by Kate Bell
“Sure. I’m going with you.”
“You stay here and I’ll let the coachman know he can leave,” he said, hurrying over to the carriage.
“I’m going with you,” I repeated. I let myself into the house, locking my door behind me and headed to the garage for my car.
The horses were already on their way down the street when I got the garage door opened. Alec jumped in the passenger side.
“You really should stay home,” he said.
“Do you really think she’s trying to hurt him?”
“She’s probably just telling him to quit harassing her about Frito, and he’s probably freaking out over it. But I don’t want to take the chance.”
“You have your gun?” I asked.
“Always. You stay in the car and if anything looks suspicious, you call the police.”
***
Phil’s house was completely dark when we got there and I wondered what was going on. Alec jumped out of the car as soon as I parked it and he ran for the door. The door was unlocked and he let himself in.
I got out of the car and trotted over to the front door. Running in heels on snowy ground isn’t the easiest thing to do.
I opened the front door and stopped. I could see dark shadows and piles of things. I reached for the light switch, but there was no power.
“Alec,” I hissed.
When no answer came, I moved forward, tripping over something, but catching myself before I hit the ground. I pulled my phone out of my purse and put the strap over my neck so I wouldn’t lose it. I unlocked my phone, searching for the flashlight icon and turned it on. I shined it around the room and gasped. Phil’s house was piled high with junk.
There were piles of magazines stacked up in the corner, along with lots of furniture. There were at least two baby strollers and dozens of floor lamps gathered together in one spot. Another pile held what must have been more than fifty or sixty dolls, all in various states of undress and some caked in dirt. There was a narrow path leading in and around the piles and I carefully moved forward, wishing I had my running shoes on. This place would have made a great haunted house at Halloween.
I heard something fall in another room, and then I heard a scream.
“Alec?” I called.
“Jenna, put the gun down,” I heard Alec say.
“No. I’m not putting the gun down. He has something of mine and I want it now,” she said.
I headed toward a back room, hoping I wasn’t going to fall over something.
“Jenna, put the gun down,” Alec warned.
The toe of my shoe caught on a mounded pile of aluminum cans that was at least four feet high and they came crashing down into the pathway and I screamed involuntarily. A gun went off and I screamed again.
“Allie, get out of here,” Alec shouted from the other room.
I tried to step over the cans, but I slid on one and my shoe came off and I felt my ankle twist. I bit my lower lip at the pain as I landed on my knees, and my phone flew out of my hands.
“I want what’s mine, little man,” Jenna said.
I heard whimpering, and then Phil said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
There was another gunshot and I ducked my head down as I heard something come crashing down in the other room. Phil’s sobbing could be heard above the noise and tears sprang to my eyes as I wondered if Alec was okay.
“Alec!” I called.
There was another crash in the other rom and another gunshot. Phil screamed as he came crashing through the living room and tripped over me. His knee crashed into my ribs and I screamed.
“Allie! Call the police!” Alec shouted.
I could see my phone about ten feet from where I was, and I began crawling toward it, shoving Phil out of the way.
“She’s going to kill us, she’s going to kill us,” Phil repeated over and over.
“Shut up Phil. She’s not going to kill anyone,” I said, hoping it was true.
Another crash made me jump and Jenna started cursing Alec. After a minute, Alec emerged, dragging Jenna behind him. I got to my phone and dialed 911.
Alec kicked junk out of his way and Jenna swore up a blue streak as she was dragged to the front door. I gave the operator instructions and hung up before she could ask any questions. I didn’t have time for questions; I wanted to make sure Alec was okay.
Pain shot through my ankle and ribs as I got to my feet. Thankfully, I could put a little weight on my ankle and I hobbled to the front door, leaving Phil laying on the floor, crying.
“What happened?” I asked as Alec stood over Jenna on the front step. Jenna was handcuffed and writhing on the cement step.
“She was going to kill Phil,” Alec said.
“Why?” I asked. I had heard about neighbors going bad over loud noises before, but this was kind of extreme.
