by Jessica Beck
Then I looked around and saw Henry spreading gasoline on my sister’s front porch. As I tried to stand, I stumbled backward. My head was screaming with pain, and blood had dripped into my eyes while I’d been unconscious. Steadying myself, I picked up the piece of firewood I assumed Henry had clubbed me in the face with and started toward the porch, dying a little with each step. I felt as though I was about to throw up, but I fought the feeling. After this was over, if any of us lived through it, I’d have plenty of time to be sick. Right now, my twin needed me, and I was going to save her, even if I died in the process.
I was within six feet of him when I stepped on a twig I hadn’t seen before.
Henry whirled around, and I launched the log in my hand at his head.
Unfortunately, I missed.
Henry dropped the gasoline can, and I could smell it in the air as it spilled out onto the ground.
“I thought I already took care of you once,” Henry said with obvious distaste.
“No such luck,” I said as I looked around for something else to throw at him.
Annie screamed from inside, “Look out, Pat! He’s got a gun!”
At that point, it really didn’t matter. The only way I might get away from him was to run into the shadows of the woods around Annie’s place, but if I did that, I’d be sealing four death warrants, so even if I survived, I knew that I wouldn’t feel much like living any more.
Trying my best to ignore the pain and my difficulty in staying upright, I ran straight at Henry, bracing myself for the impact of the first bullet.
As I threw myself at him, I heard the window shatter, but by then, it was probably going to be too late.
At least someone else might be able to grab the gun after he killed me.
It would be something, anyway.
To my surprise, I didn’t feel any slugs ripping into my body. My hands wrapped around Henry’s neck, and I found myself on top of him, squeezing as hard as I could.
Someone pulled me off, but I couldn’t say who had done it.
I had been in some kind of altered state, and only Henry’s life would have appeased my lust for his death. I quickly came back to reality as Annie leaned over me and hugged me. “You saved us.”
“Did you get his gun?” I asked, barely able to breathe now for some reason.
“He didn’t have one. He was bluffing,” Marty said.
“Did I…did I kill him?” I asked hoarsely.
“No, but he’s unconscious,” Gretchen said. “His pulse is strong though, and he’s breathing just fine. He might have a little laryngitis after this, but that should be about it.”
“Good. That’s good,” I said as I heard a siren heading up Annie’s road, and that was the last thing I remembered as I felt myself sinking into a dark abyss.
“Where am I?” I asked as I opened my eyes. “Hospital,” I said, answering my own question as I felt my head wound. It had been cleaned up and bandaged, and the pain had eased quite a bit. “I feel better.”
“With what they’ve got you on, you shouldn’t be feeling anything at all,” Annie said from my bedside.
“How’s Henry? Is he awake?”
“Short of a raspy voice, he’s going to be fine. He’s suing you for assault, by the way,” Annie said with a grin.
“Of course he is. Did he have the treasure on him?”
“Some of it. The kids don’t think it was anywhere near what Blankenship’s journal promised, but Kathleen’s satisfied that the rest of it was uncovered long ago. All in all, Peggy estimated it to be worth around ten thousand dollars in gold and silver.”
“Bones died for that little?” I asked.
“A great deal of men and women have died for far less,” she said. “I called Jenna. She’ll be here in a few hours.”
“I didn’t mean for her to cut her trip short,” I said.
“I tried to tell her that you wouldn’t want her to do that, but she refused to listen to me.”
“Good girl,” I said, getting a little groggy from the medication, no doubt.
“Which one of us?” Annie asked me as I started to slip away again.
“Both,” I mumbled, and then I was gone again.
CHAPTER 25: ANNIE
“How is he?” Timothy asked me breathlessly as he rushed up to me outside my brother’s hospital room. They’d decided that Pat needed his rest, but that was as far as they’d been able to get me to move, and I wasn’t about to cede another inch.
“He’s going to be fine,” I said. “Thank goodness for that thick skull of his.”
“I always thought that was one of his finest qualities,” Timothy answered. “I’m so sorry, Annie.”
“About what?” I asked him, afraid to show any emotion for fear of breaking down completely.
“How about a blanket apology that covers everything since those kids started digging up my land?” he asked me.
“I can do that,” I said, feeling a smile blossom on my lips.
“Is it really going to be that easy?” he asked.
“What do you think?” I asked him with a grin.
“I believe that this is the first of many apologies I’ll be making in the near future,” he said as he leaned over and kissed me.
It was the best way I knew for him to guarantee my forgiveness, not that I wasn’t still planning on making him squirm a little before I let him off the hook entirely.
“I’m sorry that I wasn’t there for you,” Timothy said as he pulled another chair over beside mine. “To think that something almost happened to you while I was off pouting is just about more than I can take.”
“It didn’t, though,” I said. “I’m fine.”
“Thanks to Pat.”
“Hey, I didn’t just stand there waiting to be rescued,” I said.
“I know.”
