“I can do that,” Liz said.
“Sure, you can. It will be easy. If anyone is watching us, they’ll think we were invited into the house. Okay, are you ready?” he asked as they got out of his car and started walking towards Maddie’s home.
“This has got to work,” Liz said, keeping pace with Sean’s longer strides, “because if it doesn’t, I really am afraid someone will do something to Cody, and I’ve started to think of him as a second son.”
A few moments later, they were on the front porch of Maddie’s home. Sean easily jimmied the lock on the front door and in less than thirty seconds they were inside the small one-story house. “I’m thinking she would put the tapes that she’d filled either in an office, if she has one, or in her bedroom. Why don’t you search the bedroom, and I’ll take the office?”
“Will do.”
Liz walked into what looked like an office. There was a bookcase, a desk, and a large easy chair with an ottoman in the room. She looked in the drawers of the desk, and the various compartments of it, but found nothing. She walked down the hall to the bedroom and asked, “Any luck, Sean?”
“No, but I found a lot of books and even some large envelopes containing different things that looked like they had something to do with voodoo. I even found instructions on how to use some of that stuff. This looks pretty suspicious to me. What about you?” he asked, “find anything?”
“The desk is clear. I just feel certain she must keep the tapes in one of these two rooms. Let me go back in there and look again.”
When she walked over to the bookcase in the office she saw a homemade box on one of the shelves. It looked like someone had made it in a woodworking class. It was oak and had the initials “MR” on it, Maddie’s initials.
Although Liz’s little voice had been silent for quite a while, it suddenly said, “You’ve found it. Open the box, Liz. Open the box.”
When Liz opened it, she found exactly what she’d hoped to find. Rows and rows of cassettes were arranged by date in the box. She found the one for the week Nicole was murdered and quickly removed it from the box. She’d brought a tape recorder with her, the one she often took to restaurants in case she wanted to remember the way some dish had been prepared or served, and she took it out of her purse.
“Sean, I found what I was looking for. Come in here and listen to it with me.” When he walked into the office, she showed him the cassette. The week’s date was neatly written in heavy black letters on it. She inserted it into her recorder and they both leaned forward to listen to it.
“Today, I did it. It was so easy. I’ve been planning this for so long. I thought it would be fitting that Nicole would know that someone was going to kill her because of the voodoo things I planted. The mailbox was a cinch, but the one I put in her desk at work was a little dicey. Miriam walked in just as I was closing the drawer. It was a close call, but I’m sure she didn’t suspect anything.”
“She did it, Sean. I just knew it had to be her!” Liz said with excitement in her voice.
“Hit play again. Let’s see what else she has to say.”
Liz pressed the play button. Neither one of them noticed that Winston had stepped between them and that the guard hairs on his back were standing up. They continued to listen.
“Killing her was easier than planting all the voodoo stuff. She was unlocking the door of her house, and I just walked up behind her, put the wire around her neck, and killed her. It was really easy, and it felt good.”
“Sounds like she was pretty sick,” Sean said.
Liz reversed the tape, and they heard something about Cody. Just then they heard a voice say, “Don’t move. I don’t have time to mess with any voodoo stuff on you two, but now since you know I killed Nicole, this gun in my hand will be just as effective.”
Liz recognized Maddie’s voice, and turned around, trying to ignore the pistol pointed at her chest. Her immediate thought was to keep Maddie talking. She knew that Sean carried a gun and so did she, plus Winston was there. Maybe they’d get lucky. “Maddie,” she said calmly. “What are you doing here? Why did you murder Nicole, and why were you terrorizing Cody?”
“I came home to get some fresh tapes. I didn’t have any more at the office. You’re so smart, I’d think you could figure out why I did it. I didn’t get the promotion to bank manager, no, they had to bring in that soft-spoken Southern belle from New Orleans. When I found out where she was from, it was only natural that something would happen to her that would be familiar to her, like voodoo.
“As for Cody,” she said her voice becoming dreamy, “I’ve loved him for a long, long time. He gave a talk once at the bank about investments, knowing we dealt with people who had substantial amount of disposable income. It was love at first sight. I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I found out everything I could about him.
“I was madly in love with him even when he was seeing Candace. I knew where he lived, where he worked out, what he ate. Everything. I never thought he and Nicole would become serious. I figured she’d just get fat again, and he’d lose interest, but she didn’t, and he didn’t. I couldn’t let her have him. After all, she got the job as manager, was I supposed to let her have him too? No…”
Maddie was cut off by the sound of a gunshot and then the gun she’d been holding in her hand came flying across the room. In one quick movement Sean ran over and picked it up, pointing it at Maddie.
Liz turned and looked at the person standing in the office doorway. It was Roger, with a smoking gun in his hand. He ran over to Liz, holding her, reassuring her that everything was all right. At the same time, he put his hand on Winston and said, “Winston, on guard.” He looked at Maddie and said, “If you’re having any thoughts about trying to run away before the police get here, forget them. Winston will take you to the ground instantly, and I can assure you it won’t be a pleasant experience.”
