Fudge Cupcake Murder

outfit Delores had insisted on buying for her from Beau Monde Fashions, a blue silk dress that Claire had recommended. Hannah had found shoes to match at the mall, blue leather heels with a red, white, and blue braided strap that had been marked down to practically nothing. She was fairly sure the shoes were leftovers from the Fourth of July, but they worked beautifully for what would surely turn out to be Bill's victory party.

    Hannah took one last look at the election coverage on KCOW television before she headed off to the kitchen. Bill had already won over eighty percent of the vote and the victory party at the Lake Eden Inn would be standing room only, except for Andrea. Doc Knight had given her permission to attend as long as there was a place for her to recline and elevate her feet. Since a simple chair wouldn't do, Delores had contributed a fancy antique lounge chair for Andrea to use.

    There was a smile on Hannah's face as she dished up Moishe's yogurt. Doctor Bob and Sue had come up with a solution that suited both human and feline. The moment that Hannah placed the dish on the coffee table, Moishe jumped up and stood there expectantly.

    'Hold on a second,' Hannah said, loosening the cap on the vitamin bottle. But the cat who'd hidden under the bed when threatened by the very same bottle just sat there and purred. Hannah squelched her desire to say I told you so to her cat and squirted a stream of vitamins over the top. A scant second later, Moishe was eagerly lapping it up.

    Hannah was just about to pick up the new purse her mother and Andrea had insisted she buy when there was a knock at the door. Andrea had called earlier to say that she was sending a car for Hannah and even though Hannah had told her it wasn't necessary, her sister had insisted.

    A box from The Cookie Jar sat on the counter and Hannah picked it up. It was a special present for Bill, a pan of his favorite Apple Orchard Cookie Bars. Hannah figured the treat was appropriate since Ted Koester had confessed to killing Sheriff Grant and was behind bars awaiting his trial.

    Hannah opened the door with a smile on her face, but that smile quickly changed to an expression of surprise. Instead of the hired driver that Andrea had led her to expect, both Norman and Mike were standing there.

    'Hi, Hannah,' Norman said, giving her a grin and then turning to Mike.

    'We're your drivers tonight.' Mike reached out to take her arm. 'Andrea asked both of us to escort you.'

    'That's nice,' Hannah said, making a mental note to have a long talk with her sister. If Andrea had hoped to promote jealousy between the two, it had backfired. Both Norman and Mike looked as happy as clams.

    Mike held the bakery box while Norman helped Hannah into her coat. Then Mike locked the door behind them and both men escorted her down the stairs.

    'Look! It's snowing!' Hannah lifted her face to the night sky as a few gentle flakes started to fall. They swirled lazily under the old-fashioned streetlights the builder had installed in the condo complex and fell to the walkway, keeping their form for a moment or two and then melting.

    'Do you want to go back for your boots?' Norman asked. 'There could be snow on the ground before the party's over.'

    'Not really,' Hannah said, glancing down at her shoes. Even if she'd owned a pair of dress boots, they wouldn't have looked good with her dress.

    'She doesn't need boots,' Mike declared, motioning to Norman. 'Excuse us for a second, Hannah. We have to work out some logistics.'

    Hannah stared after Mike in some confusion as he pulled Norman a few feet away and spoke to him in a low voice. But the night was too beautiful to spend staring at two men discussing something or other, and she watched the snowflakes instead.

    Even though there had been the predictable uproar at Ted Koester's arrest, things had calmed down quite rapidly. Beatrice was cleared of any wrongdoing regarding the chop shop and stolen car ring, and one of her grown sons was coming back home to help her run the salvage yard. She'd told Hannah that she'd suspected something was wrong, but she'd never dreamed that her husband had killed Sheriff Grant.

    The jury was still out on Winthrop Harrington the Second. Norman was attempting to check several British databanks, but so far he'd learned nothing. Unfortunately, Winthrop was out of town and wouldn't be attending Bill's victory party. Hannah figured that she'd meet him eventually and then she'd make up her own mind.

    Now that Barbara Donnelly had returned to work, Shawna Lee Quinn was back in the typing pool. That distance wasn't far enough to suit Andrea and she'd told Hannah that she planned to deal with that problem just as soon as little Billy was born and she was back on her feet.

    'Your chair awaits you,' Norman said, and Hannah whirled around to find both men standing behind her with crossed and clasped hands.

    'You're going to carry me?' Hannah asked, not quite believing it.

    'That's right.' Mike moved forward and so did Norman.

    'Sit down, Hannah. And put your arms around our shoulders. We'll carry you to the car.'

    Feeling just a bit like a damsel in distress and enjoying it immensely, Hannah took a seat on their crossed arms and steadied herself. And then her two escorts began to walk, carrying her down the path toward the waiting car in the first powdery snow of the winter.

    'Lovely,' Hannah breathed, not sure of the etiquette in such a situation, but loving every moment of it.

    Apple Orchard Bars

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

    1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)

    1/2 cup white sugar

    1 cup brown sugar firmly packed

    1/2 teaspoon baking soda

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    1/2 teaspoon baking powder

    2 teaspoons vanilla

    1 teaspoon cinnamon

    2 beaten eggs (you can beat them up with a fork)

    1/2 cup rolled oats (uncooked oatmeal)

    1 cup peeled chopped apple (I used 2 medium Gala apples)

    2 cups flaked coconut

    1 1/2 cups flour (not sifted)

    Melt butter, add the sugars, and stir. Add baking soda, salt, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon, and beaten eggs. Mix well. Then add chopped apple and 1 1/2 cups flaked coconut. (Reserve 1/2 cup for on top.)Add the flour and mix it all thoroughly.

    Grease a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan. Spoon the dough in and smooth it with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the 1/2 cup coconut you reserved evenly on top.

    Bake at 375 degrees F. for 25 to 30 minutes, or until slightly browned on top.

    Let cool and cut into bars like brownies.

    (Bill likes these with hot chocolate-he says it brings out the taste of the apples.)

    (Tracey's still trying to convince Andrea that they're health food and she should have them for breakfast.)