that the new red food color gel didn’t stain her fingers the way the liquid food coloring did, they’d stocked it in the pantry of The Cookie Jar. Unfortunately, they’d gone through every tube they had making the cupcakes for the party last night. Hannah rummaged through her pantry and found a package of the liquid type she’d had for practically forever, and squirted three drops of red into the dough to color it.
As the color blended in to make a lovely pink, Hannah tossed the bottle of red food coloring into the trash. It was empty, but the other three colors in the package were practically full. Did anyone actually use up another color first?
“It’s done,” she told the cat, who was waiting to see if she’d spill anything interesting. “I suppose you want a treat for not jumping up on the counter.”
Moishe blinked once and then he let out a yowl. If there was one word he knew, it was treat .
“Okay then.” Hannah struggled for a moment, unlatching the childproof fastener on the cupboard door. All the cupboards had fasteners like that and she really ought to take them off. She’d spent most of a Sunday installing them right after the first time that Moishe had helped himself to his own kitty treats. Moishe had watched her install them and the moment she was through, he’d jumped up on the counter and promptly unfastened one.
She found the can of salmon-flavored, fish-shaped treats and tossed him one. “That’s it,” she said. “If you’re good, you can have another when I put the first cookie sheet into the oven.”
Hannah tossed one more salmon-flavored treat into Moishe’s bowl and watched him dive in after it. Then she turned back to her cookie dough. The first time they’d tried to bake Pink Lemonade Cookies at The Cookie Jar, they’d discovered that the dough was a bit sticky and they’d simply refrigerated it until the next morning. Now Hannah decided to try another trick she’d learned. She was using a two-teaspoon scooper to scoop up the dough and transfer it to her cookie sheet. She ran a glass of water, placed the scooper in the glass to wet it, shook off the water and then attempted to form the cookies that way. It worked like a charm. Every time the dough began to stick to the scooper, she dipped it in the water again. Once the cookies were in the oven, she sat down at the kitchen table with a fresh cup of coffee to think about Barbara again.
As far as Hannah knew, Barbara had no enemies. Everybody that Hannah knew liked Barbara. She was a popular employee at the sheriff’s station, the members of the St. Jude Ladies Society relied on her, and she was a well-liked member of several other Lake Eden clubs. Barbara was helpful, courteous, and sweet. Hannah had never heard her utter a cross word to anyone. She lived modestly in the house she’d inherited from her parents and Hannah was sure that if she asked around, Barbara’s neighbors would all say they liked her. Yet someone had a motive for pushing Barbara off the roof. Whoever it was had wanted to kill her. There had to be a reason and Hannah knew she had to discover what that reason was.
Hannah flipped the cover on the brand new shorthand notebook she’d taken out of the drawer and carried it to the table. She stared at the blank page for a full minute and then she took a pen from the container that sat in the center of the table and wrote down a single word followed by a question mark. Motive? it read.
TICKLED PINK LEMONADE COOKIES
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
Hannah’s 1st Note: This recipe is from Lisa’s Aunt Nancy. It’s a real favorite down at The Cookie Jar because the cookies are different, delicious, and very pretty.
½ cup salted, softened butter (1 stick, 4 ounces,
¼ pound) (do not substitute)
½ cup white (granulated) sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg, beaten
cup frozen pink or regular lemonade concentrate,
thawed
3 drops of liquid
As the color blended in to make a lovely pink, Hannah tossed the bottle of red food coloring into the trash. It was empty, but the other three colors in the package were practically full. Did anyone actually use up another color first?
“It’s done,” she told the cat, who was waiting to see if she’d spill anything interesting. “I suppose you want a treat for not jumping up on the counter.”
Moishe blinked once and then he let out a yowl. If there was one word he knew, it was treat .
“Okay then.” Hannah struggled for a moment, unlatching the childproof fastener on the cupboard door. All the cupboards had fasteners like that and she really ought to take them off. She’d spent most of a Sunday installing them right after the first time that Moishe had helped himself to his own kitty treats. Moishe had watched her install them and the moment she was through, he’d jumped up on the counter and promptly unfastened one.
She found the can of salmon-flavored, fish-shaped treats and tossed him one. “That’s it,” she said. “If you’re good, you can have another when I put the first cookie sheet into the oven.”
Hannah tossed one more salmon-flavored treat into Moishe’s bowl and watched him dive in after it. Then she turned back to her cookie dough. The first time they’d tried to bake Pink Lemonade Cookies at The Cookie Jar, they’d discovered that the dough was a bit sticky and they’d simply refrigerated it until the next morning. Now Hannah decided to try another trick she’d learned. She was using a two-teaspoon scooper to scoop up the dough and transfer it to her cookie sheet. She ran a glass of water, placed the scooper in the glass to wet it, shook off the water and then attempted to form the cookies that way. It worked like a charm. Every time the dough began to stick to the scooper, she dipped it in the water again. Once the cookies were in the oven, she sat down at the kitchen table with a fresh cup of coffee to think about Barbara again.
As far as Hannah knew, Barbara had no enemies. Everybody that Hannah knew liked Barbara. She was a popular employee at the sheriff’s station, the members of the St. Jude Ladies Society relied on her, and she was a well-liked member of several other Lake Eden clubs. Barbara was helpful, courteous, and sweet. Hannah had never heard her utter a cross word to anyone. She lived modestly in the house she’d inherited from her parents and Hannah was sure that if she asked around, Barbara’s neighbors would all say they liked her. Yet someone had a motive for pushing Barbara off the roof. Whoever it was had wanted to kill her. There had to be a reason and Hannah knew she had to discover what that reason was.
Hannah flipped the cover on the brand new shorthand notebook she’d taken out of the drawer and carried it to the table. She stared at the blank page for a full minute and then she took a pen from the container that sat in the center of the table and wrote down a single word followed by a question mark. Motive? it read.
TICKLED PINK LEMONADE COOKIES
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
Hannah’s 1st Note: This recipe is from Lisa’s Aunt Nancy. It’s a real favorite down at The Cookie Jar because the cookies are different, delicious, and very pretty.
½ cup salted, softened butter (1 stick, 4 ounces,
¼ pound) (do not substitute)
½ cup white (granulated) sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg, beaten
cup frozen pink or regular lemonade concentrate,
thawed
3 drops of liquid
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