Red Velvet Cupcake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #16)(72)

“What’s Snappy Turtle Pie?” Hannah asked when Sally had hung up the phone. She hoped it wasn’t real snapping turtle.

“You’ll see. I don’t want to spoil the surprise. Norman said you wanted to talk to me. Is it about Doctor Bev?”

“Yes. Mike sent down a diver and they recovered a thermos from her new car. Doc Knight’s testing the contents right now to see if they contain the tranquilizers that killed her. I really need to know if anyone here filled that thermos for her before she left yesterday morning.”

“Let me check with room service. And if no one delivered coffee to their suite, I’ll ask the busboys who were working at breakfast. It’s possible one of them filled the thermos.”

“Thanks, Sally. It’s important. I really need to know.”

“Because it could get you off the hook?”

Obviously, the Lake Eden gossip hotline was working. “You’re right, but only if the coffee in the thermos tests positive for tranquilizers.”

“Let me know as soon as you know. I’ve been worried about you. I’ll find out where that coffee came from. Was it black?”

“No. Doc Knight said she had coffee, cream, sweetener, and my cupcakes in her stomach.”

“There was sparkling water too. That’s all she had at lunch. I waited on them myself.”

“Did Norman look uncomfortable at lunch?”

“Like a sheep about to be shorn. He wanted out in the worst way possible, but you know Norman. He wasn’t about to make a scene that might hurt my lunch business.”

Hannah knew she was asking questions that had nothing to do with her investigation, but she couldn’t seem to stop. “How about Doctor Bev? Did she look happy to be with Norman?”

Sally threw up her hands. “Who could tell with her? All I know is that she kept trying to put her hand over his, and he kept pulling his hand away. I wasn’t close enough to hear their conversation, but it was clear that Norman wanted to be almost anywhere but here with her.” Sally paused and smiled. “That question wasn’t part of your investigation, was it?”

“No, it was personal,” Hannah admitted.

There was a knock on the door and Sally shouted for whoever it was to come in. The woman Hannah had seen on the phone in the kitchen entered the room with a tray.

“Here’s your coffee, Sally,” she said, setting the tray on the table. “And here’s the pie.”

“Just put the pie in front of Hannah,” Sally said, gesturing toward Hannah. “Thanks, Mary. Just leave the tray and I’ll carry it in the kitchen when we’re through.”

Hannah glanced down at the pie and began to smile. “It’s darling!” she said, noticing the cookie shaped like a turtle on top. “Where did you get those cookies?”

“We bake them here. It’s a recipe from Lisa’s Aunt Nancy and she gave it to me. Her aunt sent her three cookie recipes and she said this one was too labor intensive for The Cookie Jar, but it was so cute, she thought I’d like it. It’s not too labor intensive for us. Mary loves to fuss with garnishes and things and she really enjoys baking these.”

“You’re going to spoil my dinner,” Hannah said.

“No, I’m not. When your mother called in for the reservation she told me you hadn’t eaten for hours.”

“That’s true.” Hannah cut off the tip of the pie and popped it into her mouth. “Mmmmmm!”

Sally smiled. “It’s just like a turtle sundae in a chocolate cookie crust. Try the cookie.”

Hannah didn’t need a second invitation. She bit into the turtle cookie and smiled with enjoyment. “Tell Mary the cookies are absolutely perfect. This is going to be a huge hit, Sally.”

“I think so, too. And since the pie is an ice cream pie, it’s great for the summer.”

Hannah made short work of both pie and cookie. When she was finished, she laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Sally asked.

“I was just thinking of something my Great-Grandma Elsa used to say. It was, Life is risky. Eat dessert first!”
SNAPPY TURTLE PIE

1 chocolate cookie crumb pie shell (chocolate is

best, but shortbread or graham cracker will also

work just fine)

1 pint vanilla ice cream

4 ounces ( of a 6-ounce jar) caramel ice cream

topping (I used Smucker’s)

? cup salted pecan pieces

4 ounces ( of an 6-ounce jar) chocolate fudge ice

cream topping (I used Smucker’s)

1 small container frozen Cool Whip (original, not

low-fat, or real whipped cream)

Hannah’s Note: If you can’t find salted pecans, buy plain pecans. Measure out ? cup of pieces, heat them in the microwave or the oven until they’re hot and then toss them with 2 Tablespoons of melted, salted butter. Sprinkle on a ? teaspoon of salt, toss again, and you have salted pecan pieces.

Set your cookie crumb pie shell on the counter along with your ice cream carton. Let the ice cream soften for 5 to 10 minutes. You want it approximately the consistency of soft-serve.

Using a rubber spatula, spread out your ice cream in the bottom of the chocolate cookie crumb crust. Smooth the top with the spatula.

Working quickly, pour the caramel topping over the ice cream. You can drizzle it, pour it, whatever. Just try to get it as evenly distributed as you can.