Mocha and Murder

by Tonya Kappes

  “Me too.” Patrick came in the front door of Pet Palace. “I think you’re going to need to talk to Louise. She’s in the hospital with dehydration. Jeremy had tied her up over the past twenty-four hours. That’s when he took the eggs.” He bent down in front of me. He ran his hand down my face. “I got your message about checking in on her and I found her slumped over. She told me all about Jeremy. I called Spencer and told him that you were volunteering and Jeremy was the killer. And I told him about the emails.”

  Spencer gestured for an officer to come over. “That’s when I was at the bank and had to wait for the subpoena to be ordered to open up his bank records. That’s when I saw the big deposit and got an image of the check. They told me about the eggs after calling.”

  “I was worried about my girl.” Patrick cradled my face with his hands and kissed me. “I’m so thankful you’re okay.”

  “I tried calling you so many times today.” I looked around the room and realized Pepper wasn’t there. “What about the emails?”

  “I’d gotten back into the laptop and traced the IRS emails back to a server from the community college library. I went to the college and looked through the records of the students who’d swiped their ID card on those days.” He lowered his voice, “Jeremy was there every single time Fred got an email. I used my old badge to budge my way into the bursar’s office where I found out that Jeremy hadn’t been paying his tuition and they were about to kick him out. Jeremy used the IRS scam to scare Fred into paying him payments. When he went to see Fred, I’m sure he told him he’d take the bird in exchange for the repayment. That’s when Fred really figured out something was wrong.”

  “Jeremy did say that Fred said he was going to call the police in the morning. That’s when he went back. He waited until he saw Fred come out of the house and disappear into the orchard. They exchanged more words and Jeremy had a knife on him, which is what he used to stab Fred. Then he grabbed Bertie.” Spencer finished the rest of the story before he headed off to talk to a few more officers.

  While Patrick took care of getting me a water bottle and checked on Pepper, I watched as Spencer instructed the men to haul Jeremy off. Sadness washed over me. Deep down I knew Jeremy was a good person and had let the money overtake his emotions and he couldn’t see a way out of his financial situation. But it still didn’t give him a good reason to have killed such a wonderful member of the Honey Springs community.

  Twenty-Two

  The crickets and bullfrogs were in a perfect harmony as the night started to take hold of Honey Springs. The cool summer breeze coming off Lake Honey Springs tickled my bare ankles; I brought my legs up into the Adirondack chair and tucked the blanket around my feet. I rested my head on the back of the chair and closed my eyes. Pepper and Sassy sat next to my chair as if they were keeping watch over me.

  “Good evening,” The side of the glass doors swept open and Patrick stepped out with two glasses of wine. He walked over and gave me a soft kiss before he handed me the full-bodied glass of red. “How was your day?”

  “I didn’t hear from you all day.” I smelled the robust wine.

  “I wanted you to rest.” He bent down and rubbed the dogs with both hands. “Did you rest?”

  “I didn’t even wake up until noon.” I couldn’t even remember a time I’d slept that long, but when you’re threatened to be killed by a dull pencil; I guess it took it out of me. “I called Emily and Bunny at the coffeehouse. They said they had everything under control. Emily did tell me that she’d talked to her parents. She’d like to work with me for a year and then decide if she wants to open a bakery. So for now, I’m hiring her to help me bake.”

  That was a good decision. I would be able to mentor her as she figured out her way. She was only eighteen and young. It was a long time ago, but I remembered how difficult it was at her age to decide what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. We know how that turned out.

  “Tell me what you did all day.” I wanted to hear about his day.

  “I took Bertie to see Dr. Sawhorse.” He referred to the local veterinarian. “He said she’s only a couple of years old and has a lot of life left in her. I took her to Jean Hill.”

  “You did?” I sat up on my chair. “What did she say about Jeremy?”

  “She was glad Spencer caught the killer. She was upset you were involved, and she hates that he’s ruined his life.” He shook his head. “I told her that TJ was going to sue her for part of the orchard, then she got a great idea. She wanted to know if he wanted Bertie since he did have some chickens and would know how to care for her and her eggs.”

  “Her lifetime alone would pay for the land.” It was a brilliant idea. Jean was a smart woman.

  “I called TJ to come to her house. He jumped at the chance. I gave him the names of the Asian markets Fred had been talking too. He didn’t waste any time. He called one of the markets and already made a deal before he left Jean’s.” Patrick lifted his glass to his lips.

  The silence was so welcomed. It helped get my mind back to thinking about the coffeehouse and how I couldn’t wait to get back there in the morning.

