very careful not to overbake this cake.

  Let your Pink Grapefruit Cake cool for 15 minutes before taking it out of the pan. To do this, place a platter on top of the Bundt pan and turn the platter and the pan upside down on your kitchen counter. When the cake has cooled enough, it will fall out of the Bundt pan and onto the platter.

  When the cake is completely cool, glaze it with Pink Grapefruit Glaze. The recipe follows.

  PINK GRAPEFRUIT GLAZE

  4 Tablespoons pink grapefruit juice

  2 cups powdered (confectioners’) sugar

  Using an electric mixer, combine the pink grapefruit juice with the powdered sugar.

  Hannah’s Note: You can experiment with the amount of juice and the amount of sugar. This glaze is very forgiving. If it’s too thick to pour over your cake, add more pink grapefruit juice. If it’s too thin to coat the cake when you pour it on the cake, add more powdered sugar and give it a second coat.

  Lois’s Note: The more glaze, the better!

  Chapter Ten

  “Okay, Hannah. Try these.” Lisa walked over to the work station and set a platter down on the stainless-steel surface. “I baked them last night and I need to know if you want to sell them for Valentine’s Day.”

  “They look great, Lisa,” Norman said, reaching for one. “I like the pink frosting.”

  “It had to be either pink or red,” Lisa told him. “And red is a lot harder to do with liquid food coloring. It only takes a few drops of red to make pink if you’re adding it to something that’s naturally white.”

  “White chocolate?” Norman guessed, taking one and pushing the platter toward Hannah.

  “Yes,” Lisa said, and then she turned to Hannah. “Are you still nervous about Ross?”

  “I guess so. I just know that I’m not at all hungry and I feel a little queasy. I hope I’m not getting sick.”

  “It could be anxiety,” Lonnie suggested, reaching out to snag a brownie. “What do you call these, Lisa?”

  “White Chocolate Brownies.”

  Hannah knew that Lisa was disappointed when she hadn’t reached out for a brownie right away. She didn’t want one, far from it, but there was no way she’d disappoint her partner. “Maybe I’m just hungry,” she suggested, grabbing a brownie from the platter. “All I had for breakfast this morning was coffee and these look really great, Lisa.”

  “Thanks!” Lisa was all smiles, and Hannah was glad that she’d made the effort. Now all she had to do was eat the brownie and declare how good it was. She had no doubt that it was wonderful. It looked absolutely delicious. The only problem was that her stomach was roiling and she was having all she could do not to look as sick as she felt.

  It’s probably just stress, Hannah told herself, but she didn’t believe it. The reason her stomach was acting up wasn’t important. The important thing was to convince Lisa that she loved her White Chocolate Brownies.

  “I love the color of the frosting,” Hannah said, staring down at the brownie. Good for you! Her rational mind said. Don’t let Lisa know that you’re still feeling sick to your stomach.

  “It smells wonderful, and the texture looks perfect,” Hannah went on, not listening to her mind’s running comments. Atta girl! her rational mind complimented her.

  Oh, yeah? her suspicious mind argued. If Lisa’s White Chocolate Brownie is that perfect, why don’t you take a bite? If you don’t, Lisa will know you’re just paying her compliments to keep from tasting her brownie.

  Hannah forced herself to open her mouth and take a big bite. She chewed, swallowed, and took a sip of coffee. “Delicious,” she declared. They’ll be perfect for Valentine catering, Lisa.”

  “Oh, good! I was hoping you’d like them,” Lisa said with a big smile. “Thanks, Hannah.”

  “They’re going to be a huge hit with our customers. As a matter of fact, I think I’ll take another and run next door to give it to Mother. She adores white chocolate.”

  That said, Hannah rose from her chair, grabbed a brownie, wrapped it in a napkin, and hurried out the door, totally ignoring Lisa’s warning about taking her parka. As she hurried across the parking lot to the back door of Granny’s Attic, her mother’s antique shop, Hannah began to feel slightly better. The cold air was having a bracing effect and her stomach was no longer roiling. Perhaps she’d overdone it on the coffee this morning and that was why she’d felt sick. Or perhaps skipping breakfast hadn’t been a good idea and she’d just been hungry, after all.

  * * *

  Several hours later, Hannah stood outside the door to Lake Eden First Mercantile Bank and knocked loudly on the glass. She could see several workmen and the bank president, Doug Greerson, inside. Since one workman was holding a nail gun and the other was using a framing hammer, Hannah assumed that they were probably making too much noise to hear her knock. Since Doug was out in the main part of the bank and not in his office it probably explained why, that despite her repeated telephone calls, Doug hadn’t answered the phone.

