“And now that Professor Ramsey’s killer is behind bars, I’ve got Mike and Lonnie making inquiries to find out who made the calls and why,” Bill picked up the explanation. “That idea you had about someone who wants to discredit me is a good one.”
“We’re going to tap Bill’s home phone,” Mike said. “We think we might be able to trace the call if Bill keeps him on the line long enough.”
Bill laughed. “You don’t have to worry about that. He was pretty long-winded.”
“I hope you get him!” Andrea said to Mike. “I just about went crazy thinking we’d have to move.”
“Me too,” Tracey said. “I hope you get him, Uncle Mike!”
There was a series of faint musical notes, and Andrea reached into her purse for her cell phone. “It’s Norman,” she said, glancing at the display. “I wonder why he’s calling me? I’ll run out to the lobby and talk to him. The reception’s better out there.”
Hannah thought she knew why Norman was calling Andrea. Her own cell phone was still plugged into the charger in the kitchen.
“I have some news,” Michelle said. “Sherri Connors called me this morning. She’s back with Kyle and they’re getting married.”
“Even though the baby’s not his?” Delores asked.
Hannah could tell her mother regretted the question the moment after she’d asked it. She glanced at Tracey and frowned.
“It’s okay, Grandma,” Tracey said, jumping to her feet. “I’ll just go find Mom in the lobby so you can talk about those things.”
As Tracey rushed off, Delores just shook her head. “I forget she’s just a child,” she said.
“I’m not sure she is,” Hannah commented, and then she turned to Michelle. “Kyle doesn’t mind that the baby’s not his?”
“He says as long as the baby’s Sherri’s, that’s enough for him. And since they’re getting married right away and he’ll be listed as the husband on the birth certificate, he’ll be the baby’s legal father.”
Andrea came back into the dining room, followed by Tracey. “Norman’s on his way, but he had an unexpected visitor, somebody he knows from dental school. I told him his friend was welcome to join us. I hope that was okay.”
“Of course it is,” Delores said. “We’ll just set up an extra chair next to Norman. Now would everyone like to know why I arranged this little party?”
“Because Perry’s locked up and I’m still alive?” Hannah guessed.
“Partially, dear. Would anyone else like to guess?”
“Because Sally has pork with baby asparagus and honey mustard glaze on the menu?” Mike asked.
There was laughter around the table, and Hannah turned to her brother-in-law. “Aren’t you going to guess, Bill?”
“That wouldn’t be fair. Andrea and I already know.”
“So do I.” Tracey said. “But I can’t tell. I promised Grandma.”
“Tell us, Mother,” Hannah urged.
“All right then. Carrie and Earl called me from Rome last night. They thought it would be fun if I flew to join them for the last week of their honeymoon. All four of us are going to explore the city together. They already booked us a room next to theirs.”
There was silence around the table. Delores had been seen with three eligible men in the past week. Was she going to go to Rome with Joe Dietz? Bud Hauge? Doc Knight? It was clear no one wanted to ask her.
Hannah knew she was stuck with that unenviable duty when everyone turned to look at her. “Okay. I’ll ask. Who’s us, Mother?”
Delores nodded at Tracey, and Tracey jumped up from her seat. “It’s me! I’m going to fly to Rome with Grandma. Isn’t that exciting?”
The waitress arrived right on cue with two chilled bottles in an ice bucket. There was champagne for those who wished to imbibe, and sparkling apple juice for those who didn’t. As the glasses were filled with one or the other, the conversation turned to Rome and what Tracey could expect to see there. They were just talking about the famous fountain when Norman walked into the dining room with an attractive dark-haired woman on his arm.
“That’s his friend from dental school?” Mike asked.
“He didn’t tell me she was a woman,” Andrea said, looking over at Hannah apologetically.
Hannah knew what to do. She pasted a perfectly composed, perfectly polite smile on her face. Maintaining her composure shouldn’t be that difficult for someone who’d just been locked in a mausoleum and almost starved to death. But it was that difficult. She wasn’t sure exactly where her heart was located in her chest, but she knew it hurt a lot.
