by Laura Childs
“Shamus!” said Carmela.
Shamus turned, a smile on his handsome face. Then it slipped off completely and was replaced by stunned surprise when she saw Moony and Squirrel. “Ah . . . what?” he said, suddenly at a loss for words. Unusual for Shamus.
“I need to ask you something,” said Carmela. “I need you to pay attention!”
But Shamus couldn’t pull his eyes from Moony and Squirrel. “Who are these ring dings anyway?”
“This is Moony and Squirrel,” said Carmela.
“Don’t tell me,” Shamus said in a droll tone. “You and Ava brought dates.”
“No, Shamus, they’re on the decorating committee.”
Shamus gave a slow, reptilian blink. “Really?”
Carmela grabbed Shamus by the arm and gave him a rough shake. “Snap out of it, Shamus, I need to ask you something!”
His gaze finally focused on her. “What, babe?”
“What do you know about Spangler Enterprises?” Carmela asked.
Shamus stared at her. “You mean . . . uh . . . Spangler Energy?”
Carmela jumped on his words. “Yes! What is that? Are they the same company?”
Shamus, pleased to be the center of attention, playing the learned banker now, chose his words carefully. “Well, the energy group is a division of Spangler Enterprises.” A slow, sloppy smile spread across his face. “Fact is, we’re working with them on an interim loan.”
“For oil drilling?” Carmela demanded.
Shamus nodded.
“Oil drilling where, Shamus?”
He took another sip of bourbon. “Parcel up in West Feliciana Parish as I recall.”
“There’s oil there?” said Carmela.
“That’s right,” said Shamus. “Supposed to be part of the Tuscaloosa-Marine shale play. If it all pans out, the upside is a potential for seven billion gallons.”
“But who’s the head of Spangler?” Carmela asked. “Is it Conrad Falcon?” She knew it had to be him.
Shamus’s face suddenly went blank. “Falcon?” He shook his head. “No, no way.”
“Then who, Shamus? Who is it?”
Shamus took another swig of his drink and gave a low chuckle. “Well, you know him, Carmela. Heck, you were just talking to him a few minutes ago.” Shamus glanced around.
“Who, Shamus? Who is it?” Carmela couldn’t stand the suspense!
“There. Over there,” he said.
Carmela peered through the crowd just as Shamus lifted a hand and pointed directly at . . .
Buddy Pelletier!
At that very same instant, Pelletier saw Shamus pointing at him. His face registered sudden surprise, then darkened when he saw Carmela. A look of alarm turned his handsome features into dark saturnine anger.
He knows he’s been made, Carmela thought. He knows that we know he’s the killer!
Pelletier spun around quickly and lurched off, weaving past tables and elbowing his way through the throng of bidders, ignoring their startled glances.
“C’mon, we have to grab him!” Carmela cried.
“Who? Why?” said Ava, who had just come up to join them.
“Buddy Pelletier!” said Carmela. “He’s the killer!”
“What?” said Shamus.
“Killer?” said Squirrel.
“Holy guacamole!” said a stunned Ava.
Carmela launched herself like a grenade, waving for Moony and Squirrel to follow. “You guys gotta help me grab this guy!”
“Now you’re talkin’!” cried Moony.
They dodged through the crowd as the auctioneer called out for another round of bids. Long skirts rustled and feathers were ruffled as they formed a flying wedge through the crowd.
“There he is!” cried Carmela. She could just see the top of Pelletier’s silver head as he dashed into the hallway.
“He’s heading for the cake room!” cried Ava.
En masse, Carmela, Ava, Squirrel, Moony, and Shamus wheeled wildly in the hallway as they followed Pelletier’s mad dash into the cake room.
Pelletier glanced back at them as he dipped and dodged his way past tables laden with elaborate cakes. When he realized with a start that there was an entire posse after him, his mouth pulled into a snarl and he grabbed the end of one table. Giving a hard grunt, he heaved the table upward until it flipped over completely!
A landslide of gorgeously wrought cakes slid and toppled in a monumental rush of buttercream, devil’s food, vanilla cake, elaborate fondant, and glittering jewelry.
Carmela, who was at the head of the pack, didn’t break stride, even when she skidded dangerously through an oil slick of frosting. Now everyone was yelling, the commotion growing by leaps and bounds!
Grimacing in anger, eyes like a trapped animal, Pelletier spotted an emergency exit and hurtled his way toward it. As his hands slammed the lever that stretched across the door, a buzzer blasted loudly and the door flew open. Then Pelletier disappeared into the darkness of the night!
“Come on!” Carmela pleaded. “We have to stop him!”
“Don’t let him get away!” came Ava’s cry.
They all flew out the door after Pelletier and clattered down a short flight of metal steps.
Carmela’s heel caught in the lower rung. And just as she was about to stumble badly, Moony’s arm shot out and grabbed her. She glanced sideways at him, a quick, appreciative look, and saw that he’d somehow managed to grab the cake with the crown pendant on it. The crazy coot was hanging on to his prize and balancing it precariously as he ran!