Roger pressed a number into his phone and when it was answered, said, “Seth, this is Roger Langley. I’ve caught Nicole Rogers’ murderer. I’m holding the killer at gunpoint. You need to get over here right away.”
“Oh man, Roger, I was jes’ finishin’ up some paperwork ‘bout all those speedin’ tickets I’ve been writin’ up. Ya’ know the council meets tonight ‘bout my raise, and it’s a pretty big deal to me.”
“Seth, let me put it this way,” Roger fumed. “If you aren’t here in ten minutes, I will be at the council meeting tonight speaking strongly against a raise for you and then I will begin a recall action against you, and I will run for the office of police chief myself. How does that sound?”
“Sheesh. Don’t need to get all testy ‘bout it, Roger. I’m on my way.”
“Thought you would be, Seth. Make it snappy but be careful. Be a shame if you had to give yourself a speeding ticket.”
Liz began to giggle.
EPILOGUE
“I told Gina we needed to take some downtime what with everything that’s happened in the last few days, so Gina is taking care of the dinner guests for tonight,” Liz said when Roger walked in the door. “Plus, I wanted to try a new dessert out, and since it’s a little strange, I didn’t think I should beta test it on the guests.”
“So, what does that make me, the resident guinea pig?” Roger asked with a laugh. “And just what is so strange about this dessert? I don’t recall you doing this before.”
“I haven’t. Could be the perk or the punishment of being the husband of a lodge and spa owner, but I think you’ll be okay with it. The thing is it’s an avocado and chocolate tart. I know you like avocados, but I have to admit I’ve never had one with chocolate. We’ll see. To another subject, I know you were going to meet with Matt today. Anything new on Maddie?”
“Avocado and chocolate? You’re kidding. I dunno, Liz, that could be really awful or super fantastic. And yes, I did meet with Matt. Maddie pleaded guilty to murdering Nicole, and she’ll be sentenced in about thirty days. The probation department will prepare a report and recommend a senten
ce to the judge.”
“Do the judges usually take their advice?” Liz asked.
“Usually, unless there are some really strange circumstances, but I don’t see any in this case.”
“What kind of a sentence do you think she’ll get?”
“Probably life imprisonment. Maybe she’ll spend it reading all those books she got on black magic, although in the end it didn’t seem to help her,” Roger said.
“Why do you say that? Nicole’s dead.”
“Think about it Liz. Nicole didn’t die from some spell or hex. She died because she was strangled to death by a wire wrapped around her neck.”
“That’s true,” Liz said, as she applied the chocolate ganache to the avocado tart. Her phone was on the kitchen counter and it started ringing. “Excuse me, Roger. It’s Cody. I called him earlier just to see how he was doing.”
“Thanks for returning my call, Cody. I was just calling to see how you are doing.”
“I’m doing fine,” Cody replied. “The stock market has been in a yoyo mode the last week, so I’ve been really busy trying to assure investors that it will straighten out, and there’s no reason for them to panic.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I understand Maddie entered a guilty plea and is up for sentencing pretty soon,” Liz said.
“I know. Matt and I have been talking, and he told me if I want to, I could speak at her sentencing about Nicole and the murder, but I’ve decided to put it behind me. I need to get on with my life.”
“Probably a good decision. I’ve watched those courtroom scenes where the victim’s family members speak out about the defendant’s sentence, and it always seems to be terribly emotional. If I was a friend or a relative of a victim, I don’t think I could go through something like that. Wonder if Maddie will try to use any hexes or spells to help get a lighter sentence. They sure didn’t seem to keep her from getting arrested.”
Cody was quiet for a few moments and then he said, “I don’t know. Maybe there is something to them.”
“Seriously, Cody? What are you talking about?”
“Well, I’ve seen Candace a couple of times. You may remember she bought the dolls and things to cast spells to get us back together. Who knows? Maybe it worked. Liz, I have to go, a new client just walked in. I know I’ve thanked you before, but again, I don’t know if I’d be talking to you now if you hadn’t figured out who murdered Nicole. And I’ll never forget that I was next on Maddie’s list.”
“Cody, I wish you and Candace well. It’s kind of a different romance story, but maybe some magic is involved. Keep in touch. I’d like to know how it turns out.”
“I will, Liz. And thank Roger and Winston for me. All of you saved my life, and I’ll never forget it. I hope I can repay you in some way, but let’s hope it doesn’t involve spells,” he said with a laugh as he ended the call.
*****
“Okay, Liz,” Roger said. “This is officially a perk. I can say with unreserved enthusiasm the chocolate avocado tart is a success. Matter of fact, I’m going to have a second piece. Murder makes me hungry.”
