Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (21 page)

Hannah glanced over at the safe and made one of her snap decisions, the kind that frequently got her into trouble. This was a crime scene and all of Max’s papers would be taken as evidence. Hannah knew that she shouldn’t touch anything, but Norman had told them how embarrassed his mother would be if anyone found out about the loan papers they’d signed with Max. Their loan had been paid off more than five years ago. The date was right on the papers. It had nothing to do with the crime and there was no reason why anyone else had to know about it.

It only took a second to grab the file and stuff it inside the front of her jacket. Hannah collected her flashlight and then she went over to take Andrea’s hand. “Come on, Andrea. We’re leaving now.”

Andrea was in shock and the sooner they got out of here, the better. Hannah pulled her into Max’s office and guided her around the perimeter of the carpet and out the door. They walked back the way they’d come, across the large open space and out the back entrance. Hannah led the way to her Suburban and opened the passenger door. She tucked Andrea inside, walked around, and slid in.

“Eat another cookie, Andrea.” Hannah plunked the bag on her sister’s lap. “It’ll help.”

Andrea reached into the bag and took out a cookie. She stared at it for a second and then she took a bite. Hannah started the engine and drove out of the parking lot, turning onto the highway and heading for the interstate. Bill shouldn’t be that hard to find. She could hear sirens in the distance and all she had to do was head toward the sound.

They’d driven about five miles when Andrea made a strange chortling sound. Hannah turned to stare at her and reached out to pat her arm. “Just take it easy, Andrea. I can see flashing lights up ahead. We’ll be there in a minute.”

Andrea nodded, and then she made the sound again. Hannah realized that it was a chuckle, and as she listened, it turned into a fairly normal-sounding giggle. “What is it, Andrea? You’re not getting hysterical on me, are you?”

“No.” Andrea giggled again. “I really do feel much better. I hate to say it, but maybe you’re right. It could be the chocolate.”

“Chocolate helps.” Hannah stated her theory again, about how the caffeine and the endorphins in chocolate calmed nerves, heightened awareness, and provided a sense of well-being. And then her thoughts turned to Bill and how furious he’d be when she told him that they’d broken into Max’s house, searched the dairy, and found Max’s body.

“Andrea?” Hannah turned to her sister. “I think I need a dose of my own medicine. Hand me one of those cookies.”

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

H
annah poured two glasses of chilled wine from the green jug in the bottom of her refrigerator and carried them into the living room. Her sister was seated on the couch, still looking rattled, but the color had come back to her cheeks. Moishe was nestled in her arms, and Hannah could hear him purring as Andrea absently stroked his head. Her resident feline was uncanny. He seemed to sense that Andrea was in need of comfort and he was doing his best imitation of a lap cat. Hannah handed one of the glasses to Andrea and said, “Here. Drink this.”

“What is it?” Andrea eyed the stemmed glass suspiciously.

“White wine. Don’t ask about the label. I’m sure you’ve never heard of it.”

Andrea reached for the glass and expertly sloshed the liquid in a tight circle. “Nice liquor line.” Then she took a small sip. “Light and somewhat fruity with an undertone of oak. It’s not a true Chardonnay, but it’s very interesting. I like it.”

Hannah just smiled and kept her comments to herself. If Andrea knew that the wine had come from the Lake Eden CostMart, and a gallon barely put a dent in a ten dollar bill, she’d decide that it was pure vinegar.

“I think it’s domestic.” Andrea took another sip. “Am I right?”

Hannah decided it was time to switch to another subject. “You were incredible with Bill. I still can’t believe that he isn’t mad at me.”

“Bill can’t stand it when I cry.” Andrea gave a smug smile. “He just falls apart when my lip starts to quiver.”

“And you can quiver on command?”

“Of course.” Andrea’s smile grew wider. “I learned how to quiver right after Mother bought me my first bra. It always works with the guys.”

“You’re amazing,” Hannah said with real admiration. Because of her practice at dealing with doting men, Andrea had managed to avoid the lecture that they’d both deserved.

Hannah had done her best to explain things to Bill. She’d told him that they were so worried about Max, they’d simply had to check on him. And then, when they’d found Max’s Cadillac half-packed for his trip to the Tri-State Buttermakers’ Convention, they’d had no choice but to use his key to search his office at the dairy, the last place that anyone had seen him.

That hadn’t quite done it. Bill had still been upset about the fact that Hannah had led his wife into a potentially dangerous situation. But Hannah had posed a question: Wasn’t it lucky that they’d found Max’s body before the trail had gone cold?

Bill had reluctantly agreed, but he’d laid down some ground rules. The next time Hannah decided to follow up a lead, she should check with him first. Hannah had promised and she’d meant it. Finding two dead bodies was more than enough for one lifetime. But then Bill had started to ask questions about exactly why they hadn’t come out to the accident scene to get him earlier, and Andrea had gone into lip-quivering mode.

One glance at Andrea’s close-to-tears countenance and Bill had melted. He’d hugged Andrea and told her that he’d get a ride to Hannah’s condo so that he could drive her home. And then he’d assured her that he wasn’t angry with her or with Hannah.

