Apple Turnover Murder Part 16

Hannah poured herself a cup of coffee, carried it over to the table, and sat down in a chair. She took the first lifesaving sip, gave a sigh of utter contentment, and took another. The body was beginning to function again and the brain wasn't far behind. Another few sips and there should be a full lexicon of words at her disposal.

"I couldn't sleep, either," Mich.e.l.le admitted. "I kept thinking about that last fight I had with him. I told him I hoped he'd choke on a mango and die!"

"It must run in the family."

"You told him you hoped he'd choke on a mango?" Mich.e.l.le asked incredulously.

"I said a cantaloupe, but it's close enough. I a.s.sume he was still in the habit of eating fruit for breakfast?"

"Right." Mich.e.l.le drew a deep breath. "And speaking of breakfast, I made some."

"I thought I smelled something good, and I didn't think it was leftover baking smells from last night."

"I baked Breakfast in a m.u.f.fin, and I think they're cool enough to eat. Do you want one?"

"Of course I want one. Is this another one of your creations?"

"Yes." Mich.e.l.le went over to the counter and brought back two m.u.f.fins on a plate. "It's for people on the go, like you and me. It's got bacon and egg and cheese on top. I tried one and they're good."

"It sounds good," Hannah said, breaking open a m.u.f.fin, slathering it with b.u.t.ter, and taking a bite. She chewed, swallowed, and smiled. "It is good, and it's a great idea for the coffee shop. A lot of people feel guilty eating cookies for breakfast, but they'd gobble these right up."

Mich.e.l.le was silent as Hannah ate her m.u.f.fin. Her forehead was furrowed and Hannah could tell she was thinking about something that was bothering her deeply. "What's the matter, Mich.e.l.le?" she asked.

"I've been thinking about that book you found in Bradford's office, the one with the poetry he said he wrote."

"Yes?" Hannah took another sip of her coffee.

"Well, I think there's a precedence for using someone else's work...in academia, I mean."

"What makes you think that?"

"Bradford used Tim Pearson's work."

Hannah got up to refill her coffee mug. "Who's Tim Pearson?" she asked as she carried it back to the table.

"He's Bradford's research a.s.sistant, and he brought me home after the jazz concert on Sunday night. All the full professors have research a.s.sistants. Bradford brought Tim with him from Macalester because they were working on a project together."

"What kind of a project?" Hannah asked, even though she wasn't sure how important that was.

"Bradford said it was a study of seventeenth-century roots in eighteenth-century English poetry. He told me all about it. He said that it had turned into a really hot topic, and he had to publish fast before some other professor from another college beat him to it."

"Did he make it?"

"Yes, and it's a real coup for Macalester to have one of their professors lead the field on such an important topic. Bradford told me he was sure he'd be department head next year."

"Was it publish or perish?"

"I think so. But the thing is, I don't think Bradford wrote any of that paper. I'm pretty sure Tim wrote the whole thing."

"Did Tim get his name on it, too?"

"No. We talked about that when he brought me home on Sunday night. He told me he didn't expect any kind of credit."

"Why not?"

"Because it's almost never done. The professor takes full credit, and the research a.s.sistant just does his job."

Hannah bristled slightly. Inequity always disturbed her. Perhaps it was a good thing that she hadn't stayed in academia. "That really doesn't seem fair to me."

"I feel exactly the same way, but Tim told me it was a barter thing, that there was a job as an a.s.sistant professor at the community college and Bradford was going to recommend him for it. That was his payment for all the work he did on the project. Tim said the job was a sure thing and he was really looking forward to teaching in Lake Eden."

"So Bradford recommended him and Tim got the job?"

Mich.e.l.le stared at Hannah for a moment, and then she began to frown. "I don't know. I think Tim said the selection committee was supposed to meet yesterday morning."

Both sisters were quiet for a long, tense moment and then Mich.e.l.le spoke. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I'm almost certain I am. Do you know anybody at the college who'd know if Tim really did get the job?"

"Someone besides Tim, you mean?"

"Yes."

"Not really, unless..." Mich.e.l.le paused, and then she smiled. "Let's ask Mother to ask her friend, Nancy."

"Good idea! Dr. Nancy might know, and if she doesn't, she can find out."

"I'll ask Mother to call her and get right back to you. But even if Tim didn't get the job, he's really not the kind to..." Mich.e.l.le stopped speaking and gave a little sigh. "I keep forgetting."

