Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (Hannah Swensen #1)(114)

“I’ve got a theory about her home state,” Hannah told them. “My guess is, it’s not Minnesota. We watched the news last night right before she went to bed, and she wasn’t a bit jumpy.”

Norman gave a nod. “And she would have been jumpy if she was afraid her mother had reported her missing? And they might show her picture on television?”

“Exactly. Not only that; they did a sound bite from the governor’s last speech, and Candy asked me who he was.”

“Then she’s not from Minnesota. Where do you think she came from?” Andrea asked.

“Somewhere in the Midwest, probably no more than a day or two away from Lake Eden on the bus, or by hitchhiking. I could be wrong, but the night we found her, I noticed that her clothes were still clean and her sleeping bag looked almost new.”

“That all makes sense to me,” Andrea told them, finishing her coffee and sliding out of the booth. “I think your idea about the Midwest is right, especially since she doesn’t have an accent. I’ll try the Dakotas first and work my way around in a circle. Where will you be if I get a hit, Hannah?”

“I’m at the shop until six. We’re closing at five, but I want to mix up a double batch of Fudge-Aroons to take to Sally’s Christmas party on Friday night. You’re going aren’t you, Norman?”

“Yes. Will you save me a dance?”

“Absolutely,” Hannah said, hoping her smile wasn’t slipping. Norman was a great guy, but he wasn’t what anyone without steel-toed boots might call an accomplished dancer.

“How about Candy? Is she going?” Andrea wanted to know.

“Of course. I told her it was one of the biggest parties of the year and she’s all excited about it.”

“Does she have a dress?”

“Not yet, but I talked to Claire and I’m taking her over to Beau Monde tomorrow.”

“Don’t forget shoes. She can’t wear tennis shoes with a fancy party dress.”

“I won’t forget.” Hannah was grateful for the reminder, but she wasn’t about to let her sister know that she hadn’t even thought about shoes.

“So you’ll be home at…what? Six-thirty?”

“That’s about right.”

“Okay.” Andrea turned to go, but then she turned back. “What do you want me to say when I find Candy’s mother?”

Hannah thought about that for a moment, and she remembered what Mike had said. Some runaways had a very good reason for leaving home. “If the mother’s not too far away, see if you can get her to come here. Tell her that if I bring Candy back without resolving anything, she’ll just run away again. And the next time she could get into big trouble.”

“Okay, but what if she won’t come here?”

“Then I’ll go there, wherever it is.” Hannah felt the same surge of fierce protectiveness she experienced when she held small kittens and puppies. “Just make it clear that I’m not letting Candy out of my sight until I know she’s going to be okay.”





FUDGE-AROONS




Do not preheat oven—this dough must chill before baking.



1 cup chocolate chips (6-ounce package)

1 cup butter (2 sticks, ? pound)

? cup brown sugar

1 ? cups white (granulated) sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

? teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 beaten eggs (just whip them up with a fork)

3? cups flour (not sifted—pack it down when you measure it)



Put the cup of chocolate chips and the cup of butter in a 4-cup bowl and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth and let the mixture cool while you do the next step.



Combine the brown sugar and white sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla, salt, and baking soda. Mix in the two beaten eggs.



Check the chocolate chip and butter mixture. If it’s cool enough to touch, add it to the sugar mixture and stir thoroughly.



Add the flour in half-cup increments, stirring after each addition.



Cover your bowl and refrigerate it. This dough must chill for at least an hour. (Overnight is fine, too.)



The coconut (“aroon”) filling must also chill. Mix it up now.



COCONUT FILLING:

2 cups shredded coconut

1 cup white (granulated) sugar

1 cup flour (not sifted—pack it down when you measure it)

? stick cold butter (? cup, 1/8 pound)

2 beaten eggs



In a food processor with the steel blade, zoop up the coconut with the sugar and flour. Pulse it several times so that the coconut flakes are no longer than a quarter inch.



Cut the butter into four pieces and add them to your work bowl. Pulse again, until the mixture looks like coarse meal.



Crack the eggs into a small bowl or a cup and whisk them up with a fork. Add them to your work bowl and pulse until they’re incorporated into the mixture.



(If you don’t have a food processor, you don’t have to buy one to make this cookie—it’s just a little messier when the coconut flakes are longer. To make this cookie without a food processor, just add all of the ingredients except the butter to a small bowl and stir them up. Then melt the butter and mix it in.)