Fudge Cupcake Murder

    'Almost done?' Hannah was so surprised, she almost put a five-dollar bill in her stack of twenties. 'But you just started!'

    Andrea laughed, obviously pleased at Hannah's shocked reaction. 'I've been at it for two days. I told you before that I'm a fast typist.'

    'I know, but I never expected you to finish this soon. What time do you want me to pick up Tracey tonight?'

    'That's the other reason I called. Can you be here at seven-thirty? Lucy Dunwright just left and she took Tracey out for hamburgers with Karen. Then they're going trick 'n treating and they'll be back here at seven- thirty.'

    Hannah knew Lucy's daughter, Karen. She was a classmate of Tracey's and Hannah liked her. 'If it's okay with Lucy, I can take both girls down to the Haunted Basement. Then Lucy can stay and visit with you until we come back.'

    'That's really nice of you, Hannah.' Andrea sounded grateful. 'I'd love to have company tonight. But I was calling to ask you for another favor and now I feel funny about it.'

    'What is it? I owe you more than one favor for typing all those recipes.'

    'No, you don't. I was happy to have something to do. But this is really important, Hannah.'

    Hannah frowned as she recognized a slightly panicked tone in Andrea's voice. 'What is it?'

    'It's Bill. He got so excited about going back to work, he forgot to replace his taillight.'

    'Uh-oh,' Hannah groaned guessing the rest. 'And they caught him out at the checkpoint again?'

    'That's exactly what happened. He got another fixit ticket this morning and the next time it'll be a real ticket. He can't let that happen, Hannah. It would look awful for someone who's running for sheriff.'

    'That's true,' Hannah said, waiting for her sister to get to the point.

    'The problem is, Bill's bound to get that ticket tonight.'

    'Why tonight?'

    'Because the checkout at the sheriff's station is staying open late. And there's no way Bill can drive home and not get one.'

    'So you want me to drive out there and give him a ride home?'

    'Not exactly,' Andrea sighed deeply. 'Bill says it's really easy to replace a taillight on his car and if he had the part, he could do it in less than ten minutes. The only thing is, he doesn't have the part and if he drives out to get it, he'll get ticketed.'

    'Catch twenty-two,' Hannah mused.

    'That's exactly what it is. I just loved that movie, didn't you? I saw it on the old movie channel last year and I thought Alan Arkin was just perfect. But then there was Buck Henry's performance. It was marvelous. And Anthony Perkins, well…'

    'So you want me to get the taillight and take it out to Bill at the sheriff's station?' Hannah interrupted her sister's rave movie review.

    'If you don't mind, that would be really great.'

    'I don't mind at all. As a matter of fact, I was planning to go out there to have Ted taste the cupcakes I made from his mother's recipe. I'll get the taillight and stop by the sheriff's station on my way home to cook Moishe's dinner.'

    'You're cooking for Moishe now?'

    'That's right. I've got a veterinarian-approved diet sheet for him.''

    'What are you cooking?'

    Hannah thought about the boiled liver and the eggshells. 'I don't think you want to know.'

    'Okay. I'll take your word for it. But don't forget to allow time to change into your costume. Tracey can hardly wait to see it. What are you going as?'

    'It's a surprise,' Hannah said, bemoaning her sister's grammar with half of her mind and wondering if she'd have time to wash and dry her ghost sheet with the other half.

    Fifteen minutes later, Hannah had everything under control. She'd stuck the cornflakes and the plastic knife in the back of her truck for contingencies, locked up The Cookie Jar, packed the cupcakes for transit, and she was on the road to Ted Koester's salvage yard to get the taillight for Bill.

    As she drove through town, the sky began to darken and Hannah smiled as she saw little trick 'n treaters skipping along the sidewalks, holding the hands of older siblings or parents. On her way to the highway, Hannah passed two boys in Elvis costumes, one King Kong, three fairy princesses, one Superman, two skeletons with day- glo bones, a hulking monster with green fangs, and nine ghosts. Perhaps it was a good thing she'd gotten her ghost costume dirty. It seemed that Lake Eden was swarming with ghosts tonight.

    The spirit of Halloween infused even the traffic on the highway. Hannah spotted two cars with fluttering ghosts in the back windows and another with a fake arm hanging out of a truck. Several drivers wore Halloween masks and one trucker had decked his eighteen-wheeler out for the occasion by wiring a battery-operated jack o' lantern to his grill. The night was festive and Hannah was starting to get into the spirit as she pulled into Ted's salvage yard. She drove past the trailer that served as an office, headed for a parking spot, and smiled as she spotted Beatrice manning the counter. This was just perfect. Now she could have both Beatrice and Ted taste the cupcakes.

    Hannah parked the truck, got out, and grabbed the bag of cupcakes. The wind practically knocked her off her feet as she dashed to the office and opened the door.

    'Hi, Hannah,' Beatrice greeted her warmly. 'What's in the bag?'

    'Cupcakes. I think I got it, Beatrice.'

    'Really?' Beatrice's lips turned up in a delighted smile. 'That's wonderful, Hannah. Ted will be so pleased.'

    'Go ahead. Try one.' Hannah handed her the bag. 'I really think that this has got to be it.'

    'I hope so. I'm going to gain twenty pounds if I keep on tasting your test batches.' Beatrice grinned to show she was joking as she opened the bag and took out a cupcake. She peeled back the paper, took a small bite, and then she took a larger one.

    Hannah didn't realize that she was holding her breath until Beatrice had eaten half the cupcake. She let it out again in a relieved sigh. 'It's Alma's recipe?'

    'This is it, Hannah! It's just like Alma used to bake. What's the secret ingredient?'

    'Raspberry syrup. And that's what came in all those bottles you found in her basement.'

    'Well, I'll be!' Beatrice said, polishing off the cupcake and wiping her fingers on one of the napkins Hannah had tucked into the bag. 'Just wait until Ted tastes these!'

    'Speaking of Ted, where is he? I need to buy a taillight for Bill's car.'

    'He's out with the tow truck. That's why I'm here filling in for him. He should be back any minute, but I can probably help you if you've got the make, model, and year.'

    'I do,' Hannah said, handing over the note she'd written with the information Andrea had given her.

    Beatrice opened a thick parts book. 'I'm sure Ted's got it. Once I get the part number, I'll type it into the computer inventory and it should tell us exactly where it is.'

    Hannah watched as Beatrice looked up the part and typed in the number. In just a moment, the answer appeared on the screen. 'Here we go. Bill's taillight is in section seventeen, bin thirty-eight.'

    'Where's that?'

    'Right here,' Beatrice pointed to the section on the large map that hung on the wall in back of the counter. 'Come with me. I'll take you over to the parts shed.'

    Hannah followed Beatrice to a large metal shed that took up almost a quarter of the salvage yard. Beatrice opened the door, flicked on the lights, and led Hannah down an aisle in the center. Each section was filled from floor to ceiling with metal shelving and Beatrice stopped when she came to section seventeen. 'Bin thirty-eight should be right about… here.'

    'I see it,' Hannah said, pointing up at the third tier of shelves. 'But how do we get it? Do you have a ladder?'

    Beatrice nodded and walked to the center aisle. A moment later, she came back pushing a rolling ladder, the kind Hannah had seen stock clerks use in home building stores. 'Just watch. This is so easy with a ladder like