Cinnamon Roll Murder

Chapter Seven

“That was good,” Mike said, putting down his fork. He took a sip of his coffee and a wistful expression crossed his face. “I don’t suppose you have any cookies left. I saw you passing out rolls and cookies to the accident victims.”

Hannah shook her head. “No cookies, but I do have some Kentucky butter cake.”

“Great! I’ll take a piece of that. What’s Kentucky butter cake?”

“You want it without even knowing what it is?” Michelle sounded surprised.

“Sure. Hannah’s never made anything I didn’t like.” Mike turned to Hannah. “What is it?”

“It’s a white cake with loads of butter. Mother’s friend, Cassandra, sent her the recipe. I made it in two pans, gave one to Mother, and put the other in the freezer for emergencies.”

“So I’m an emergency?” Mike asked with a devilish grin. Hannah was lost for an answer. Mike’s grin always made her heart beat faster. He was indisputably the most handsome man in Lake Eden. The only problem was, he knew it!

“Am I an emergency?” Mike asked again.

You’re an emergency, all right! I can’t decide what to do with you. Sometimes I love you, sometimes you exasperate me, and when I’m not stuck trying to decide how I feel about you, I just want to throw my arms around you, and ... but she wouldn’t think about that. At least not now.

“Well?” Mike’s grin was devilish. He knew he’d thrown her completely off balance.

Hannah’s mind jumped into overdrive, and she settled for the safest course. “I’d say the whole night was an emergency. Michelle and I almost got killed in a car crash, we were a hospital corridor away when Buddy got murdered, and then we found out that the dead bus driver could be a another murder victim. If that’s not a night of emergencies, I don’t know what is!”

Uh-oh! Hannah’s mind sounded a warning, and she clamped her mouth shut. She didn’t want Mike to know that Andrea had eavesdropped on Bill’s conversation with Doc Knight and called to tell them about it. She shot Michelle a glance, silently urging her to change the subject and hoping that sibling nonverbal messaging was working.

“Hannah didn’t tell you, but there’s a little problem with the cake,” Michelle said, causing Mike to turn and focus on her.

“What’s the problem? Isn’t it any good?”

“It’s wonderful, but the name is wrong. You know how patriotic some of the people in Lake Eden are. If Hannah wants to serve it at The Cookie Jar, we can’t call it by another state name.”

“Well ... what does it taste like?”

“Butter. And butter’s really good. Mother’s friend in Kentucky says she bakes it, glazes it with melted butter and sugar, and sprinkles it with powdered sugar.”

“But you don’t do it that way?” Mike asked Hannah.

“No. I decided to frost it with our Great-Grandma Elsa’s Brown Butter Icing.” Hannah turned to Michelle. “Mike’s dying to taste it. I can tell. Why don’t you go to the kitchen and get him a piece?”

“So what was all that about?” Mike asked, the moment that Michelle had disappeared into the kitchen.

“All what?”

“All that about the bus driver and how it could be murder? Who told you that?”

Hannah thought fast. There was no way she was going to finger Andrea. She relied on her sister to give her the scoop when Bill had information about an investigation.

“Hannah? Who told you?”

The man had a lot in common with an elephant. He’d noticed her slip and he hadn’t forgotten it.

“Everybody knows. It’s already on the Lake Eden Gossip Hotline.”

“No!”

“Yes,” Hannah said, stretching the truth a bit. After all, Delores was the founding member. And Andrea was their mother’s daughter.

“But Doc told Bill, and Bill didn’t tell anybody but me. When I called Lonnie in, I didn’t tell him why. I just said to meet me here. That means Doc, Bill, and I are the only ones who knew.”

Hannah thought fast. “Not necessarily. One of the interns could have been there when Doc did the autopsy. Or a nurse could have helped him. I know he records his findings on tape so that Vonnie can type them up, so Vonnie must have known, too. There could be several people at the hospital who knew.”

“Hmm. I didn’t think of that. I guess it doesn’t really matter, not in the long run. The news always gets out one way or the other.”

“Here you go!” Michelle came back with a large piece of cake on a plate and handed it to Mike. She refilled his coffee cup, took a seat, and waited for him to taste it.

