Murder At The Bed & Breakfast

by Dianne Harman

  “It was not only a big mistake, it was almost a fatal mistake. When this is over, we might have to have a little talk about telling each other the truth about things, like where one is going when one goes out.”

  “You’re right, Roger, you’re absolutely right. Matter of fact, I had that same conversation with Renee this morning. I get it.” She walked up the rest of the stairs and into the living room where Renee was sitting on the floor, shaking her head.

  “What happened? I don’t remember anything.”

  Liz filled her in on what had happened from the time Nancy hit her on the head with the butt of her pistol to now. There was a knock on the door. “Who is it?” Liz asked.

  “Deputy Sims. Seth told me to meet him here, and I see his car out in front of the house.”

  Liz walked over to the door and opened it. “Everyone’s downstairs, Deputy, and everything’s under control,” she said looking at the pistol in his hand. “The basement is through that door that’s hanging by its hinges.”

  “Renee, how do you feel?” Liz asked, walking back to where Renee was sitting on the floor.

  “My head is throbbing. I need to call Bob and tell him what’s happened.”

  “Don’t think that will be necessary. I believe that’s his car that just pulled up. He’s running up the sidewalk right now.” Liz walked over to the door and opened it as Bob ran in.

  “Oh, Renee. Are you all right? What happened?” he said, sitting down beside her and putting his arms around her.

  “Bob, it’s over.” She started sobbing. “I’m all right. Nancy was the one who murdered Laura. I’m so glad mom called you. I don’t know what would have happened if she hadn’t. No, that’s not true. I wouldn’t be here right now, nor would Liz. We’d be dead.”

  “Oh, sweetheart, I’m so sorry this happened.”

  “So am I, but it’s nothing you need to feel guilty about. It was a series of things that happened. Think about it. If Laura had opened that envelope instead of putting it in her coat pocket and forgetting about it, she’d still be alive. Plus, I wouldn’t have a lump the size of a golf ball on my head, and we wouldn’t have ruined Liz and Roger’s honeymoon.”

  There was another knock on the door and Liz walked over and answered it. The older man standing in the doorway said, “I’m Jeff Gruber. Is everything all right?”

  “Yes, it is now. Please come in.”

  He took one look at Renee and hurried over to her. “Renee, what happened? You know I’m a retired doctor, let me take a look at that lump on your head.”

  Jeff Gruber carefully felt it and assessed her vital signs as best he could without any medical equipment and said, “I think you’re going to be fine. It’s a nasty lump, but with the way your eyes are tracking I don’t think you even have a concussion. You’re lucky. What about Nancy?”

  Renee told him what had happened. “I can’t say I’m surprised,” Jeff said. “She was always odd, and lately, had been even odder. I’m sorry for Laura. When you have some time I’d like to hear everything that led up to it. Where is everyone?”

  “They’re down in the basement,” Renee said. “You might want to go down there and see where all the gold leaf went that she had delivered. I guess it’s quite a sight to see.”

  “Renee, I’ll be back in a minute, but I want to see this, too,” Bob said and followed Jeff down the stairs.

  A few minutes later, everyone came back up the stairs, Nancy in handcuffs with Deputy Sims walking behind her, his gun aimed at her back. Seth spoke, “Put her in the back of yer’ squad car and take her to the slammer. Ya’ got the wire screen in the car fer protection, and with her in handcuffs don’t think ya’ got a problem. I want to spend a minute with these fine folks. See ya’ in a few.”

  He turned to Roger and the rest of the group. “Glad I was able to get here so fast and make sure all of ya’ was safe. I can see that ya’ are. Ya’ never have to worry with me around as police chief. Liz, Roger, probably oughta get a statement from ya’ when you have time. “You too,” he said, nodding towards Renee. “Man, weren’t that room the dangedest thing ya’ ever seen? Kinda kinky, know what I mean? There’s a lot I could do in that there room,” he said smirking as he walked out the door.

  Liz and Roger looked at each other and simply shook their heads. The others had a look of bewilderment on their faces as they tried to digest what Seth had just said. “Roger,” Bob said, “am I missing something here? I thought you and Liz were the heroes. To hear that guy talk, he was.”

