by Haley Harper
"There are still some things I don't understand," she said.
"And here I thought Miss Famous Mystery Writer had figured it all out. But, I'll humor you. I'll give you three questions." He smiled like he'd just bestowed a huge gift upon her.
"Okay," she replied, trying to sound appropriately grateful, and keep herself from rolling her eyes or rising to his bait. "My first question is simple, were you the one who broke into Karen's house?"
Calvin laughed. "No. My granddad did that himself. He knew that his grandmother found that stone fair and square. He wanted to be the one to bring the deed home. Besides, he had some...unfinished business to attend to.”
She shot him a weird look, but she wasn't going to waste a question on that statement. "Second question, did you plan to meet Karen in college? I mean, does your plan really go back that far?"
"You've got to be kidding me," Calvin scoffed. "It goes back farther than that. I've been groomed to triumph over the Martin/Day family from the time I was a young boy. My earliest memory of being told the story, and what was expected of me, was when I was about five. I only applied to Karen's college. My grandparents tracked her movements her whole life. It was agreed that she was the easiest target. The plan originally was to make her fall in love with me back then. To marry her, and get the deed that way. When that failed to materialize—since she would barely give me the time of day--we changed the trajectory. One thing you'll find about my family is that we are exceedingly patient people."
"This all sounds like a Hatfield and McCoy type feud," Shannon said.
"That's ridiculous," Calvin scoffed. "My family has only ever been concerned with getting back what is rightfully ours. Now, to get on with this--"
"Wait," Shannon said. "I get a third question."
"Alright, fine. A deal's a deal. Go ahead."
Shannon swallowed hard again. She knew that she needed to draw this moment out, to give herself more time to think of a plan. "My third question is this, does any of this have anything to do with Karen's grandfather? With his disappearance?"
Calvin shook his head and made a disappointed noise. "That’s all Karen’s ever been interested in isn’t it? She could really care less about the deed.”
"You can't blame her, can you?" Shannon ventured, trying to win him back to her side. "That's the mystery of her life."
"Crappy mystery if you ask me. The deed was far more intriguing, don't you think? Regardless. To answer your question, my granddad took care of what he needed to." Shannon wanted to ask another question. To interject, but Calvin continued, "Enough of this. Get out of the car and into the cabin, and nothing will happen to you."
She didn't believe him. With shaking hands, she opened the car door and stepped into the frosty mountain air. In that moment she realized that he hadn't gotten out of the car yet, and that this was her one chance. Town was down the mountain, so she took off running. Sprinting into the forest of pines, she heard him roar in anger behind her, and the crashing sound behind her told her he was in pursuit.
She'd written enough chase scenes to know exactly what she needed to do next. Zigzagging through the trees was the best way to throw off a pursuer. She also realized that he hadn't fired the gun yet, which gave her hope. To all the naysayers who had told her that writing had no practical application she would vehemently disagree. Nothing could have prepared her better for this scenario. It would make a great addition to her book if she managed to get out of this alive. And she had to. There were so many things left that she wanted to do, the first being that she wanted to tell Karen what she'd learned.
The cold air burned her lungs as she sucked in deep breath after deep breath. Even as her knees ached and her calf muscles tensed and screamed, she didn’t stop. The pine trees snagged her hair and her coat, but she kept running. If only there were somewhere she could stop, rest, hide, she would. Calvin was crashing through the undergrowth behind her. She could hear him yelling and thrashing around.
She realized that she had never known fear before now. Even when she wrote some of her most terrifying scenes, the ones that she dredged up from the recesses of her own mind, none of them compared to the terror that he inspired in her at this moment. If she made it out of this alive and unharmed, she knew what she could add to every book in the future to make it feel more real, to make it hard for her readers to sleep.
Nightmares shouldn’t come to life, and she was stronger than that. She repeated that to herself as she pumped her arms and sprinted through a clearing. She didn’t want him to spot her, and when she got into a dense clump of trees she breathed a slight sigh of relief and let her pace slow a bit. The thrumming of her heart in her chest made her feel like she might pass out. Nothing stopped her, though. She tried to keep her mother and Karen in the forefront of her thoughts. She knew they were worth fighting for.
Ten minutes of running later she found the road. Not hesitating, she hit the pavement and kept going. Her breath came in short gasps, and she had a stitch in her side, but she didn't stop. She could hear Calvin screaming obscenities at her, and then she heard the crack of the gun. She ran harder.
