Secrets and Pies

by Jenny Kales

  “I have to say, I’m happy Hugh and Raine didn’t have anything to do with this. But that begs the question: Who put muscle relaxant in Tammy’s drink the night she fainted at the performance?”

  “That was April. I remembered, too late, that she had been complaining about muscle pain. She must have had a pretty strong prescription so it was easy for her. Plus, she’d been working at The Harris House earlier that day.”

  “But why Tammy?” George wanted to know.

  “No real reason. It looks like she wanted to disrupt the murder mystery nights at The Harris House because they were getting in the way of her illegal activities regarding the renovation. I think she may also have been trying to cast suspicion onto Allan Browne and Lisa Linley, even Hugh and Raine, basically anyone but herself. That’s what Sands thinks, too. April was also responsible for all of the Gilded Age Home break-ins. She knew her way around the security systems and with people out of town a lot, it probably wasn’t that difficult for her. She was impulsive, greedy and vindictive, that’s for sure.”

  “Fine. But what about… ” George began.

  Callie held up her hand to stop his flow of words. “Dad. Don’t you always say ‘All’s well that ends well.’ ”

  “I suppose.” George’s bushy eyebrows were drawn in a line across his nose in a gesture she knew all too well.

  “I know it was risky, but all’s well that ends well. I’m safe and a killer has been apprehended.”

  George rushed to Callie and enveloped her in one of his burly, warm bear hugs. “So it is. All’s well that ends well. Isn’t that the title of a Shakespeare play?”

  “I can’t handle any more talk of theater or plays right now,” Callie said with a weary smile, eager to change the subject. “All I need now is a full-time cook.”

  “Yes,” George said, distractedly so it seemed to Callie. “That is a problem. I love helping out here, but you know I can’t for much longer. You’ll need another person. Someone who knows the place inside and out. Someone who is passionate about food, and not crime solving.” Callie smiled good-naturedly at his dig. “Someone who loves this place almost as much as you do.”

  Callie was growing more depressed with each word. She knew all of that already. Did George know that he was making her feel worse?

  “You need someone like me,” a familiar voice said from behind Callie. She whirled around, hardly able to believe her ears.

  “Max!”

  There he stood, spiky hair, eyebrow ring and all, sporting his farmer tan and sleeves rolled up to reveal his colorfully inked forearms. “I’d love to come back to work full-time, if you’ll let me.”

  “Let you! Are you kidding? The job is yours as long as you want it. And you’d better want it a long time. It’s been crazy around here without you.” She smiled at George. “Dad, you’ve been great, but you’ve got your own business to run.”

  She turned back to Max. “This is wonderful news, but what about your father? I don’t feel right about taking you away from him at this crucial time. How is he?”

  “That’s the thing. He’s the one who wanted me to come back. In fact, George was really helpful in setting things up.”

  “George?” She turned to stare at her father, who was beaming at her.

  “Can I tell it?” Max asked George, and he nodded vigorously. “Well, George came out to see me and my dad, a few days before you did, in fact.”

  “Is that what he meant by ‘here’s another one?’ ”

  Max’s laughter filled the room. “Yes, I was so mad at him when he said that! But George was persuasive.” George shrugged in false modesty, and they all laughed.

  Max continued his tale, his voice bright with enthusiasm. “George also told my dad that he might know someone who would love to apprentice as a farm worker. It’s one of the waiters at The Olympia. My dad met him, and he’s going to help out for the time being while dad heals and decides what to do with the farm.”

  Max turned to Callie. “At first he was angry at getting pressured by George and then by you, Callie. He didn’t really show it when you were there. Later on, he told me that he realized I belonged here and that this is the life I should pursue. He sees the passion I have for working with food.” He looked down, sheepishly. “I think my mom may have talked to him, too.”

  Callie looked from one to the other, incredulously. “This is almost too much. You guys saved my bacon, this time, and I mean literally. Thank you!” Before she knew it, the three of them were in a group hug. George kissed Callie on the cheek.