  “Bob, let’s leave it that Seth is quite a complicated character. I think it’s time you get Renee home. Obviously, she can’t drive. We’ll bring her car over tomorrow. Think Liz needs to get home as well. It’s been a traumatic morning for all of us. Jeff, thank you. If you hadn’t looked in that basement window, I would have lost precious time trying to figure out where Liz and Nancy were. Since this is the scene of a crime, I imagine at some point Seth will remember to cordon it off with yellow tape, so don’t be surprised when someone shows up and does that. Okay, let’s go.”

  They walked to their cars and waved to Jeff as they drove away. On the way back to the lodge, it was very apparent Winston knew exactly how much danger Liz had been in. He never stopped wagging his tail and covering Liz with wet sloppy dog kisses.

  CHAPTER 32

  “Roger, we have a couple of days left before both of us have to get back to work,” Liz said laughing. “Whoops! Maybe I should have said before we get back to work at our regular jobs. What we’ve gone through with Bob and Renee could definitely be considered work.”

  “You were so tired last night I didn’t want to bother you, but I did hear from Jim. By the way, so much has happened, I almost forgot to tell you again how great that coq-au-vin was night before last. I know you’ve told me that cooking is therapy for you, so if you want to make it again in the next few days, that will be fine with me. We could both probably use a little comfort food.”

  “Thanks, and of course I’ll make it again if you liked it that much. So, what did Jim say about Nick’s arrest, although we can rule him out as the killer given Nancy’s confession.”

  “He was arrested the morning of the murder, the morning of our wedding day. Kind of sad. Jim said the report from Serenity Center was very favorable, and the probation officer assigned to his case by the judge is hoping that instead of a prison sentence for being involved in a drug bust, maybe he could go back to Serenity. I told him about Laura, and he was going to personally tell Nick, probably as a favor to you for the case you helped him solve. Who knows? Maybe now that Nick doesn’t have Laura as a reason to get clean, he’ll do it for himself, which is really the only reason anyone should do it.”

  “I feel sorry for him. Any chance for a reconciliation is off the table, because there’s no one to reconcile with. I don’t know much about him, but I hope he has a family or some network that can give him support. He’s going to need it. Next time you talk to Jim, ask him if he’d let us know if Nick is going to go back to Serenity. If he is, I’ll call Mike and see if there’s anything I can do.”

  “Rather you didn’t, Liz. Think you’ve done your bit for that family. Nick will have to do this on his own. Matter of fact, I’m going to overrule that one.”

  “All right. I know you’ve been concerned about my safety. What about the Dear Reverend? He gets off completely, right? Actually, I guess there’s nothing he can be charged with other than secretly drinking vodka out of a coffee cup and being hypocritical.”

  “Sweetheart, if being hypocritical was a crime, there would be so many people guilty of it the government would have to convert every inch of commercial property in the United States into prisons. In other words, if saying one thing and meaning another is hypocritical, some of us might not be any better than Reverend Jacobs,” he said scowling at her.

  “All right, all right. I get your message. I assume you mean that I was being hypocritical when I said I’d have Winston with me at all times, and then I
didn’t take him with me when I knew I was going to Nancy’s. I suppose that’s what you’re getting at.”

  “Hypocritical, lying. Kind of one and the same thing in my mind. Neither one is a very good personality trait to have when you’re beginning a marriage which is based on love and trust.”

  “No wonder you’re such a good lawyer. You do have a way with words. Okay. Message received. One last thing. We can also scratch Candy and Mitch off the suspect list. Poor guy. I wonder if he’ll ever get over Renee and recover from his depression.”

  “I have no idea, but we need to take Renee’s car back to her today and go down to the station and give Seth a statement, but first I have a great idea. I never got a chance to carry you over the threshold of our bedroom. I’d kind of like to do that, being somewhat old-fashioned and all. Think I remember hearing it’s considered to be good luck for a long marriage.”

