Murdered By Plastic Surgery

by Dianne Harman

  “I don’t know, Jeff. Seems to me you have to be insane to murder someone for a boat. That’s hardly a crime of passion,” Marty said.

  “Yeah, that’s always a tough call. I need to get to the station, and I know I have a long day ahead of me. See you tonight. You can tell the others what happened. It will save me the trouble. I have enough to do at the moment, and Laura, once again, I owe you my everlasting thanks.”

  “Tell you what, Jeff, a client of ours swears by Patron tequila. If you can get John to make chimichangas again, and we drink the Patron with it, I’ll consider it a fair exchange.”

  “For you, dear sister-in-law, anything. Consider it done!”

  EPILOGUE

  Several days later, Jeff knocked on Laura’s door before he left for work. “Laura, don’t be late for dinner tonight. I’ve talked to John, and he’s making chimichangas for you. I’m holding up my part of the bargain, since I bought the best Patron tequila I can afford. See you at dinner.”

  That evening the five residents of the compound and Max met at the outdoor table in the courtyard under the tree with the sparkling lights.

  “Okay, everyone, here’s the Patron tequila Laura asked for. I did a little research, and it should be sipped. In Mexico, where it comes from, the people like to drink it in sips they call ‘little kisses’ or ‘besitos,’ but first a toast to Laura.” Jeff turned towards her and said, “To the best sister-in-law in the world and the reason I was officially named today as the head of the detective division for the Palm Springs Police Department.” He looked around at all of them, a big grin on his face.

  Marty was sitting next to him, looking at him with a wide-eyed expression, and then she said excitedly, “Jeff, that’s fabulous. You never said a word to me. Is it effective immediately?” she asked as she kissed him on the cheek and squeezed his hand.

  “Effective as of today, and so is the pay raise. Well, what do you all think? Is Laura’s choice to go with the chimichangas a good one?”

  “Excellent,” Les said. “What’s the latest on the Dr. Ramsey murder case?”

  “Quite a bit, actually. Our psychiatrist found that Dr. Thurston has hypergraphia, which is a behavioral condition often associated with epilepsy. He simply can’t help himself from writing down in great detail pretty much everything that happens to him every day. It was lucky for us, because his condition caused him to write down that he murdered Dr. Ramsey, and why. Our handwriting analysis expert determined that the handwriting in the black book is his.” Jeff stopped talking long enough to take a sip of his Patron.

  “Now what happens?” Laura asked.

  “He’ll stand trial for Dr. Ramsey’s murder. The District Attorney doesn’t think he’ll be able to get off with a plea of insanity, but I’m sure his attorney will try. We’ll see.”

  “How’s Sybil doing? Have you talked to her recently?” Marty asked.

  “Yes, as a matter of fact I touched base with her a little while ago. She’s still hurting, but when all the other plastic surgeons in the area found out she was available, she had her choice of twelve different job offers. She accepted one and seems quite happy with it.”

  “What about Dr. Ramsey’s wives?” Laura asked.

  “Wife number two, Lisbeth, is devoted to her children and wants to keep the memory of their father intact for them. I think she’ll make a very good financial guardian of their estates until they reach age twenty-one. Since I didn’t want her or her children to hear the news on television, I went to her home the day we discovered that Dr. Thurston was the murderer. I have to agree with everyone’s assessment, she really is a beauty.”

  “I wonder if she’ll find someone else,” Marty said.

  “Well, sweetheart, you did, and you’d sworn off men. I’d say if you could succumb to a man’s charms, Lisbeth will too.”

  “Jeff, I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. It sounds a little too male chauvinistic for me.”

  “Okay, I apologize. It was probably a combination of a really good day and the Patron.”

  “Back to the wives,” Laura said. “What about Ashley? What’s going to happen to her?”

  “Don’t know. When I talked to Roger Sills recently, he said she’d moved out of the house, since the trust specified that it go to his children and Lisbeth. He said the three of them are going to move into the house, because Lisbeth wants the children to be familiar with their father’s heritage, and she could think of no better way than through his antique Shaker collection. She’s arranging for the pieces in his office to be integrated with the others in their home.”