The squeal of tires caused her to spin around. Time slowed down as she watched Calvin emerge from the bushes and onto the road without so much as a glance to either side. She watched, frozen, as the car slid into Calvin, sending his body sailing through the air. He landed on the pavement with a sickening thud.
It was over as quickly as it had begun, and with that realization she allowed herself to sink to her knees, unable to stop the tears that began to flow.
Epilogue:
Shannon opened her eyes to the sound of her mother crying. Myra was sitting beside her bed with big tears rolling down both cheeks. Truth be told, she looked like she was on the verge of hysteria. Shannon wanted to say something but her head ached and her throat felt impossibly dry. A slant of light coming through the blinds was landing on her pillow just beside her head, and she scooted a bit away to avoid her eyes being burned with the brightness.
In between sobs, her mother realized she was awake, and with a wail of “Shannon-y bear,” launched herself at the bed. Shannon winced even under her mom’s slight frame. When Myra finished her hug, she began to cry again. The bedroom door opened and closed softly as Karen entered. Her eyes were full of tears, but she forced a smile to her face.
“Mom,” Shannon croaked, “could you get me some water?”
Myra nodded, still unable to speak, and she left the room quickly. Karen sat down on the edge of the bed.
“Oh, Shannon, I am so sorry,” Karen began, her voice breaking as the tears began to flow.
“Don’t,” Shannon said in a sand-papery voice. “Please don’t apologize.”
The two of them sat together with tears silently falling until Myra came back with the glass of water. She joined them on the bed, and soon enough the sobs were enough to make a strange chorus in the room. When they finished crying, they hugged some more, and when finally Shannon tried to sit up, her whole body screamed in protest. All of her muscles cramped, and all she wanted to do was take a scalding hot bath.
Her mother handed her the glass, and she drained it all in one gulp. The prickliness went away. She felt a little better. As she pushed herself farther up, the horror of the past twenty-four hours rushed back upon her, and she looked at Karen and Myra. She had used them as her motivation to keep going, and here they were supporting her still.
“What happened after?” she whispered.
Myra and Karen exchanged glances. “Calvin was arrested, if that’s what you mean,” Myra said with a sniffle.
Shannon looked at Karen hoping that her friend would continue. “It was all such an elaborate plan,” she said. “Like one of your books. Wait until you hear the whole thing.”
Karen leaned in until she was shoulder to shoulder with Shannon. “It turns out that Amos had been plotting to steal the deed for years, maybe his whole life. " That sounded right to Shannon's ears. Calvin had mentioned somethi
ng like that in the car, and her heart broke for her friend whose life had just been ripped apart just like hers.
Karen continued, "Amos was the ghost when we were kids, and now. He had a way of getting in the basement, and then he'd roam the house when everyone was asleep to look for the deed. He broke in when we were at Rushmore, too."
"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," Myra said, on the verge of tears again. "I had no idea he was serious about all of his nonsense. If I'd known..." She trailed off as she reached across to take Shannon's hand again.
"Mom, don't. It's okay. Both of you. I fell for Calvin all by myself. We were all duped." She meant what she said, but she couldn't help feeling stupid as she admitted her own mistake. How she had not seen through him was still a mystery to her.
"So, he enlisted Calvin. There was a whole plan to have him get to the deed through me." Karen paused as her voice shook slightly. "Amos also admitted that he killed my grandpa. Dumped his body in the mine's original entrance with a stick of dynamite."
Shannon wrapped her arms around her best friend. She held her while she cried. Karen kept mumbling about how sorry she was, and Shannon kept repeating that it wasn't her fault. When they'd calmed down again, Shannon asked, "So what has your family decided to do about the mine?"
"With all this coming to light? I think they've decided to let it go for the time being."
The three women got silent again, and then Myra broke in and said, "Well, this will make one hell of a book!"
The End!
FAVORITE RECIPES FROM THE MIDWEST
Granny’s Egg Bake
Preheat oven to 400⁰
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup butter, cubed
10 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
2 cups (16 ounces) cottage cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 pound bulk pork sausage, cooked and drained
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
Directions
Beat eggs, flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Set aside.
Lightly sauté mushrooms and green pepper in butter until soft.
