“Shhh,” she mumbled, sitting up and leaning over to soothe him by stroking his back. What she felt caused her to wake up fully. Balto’s guard hairs, the rough hairs along his back, were standing on end. She knew from one of Jake’s safety talks that if she ever saw that on Balto, she was to be very, very careful. Jake had told her it was the result of Balto feeling there was a threat to one of them.
DeeDee watched as Balto hopped off the bed and walked over to the door. He looked back at her, waiting for her to get up and follow him. She slipped out of bed, tip-toed across the room, and opened the door. She was unable to hear or see anything in the darkness. She’d taken a few steps down the hall and was standing at the top of the stairs when she froze at the sound of the lock on the front door being rattled. Her heart began to race and her legs felt like they’d turned to jelly. DeeDee started to make her way down the stairs, clutching the stair railing for support. Just then there was the sound of a gunshot and the lock on the door shattered. The door flew open, and Wayne burst into the house, a gun in his hand.
Wayne started randomly shooting and yelling for Cassie. “Get those papers now, hear me?” he roared. “If you don’t get them I’m going to enjoy killing you. I’ve got plenty of ammo, so if you don’t give ‘em to me, I’ll riddle you with hot lead.”
The pops from his gun were followed by crashing and the sound of breaking glass. Everything that happened in the next minute or so was a complete blur to DeeDee. Crouched in the darkness with Balto at her side, she waited, certain they were going to die. She was aware of Jake yelling at Wayne to drop his gun, but Wayne continued shooting, hitting furniture and shattering lamps. She thought she saw a dark shadow leap in the direction of the gunfire. There was more yelling that sounded like it was coming from outside the house, and more guns were fired. The smell of cordite from the gunshots filled the air, and it was only when she heard Jake’s voice shout that the danger was over did she dare to move.
“Stop, the house is secured!” he yelled. “Don’t shoot. This is Jake Rodgers. My dog and I have subdued the suspect. You can come in and get him.”
Downstairs, police swarmed throughout the hallway, the house, and the front yard. DeeDee could see Wayne being restrained by police officers. His gun was seized as evidence, and when he was searched, a small plastic baggie containing some white powder was also removed from his person.
“I think if you get that analyzed, you’ll find it’s ricin,” Jake said to Inspector Stewart. “That’s the poison I’m certain the coroner will say was the cause of Johnny Roberts’ death.”
“We will be locking him up in the county jail for now,” Inspector Stewart said. “I need to call my department and put in a request for him to be extradited to British Columbia to face murder charges in connection with the death of Johnny Roberts. I think we have a good chance of getting a confession from him tonight, considering the state he’s in. I’ll be in touch.” He shook hands with Jake and nodded to DeeDee who was walking towards them.
Jake placed his arm around DeeDee, and they watched in silence as the police took Wayne away.
“What’s going on?” said a sleepy voice behind them belonging to Cassie. “I thought I heard something.” As she saw the mess all around her, she held onto the wall for support. “I took a sleeping pill, and thought it was a dream. I could hear Wayne, and there were gunshots.”
“It wasn’t a dream, Cassie,” DeeDee sighed, as she led her into the kitchen to explain that Wayne, Johnny’s killer, had just paid them a visit intending to kill Cassie as well.
EPILOGUE
Jake reached out and clasped DeeDee’s hand. They were sitting on the deck of her home on Bainbridge Island, quietly looking out at Puget Sound.
“I thought the funeral service was handled well today,” Jake said. “The eulogies by Johnny’s children were very moving. They were tough to hear and probably even tougher for them to deliver. I wish I’d known Johnny. He sounded like quite a man.”
A reflective DeeDee glanced down at her fingers, interlaced with Jake’s. “He was,” she agreed. “I’m worried about Cassie. She’s never been by herself, and I wonder whether she’s going to want to stay in that big house on Mercer Island without Johnny. I know how hard it is to have to move away from where you’ve lived most of your married life. There are so many memories wrapped up in a house like that.”
“I don’t think she is planning on staying there,” Jake said. “We spoke after the service, and she told me that the house is too big for just her. Evidently Johnny left her very well off from the investments he made over the years, and the Mercedes dealership is worth a great deal of money. She’s planning on buying a smaller place on Mercer Island, and going back to work at the museum.”
DeeDee’s gaze followed a flock of birds flying through the pink haze created by the setting sun. “I can understand her wanting to keep busy. She has to go on with life as best she can,” she said. “I still can’t believe Wayne was the one who killed his brother. I thought it might have been Greg, after what Cassie told us. I hope Greg doesn’t get any ideas in his head now that Johnny’s dead.”
Jake smiled. “Cassie might meet someone else who makes her happy. You did.” He squeezed her hand. “Inspector Stewart told me that Wayne has made a full confession. He also had one of his men speak to Greg and ask him where he was on the morning Johnny died. Greg told them Johnny had called him and said that his brother needed to see him urgently. Johnny told Greg he’d have to take a rain check on breakfast.”