  “That pretty well sums up the whole group, doesn’t it?” Marty asked.

  “I think we’ve accounted for everyone, even Duke here,” he said petting the dog who was resting his big head on Jeff’s thigh. “I’d swear I just heard a knock at the gate. Marty, would you mind getting that while I pour a little more Patron for everyone, although I can’t imagine who it could be at this time of night.” As Marty walked over to the gate, Jeff winked at Laura.

  A moment later Marty walked back into the courtyard with tears in her eyes and a little bundle of white fur in her arms. “Jeff, she’s about the most adorable puppy I’ve ever seen,” she said as she looked down at the little white boxer in her arms.

  “First of all, she is a he,” he said grinning, “and secondly your psychic sister picked up that you were a little jealous of my new relationship with Duke and felt you needed a little something for yourself. Being the wonderful husband that I am, I felt that was the least I could do for someone who helped me solve the Ramsey murder case. I know you’ll enjoy the new addition to our family.”

  Marty looked up at him and said, “This is the best surprise in the world. What shall we name him?”

  Les looked over at the bottle of Patron and said, “Patron, what else? Then he’ll always be celebrated.”

  “Good choice, my friend,” Jeff said holding up his glass. “One more toast, my friends, to Patron!”

  RECIPES

  MEXICAN CHOCOLATE CUSTARD

  Ingredients:

  2/3 cup sugar

  1/4 cup cornstarch

  1/3 cup Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder

  Two tbsp. Mexican chocolate (I like the Iberra brand.)

  3 cups whole milk

  6 large egg yolks (I like to use the jumbo eggs, rather than large.)

  2 ¼ tsp. vanilla extract (Please don’t use the imitation. It really makes a difference)

  Whipped cream (Optional)

  Directions:

  In a 2-quart saucepan, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, Mexican chocolate, milk, and egg yoks together until the mixture is smooth. Place the pan over medium heat and stir in the vanilla.

  Bring to a low boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a glass bowl and place plastic wrap on the top to keep a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours. When ready to serve top with a dollop of whipped cream. Enjoy!

  MAMA’S MEATBALLS

  Ingredients:

  1 cup fresh bread crumbs (I just tear fresh bread up into small pieces.)

  ½ cup milk

  1 lb. ground beef

  1 lb. ground pork

  1 ½ tsp. sea salt

  ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper

  2/3 cup finely chopped onion

  2 large eggs (I like to use jumbo.)

  ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (Always use unsalted. Otherwise whatever you’re making can become way too salty.)

  Vegetable oil for frying

  2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

  2 cups beef broth (You can use canned, homemade, or made from cubes.)

  ½ cup heavy cream

  Directions:

  Place the bread crumbs in a small bowl and soak in the milk for 15 minutes. Squeeze the moisture out. In a large bowl mix the bread, beef, pork, onion, eggs, salt, and pepper until blended. Form this mixture into small balls about 1 ½” round, and place them on a cookie sheet. (If you like t
o make things ahead of time, you can make them to this point and hold them in the refrigerator for 2 days.)

  Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. In a large frying pan, melt half of the butter and add enough vegetable oil to it, so that it’s about ½” deep in the pan. When the foam from the butter subsides, cook several meatballs at a time for about 10 minutes, browning on all sides. Repeat until all of the meatballs have been cooked. When each batch is completed, transfer them to a paper towel lined cookie sheet. Place them in the oven to keep warm while finishing the recipe.

  Pour the fat out of the pan and add the remaining butter to it. Whisk the flour in until bubbles form on the surface. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, for 3 more minutes. Slowly add in the broth and bring to a boil. Pour the cream into the sauce and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the meatballs and simmer until warm. Transfer mixture to a large serving bowl and enjoy!

  NOTE: These are particularly good served over rice or noodles. If you’d like to make the meatballs larger, adjust the frying time upwards until cooked through.

  CHIMICHANGAS

  Ingredients:

  1 lb. ground beef

  1 16 oz. can refried beans

  ½ cup finely chopped onion

  24 oz. tomato sauce

  2 tsp. chili powder (If you don’t like things spicy, start with 1 tsp. When the mixture is cooking, taste it and adjust to your taste buds.)