“Wow!” Mike said, after his first bite. “This is a really good cake, and I love the frosting.”

“We like it, too,” Michelle said. “Do you have any idea what Hannah should call it?”

Mike took another bite and chewed thoughtfully. “I’m thinking. What’s in this frosting?”

“Browned butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and cream,” Hannah answered him.

“Butter in the cake, and butter in the frosting?”

“And a butter sauce poured on top before you frost it,” Hannah added. That’s what gives it that little crunch on top.”

“There sure is a lot of butter in here,” Mike commented as he took another bite. “Whoa! I got it!” He took a swallow of coffee, and grinned at them. “Butterama Cake,” he said.

“Butterama Cake?” Hannah repeated, and then she began to smile. “I like it. From now on I’m calling this cake Butterama Cake.”

“Okay, Hannah,” Mike said, pulling out his notebook. “Tell me everything you saw and heard from the moment you entered the bus until the moment you left the scene.”

Hannah knew Michelle was answering a similar question for Lonnie. They’d separated into couples so that Mike could take Hannah’s statement in the living room. Michelle had taken Lonnie in the kitchen to feed him some of the Hamburger Bake. She’d heard Michelle put Lonnie’s dishes in the sink and start another pot of coffee. Undoubtedly Lonnie had also begun to take Michelle’s statement.

Mike was looking at her expectantly, and Hannah thought back several hours, replaying the scene in her mind. “The bus was upside down. You probably already know that.” She waited until Mike nodded and then she went on. “Buddy Neiman unlocked the back door from inside and that’s how Michelle and I got in. We asked if anyone was injured and he said that he had the most serious injury. He showed us the splint Lynnette made for him.”

“Lynnette?”

“She’s one of the ...” Hannah stopped and frowned slightly. “I guess you call them groupies. Lynnette and another girl named Cammy travel with the band. She told us they help the band set up, and ... I don’t know what else.”

“I’ll bet I do,” Mike said under his breath, and Hannah pretended not to hear him. “You said Lynnette put a splint on Mr. Neiman’s wrist. Is she a nurse?”

“No, but she used to work in a doctor’s office. Anyway, Michelle asked Buddy if there were any other injuries, and that was when he told us that the driver was dead. We asked how he knew that and he said that Lynnette had gone up to the front of the bus to check on the driver, and when she came back, she said he was dead.”

“Okay. I’ll have to get her prints in case she touched anything on or around Mr. Wallace. Do you know if she felt for a pulse?”

Hannah shook her head. “I don’t know for sure. We talked to her about that. She said she did, but I don’t think so.”

“Why not?”

“Because she said it was creepy and she didn’t want to see him again. I don’t think she would have had the nerve to touch him.”

“All right. Describe the scene for me.”

Hannah took a deep breath. “The only light was an LED strip on the ceiling. Of course the ceiling was upside down, and we walked on it like a floor. There were things all over that had fallen from the seats. The bus had a vaulted ceiling, so we were walking in the trough. It was hard to keep our balance, and we took small steps, one foot in front of the other, the way you’d walk on a tightrope. Since there was so much debris that had scattered all over when the bus tipped upside down, we had to be careful not to trip over anything.”

“Okay. I understand. Go on.”

“I didn’t want Michelle to come with me, but she insisted. If I’d known how creepy it was going to be, I would have ordered her to stay put. When we got to the front of the bus, I spotted the driver.” Hannah took another deep breath. “It was a horrible sight.”

Mike reached out for her hand and squeezed it. “I know. We cut him down. I’m sorry you had to see that, Hannah.”

“So am I, but I’m even sorrier that Michelle saw it.”

“Me, too.” Mike put his arm around her and leaned back on the couch. He shut his eyes and gave a big sigh of contentment. “I knew once I got out here, I could relax for a couple of minutes.”

