Courting Disaster

by Joanne Pence

  “Illegally selling children? You think there’s nothing wrong with that?” Paavo asked.

  “What would you prefer? Abortion for the unwanted child? A childless, unhappy existence for people with love to give?”

  “Those aren’t the only alternatives,” Paavo said. “They’re the excuses you’ve given yourself for your greed.”

  “Is that so, Inspector? You know the system. You know I’m right! I won’t listen to this any longer.” She faced Sal. “Back up, get between me and the cop. He’s going to get off the boat now, him and Hannah, then we’re going aboard.”

  Sal did as he was told. Randle remained on the edge of the wharf, the baby out over the water.

  From inside the boat, Angie saw Paavo give a slight nod. She looked all around, and suddenly Paavo’s strange reaction to her rescue made sense.

  He hadn’t gone in blind and let himself be caught. He must have called Rebecca Mayfield with his plan, and she amassed the SWAT team, because Angie saw snipers on the restaurant’s roof. Paavo had let himself be captured so Leer and Zeno would continue with their plans and somehow reveal the mastermind of the whole project.

  They never expected Sal—or her—to interfere, or Kaitlyn to be in danger. With Paavo’s nod, she knew what they were planning.

  Still, her father was too close to Randle, as was the baby. She was frantic watching this. She had to do something to make sure he and Kaitlyn had a chance to survive. Anything.

  The way Randle held Kaitlyn, once the snipers fired, the baby would end up in the bay. Angie had seen that water—Randle was right about it being thick and murky, and that the mud churned easily. How hard would it be to find a baby dropped into it? How much damage would swallowing the bacteria and rotting garbage festering in it do to a baby even if they pulled her out before she drowned? Angie had no idea.

  Her pulse pounded, her breath coming short and fast as she thought of one way to help. Randle didn’t know about her. She’d have surprise in her favor…if she could do it…and if she acted fast.

  Angie could sense Hannah’s need to surge forward. She knew she had to act before Hannah did, or before a sniper decided to attempt a dangerous head shot. What if he missed…or Randle jerked her father into her place…?

  Without allowing herself time to think or waver, Angie slipped off her shoes and coat, ran across the deck as fast as she could, held her nose, and jumped.

  The water was freezing and every bit as dark and dirty as she’d feared.

  Chaos erupted above her. Gunfire, screams, the water churning wildly. Her head just broke the surface when a white blur flashed before her eyes, followed by a splash, as gunfire continued. Kaitlyn! She gulped for air and dived after her. The water wasn’t terribly deep here, six or seven feet at most. Her eyes stung when she tried to open them, but she saw a blob of white and grabbed for it, then headed upward.

  She surfaced to cheers. Paavo was on the ladder, reaching out for her. She tried to swim toward him, but it was hard holding a baby. She lunged forward and missed his hand. As she and the baby started to sink again, someone grabbed her arm. Coughing and blinking, she saw it was Sal, in the water with her. Paavo held Sal’s arm and Sal held hers. Together, they hauled her and the baby to the ladder.

  Paavo handed Kaitlyn up to her mother, then helped Angie and Sal onto the dock.

  The area was chaotic as black-clad SWAT team members, medics, and uniformed police swarmed everywhere. Rebecca Mayfield was securing the scene and directing the arrests.

  As Hannah hovered, a medic examined the crying baby. He assured Hannah it was an automatic response, not a learned one, to shut your mouth and try not to breathe when underwater. The baby was underneath just a few seconds, even though it seemed like an eternity, before Angie got her back to air.

  Paavo took Angie in his arms and she saw he was nearly as wet as she was. “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “I’m fine.” She was shivering and he held her closer as he called for a blanket. “What happened?”

  “Randle’s dead. As soon as Sal saw Randle’s gun turn toward you, he jumped as well. She fired wildly and tossed the baby in fury. It was over quickly.”

  “Thank God!” She looked around. “Where is my father?”

