Cinnamon Roll Murder

Chapter Twenty-Two

Hannah could barely believe the change she saw in Devin Murphy. Only two nights ago, when Devin had first met the keyboard player from Cinnamon Roll Six, he’d been as awestruck and as eager as a puppy wanting to please. Tonight, as he took his place with the rest of the band, he seemed completely self-assured. “I think Devin just grew up,” Hannah whispered to Michelle.

“I know,” Michelle whispered back. “Lonnie says the only time he’s ever really confident is when he’s playing his music.”

The program started with several classic jazz numbers, and Hannah watched Devin with interest. He was good, very good, and she was proud that Kirby Welles at the Jordan High music department had helped to produce such a talented performer.

Hannah watched with interest as Sally got up from her front row seat and walked to the microphone. But instead of saying a few words about their featured band as everyone expected, she just smiled at her husband and said, “Most of you don’t know this, but I used to sing at a club in Minneapolis. I was singing Something Cool by Billy Barnes when Dick walked in one night, and ever since then, it’s been our song.”

That was the Cinnamon Roll Six’s cue to start playing, and Hannah was amazed as Sally began to sing the song that June Christy had made famous. She’d never guessed that Sally could sing so well. The whole audience was silent, mesmerized by the song and Sally’s melodic voice.

“That was terrific!” Michelle exclaimed when the last note had faded away.

“Yes, it was,” Hannah responded, wondering why Sally had given up what must have been a promising signing career to become a chef. They were friends, and it was something Hannah would ask when the time was right.

Once the applause had dwindled and Sally had taken her seat next to Dick again, the band began another number.

“Take Five,” Michelle whispered, and Hannah knew that her youngest sister wasn’t suggesting a five-minute break. It was the jazz piece that Paul Desmond had written and the Dave Brubeck Quartet had made famous in the sixties. It showcased the alto sax and keyboard players, and Hannah crossed her fingers for luck. This was Devin’s chance to show how talented he really was.

Hannah found that she was holding her breath as Devin picked up the unusual time signature and superimposed contrasting rhythms and meters. Instead of simply duplicating what Brubeck had done, which would be no easy task in itself, Devin put his own twist on it.

She gave a little smile as Tommy Asch joined in on the alto sax, playing the Paul Desmond part. He was excellent, but Devin was the real star of the piece.

And then she was lost in the music, the rhythms, the complicated and intricate interplay of the instruments. It was a world of bright shining notes sequencing as trippingly as glissandos, intricate and unexpected harmonies, and pure melodic pleasure. And then the final note sounded, tugging her back to reality as applause filled the room.

“Wow!” she mouthed, turning to Norman.

“Wow is right!” he said, close to her ear. “I had no idea Devin was that good!”

“Neither did I. And to think all he needed was a chance to ...” Hannah stopped speaking, suddenly realizing that she hadn’t checked to see if Devin had an alibi for the time of Buddy’s murder.

“You’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking, are you?” Norman asked.

“I probably am. Of course I don’t believe it for a second, but I have to check it out.”

“It’s okay,” Michelle said, leaning close to Hannah. “Lonnie already checked it out.”

“He investigated his own cousin?”

“Yes. Devin asked him to check out his alibi. He knew what it would look like since he was hanging around with Buddy in the hospital and then he got Buddy’s job when he was killed.”

“Where was Devin when Buddy was murdered?” Norman asked as they followed the crowd out of the room.

“With Felicia Berger. She’s a nurse’s aide this year at the hospital, and she came in to tell Buddy that a doctor would come in to splint his hand in a few minutes. Felicia knew Devin from high school, and she asked him if he’d help her fold up some of the chairs they didn’t need in triage any longer and take them to storage.”

“And he left Buddy there in the room alone?” Hannah asked.

“That’s right. Buddy told him to go ahead, that he’d be leaving for the Inn as soon as he got the splint on his wrist anyway.”

“How long was Devin with Felicia?”

“They were still together loading folding chairs on the racks when they heard that Buddy was dead. Devin’s in the clear, Hannah. You can cross him off your suspect list.”

“With pleasure.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind if we bake at your house?” Michelle asked Norman as they entered the lobby.

“I don’t mind at all. Nobody’s baked in that great double oven since the last time ...” Norman stopped and cleared his throat, “... since the last time Hannah came over.”

“Doctor Bev doesn’t bake?” Michelle asked, and Hannah felt like handing her the Academy Award for looking so surprised even though Hannah had told her that Doctor Bev didn’t bake.