"What?" Hannah asked her.

"I keep forgetting what you told me after you caught Larry Jaeger's killer. That almost everyone is capable of murder under just the right circ.u.mstances."

When Hannah and Mich.e.l.le got to The Cookie Jar, they found Lisa hard at work with Marge and Patsy. The first baker's rack was already filled with baked cookies, and more were coming out of the ovens.

"You should have slept a lot later, Hannah," Lisa chided her. "We've got everything under control here."

"But I had to get here before you opened so I could tell you about finding the body, and you could embellish it to thrill our customers."

Lisa laughed as she handed Hannah a cup of coffee from the kitchen coffee pot. "I was going to make the whole thing up, but it's better if part of it's true. Herb wants to talk to you first, though. He's in the coffee shop having a cup of coffee. Just go on in and I'll join you in a couple of minutes."

Hannah took a deep breath and pushed through the swinging door to the coffee shop. The first sight that met her eyes was a reflection of the eastern sky in the plate gla.s.s window of Lake Eden Realty across the street. The sky was a dim blue glow that was only slightly lighter than the darkness that framed the window. Hannah knew that the blue glow would soon lighten to violet, and then to pink. A few moments later it would take on a yellow tone, and finally it would graduate to a golden expanse of brilliance as the sun rose.

"Hannah?" a voice called her from the back table.

"h.e.l.lo, Herb." Hannah carried her coffee cup to the table and sat down. "I hope you didn't have a bad night because of me."

"I sure wish I hadn't overheard that conversation," Herb said. "I just wanted you to know that I'm not going to say a word about it to anybody, and that includes Lisa and the authorities."

Hannah reached out to pat his hand. "Thanks, Herb. I already told Mike all about it, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention it to anyone else. It's...well...it's embarra.s.sing."

"We've all got embarra.s.sing things in our past," Herb said, giving her hand a little squeeze. "There are a couple of things that happened to me way back when that I'd rather Lisa wouldn't know about."

"I understand. I wouldn't want Mich.e.l.le to know about that conversation I had with Bradford Ramsey, either."

"She won't hear it from me." Herb took a sip of his coffee, and then he chuckled. "Lisa's all excited about telling the story of how you found the professor. I think I married a frustrated actress."

"Who's a frustrated actress?" Lisa arrived at their table and plunked down her coffee cup. "I'm just glad you're here early, Hannah. Now you can give me some tidbits, and I can make up the rest."

Hannah smiled at her partner. She was surprised that the Lake Eden Players, their amateur theater group, hadn't waged an active campaign to recruit Lisa for their leading lady.

"I was still in the dressing room when I realized that it was time for the second act to start," Hannah told her. And then she proceeded to tell Lisa the details.

"Perfect!" Lisa exclaimed when Hannah was through. "Just hide out in the kitchen and I'll handle all the questions about the murder. We're going to sell a gazillion cookies today!"

"I'm sure you're right," Hannah said. And then she wondered how Bradford would have felt to know that he was worth at least five times his weight in cookies.

BREAKFAST IN A m.u.f.fIN.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

2 cups all-purpose flour (no need to sift) 1 heaping Tablespoon white (granulated) sugar teaspoon salt 2 and teaspoons baking powder 3 large eggs 1 cup whole milk or light cream (I used milk) cup melted b.u.t.ter (1 stick, 4 ounces, pound) 12 strips of bacon, fully cooked 12 small or medium eggs cup shredded cheddar, Swiss, or jack cheese (I used sharp cheddar) Hannah's 1st Note: Before you start these m.u.f.fins, you must decide which type you want to make. You can use a regular 12-cup m.u.f.fin pan, or a jumbo pan that makes 6 m.u.f.fins.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Stir them all up together with a fork until they're evenly combined.

Break the 3 large eggs into a medium-sized bowl and whip them up with a wire whisk.

Add the milk and whisk it in.

Add the melted b.u.t.ter and mix well.

Make a well in the bowl with the flour mixture. Dump the liquid mixture into the well and mix it all up with a spoon until everything is well moistened. (This batter is supposed to be lumpy-don't stir it smooth.) Mich.e.l.le's Note: I forgot once and mixed the shredded cheese into the batter. The m.u.f.fins didn't look as nice, but they tasted every bit as good.