  “Roger, why do I have a feeling you have an ulterior motive for doing that? I will tell you if you drop me, I will never forgive you.”

  “Well, my love, there’s more than one way to skin a cat, so they say,” he said lifting her up and throwing her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. He winked at Winston as he walked down the hall with Liz over his shoulder who was laughing hysterically and yelling, “Roger, put me down.”

  Winston sighed and closed his eyes.

  Recipes!

  There's a surprise following the recipes.

  CASSOULET (CLASSIC FRENCH CASSEROLE DISH WITH BEANS, PORK CHOPS AND SAUSAGE)

  Ingredients:

  4 bone-in chicken thighs

  1 tbsp. seasoning salt blend of choice

  6 tbsp. olive oil, divided

  2 boneless center-cut pork chops, cut into 8 pieces

  6 oz. bacon

  1 ½ medium onions, chopped

  2 garlic cloves, peeled and diced

  ¾ cup chicken broth

  1 ½ tbsp. tomato paste

  Bouquet garni – bay leaf, celery stalk cut in two pieces, sprig of thyme (tie in a bundle)

  ¼ tsp. ground black pepper

  ½ tsp. pepper

  15 oz. can great northern beans, drained

  15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained

  ½ lb. Polish sausage, cut in ½ inch diagonal pieces

  6 tbsp. minced fresh parsley plus 2 tsp. minced fresh thyme

  ½ cup of white wine or chicken broth, as needed

  Directions:

  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix parsley and thyme. Place 4 tablespoons of mixture in a dish with the rest in another dish. Season chicken thighs with seasoning salt on both sides. Place in a single layer in baking dish and bake for 45 minutes.

  Put olive oil in deep ovenproof casserole. Add bacon and pork chops. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Turn once.

  In a large skillet, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Stir in broth, tomato paste, bouquet garni, salt, and pepper. Simmer, covered, for 2 minutes. Stir in beans and 4 tablespoons fresh herb mixture.

  Remove chops and bacon from casserole, draining any excess oil. Pour half the bean mixture into casserole. Add bacon, chops, chicken thighs and sausage. Top with remaining bean mixture. If mixture seems too dry, you can add a little white wine or chicken broth.

  Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes. Remove and discard bouquet garni. Garnish with remaining fresh herb mixture. Enjoy!

  STRAWBERRY ALMOND FLOUR CAKE

  Ingredients:

  4 eggs, putting yolks and whites in separate bowls

  ½ cup sugar, divided

  2 tbsp. sugar (for cake pan)

  1 tsp. vanilla extract

  1 ½ cups almond flour

  1 tsp. baking powder

  ¼ tsp. salt

  2 cups sliced strawberries

  Optional: ice cream, chocolate sauce

  Directions:

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put a mixing bowl and electric mixer beaters in the freezer. Lightly grease an 8 inch round pan. Sprinkle 2 tbsp. sugar into the bottom and lower sides of the pan.

  In a large mixing bowl whisk together the 4 egg yolks, ¼ cup sugar and vanilla.

  In a separate bowl whisk together the almond flour, baking powder, and salt.

  Remove the bowl and beaters from the freezer and put the egg whites in it. Beat the egg whites using an electric mixer. When they form soft peaks, add remaining ¼ cup sugar and incorporate into the egg whites.

  Add the flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture. Add the egg whites (about ½ cup at a time) to the mixture. Pour the cake batter into the sugar coated cake pan and bake on center rack for 30 – 35 minutes. Remove from oven let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen the sides and turn the cake out onto a serving plate. Top with sliced strawberries in a circular pattern or one of your choosing. Might want a little ice cream or chocolate sauce with it. Enjoy!