“No. She doesn’t really cook either. We go out a lot.”

“That must get boring.”

“Sometimes it does.”

Hannah suspected that Michelle was really asking questions to make Norman realize how empty his life would be when Bev lived in his house. She applauded the effort, but she couldn’t help feeling sorry for Norman. He looked uncomfortable as he answered Michelle’s questions, but she wasn’t about to interfere with whatever Michelle had in mind.

As she watched, Michelle reached out and patted Norman on the shoulder. “Well, we’re going to bake you some cookies tonight.”

“I thought you had to bake bran cookies for Doc Knight.”

“We do, but we’ll bake something for you, too. What’s your favorite fruit?”

Norman thought about that for a moment while they walked through the lobby toward the front door. “Peaches,” he said, stopping at the coat rack to pick up his coat. “I haven’t had anything with peaches for a long time.”

“Then we’ll bake you some peach cookies. How about that?”

“Sounds good.”

Norman’s response came fast, and Hannah knew he was looking forward to the night ahead. But she still wasn’t sure exactly what Michelle was trying to accomplish.

Once they’d put on their coats and pulled on their boots, they stepped out into the crisp night air and began the short walk to the parking lot. In colder weather and snowy conditions, Dick hired someone to ferry customers back and forth to the parking lot, but it was well above forty degrees tonight, and Norman shook his head when the college kid offered to take them to their cars. “We’ll walk,” he said, and then he turned to Michelle and Hannah. “Is that okay with you?”

“Fine with me,” Hannah said quickly.

“Me, too,” Michelle responded, falling into step with Norman as they began to walk down the lighted path to the parking lot.

Michelle and Norman made polite conversation as they walked, but Hannah didn’t say a word. She was much more interested in seeing what Michelle would do and say next. But nothing of import happened until they entered the parking lot.

“How about taking Hannah home with you?” Michelle said as they reached Hannah’s cookie truck. “That way I can run out for baking supplies and we won’t waste any time. You can get started on that photo Andrea’s going to send you,” she said to Norman. “And Hannah can start pulling out all the utensils and small appliances we need in the kitchen.”

“Good idea!” Norman said, taking Hannah’s arm.

“Do you want me to get the supplies first and then stop off at the condo to get the cats?” Michelle asked him. “I bet they’d like to visit while we bake.”

“You can’t,” Hannah said quickly. “Doctor Bev’s allergic.”

“But she’s in the Cities,” Michelle pointed out. “What do you say, Norman?”

Norman thought about it for all of a second or two, and then he said, “I say yes. I haven’t seen Cuddles and Moishe in way too long.”

“But ... what about her allergy?” Hannah asked him.

“Let’s see if it really is an allergy. If Bev comes over on Sunday night and she doesn’t have any reaction, I’ll know it’s not an allergy.”

When the cat’s away, the mice will play, Hannah thought, hiding a grin. Or in this case, When the fiancée’s away, our cats will play! She was proud of Norman for showing some backbone instead of just believing everything Doctor Bev told him. “Can you handle the cats alone?” she asked Michelle.

“Of course. I’ll use the carrier for Cuddles, and I’ll put Moishe on his harness and leash. When I get back to Norman’s house, I’ll beep the horn, and you can come out and help me get them into the house.”

“We’ll both help,” Norman offered quickly. “Come on, Hannah. Let’s go. I want to get all the cat toys out of the garage and put out the scratching post again.” Then he turned to Michelle. “Thanks for thinking of it, Michelle. It’s the best idea I’ve heard in a very long time.”

“So! We’re all ready,” Norman said, positioning the scratching post by the window in the den. “Do you think they’d like a fire in the fireplace?”

“I don’t know about them, but I would,” Hannah said, laughing a little. She was very encouraged by the fact that Norman had kept all of the cat toys. She just hoped it meant that he was having second thoughts about giving up the cat he loved so much.

“This has got to be moved,” Norman said, picking up a glass-topped end table and putting it in a closet. “It’s Bev’s. She moved it over here last week. If Cuddles starts playing chase with Moishe, they could break it and hurt themselves.”

Hannah smiled. She noticed that Norman had said, They could break it and hurt themselves, not They could break Bev’s table. At least for now, he had his priorities straight.

“Do you need me to find anything else for you in the kitchen?” Norman asked.

“I don’t think so. We’ve got the mixer, food processor, mixing bowls, measuring cups, and measuring spoons. And all your spoons, spatulas, and whisks are in the drawer in the kitchen. Your cookie sheets are still in that flat drawer under the ovens, aren’t they?”

