Blueberry Muffin Murder (3 page)

A surprised look crossed Hannah's face as she turned her attention to the shop just south of The Cookie Jar, the site of the Ezekiel Jordan House. The plate glass windows were covered with brown paper to discourage curious eyes, but there was a light on inside. Carrie must have collected Delores shortly after their early-morning conversation and they were already working.

Her shop was next, and Hannah's eyebrows shot up even further as she drove past. Her partner, Lisa Herman, had also come in early, and she was decorating the windows with a border of white snowflakes.

"Hi, Lisa," Hannah called out as she breezed in the back door a few moments later. "The windows look great."

"Thanks, Hannah." Lisa came through the swinging restaurant-style door with a smile on her face. Her petite form was swaddled in a baker's apron that had been hiked up in the middle and knotted in place with the apron strings.

"What are you doing here so early?" Hannah asked, hanging her parka on a hook by the back door. "Now that you're a partner, you can't earn overtime."

Lisa laughed. "I know, but I like to come in early. It's easy to get the baking done when there aren't any customers."

"You finished the baking?" Hannah's eyes widened in surprise as Lisa nodded. She'd mixed up twenty batches of cookie dough before they left for the night. If Lisa had baked them all, she must have come in at four in the morning!

"I love to bake. You know that, Hannah. And it was a good thing I came in early, because your sister called a couple of minutes ago. She said she tried your place, but she must have just missed you."

"Oh?" Hannah headed for the sink to wash her hands. "What did Andrea want?"

"She said to tell you that Janie Burkholtz is in town."

"I haven't seen Janie since Andrea's wedding." Hannah smiled as she lathered her hands. It would be good to see Janie again. Andrea and Janie had been best friends in high school, and then Janie had gone off to college. She'd come home a few times during her freshman year, but after her parents sold their Lake Eden house, Janie had spent the rest of her college vacations at their new condo in Florida. "Is Janie back for the Winter Carnival?"

"Yes, but it's not a pleasure trip. Andrea said she's working for Connie Mac as her personal assistant."

"Really!" Hannah was impressed. Connie MacIntyre was the star of a popular cable television cooking show, Cooking With Connie Mac. Almost everyone in Lake Eden stayed home from three to three-thirty on Saturday afternoons to watch Connie Mac banter with her guests, give advice on how to improve your marriage, and cook a complete dinner, all in thirty minutes. An attractive woman in her early fifties, everything she touched had turned to gold. Her cookbooks were bestsellers, her chain of kitchen boutique stores was thriving, her television show had a number one rating, and copies of her monthly magazine, Home Sweet Home, were flying from the shelves of the newsstands. The Connie Mac empire, run by her husband, Paul MacIntyre, was a multi-million-dollar industry.

"Janie's staying out at the inn with all the other Connie Mac people. Andrea and Bill are meeting her there for dinner tonight, and you're invited, too. Andrea said to tell you that Janie would love to see you again."

"I'd love to see her, too." Hannah said, wondering if she'd be up for a fancy dinner out after what promised to be a hectic day.

"There's one other thing. Mayor Bascomb dropped by to see you. He's at the barbershop now, but he's coming back after Gus finishes up with him."

"Did he tell you what he wanted?"

Lisa shook her head. "Not exactly. He just said he needed to talk to you about something really serious."

"I hope it's not a snag in the Winter Carnival plans." Hannah turned toward the door that led to the coffee and cookie shop. "He'll probably want coffee. I'll put it on."

"It's all made. I put it up right after he left."

"Bless you, Lisa," Hannah said gratefully. "Have I told you lately what a gem you are?"

Lisa gave a girlish giggle, and Hannah was reminded of just how young she was. Howie Levine, Lake Eden's only lawyer, had broached that subject when Hannah asked him to draft their partnership agreement. Hannah had cut off his objection at the pass by insisting that Lisa was a better worker and manager than most people twice her age. Steady, reliable, and capable of handling ,any emergency that came their way, Hannah was certain that she'd never regret signing over a third of her enterprise to Lisa.

"Sit down and I'll bring you a cup," Lisa offered, motioning to a stool at the work island. "I have a feeling you're going to need it."

"Because of Mayor Bascomb?"