  “One more thing,” George said when they’d broken their embrace. “Your business is growing. You might want to give Josh another chance.”

  “Josh? I’m surprised to hear you say that.”

  “He was a good boy. He just didn’t understand my style of teaching. But you? I think you can train him. He seemed to love food, and that’s the important thing. Also, he wanted to learn.”

  “I’ll definitely think on it, Dad.”

  “Good. Max, here you go.” George removed his apron and handed it to Max. “Time to get to work.”

  “You bet, Mr. Costas!” Max put the apron over his head and tied it tightly.

  Finally, Callie thought, smiling at the two of them, feeling like her heart would burst. Max was back where he belonged. Thank goodness for George and his interfering ways. She was lucky to have him in her life.

  ***

  “So young Max is back in the kitchen?” Sands asked later that evening. Max had encouraged her to take an early leave from work, and Sands, happy at having the Holly Tennyson case solved, offered to take Callie out for a celebratory walk on the beach.

  The “undiscovered” Fitzgerald manuscript was still being held as evidence, but Sands had told her that once it was truly authenticated by the author’s estate, it was going to be held as part of the author’s handwritten manuscript collection at Princeton. Callie was happy it would be in the right hands, but it was still devastating to think that a manuscript was the cause of Holly’s tragic death.

  The sun was setting as Sands and Callie walked, hand in hand, shoes off. Callie stood for a minute and listened to the peaceful sounds of the waves lapping at the water’s edge. She also heard the beat of her heart, which always seemed to beat a little faster and more purposefully when Sands was around.

  “He’s back! This time, I hope it’s for good. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

  “Hmm. If I were the jealous type, I’d be jealous, I think.”

  “Don’t be silly. Max is wonderful, but he’s way too young for me. Anyway, I’m taken.”

  “You certainly are,” Sands said, squeezing her hand more tightly.

  For a few minutes, they simply stood arm in arm, looking out at the peaceful expanse of Crystal Bay. The setting sun threw rays of orange and pink into the slate blue sky, now darkening to shades of purple as another day came to a close.

  Across the water Callie could see the elegant homes dotting the shoreline. Each one had its secrets, heartbreaks, love, loss, death, hope, light and dark. She shuddered, and Sands held her closer.

  “You know, we never did take that vacation,” he said into her ear.

  “No, we didn’t. We just haven’t had the time.” We have to make time, Callie thought. Nothing is guaranteed. She realized with a start that Sands was becoming a seamless part of her life, and she couldn’t picture a future that didn’t include him. Just like with Max, she wouldn’t know what to do without Sands.

  “As I recall, your father said the trip would be better if it was a honeymoon.”

  Callie blushed furiously but relaxed when she saw the humor in Sands’ eyes. He was teasing her, she could see that, but his loving expression spoke volumes. They would just have to take it a day at a time. For now, she would enjoy this peaceful moment.

  Callie smiled. “That’s George for you, but let’s stop talking about him. At least for now. What do you say?”

  “Agreed,” Sands said, pulling h
er closer.

  – THE END –

  Author’s Note

  This is a work of fiction and the story is a product of my imagination. However, the inspiration for “Genevieve” comes from a real person. The names of all players have been changed, except for that of Fitzgerald himself.

  As a fan of anything 1920s and in particular, the writings of F. Scott Fitzgerald, I have read many biographies of the author. One of them focused on his rocky romantic relationships with women. One of these young women was a Chicago debutante who travelled frequently to Lake Geneva and later married one of the Mitchells, a family with a grand estate in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, the inspiration for “Crystal Bay”. The young debutante, Ginevra King, and Fitzgerald exchanged several letters and he carried some of these with him for the rest of his life. She was also the supposed inspiration for characters in his short stories as well as Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby.

