Wedding Cake Murder

Book 19: Hannah Swensen Mystery

by Joanne Fluke

Genres: Female Sleuths

Synopsis

Everyone in Lake Eden, Minnesota, may have had their doubts, but at long last, Hannah Swensen is getting married!

Hannah is thrilled to be marrying Ross Barton, her college crush. And her excitement only grows when she learns he'll be able to join her on her trip to New York City for the Food Channel's dessert chef contest. They get a taste of the Big Apple before Hannah wins the Hometown Challenge and the producers bring all the contestants to Lake Eden to tape the remainder of the show.

It's nerve-wracking enough being judged by Alain Duquesne, a celebrity chef with a nasty reputation. But it's even more chilling to find him stabbed to death in the Lake Eden Inn's walk-in cooler - before he's even had a chance to taste Hannah's Butterscotch Sugar Cookies! Now Hannah has not only lost her advantage, she'll have to solve a mystery with more layers than a five-tiered wedding cake.

Release date: March 1, 2016

Publisher: Kensington Books

Print pages: 304

Sample

“No, it’s not the wedding I dreamed of, but it is the wedding I want!” Hannah Swensen’s hands shook slightly as she replaced her cup of coffee in the bone china saucer. She’d been so startled by Grandma Knudson’s question that a few drops had sloshed out of her cup and landed in its matching saucer. The matriarch of Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church was known for being outspoken, but Hannah hadn’t expected to be grilled about her upcoming nuptials when Grandma Knudson had called her at The Cookie Jar, Hannah’s coffee shop and bakery, and invited her to the parsonage for coffee.

“Everyone’s talking, you know,” Grandma Knudson confided, leaning forward in her chair. “No one can understand why they haven’t been invited to the wedding. I told them you preferred a small, intimate family affair, but they feel left out. And almost everyone from my Bible study group asked me if there was something wrong.”

“Wrong?” Hannah repeated, not certain what Grandma Knudson meant.

“Yes. People always think that there’s something wrong when a wedding takes place behind closed doors. Weddings aren’t supposed to be private. They’re supposed to be joyous celebrations.”

“I am joyous! I mean, joyful. And so is Ross. I just thought it might be easier for everyone if we didn’t have a big public display.”

“Because of Norman and Mike?”

“Well . . . yes. That’s part of the reason. This is rather sudden, and they haven’t had time to get used to the idea that Ross and I are getting married. I thought it would be . . .” Hannah paused, trying to think of another word, but only one came to mind. “I thought it would be easier for them this way,” she finished.

Grandma Knudson was silent as she stared at Hannah, and that made Hannah want to explain. “You know . . .” she continued. “If I’d invited everyone to a huge wedding and reception, it would be almost like . . . like . . .”

The older woman let her struggle for a moment, and then she gave a nod. “Like rubbing their noses in it?”

“Yes! I mean, not exactly. But some people might think that that’s what I was doing.”

“Perhaps,” Grandma Knudson conceded. “Tell me about Ross. Did he think that a small, private wedding was a good idea?”

“I . . . actually . . .” Hannah paused and took a deep breath. “Ross and I didn’t really talk about that. He just told me that anything I wanted to do about the wedding would be fine with him.”

“I see. Did you at least meet with Mike and Norman and talk to them about what you’d decided?”

“No. I wanted to spare their feelings. I thought it might be too painful for them to discuss it.”

“You mean you thought it might be too painful for you to discuss it, don’t you?” Grandma Knudson corrected her bluntly.

Hannah sighed heavily. She had to be truthful. “Perhaps you’re right,” she admitted, and made a move to pick up her cup and saucer rather than meet the older woman’s eyes. “I guess I really wasn’t thinking clearly, and I certainly didn’t think that a small wedding would cause all this fuss. I just wanted to get married before I had to leave for the Food Channel Dessert Chef Competition. I thought that Ross could go with me and it would be our honeymoon.”

“I see. And the competition is in three weeks?”

“That’s right.” Hannah managed to take a sip of her coffee and then she put it back down on the table again. Why was Grandma Knudson asking all these questions? There must be a reason. As Hannah sat there, trying to think of why Grandma Knudson was giving her the third degree, the light dawned. “Mother!” Hannah said with a sigh.