“Maybe Greg was out to get Johnny as well,” DeeDee mused, “but Wayne got there first.”
Jake shook his head. “I don’t think so. Greg told the Inspector’s man that he’d been thinking about what a waste it had been, both Johnny and Greg hating each other the past twenty years. Evidently, he’d told Johnny he’d like to see it end, and Johnny agreed.”
“That was big of Johnny,” DeeDee said. “Generous to the end.” Balto padded over to sit next to DeeDee’s feet, and she bent down to pet him.
“By the way, what did you decide to do about that Mercedes you told Mimi you wanted to buy?” Jake was smirking now, and DeeDee raised an eyebrow.
“I could never afford a car like that, not when I’m in the middle of trying to get a new business off the ground, and even if I could, I don’t know if I would want it. However, I would be happy with some of the jewelry she was wearing. It gave a new definition to the word ‘bling’.”
“Hmm, it’s not that long till Christmas,” Jake said with a wink. “Better be on your best behavior until then.”
“Speaking of the holidays,” DeeDee said. “I finally got to the bottom of what was going on with Roz. Remember I was worried that she wasn’t telling me something?”
Jake nodded. “Is everything okay?”
DeeDee’s face broke into a broad smile. “It’s more than okay. She and Clark are getting married. My baby sister is settling down at last. The wedding is going to be in Seattle over the holidays, and she asked me to help with the planning since she’ll still be in Whistler before the wedding. What do you think?”
Jake leaned over and tucked a strand of hair behind DeeDee’s ear. His lips were hovering just above hers.
“I think,” he said lifting her hand that he was holding and kissing the back of it, “that Clark is the second luckiest man in the world.”
RECIPES
WARM OLIVES
Ingredients:
2 cups assorted olives, your choice (I like to have at l-east three different kinds.)
¼ cup virgin olive oil
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
6 cloves of garlic, papery covering removed and slivered
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients until well blended. Transfer to the baking sheet and bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Cool, cover, and refrigerate. Prior to serving, let them come to room temperature. Enjoy!
<
br /> NOTE: These will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.
SOUTH OF THE BORDER SLOW COOKED BEEF
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 lb. boneless beef chuck roast
½ tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. Kosher salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
16 oz. jar salsa verde
1 white onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, smashed
Flour tortillas (However many needed for two per person.)
Optional: Shredded cheese, pinto beans, chopped tomatoes, cilantro served on the side.
Directions:
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season with cumin, salt and pepper. Brown the meat on all sides, approximately 3 minutes per side. Transfer the meat into a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the salsa, onion, and garlic. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours.
Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and warm in the oven for about ten minutes. Remove the meat, shred, and serve with tortillas and the optional sides.
NOTE: This can be made ahead and frozen. Put it in a large pan and warm on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
CHOCOLATE TIRAMISU CAKE
NOTE: This is best when made 2 – 3 days in advance. Yes, I know the recipe looks intimidating, but trust me, it’s worth it.
Ingredients:
Cake:
2 cups sugar
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. fine salt
1 cup milk (whole)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten (I prefer jumbo.)
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract (Don’t use imitation. If you’re going to take the time to make something this fabulous, don’t ruin it by not using the real thing.)
1 cup boiling water
Cooking spray
2 tbsp. flour (For dusting the cake pans.)
2 cake pans (Mine have an 8 ½” diameter.)
Parchment paper (If you don’t have it on hand, you can use aluminum foil or even plastic wrap.)
Springform pan (Mine has a 9 ½” diameter. It gives me a little “wiggle room.”)
Brushing Liquid:
¾ cup brewed coffee
¼ cup dark crème de cacao or Kahlua liqueur
Mascarpone Filling:
2 ½ cups mascarpone cheese
½ cup sugar
¼ to ½ cup heavy cream
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
Dusting Mixture:
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup powdered sugar
Directions:
Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake pans by spraying with nonstick spray and lightly dusting with flour. Whisk the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Stir in eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water and mix until blended.
Divide the mixture in half and pour equal amounts into cake pans which have been sprayed with the cooking spray. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, approximately 30 to 35 minutes. Put the pans on a wire rack and let cool.
When cool, remove from cake pans and split each one horizontally in half with a serrated knife, so you wind up with four cake layers. (I found the easiest way to do this is to put the cake on a piece of parchment paper. Take a serrated knife and score it halfway down from the top. Keep turning the parchment paper until the cake has been completely scored, then using the scored marks as a guide, cut it in half.)
Brushing Liquid:
Combine the coffee and the liqueur.
Filling:
In a large bowl beat the cheese, ¼ cup of coffee mixture, sugar, ¼ cup of cream, and the cinnamon until smooth. If the mixture appears to be too thick, thin it down with the extra cream as needed.