Hannah noticed that there were dark circles under his eyes. For a reason she didn’t fully understand, they made him look even more handsome. Maybe it was the nurturer in her coming out, or at least that was what her former psychology professor would have said. Whatever the reason, she felt a new tenderness toward him. Mike was usually so strong and self-confident that it was difficult to imagine that he could ever really need comfort and tenderness from anyone. Before she quite realized that she was going to do it, she reached out and gently stroked his forehead. “Stay as long as you like,” she said in a soft voice. “I know you’re really tired.”

Mike opened his eyes and smiled at her. “Careful what you offer, Hannah. All I need right now is a twelve-pack and the remote, and I’ll never leave.”

Hannah laughed, and her tender mood disappeared. Mike was okay if he could crack a joke. “Are we through with my statement?” she asked.

“Almost.” Mike flipped to a fresh page in his notebook. “Do you remember seeing anything at the scene that was curious, or suspicious?”

“Yes, but I didn’t realize it until I heard that the driver had overdosed on his heart medication. There was a pillbox on the floor, one of those plastic ones with little compartments for the days of the week.”

Mike reached for his cell phone. “The crime scene techs are out there now. I’ll call and tell them not to miss it.”

“Don’t bother. I have it.”

“What?”

“I almost tripped over it, so I picked it up and zipped it in my parka pocket. I didn’t know it was important then, but I thought someone might need the pills and I’d better take them with me. And then, with all the confusion at the hospital, I forgot I even had them.”

“Did you touch them?”

“Only to pick them up. And I was wearing gloves because Michelle and I had just waded through the ditch and it was cold.”

“Did you take off your gloves when you stuck the pillbox in your pocket and zipped it up?”

Hannah did her best to remember, but that part was a blank. “I don’t know. Buddy was calling us, and we were in a hurry to meet the paramedics, and ... I just don’t remember.”

“That’s okay. Don’t worry about it. If you did, we can eliminate your fingerprints.”

Hannah heard a familiar scratching noise in the hallway, and she knew she had to warn Mike. “Put your feet up. Quick!”

“What?”

“Just do it. Prop them on the coffee table and tuck in your arms. And hurry!”

“Okay,” Mike agreed, sounding amused. “What’s going on?”

“You’ll see. It’s the midnight cat crazies.”

“What are cat craz ... oof!” Mike let out a gasp as Cuddles landed on his chest. He watched in obvious amazement as the two cats raced in circles across the living room rug, Cuddles in the lead and Moishe chasing her. “Hey guys,” he said. “What are you do ... oof!”

Hannah laughed. She couldn’t help it. This time Moishe had landed on Mike’s chest. “You’re a launch pad,” she said. “Usually they stick to the floor. That’s why I told you to put your feet up. But I guess this time they’re performing for you, and they’re trying something new.”

There was a loud scratching noise as the two cats barreled into the laundry room, and a thump followed by a louder thump as they jumped up on Hannah’s washer and dryer, and then down again.

“I don’t remember the Big Guy doing that before,” Mike said, putting his feet back down on the floor.

“He never has. It’s Cuddles. She goads him into it. They love their game of chase and they haven’t broken anything ... yet. But I don’t really care because they’re having so much fun.”

There was a bang from the kitchen, and they heard Michelle gasp.

“What the ...” Lonnie exclaimed, stopping short. “Cuddles just jumped up on the refrigerator and Moishe skidded straight into the door! He seems to be okay, though. He just shook his head a couple of times, and then he leaped up on the counter.”

Hannah laughed. “It’s kitty crazy time. Don’t worry. It’ll be over soon. They’ll tire themselves out in a couple of minutes, and then they’ll sleep all night.”

“Cuddles seems to be having a great time here,” Mike said, snapping his notebook shut.

“She’s fine.” Hannah knew the interview was over and she was relieved. Recalling the sight of the bus driver dangling above her had not been pleasant.

“Do you think she misses Norman?” Mike asked the same question that Michelle had earlier.

“Yes. I’ve seen her go to the window by the stairs and look out, as if she’s waiting for him to come and pick her up. She looks sad. And before you say anything, I don’t think I’m imagining things.”

“I believe you, and I think you’re right. Cuddles just adores Norman. Every time I went out there to see him, she was right there. If we went into the kitchen, she followed us. And if we went into the den, she tagged along. My sister has a cat and he doesn’t do that. How about Moishe? Does he follow you around?”