“Are you crazy?” said Carmela.
“It’s mine!” Moony huffed, fighting to keep stride alongside her.
Pelletier hurtled down the sidewalk, his shoes sounding like firecrackers as they slapped against the pavement. Halfway down the block, Carmela spotted an Aston Martin convertible parked at the curb.
“That’s his car!” she screamed. “Don’t let him get away!”
“Nice ride!” Shamus huffed as he followed after them.
“Focus, please!” Carmela begged as they all tore down the dark street.
But Pelletier had already jumped into his car and was revving the engine. The headlights flashed on, the car let loose a throaty roar, and it started to lurch forward!
“He’s getting away!” Ava shrieked.
Red-lining his engine now, Pelletier popped it into second gear, and cranked the steering wheel hard. Just as he was about to explode out of his parking spot like a Formula One car, a burgundy Crown Victoria sluiced in front of him and blocked him!
“What the devil!” Shamus yelped as the front fender of Babcock’s car was smacked so hard it crumpled.
“It’s Babcock!” Carmela cried. Relief flooded her entire being. Her fear and anxiety were suddenly evaporating.
Babcock leapt from his car, looking handsome and stunning in his tuxedo. His ginger-colored hair was slicked back, his eyes were pinpricks of intensity, and his shoes shone in the glow from the streetlamps like a modern-day Fred Astaire action figure. The only thing that seemed out of place was the startled expression on his face.
Babcock took in Pelletier, who was still gunning his engine, trying to rock his sports car back and forth so he could push the car behind him out of the way and still make a break for it! And then he threw a questioning glance at the throng of people that was rushing toward him.
“What’s going on?” Babcock yelled. He threw his hands up and shook his head in disbelief.
“Buddy Pelletier!” Carmela cried. “He killed Jerry Earl Leland!”
“And probably Eric Zane!” Ava added.
But Pelletier was making progress, rocking to and fro, basically smashing the grill of the car behind him. Another two inches and he’d be able to squeak out and make his getaway!
“Stop him!” Ca
rmela cried. “Somebody do something!”
Moony dashed past Carmela, grim determination on his face and the cake held high above his head. Then, in a moment of pure brilliance, he reared back and hurled the cake directly at Pelletier!
The cake soared through the air like a sugar-coated missile, flipping end over end, bits of frosting flying everywhere. Then, like a scene out of a Bugs Bunny cartoon, the cake smashed directly into Pelletier’s head and exploded!
Chunks of cake flew everywhere and there was an ungodly screech of glass and grinding metal as Pelletier blindly lurched forward and locked bumpers with the car ahead of him. Bellowing like an enraged bull, Pelletier alternately howled, stomped on the gas pedal, and fought to wipe cake goo from his eyes and nose!
That was enough for Babcock. His gun was out of his shoulder harness in an instant and trained directly on Pelletier.
As Pelletier was rudely dragged from his car, Moony swept in and grabbed the crown jewel pendant, which had somehow magically draped itself on the Aston Martin’s rearview mirror!
Carmela felt a rush of adrenaline as she watched her handsome boyfriend put handcuffs on Buddy Pelletier and stuff him into the backseat of his banged-up Crown Victoria. “You got him!” she cried.
Ava was doing her victory dance in the middle of the sidewalk. “We did it! We did it. We got him! We got him!” Squirrel threw her a goofy smile and joined in, dancing and bumping hips with her.
Babcock looked around. “Anybody else need arresting?”
Carmela watched as Moony grabbed the necklace and stuffed it into the back pocket of his jeans. He turned and gave her a slightly guilty look, but she just shrugged. A small payment, she decided, for helping apprehend a dangerous killer.
“I think we’re good,” said Carmela. She beamed at Babcock. “Thank goodness you showed up when you did!”
“I think you’ve got some serious explaining to do,” Babcock told her. His gaze was stern but his voice was gentle.
Shamus ambled up. “Wow.” He pointed to the dent in the Crown Vic. “It’s a dang shame about your car.”
“Taxpayers won’t like paying for that,” Babcock agreed.
Ava let out a gasp and pointed at Carmela’s shoes. “And look at your poor shoes! They’re completely ruined!”
Carmela glanced down. Her yellow silk shoes were streaked with white frosting and dappled with pink and white cake jimmies. Chances were, she’d never dance in them again.
“Don’t worry, babe,” said Shamus, puffing out his chest, trying his best to act important. “I’ll buy you another pair.”
In an instant, Babcock was at Carmela’s side. He draped a possessive arm around her waist, pulled her close to him, and gave her a big kiss.
“No,” he said, “I’ll buy her another pair.”
Scrapbook, Stamping, and Craft Tips from Laura Childs
Dimensional Paper Images with Rubber Stamps
Take about 6 Kleenex tissues and get them nice and damp. Now lay the tissues over one of your favorite rubber stamps. (A simple image works the best—I used a teapot image.) Press carefully so the image begins to show through. Now carefully remove the tissue and let your piece dry overnight. When the embossed image is completely dry, you can cut it into any shape you want, then paint it, gild it, or leave it plain. These embossed images are a great addition to handmade cards or add interest to scrapbook pages.