RECIPES
AVOCADO CHOCOLATE TART
Ingredients:
½ cup shelled unsalted roasted pistachios (I could only find salted ones, so I rinsed them with cold water, dried them off with a dish towel, and let them dry for about an hour)
6 oz. dark chocolate wafer cookies (I like the Famous brand.)
2 tsp. sugar
Kosher salt (You’ll only use a couple of pinches.)
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 medium soft, ripe avocados
8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
6 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. vanilla extract (Don’t use imitation.)
4 oz. dark chocolate (60-64% cacao)
½ cup whipping cream
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse pistachios in a food processor until finely ground. Reserve 1 tbsp. Add cookies, sugar, and salt to the nuts. Pulse until finely ground. Add butter and pulse until mixture is combined. Press into bottom and sides of 10-inch tart pan with removable rim. (I’ve also used a Springform pan.) Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Place on rack and let cool completely
Scoop the insides of the avocados into the food processor. Add cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Pulse until smooth. Spread filling onto the crust, filling it evenly. Chill while you make the ganache.
Put chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat cream in saucepan until bubbles form at the edges. Pour cream over chocolate and let stand 1 minute. Mix until smooth. Cool ganache for 5 minutes. Pour over avocado filling and spread to cover evenly. Sprinkle with reserved finely ground pistachios. Place in refrigerator. After two hours place plastic wrap on top. When ready to serve remove rim. Enjoy!
ROASTED TOMATOES WITH GARLIC
Ingredients:
4 cups grape tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place a piece of aluminum foil on baking sheet. Put the tomatoes and garlic in a mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss until evenly coated. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then spread onto prepared baking sheet. Bake the tomatoes in the oven until the skins pop and start to brown, about 15-20 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
PECAN PRALINE BITES
Ingredients:
2 tsp. vegetable oil
5 cups pecan halves
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. vanilla extract (Don’t use imitation. It makes a difference.)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with the oil. Place the pecans, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Toss to combine. In a separate bowl whisk the cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Pour the mixture over the pecans and sugar. Mix well and transfer to prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Remove from oven, stir, and allow to cool on a baking rack. The hardened pecan mixture will separate and break into small pieces when you put them on a plate or store them. Enjoy!
NOTE: Very simple. These are addictive!
STUFFED PORK LOIN
Ingredients:
6 slices bacon, roughly chopped
2 apples, peeled, stemmed, and finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced (I put a little salt on top. Makes chopping much easier.)
1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
¼ cup chopped pecans
4 lb. pork loin roast
2 tbsp. whole grain Dijon mustard
Freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain all but ½ tablespoon of fat from skillet. Add apples and shallots. Cook until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in rosemary and pecans. Season with salt and pepper.
Butterfly the pork loin: With a sharp knife, cut along length of pork loin without cutting all the way through. After cutting the pork loin, you should be able to open it and lay it flat, like an open book. Season pork generously with salt and pepper. Spread stuffing over the surface. Roll up the pork loin along with the stuffing, and secure tightly with kitchen twine. Rub with mustard.
Place in a roasting pan on a rack with fresh rosemary sprigs and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and cook for 45 minutes, basting with the pan juices every 15 minutes. Let roast rest 15 minutes and then snip off kitchen twine before slicing. Enjoy!
*****
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ABOUT DIANNE
I live in Huntington Beach, California, with my husband, Tom, a former California State Senator, and my boxer dog, Kelly. My passions are cooking, reading, and dogs, so whenever I have a little free time, I am either in the kitchen, playing with Kelly in the back yard, or curled up with the latest book I'm reading.
Her other books are available below:
Amazon: Blue Coyote Motel
Amazon: Coyote in Provence
Amazon: Cornered Coyote
Amazon: Coyote Series
Amazon: Kelly’s Koffee Shop
Amazon: Murder at Jade Cove
Amazon: White Cloud Retreat
Amazon: Marriage and Murder
Amazon: Murder in Cottage #6
Amazon: Murder in the Pearl District
Amazon: Murder and Brandy Boy
Amazon: Murder in Calico Gold
Amazon: The Death Card
Amazon: Murder at The Cooking School
Amazon: Murder & The Monkey Band
Amazon: Murder at The Bed & Breakfast
Amazon: Murder at The Secret Cave
Amazon: Murder in Cuba
Amazon: The Blue Butterfly
Amazon: Trouble at the Kennel
Amazon: Murdered by Words
Amazon: Murdered by Country Music
Amazon: Murder at the Big T Lodge
Amazon: Murdered in Argentina
Amazon: Murder on the East Coast
Amazon: Murder at the Clinic
Amazon: Murder at the Polo Club
Amazon: Alexis
Amazon: Trouble at the Animal Shelter
Amazon: Murder in Calistoga
Amazon: Murder on Bainbridge Island
Murdered by Superstition Page 12
