Key Lime Pie Murder. Joanne Fluke

that her sister was blushing slightly. There were big differences between the three Swensen sisters. Andrea knew she was beautiful and took compliments in stride, Michelle didn’t realize how gorgeous she was and was still slightly embarrassed when someone complimented her, and Hannah had looked into the mirror enough times to know that if someone said she was beautiful, they probably wanted something from her. Except for their differing hair colors, Andrea and Michelle had inherited the gene for beauty from Delores. All three of them were petite with lovely features and figures that would not be out of place in a string bikini. Hannah had inherited her looks from her father, who had been tall with curly red hair and the tendency to put on more than a few extra pounds around the middle.

      “What’s wrong with Moishe?” Michelle asked, bringing Hannah out of her musing.

      Hannah looked down at the cat and began to frown. Moishe’s fur was bristling, his ears were down flat, and he was making a little growling noise in his throat. “I don’t know. He’s never been like this before.”

      “Is he afraid of Dr. Bob?”

      “No. He doesn’t absolutely love coming here, but he’s always walked right in before.” Hannah gave a little tug on the leash. “Come on, Moishe. Let’s go.”

      But Moishe wasn’t going. He dug in his claws and refused to move, stopping dead at the threshold. No amount of coaxing or tugging would budge him, and Hannah was about to pick him up and carry him bodily into the building when Sue stopped her.

      “Wait a second, Hannah. I think I know what’s wrong. Moishe’s never come in the back way before. Walk him around the building and I’ll let you in the front.”

      “Okay, if you don’t mind. I hate to pick him up when he’s this rattled.”

      Michelle slipped inside with Sue. Hannah was amazed to see that the moment the door closed, Moishe’s fur smoothed down and his ears perked up. The low growl he’d been giving subsided as she walked him around the side of the building. Was it possible Sue was right? This was the way they’d entered in the past when he had a regular appointment, and he didn’t seem to mind it at all.

      “Here we are,” Hannah said, opening the front door the way she always did. And to her surprise, Moishe marched straight in and rubbed up against Sue’s ankles.

      “This is really strange,” Hannah said, puzzled at his behavior.

      Sue shook her head. “Not really. Pets are creatures of habit. They feel safe when their routine stays the same. Coming in the back way was a change in routine, and that made Moishe nervous.” She reached down to pet him, and Moishe started to purr. “Take him right in to examining room one, Hannah. Bob’s waiting for you.”

      Less than fifteen minutes later, Moishe was in the car with Michelle on their way back to the condo, and Hannah was driving to The Cookie Jar. She was somewhat reassured when Dr. Bob hadn’t found anything wrong in his physical examination. All that remained was the lab work.

      Since the patient didn’t speak English and Dr. Bob didn’t speak cat, Hannah had assumed the role of interpreter. Yes, Moishe was eating a bit of food, but much less than usual. And he’d been turning down treats that he loved like tuna, salmon, and fried chicken. No, she hadn’t seen any signs that his stomach was upset. Yes, he was drinking water. Yes, he was using his litter box. And no, she hadn’t switched his food. It was the same brand of kitty crunchies she’d always fed him. Her main concern was his odd behavior. He’d shown very little interest in looking out the windows before, but in the past two days he’d spent hours balancing on windowsills, staring fixedly out at nothing.

      Hannah pulled up in her parking space, right next to Lisa’s old car, and hurried to the back door. But before she could reach for the knob, Lisa opened it.

      “How’s Moishe?” she asked.

      “I don’t know yet. Dr. Bob examined him, and when he couldn’t find anything wrong he took a blood sample.”

      “When do you get the results?”

      “I’m supposed to call in at noon. He said he should have a fax from the lab by then.” Hannah stepped inside and hung her purse on one of the hooks by the back door. She glanced at the baker’s racks and gave a little groan when she saw that Lisa had baked all the cookies without her. “I’m sorry you got stuck with all the baking. I’ll come in early tomorrow and make it up to you.”

      “Don’t be silly. I know you’d do the baking alone if Herb got sick and I had to take him to the doctor.”

      Hannah was about to tell her that it wasn’t the same thing, but she reconsidered. Perhaps it was.

      “You look beat, Hannah. Sit down and I’ll get you a cup of coffee.”

      “Thanks,” Hannah said, sinking down on a stool at the work island. She’d polished off a whole pot of coffee with Michelle, but she’d only gotten four hours of sleep and she could use a little more caffeine.

      “Here you go.” Lisa placed a mug of coffee in front of her. “Do you know what Herb calls it?”

      “Coffee?”

      “No,” Lisa replied with a giggle. “I called it Swedish Plasma this morning, the way you always do, and he said we should call it Vitamin V.”

      Hannah sifted through the possibilities in record time, but she couldn’t think of an appropriate word beginning with the letter V. “Okay, I’ll bite. What does the V stand for?”

      “Vertical. Herb says it’s the only thing that gets him up on his feet in the morning.”

      WALNUT-DATE CHEWS

      Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

      1 cup melted butter (2 sticks, ½ pound)

      3 cups brown sugar (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)

      4 eggs, beaten (just stir them up in a glass with a fork until they’re a uniform color)

      1 teaspoon salt

      1 teaspoon baking soda

      1 Tablespoon (3 teaspoons) vanilla extract

      2 cups finely chopped walnuts (measure AFTER chopping)

      1 cup chopped dates^***

      4 cups flour (don’t sift—pack it down in the cup when you measure it)

      Melt the butter on HIGH in a microwave-safe container for 90 seconds, or in a small saucepan on the stove over low heat.

      Transfer the melted butter to a large mixing bowl and add the brown sugar. Mix it well and let it cool to slightly above room temperature, just enough so that it won’t cook the eggs when you add them!

      Mix in the beaten eggs. Stir until they’re thoroughly incorporated.

      Add the salt, baking soda, and vanilla. Mix it all up together.

      Mix in the walnuts and let the dough rest while you chop the dates.

      You can chop your dates by hand with a knife, but it’s a lot easier in a food processor or blender. Just pit them first (of course), cut each one into two or three pieces with a knife, put them into the bowl of your food processor or blender, and sprinkle a little flour (approximately ¼ cup) on top. The flour will keep them from “gumming up” when you process them.

      Measure one cup of chopped dates and add them to your mixing bowl. Stir them in thoroughly.

      Add the flour in one-cup increments, mixing after each addition. This dough will be fairly stiff.

      Form the dough into balls with your fingers. (Make them the size of a walnut with shell.) Place them on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet. (They will flatten a bit and spread out when they bake.)

      Bake at 350 degrees for 10