“Moishe is a very comforting sort of pet.” Andrea’s fingers strayed toward the sensitive spot behind Moishe’s ear and he purred even louder. “It’s really amazing that he’s so domesticated, considering the kind of life that he used to lead. He’s just sitting here and purring. I never knew that he was so sweet.”

Hannah wasn’t about to tell Andrea how Moishe acted when he was hunting. She doubted that any small rodent or flightless bird would describe him as sweet. “I need to talk to you about Mr. Harris, Andrea. You said he was waiting at the Peterson property when you got there on Wednesday morning?”

“That’s right. I met him at nine-thirty, but he said he was there a lot earlier than that.” Andrea thought about it for a moment, and then her eyes widened. “Do you think he might have seen something?”

Hannah shrugged. “That depends on what time he got there. He didn’t tell you if he knew Max or Ron, did he?”

“No. He said he didn’t know anyone in—” Andrea stopped and stared at Hannah as the light dawned. “Do you think Mr. Harris killed Max and Ron?”

“The time frame works, but Mr. Harris doesn’t have a motive as far as we know. I’d certainly like to talk to him about it. You don’t happen to have his home phone number, do you?”

“Of course I do. I’m a real estate agent. I always carry my clients’ numbers with me. Just hand me my purse. I don’t want to disturb Moishe.”

Hannah walked over to get the purse from the chair near the door and handed it to Andrea. When her sister had opened it, Hannah admired the way the interior was organized. Andrea’s makeup was in a see-through pouch so that she could easily find the item she wanted, her keys were clipped to a leather strap, and her wallet was neatly stowed away in a leather holder on the side. There was even an inside pouch for the glasses that Andrea needed for reading, but refused to wear.

Andrea reached inside another pouch and drew out a small address book. She flipped to the proper page and handed it to Hannah. “Here it is. You’re not going to call him now, are you?”

“There’s no time like the present.”

“But it’s almost midnight. What are you going to say?”

“I don’t know yet, but I’ll think of something.” Hannah grabbed the phone. “Relax, Andrea. I won’t mention your name.”

As she punched out the number, Hannah considered her options. Mr. Harris would be more likely to give her information if she had some sort of credential. She could say that she was a reporter with the
Lake Eden Journal,
but that might backfire. If Mr. Harris had anything to hide, he’d simply hang up on someone who said they worked for the town newspaper. As her call was connected, Hannah made a snap decision. Mr. Harris wouldn’t dare to hang up on the police.

“Hello?”

The voice on the other end of the line sounded groggy, as if she’d awakened him, and Hannah did her best to sound official. “Mr. Harris? I’m sorry if I woke you, but this is Miss Swensen from the Winnetka County Sheriff’s Station. We’re investigating a crime that occurred at the Cozy Cow Dairy on Wednesday morning, sometime between six-fifteen and eight. We need to know if you happened to observe anything that could relate to the crime. I understand that you were in the area at that time?”

“Yes, I was. What happened?”

Hannah smiled. Mr. Harris sounded cooperative. “I can’t give you the details, but I need to know the time that you arrived in Lake Eden and what you saw while you were there.”

“Let me see. I got to Lake Eden about a quarter to seven and drove straight out to the Peterson farm. I did see one thing that was odd, but I’m not sure if it’s helpful.”

“Tell me anyway, Mr. Harris.” Hannah maintained her professional voice.

“As I approached the dairy, a car pulled out of the driveway. The driver was in a real hurry. He skidded over the centerline, and I had to swerve to avoid him.”

“You said
he,
Mr. Harris. The driver was a man?”

“I’m not sure. I didn’t actually see him. The sun visor was down.”

“Very good.” Hannah grabbed the notebook and pen that were sitting on the coffee table and made a note. “Could you describe the car?”

“It was a small black compact with a rental sticker on the window. The sticker was white with red lettering, but I didn’t see the name of the company. I always use Hertz, myself. My company gets a special rate from them.”

“Then you don’t own a car, Mr. Harris?” Hannah winked at Andrea. Her question had nothing to do with the investigation, but she wanted to find out if he’d told Andrea the truth.

“I have a vintage Jaguar, but I prefer not to drive it out of the city. I’m certainly glad I didn’t drive it on Wednesday! That other driver came very close to hitting me. I just wish that Marshal Beeseman had been there to give him a ticket.”

Hannah’s eyebrows rose and she jotted another note. “You’re acquainted with Marshal Beeseman?”

“Yes. He saw my car parked in front of the Peterson place and drove up to ask me what I was doing there.”

Hannah wrote down Herb’s name. “What time was this, Mr. Harris?”

“A minute or so past eight. I was listening to the radio and the eight o’clock news had just started.”

“You’ve been very helpful, Mr. Harris.” Hannah turned to wink at Andrea before she asked her final question. “Perhaps this has nothing to do with our case, but could you tell me why you decided not to buy the Peterson property?”

