Chocolate Cream Pie Murder Read online

  “Are you sure it was by mistake?” Norman asked.

  “That’s what they said,” Michelle reported.

  Hannah and Norman exchanged amused glances. Both of them knew about Earl’s current feud with Mayor Bascomb, and Carrie had never been fond of the mayor’s wife, Stephanie.

  “Something smells really good,” Mike commented.

  Hannah suspected that he was changing the subject, but she responded anyway. “It’s Chicken in Cabernet Sauce in the slow cooker.”

  “And that’s not all,” Michelle said. “I smell something with strawberries.”

  Hannah gave her youngest sister an approving nod. “Your nose is correct. I just took an Ultimate Strawberry Bundt Cake out of the oven.”

  “What kind of frosting are you using on it?” Michelle wanted to know.

  “I thought I’d try a Cool Whip White Chocolate Frosting with strawberry extract and a couple of drops of red food coloring to make it pink. Then we can call it Cool Whip Strawberry Frosting. And I think I’ll decorate the top with strawberries.”

  “Fresh strawberries?” Norman asked her.

  “No, Florence doesn’t carry them this time of year. We’ll have to make do with frozen strawberries.”

  “That’s okay,” Mike said quickly. “I like frozen strawberries.”

  Since Mike liked everything that could be classified as food, Hannah wasn’t surprised. “I’ll have to wait for the cake to cool before I can frost it,” she explained. “And the Chicken in Cabernet Sauce needs at least another twenty minutes in the Crock-Pot. Would you like an appetizer while we wait? I’ve got cheese and crackers.”

  “And I’ll make Mike’s Busy Day Pâté,” Michelle offered. “Mother gave us some groceries to bring with us. She was afraid you’d run out of food before the blizzard was over.”

  Hannah avoided meeting Michelle’s or Norman’s eyes for fear she’d burst out laughing. With Mike as a member of their little blizzard survival group, running out of food was a distinct possibility. Instead of replying, she beckoned to Michelle and both sisters went into the kitchen.

  “Sorry about barging in on you like this,” Michelle said once the men headed for the leather couches and began to talk.

  “That’s okay.” Hannah went to the refrigerator to get out the cheese. “Actually, I’m glad to have company.”

  “But it was nice being alone with Norman, wasn’t it?”

  “Of course it was, but I’m a marri . . .” Hannah stopped herself from saying the words married woman. She knew she wasn’t married, at least not legally, but she still thought of herself that way. “Never mind.”

  “That’s okay,” Michelle said, giving Hannah a little hug. “I know what you were going to say. It’ll probably take a while to get back to thinking of yourself as single.”

  “Hannah?” Mike called out from the living room.

  “Yes, Mike?”

  “If you’re not too busy in there, could you come in here a minute? I have something important to tell you.”

  “I’ll be right there,” Hannah said, but instead of heading for the kitchen doorway, she turned to give Michelle a questioning look.

  “I don’t know,” Michelle said with a shrug. “Mike didn’t mention anything important to me.”

  “How about Lonnie?”

  “Nothing. The only thing we talked about was the storm, and then Mother called and wanted us to come to the penthouse.”

  “Then I guess I’d better go in to see what Mike wants,” Hannah said with a sigh. “I just hope it’s not more news about Ross. I’ve talked about him enough today.”

  Chapter Four

  “Sit down, Hannah,” Mike instructed, gesturing toward the couch. “Mayor Bascomb called me and he wanted me to get in touch with you immediately. He said he tried to call you, but he couldn’t get through. That’s one of the reasons I asked Earl to lead us out here.”

  Hannah drew a sigh of relief. At least Mike’s important news didn’t involve Ross! “What did the mayor want, Mike?”

  “He said he got a call from the head of programming at KCOW-TV this morning.”

  “On a Sunday?”

  Mike nodded. “Yes. He said it was important and then he asked me if I could contact you. That’s one of the reasons I came out here with Michelle and Lonnie.”

  “What did Mayor Bascomb want?”

  “He wants you to host a series of interviews to be filmed at The Cookie Jar.”

  “That sounds interesting.”

  “It is and that’s not all. KCOW is going to rerun the movies that are set in Minnesota at a Minnesota Movie Festival. And the festival will be held right here in Lake Eden. The mayor wants to know if you’ll agree to host those interviews or whether you’d rather not do it. He also asked me to remind you that having KCOW-TV’s movie festival here would do wonders for the businesses in Lake Eden.”

  Hannah began to smile. “Of course I’ll do it. It should be fun.”

  Mike held up his hand. “Don’t jump in quite yet, Hannah. I’m supposed to tell you that KCOW-TV is running a marathon of the movies right before the festival, and they’re going to ask their viewers to call in and say which movie they liked best.”

  “Oh.” Hannah felt her anxiety begin to grow. “Are they going to run Crisis in Cherrywood?”

  “Yes, they are. And they’re going to invite all the movie producers, including Ross. They got his number and called him this morning.”

  “And . . . what did he say?” Hannah asked, giving a little gulp of dismay.

  “Ross wasn’t there. His wife answered the phone and they left a message for Ross to contact them.”