  Hannah stood there, waiting. Although it was cold, the bank had a covered portico and she was out of the wind. This made it fairly comfortable. She didn’t bother to knock until the workman with the nail gun put it down and turned to say something to Doug. Then she knocked again, as loudly as she could.

  This time, Hannah got results. Doug looked up, saw Hannah standing under the portico, and walked quickly to the door. He pointed to the sign and Hannah gave a nod. She knew that the bank was closed, but she still had to speak to Doug. She motioned toward him, mouthed the words I need to talk to you, and began to smile as Doug held up one finger and hurried back to the counter to pick up his key ring.

  “Let’s go in my office,” Doug said after he’d unlocked the door and let her in. He relocked the front door behind Hannah and led her toward his office in the back.

  “Thanks, Doug,” Hannah said, following him through the corridor and into his private space.

  “Coffee?” Doug asked her, gesturing toward the espresso machine that his wife had given him for Christmas several years ago.

  “Thanks. That would be great,” Hannah responded, even though her stomach still felt a bit unsettled.

  “Yo
u drink cappuccino, don’t you?”

  “Yes. Thank you, Doug.” Hannah waited until the coffee machine had finished brewing her coffee and then she reached out for the cup and took a sip. The chocolate that Doug had sprinkled on top of the cappuccino seemed to settle her stomach and Hannah began to feel much better.

  “How can I help you, Hannah?” Doug asked, settling in his chair behind his desk with his own cup of coffee.

  “I brought you some of Lisa’s White Chocolate Brownies.” Hannah set the small bakery box on top of Doug’s desk and lifted the lid. “They have pink frosting because we’re going to use them for Valentine’s Day. Have one with your coffee, Doug.”

  “Thanks. I will.” Doug took a brownie, bit into it, and made a sound of approval. “They’re really good!” he said once he’d swallowed his first bite. “Now tell me why you needed to see me.”

  Hannah took another sip of her coffee and drew a deep breath. “Ross asked me to come in and . . .”

  “You saw Ross?” Doug asked, interrupting her.

  “Yes. Don’t worry, Doug. Mike knows about it. Ross claimed he needed the money from the safe deposit box so he could ask his wife for a divorce and marry me again. Except, it’s not really again since we weren’t married in the first place.”

  “Oh, Hannah!” Doug looked thoroughly disgusted. “You didn’t fall for that, did you?”

  “Good heavens, no! And that’s what I told Ross. I said I wouldn’t marry him if he was the last man left on earth!”

  Doug nodded. “I’m glad to hear that, Hannah. I didn’t think you could possibly be that much of a . . .” He stopped himself and looked slightly embarrassed. “Well . . . you know what I mean.”

  “I do. And you’re right. I’m not that much of a fool. You’ve heard the old saying, Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!”

  “I certainly have. My mother used to say that.” Doug looked thoughtful. “So what do you want me to do, Hannah?”

  “I don’t know what you can do, Doug, since it is his money. I just came to you for advice. Ross threatened me when I said I’d put all the money he’d given me back in his checking account and he’d have to go to the bank himself to withdraw it.”

  “How much money did Ross want to withdraw?”

  “A hundred thousand dollars, exactly what was in his safe deposit box.”

  “The bank won’t be open until Monday, Hannah.”

  “I know that, but Ross wanted me to contact you personally and get the money for him.”

  “No.”

  “What?”

  “No. Even if I wanted to, and I don’t, I couldn’t give you that money, Hannah.”

  “Why not? I put it back in his account.”

  “I know you did. I helped you make the deposit. But it’s not in Ross’s checking account any longer.”

  Hannah was confused. “But . . . it was there a week ago! What happened to it?”

  “We’re a small bank, Hannah. We don’t keep that much money on hand in our safe. It’s a matter of bank security. If someone wants to withdraw a large sum in cash like Ross does, we have to request the funds and wait for the cash to be delivered by armored truck.”

  Hannah thought about that for a moment. “I guess that makes sense. So the money is there, but . . . it’s not physically here?”

  “That’s right. We don’t take any chances with sums that large. What if someone robbed our bank and broke into our safe? Or there was some kind of natural disaster that destroyed our safe and its contents? If that happened, the physical cash could be lost. It’s a lot safer at the central depository. That’s a much more secure location.”

  “Yes, I suppose it is.” Hannah was silent for a moment, and then she thought of another question. “How about the money that Ross put into my checking account? I transferred that to Ross’s checking account, too. It was seventy thousand dollars. Is that still here?”