  I thought it would be fun to imagine that Fitzgerald had given Ginevra (renamed Genevieve for my book) a manuscript that she had then placed in a “hidden” compartment in the Lake Geneva home of her new husband. I have no evidence of this ever happening, of course. The romance and glamour of the “Gilded Age Homes” sometimes make you think things like this could be possible.

  In addition, Fitzgerald’s first novel, This Side of Paradise, includes Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, as the setting for the home of his protagonist’s parents. It is easy to imagine a scenario where Fitzgerald could have visited one of the stately homes that still exist in Lake Geneva today.

  First and foremost, despite some “real life” inspiration, the storyline is merely a product of my active imagination at work. Please don’t go tearing up any walls.

  Recipes from Callie’s Kitchen

  Greek Chicken and Lemon Soup (Avgolemono)

  Ingredients:

  8 cups chicken broth or stock (homemade is best, but Swanson’s low-sodium is a good one, too.)

  1 cup to 1-1/2 cups cooked white rice

  1 cup cooked chicken, shredded or in bite-sized pieces

  3 large eggs

  1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (it has to be fresh, no bottled juice!)

  1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

  Salt and white pepper

  2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

  In a large saucepan, bring the stock to a boil over medium heat. Place the eggs in a mixing bowl and whisk until blended, then add lemon juice and zest. Whisk until well-combined. Reduce the heat of the chicken stock to very low.

  While whisking the soup in the pan, slowly pour the egg-lemon mixture into the broth, whisking all the time to prevent curdling. The soup should thicken slightly.

  Alternatively, use the following method, credited to my husband’s yiayia (grandmother):

  Add the eggs, lemon juice and zest to a blender and blitz until well combined. Take one cup of the hot stock and gradually add to the mixture in the blender. Cover the blender and zap it again. Then, slowly and carefully pour this mixture back into the broth and gently stir in, whisking all the while. This will help “temper” the broth so that it won’t curdle.

  Add cooked chicken and rice and gently cook for several more minutes at low heat until flavors blend. Don’t set the heat too high, or you will curdle the soup (like Josh)! So have patience and you will have a delicious soup.

  If there’s any left over and you want to reheat it, put it in a saucepan on top of the stove over very low heat and stir frequently, to prevent curdling.

  Sprinkle with parsley. Serves 6-8.

  Squash Pie (Kolokethopita)

  Ingredients:

  ½ lb phyllo sheets, thawed (Phyllo is found in the frozen section of the supermarket, frequently near the frozen fruit and desserts. Be sure to thaw thoroughly before using).

  3 lbs zucchini squash, cleaned, shredded and drained or squeezed of excess moisture.

  1 onion, chopped

  8 eggs, beaten

  1 tbsp butter

  ¼ cup olive oil

  2 cups rice, cooked and slightly cooled

  ½ cup grated cheese (Kefaloteri, a hard Greek cheese is the traditional cheese. If you can’t find it, use Parmesan or Romano.)

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Have ready a 10 x 15 baking pan.

  Sauté onions in butter and olive oil. Add cleaned zucchini and cook a few minutes until softened. Allow to cool.

  Combine eggs and cheese with squash mixture. Add cooked rice and combine gently until well blended.

  Melt butter. Grease the baking pan, then place six phyllo sheets in the bottom of the pan, brushing each one with melted butter before adding another. Pour squash mixture in the pan and layer with eight more phyllo sheets, brushing each one with melted butter before adding the next. Brush the top sheet with butter and score into squares with a sharp knife.

  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 F and bake for 30 minutes more or until golden brown.

  12-14 generous squares, depending on how you cut them.

  Greek Cheese Honey Pie (Melopita)

  There are many recipes for melopita, a traditional Greek cheese honey pie. Unlike a creamy, dense cheesecake, this pie has a light, fluffy texture which makes it a nice ending to a heavier meal. It can be made with or without a pie crust; in fact many traditional recipes do not call for a crust. I include a crust because Callie definitely would and crust is good! Try it without sometime for a change of pace (and less calories). Myzithra cheese is the traditional ingredient, but if you can’t find it (or it is too expensive as is often the case), then ricotta cheese is a good substitute.

