Apple Turnover Murder (14 page)

Hannah’s Note: Suzy didn’t say to spray the pan with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray, but I figured it couldn’t hurt, so I did.

Put the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder into a bowl. Suzy says to sift all the ingredi-ents together, but Michelle and I just stirred them with a fork until everything was well blended.

Make three “pukas”
(Suzy says those are holes or wells)
in the mixed dry ingredients, just as if you were making a well in your scoop of mashed potatoes to hold the gravy.

Gather the second set of ingredients.

Put the vegetable oil in the first puka, the vanilla extract in the second puka, and the vinegar in the third puka.

Pour the cup of cold water all over the top of the cake.

Mix everything up with a fork or a wooden spoon. Continue to beat
(or fork)
until the batter is smooth.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes.

Serve warm.

Suzy’s cousin says you shouldn’t remove the cake from the pan—just put the pan on the table and serve it that way. Suzy’s aunt says you should serve it with sweetened whipped cream or ice cream. Suzy’s mother frosts it in the pan. She sifts 2 cups of powdered sugar with a dash of salt in a bowl, and stirs in a teaspoon of vanilla extract and enough cream to bring it the right consistency.

Hannah’s Note: This is a great dessert for a novice baker to make!

Chapter Fourteen

T
hey were all sitting in the living room, relaxing with another cup of coffee. A platter of cookies, bars, and frosted cake sat on the coffee table inviting everyone except the cats to indulge. Moishe had come out from under Hannah’s bed and he was sitting on Michelle’s lap. Cuddles, the sweet little cat that she was, had just left Andrea’s lap and was crossing the middle of the couch toward Delores.

“Why, just look at this!” Delores remarked, clearly pleased as punch when Cuddles climbed onto her lap. “She
likes
me!”

Hannah watched as Cuddles started to purr and gazed adoringly up at her mother. Then she turned to look at Moishe, and was forced to cover her burst of laughter with a cough. Moishe’s eyes had narrowed to slits, his hair was beginning to bristle, and his ears were flat against his head. Moishe was not at all pleased. He was staring at Cuddles as if her name were Benidicta Arnold, the biggest feline traitor ever to enter the Lake Eden city limits.

Delores had just said something about Joe Dietz and how he wanted her to come to his house to look at the silver he’d inherited from his sister, when there was a knock at the door. Hannah got up to answer it. This time it was bound to be Mike.

But she was wrong again and her eyes widened in surprise. “Norman?” she gasped.

Before Norman could answer, there was a gleeful yowl from the direction of her mother’s lap and a thud as Cuddles hit the rug running. Not to be outdone, Moishe jumped down with a heavier thud to run after her.

The spectacle of two cats racing toward him didn’t seem to faze Norman in the slightest. He opened his arms to catch the two flying felines as they jumped up almost simultaneously, sending him back a foot or two on the landing.

“Good heavens!” Delores gasped. “That was quite a sight!”

“You should have seen it from here,” Hannah told her. “I thought they were going to knock poor Norman over the rail.”

Norman laughed and nuzzled the two purring cats. “Not a chance,” he said, carrying them inside and placing them in their favorite spots on the back of the couch.

“Coffee?” Hannah asked him.

“Thanks, I could use some.” Norman gave her a quick smile and then he turned to Delores. “Mother said to tell you she’s going to bring you back some Venetian glass.”

“Wonderful!” Delores looked very pleased.

“And then Earl said he was going to buy you some completely outrageous shoes.”

Delores laughed. “I’m not sure I trust Earl’s taste in shoes, not after those beaded boots he bought at the mall!”

“I can’t say I blame you. Those eagles were pretty colorful.”

“Well, I hope they have a simply wonderful time sightseeing, and shopping, and everything else. And how was your visit with your old friends in Minneapolis?”

“Just fine. I toured the clinic. It’s ultramodern, and it’s got everything a dentist could possibly want.”

To Hannah’s ears, Norman sounded a bit envious, but perhaps that was only her imagination. She knew Norman liked his own dental clinic and he’d refurbished it just the way he wanted.

“How long has it been since you’ve seen your friends?” Andrea asked, making conversation.

“I saw two of them at the dental convention I went to last year, but I haven’t seen the other two for at least three years.”

Hannah entered the living room with Norman’s coffee and handed it to him. “I thought you weren’t coming back until tomorrow.” And then she asked the question that was uppermost in her mind. “What brought you back early?”

“I heard about the murder on the news. And I wanted to get back here as soon as I could. Do you need anything?”

“I don’t think so, but I’m glad you’re back,” Hannah said. She smiled at him and fought back a rush of happy tears. Norman had thought she might need him and he’d come running. He really did love her.