  1 tsp. minced garlic

  ½ tsp. ground cumin

  12 10” flour tortillas

  1 4 oz. can chopped chilies

  1 4 oz. can chopped jalapeno peppers (As above, if you don’t like things too spicy, start with half of the chilies and peppers. Taste while the mixture is cooking and add more if desired.)

  Vegetable oil for deep fat frying

  1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

  Tin foil

  Directions:

  Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Wrap the tortillas in tin foil and warm in the oven until ready to use. (Don’t skip this step. If the tortillas are not warm, they are much harder to fold when you get ready to fill them – that’s from personal experience!) In a large skillet cook the ground beef until it’s no longer pink. Drain the fat from the pan and stir in the beans, onions, ½ cup tomato sauce, chili powder, garlic, and cumin.

  Spoon about 1/3 cup of the mixture onto a tortilla slightly to one side of center. Fold the edge of the tortilla up and over the mixture to cover. Fold in bottom sides and roll up. Secure with toothpicks.

  Sauce:

  In a saucepan over medium heat mix the remaining tomato sauce with the chilies and peppers. Keep warm until ready to serve.

  In a large deep fry pan heat 1” oil to 375 degrees. Fry the chimichangas for about 2 minutes on each side or until brown. (I’ve made the mistake of not having the oil hot enough and they didn’t get as brown and crisp as they should.) Drain on paper towels. (I usually do them in batches and then put them in the oven to keep warm while I finish the others.) Spoon a small amount of the sauce on the top of each one. Finish with a sprinkle of cheese. Serve with the remaining sauce at the table. Enjoy!

  RED RICE

  Ingredients:

  2 tbsp. olive oil

  2 cups finely chopped brown onions

  1 cup seeded and finely chopped red bell pepper

  1 6 oz. can tomato sauce

  3 cups chicken broth (You can use canned, homemade, or cubes)

  1 tbsp. sugar

  ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

  1 1/2 cups converted long grain rice

  Directions:

  In a 4-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and bell pepper. Cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth, sugar, and black pepper. Stir to blend. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the rice, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the liquid is completely absorbed, about 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

  BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN

  Ingredients:

  10 pieces of chicken, thighs and drumsticks

  4 cups buttermilk

  3 tbsp. kosher salt

  2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

  1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

  3 cups oil (I like to use peanut oil, but canola or vegetable oil is fine.)

  Directions:

  Place chicken in large dish and cover with buttermilk. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp. salt and a couple of grinds of fresh pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to one day. (I like to marinate it for a day. I think it’s better to do it a little longer.) Remove from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.

  Combine flour, remaining salt, and pepper in a large dish or a paper bag. (I’ve found a paper bag is the easiest way to coat the chicken.) Shake the bag or turn the chicken pieces in the flour to uniformly coat them.

  Pour the oil into a heavy-bottomed deep pan with high sides and a lid, to a depth of 3”. Heat the oil over medium-high heat to 350 degrees.

  Preheat the oven to 250 degrees if you plan on serving the chicken warm. Set a baking rack on a baking sheet. Shake the excess flour off the chicken pieces and fry them in batches, skin side down, with the lid on. You don’t want to crowd them. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until browned. Remove the lid, turn the pieces, and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

  (Remember, ranges vary. If the chicken is cooking faster or slower, the color is more important than the time. You’re looking for a golden brown.)

  When cooked, place the cooked pieces on the rack, drain, and keep warm in the oven. (If you’re going to serve it cold or at room temperature, you can eliminate this step.) Serve and 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

  Amazon: Murder & The Movie Star

  Amazon: Murder in Whistler

  Amazon: Murdered by Plastic Surgery

  Please feel free to follow me on these social media sites:

  Website: http://www.DianneHarman.com

  Blog: http://www.DianneHarman.com/blog

  Email: dianne@dianneharman.com

  Twitter: @DianneDHarman

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  Facebook Author Page (Thriller)

 
Facebook Author Page Cozy Mystery

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  Blue Coyote Motel, an Amazon Kindle Best Seller, was a quarterfinalist in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award Contest and was also a Goodreads Psychological Thriller of the Month Book.