  “A medic is checking his heart and blood pressure to make sure he’s all right. He had quite a scare.”

  Suddenly Hannah grabbed Angie. “Thank you so much!” Hannah cried, hugging her tight, even as she continued to hold her baby. Stan came by as well and fretted over everything.

  Gail placed a blanket around Angie’s shoulders, then turned to Paavo. “I guess we have some business.”

  “Do we?” he asked. “My jurisdiction ends three miles out. We’ll have to talk about our business in a day or two, but didn’t you say you were taking the boat somewhere?”

  She stared as his unexpected words slowly made sense. “I…yes!” She smiled, tears in her eyes. “Yes, I did.” She hugged him and Angie. “Have a wonderful life, you two. And a wonderful engagement party! There’s a shower on the boat, and a clothes dryer. Feel free to use them.”

  She ran to Hannah and the baby.

  “The party.” Paavo turned to Angie, still holding her. “I’m so sorry.”

  “No, it’s not your fault. Anyway, it isn’t over yet.”

  “Your dress, your hair…this isn’t the way you wanted to appear,” he said.

  “It doesn’t matter.” Her eyes saddened. “Paavo, I’m sorry I interfered. I could have ruined everything. It’s just that I was so worried about you.”

  “You tried to help me, as I would you. Never apologize for that, Angie.”

  As they kissed, Sal strolled over to them, also wrapped in a heavy wool blanket. “So, this is how my future son-in-law earns his pay. I can’t say it’s so boring after all. Or so easy. Are you okay, Angelina?”

  It was his turn to hold his daughter as she made sure his health was fine.

  “I’ll go phone your mother,” Sal said. “I know she’s worried.” Then he beamed. “When everyone hears the reason we’re late, how we stopped a kidnapping and caught some baby smugglers, Dio! but it’s going to make for one hell of a party.”

  He left, strutting like a peacock.

  “Do you want to go home and change?” Paavo asked Angie.

  “And miss another minute of my party? Not on your life. I’d go in this blanket first. We can clean up a bit on the boat, at least. I only hope the soap on board is strong enough to get rid of the fishy odor of my hair. I can’t stand the way it smells!”

  Paavo smiled as he took her in his arms. “You smell beautiful!” His kiss showed her how completely beautiful he thought she was in every way.

  Chapter 32

  Stan found Hannah sitting on the wooden bench on the wharf, the place he’d first seen her staring out at the bay. Only now, instead of being alone, she held her baby.

  “How are you doing?” he asked, joining her.

  She turned to him, her face calm and peaceful. “Gail has gone to pack. Paavo’s letting her go. Don’t tell anyone!”

  “Never,” he said. “But I’m more concerned about you.”

  She waited a long moment before she spoke. “It’s hard being back here. So much has changed. Tyler and Shelly Farms dead. Eugene Leer and Michael Zeno arrested. Poor Michael! He thought he loved me, but he never knew the real me. He was kind to me, though, and I’m sorry for him.”

  “I’m sorry it had to be like this,” Stan said.

  “Me, too. But they were doing wrong—and they knew it.” She took his hand and gave it a squeeze. “You’re the only truly good man I know, Stanfield Bonnette.”

  “Hannah—” The timbre of his voice must have caught her attention because she turned to him, her face serious, as he drew in his breath to try to go on without passing out in a dead faint. Earlier that day, he hadn’t been able to find the words. Now—maybe after facing guns and death—he could say them. “It’s time for you to move on as well.”


  Her mouth opened with surprise, then she shut it, and withdrew her hand from his. “It is?”

  He nodded. “You’re one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, Hannah, and you’re beautiful and kind. But you’ve been hiding away, and trying to live through people you think you’re in love with. You love the idea of love, but you don’t love me, Hannah.”

  She cocked her head. “I don’t?”

  “I’m no hero, for one thing,” he said ruefully, then amended. “Not much of one, at least.”