“He has something of mine,” Jenna said through clenched teeth. “I’ll kill him if he doesn’t give it to me.”
“What does he have?” I asked.
“My laptop.”
I looked at Alec as we heard sirens in the distance.
--24--
It was evening two days later and Alec and I sat in front of my fireplace, watching the logs snap and crackle in the fire. Alec had spent most of the last two days at the police station, assisting Sam with interviewing Jenna and we hadn’t had much time to talk. We sat together, without saying much. He was exhausted from too many hours at the police station and my pride still stung from my assumption that he would propose on Valentines Day.
“Did she confess?” I asked.
“She did,” he said. “I spoke with Sam when they brought her in to the station and asked him to let me lean on her a little and see if I could get her to confess to killing Spencer Cranston.”
“Why did she do it?”
“That missing laptop wasn’t Spencer’s. It was hers. Apparently she was working on a computer program designed to allow the government to track people in a more precise way than any other program had before. Spencer wanted her to let him collaborate, but she refused. She said he had a way of making sure he got the credit for work other people did. So he stole her laptop, so he could steal her program,” he said. “And then she stole it back.”
“So they weren’t having an affair?” I asked.
“They really were having an affair. Apparently it started after they both moved here. Jenna didn’t actually quit Stanton Industries two days after she moved here. She was working from home. Bart Hicks didn’t want anyone in the office besides Spencer Cranston to know what she was working on, so he told everyone she quit. Spencer would stop by her house to see how the program was coming along and the affair started. Apparently Spencer was the jealous type and thought Jenna had another lover on the side, so for spite, he stole the laptop so he could take credit for her work. Not to be outdone, Jenna murdered Spencer as he sat in his car, spying on her.”
“So why kill him? Why didn’t she just tell Bart Hicks that Spencer had stolen her program?” I asked.
Alec chuckled. “She was in love and he had betrayed that love by stealing her program and claiming it was his. It was a crime of passion. Some people have a funny way of expressing love, I guess.”
I shuddered. “Talk about cold-blooded. And the way she never showed any reaction when we said we had found him dead. I would have sworn she had never met him.”
“At first, she argued and argued with us that she didn’t kill him. It took a long time to wear her down and she never show any remorse for what she did.”
“I can’t imagine that. Really, I think if I killed someone I loved, I would feel a lot more guilty about that than if I had killed someone I didn’t know. Grieved and guilty,” I said.
“You aren’t the murdering kind. Some people just seem to have a knack for it,” he said.
“Seems like it,” I agreed. “And she knew how to use a garrote.”
He chuckled. “Maybe they teach you that in IT school. When s
he was questioned about it, she just shrugged like it was something anyone would know how to use. I mean, it’s not that technical, I guess anyone who wanted to be a murderer could figure it out.”
I shivered. I couldn’t imagine killing someone in such an up close and personal way. But then, I couldn’t imagine killing someone at all.
“I offered to help Phil clean his house. He declined. He said he’d been that way all his life and he wasn’t going to change now. I guess now we know what he was doing in the alleys. He was digging through the trash bins in Mr. Winter’s alley and that’s where he was headed that night Lucy and I followed him into the alley behind the gun store. He knew someone was watching him, but he didn’t know who, so he hid behind some boxes.”
Alec shook his head. “I don’t understand that.”
“Me either. The good news is Frito has been located.”
“What? Where?” he asked, turning toward me.
“He got lost in one of Phil’s bedrooms. Fortunately there were bags of dog food Phil had hoarded in there and Frito has an extra three pounds he’s carrying around.”
“Silver lining, I guess,” Alec said.
I giggled. “I think Frito was enjoying himself in there and didn’t want to give himself up.”
“Phil handed over the laptop. He had indeed, taken it. He claims she had put it out on the curb in a cardboard box as recycling. I don’t buy that, of course. That program was too valuable for her to be careless with it. He was mad at her, thinking she had taken Frito, and he was Special Ops at one time, so I’m thinking he was able to break into her house and take what he knew was important to her. He’s maintaining his innocence,” Alec said.
