Grave Expectations on Dickens' Dune
Page 16
She’d also called Hank and told him about the written confession from Wendy Ballard and urged him to get to San Luis Obispo and stake his claim on Mark Viceroy. She figured the local police would already have him in custody. Then she drove to our resort hoping to meet us when we returned with Allen’s bag.
“I was interviewing the woman who was with Jimmy Dunn at Dickens’ Dune. It took her a day to work up her courage, but she came to report that something wasn’t right about a man she met while hiking. She took off, and then couldn’t stop worrying about the woman with a Dalmatian on the trail ahead of them. Anyway, once Charly called, I had someone else finish taking her statement. When we got to town and learned that Mark Viceroy had eluded the police at the clinic, we came here to warn you. I should scold you about the risks you took, but what good would it do?” Hank said, and then looked at me. “I’m glad you’re all okay. What would I do with my free time if you weren’t around to stir up trouble and keep life interesting?” I smiled as I met his gaze. Harold must have had enough of the chit chat and made his pitch to take possession of the items we’d found in the bottom of the suitcase.
In the end, the prize went to the representatives from the U.S. Treasury. They pulled rank on Hank and claimed that the contents of Allen Rogow’s suitcase wouldn’t have any bearing on any case he’d pursue against Mark Viceroy in California. They removed the metal box from the bottom of the suitcase and left the rest for Judith Rogow. This time when we put all his stuff back in it, I noticed a badge with the lightning symbol on a tag hanging from the handle of the suitcase. I pointed it out to Midge who nodded.
“That’s the one I was talking about when we were in Elizabeth’s hotel room.”
“You should take a look at this, Miriam,” Joe said, handing me the note delivered with the candy. Even though Ricardo was long gone, I still felt uneasy about opening it. That could have been because about a dozen people were staring at me. When I pulled out the sheet of paper that was folded up inside, I had to laugh as I held it up.
“Push me over with a feather!” Neely exclaimed. This copy of the phony promissory note was stamped in big red letters: PAID IN FULL. There was a little handwritten note with it.
“Please excuse the ill-mannered way in which Jimmy Dunn approached you. He overreached the authority of the position he held and betrayed his employer’s trust. It won’t happen again.”
Ricardo had that right. In that moment, I hoped I’d seen the last of the handsome, well-mannered lawyer. The only handsome, blue-eyed man I wanted to see again was standing in the room. I caught Hank gazing at me and gave him a smile that I hoped conveyed the gratitude I felt that he’d made my life more interesting, too.
Even though we had a lovely evening celebrating the fact that we’d done what Judith had asked us to do, I didn’t really feel as if we’d closed the case until we attended a burial ceremony for Allen several weeks later. Hank and I had become an “item,” after we showed up at the Sheriff’s Department fundraiser together. He stood at my side as we watched Judith and her children place Allen in his final resting place. The Army had sent a letter of commendation in gratitude for his role in keeping those plates out of the wrong hands, although they didn’t mention the specifics of the operation. They arranged to bury him with military honors for extraordinary service to his country. Charly must have had a hand in making sure Allen got the recognition he deserved.
After the ceremony, the ever-gracious Judith thanked us all for making the ceremony possible. Then, she noticed that Nick Martinique and Elizabeth Stockton were standing some distance away, watching the ceremony. That may have had something to do with the fact that they weren’t alone. Apparently, Fleck had found a new home. I was overjoyed since I hadn’t heard the news. I’d asked Denver Clemons to see if the foster parent thought Nick was a good fit to adopt the big guy. I was also touched when Judith embraced Nick and Elizabeth as if all was forgiven.
Getting closure with law enforcement wasn’t going to be as quick. Mark offered to come clean about all sorts of things in the hope of cutting a deal that might keep him alive and get him the kidney he needed. It was still too soon to know how well that would work out for him, or how much of what he had to say we’d ever hear. It was a relief that he was behind bars even in his greatly diminished state, although even the scariest psychopath can’t escape the fact that, according to Dickens, death is a mighty, universal truth.
By then, we were up to our necks in several more investigations, although nothing as complex or far-reaching as those that had gone on at the Shakespeare Cottage or Dickens’ Dune, but a little bit of quiet was a welcome relief. As so often happens, I had no way of knowing it was the calm before the storm.
~THE END~
THANK YOU!
Thanks for reading Grave Expectations on Dickens’ Dune. I hope you’ll take a minute to leave me a review on Amazon, Bookbub, and Goodreads! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, I’d like to invite you to check them out. What’s next for G.O.L.D. and Charly’s Angels?
In A Fairway to Arms at Hemingway Hills Seaview Cottages Mystery #4, there’s big trouble at The Blue Haven Resort & Spa. One of Marty Monroe’s old contacts at the resort begs G.O.L.D. for help after a mishap on the golf course at the exclusive Hemingway Hills Country Club. A man is killed during a heist when a cache of arms is stolen from the guards who patrol the private enclave. When they learn the identity of the murdered man, how can they say no?
Recipes
Amish Tomato Pie
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
2 cups Bisquick or substitute*
1/2 cup milk
2-3 medium tomatoes, sliced
1 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped fine
1 teaspoon parsley, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon oregano, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix Bisquick or the substitute and milk into a dough. Press the dough into the bottom of 9-inch pie pan.
Cover the crust with a layer of sliced tomatoes.
Combine herbs with sugar, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle evenly over the tomatoes.
Mix mayonnaise and cheddar cheese and then spread over the tomatoes and herbs.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until the pie is a golden, brown color.
*Bisquick substitute
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
Sift flour into a bowl and whisk in baking powder and salt until well-mixed. Cut butter into flour mixture using a pastry cutter until evenly combined.