  She smiled at him. “You’ll always be to me, Stan.” Her gaze turned to the fishing boat. “Gail’s leaving as soon as possible. The boat’s all set up for a baby. She told me I was welcome to join her…. I don’t know where she’s going, though. She probably doesn’t, either. But it’d be someplace new.” She glanced up at him. “An adventure. I’ve never had an adventure.”

  He stared at her, his gypsy girl, then nodded. “It’s a great plan. A great start.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and Kaitlyn, holding them close. Then he kissed Kaitlyn on the forehead, stood, and stepped back. He tried to smile as he spoke, but he couldn’t. “Good-bye, Hannah. Take good care of my girl, there. When you get settled someplace, I’ll send you all her stuff.”

  “Thank you, Stan,” she whispered. “Thank you for everything.”

  Out on Jefferson Street, he turned away from Fisherman’s Wharf and headed toward the Maritime Museum. His heart was heavy as he walked beside the beach at Aquatic Park. He slid his hands into his pockets and faced the water, and as he watched the tide ebb and flow against the shore, little by little he stood straighter, and soon it felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders.

  Or at least about a hundred twenty pounds of it.

  The odd thing was, he felt good about himself, and good about having helped Hannah and Kaitlyn. More than anything else, he felt good about getting his life back again.

  He took a few steps, then a few more, feeling a jaunty spring that hadn’t been there for a long time.

  Why in heaven’s name had he ever thought his life had been lonely? Was he nuts? It was happy!

  All of a sudden, his reason for happiness increased a thousandfold as he remembered Angie’s engagement party. How could he have forgotten? Just the thought of it and his stomach began growling, his mouth salivating, and his body aquiver over all the great food he knew Angie’s mother would be serving.

  A special delivery envelope had come that morning and gave the location of the party. He looked straight ahead and smiled.

  Angie wore no makeup, her hair was an unruly mass of damp curls, and her dress was shrunken, wrinkled, and carried a hint of eau de fish.

  Paavo had also showered, then shaved as well and dried his khaki slacks. His beautiful new suit would have to wait for another occasion. He left Inspector Mayfield in charge of everything; he had an engagement party to go to.

  Angie laughed until tears came to her eyes over what a ridiculous pair they made as the engaged couple, until she saw her father. The soon-to-be father-of-the-bride’s tuxedo had shrunk. His sleeves were three-quarter length, and his trousers looked like floods.

  Suddenly, though, none of that mattered. She was being lauded as a hero for saving the baby, and Sal and Paavo were not only getting along, but had worked together.

  As the three of them walked toward her car for what she understood would be a short ride to the party, she looked at the two men she loved more than anything in the world, one on each side of her. She reached out and took both their hands as the memory of how close she came to losing them washed over her. She also chuckled inwardly over memories of her father and Paavo sneaking around trying to hide Sal’s secret admirer from Serefina—how she would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for their conversations. Thoughts of all her sisters’ stories about engagement parties past, both the good and the bad, came back to her, plus her own foolish worries about purple cakes and strippers.

  The truth struck her as she walked, so simple as to be laughable, so profound as to touch her heart. It was this—Paavo, her family, her closest friends, they were what was important. Nothing else mattered. Not clothes, not job, not position, not wealth or fame. It was those you love and who love you in return.

  They got into the car, Paavo at the wheel. She still had no idea where the engagement celebration was being held or what it would be like, but that was okay. Her mother had planned the entire party, details and all, with love. Wherever it was held, whatever it was like, she knew it would be perfect.

  Angie’s Favorite Greek Recipes

  SPINACH TRIANGLES (Spanakopita)

  These are wonderfully rich little triangles of buttery, flaky phyllo dough filled with spinach, onion, cheese, and herbs. They can be used as a side dish or hors d’oeuvres.