“Not unless it’s breakfast and he wants his food. Or dinnertime and he’s hungry. Moishe’s more independent. He’s not waiting for anybody to come and get him. He knows he’s home.”

Mike looked away for a minute. When he turned back, there was a sheen of moisture in his eyes. “It’s sad,” he said. “Cuddles really loves Norman, and Norman loves Cuddles. I’ve been out there a couple of times for dinner since Bev and Norman got engaged.”

Hannah was perfectly silent. She didn’t know if she wanted to hear what was coming next.

“Norman’s not happy. I think he’s making a big mistake by marrying her.”

Again, Hannah was silent. She agreed completely and there was nothing for her to say.

“They’re not good together. As much as Norman tries, his heart’s not in it. And she’s ... clingy. I don’t know what she’s doing, what she’s up to. But I do know she’s not right for Norman.”

“Sour grapes?” Hannah asked, and then she regretted it. Mike had dated Doctor Bev, and she was prying.

“Not sour grapes. I wouldn’t go out with her again on a bet. There’s something wrong there, something that gets the cop in me anxious.”

“You think she’s a criminal?”

“No, nothing like that. It’s just she’s not ... real.”

“What do you mean?”

“My instincts tell me she’s playing a part. I thought I knew her. I really did. But she’s different with Norman than she was with me.” Mike’s eyebrows furrowed in a frown. “The way things are now, I wouldn’t trust her as far as I could throw her.”

Hannah wasn’t about to touch that one with a telephone pole. She just sat and waited for Mike to say more.

“I know why they’re getting married. Norman told me. We’re friends, good friends, and we talk. I’m all he’s got now. He needs someone to talk to, and Bev won’t let him see you anymore. Norman told me that every time he says he wants to see Cuddles, she begs him not to. She told him that the cat dander gets into his clothes and gives her a terrible allergic reaction.”

Oh sure! Hannah thought sarcastically. If she’s that allergic to cats, she couldn’t treat any of her patients who have cats. And she certainly couldn’t visit Norman at his place, because Cuddles once lived there.

“You don’t believe that?” Mike asked, noticing Hannah’s suspicious expression.

“Not really.”

“Well, neither do I. I think it’s just an excuse to keep him from coming out here and seeing you.”

Hannah thought back. Norman had come to see Cuddles a total of twice since he’d gotten engaged to Doctor Bev. On both of those occasions, he’d acted terribly guilty, and Hannah was convinced that Bev hadn’t know where he’d gone. “You could be right,” she said.

“Norman told me about Diana and how, after they broke up, Bev didn’t tell him she was pregnant. My question is ... why didn’t she? Why didn’t she tell him? He would have married her back then. What was she waiting for? And why did she wait this long to find him and tell him? It just doesn’t make sense, Hannah. There’s something wrong there. And I don’t want to see my best friend hurt.”

BUTTERAMA CAKE

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

Hannah’s 1st Note: Cassandra told Mother she got this cake recipe from her aunt. They made it in a Bundt pan and called it Kentucky Butter Cake.

The Cake Batter:

1 cup softened butter (2 sticks, 8 ounces, ½ pound)

2 cups white (granulated) sugar

4 whole eggs***

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)

1 cup buttermilk (If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can use cream. The cake will taste a bit different, but it’ll still be wonderful.)

*** - If Andrea were making this cake, I’d have to tell her to crack the eggs and take them out of the shell before adding them to her mixing bowl.

Get out a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan (metal or glass, either will do) and either spray it with Pam or another nonstick baking spray or butter it generously on the inside. (If you use butter, this could bring the total butter count up to a pound!)

To make the cake batter:

By hand in a large bowl or with an electric mixer (it’s easier with a mixer, of course) beat the butter for a minute or two.

Sprinkle in the white sugar, beating as you sprinkle. Mix the butter and the sugar together until they turn into a light, fluffy mixture.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

Add the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and vanilla extract. Mix them in thoroughly.

Add 1 cup of the flour and beat it in.

