Part 25 (2/2)
”I've heard about your cookies,” Tim said. ”I've been meaning to get here, but I've been so busy, I haven't had a chance.”
”How about something with chocolate?” Mich.e.l.le suggested, and Hannah noticed that Tim's face lit up in a smile. Another chocoholic. She liked him already.
Hannah turned around to look at the contents of the baker's rack. ”I've got Triplet Chiplets.”
”Perfect!” Mich.e.l.le turned to Tim. ”You're really going to love these cookies. It'll give you another reason to celebrate.”
Hannah delivered the cookies and picked up Mich.e.l.le's cue. ”What are you celebrating, Tim?”
”My new job as a.s.sistant professor in the English department at Lake Eden Community College. I found out on the way here with Mich.e.l.le. Professor Sidwell called me on my cell phone to tell me that the selection committee had reconsidered and I got the job.”
”Good for you!” Hannah said.
”It's all because Professor Sidwell stuck up for me. You have no idea how depressed I was when he called me on Wednesday afternoon to tell me that I'd lost the job to Tiffany. What he didn't tell me was that he was going to pull Tiffany's academic records and reconvene the committee. I think he didn't want to get my hopes up.”
Mich.e.l.le turned to Hannah. ”Poor Tim was so upset after Professor Sidwell's call on Wednesday, he drove to Minneapolis to be with his fiancee. They had dinner with her parents that night and Tim stayed over until the next morning. I talked to Judy on the phone right after Tim called to give her the good news, and she was really excited. She told me that both of them had been really sad on Wednesday night because they thought they'd have to wait to get married.”
”I'm really happy everything worked out for you, Tim.” Hannah said, catching on to the fact that Mich.e.l.le had checked out Tim's alibi with Judy.
”Tim starts teaching fall session, and the wedding's set for the middle of August,” Mich.e.l.le told her. ”Professor Sidwell's sure he can find a job for Judy at the college.”
”Wonderful!” Hannah said, giving Tim a warm smile as she went to get him two more cookies. She'd known from the get-go he wasn't the killer. Anyone who finished two chocolate cookies in less than a minute couldn't possibly be capable of murder.
She was just crossing Tim's name off her suspect list when her sister barreled through the door separating the kitchen from the coffee shop. ”This is it!” she said. ”I'm finished!”
Hannah took one look at her usually immaculate sister and knew chocolate was in order. Andrea's eyes were wild, her hair was escaping the neat French knot she'd fas.h.i.+oned at the nape of her neck, and she'd chewed her lipstick half off. Since Andrea would never appear in public this way unless she were dying or a crisis was on the horizon, Hannah led her to a stool at the workstation, poured her a soothing cup of coffee, and set a whole plate of Brownies Plus within easy reach.
Andrea reached for a brownie and ate it. And then she reached for another. Hannah waited until her sister had eaten three of the chocolate-laden cookie bars before she asked her question. ”What's wrong, Andrea?”
”It's Tachyon. They're ruining my life!”
”They offered Bill an even better deal?” Hannah guessed.
”Yes! Those...those home wreckers! Those family breaker-uppers! Those...” Andrea stopped and gave a shuddering sigh. ”I just don't know what to do, Hannah. I can't fight this kind of thing.”
”What kind of thing?”
”What they offered Bill this time. They said that if I didn't want to move, they'd fly him back home every other weekend so he could spend time with us. They promised him first-cla.s.s tickets and a car service to drive him to and from the airports.”
”Oh boy, do they want him!” Hannah breathed.
”I know! I just don't know how he can resist something like this. It's really an incredible job offer.”
Hannah thought about it for a minute. ”You're right. It is an incredible offer. What is Bill going to do?”
”I don't know. He told them he'd give them his decision by Monday. I think he's going to take it, Hannah. I really do!”
”Without consulting you?”
”Of course not. He did consult me and I told him to do what he thought was best for all of us. What else could I say? He knows how I feel about moving.”
”You've done all you can,” Hannah said, reaching out to touch her sister's hand. ”But...”
”What?” Andrea asked, noticing Hannah's frown.
”I'm not sure, but...” Hannah stopped to think about it for another moment. ”There's something wrong. I'm sure of it. It's not that Bill isn't worth all these perks. It's just that...”
”What?” Andrea interrupted, leaning forward.
”It's just that no big company should offer that much for a single employee. Sure, Bill's qualified, but there must be other qualified people who'd jump at the opportunity. Did you or Bill think to check them out to see if the offers he's getting are legitimate?”
”No, but they've been calling him for over a week now. They must be serious.”
”Has Bill ever called them back?”
”I...I don't think so. I think they're always the ones to call him.” Andrea stopped and began to frown. ”What do you think is going on?”
”I'm not sure. The question I'd be asking is, Is Tachyon really calling Bill? And if the answer is no, I'd be asking, Who could be playing this kind of horrid joke on Bill, and why are they doing it?”
Andrea sat back and looked dazed. She was silent for several long moments. ”You could be right. We never thought of anything like that.”
”Have Bill call Tachyon and see if they've called him.”
”I'll run out to the station to see him right now!” Andrea exclaimed, jumping up from her stool. ”Have I ever told you what a great sister you are?”
Hannah smiled. ”Yes, but I never get tired of hearing it.”
WATERMELON COOKIES.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
1 package (.16-ounce) watermelon (or any other flavor) Kool-Aid powder (Don't get the kind with sugar or sugar subst.i.tute added.) 1 and 2/3 cup white (granulated) sugar 1 and cups softened b.u.t.ter (2 and sticks, 10 ounces) 2 large eggs, beaten (just whip them up in a gla.s.s with a fork) teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 3 cups all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it) cup white (granulated) sugar in a bowl Hannah's 1st Note: When Brandi makes these cookies, she rolls them out on a floured board and uses cookie cutters. Rolled cookies take more time than other types of cookies, so Lisa and I modified Brandi's recipe for use at The Cookie Jar.
Mix the watermelon Kool-Aid with the granulated sugar.
Add the softened b.u.t.ter and mix until it's nice and fluffy.
Add the eggs and mix well.
Mix in the salt and the baking soda. Make sure they're well incorporated.
Add the flour in half-cup increments, mixing after each addition.
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