“What did you say?”

“I said Mother. She put you up to this, didn’t she? She wanted me to have a big wedding and I refused. So Mother came running to you to see if you could convince me to change my mind! Isn’t Mother the reason you invited me here for coffee?”

“She’s part of the reason. But the other part is that I wanted you to taste my lemon pie. It’s the easiest pie I’ve ever made. All you need is a lemon, sugar, butter, and eggs. You put everything in a blender, pour it into one of those fancy frozen piecrusts Florence carries down at the Red Owl, and bake it. But you haven’t even sampled it yet.”

Hannah looked down at the dessert plate resting next to her cup and saucer. Grandma Knudson’s pie did look delicious. “Is that crème fraiche on the top?”

“Yes. It’s your crème fraiche, the one you use on your strawberry shortcake. And if you don’t want to go to the bother of making that, you can use vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream. Taste it, Hannah. I want your opinion.”

Hannah picked up her fork and took a bite. And then she took another bite. “It’s delicious,” she said. “It has exactly the right amount of tartness to balance the sweetness.”

“I’m glad you like it, but let’s get back to Mike and Norman. You’re not getting off the hot seat so easily. Your mother’s very upset, you know. People have been stopping her on the street and asking when your wedding invitations will arrive.”

“Did she tell them that it was a small, private wedding?”

Grandma Knudson shook her head. “No. She was too embarrassed. You know as well as I do what people think when you get married so fast in a small, private ceremony.”

“They think I’m . . . ?” There was no way Hannah could finish her question. She was too shocked.

“Of course they think that. It’s usually the case, especially with a first marriage like yours. There’s even a betting pool that Hal McDermott set up down at the café for the date the baby will be born.”

Hannah’s mouth dropped open and she shut it quickly. And then she gave a rueful laugh. “What happens to the betting pool if there’s no baby? Because there isn’t!”

“Good question. My guess is that Hal gets to keep the proceeds, and that’s not right. I think I’ll have Bob and Claire go down there and convince him to give all that money to the local charities. That would serve people right for betting on something like that!”

“Do you think Hal will agree to give the money to charity?”

“He’ll have to. Betting pools are illegal in Winnetka County, and Hal knows it. So is playing poker for money behind that curtain of his in the back room of the café. He’ll knuckle under. You don’t have to worry about that. And if he doesn’t, Bob will give a rousing sermon about gambling the next time Rose drags Hal to church.”

Hannah couldn’t help it. She laughed. Grandma Knudson always got what she wanted, and this would be no exception.

“That’s better,” Grandma Knudson commented. “It’s good to hear you laugh. Now what are you going to do about Mike and Norman?”

“What do you think I should do? Invite them to be Ross’s groomsmen at a huge church wedding?”

“I think that’s exactly what you should do! Give Mike and Norman a chance to step up to the plate. As it stands right now, everyone’s buzzing about the fact that their hearts are broken. If both of them are in the wedding party, it’ll put all those wagging tongues to rest. Believe you me, they’ll jump at the chance to do that!”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive.” Grandma Knudson locked eyes with Hannah. “Neither one of those men enjoys being the butt of gossip, and both of them like Ross. Of course they’re disappointed that you didn’t choose one of them, but they’ll do the right thing if you ask them.”

Hannah thought about that for a moment. Norman and Mike did like Ross. The three men were friends. And she knew that Ross liked Mike and Norman. If she’d said she wanted a big wedding and asked Ross to choose two men to be groomsmen, he would probably have chosen Mike and Norman.

“Well?”

Grandma Knudson was waiting for an answer, and Hannah hedged a little. “You may be right, but I’ll have to ask Ross what he thinks of the idea.”

“I did that this morning. I called Ross at work and he said it was fine with him if that was what you wanted. And Mike and Norman are definitely on board. I double-checked with them right afterwards. And both of them told me that they’ll accept if you ask them.”

“You called Mike and Norman, too?”

“Of course I did. I wanted to make sure this would work.”

Hannah gave a little groan. Railroaded. She’d been railroaded, but Grandma Knudson had a point she couldn’t ignore. If everyone in town was gossiping about her and Hal had even set up a betting pool, she had to do something to turn things around. And then she remembered what Grandma Knudson had said. “You said you double-checked with Mike and Norman this morning?”