“Besides, my friends all had plans for this evening. And it seemed silly for me to stay over just so I could drop by the clinic in the morning to say goodbye. I drove partway here, and then I stopped at The Moosehead for something to eat.”

“I remember The Moosehead!” Delores exclaimed. “I’ll
never forget the night Carrie and I won their karaoke contest.”

“Neither will we,” Michelle remarked, exchanging meaningful glances with her sisters.

“That’s where I heard about the murder,” Norman went on. “I was eating a steak sandwich at the bar, and it was on the news.”

Hannah’s euphoria at Norman’s return took a nosedive. He hadn’t dropped everything to race back to her. He’d been coming home anyway.

“Try these, Norman,” Delores said, pushing the platter closer to Norman and pointing to the Chocolate Marsh-mallow Cookie Bars. “Hannah and Michelle baked them, and they’re divine.”

“The Aggression Cookies are good too,” Andrea offered. “And so is the Wacky Cake.”

Norman shook his head. “Thanks, but I really can’t eat any more. I had a hot fudge sundae before I left The Moose-head.”

You betrayed me with dessert!
Hannah’s mind shouted.
You know I always have something good to serve with coffee, but you ordered dessert at The Moosehead anyway.

It was difficult not to react when one’s sensibilities had been so badly injured, but Hannah did her very best. She knew it was only a matter of time before the pleasant expression on her face slipped.

“I’d better pack up Cuddles and get home,” Norman said. “Rose is booked for an early morning checkup before she opens the cafe, and it’ll be close to midnight before I get home.”

“But aren’t you going to stay to say hello to Mike?” Delores asked. “He should be here any minute to take Hannah’s statement.”

Norman turned to Hannah. “Do you need me to stay?” he asked her.

“No, not really.”

“Good. I’ve had two really late nights in a row, and all I can think of is getting some sleep.”

“I’ll help you get Cuddles in her carrier,” Michelle said, jumping up from her seat on the couch.

Hannah said nothing. She was too surprised to speak. Not only had Norman refused her baked goods, he’d chosen to go home when he knew Mike was coming to see her.

“Something’s wrong with Norman,” Delores whispered, mirroring Hannah’s thoughts.

“I know.”

“Aren’t you going to find out what it is?” Andrea asked, keeping her voice low.

“He’s probably just tired,” Hannah said, covering for Norman even though she agreed that he was behaving strangely. “I’ll see what he says when I walk him to the door.”

“All ready,” Michelle said brightly, coming into the living room carrying a bag with all the things Norman had brought for Cuddles. She was followed by Norman, who was carrying Cuddles in her carrier.

“Thanks, Hannah,” Norman said. “I know she had a really good time.”

Hannah jumped up and took the bag from Michelle. “Watch Moishe, will you? I’ll see Norman and Cuddles out.”

When Hannah stepped out the door with Norman, she took a deep gulp of the warm night air. The humidity was high and the air felt heavy, laden with the scent of lilacs from the hedge that bordered the back of the condo complex.

“I can take that,” Norman said, holding out his hand for the bag.

“But can you handle that and the carrier, too?”

“Not a problem.”

Norman took the bag and was about to leave when Hannah grabbed his arm. “Is there something wrong?”

“Other than murder, you mean?”

Hannah laughed. Perhaps it was a lame joke, but it was a joke nonetheless. “Yes, other than murder. It’s just that you seem so … distant.”

“I told you. I didn’t get much sleep. Other than that, everything’s fine.”

“Okay. Goodnight then.”

Hannah turned to go, but Norman pulled her back. He dropped the bag and wrapped his free arm around her waist. “Everything’s going to be all right, Hannah. I promise.” And then he kissed her.

The kiss was warm. Friendly. Nice. It lasted only a second or two, and then Norman picked up the bag and hurried down the stairs.

Hannah stood there for a moment, breathing in the scent of lilacs and blinking back tears. Something was definitely wrong. Norman’s kiss had been the type of kiss you might give to an old friend.

Chapter Fifteen

B
y the time Mike knocked on the door at twelve twenty-five, Delores and Andrea had left, and Michelle had gone off to bed. Hannah was sitting on the couch, feeling about as deserted as a woman can feel. Mike wanted her to marry Norman, Norman had kissed her like an old friend, and she hadn’t heard from Ross in at least three months. The only bright note was that Bradford Ramsey was dead.

“Uh-oh,” Mike said when she opened the door. He took in her baggy old gray cotton sweats with one glance, and his gaze lingered on the pair of red socks she was wearing with the hole in the toe. “Are we feeling a little sorry for ourselves?”

“I can’t speak for you, but I am!”

A grin swept over Mike face. “Where’s your entourage?”