“Do you want to know the truth? It was all my brother, every last bit of it. Even though he thought Henry had a gun, he still threw himself at the man like a lunatic. It was kind of heroic to watch, to be honest with you.”
“I’m not surprised.”
“Really? Because it shocked the daylights out of me,” I answered with a grin.
“You would have done the same thing for him, and you know it,” Timothy said.
“I hope so, but then again, I’d just as soon not get the chance.” Something had been nagging me for a while, but I’d never had a chance to mention it to Timothy. “By the way, I agree with the kids.”
“About what?”
“There’s a great deal more money to be found on your land if we just know where to look,” I said.
“How do you figure that?”
“Pat showed me a few pictures he took earlier at the old homestead, and I think I figured out where Jonas hid the bulk of his money.”
Timothy looked askance at me. “Annie, we don’t need to talk about this right now.”
“Why not? It’s going to be hours before Pat wakes up again.” I grabbed my brother’s phone, something I’d taken when he’d first been brought in, and I opened up the photos he’d taken. It took me a minute to get to the right one, and then I showed it to Timothy. “You should look for the real money there.”
“No way. You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Apparently old Jonas had a sense of humor, at least according to the kids,” I said with a smile. “If you take a few flashlights with you, you should be able to find out tonight.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said as he reached out and took my hand.
“I suppose it’s waited this long, so it can at least wait until morning.”
“It’s going to have to wait longer than that,” Timothy said. “When Pat gets discharged, the three of us will look together.”
“What if someone else gets there first?” I asked him.
“I can live with that. What I can’t live with is the thought that this stupid money almost came between us. If that’s the cost of finding it, I’d just as soon leave it exactly where it is
right now.”
And then he kissed me again, and suddenly, I forgot all about the money.
CHAPTER 26: PAT
“I feel like a ghoul doing this,” I said four days later. I’d been discharged by then, and when Timothy and Annie had explained their plans to me, I’d pushed it back a few more days until I could at least help with the digging, too.
“If I’m right,” Annie said, “we’re not desecrating anything.”
“But if you’re wrong?” I asked as the shovel bit into the red clay again.
“Then it’s going to be an unhappy surprise for the bones of Mr. Cash,” she said.
“I still can’t believe it was right under everyone’s noses the entire time,” I said as I lifted out another shovel full of dirt.
“Hey, it’s my turn,” Timothy said. “I want to dig some, too.”
“One more load,” I promised. “If Henry had gotten Jonas’s sense of humor when he’d first read that journal, he’d have known right where to look.”
“Let’s just hope that we’re right,” Timothy said.
“Does the money mean that much to you?” Annie asked him.
“I won’t turn it down if we find any, but the fact that we’re all here doing it together is all that I need to make me smile.”
I shoved the blade of the shovel a little deeper, and felt it contact something hard. “Guys, I might have something here.”
I dug a little more carefully, and soon enough, I had unearthed a small, coffin-shaped metal box. “What happened? Did he bury his pet squirrel here?” Annie asked me.
I handed the box to Timothy. “If he did, you’re about to get a big surprise.”
Timothy took the box, and then he hesitated a moment before he opened it. “If there’s anything in here, I want you two to have half of it.”
“What are we going to do with half of a squirrel skeleton?” Annie asked him.
“I’m talking about money,” Timothy said.
“Half is too much,” I said. “Right, Annie?”
“Of course it is,” she said. “How about ten percent?”
“Annie!”
“What? Don’t we at least deserve a finder’s fee, Pat?” she asked me.
“I don’t know about that,” I said.
“Let’s open the box and see if there’s anything even worth discussing first,” she said.
“I can live with that,” Timothy said. It took him a few moments, but he finally managed to pry off the lid.
There were several gold and silver coins inside, but most of it had once been paper money. Water had gotten into it over time, and it was all nearly rotted away.
“It’s not exactly a fortune,” I said.
“No, but it was cash indeed. Jonas didn’t lie,” Timothy said with a grin. “There’s still some real value here.”
“Enough to build that cabin you’ve been dreaming about, especially if you use all of it?” Annie asked him.
“What about your finder’s fee?” he asked.
“I can live with my share going to a good cause; what about you, Pat?”
“I think it’s a splendid idea,” I said.
“Then that’s what I’ll do,” Timothy said. “Thank you both.”
“It is our pleasure,” I said as I offered him my hand.
“Forget about a handshake,” Annie said. “I want a kiss.”
“You can have mine, too,” I said with a grin.
In the end, it had all worked out for the best.
At least for everyone except Bones and Henry.
Once again, greed had played a part in murder.
Annie and I didn’t have much, at least not monetarily, but we had each other and other people who cared about us as well, including our big sister and our significant others.
To us, it was the richest that either one of us had ever hoped to be in all of our lives.
And that was more than enough.