“Hi, everyone,” Norman said, stepping forward to greet them. “I’d like you all to meet my new partner at Rhodes Dental Clinic, Doctor Beverly Thorndike.”
GOOD DOGGY CAKE
Preheat oven to 350 F., rack in the middle position.
½ pound lean ground beef
½ pound ground chicken
½ pound ground turkey
8-ounce package cream cheese
4-ounce package liverwurst
You will need 3 pie plates, or 3 layer cake pans to make this cake. (I used disposable pie pans.)
Spray the 3 pans with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray.
Press the half-pound of lean ground beef into the bottom of the first pan, spreading it out evenly.
Press the half-pound of ground chicken into the bottom of the second pan, spreading it out evenly.
Press the half-pound of ground turkey into the bottom of the third pan, spreading it out evenly.
Bake the ground meat in the 3 pans at 350 degrees F. for 25 to 30 minutes.
Use a turkey baster to suck out the grease and dispose of it. Let the meat cool completely in the pans.
When the meat is cool, it’s time to make the frosting. Place the cream cheese and the liverwurst in a medium-sized, microwave-safe bowl. Heat them together on HIGH for 30 seconds.
Stir the cream cheese and the liverwurst together into a paste. If they’re still too solid to stir, give them another 20 seconds on HIGH in the microwave.
Take one disk of meat out of its pan and place it on a cake plate. Spread a little of the frosting on top.
Take another disk of meat, put it on top of the first, and spread a little more frosting on top.
Take the third disk of meat, put it on top of the second, and spread a little more frosting on top. Cover this disk completely with frosting since it’ll be the top of your cake.
Use a spatula or frosting knife to spread frosting on the sides of your cake.
If you’d like to decorate your cake, use little Milk Bones. They come in colors. Arrange them artistically on top of the cake. (Actually your lucky doggy recipient won’t really care if they’re artistic or not.)
Keep this cake REFRIGERATED until you serve it to your favorite canine.
Hannah’s Note: This cake is very rich. It’s the frosting. Dole it out to your dog in small pieces.
Yield: Enough for the “good doggy” and five furry friends.
APPLE TURNOVER MURDER RECIPE INDEX
Vanilla Crack
Chocolate Crack
Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Marge’s Apple Turnovers
Mocha Nut Butterballs
Imperial Cereal
Sausage and Cheese Pancakes
Rose’s Zucchini Cookies
Chocolate Marshmallow Cookie Bars
Aggression Cookies
Wacky Cake
Breakfast in a Muffin
Sesame Seed Tea Cookies
Rose’s Peachy Keen Cake
Peachy Keen Frosting
Peachy Keen Glaze for Bundt Cakes
Sun Moon Cookies
Too Easy Hotdish
Cottage Cheese Cookies
Watermelon Cookies
Good Doggy Cake
Baking Conversion Chart
These conversions are approximate, but they’ll work just fine for Hannah Swensen’s recipes.
VOLUME:
U.S
.
Metric
½ teaspoon
2 milliliters
1 teaspoon
5 milliliters
1 tablespoon
15 milliliters
¼ cup
50 milliliters
1/3 cup
75 milliliters
½ cup
125 milliliters
¾ cup
175 milliliters
1 cup
¼ liter
WEIGHT:
U.S.
Metric
1 ounce
28 grams
1 pound
454 grams
OVEN TEMPERATURE:
Degrees Fahrenheit
Degrees Centigrade
British (Regulo) Gas Mark
325 degrees F.
165 degrees C.
3
350 degrees F.
175 degrees C.
4
375 degrees F.
190 degrees C.
5
Note: Hannah’s rectangular sheet cake pan, 9 inches by 13 inches, is approximately 23 centimeters by 32.5 centimeters.
KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
Library of Congress Card Catalog Number: 2009941511
ISBN: 978-0-7582-5753-6
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Apple Turnover Murder Recipe Index
Baking Conversion Chart