  Hannah swallowed again, this time with difficulty. “Do you think Ross will actually come here to Lake Eden to be interviewed?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine, Hannah.”

  Hannah did her best to stay calm. “What if Ross comes here for the interview?”

  Mike shrugged. “If Ross shows up here, it won’t be pretty. I heard some people at church talking about what they’d like to do to him. Nobody in Lake Eden likes him now. As a matter of fact, some people actively hate him for what he did to you.”

  “I know, but do you think anyone would actually do anything to . . . to hurt Ross?”

  “It’s a distinct possibility.”

  “What do you think they’d do?” Hannah held her breath, waiting for Mike’s answer.

  “They might fight with him, punch him a couple of times for hurting you.”

  “But would they actually . . . kill Ross?”

  Mike thought about that for a moment. “Maybe, but I doubt that it would go that far.”

  Hannah drew a relieved breath. “That’s what I thought. Do you think someone should warn Ross that he might get hurt if he comes back here?”

  “Yes.” Mike gave her an assessing look. “Do you want his home number so that you can warn him?”

  “No! I meant what I told you the last time we talked about Ross. I never want to speak to him again!”

  “Then who do you want to do it?”

  “I . . . I’m not sure. All I know is that I don’t want to do it.”

  “How about me? Do you want me to warn him?”

  Hannah gave a little nod. “Yes. That would be best, Mike. And it might be best to do it in an official capacity and not as my friend. That way your warning would carry more weight.”

  “I agree. I’ll call him from the sheriff’s station as soon as this storm stops.”

  Hannah was so grateful, she felt like throwing her arms around him and giving him a big hug. “Thank you, Mike,” she said instead. “It’s not really Ross that I’m worried about. It’s just that I’d hate one of my friends here to get in trouble for fighting with Ross . . . or even worse.”

  “I understand.” Mike glanced over at Lonnie and Norman to see if they were listening. Then he turned back to Hannah. “You still love Ross, don’t you.”

  It was more of a statement than a question, and Hannah kn
ew she had to be honest. “It’s hard to stop loving someone, even when you know it’s impossible. I still love Ross and I wish that things could be different, but I know I can’t ever be with him again.”

  Mike reached over to pat her shoulder. “I know what it’s like to love someone and wish that things were different. I still feel that way about my wife. It’s been three years and every now and then, I wake up in the morning and turn over to hug her. And then I realize that she isn’t here anymore.”

  Hannah felt the urge to hug him again, but patted his hand instead. “I’m so sorry, Mike. I guess you never quite get over something like that.”

  “You’ll never forget it, but you have to put it behind you, Hannah. I have. There’s a future out there for both of us.”

  “You’re right, but I’m not sure how to put it behind me.”

  “I can’t be sure that my way will work for you, but I’ll tell you what works for me. I keep busy, I have my work, and I have my friends. Try keeping busy at work and enjoy your friends. Don’t dwell on it and keep actively involved in your life. You can get over this, Hannah. You’re a strong woman and I know you can.”

  “Hey, guys . . .” Lonnie broke into their conversation. “What’s so serious?”

  “We’re talking about Ross and how he might be coming back to Lake Eden,” Mike replied.

  “What?!” Norman looked completely shocked.

  Hannah turned to Mike. “If you don’t mind, you can tell them about it while I help Michelle in the kitchen.”

  Mike patted her shoulder again. “Go ahead. You probably need a break. And besides, I’m getting really hungry.”

  Hannah laughed and got up from the couch. She heard Mike start to tell Lonnie and Norman what Mayor Bascomb had told him, and she escaped to the kitchen.

  “What did Mike want?” Michelle asked when Hannah came through the kitchen doorway.

  Hannah knew she needed a few moments to compose herself before she told Michelle the news. “Let’s get dinner all ready to go and we’ll have a cup of coffee while I tell you about it. Do we have anything for a salad?”

  “Yes, and it’s in the refrigerator. You had a big package of fresh baby spinach and some cooked bacon. I just whipped up a sweetened cream dressing and put it in the bottom of your salad bowl. Then I washed the spinach and put it on top of the dressing. I gave the bacon a little more time in the microwave to crisp it up, crumbled it over the top, and sprinkled on some chopped red onion. We can mix it up at the table and fill individual salad bowls.”

  “Sounds wonderful. You must have been busy.”

  “Not really. I still had time to make an appetizer and it’s almost ready to come out of the oven.”

  Hannah was amazed. Michelle had wasted no time completing their meal. “I thought you were going to make Mike’s pâté.”

  “I did, but I made something else, too.”

  “What?”

  “French Baked Brie With Bread Knots.”

  “I had Brie in my refrigerator?”

  “No, Mother had it in her refrigerator and I brought one of the small wheels of Brie with me.”

  Hannah began to grin. “Don’t tell me you raided Mother’s refrigerator!”

  “Not exactly. Doc told me to take anything we’d need, that Georgina offered to keep the Red Velvet Lounge open for everyone in the building and the chef agreed to stay, too. Everyone will be eating down there until the storm is over. I found one of Mother’s big grocery bags and filled it with all the stuff I thought we might want, and that’s what I was carrying when I came in.”