RECIPES
Annie’s Cast Iron Pork Roast
We discovered this meal when pork roast was on sale at our local grocery store. For half off the regular price, this frugal shopper wasn’t about to pass up a deal like that! After returning home, I glanced through half a dozen recipes, but I wasn’t satisfied with the standard rosemary and/or basil combos I found. I cooked my roast in my Dutch oven, even given that it was a very different cut of meat altogether, but I thought, why not? This recipe evolved from that first happy experiment, and I hope you like it. There are many variations to my basic recipe, so don’t be afraid to use your imagination.
Ingredients
2 pounds boneless, center-cut pork roast
8–10 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large onion, cut radially to produce rings
6 red new potatoes or 1 large baking potato
1 bottle barbeque sauce (18 ounces), divided into quarters
1 can beef broth, 14.5 ounces (apple cider or wine can be substituted if you’d like, but I always use broth. I like the flavor and moisture beef broth gives, but I suppose you could use chicken or vegetable broth if you’d like.)
Directions
Four to twenty-four hours ahead of time, score the top of the pork roast (where the fat is located) diagonally, approximately two inches apart and two inches deep, intersecting the lines. Take half of the barbeque sauce (approximately nine ounces or two quarters) and rub it into the top, making sure to get sauce down into the scored openings. Seal the pork in a large gallon-sized baggie, or put it into a large mixing bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it marinate at least four hours in the refrigerator.
Thirty to forty minutes before you’re ready to put it in the oven, take it out of the refrigerator and let the roast warm up a bit before cooking.
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. While you’re waiting for it to come to temperature, cut the vegetables as directed into large chunks and spread them out on the bottom of the Dutch oven. Add the broth now so you don’t splash off any of the sauce still remaining from the marinade. The onions should be ringed (cut in full or partial rings), while the carrots and potato should be cut into 2 – or 3-inch chunks. Lay the pork roast over the vegetables and apply one quarter of the sauce over the top. As always, the purpose of the vegetables is twofold: to keep the meat from burning on the bottom and to add a delicious side to the meal.
Put the lid on the Dutch oven and cook for approximately two hours, or until a meat thermometer in the center of the meat reads 160 to 165 degrees F. While it’s true that in many cases, 145 degrees F is now the approved minimum internal temperature for pork, I like mine without pink throughout.
Your results may vary, and the author wishes you the best, while taking no responsibility, implied or otherwise, for your health.
After two to two and a half hours, check the temperature and adjust your time accordingly. Once the roast is to your preferred level of doneness (see disclaimer above), pull everything out of the Dutch oven and place it on a serving plate, cover with foil, and let rest for fifteen to twenty minutes. Serve while hot, and enjoy.
Yields a meal for four people
Pat’s Sausage Mash-Up
Yes, it’s true. Pat can cook with cast iron, too! This is a favorite around my house and simple to make as well. You could use one cast iron skillet if you’d like, browning the meat first, setting it aside, and then sautéing the vegetables and mushrooms, but it’s twice as fast if you use two skillets! This is a hearty meal and goes particularly well with artisan bread or as a stuffing for omelets.
Ingredients
1 pound ground pork farmhouse-style sausage (Italian can be substituted if preferred)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped (white, yellow, or Vidalia)
8 ounces baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced
1/4 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup olive oil
12 ounces Monterey jack/Colby cheese blend, shredded (feel free to substitute any cheese you prefer)
Di
rections
In one pan, brown the sausage, and in another, melt the butter and heat the oil together. This combination gives great flavor and a higher smoking point than butter alone. Add the diced onion and green pepper, as well as the sliced mushrooms. While the sausage is browning, sauté the vegetables and mushrooms until they are softened. Add the medley to the sausage and then top with cheese. Bake in a 400 degree F oven for 10 minutes.
Serve these while hot, and enjoy.
Yields a meal for three to four people
If you enjoy Jessica Beck Mysteries and you would like to be notified when the next book is being released, please send your email address to [email protected]. Your email address will not be shared, sold, bartered, traded, broadcast, or disclosed in any way. There will be no spam from us, just a friendly reminder when the latest book is being released.
Also, be sure to visit our website at jessicabeckmysteries.net for valuable information about Jessica’s books.
OTHER BOOKS BY JESSICA BECK
The Donut Mysteries
Glazed Murder
Fatally Frosted
Sinister Sprinkles
Evil Éclairs
Tragic Toppings
Killer Crullers
Drop Dead Chocolate
Powdered Peril
Illegally Iced
Deadly Donuts
Assault and Batter
Sweet Suspects
Deep Fried Homicide
Custard Crime
Lemon Larceny
Bad Bites
Old Fashioned Crooks
Dangerous Dough
Troubled Treats
Sugar Coated Sins
Criminal Crumbs
The Classic Diner Mysteries
A Chili Death
A Deadly Beef
A Killer Cake
A Baked Ham
A Bad Egg
A Real Pickle
A Burned Biscuit