Assembly:
Place a layer of the cake in the springform pan. Brush the cake with ¼ of the remaining brushing liquid and spread ¼ of mascarpone mixture on it. Repeat the process, ending with a fourth cake layer. Brush with remaining brushing liquid and spread the remaining the mascarpone mixture on the top layer.
When ready to serve, remove the springform pan sides, combine the dusting mixture, and lightly dust the top using a sieve. Enjoy!
PEAR AND GRUYERE SALAD WITH HONEY-DIJON MUSTARD DRESSING
Ingredients:
Dressing:
1 cup vegetable oil
½ cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. honey
1 ½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
Directions:
Whisk together all the ingredients until thickened. Can be refrigerated for one week.
Salad
Ingredients:
4 ripe pears, cored and cut into ½” thick wedges, mixed gently with 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
½ lb. Gruyere cheese, cut into ½” thick slices (Feel free to substitute a cheese of your choice, as Gruyere can be a bit pricey.)
4 cups seedless red grapes, halved lengthwise
Butter lettuce
Assembly:
Place butter lettuce leaves on serving platter. Alternate the pears and the cheese until the platter is filled. Scatter the grapes over the top. Drizzle the dressing over the salad. Enjoy!
SWEET POTATO AND FONTINA GRATIN
Ingredients:
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into ¼ inch round pieces
2 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
½ cup cream
1 cup shredded Fontina cheese (4 oz.)
1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste
Nonstick cooking spray
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a gratin dish or a baking dish with nonstick spray. In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in cream and cook until thickened.
Reduce heat to low and add ¾ cup of cheese, stirring until melted. Add thyme, salt, pepper, and gently stir to combine. Place sweet potato slices in baking dish, pour sauce over them, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, covered, about one hour or until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
*****
I'm giving away FREE paperbacks. Find out more at www.dianneharman.com/freepaperback.html
MURDER IN SEATTLE
PROLOGUE
Vincent ‘Vinny’ Santora pulled down each of the cuffs of his dress shirt with a short, sharp, tug. His long, fine fingers fixed the chunky gold cufflinks in place with a dexterity that came from years of practice. The heavy cufflinks had belonged to his father and his grandfather before him. Since Vinny had no children of his own, one day the cufflinks would belong to Clark Blackstock, his nephew, the son of Vinny’s beloved older sister, Valentina. Straightening his tux, a deep gravelly voice reached him through the open door of his walk-in closet.
“You okay in there, Boss? I can hear you sniffin’. No cryin’ til’ the church, ya’ hear me, ya’ big softie?”
“Quit pacing, Al,” Vinny called to his bodyguard. “It’s like an allergy. How are we doing for time?” He walked out of his closet and through the spacious bedroom suite to the hallway where Al was waiting.
“You scrub up well, Al.” Vinny smiled. “Nice suit. No one would ever know you come from the Chicago projects, but you could lose the sunglasses. After all, it’s the middle of December.”
Al De Duco grinned. A beefy man in his early sixties, with slicked-back dyed dark hair and a scar above one eyebrow, his smile revealed more than one gold tooth. “In honor of the occasion, I decided to wear Saville Row, Boss.” He surveyed Vinny’s tuxedo, dress shirt with studs, bow-tie and cummerbund. “Yer’ look
in’ pretty sharp yerself’, ya’ old silver fox. The Cabrini-Green boys done good, huh? C’mon, we ain’t got long to get to the church. Clark’s meetin’ us there. It won’t do fer the best man to be late.”
“Sure, let’s get going.” Vinny patted his coat pockets before pausing. “Just one second. I’ll be down in a moment.”
Vinny turned, and heard Al’s heavy footsteps making the stairs creak as he went downstairs. Heading back into the bedroom, Vinny looked around, and his eyes rested on what he was seeking. Walking past the window, he heard the thud of the front door slamming down below. Al never went anywhere quietly.
Vinny paused as he watched Al make his way across the driveway to a sleek black sedan with tinted windows. Al stopped and made a three hundred sixty degree turn, checking the wooded surroundings, talking as he completed his inspection of the area. Vinny knew he was speaking to Charlie, the security guard who watched the wall of CCTV screens situated in the basement of the gated residence, and who communicated through Al’s earpiece. Al spoke to Charlie via a microphone the size of a match head located under Al’s shirt collar. Al crouched down beside the vehicle and methodically patted the underbelly of the car, the whole way around, carefully feeling for any strange objects, such as explosives, which may have been attached to the car.
Old habits die hard, Vinny thought to himself.
When Vinny retired, there would be no more checking under cars for explosive devices. No more packing a gun everywhere he went. Maybe he’d find himself a nice lady to settle down with. Someone like DeeDee Wilson, the bride-to-be’s sister, whom he’d met at dinner with Clark and Roz several nights earlier. Although he was fifty-seven years old, Vinny had never married, and it had been a long time since he’d met anyone he was quite so taken with. He was looking forward to seeing DeeDee again later in the day at the wedding.
Northwest Cozy Mysteries #1 Page 27