"Yes. He was really upset, Hannah. I offered him a warm Peanut Butter Melt and he said he couldn't eat a thing."

"Oh-oh. That's not a good sign." Hannah gave a deep sigh as she sat down on the stool. Mayor Bascomb had an active sweet tooth and he was wild about her Peanut Butter Melts. For him to refuse to even taste his favorite cookie meant that there was definitely trouble in the making.

Peanut Butter Melts

Preheat oven to 375'F, rack in the middle position

1 cup melted butter (2 sticks) 2 cups white sugar*
2 teaspoons vanilla 1/8 cup molasses (2 tablespoons) 1 ' teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder ' teaspoon salt 1 cup peanut butter (either smooth or crunchy, your choice) 2 beaten eggs (just whip them up with a fork) 2 ' cups flour (no need to sift)

Microwave the butter in a microwave-safe mixing bowl to melt it. Add the sugar, vanilla, and molasses. Stir until it's blended, then add the baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.

*
lf you like a sweeter cookie, add ' cup more of sugar or roll the dough balls in sugar before baking.

Measure out the peanut butter. (I spray the inside of my measuring cup with Pam so it won't stick) Add it to the bowl and mix it in. Pour in the beaten eggs and stir. Then add the flour, and mix until all the ingredients are thoroughly blended.

Form the dough into walnut-sized halls and arrange them on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet. (If the dough is too sticky to form into balls, chill it for a few minutes and try again.)

Flatten the balls with a fork in a crisscross pattern. (If the fork sticky, either spray it with Pam or dip it in flour.

Bake at 375'F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden. Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

My niece Tracey s Favorite PBJ snack: Spread jam on one cookie and stack another on top. Mother likes PBFs better (that s fudge frosting between the cookie layers).

That's all you want?" Hannah was surprised when the handsome mayor of Lake Eden nodded. She'd expected a problem of gigantic proportions, but all he'd asked to do was meet Connie MacIntyre at the Lake Eden Inn at noon today. "Of course I'll do it, no problem."

"Thanks, Hannah." The mayor brushed a nonexistent piece of lint from his jacket and reached out to take a Peanut Butter Melt from the plate Hannah had placed between them the stainless steel surface of the work island. "You know w these celebrities are. If someone doesn't meet her and take her on a guided tour, she'll feel slighted."

Hannah supposed that he was right. Connie Mac was a star and she'd expect to be treated like visiting royalty. It had been an incredible coup for Mayor Bascomb when a member of Connie Mac's staff had called to say that she'd be honored to attend their Winter Carnival and bake the official Winter Carnival cake for tomorrow evening's banquet. Hannah, who seldom took things at face value, suspected at the "Cooking Sweetheart" hadn't agreed to attend this small-town event purely out of the goodness of her heart. One of Connie Mac's kitchen boutiques was opening at the Tri-County Mall three days from now, and promoting it at the Winter Carnival was a smart business move.

"Make sure you drive past the venues on your way to town," Mayor Bascomb instructed between bites of his cookie. "Then take her to Jordan High so she can visit the hospitality hub and see the shuttle sleighs."

"Will do."

"Then drive her to the community center and show her the library. Marge is looking forward to meeting her."

Hannah grinned at that obvious understatement. Marge Beeseman, their volunteer librarian, had been positively ecstatic when Connie Mac had agreed to sign copies of her new cookbook as a fund-raiser for the library. According to Delores, Marge had paid Bertie Straub a small fortune to cover up the gray and give her a new, sophisticated hairstyle.

"When you're through with Marge, take her down to the banquet room. She wants to go over the menu with Edna."

"Got it," Hannah responded, wondering how Edna Ferguson, Jordan High's head cook, would react if Connie Mac suggested changes in the menu. The food for the banquet had already been ordered, and Edna had done most of the preparation in advance. "Where shall I take her after that?"

"The Ezekiel Jordan House. Your mother promised she'd have it ready by noon. I called her yesterday to see if I could drop in for a quick peek, but she won't allow anyone in until it's completely finished. You know how your mother is, Hannah. She's treating this whole thing like a state secret and there's no reason she should . . ." Mayor Bascomb stopped speaking as the back door opened and Delores stuck her head in.

"Speak of the devil," Hannah murmured, and then she put on a bright smile for her mother's benefit. "Hi, Mother. Is the house finished?"