  “I also got Jean some employees. I told her I’d help her with her books and employees. She was happy to know that the orchard could stay open.” He smiled. “She gave me a basket of apples to give you.”

  “Too late now. Loretta Bebe’s order was already filled with chicken and waffles on a stick.” The sound of it was ridiculous, but it was so tasty.

  “On a stick?” Patrick’s head tilted.

  “New creation from Emily.” It was going to be great to have her around. She had a creative mind.

  “I also went to see Doris Blankenship to tell her to leave Jean alone. There wasn’t going to be any sale of the orchard. And you aren’t going to believe who was in her office,” he said.

  “Oh, gossip.” I uncurled my feet and scooted back into the chair. “I could use some gossip.”

  “It’s not gossip. Your mom has decided that she wants to be a real estate agent under Doris.” His laugh echoed off the lake.

  “What?” I asked in disbelief.

  “Yup. She said that she loved looking around at houses the last few days and Doris was looking for someone to work with her since she’s the only agent around here. With the summer citizens, Doris can’t show everyone property. Your mom is studying away and is going to take the test to get her license.” His face stilled. “Are you okay with her living here?”

  “You know.” I took another sip. “I’m okay. I’m more than okay.”

  “I want to talk to you about my last ten years.” He paused. “Like I said about the cop thing. I’m not cut out to see the bad side of that profession. I can’t deal with people dying and when you work near a lake community, people are going to drown. I just couldn’t do it. The rest of the past ten years I’ve been working with the family company and thinking about you. I rarely dated and when I did, my heart was always with you. I knew you were married. I was willing to just live my life here in the home that still had your presence.”

  I pushed myself out of the chair. I took his wine and set both glasses on the deck floor before I sat down in his lap and let the moment take us away.

  Recipes from The Bean Hive

  Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies

  Soft-baked red velvet chocolate chip cookie recipe made from scratch. Plus, a bonus recipe for red velvet cake mix crinkle cookies below! This cookie dough must chill for at least 1 hour.

  Ingredients:

  1 and 1/2 cups + 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

  1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  1/4 teaspoon salt

  1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature.

  3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

  1/4 cup granulated sugar

  1 large egg, at room temperature1

  1 Tablespoon milk

  2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  1 Tablespoon red food colo
ring

  1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (plus a few extra for after baking)

  Directions:

  1. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

  2. Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the brown sugar and granulated sugar until combined and creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Once mixed, add the food coloring and beat until combined. Turn the mixer off and pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer on low and slowly beat until a very soft dough is formed. Beat in more food coloring if you'd like the dough to be brighter red. On low speed, beat in the chocolate chips. The dough will be sticky.

  3. Cover the dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour (and up to 3 days-- see make ahead tip). Chilling is mandatory.

  4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

  5. Scoop 1.5 Tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball, as pictured above. Place 9 balls onto each baking sheet. Bake each batch for 10-11 minutes. The cookies may have only spread slightly, that's ok. Simply press down on the warm cookies to slightly flatten and form crinkles. Stick a few chocolate chips into the tops of the warm cookies.

  6. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

  Make ahead tip: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow to come to room temperature then continue with step 4. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Click here for my tips and tricks on freezing cookie dough.

  Apple Crisp Cookie

  As made in The Bean Hive by Roxanne Bloom

  INGREDIENTS

  Apple Pie Filling:

  6 cups Granny Smith apples 4-5 apples, peeled and chopped

  1 Tbsp lemon juice

  1/2 cup light brown sugar packed

  1/2 cup granulated sugar

  1/4 cup cornstarch

  1 tsp ground cinnamon

  pinch ground nutmeg

  pinch salt

  2 cups water

  Oatmeal Cookie Cups:

  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  1 tsp baking soda

  1 tsp ground cinnamon

  1/2 tsp sea salt

  1 cup unsalted butter room temperature

  1 cup light brown sugar packed

  1/4 cup granulated sugar

  2 large eggs room temperature

  2 tsp vanilla

  3 cups rolled oats

  Sugar Glaze:

  1 cup powdered sugar

  1 Tbsp water

  Directions:

  Apple Pie Filling:

  1. Toss apples and lemon juice in a medium bowl, set aside.

  2. In a medium saucepan, combine sugars, cornstarch, and spices. Pour in water. Cook over medium heat until boiling. Cook for 2 minutes. Add apples, bring back to a boil. Simmer until tender (10-15 mins). Cool completely.

  Oatmeal Cookie Cups:

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx. 3 minutes).