Mix in half (½ cup) of the buttermilk. Mix it in thoroughly.

Add the second cup of flour and mix well.

Mix in the rest of the buttermilk (½ cup).

Add the remaining cup of flour and beat until the batter is smooth and without lumps.

Pour the cake batter into the 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan you prepared. Smooth out the top with a rubber spatula so that it’s evenly distributed in the pan.

Bake the cake in a preheated 325 degree F. oven for 50 minutes. Then take it out of the oven and set it on a cold burner on the stovetop or a wire rack to wait for its Butter Sauce.

The Butter Sauce:

1 cup white (granulated) sugar

¼ cup water (I’ll just bet you could use Kentucky Bourbon instead of the water here, but I haven’t tried it yet.)

½ cup butter (1 stick, 4 ounces, ¼ pound)

1 Tablespoon vanilla

To make the Butter Sauce:

Put the cup of sugar, the ¼ cup of water, and the ½ cup of butter in a medium-size saucepan.

Hannah’s 2nd Note: Don’t use a saucepan that’s black or brown on the inside. You’ll be using it again later when you make the frosting and you need to be able to see when the butter you’ll heat in it turns brown.

Heat the three ingredients on MEDIUM heat until the butter is melted, but DO NOT let the mixture come to a boil.

Hannah’s 3rd Note: You can also do this in a microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for 90 seconds. (I used a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup.) If the butter is not melted at the end of that time, microwave it on HIGH in 20-second increments until it is.

Pull the saucepan over to a cold burner, shut off the hot one, and add the Tablespoon of vanilla extract. (Be careful—it could sputter a bit)

Use a fork, food pick, or a thin wooden skewer to poke holes all over the top of your cake. Don’t be too gentle. You want the holes to go all the way down to the bottom of the cake pan.(I used a thin wooden skewer and poked about 45 holes in mine.)

Pour the warm butter sauce over the top of the cake as evenly as you can. If you used a saucepan, don’t bother to wash it. You’ll be using it again when you make the frosting.

Hannah’s 4th Note: So far there’s ¾ of a pound of butter in this cake. Add it up if you don’t believe me. If you frost it with Great-Grandma Elsa’s Brown Butter Icing, it’ll be only a quarter cup shy of a whole pound!

Let the cake sit out on the wire rack or cold burner for at least 10 minutes so that the Butter Sauce has time to soak into the holes you poked.

Refrigerate your Butterama Cake for at least 2 hours. At the end of that time, just leave the cake in the refrigerator and start the Brown Butter Icing.

Brown Butter Icing:

¼ cup butter (½ stick, 2 ounces, pound)

2 cups powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar—pack it down in the cup when you measure it)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (you could also use Ken- tucky Bourbon)

2 Tablespoons heavy cream (that’s whipping cream, but you could also use half and half which is light cream)

½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional—to sprinkle over the top of the cake after you frost it.)

To make the frosting:

Put the ¼ cup butter into a medium-size saucepan. (You already have one sitting on a cold burner if you made the Butter Sauce on the stovetop. If you used the microwave instead, make sure that the saucepan you choose is not colored black or brown inside. (I made that mistake and I couldn’t see when the butter had browned.)

Place the saucepan on the stovetop and heat it at MEDIUM-HIGH heat. The butter will melt and then it will brown. Continue to heat it until it has browned.

When the butter is a nice caramel color, (this took about 5 minutes for me), remove it from the heat and shut off the burner.

Stir in the 2 cups of powdered sugar.

Stir in the vanilla extract.

Put the 2 Tablespoons of heavy cream in a small cup and drizzle them in, stirring as you go until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.

This is another one of those wonderful no-fail frostings. If it turns out to be too runny, add a bit more powdered sugar. If it turns out to be too thick and stiff, add a bit more cream. Continue to adjust these two ingredients until the frosting is the right consistency.

Take the Butterama Cake out of the refrigerator and frost it with Brown Butter Icing. If you like, you can sprinkle some chopped pecans or walnuts over the top to decorate your cake.

Return the cake to the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it. Like revenge, this dish is best served cold.