Greeting Card Pockets
When you’re scrapbooking a special event—such as Christmas, Mother’s Day, etc.—why not include the greeting cards that you received? Just create a pocket on your page and stick the cards in there. Your photos from that day, along with the cards, will make for a more memorable page.
There’s Life in That Old T-Shirt!
Fun graphic emblems from the front of a T-shirt can make a great cover design for an album. Just cut them out and adhere with hot glue.
A Hot Look!
To achieve a sort of “burned” look on your photos or papers, tear the edges so they have a nice rough look, then use a brown ink pad to color the edges.
Leftover Bits of Paper
Don’t toss out all those smaller, leftover pieces of colorful scrapbook paper. Use them to make napkin rings and place cards.
Adding Instant Age
Want to make a black-and-white photo look like an heirloom? Take a wet tea bag and smear it across your photo. Depending on how much tea you smooth on, you can adjust your sepia tone from very light to a medium tone. And, of course, you have the pleasure of drinking a nice cup of tea!
Wineglass Charms
Have you seen those expensive wineglass charms that are sold in gourmet shops? You can easily create your own using a few colored beads and memory wire! You can even laminate tiny photos and use them in conjunction with your beads. Cheers!
Just Your Type
If you are creating a scrapbook page featuring a certain sport or sporting event, hunt through the sports section of your newspaper and snip out some of the various sports words. (Think WIN, VICTORY, and BIG FINISH!) Arranged as a background collage, they’ll look great with your sports photos.
Repetition’s the Thing
An image is always much more powerful when it’s repeated. For example, a stamped image of a bunny is great on your scrapbook page. But several bunnies hippity-hopping across the page is even more fun. Ditto for images such as pumpkins, hearts, or flowers.
Wraps for Gift Soaps
Small bars of handmade soap become wonderful hostess gifts when you create your own “wrap” to go around them. Just use fun paper and stamp it with images such as flowers, bubbles, or hearts. A short, hand-lettered poem would be delightful, too. For example: Soap smells so sweet when splashing bubbles with your feet.
Favorite New Orleans Recipes
Baked Shrimp with Parsley
1 lb. raw shrimp
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup oil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsps. chopped parsley
2 Tbsps. grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean, wash, and dry shrimp. Melt butter in a 9-by-13-inch pan. Add oil, garlic powder, lemon juice, salt, parsley, and Parmesan, then mix. Add shrimp and mix some more until shrimp are well coated. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes. Serve over pasta or rice. Serves 2.
Banana Nut Bars
11/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, soft
2 eggs
1 banana, very ripe, sliced
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat all ingredients except walnuts at medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in walnuts, then pour into a greased 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool and slice into bars. Excellent when topped with whipped cream!
Easy Oven-Fried Cajun Chicken
1 frying chicken, cut up
1 cup flour
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. Creole seasoning
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 cup butter, melted
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and pat chicken dry. In a large ziplock bag, combine flour, black pepper, Creole seasoning, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Add chicken and shake well until coated. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with foil and pour in butter. Place chicken in baking dish, skin side down. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Then reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for an additional 45 minutes. Chicken should be golden brown and very tender!
Grilled Peanut Butter Shrimp
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsps. olive oil
11/2 lbs. large shrimp, shelled and deveined
This recipe is perfect for outdoor grilling! In saucepan, heat and stir together peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar, and olive oil. Place shrimp on skewers and brush with peanut butter sauce. Grill over medium-hot heat for 3 minutes, then turn and grill for another 2 minutes or so, basting if needed. Serves 4.
Carmela’s Crockpot Meatloaf
1/2 cup milk
2 slices white bread
11/2 lbs. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dry mustard
2 eggs
1 (12-oz.) can whole tomatoes
Pour milk into mixing bowl and then add bread. Let stand for a few minutes until all the milk has been absorbed. Break bread into small pieces. Add ground beef, onion, salt, pepper, and dry mustard to bread mixture and mix until well combined. In separate bowl, beat eggs, then add to beef mixture. Shape beef mixture into a round loaf and place in crockpot. Drain tomatoes and pour over beef. Cover and cook on low heat for 5 to 6 hours. Before serving, uncover pot. Turn heat to high and reduce the sauce until it’s nice and thick. Serves 4.
Ava’s Juju Voodoo Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 cup peanut butter (any kind)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugar and egg together, then add in peanut butter. Form dough into 1” balls and press gently with a fork. Bake on greased baking sheet for 10 to 12 minutes. Yields 1 dozen cookies that are so easy to make, it’s practically magic!
Cajun Honey-Spiced Nuts
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsps. Cajun spice mix
4 cups mixed nuts
Melt honey and butter together in large microwave dish on high for 1 minute. Stir in spice mix, then stir in nuts until all ingredients are well mixed. Cook on high for 6 minutes, stirring nuts every 2 minutes. Spread out to cool, then enjoy.