“Yes.”

“If you double-checked, that means you or someone else had checked with them before this morning. Was that someone you?”

Grandma Knudson looked slightly flustered. “Actually . . . no.”

With a burst of lightning clarity, Hannah saw the whole picture. Her eyes narrowed and she faced the matriarch of the church squarely. “Mother checked with them before you did. Is that right?”

Grandma Knudson sighed. “Yes, but she didn’t want you to know that it was her idea.”

“That figures,” Hannah said with a sigh.

“Your mother is an expert when it comes to gossip,” Grandma Knudson attempted to explain, “but she was afraid you’d reject her plan out of hand if she was the one to suggest it. That’s why she asked me to talk to you about it. And I did. Your mother, Andrea, and Michelle are already working out the details of your wedding.”

“They’re planning my wedding without me?”

“Yes, but you know how long wedding plans take. Delores and the girls have everything organized, but nothing’s been firmed up yet. All they need is for you to give them the go-ahead.”

Hannah was silent. She wasn’t quite ready to cave in yet.

“Your mother said to tell you that she knows you’re busy at The Cookie Jar and you have to be in New York for the dessert competition very soon. She’s absolutely certain that everything will be ready so that you can get married, have a reception at the Lake Eden Inn, and leave for New York the next morning.”

“Mother can pull off a big wedding in less than three weeks?”

“Yes. And you don’t have to do any wedding planning. Your sisters and Delores are completely prepared to arrange everything.”

Again, Hannah was silent. She didn’t like the idea of turning everything over to her mother and sisters, but it seemed like the only reasonable option since she’d made such a mess of it on her own.

“Delores said to tell you that there are only two things you have to do,” Grandma Knudson spoke again. “The first thing is to choose your wedding dress. Your mother has already consulted with Claire at Beau Monde, and Claire has ordered more than a half-dozen gowns for your approval. When they come in, Claire will let you know so that you can run next door to try them on. All you have to do is choose the one you want to wear and Claire will do any alterations you might need.”

Hannah gave a slight smile. At least they were letting her choose her own wedding gown! And it was true that she didn’t have time to organize a big wedding. The nightmare of trying to arrange Delores’s wedding was still fresh in her mind. There was no way she wanted to get involved in a morass like that again, but she was the bride and it was a bit disconcerting not to be involved in any of the planning. “What’s the second thing they want me to do?” she asked.

“Show up at the church on time.”

Hannah’s sarcastic nature kicked in, and the question popped out of her mouth before she could exercise restraint. “Do they want me to show up with or without Ross?”

Grandma Knudson burst into laughter. “With Ross. Not even your mother could accomplish a wedding without a groom.” The older woman reached out to take Hannah’s hand. “Are you all right with this plan, Hannah? If you’re not, we can try to come up with something else that’ll work.”

Grandma Knudson was waiting for an answer and Hannah took a deep breath. “Yes, I’m all right with it as long as Ross and I can get married before the Food Channel competition. Do you think that’s possible?”

“Your mother assured me that it was.”

Hannah gave a reluctant nod. “All right then. I’ll do it, if you’ll do something for me.”

“What’s that?”

“I’d like a second piece of your lemon pie, and I’d also like to have the recipe. It’s the best non-meringue lemon pie I’ve ever tasted!”

Hannah breathed a deep sigh of relief as she hurried in the back door of The Cookie Jar and sat down on a stool at the stainless steel work island. She’d been manipulated by two master manipulators, but she couldn’t be angry with either one of them. If everything Grandma Knudson had told her was correct, she had to change her small, intimate wedding plans and endure a huge church wedding and a reception with all the bells and whistles. Delores, Andrea, and Michelle would plan an elaborate affair, but there was no other recourse. And thankfully, there was nothing for her to do except choose her wedding gown and show up for the ceremony.

One quick cup of coffee later and Hannah was on her feet, mixing up sugar cookie dough. She was just getting ready to mix in a cup of chopped pecans when Lisa Herman Beese-man, Hannah’s young partner, rushed through the swinging restaurant-style door that separated the coffee shop from the kitchen.