  3 tablespoons olive oil

  1 large white onion, chopped

  1 bunch green onions, chopped

  2 cloves garlic, minced

  2 pounds spinach, rinsed and chopped

  ½ cup chopped fresh parsley

  2 eggs, lightly beaten

  ½ cup ricotta cheese

  1 cup crumbled feta cheese

  salt to taste

  8 sheets phyllo dough

  ½ cup melted butter

  Preheat oven to 375°F.

  Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion, green onions, and garlic until soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach and parsley, and continue to sauté until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach mixture and lightly salt.

  Cut phyllo sheets into long strips, 3 inches wide, and brush with melted butter. Place one tablespoon of the spinach mixture at the bottom of each strip and fold the corner up to form a triangle; continue folding in a triangular shape until the entire strip is folded. Continue this method until all the ingredients are used. Place the triangles on lightly oiled cookie sheets, brush each with butter, and bake at 375° for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.

  SOUVLAKI

  Souvlaki is made with tender cuts of meat cooked on a skewer. In this pork recipe, the meat is marinated in a lemony olive oil mixture. Serve with rice pilaf and a Greek salad.

  1 lemon, juiced

  ¼ cup olive oil

  ¼ cup soy sauce

  1 teaspoon dried oregano

  3 cloves garlic, crushed

  4 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes

  2 green bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces

  2 yellow onions, cubed

  In a bowl, mix together lemon juice, olive oil, soy sauce, oregano, and garlic. Add pork, onions, and green pepper; stir to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

  Slide pork, pepper, and onion onto skewers. Turning skewers frequently, grill at medium high heat OR broil until lightly charred. Cook about 10 to 15 minutes total.

  GREEK BUTTER COOKIES (Kourabiedes)

  This is a traditional cookie—especially delicious with strong Greek coffee.

  1 cup butter, softened

  3¼ cups white sugar

  1 egg

  ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

  ½ teaspoon almond extract

  2¼ cups all-purpose flour

  ½ cup confectioners’ sugar

  Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease cookie sheets.

  In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. Gradually add in the flour to form a dough—you may have to knead it in by hand at the end. Take about a teaspoon of dough at a time and roll into balls, logs, or “S” shapes. Place cookies 1 to 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

  Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned and firm. Allow cookies to cool before generously dusting with confectioners’ sugar. These are often served in paper cupcake cups.

  Enter the Delicious World of Joanne Pen
ce’s Angie Amalfi Series

  From the kitchen to the deck of a cruise ship, Joanne Pence’s mysteries are always a delight. Starring career-challenged Angie Amalfi and her handsome homicide-detective boyfriend Paavo Smith, Joanne Pence serves up a mystery feast complete with humor, a dead body or two, and delicious recipes.

  Enjoy the pages that follow, which give a glimpse into Angie and Paavo’s world.

  For sassy and single food writer Angie Amalfi, life’s a banquet—until the man who’s been contributing unusual recipes for her food column is found dead. But in SOMETHING’S COOKING, Angie is hardly one to simper in fear—so instead she simmers over the delectable homicide detective assigned to the case.

  A while passed before she looked up again. When she did, she saw a dark-haired man standing in the doorway to her apartment, surveying the scene. Tall and broad shouldered, his stance was aloof and forceful as he made a cold assessment of all that he saw.

  If you’re going to gawk, she thought, come in with the rest of the busybodies.

  He looked directly at her, and her grip tightened on the chair. His expression was hard, his pale blue eyes icy. He was a stranger, of that she was certain. His wasn’t the type of face or demeanor she’d easily forget. And someone, it seemed, had just sent her a bomb. Who? Why? What if this stranger…

  As he approached with bold strides, her nerves tightened. Since she was without her high heels, the top of her head barely reached his chin.

  The man appeared to be in his mid-thirties. His face was fairly thin, with high cheekbones and a pronounced, aquiline nose with a jog in the middle that made it look as if it had been broken at least once. Thick, dark brown hair spanned his high forehead, and his penetrating, deep-set eyes and dark eyebrows gave him a cold, no-nonsense appearance. His gaze didn’t leave hers, and yet he seemed aware of everything around them.