Sour Cream Coffee Cake
12 3” X 3” servings
Ingredients
Filling/topping
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
Cake
1/2 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
Preparation
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9” x 13” pan.
Blend all the ingredients for the filling/topping and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter and the sugars together. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Add the vanilla and mix again.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Add one-third of the dry mix to the wet mix and
blend. Then add half of the sour cream and blend. Add another third of the dry ingredients and stir again. Add the rest of the sour cream, stir, and then add the remaining flour mixture. Blend everything one last time.
Pour half the batter into the prepared pan. Then use half of the filling/topping mixture to cover the batter. Add the rest of the batter to the pan and cover it with the remaining filling/topping mixture.
Bake for about 40 minutes—until the topping is brown and the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. If in doubt, insert a toothpick and if it comes out clean, the cake is done.
Earl Grey Doughnuts with Brown Butter Glaze
6 Donuts
Ingredients
For the doughnuts
1/2 cup sparkling clear lemonade
1 teaspoon earl grey tea leaves
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1/3 cup superfine sugar
2 teaspoons dry yeast
4 egg yolks
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons coffee sugar or Demerara sugar
For the brown butter glaze
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, chopped
2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1/4 cup boiling water
Preparation
Place the lemonade, tea and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat until just warm. Place the flour, superfine sugar and yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the warm lemonade mixture and egg yolks and beat until just combined. Add the butter and cream and beat on medium speed for 6–8 minutes or until a smooth dough is formed. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a clean damp tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour–1 hour 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper or use a silicon baking sheet. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/2-inch thick. Using a 3.5-inch round cookie cutter, lightly dusted in flour, cut 6 rounds from the dough. Place on the tray, allowing room for them to spread. Using a 1.5-inch round cutter, lightly dusted in flour, cut and remove the center of each round. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes or until risen.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the doughnuts for 8–10 minutes or until golden brown and puffed.
While the doughnuts are baking, make the brown butter glaze. Place the butter in a small non-stick frying pan over medium heat and stir until melted. Cook for 3 minutes or until golden brown with a nutty fragrance. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the sugar and water and mix to combine.
Before the doughnuts cool completely, dip the top half of each doughnut into the glaze and place on a wire rack. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar and allow to stand for 10 minutes or until set, before serving.
Rainbow Antipasto Pasta Salad
Serves 10
Ingredients
1-pound dry rainbow rotini pasta
8 ounces diced Italian salami like Genoa, Calabrese, Napoli or Soppressata
8 ounces mozzarella, diced
8 ounces provolone cheese, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 can artichoke hearts,
1/2 cup each kalamata olives, pepperoncini peppers, & roasted red peppers.
1/2 small red onion, sliced thin
Vinaigrette
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon oregano—dried or fresh
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
Preparation
Cook the pasta in salty water according to package directions until al dente. Drain pasta and rinse under cold water for about 20-30 seconds.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta and antipasto ingredients.
Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together, pour over salad ingredients and combine. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate—can be prepared a day or two in advance.
Barramundi with Pineapple Citrus Salsa
Serves 6
Ingredients
Fish
6 4-ounce portions of barramundi
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
Citrus Salsa
2 small oranges, mandarins, tangerines, or clementines peeled, segmented, and diced
1/4 cup fresh pineapple or pineapple chunks canned in its own juice
4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 small red onion, finely diced
Instructions
Fish
Preheat the broiler to high and adjust the oven rack 6 to 8 inches from the heat source.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Mix the oil, salt, pepper, and paprika together in a small bowl and place the fish filets onto the baking sheet.
Rub the fish filets with the marinade by hand or with a brush.
Broil fish for 8 minutes and set aside to lightly cool while preparing the salsa.
Pineapple Citrus Salsa
Using a small knife or paring knife, cut orange into segments, and dice. Add pineapple and mix.
Whisk together cilantro, lime juice, garlic, oil, salt and pepper. Stir in pomegranate seeds, onions and oranges.
Spoon the salsa over the fish and serve.
Crème Brûlée
Ingredients
2 cups heavy or light cream, or half-and-half
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar, more for topping
Preparation
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a saucepan, combine cream, vanilla bean and salt and cook over low heat just until hot. Let sit for a few minutes, then discard vanilla bean or if using vanilla extract, add it now.
In a bowl, beat yolks and sugar together until light. Stir about a quarter of the cream into this mixture, then pour sugar-egg mixture into cream and stir.
Pour into four 6-ounce ramekins and place ramekins in a baking dish; fill dish with boiling water halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until centers are barely set. Cool completely. Refrigerate for several hours and up to a couple of days.
When ready to serve, top each custard with about a teaspoon of sugar in a thin layer. Place ramekins in a broiler 2 to 3 inches from heat source. Turn on broiler. Cook until sugar melts and browns or even blackens a bit, about 5 minutes. Serve within two hours.
About the Author
An award-winning, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, I hope you’ll join me snooping into life's mysteries with fun, fiction, and food—California style!
Life is an extravaganza! Figuring out how to hang tough and make the most of the wild ride is the challenge. On my way to Oahu, to join the rock musician and high school drop-out I had married in Tijuana, I was nabbed as a runaway. Eventually, the police let me go, but the rock band broke up.
Retired now, I’m still married to the same sweet guy and live with him near Palm Springs, California. I write the Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery series set here in the Coachella Valley, the Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery Series set along California’s Central Coast, The Georgie Shaw Mystery series set in the OC, The Seaview Cottages Cozy Mystery Series set just north of the so-called American Riviera near Santa Barbara, and The Calla Lily Mystery series w
here the murder and mayhem take place in California’s Wine Country. Won’t you join me? Sign up at: http://desertcitiesmystery.com.