"Not yet, dear. I just came over to ask you about a very peculiar rolling pin I found with Mrs. Jordan's kitchen utensils. Hello, Ricky-Ticky. I didn't expect to find you here."

Hannah covered her gasp of startled laughter with a cough. Her mother was the only person in town who dared call the mayor by his childhood nickname. Hannah's grandparents had lived next door to the Bascombs, and Delores had been his babysitter one summer.

"Morning, Delores." Mayor Bascomb gave her a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, and Hannah could tell that he didn't appreciate being reminded of those early childhood years. According to Delores, he'd been a spoiled brat. "I've. got to run, ladies. My meeting with the steering committee starts in fifteen minutes. The cookies are delicious, Hannah. I'm going to pick up a bag from Lisa on the way out and treat the committee."

Hannah watched as the mayor clamped his hat on his head and headed toward the swinging door that led into the coffee shop. The moment he was out of earshot, she turned to her mother with a frown. "I think you embarrassed him when you called him Ricky-Ticky."

"Of course I did. That's exactly what I intended." Delores walked over to take the mayor's stool and reached out for a cookie. "He's been acting like a big shot lately and it's time someone reminded him that he had his diapers changed like every other child in Lake Eden. Now, about that rolling pin, Hannah. . . it's carved on the outside with little panels of designs."

Hannah nodded. "It's probably a Springerle rolling pin. They're used to make a type of rolled German cookie."

"Oh, yes. One of your great-grandmother Elsa's friends used to bake them every Christmas. I always had to eat one to be polite, but I never liked them. They were flavored with licorice."

"Close enough," Hannah said, not wanting to get into a discussion about the subtle differences between anise and licorice. "Most women who had Springerle rolling pins liked to show them off by hanging them on the kitchen wall. They were handed down from generation to generation, and sometimes the carvings were personalized."

"I'll put it on the wall above the kitchen table,' Delores said, finishing her cookie and rising to her feet. "I've got to get back, Hannah. We're almost ready to hang the parlor curtains."

"Hold on a second." Hannah carried the plate over to the counter and transferred the cookies to one of her distinctive carrier bags. It was a miniature shopping bag, white with red handles, and the words, "THE COOKIE JAR," were stamped in red block letters on the front. "Take these with you. Carrie loves my Peanut Butter Melts."

"I know she does. So does Norman." Delores frowned slightly as she took the bag. "You've been neglecting him lately, Hannah. Carrie tells me that Ronni Ward has been in twice this month to have her teeth cleaned, and you know what that means!"

"Her teeth are dirty?" Hannah teased, knowing full well what her mother had meant.

"Don't be flippant, Hannah. Norman's single and he's got eyes in his head. Just in case you've forgotten, Ronni won the Eden Lake Bikini Contest three years in a row."

Hannah sobered as her mother went out the door. She found it difficult to picture Norman with a beauty queen, but thinking about it gave her an unpleasant sensation in the pit of her stomach. She told herself that it couldn't be jealousy. Just because she dated Norman occasionally and their mothers continually tried to push them together didn't mean that she was serious about him. All the same, it certainly couldn't hurt to give Norman a call to let him know that she was still alive and kicking.

Hannah felt a real sense of accomplishment as she glanced around her kitchen. Trays of cookies filled the slots on the baker's racks and covered every inch of the counter. It had been a productive morning. While Lisa had waited on their customers, Hannah had baked more cookies. Even if the Winter Carnival visitors were as ravenous as a pack of starving wolves, they'd have enough cookies to last through tomorrow morning's events. By then there would be fresh cookies, and Hannah planned to drop them off at the warm-up tents by noon at the latest.

Unable to resist tasting her work, Hannah plucked an Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookie from a nearby rack and nibbled at the edge. The taste of butter and sugar blossomed on her tongue and she smiled in satisfaction. Her cookies were perfectly baked, crisp on the outside and sweet and flaky inside.

There was a knock at the back door, and Hannah ditched the cookie in her apron pocket. She'd gone to her mother's house on Tuesday for their weekly mother-daughter dinner and saved herself from store-bought pound cake with canned whipped cream, pre-chopped nuts, and jarred caramel syrup by claiming !bat she was on a diet.