For a moment Hannah thought that Mr. Harris would refuse to answer, but then he cleared his throat. “My fiancée said she wanted to live in the country, but she broke off our engagement on Tuesday night. That’s why I came to Lake Eden so early. I couldn’t sleep and I decided that driving might make me feel better. I suppose I should have told Mrs. Todd the reason that I passed on the house, but I really didn’t want to discuss it.”

“That’s certainly understandable.” Hannah made a note on her pad and passed it to Andrea. “Thank you, Mr. Harris. We appreciate your cooperation.”

Andrea waited until Hannah had hung up the phone and then she pointed to the note. “Mr. Harris was buying the Peterson place for his girlfriend?”

“That’s what he said. She broke off their engagement on Tuesday night. You would have sold it if she’d hung on for just one more day.”

“Oh, well. You win some and you lose some.” Andrea shrugged and drained the last of her wine. “After all I’ve been through tonight, I think I deserve another glass of wine. It’s really excellent, Hannah. I wasn’t sure at first, but it definitely has legs. There’s more, isn’t there?”

Hannah went off to fetch her sister another glass of Chateau Screw Top. If Andrea wanted to get a little smashed, that was fine with Hannah. She just hoped that when Bill arrived, Andrea wouldn’t need to be slung over his shoulder like a gunnysack and carried down the stairs.

The night wasn’t peaceful, not by a long shot, and when Hannah’s alarm went off at six the next morning, she felt as if she’d just closed her eyes. Her dreams had been peppered with bullet holes, blood, and stiff, cold legs sticking out like boards behind couches, chairs, and bookcases. There had even been a cow in her dreams—a huge, homicidal Guernsey that had chased her over fences and past bubbling vats of cream.

Hannah groaned and sat up in bed. Duty called. She had to bake the Black and Whites for the sheriff department’s open house.

As she padded into the kitchen, stepping carefully to avoid Moishe’s morning rubs against her ankles, she wondered about the new hotshot detective from the Minneapolis Police Department. Would he approve of the way that Bill was handling the double-homicide case? Sheriff Grant had obviously been impressed with the new man. According to Bill, he’d set up an interview the day that his application had come in the mail.

“Here’s your breakfast, Moishe.” Hannah dumped dry crunchies into Moishe’s bowl and gave him fresh water. Then she stumbled toward the coffeemaker and poured her first cup. She must be a caffeine addict. She really couldn’t function without a wake-up cup, or three, in the morning. She just hoped the FDA and the president’s drug czar didn’t ever turn her into a criminal by classifying coffee as a drug.

Some days it was easier to operate on automatic pilot. Hannah didn’t want to wake up to the point where she recognized how tired she really was. She slugged down only one cup of the steaming brew, enough so that she wouldn’t fall asleep and drown in the shower, and then she went back to her bedroom to get ready for work. When she had showered and dressed, she came out to empty the rest of the coffee into the large-sized car caddy that Bill had given her for Christmas. She refilled Moishe’s food bowl, grabbed her jacket and keys, and stepped out into the predawn freeze.

The blast of cold air that greeted Hannah caused her eyes to snap open all the way. Her breath came out in white puffs and she shivered her way down the outside stairway to the garage. It was time to break out her full winter gear.

The garage was deserted, the cars lined up in even rows against the painted cinderblock walls. Hannah hurried to her Suburban and jumped inside, cranking the motor over twice before it started. Time to plug in her truck, too.

The heater kicked in about the time she turned onto Old Lake Road. Hannah reached over and turned the levers on both vents to direct the warm air to her side of the vehicle. As she zipped down the dark road, she flipped on the radio, and the impossibly cheery voices of Jake and Kelly, the crazy duo that hosted KCOW’s “News At O’Dark-Thirty Show,” assaulted her ears. She switched to WEZY’s mellow strains and thought about the peculiar call letters of Minnesota radio stations. If the transmitter was east of the Mississippi River, the call letters started with a W. If it was west of the Mississippi, the call letters started with a K. The same was true for television stations. It was all controlled by the FCC. Hannah wondered what the bureaucrats would do if a station built a bridge over the Mississippi and mounted their transmitter in the middle.

Deliberately averting her eyes from the dairy as she passed it, Hannah made her way into town. There was no way she wanted to be reminded of Max’s lifeless body this early in the morning. She spotted Herb Beeseman a block from her shop and flagged him down. Plying him with the rest of the Chocolate-Covered Cherry Delights in exchange for information, she verified that he’d talked to Mr. Harris at the Peterson farm at eight on Wednesday morning.

Hannah pulled into her parking place at six forty-five. After she’d locked up her truck, she plugged in the head-bolt heater and opened the back door to the bakery. The sweet dark scent of chocolate greeted her, and Hannah began to smile. Next to coffee, chocolate was her favorite aroma.

After she’d flicked on the lights, fired up the ovens, stuck on her cap, and scrubbed her hands at the sink, Hannah got out a mixing bowl. She had to make a sample batch of Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies for the woman who’d catered the Woodleys’ party.

Hannah poured herself a cup of coffee from the car caddy and read over the recipe while she ingested more caffeine. Mixing cookie dough was something she never did on automatic pilot. She’d tried it once and left out an ingredient that was essential to every cookie: sugar.