  Ingredients:

  1 lb grated myzithra or 1 lb (1 regular-sized container) ricotta cheese

  ½ cup sugar

  ¼ cup honey plus more for topping

  ½ tsp salt

  6 eggs

  ½ tsp lemon zest

  1 tsp vanilla extract

  Cinnamon

  One half recipe “Callie’s Perfect Pie Crust” (See next recipe.)

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Have ready a pie plate lined with pie crust (see next recipe).

  Combine cheese, honey and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat eggs in a separate bowl and add to cheese mixture. Mix well to combine.

  Pour into crust and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool, then serve sprinkled with more cinnamon and a drizzle of honey.

  Serves 8.

  Callie’s Perfect Pie Crust

  A combination of butter and shortening is the secret to this flavorful pie crust.

  Ingredients:

  2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

  1 teaspoon salt

  ¼ tsp sugar

  ½ cup shortening (such as Crisco), very well-chilled

  4 tablespoons unsalted butter, very well-chilled

  6-8 tablespoons ice water

  Mix flour, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl or the work bowl of a food processor. With a pastry blender, or using a food processor, cut in shortening and butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.

  Mix in the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, until dough forms a ball. If dough doesn’t come together or looks crumbly, gradually add more ice water, a teaspoon at a time, until it does. Take the dough out of the food processor (if using) and knead gently with your hands a few times. It should feel pliable and smooth. If not, add a little more water and knead in. Don’t overwork the dough.

  Divide dough into two balls and flatten slightly into discs. Wrap well in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or even overnight before rolling. Before rolling out, take the dough out of the refrigerator to warm up slightly before continuing.

  Using a well-floured surface and a rolling pin, roll each pastry disc from the center to the edges, forming a circle.

  Roll each pastry into a circle that is several inches larger than a 9-inch pie plate. Place gently in pie plate and trim overhang.

  Makes enough for a two-crust pie.

  Pie crust tips:
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br />   Chilling and resting the dough makes the dough easier to work with. Let it chill for at least 30 minutes.

  Once you’ve rolled out the bottom crust and placed it in the pie plate, chill it for an additional 30 minutes before adding filling and the top crust. This helps you avoid a “soggy” bottom crust after baking.

  For extra browning, sweetness and sparkle, sprinkle one teaspoon white sugar over the top of the crust before placing it in the oven.

  When a pie requires only a bottom crust (such as Melopita), make the entire pie crust recipe, divide into two discs and freeze one of the discs for future use. Well-wrapped, the pie crust will keep for several months in your freezer. Thaw thoroughly before rolling out.

  Callie’s Sour Cherry Pie

  Ingredients:

  3/4 cup – 1 cup sugar, or to taste (Note: this is a sweet-tart pie. If you want it even sweeter, you could add up to 1-1/4 cups sugar)

  2 cans tart or “sour” red cherries (NOT cherry pie filling)

  3-1/2 – 4 tbsp. cornstarch (depending on how much juice is in the can of cherries, you may need to add an extra tbsp.)

  1 tsp vanilla extract

  1 tablespoon butter or margarine

  2 9-inch pie crusts (Callie’s Perfect Pie Crust; see recipe.)

  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Drain the cherries and reserve the juice from only one can.

  In a saucepan, stir the cherry juice into the combined mixture of the cornstarch and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened, but not gluey.

  Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract, then gently stir in cherries.

  Pour filling into pastry-lined pie pan. Dot with butter or margarine. Place second crust on top and gently seal by making a decorative edge with your fingers or the tines of a fork. Vent the pie by slashing the top crust several times. Or do as Max and Callie do, and use a shaped pie crust cutter to make decorative vents in the crust. (You can find inexpensive pie crust cutters at most kitchen specialty stores, online or at craft stores.) Place cut-outs on the crust and gently seal for additional decoration.