“Nothing’s changed, at least not yet. And actually ... I don’t think it will change. Since Bev’s not going to be cooking in the kitchen anyway, I’m not going to let her remodel it. It seems like a waste, doesn’t it?”

“It does to me.”

“Then we’re agreed. I’ll start in on that background check for Buddy Neiman if you don’t need me for anything else.”

“That’s fine. The first name on his driver’s license was Bernard so you might try that, too. It’s Bernard Alan Neiman.”

“Okay. I’ll be in my office.”

“I’ll bring you a fresh cup of coffee when it’s ready.” Hannah walked over to the espresso machine on the counter, poured in some bottled water, and flicked it on.

“That would be great! And ...” Norman paused to listen. “Was that a car horn I heard?”

“I think it was. And that means Michelle must be here. Let’s go help her bring in the cats!”

Hannah eyed the huge box of ingredients that Michelle carried into Norman’s kitchen. “Where did you get all that?”

“At the Red Owl.”

“They were open past eight at night?”

“I drove past on the off-chance Florence might be there, and she was in the back, unpacking some boxes. When I told her I needed lots of stuff, she was happy to let me shop.”

“Just look at all this!” Hannah started to pull ingredients from the box. “Cream cheese, peach jam, peach pie filling, white sugar, flour, baking soda, two pounds of salted butter, ground cinnamon, whole nutmeg, and a nutmeg grater?”

“That’s only the first layer. I’ve also got pecans, eggs, and sliced canned peaches. And in that second box over there,” Michelle pointed to another box, “I’ve got bran flakes, oatmeal, raisins, brown sugar, and vanilla. I figured Norman must have salt so I didn’t buy that.”

“This must have cost you a fortune!”

“Oh, it did. But that’s okay. I can afford it.”

“How? You don’t earn much working part-time at the college.”

Michelle laughed. “I can afford it because I charged it to Mother.”

“But ... but ...”

“You sound like a motorboat,” Michelle interrupted with the tease they’d used as children. “It’s okay, Hannah. Mother told me to charge all expenses to her. She wants us to break up Norman and Doctor Bev, and she also wants us to solve Buddy’s murder. She said it’s her assignment to us and she’s happy to pay for it.”

Hannah felt a little like a kid stealing money from her mother’s purse, something she’d never dreamed of doing when she was growing up. It made her very uncomfortable. “Maybe I should pay Mother back.”

“Absolutely not. It would only make her mad. Mother gave me her credit card and told me to use it. Besides, Mother can afford it. I can’t, and you can’t.”

“You’ve got a point.” Hannah gave a little shrug. “Okay. I’ll buy that. What kind of cookie are we going to make for Norman?”

“We’re making Peaches And Cream Cookies. I thought it all out when I was shopping in the store. They’re going to be soft, creamy, delicious cookies. Just wait and see.”

“You’re the boss on this one. I don’t think I’ve ever made peach cookies in my life.”

“There’s always a first time,” Michelle said, tossing Hannah a can of sliced peaches. “Open these and drain them, will you? I’m going to start softening the salted butter and the cream cheese.”

Thirty minutes later, Norman looked happier than Hannah had seen him look in several months. He was sitting at the kitchen table watching them mix up cookie dough, and Cuddles was in his lap. Hannah could hear her purring even over the whine of Norman’s stand mixer, and Moishe was purring too. Perhaps she was anthropomorphizing, but Hannah was convinced that her own cat was purring because he was happy to see his friend, Cuddles, so happy.

As Hannah watched, Cuddles jumped down from Norman’s lap and walked over to rub noses with Moishe. Then she turned, swished her tail, and wiggled her rear as she walked away.

“She wants Moishe to follow her,” Norman explained his cat’s actions. And to Hannah amazement, Moishe jumped up and padded after her.

“Where are they going?” Michelle asked.

“They’re going to check out the house to see if anything’s changed. And now that I put that silly table in the closet, they’re going to find out everything’s exactly the same. Cuddles is leading the way because she still considers it to be her house.”

From your lips to God’s ears, Hannah thought, remembering the phrase her neighbor used to use when she wanted things to be as she said they were.

There was a loud thump from the den and then a startled meow. A scant second later, there was the sound of running footfalls on the stairway Norman had built for Moishe before he’d adopted Cuddles.

“The chase is on,” Norman said. There was another loud thump and then the sound of footfalls running down the circular staircase.

“And the chase has picked up speed,” Hannah commented. “Any second now they’ll probably ... feet up everybody! Here they come!”