  3. Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition, and beat on high for 1 minute. Add vanilla.

  4. Turn mixer to low and add flour mixture, mix until combined. Add oats and mix until just combined.

  5. Spray 2 regular sized muffin tins with cooking spray. Using a large cookie scoop (3 Tbsp) scoop dough into muffin tins, press down and push up the sides to create cups.

  6. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cookie cups for approx. 15mins or until browned and mostly set.

  7. Remove from oven and (if needed) immediately use a small jar or container to press firmly down in the center to create a well. Cool in pans for 15mins, then place on wire rack to cool completely.

  Assembly:

  1. Using a tablespoon, fill each cookie cup with apple pie filling. Drizzle with sugar glaze if desired.

  Watermelon Pup-sicle

  Pepper’s favorite warm day treat.

  Ingredients:

  A quarter of a watermelon [[I opted for seedless]]

  One can of coconut milk

  Directions:

  Scoop out about 1/4 of the melon or all of the melon if you aren’t going to eat any.

  Blend together with the can of coconut milk – add more watermelon if you want a darker pink.

  Pour into ice cube tray and wait.

  Southern Light Pound Cake

  Ingredients

  1 cup butter, softened

  1 1/2 cups sugar

  3 large eggs

  2 cups all-purpose soft-wheat flour or you can substitute gluten free which I often do because Eddy is gluten free.

  1/2 cup milk

  1 teaspoon almond extract

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  Directions:

  Preheat oven to 300°. Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating 3 to 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears.

  Add flour to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in extracts. Pour into a lightly greased and floured 9-inch round cake pan.

  Bake at 300° for 50 to 60 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack; cool completely (about 1 hour).

  Vegan Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

  Submitted by reader Sandy Giden

  Ingredients:

  Cake Ingredients: 1 ½ cups unbleached white flour 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup sugar ½ cup vegetable oil 1 cup cold water 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 2 tablespoons cider vinegar – see below Frosting Ingredients: ½ cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 heaping tablespoon peanut butter 3 tablespoons non-dairy milk

  Directions:

  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper, and generously oil the sides of the pan and dust with flour. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and sugar. In a second bowl, mix together the oil, cold water, and vanilla. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ones and mix the batter with a fork or whisk. When the batter is smooth, add the vinegar and stir quickly. There will be pale swirls in the batter as the baking soda and vinegar react. Stir just until the vinegar is evenly distributed throughout the batter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes and set aside to cool. After the cake has cooled for about 15 minutes, turn it out onto a plate. When the cake is barely warm, combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and non-dairy milk in a small microwave safe bowl or measuring cup and microwave on high for 45 seconds, then stir together until smooth. Spread frosting over top of cake immediately, then let it stand 30 minutes or so.

  Twinkie Cake

  Submitted by reader Robin Kyle

  Ingredients:

  Twinkie Layer Cake Ingredients Cake: 1 box yellow cake mix (I used Duncan Hines) 5.1 oz box instant vanilla pudding (the large box) 1 cup water 1 stick salted butter, melted and cooled slightly 4 large eggs, lightly beaten Filling/Frosting: 1 stick salted butter, slightly softened 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 tsp vanilla 7 oz jar marshmallow creme 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar Sprinkles

  Directions:

  Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour 2 (8 inch) round cake pans and set aside. In the bowl of your mixer, combine
eggs and butter. Add water, pudding mix, and cake mix and beat on medium for about a minute, until batter is smooth and thick. Spread evenly in prepared pans and bake for about 20 -25 mins or until tops spring back when lightly touched, or a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool cakes for a few minutes in the pans, then turn out on to wire racks to finish cooling. For frosting/filling: Beat butter and vanilla in your mixer until combined. Add marshmallow cream and beat until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar until just combined. Add heavy cream, Increase speed to high, and beat for one minute, until light, smooth and fluffy. Spread half of filling/frosting on bottom cake layer, then add the second cake layer on top of filling/frosting. Spread the other half of filling/frosting on the top layer of the cake. Add sprinkles on top. Chill for at least 30 minutes and serve.

  Flip the page to read the first chapter in Tonya’s USA TODAY bestselling novel, A CHARMING CRIME.

  CHAPTER ONE EXCERPT From A CHARMING CRIME

  “I know, I know.” I waved my hands in front of me trying to stop anything that was about to come out of Oscar Park’s mouth, but I knew it was useless.

  He slammed the door of his patrol car, took his hat off, and then waved it towards my shed. . .my burning shed. “You know what?”