“Well, all’s well that end’s well,” I said, snuggling up to him. I loved a good fire, but it was making me sleepy.
“Ayup.”
I was thankful Jenna was in jail. Someone that could be as cold about murder as she was, needed to be locked up.
I could feel Alec’s steady heartbeat as I lay against him. “Are we okay?” I finally asked.
“Of course we are,” he said, putting his arm around me.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“For what?”
I sighed. “For embarrassing myself. And you.”
“Stop it. No one was embarrassed. In fact, I don’t even know what you’re talking about,” he said, giving my shoulders a squeeze. “And I’d appreciate it if you would forget about it.”
“Okay,” I said.
“How did Thad’s proposal go?”
I smiled. “Fantastic. He took her skiing and when they got to the bottom of a hill, there was a snowman that was decked out with flowers, candy, and a ring. Very novel, if you ask me.”
“Good job,” he said. “And the wedding date?”
“Not yet. But I’m sure it will be soon.”
“Good for him. At least Thad knows what he’s doing in the love department.”
“Stop it,” I said.
Love was a funny thing. It gave life to some, and death to others. I didn’t think I would ever understand it.
RECIPES!!
CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY LAYER CAKE
CAKE
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup melted butter
3/4 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
FILLING
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp water
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp corn starch
FROSTING
16 ounces dark chocolate chips or baking bar
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp raspberry liqueur
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease three 8 inch round cake pans with butter, and sprinkle with flour. Layer parchment paper in bottoms of pans.
Cake
Mix dry cake ingredients on a large bowl. Melt the butter. In a stand mixer, slowly mix melted butter into dry ingredients. Slowly add in milk, eggs and vanilla. Mix an additional 30 seconds. Do not over beat.
Divide batter equally among three prepared pans and place in oven. Bake 30-35 minutes. Layers are done when they spring back when touched. Remove to cooling racks to cool at least 20 minutes before inverting them onto cooling racks. Allow to cool completely while preparing filling and frosting.
Filling
Place all filling ingredients into a medium saucepan and place over medium heat, stirring. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and allow to thicken, approximately 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Frosting
Melt dark chocolate chips or bar in a double boiler over low heat until melted. Slowly add heavy cream and mix until well combined. Add liqueur and stir until incorporated. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
To assemble:
Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread about half of the raspberry filling to about 1/2 inch from the edge of the cake layer. Place a second cake layer over bottom layer. Spread more raspberry filling to 1/2 inch of this cake layer’s edge. Place third layer cake over second layer. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. More filling can be spooned around edges if needed. Cover.
LEMON POUND CAKE
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
2 tbsp grated lemon zest
Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tbsp milk
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Grease a bundt cake pan with butter and sprinkle with flour, or spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Mix dry ingredients on a large bowl, set aside. In a stand mixer bowl, cream softened butter and sugar together until well mixed. Add eggs one at a time until well mixed. Add buttermilk, vanilla, lemon juice, lemon zest and sour cream until well mixed.
Slowly add in dry ingredients until well mixed. Do not over beat. Pour into bundt pan and place in oven. Bake for 65-75 minutes or until a knife inserted into cake comes out clean. Allow to cool on cooling rack for 20 minutes. Invert cake onto rack to finish cooling.
Glaze
Mix all ingredients are smooth. Drizzle the cake with icing and serve.
ORANGE SCONES
3 cups all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup butter, cold
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tbsp grated orange zest
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup buttermilk
Glaze
3 ½ cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1 tbsp grated orange zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Stir together dry scone ingredients. Cut cold butter into dry ingredients and work in until butter resembles coarse crumbs. Slowly mix in buttermilk, orange juice and beaten egg. Knead dough five or six times and roll out onto floured surface and shape into a rectangle.
With a sharp knife, cut into 24 triangles. Transfer triangles onto parchment lined pan and bake 16-18 minutes, just until down and edges are only slightly browned. Remove from oven and place on cooling r
acks.
Mix glaze ingredients in large mixing bowl. Spread over cooled scones.