  COQ AU VIN (CHICKEN BRAISED IN RED WINE)

  Ingredients:

  One 4-5 lb. roasting chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces (I usually substitute 8 chicken thighs)

  8 oz. bacon

  1 tsp. kosher salt

  1 tsp. fresh ground pepper

  1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped

  2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

  2 large celery ribs, trimmed and chopped

  1 leek, white and light green parts only, diced

  3 tbsp. tomato paste

  8 garlic cloves, peeled and diced

  1/3 cup flour

  1 bottle (750 ml) full bodied red wine, such as burgundy

  2 – 3 cups chicken stock

  2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

  1 bay leaf

  2 tsp. cracked black peppercorns (I put them in a baggie and use a hammer)

  18 pearl onion (I use frozen)

  2 tbsp. unsalted butter

  1 tbsp. vegetable oil

  1 lb. crimini or white mushroom, bottom of stems sliced off & quartered

  3 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves or parsley for garnish

  Directions:

  Place bacon in a Dutch oven type pan and fry over moderate heat until crisp and fat has rendered, 8 – 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel lined plate. Season the chicken pieces on all sides with salt and pepper. Place chicken in pan and brown on all sides. Transfer chicken to baking sheet.

  Add onions, carrots, celery, and leek to Dutch oven and cook until vegetables are browned, about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and garlic and cook for 1 – 2 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the vegetable mixture and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

  Add wine to the Dutch oven and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits. Cook 5 minutes. Put chicken and bacon in a slow cooker or crock pot. Add vegetable wine mixture and enough chicken stock to cover the chicken. Add thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns stirring to combine. Cover the mixture and cook on medium for 4 – 5 hours. 1 hour before serving add the mushrooms and onions. Turn to low, if cooking a little too fast. Garnish with thyme leaves. If your slow cooker or crock pot won’t hold all of it, divide in half and freeze for another time. Enjoy!

  BISCUITS AND SAUSAGE GRAVY

  Ingredients:

  1 lb. pkg. Mild Jimmy Dean Sausage (comes in a refrigerated plastic roll)

  1 refrigerated roll ready to cook Hungry Man biscuits or similar brand

  2 tbsp. ground sage

  1 pint heavy cream

  2 tbsp. Wondra flour

  Salt and pepper to taste

  Directions:

  Open the roll of sausage and with your fingers tear out small individual bite size pieces and place them in a 12” frying pan or electric skillet until the bottom of the pan is covered. OK to pack pieces in tight. Shake ground sage evenly over the sausage pieces. Turn heat to medium high and fry sausage, turning the individual pieces with tongs so all sides are evenly browned and cooked thoroughly.

  If some pieces seem too large, use a pair of sciss
ors to cut large pieces in half as they cook in the pan. When sausage is cooked, slide it to the side of the pan, turn down the heat to medium, and shake flour into the sausage grease and pan drippings, stirring to make a thin paste (1 min). Stir the sausage into the flour mixture so it covers the entire bottom of pan. Slowly add the cream (1/3 at a time). Stir constantly with a whisk or fork until a thick gravy is formed (approx. 3 minutes). If a thicker gravy is needed, add more flour, one teaspoon at a time until desired thickness of gravy is obtained. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to simmer.

  Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet and bake according to package directions. When baked, remove biscuits from oven, split in half, and place on a dinner plate. Spoon the sausage gravy over the biscuits, completely covering them. Two fried eggs is a nice accompaniment. Serves 4. Enjoy!

  EASY PEASY APPETIZER BITES (SEE NOTE)

  Ingredients:

  1 can refrigerated pizza dough

  4 slices bacon

  ½ cup grated mozzarella cheese

  1 tbsp. diced green chilies

  1 tbsp. sliced black olives

  1 egg

  1 tbsp. water

  Directions:

  Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with nonstick spray. Fry bacon over medium heat. Drain bacon pieces on paper towel lined plate. When cool, crumble. Make an egg wash by whisking the egg and water together in a small dish.

  Tear off pieces of pizza dough into 2 inch squares. (Dough is very pliable so feel free to pull it out to the desired size.) Put a little bacon, cheese, chilies, and olives in center of dough and pinch ends together to close. Place pinched side down on prepared cookie sheet. When cookie sheet is filled, put remaining dough in plastic bag and return to refrigerator for a later use. It will hold for several days. Lightly brush egg wash mixture over tops of bites. Bake 10 – 12 minutes and remove from oven. Let rest for 2 minutes and place on plate for guests. Enjoy!