Джоанна Флюк: Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder

Hannah reached for her purse, which was on one of the other kitchen chairs, and fumbled around inside for her cell phone. When she found it, she checked to see if any calls had come in, but before she could begin to punch in Andrea’s number, her cell phone rang.

“Hello?” Hannah answered.

“Hannah! I . . . I need you, Hannah!”

It was Andrea’s voice and Hannah began to frown. Her sister sounded panic-stricken. “What is it, Andrea?” she asked quickly.

“It’s . . . it’s . . . you have to come right away, Hannah!”

“Of course,” Hannah said, as soothingly as she could. “Where are you, Andrea?”

“I’m . . . here!”

“All right. Tell me where that is and I’ll come,” Hannah said as calmly as she could.

“I’m at City Hall! And he’s . . . he’s dead!”

“There’s a dead person in City Hall?”

“Yes! I’m sure he’s dead, but . . . I didn’t want to touch him . . . you know?”

“Do you know who the dead person is?” Hannah asked her, thinking that it was probably a homeless person who’d come into the lobby of City Hall, trying to get warm.

“I . . . yes! Come quick, Hannah! I’m scared and I . . . I don’t know what to do!”

“Are you in the lobby, Andrea?”

“No,” Andrea wailed. “I’m in . . . his office! And he’s dead!”

A dreadful suspicion crossed Hannah’s mind and prompted her to ask her next question. “Are you in Mayor Bascomb’s office?”

“Yes!”

“And there’s a dead person there?”

“Yes!”

“Do you know who the dead person is?” Hannah held her breath, waiting for the answer.

“Yes! It’s Mayor Bascomb! And he’s dead!”

Hannah knew she’d gasped aloud and she hoped that Andrea hadn’t heard it. She had to maintain calm and get Andrea out of harm’s way. “Is there anyone there with you, Andrea?”

“No, just . . . just him!”

“Is he in the outer office?”

“No! His office.”

“Listen to me carefully, Andrea. I want you to walk to the door and go into the outer office. Do it right now and stay on the phone with me. And tell me when you get there. Can you do that?”

“I . . . I . . . okay.”

It seemed to take a long time, but at last Andrea spoke again. “I’m here, Hannah. What shall I do next?”

“Go out into the hall. Walk to the head of the stairs and sit down in one of the chairs against the wall. Will you do that for me, honey?”

“Yes!”

“Then do it now and tell me when you’re sitting in one of the chairs.”

Again, it seemed to take eons for Andrea to walk to the chairs, but at last her sister came back on the phone again. “I’m here. Thank you, Hannah. I just couldn’t seem to move before, but now it’s better. What do you want me to do now?”

“Just sit right there and don’t move a muscle. We’ll be right there. It’s going to take a couple of minutes, but we’re coming. I promise you that.”

“I . . . okay. Hurry, Hannah. I’m still scared!”

“Of course you are. Just close your eyes and we’ll be there in a minute or two.”

“Promise?”

“Cross my heart and hope to die.” Hannah used the phrase that their father had always used when he needed them to believe what he was about to tell them.

“I . . . okay. I have to hang up now. I can’t hold the phone anymore.”

There was a click and Hannah knew that Andrea had disconnected the call. She did the same and rushed into the dining room to tell everyone what had happened.

STROGANOFF LIGHT

This recipe is made in a 5-quart or 6-quart slow cooker.

Ingredients:

½ cup minced onion

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (or the equivalent)

2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted (one can is 10.5 ounces net weight)

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted (one can is 10.5 ounces net weight)

2 cans mushrooms, undrained (stems and pieces willdo just fine—mine were Signature, 4 ounces eachcan)

2 teaspoons finely minced or crushed garlic (I usedjarred garlic)

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream (I used Knudsen)

2 8-ounce packages brick cream cheese (I usedPhiladelphia in the silver package)

1 teaspoon vegetable or olive oil

2 chicken bouillon cubes

24-ounce package of wide egg noodles, cooked

1 Tablespoon salted butter

Salt and black pepper to taste

Spray the inside of a 5-quart slow cooker with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray.

Place the minced onions in the bottom of your prepared slow cooker crock.

Place the chicken breasts on top of the onions.

Open the 2 cans of condensed mushroom soup and the can of condensed cream of chicken soup.

Place the soups in a large bowl and stir them together.

Open the cans of mushrooms, but don’t drain them. Stir the mushrooms and liquid into the bowl with the soup.

Cover the chicken with the soup and mushroom mixture.

For the slow cooker: Cook on LOW for 5 hours.

Hannah’s 1stNote: If you work and won’t get home in 5 hours, it’s okay as long as the slow cooker is on LOW. This dish will hold for up to 9 hours on LOW.

One hour before you want to serve your Stroganoff Light, take out the chicken breasts and cool them for 10 minutes on a carving board. Then cut the chicken breasts into bite-size pieces.

Place the chicken pieces back in the slow cooker.

Add the crushed or minced garlic and the cup of sour cream.

Cut each brick of cream cheese into 8 pieces. Place the pieces in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave them on HIGH for 1 minute. Then let the bowl sit in the microwave for an additional minute.

Stir the pieces of cream cheese smooth and add them to the crock of your slow cooker.

Mix everything together and put the lid back on the crockpot. Then turn the slow cooker up to HIGH. Your Stroganoff Light will need to cook for another 30 minutes.

While you’re waiting for your main dish to finish cooking, find a pot large enough to hold the water for your package of noodles.

Hannah’s 2ndNote: If you read the directions on the noodle package, it will usually tell you how many quarts of water should be used to cook the noodles.

Place the required amount of water in the cooking pot.

Add a teaspoon of vegetable or olive oil to the pot.

Add 2 chicken bouillon cubes, center the pot on a stovetop burner, and turn the burner on HIGH heat.

Pour yourself a cup of coffee or a refreshing drink and sit somewhere where you can watch the pot to make sure it doesn’t boil over on the stove.

Once the water heats to the boil, stir the water again to mix up the chicken bouillon, and cook the noodles according to the package directions.

Hannah’s 3rdNote: You will have to watch the pot of water to make sure it doesn’t foam up from the noodles. I usually sit by the stovetop and stir it with a long spoon while the noodles cook.

Once the noodles have cooked, drain them in a colander or a large strainer, in the sink.

Dump out the water in your cooking pot, add a Tablespoon of salted butter and return the noodles to your cooking pot.

Cover the cooking pot and set it on a cold stovetop burner. Stir the noodles to coat them with the butter.