“There’s a phone call for you, Hannah,” Lisa announced breathlessly. “It’s somebody named Eric, and he said he was from the Food Channel. I think it’s about the Dessert Chef Competition.”

Hannah handed the wooden spoon to Lisa and gestured toward the bowl. “Will you stir in those pecans while I take the call? I’m making a variation of sugar cookies with maple flavoring and pecans.”

“Sure. No problem. Aunt Nancy and Michelle have got everything covered out in the coffee shop.”

Lisa began to stir, and Hannah headed for the phone on the kitchen wall. She flipped to a blank page in the shorthand notebook she kept on the counter, picked up a pen, and grabbed the receiver. “This is Hannah.”

“Hi, Hannah. It’s Eric Connelly from the Food Channel. We’re in a little time crunch here and we had to move the Dessert Chef Competition up a week and a half. Can you clear the decks back there and be here on October tenth instead of October twentieth?”

“Oh!” Hannah was so flustered, it took her a moment to think of something intelligent to say. “Yes. Of course I can.”

“Good. And I’m telling all four contestants that we’ve added a new wrinkle to the contest.”

He seemed to be waiting for her to respond, and Hannah gave a little nod she knew he couldn’t see. “What’s the new wrinkle? Or is that something we’ll find out when we get there?”

Eric laughed, a nice deep laugh that ended in a chuckle. “It’s no secret. We just thought it would be more interesting if we went off-location for most of the episodes. We’ll start here in our home studio, but the winner that night will have the hometown advantage from then on.”

“Hometown advantage?”

“Yes. If you win, the remainder of the contest moves to your hometown in Lake Eden, Minnesota.”

Hannah glanced at the one industrial oven she owned and began to frown. “But . . . my place is rather small. I don’t have room for four other chefs.”

“I know that. Your sister sent in a photo of your kitchen when she entered you in the competition. I took care of that, Hannah. I checked with your friend Sally Laughlin at the Lake Eden Inn, and she has enough room in her kitchen for four baking stations. That’s only if you win the hometown challenge, of course. The other four contestants all have large restaurants in their home cities, so it’s not a problem for them.”

The frown remained on Hannah’s face. “Doesn’t that put me at a disadvantage?”

“Not at all. The Lake Eden Inn can hold as many people as the other four restaurants. If you win, it won’t be a problem at all.”

“Oh . . . good.”

“We’re all set then? I can send you the travel arrangements and you’ll be here on the tenth?”

Hannah blinked twice, trying to clear her thoughts. “Yes. That’ll be fine with . . . oh, no!”

“What was the oh, no! for?”

“My wedding! It’s scheduled for Sunday, the eighteenth!”

“That’s not a problem. The contest will be over by then. And . . .” Eric paused for a moment. “This is just off the top of my head, but maybe we can find a way to incorporate part of your wedding into the Dessert Chef Competition.”

Hannah was genuinely puzzled. “How could you do that?”

“If you win the hometown challenge, we’ll be in Lake Eden. And we might just stick around to film it. You’re having a reception at a local place, aren’t you?”

“Yes. At the Lake Eden Inn.”

“Perfect! Let us think about that for a couple of days and see what we can come up with. This could really bump up the ratings. Everyone loves a wedding. And everyone will love you as a bride-to-be. You’ll definitely have the viewer vote. That much is for sure.”

“There’s a popular vote in addition to the judges’ decisions?”

“No, but that’s what keeps people watching. And that’s what we want . . . viewers.”

“Oh, yes. Of course you do. Ratings are everything . . . right?”

“Right.” Eric chuckled again. “All right, Hannah. It was nice talking to you. My secretary will get back to you in the next couple of days with the travel arrangements. I’ve got her working on it right now. You do know that you can bring an assistant chef with you for the competition, don’t you?”

“Yes. It was in the letter I received that told me I was a contestant. There was also a copy of the rules.”

“Do you know who your assistant will be?”

“Yes, I do. My assistant is Michelle Swensen. She’s my youngest sister.”

“Good. The audience enjoys getting to know our chefs’ family members. Your sister isn’t under eighteen, is she?”

“No, she turned twenty-one this past year.”

“Good. The reason I asked is because we have to make special provisions for anyone under the age of eighteen on the set.”