  “No, we keep enough cash here for normal banking business, but not for withdrawals of large amounts in cash. Does Ross know he can’t get his hands on that cash immediately?”

  “No. I explained about transferring the money to his checking account, but I didn’t realize that the money wasn’t here and he’d have to wait for you to get the cash. He was really angry when he found out that the bank wouldn’t be open until Monday.”

  “No doubt.” Doug sighed. “Is Ross coming in on Monday to try to withdraw that money?”

  “I don’t think so. He expects me to do it for him. Mike warned him not to show his face around Lake Eden because people here were really upset about the way Ross treated me. Mike told Ross that if he came back to Lake Eden, he couldn’t guarantee his safety.”

  “But Ross came back anyway.”

  “Yes, but he came back so early that none of the other businesses were open and most people were still sleeping. He told me he needed the money. That’s when I told him that I’d put all that money in his account. And that’s when he accused me of trying to get him killed!”

  “Did Ross say that his wife was going to kill him if he didn’t produce the money?”

  Hannah shook her head. “Not exactly. He didn’t say who was going to kill him, just that someone was.”

  “Makes sense. I’d guess that Ross is involved in something bigger than a troubled marriage.”

  “So what do you think I should do?” Hannah clasped her hands together tightly in her lap. She was beginning to feel very afraid and she didn’t like that feeling at all!

  “I think you’d better watch your back. And I think you’d better tell Mike exactly how you feel.”

  “I did that. And Mike decided that I needed bodyguards round the clock. Norman’s sitting outside in his car right now, waiting for me to come back from talking to you.”

  “Good. Did Ross sound desperate when he asked you to come to see me and get the money?”

  Hannah nodded. “Yes, he called me on my cell phone last night and I could hear it in his voice.”

  “What do you think he’s going to say when you tell him that I wouldn’t give you the money and that he has to come in here to sign a withdrawal slip to request it?”

  “I . . . I’m not sure, but I know he’s not going to be happy!”

  Doug closed his eyes and Hannah knew that he was deep in thought. When he opened them again, he had a slight smile on his face. “Do you mind if I go out to the sheriff’s station to see Mike? I have an idea that might work.”

  “What is it?”

  “Bait Ross with something that you don’t think he’ll go for.”

  Hannah was surprised at Doug’s response. “But what would that be?”

  “Suggest that he write a check to his wife. She can deposit it in her account and Lake Eden First Mercantile Bank will honor it immediately.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, I’ll approve it myself.”

  “But . . . what if he says that he doesn’t want to do that?”

  “Then give him the alternative.”

  “What’s the alternative?”

  Instead of telling her, Doug posed another question. “It’s clear to me that Ross is afraid of someone who might harm him, perhaps even kill him unless Ross gives him the money. Do you think that’s the case?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then we have to set a trap to get Ross. If the only way he’s communicating with you is by phone calls, we’ll never get the truth out of him. We’ll have to set a trap to get him here in person so that Mike can question him.”

  “How can we do that?”

  “When you suggest that he write a check to his wife and he gives you some sort of excuse for not doing that, tell him that you talked to me about withdrawing the money and that I was perfectly willing to do that.”

  “But . . . I don’t have the money.”

  “True. Tell Ross that I’ll get the money and give it to you, but I need his signature in to withdraw an amount that large. Promise him that I’ll fill out the withdrawal slip ahead of time
and have it all ready for him. Then all he has to do it zip in here, sign it, and leave. Tell him I said I was sorry for the inconvenience, but that it’s a banking regulation.”

  “Is it?” Hannah asked him.

  “It will be.”

  Hannah took a moment to think about Doug’s plan. “Do you think that Ross will agree to that?”

  “Yes, if it’s the only way he can get the money. I’m almost sure that Ross would rather dash in here on Monday to sign a withdrawal slip, than risk telling whoever he owes that he can’t pay his debt.”

  “You’re probably right, Doug. If Mike agrees to your plan, it’s certainly worth a try,” Hannah decided, finishing her coffee and standing up. “Thanks a lot, Doug. I really appreciate your help. Will you call Mike and tell him what we’re planning to do?”

  “I’ll do better than that. I’ll go out to the sheriff’s station and talk to Mike personally. If this works and Ross comes in to the bank, we’ll figure out what’s going on here. And then you can get back to leading a normal life.”

  WHITE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

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

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

  ¼ cup powdered sugar (No need to sift unless it’s got big lumps.)

  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 white baking chocolate squares (I used Baker’s)

  1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract