Party Perils by Patti Benning (reading list txt) 📗

peanut oil bottle didn’t appear by magic, and Edward didn't pass away for no reason. I’ll keep my mouth shut about this if I happen to run into any of them.”

“That’s fine with me,” Hannah said. “I don’t know any of them very well anyway. With luck, the police will get to the bottom of this before we do. If whoever brought that peanut oil bottle to the dinner left a fingerprint on it, they basically signed their own arrest warrant.”

Chapter Nine

After Caroline dropped the empty bottle of peanut oil off at the police station, they settled into a holding pattern. Lacey had agreed to meet with them on the weekend, but until then, there wasn’t much they could do. Hannah focused on work and spent time with Ben, catching him up on everything that had been happening, but she was impatient. She wanted answers. She wanted to know which one of Caroline's friends was a killer.

Saturday afternoon, before their scheduled meeting with Lacey, Hannah was in the kitchen, preparing to make a batch of tomato bisque. They were going to begin serving it at the restaurant soon, and she was eager to perfect the recipe before it officially became a part of the menu. Half of this batch would go to Lacey. She wasn’t sure if soup was the best thing to bring her, but it was miles different from the soup they had eaten the night Edward had died, and besides, bisque was the perfect comfort food.

She started by making a roux with caramelized onions, celery, and butter. Once it was ready, she carefully added chicken stock and a bit of cream, keeping the heat low as she stirred. She spooned in the canned tomatoes that she and Caroline had stored together the summer before when they were on a canning kick, along with some tomato paste. While the soup simmered gently, she took out her spices and seasonings then pulled her brand-new immersion blender out of the drawer. They had one at the restaurant, and she had wanted one at home for a long time. She finally bit the bullet a few weeks ago when she’d spotted a sale online, but hadn’t used it yet.

It only took her a moment to get it working, and once she figured it out, she was able to puree the soup with ease. A taste test confirmed that it was well on its way to being delicious.

Then came the salt, pepper, basil, and a handful of other spices as the soup simmered away. Keeping the heat low was important – anything with cream in it had to be treated delicately. She kept an eye on it while she grated some Parmesan cheese, then came back to taste it. Perfect.

She moved the pot off of the burner, let it cool, and got a pair of plastic containers out, one for the grated Parmesan and the other for the soup. It was nearly time to leave; just as soon as the soup was cool enough to take with her. She wasn’t looking forward to the meeting with Lacey, though she knew it was necessary. Lacey wanted answers, and she and Caroline had promised to get her some. To do that, they had to put their heads together and make sure everyone had the same information – but Hannah was worried that once Lacey learned that one of the dinner guests was a killer, she might try to take matters into her own hands.

She deserves to know, Hannah thought. They couldn’t keep something like this from Lacey, regardless of how she would react.

She put her shoes on and made sure she had everything she needed in her purse, then checked the temperature of the soup again. It was cool enough, though just barely, to ladle into the container. She sealed the container securely, then poured the rest of the soup into a covered bowl to store in the fridge. It would end up being her dinner tonight or her lunch tomorrow. She was looking forward to it.

Carrying the Tupperware containers in one hand so she could use her keys with the other, she made her way out of the house and into the garage. It was time to figure out which one of Caroline's friends was a killer.

When Hannah arrived at Lacey’s house, she didn’t see Caroline's vehicle. She hesitated, then parked along the curb and got out, balancing the Tupperware in one hand while she locked her car with the other. The house looked empty and still, with the curtains drawn and the garage shut, but when she knocked on the door, Lacey opened it after just a few seconds.

“Just you? Come on in.” She stepped back, letting Hannah by.

“Caroline should be here soon,” Hannah replied as she entered the house. It was still filled to the brim with flowers, though some were beginning to droop. The house looked like it had been recently cleaned, so either Lacey was a comfort cleaner or one of her friends or family members had done it for her. They made their way to the kitchen, where Hannah put the soup down on the island.

“More food?” Lacey asked, sounding disapproving.

“This isn’t for you to freeze,” Hannah said, shrugging. “It’s tomato bisque. I just made it, it’s even still warm. The other container has freshly shredded Parmesan cheese. Tomato soup has always been a comfort food for me. I'm preparing the recipe to add to the restaurant’s menu, and I didn’t want it to go to waste.”

“Well… thanks,” Lacey said. She bit her lip. “When is Caroline getting here? She said you guys had something to tell me.”

“Soon,” Hannah promised. “I'm sure she's only a couple minutes –”

They both fell silent at the sound of car door shutting outside. Lacey left to go to the door and a moment later, Hannah heard Caroline’s voice.

The two of them returned to the kitchen. Caroline looked at the soup and sniffed appreciatively, then turned to Lacey with a serious look