Hannah and Michelle hopped up to sit on the kitchen counter. Norman lifted his feet to the seat of a neighboring chair. They were just in time as the two cats rounded the corner into the kitchen and skidded across the tiles.

“Careful, guys!” Norman warned, but of course they didn’t listen. Norman didn’t speak cat and the cats didn’t speak caution. They slid past the refrigerator, rounded the center island on three paws, and ran smack dab into the cupboard under the sink.

“Rrrrow!” Moishe yowled, sounding dazed.

“Merrrowww,” Cuddles moaned, adding her voice to the complaint.

“Are they hurt?” Michelle asked, preparing to jump down from the counter.

“I really don’t think so,” Norman said with a chuckle, as the two cats shook their heads, regained their feet, and started to chase each other all over again. “Do they do this at your house?” he asked Hannah.

“Oh, yes. Every night.”

“But your place is so much smaller! How do they manage it?”

“They fly,” Hannah said, and left it at that.

PEACHES AND CREAM COOKIES

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

15 canned peach slices to garnish your cookies

1 and ¼ cups white (granulated) sugar

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

4 ounces cream cheese, softened (the brick kind, not the whipped kind—I used Philadelphia Cream Cheese in the silver box)

3 large eggs

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated is best, of course)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 and ½ cups peach pie filling (I used Comstock— my can was 15.5 ounces net weight, and it was exactly 1 and ½ cups)

2 Tablespoons (that’s cup) peach jam

3 and ½ cups all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Drain the can of peach slices in a strainer over the sink, or over a bowl. You do not need to reserve the juice. Let the peaches drain while you mix up your cookie dough.

Hannah’s 1st Note: Unless you have a very strong stirring arm, use an electric mixer to make this cookie dough.

Place the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer.

Place the butter and the cream cheese, which must be softened to room temperature, on top of the sugar.

Turn the mixer to LOW and mix for one minute. Gradually increase the speed of the mixer, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently and beating for one minute at each level, until you arrive at the highest speed.

Beat at the highest speed for at least 2 minutes or until the resulting mixture is very light and fluffy.

Turn the mixer down to LOW, and add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

Continue to mix on LOW speed while you add the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda. Mix until they are thoroughly incorporated.

Measure out a cup and a half of peach pie filling. If there are any large pieces of peach, chop them up with a knife into small pieces about the size of mini chocolate chips. The goal is to get some into each cookie.

With the mixer on LOW speed, add the peach pie filling to your bowl and mix it in.

Measure out the peach jam. If there are any large pieces of peach, chop them up with a knife just like you did with the peaches in the pie filling.

With the mixer on LOW speed, add the peach jam to your bowl and mix it in thoroughly.

Mix in the flour, one cup at a time, mixing on LOW after each addition. (You don’t have to be exact—just add the flour in 4 increments)

Shut off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Then give the mixture a final stir by hand. The resulting cookie dough should be fluffy, but not at all stiff like sugar cookie or chocolate chip cookie dough. Let the bowl sit on the counter while you ...

Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper. It’s the easiest way to bake these cookies. If you don’t have parchment paper and you really don’t want to go out to get any, grease your cookie sheets heavily, or spray them thoroughly with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray.

If you haven’t already done so, put the pecans in the bowl of a food processor with the steel blade in place, and process them with an on-and-off motion into fine pieces.

When the pecans are ready, place them in a shallow bowl. This is what you’ll use to coat the outside of your Peaches And Cream Cookies.

Using a teaspoon (not the measuring kind, but one from your silverware drawer), drop a rounded teaspoon of cookie dough into the bowl of finely chopped pecans. Use your fingers and a light touch to form the cookie dough into a ball. Lift the ball gently and place it on your baking sheet. Continue to form dough balls covered with finely chopped pecans, 12 to a standard-size cookie sheet.

Lay your peach slices out on layers of paper towels on the counter. Pat them dry and then cut each one into two pieces, making thinner slices.

Top each Peaches And Cream cookie dough ball with a thin peach slice, cut side up. Press it down gently.

Bake your Peaches And Cream Cookies at 375 degrees F. for 12 minutes. Take them out of the oven and slide the cookie-laden parchment paper onto a wire rack to cool. If you used greased cookie sheets, you’re going to have to let the cookies sit on the cookie sheets for 2 minutes and then remove them to a wire rack with a metal spatula.

Let the cookies cool completely before you attempt to remove them from the wire rack.

Yield: Approximately 4 to 5 dozen soft and moist cookies, depending on cookie size.