“Moishe’s sleeping with Michelle, Mother and Andrea left at eleven-thirty, and Norman took Cuddles home.”

“Norman’s back?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing really. He didn’t seem very glad to be back, but he was probably just tired.”

“It could be the wedding, too.”

“The wedding?”

“His mother just got married again. Maybe that made him feel a little strange. It doesn’t matter how old you are. If your mother gets married again, it’s still an adjustment. It might even have made him miss his dad more … you know?”

“You’re right! I didn’t even think of that.” Hannah felt a bit foolish for ignoring the obvious.

“Okay. Let’s get this done.” Mike took out his notebook while Hannah poured him a cup of coffee from the carafe on the table. He took a sip, ate one of the Chocolate Marshmallow Cookie Bars she served to him, and gave her a thumbs-up. “These are my new favorites,” he declared, taking another sip of coffee and setting the mug down on the table. “Ready?”

“I’m ready.”

“Tell me everything that happened from the time you left the ladies dressing room until you called me on your cell phone.”

Hannah complied, telling the events in her own words. She recounted how she’d wondered why the curtain wasn’t going up, how she’d glanced at the stage as she passed the wings, and how she’d seen Bradford sitting there in a chair. She told Mike how she’d attempted to wake him verbally from what she’d assumed was a nap. And then she stopped, shivering slightly.

“Good,” Mike praised her. “Now tell me what happened next.”

Hannah took another swallow of coffee in an attempt to clear the lump in her throat. She wasn’t sure why it was so hard to talk about Bradford, but it was. “When shaking his shoulder the first time didn’t work, I shook him harder. And then he toppled out of the chair and onto the floor and I … I saw he was … dead.”

“Approximately how much time do you think elapsed between the point when you realized that Professor Ramsey was dead and the call you placed to me?”

“I don’t know. Maybe two or three minutes? I stared at him for a while. It was just such a shock when he tumbled out of that chair. I remember noticing that he’d been eating one of our apple turnovers, because it was on the floor and half of it was gone.”

“What made you suspect he was dead?”

“I knew that just falling to the floor from a chair shouldn’t kill him. He hit his head, but not that hard. It was mostly as if he just crumpled, you know?”

“I know. Go on.”

“Well … he wasn’t moving and he didn’t seem to be breathing, either. I knew something was wrong, so I got out my LED light on my keychain. It took a minute for me to find it in my purse. When I switched it on, I looked at him and I knew.”

“How did you know?”

“I’m not sure, but I just knew. I didn’t feel for a pulse. I really hate to do that with dead people, and I was pretty sure he was dead. And that was when I called you so you could come and take care of it.”

“Thanks, Hannah.” Mike made a final note in his book and put down the pen. “That was very good. You covered almost everything without being asked.”

“That must be due to the practice I’m getting. How many dead bodies have I found anyway?”

“I think this makes it over a dozen, but who’s counting?”

Hannah refilled their coffee mugs and passed the platter of goodies again. This time Mike took an Aggression Cookie. “How did he die? Do you know yet?” she asked, before he could take a bite.

“I’m sorry, but that information …” Mike stopped and shrugged. “I don’t know why I’m bothering to give you the official party line. You’ll find out anyway. Professor Ramsey was stabbed.”

“Stabbed? But I didn’t see a knife!”

“That’s because the killer pulled it out and took it with him.”

Hannah felt a sudden chill and she cupped her hands around her mug of coffee. How close had she come to surprising the killer and putting herself in mortal danger?

“What’s the matter?” Mike asked.

“I was just wondering how close I came to …” Hannah stopped and swallowed hard.

“Interrupting the killer?” Mike waited until Hannah nodded and then he went on. “Did you see anyone backstage?”

“No. Not a soul.”

“Did you hear footsteps? Breathing? Anything that might have indicated another human presence somewhere in the vicinity?”

Hannah thought about that for a moment, and then she shook her head. “No. I think I would have known if someone were there.”

“How would you know if you didn’t see or hear them?”

“This might sound a little crazy, but I would have gotten that creepy feeling I get when I’m supposed to be alone and I’m not.”

“Okay. I’ll buy that.”

“You will?” Hannah was surprised. “It’s not exactly scientific.”

“Maybe not, but I get it, too. And it could be scientific.”

“How?”

Mike grinned and Hannah thought he looked a little sheepish. “It’s like a change in atmosphere, or in air pressure, or something like that.”

“You mean … you can feel that there’s another body in the space?”

“Yes. It’s like there’s a certain amount of air in the room. That’s what you expect when you first walk in. But then you realize there’s less air than you expected because somebody else who’s not supposed to be there is breathing some of it.”

“That’s it!” Hannah stared at him in amazement. “That’s exactly what I mean, but I never thought to say it that way.”