Grease (or spray with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray) a pan with 12 m.u.f.fin cups, or a jumbo m.u.f.fin pan with 6 cups.

Give the batter a final stir, and then put a spoonful of batter in the bottom of the cups, enough to cover the bottom.

Form one strip of cooked bacon into a circle that'll fit inside your m.u.f.fin cup. Press it down in the batter like a little circular fence. Do the same for the other m.u.f.fin cups.

Crack and separate a medium-size egg. Put the white into a bowl so that you can make Angel Kiss Cookies, Angel Pillow Cookies, or an egg white omelet later. Slide the yolk inside the little bacon corral you just made. (If the yolk breaks, don't despair-it'll still taste good.) Do the same for the other m.u.f.fin cups.

Hannah's 2nd Note: If you're making jumbo m.u.f.fins, use 2 strips of bacon and two egg yolks for each m.u.f.fin.

Divide the remaining batter among the partially-filled m.u.f.fin cups, just spooning it in on top. These m.u.f.fins don't rise a lot, so they can be filled almost up to the top.

Sprinkle the grated cheese on the tops.

Place your m.u.f.fin tin on a drip pan (just in case) and put it into the oven.

Bake the regular m.u.f.fins at 400 degrees F. for 25 minutes. Bake the jumbo m.u.f.fins at 375 degrees F. for the same amount of time, 25 minutes.

Yield: 12 regular or 6 jumbo m.u.f.fins that look very pretty when you slice them in half.

Hannah's 3rd Note: These m.u.f.fins can be reheated in the microwave and they're almost as good as they are right out of the oven.

Chapter Seventeen.

Marge pushed through the swinging door to the coffee shop, and Hannah heard part of Lisa's rendition. Her partner was telling their customers the tale of how Hannah had found the professor's body.

"Professor Ramsey?" Hannah asked softly, but the only sounds she heard were the rustling of people fanning themselves with their programs, a low murmuring as they speculated on why intermission was lasting so long, and an occasional cough from the victim of a summer cold.

Lisa paused, and Hannah couldn't help but smile. Her young partner was a great storyteller.

"Wake up, Professor Ramsey" Lisa went on. "It's time for the second act!" Hannah's voice was a little louder, cutting through the noise behind the velvet curtain so that he could hear her. But again, he did not answer. She walked forward, right up to the chair where he was sitting and took hold of his shoulder with her fingers.

Hannah heard several gasps from the audience. They knew what was coming.

His shoulder was cold, but Hannah decided that was due to the powerful air-conditioning system they used on the stage to combat the heat from the white hot lights. She gave a little shake with her hand and leaned close to his ear. "Wake up! Everybody's waiting for you!"

He did not wake, and Hannah shook his shoulder again, a bit harder. And then harder still until...to her horror...he toppled from the chair like a rag doll, arms and legs flopping helplessly to land on the stage in a tangled heap.

"Poor Hannah!" someone exclaimed. Hannah was almost positive it was Bertie Straub.

"Shhh!" someone else warned. "Go on, Lisa."

Hannah's hands flew to her mouth to m.u.f.fle her startled gasp. What was wrong with Professor Ramsey? Could he possibly be drunk? But there was no smell of strong spirits emanating from his open mouth as he lay there perfectly still, perfectly unmoving, perfectly silent. Hannah glanced down at him, horrified. And then she knew...

The door swung closed behind Marge and Lisa's recital was cut short. Hannah chuckled so hard, she had to sit down at a stool at the workstation. Between the murder mysteries Lisa had been reading on the nights Herb worked late, and her natural flair for the dramatic, they really ought to sell tickets instead of cookies.

She'd just taken the last sheet of cookies from the oven when there was a knock on the back door. Hannah slid the cookies onto the baker's rack, wiped her hands on a towel, and went to the back door to open it.

"Hannah." It was Mike and he looked a bit contrite. "I know you're working, but I really need to talk to you for a minute."

Hannah smiled and ushered him to a seat at the workstation. "Coffee?" she asked.

"Only if you have time."

"I've got plenty of time. Lisa's out there performing a solo play called, Hannah Finds the Professor's Body, Marge is dis.h.i.+ng up cookies by the dozen, Jack is going around with the coffee carafe, and Patsy's running the cash register."

Mike laughed and shook his head, but he sobered when Hannah brought him a mug of coffee and two cookies. "What are these?" he asked, indicating the cookies. "They've got little holes all over them."