“I see,” Hannah said, even though she didn’t.

“Now that I think about it, your wedding will make a perfect ending to our competition. We were afraid we’d run short after one of the contestants dropped out for personal reasons. Is your sister one of the bridesmaids?”

“Yes, she is. And so is my other sister, Andrea.”

“Wonderful! It was too late to add another new contestant so the more bodies we can film, the better.”

Hannah winced slightly. Bodies obviously meant something different to Eric than it meant to her!

“Have you decided which desserts you’ll be baking for the competition?”

“No, not yet.”

“That’s all right. You have some time. As long as you give us a list of the ingredients you’ll need when you get to New York, it’ll be fine.”

Hannah came close to groaning out loud. She hadn’t done any preparation for the competition. “When do you need my list?”

“When you get off the plane in New York.”

“All right. I’ll have my list ready for you.”

“Good. That’s all then, Hannah. We’ll send your itinerary and your plane reservations in the next few days. We’re going to put you up at the Westin in the Theater District.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Hannah said, and she meant it. Michelle would be thrilled to be in New York’s Theater District.

“We’re all set then. Good luck in the competition, Hannah. I’m looking forward to meeting you and your sister.”

“I’m looking forward to meeting you, too. Thank you, Eric.”

Hannah said good-bye and hung up the phone. When she turned to face Lisa, there was a frown on her face. If she won the hometown challenge, they might show her wedding on television! Could Delores and her sisters get everything ready in time? And would the fact that the wedding might be televised throw Delores into a tizzy?

Lisa looked up from her stirring. When she saw Hannah’s expression, she looked concerned. “What’s the matter, Hannah?”

“It’s the Food Channel competition. They moved up the date. I have to be in New York by the tenth!”

“But how about the wedding?”

“They said the competition would be over by then and my wedding can go on as planned. And they’re thinking about televising it!”

“Oh boy! You’d better tell your mother right away! It may make a difference in what she plans.”

“You’re right.” Hannah took a moment to think about that. “Actually . . . this might not be a bad thing. I’m sure Mother and Andrea will do a great job. And they can consult with me by phone if there’s a problem when I’m in New York.”

“How about Michelle?”

“She’s going with me as my assistant, so she’s off the wedding team. I wonder if Mother and Andrea can handle it alone. They may have bitten off more than they can chew.”

“I doubt that. Your mother’s a force. She knows how to get things done.”

“That’s true.” Hannah thought of something else that Eric had told her and she sighed heavily. “Will you call your dad and Marge and ask them if they can handle the coffee shop for us while we have a meeting to plan what I’ll bake for the contest?”

“I’ll ask them right now. They’re here at a table in the back. Dad will be really pleased. He loves to help out up front and so does Marge.”

“Is your Aunt Nancy here today? I know she’s been helping you out in front.”

“She’s here. She says it’s a wonderful way to meet the people in Lake Eden, now that she’s moved here.”

“Good. I’ll need you, Michelle, and Aunt Nancy to come back here for the meeting. And I’ll text Mother and Andrea to come here right away. I have to decide which desserts to bake so that I can give the producer a list of the ingredients I’ll need.”

“Okay. I just filled the display cookie jars and made a fresh pot of coffee. That should hold them out front for at least an hour.”

“Thanks, Lisa.”

“You’re welcome. Do you want me to make some white chocolate cocoa for us? I’ve got a new recipe that uses cinnamon and white chocolate chips.”

“That sounds great. I have to talk to all of you, and we’ll meet right here around the work island.”

“Okay. But if this is about the baking contest, why do you need your mother and Andrea? Andrea doesn’t bake anything except whippersnapper cookies, and your mother doesn’t bake at all.”

“I know, but both of them have tasted everything we’ve ever baked in here. And if I don’t invite them, I’ll just have to explain everything all over again.”

“That makes sense. And you need Aunt Nancy because she’s such a good baker?”

“Exactly. Aunt Nancy has more recipes than anyone I know, and she may be able to suggest some desserts that haven’t even occurred to me. I have to come up with some real winning recipes before I leave for the competition, and there’s not that much time.”

“How many desserts do you need?”

“I need one super dessert for the hometown challenge. That’s on the fi. . .