There was a moment when both of them were silent, eyes locked together, minds merged as one. And then both of them broke the connection. Hannah’s gaze dropped to her coffee mug, and Mike’s to his notebook.

“Only a couple more questions and we’re through,” Mike told her. “Do you know anyone who might have wanted to kill Professor Ramsey?”

“Me,” Hannah said, acting on instinct and jumping off into space like a cliff diver trusting that he’d hit the water just right and find the coins that the tourists had thrown for him.

It took Mike a moment to recover. Then he looked up from his notebook and stared at her. “
What
did you say?”

“Me,” Hannah repeated. She knew she had to tell him
the truth, or at least part of it. Herb had heard her fighting with Bradford, and she wasn’t about to presume on their friendship by asking him to lie for her. She looked up at Mike, locked eyes with him again, and spoke in a completely steady voice. “I wanted to kill Bradford Ramsey,” she said.

Another pot of coffee later, and Hannah had told as much of her history with Bradford Ramsey as she wanted to tell. Mike had listened to every word, making no comment throughout her long recital, until she arrived at the conclusion. “And that’s why I wanted to kill him,” she said.

“But you didn’t.”

“No. But I
wanted
to, especially after that crack he made about Michelle.”

“Can’t say as I blame you,” Mike gave her a little smile. “As a matter of fact, it might be a good thing I’m
already
investigating his murder.”

This time it was Hannah who smiled. Mike hadn’t come right out and said he wanted to kill Bradford for what he’d done, but Hannah knew that’s what he was implying.

“I hope you’ll help me out on this one, Hannah,” Mike said, turning to a fresh page in his notebook.

“I will if I can.”

“I’m starting with a blank slate here. I didn’t know the victim at all. Any background I get on him has got to come from computer searches or other people. I want you to think back, Hannah. Do you know anyone, from your time in college right up to the present, who might have had a reason to kill Professor Ramsey?”

“Try his ex-wife,” Hannah suggested. “At least I
think
she’s his ex-wife. He was married when I left college and there’s no wife in the picture now.”

Mike made a note in his book. “Anyone else?”

“You might want to check around at the community college. He started teaching there before Christmas, and he was the type to play around.”

“With students?”

“Students, faculty, whoever,” Hannah said with a shrug. “It’s possible he left a trail of angry women behind him. And if any of those angry women are married, there could be angry husbands, too.”

“I’ll check on that. I’m almost positive this is a crime of passion and a jealous husband or wife would fit the M.O.”

“How do you figure that?”

“The knife wounds were deep, and Doc Knight said the killer used a lot of force. Whoever did it really wanted Professor Ramsey dead. And although the first stab wound was lethal, the killer stabbed him four more times.” Mike jotted another note to himself in his book and then he looked up. “Any other suggestions? You knew him a hundred percent better than I did.”

“That’s true, but it’s been a while and it’s not like we kept in touch. And I never knew that much about him personally. You could pull his personnel records from the college and explore his job history. And it wouldn’t hurt to find out how he got along with his colleagues and his bosses. That might be important.”

“How about Michelle?”

Hannah had all she could do not to gasp. “What about her?” she asked.

“She’s been at Macalester for over two years. She might have heard some rumors about him.”

“You’re right.” Hannah breathed a sigh of relief. Mike wanted nothing more than background from Michelle. “I’ll ask her in the morning and get back to you.”

Mike snapped his notebook shut and stuck it back in his pocket. Then he reached out to pet Moishe, who had left Michelle’s bed and come out to join them midway through the interview. “I guess that’s it then.”

“Aren’t you going to ask if I’m going to nose around? And then warn me about interfering with an official investigation?”

“Are you going to nose around and interfere with an official investigation?”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Hannah said quite honestly. She never dreamed about things she was going to do.

“Gotta move, big guy,” Mike said, gently unseating Moishe so that he could stand up. “Call me if you come up with anything, will you?”

“You’ll be the first to know.” Hannah followed Mike to the door.

“There’s only one thing I don’t get,” Mike said, turning around to face her.

“What’s that?”

“If you knew Professor Ramsey that well when you were in college, why did he pretend he didn’t know you when he came here for Christmas Eve dinner?”

“He wasn’t pretending.”

“What?”

Hannah gave a little shrug, as if she didn’t care. “Bradford didn’t remember me,” she said. “He knew my name because Michelle mentioned it, but he had no idea who I was.”

Mike was silent for a moment and then he pulled her into his arms. He gave her a hug and then he kissed her. It
was not the sort of kiss you’d give to an old friend, and Hannah felt her knees go weak.

“It’s like I said before …” Mike reached out to touch her lips with his finger and then he opened the door and stepped out. “It’s a good thing I’m
already
investigating his murder!”