Combine vegetables and egg mixture
Add remaining ingredients and stir pour into a greased 9x13 pan
Bake for 15 minutes at 400⁰
Turn oven down to 350⁰ and bake for 25-30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Fall Harvest Chicken
1 cup apple butter
3 tablespoons yellow mustard
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 medium onion, chopped
5 bone-in skin-on chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine first five ingredients in small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place chicken in sturdy plastic bag with half of the above mixture. Massage to coat chicken.
Refrigerate for one hour
Remove chicken from marinade and place on hot grill pan
Cook and baste with remaining half of marinade until cooked through about 25-35 minutes
Midwest Pork BBQ
2 -3 lbs boneless pork roast
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 medium onions quartered
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 3/4 cups apple juice
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 -3 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
10 hamburger rolls split and toasted
Combine salt, pepper and 2 teaspoons of paprika and rub all over roast
Brown meat on all sides in oil over medium heat
Remove roast from pan and place in large slow cooker
Top with onions, tomatoes with liquid, apple juice and garlic
Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 5 hours
BBQ Sauce
Stir together ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, remaining paprika and pepper
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until it starts to thicken
Remove from heat
To Serve
Remove roast from slow cooker and shred
Add bbq sauce to cooking liquid in slow cooker
Return shredded meat to the cooker and stir to cover with sauce
Return to high setting for 15 minutes
Serve on toasted, buttered rolls topped with cabbage slaw
Cabbage Slaw Dressing
1 cup white sugar
1 c white vinegar
1/3 cup salad oil
1 tsp salt
2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
Combine the ingredients in a sauce pan and gently simmer stirring often until fully combined. Cool before using. Shake well before using. Cabbage slaw makes a great topping for pulled pork on a bun.
Comforting Corn Chowder
3 large potatoes peeled and chopped
1 carrot chopped
1 small onion c hopped
1 stalk celery chopped
2 cups water
¼ cup butter or margarine
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese
1 can cream style corn
Directions
Place vegetables in water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until soft, about 10 minutes. Do not drain.
Melt butter in large pan on low. Stir in flour and cook for about two minutes.
Stir n milk
Bring to a gentle boil stirring continuously
Simmer for five minutes
Add cheese and stir until blended
Add corn and undrained vegetables
Simmer gently for 10 minutes until heated through
Kuchen
Official State Dessert of South Dakota
Crust
1 package dry yeast
1/8 cup warm water
2 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4-5 cups flour
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a stainless steel pan, scald the milk by bringing to a boil and then reducing heat. Add sugar, salt, eggs and vegetable oil into the milk. Add milk mixture into the bowl of yeast and water. Mix in 4-5 cups of flour. Let rise about one hour. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces. Roll each to about 1/4 inch thick and place in a greased pie pan so that the dough covers the bottom and comes about halfway up the side. Let dough rise in the pan for 15 minutes. Add a layer of thinly sliced apples, strawberries or other fruit if desired.
Filling:
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 cups cream
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons flour
On the stove, heat the milk and cream together. In a large bowl, mix the sugar, flour and eggs together. Add the milk and cream mixture to the sugar, flour and eggs and return it to the stove and cook until it thickens. Pour about 3/4 of a cup of the filling mixture into each crust.
Topping:
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup margarine
Mix the sugar, flour and margarine together so that it is somewhere between smooth and lumpy. Pour the topping on and bake it in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. After the Kuchen comes out of the oven, let it set for five minutes, then remove from the pan and let it cool.
Wonderful Wilted Salad<
br />
Tender dandelion leaves
Swiss chard
Spinach
Fresh Basil Leaves
Water
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Hard Parmesan Cheese
Romano Cheese
Chop dandelion leaves, Swiss chard and spinach. Toss together.
Steam in small amount of water and balsamic vinegar.
Sauté greens with leaves of fresh basil and small amount of olive oil.
Season with parmesan and Romano cheese.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Rhubarb Cake
1/2 cup shortening
11/2 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup sour milk or buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
2 cups rhubarb cut up
Cream the shortening and 1 cup of the brown sugar.
Add egg and mix until blended and creamy
Add milk, soda and flour, mix until blended.
Stir in rhubarb.
Pour batter into greased 9 x 13 baking pan
Top with remaining half cup of brown sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Bake at 350⁰ for 30 minutes
Grape Jelly Meatballs
10 ounces hot chili sauce
10 ounces grape jelly
1 pound ground beef
1 tsp garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