  “I lucked out with the Ultimate Strawberry Bundt Cake. I had everything I needed in the . . .” Hannah stopped speaking as she realized that her cake was no longer on the cooling rack. “Where is it? I should put it in the refrigerator.”

  “It’s in there already. I knew you’d want to frost it and it had to chill first. We’ll let it sit in there until we’re through eating and then we’ll take in the coffee while we frost it.”

  “Perfect!” Hannah complimented her sister. “You thought of everything, Michelle.”

  “Not quite. I was so busy gathering up groceries, I forgot to bring along the pajamas that Mother said she’d let me borrow.”

  “That’s okay. You can borrow a pair of mine. They’ll be too big, but they’ll do as long as you don’t wake up in the middle of the night and go out to the kitchen to make yourself a snack.”

  Michelle looked puzzled. “What would be wrong with that?”

  “It’ll take two hands to make a sandwich and if you don’t hold on to my pajama bottoms, they’ll fall right off on the floor!”

  SPINACH SALAD WITH BACON AND SWEET CREAM DRESSING

  12-ounce bag baby spinach

  ½ pound regular sliced bacon (Don’t use thick-sliced bacon because it doesn’t crumble as well.)

  ½ cup chopped red onion

  Wash the baby spinach under cold water and remove the stems. (You can just pinch them off.)

  Remove the spinach leaves to a strainer or colander to drip dry.

  Fry the bacon slices until they are crispy.

  Let the bacon cool on a bed of paper towels to absorb the grease. When they cook enough to handle, crumble them in a small bowl.

  (Recipe for Sweet Cream Dressing follows this recipe.)

  Hannah’s Note: You can use a prepared dressing if you don’t feel like making it from scratch, but it’s very simple if you want to make Michelle’s Sweet Cream Dressing. Any already prepared sweet dressing will work. Aunt Nancy says she sometimes uses honey mustard dressing, which is readily available in most grocery stores.

  Pour the dressing you’ve made or chosen in the bottom of a large salad bowl.

  Pat the baby spinach dry with paper towels and place it on top of the dressing in the salad bowl.

  Scatter the bacon crumbles over the top of the spinach.

  Scatter the chopped red onion over the bacon.

  Place the salad bowl in the refrigerator. There’s no need to cover it if you plan to serve it in an hour or so. If you’ve made the salad earlier than that, cover it loosely with foil. If you cover it right away, the bacon won’t be crunchy any longer.

  When it’s time to serve, simply mix the salad at the table and either leave it in the bowl so that the guests can serve themselves with salad tongs, or place each serving in salad bowls in the kitchen.

  SWEET CREAM DRESSING

  2 Tablespoons raspberry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)

  1 Tablespoon white Karo syrup (you can substitute honey for the white Karo syrup)

  1 teaspoon stone ground mustard

  teaspoon salt

  ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  ½ cup whipping cream

  Put the 2 Tablespoons of raspberry vinegar in a small bowl.

  Use a whisk to whisk in 1 Tablespoon of white Karo syrup (or honey).

  Whisk until the white Karo syrup has been incorporated with the vinegar.

  Add 1 teaspoon of stone ground mustard and whisk it in.

  Whisk in the salt and the ground black pepper.

  Pour in the heavy cream and continue to whisk until your dressing is smooth and creamy.

  Yield: ½ cup of sweet and creamy dressing that is especially good on spinach salads.

  FRENCH BAKED BRIE WITH BREAD KNOTS

  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

  2 small rounds (each approximately 4 inches in diameter) of ripe Brie (I used President soft ripened Brie)

  4 teaspoons Herbs Provencal

  1 roll of refrigerated unbaked French bread (I used Pillsbury in the blue foil package)

  2 ounces (½ stick) salted butter

  Prepare two 9-inch pie pans by spraying them with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray, or covering the bottoms with a round of parchment paper cut to fit and then sprayed with nonstick baking spray.

  Unwrap the Brie and use a sharp knife dipped in water to cut/peel off the top rind. (This is easier
if you use a knife with a long, flat blade and keep rinsing it off in water.)

  When the top rinds have been removed, sprinkle the top of each Brie with 1 teaspoon of Herbs Provencal.

  Place your herbed Brie rounds in the center of the prepared pie pans, herbed side up.

  Open the can of unbaked French bread and use a sharp knife to cut it into pieces that you can shape into 1-inch balls.

  Roll the pieces into balls and place them on a piece of wax paper on the counter.

  Place the salted butter in a shallow, microwave-safe bowl.

  Heat the butter on HIGH in the microwave for 20 seconds to melt it. If the butter isn’t completely melted, heat it in additional 20-second intervals until it is.

  The bowl may be hot, so use pot holders to remove it from the microwave and place it on a folded towel next to the pie pans with the herbed Brie rounds.

  Using tongs, dip each bread dough ball into the melted butter and place the balls around the bases of the Brie rounds. (It’s okay if they touch each other.) Work until the Brie rounds are ringed with circles of bread dough balls.

  Sprinkle the remaining 2 teaspoons of Herbs Provencal over the tops of the bread dough balls.