Desserts and Deception: A Margot Durand Cozy Mystery Page 11

  Margot had always wanted to visit El Jardín, but she’d never had the chance, until today and her first official date with the handsome detective.

  While news of the high profile case that had come to North Bank was still circulating, it had been almost a month since Jerold’s arrest. Though things were still far from being wrapped up, life in their small little town was slowly getting back to normal just in time for the fall season, but Margot wasn’t sure if it would ever be the same.

  “Here we are,” Adam said, indicating a patch of grass under a sprawling oak tree. The weather was cooler, but Margot had come prepared with a heavier sweater and jeans. As she sat, sunlight spotting their blanket, she pulled the sweater on.

  “Will it be too cold here?”

  She shook her head. “It’s perfect.”

  Adam held her gaze for a moment, as if assessing if she was telling the truth or not, then nodded once and unpacked the picnic basket.

  They ate, discussing everything and anything, though she noticed he avoided his work and the case at all costs.

  Finally, when she couldn’t take it any longer, she put her wine glass down and narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you going to tell me what happened? Or do I need to drag it out of you, Detective Eastwood?”

  “What are you talking about?” he said, coughing to cover his surprise at her direct words.

  “I’ve hardly seen you since that day in the hospital and now you’re avoiding any mention of the case. I’m curious. You know me better than that.”

  He grinned. “Not true. I saw you several times at the bakery.”

  “True,” she consented, “but you spent most of the time talking with Dexter.”

  “How’s that going by the way?”

  “Well,” she said, nodding. “He’s a very competent assistant, though a little flamboyant on his desserts. A few years under my tutelage and he’ll be a consummate professional, I'm sure.” She laughed to show him she wasn’t fully serious. “But really, he’s a fantastic addition to the bakery.”

  “A permanent addition then?”

  “I offered him a full-time position and he accepted. So yes.” She took another sip. “But no changing the subject. What happened with Jerold and Thomas?”

  “I can’t imagine you haven’t seen the news.”

  “I want the details. Nothing but the details.”

  “I knew you would.”

  She observed him but didn’t see any disappointment on his features. It was more like resignation. He knew as well as she did that if this relationship was going to move forward, he would have to come to terms with the inquisitive nature of this French pastry chef.

  “What I can tell you is that not all hope is lost.”

  “In what way?”

  “Remember right before Jerold, uh—” Adam swallowed, looking like he’d rather be discussing anything but this. “—injected himself?”

  “Yes, of course. He mentioned ‘insurance’.”

  “He did, and it’s a good thing too. Now, you can’t breathe a word of this to anyone—” Adam looked around then leaned closer. “—but he kept evidence he’d gotten from Mark before he killed him.”

  “What? How?”

  “That’s how he lured Mark to North Bank. He said he had more information for him and convinced him to come down to meet with him. Little did poor Mark know what he was getting himself into.”

  “But why wouldn’t Mark just tell him to go to the police?”

  “Jerold somehow convinced Mark that, at his age, he just wanted to live out a peaceful life. He said that Mark was already raking his name through the court system, why not take more information with him.”

  Margot nodded. It did make sense.

  “Then comes George,” Adam continued. “Apparently, before he went into painting full-time, Jerold worked at the bank were George used to make regular withdrawals. Add in some clever research and he had the perfect person to pin the murder on. With his access to Tamera’s shop, it really was a good option—though thankfully, not error proof. We saw through the ruse pretty quickly, but some were almost convinced for a while there.”

  “Like you,” she said, smirking.

  He shrugged. “I go where the facts take me.”

  Then something else occurred to her. “Whatever happened to Harry?”

  Now Adam leaned back and chuckled. “Poor Harry.”

  “You can’t seriously mean that.”

  “I don’t.” Adam grew serious. “We caught him trying to leave town and have tried him for extortion, among other things. He’ll spend some time in prison, that’s for sure.”

  “I did talk with Tamera a few weeks ago and she said that George talked with Sarah and everything is out in the open now with no adverse effects. I suppose Harry is out of luck for blackmail in the future.”

  “Speaking of the future.” Adam looked down at her and suddenly the stiff breeze did nothing to cool her heating cheeks. Something inside of her churned nervously and she looked down to fumble with the checkered blanket that they both sat on.

  “Margot,” Adam said, drawing her gaze back to his.

  “Adam, I—”

  “Would you like to go to the Fall Street Festival in D.C. with me next weekend?”

  Immediately, her face filled with heat again. He was asking her to a street festival. Another date. Not…well, she wasn’t sure what she’d thought he was going to say, but that wasn’t important right now. Now that the danger was passed and her friend’s husband was free, she could think of those other things.

  And she did so now with a smile. “I’d love to.”

  He returned her smile as if he knew her internal struggle and was merely shaking his head at her leaping to conclusions, but all he said was, “Good. It’s a date.”

  Thanks for reading Desserts and Deception. I hope you enjoyed reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you did, it would be awesome if you left a review for me on Amazon and/or Goodreads.

  If you would like to know about future cozy mysteries by me and the other authors at Fairfield Publishing, make sure to sign up for our Cozy Mystery Newsletter. We will send you our FREE Cozy Mystery Starter Library just for signing up. All the details are on the next page.

  As a special surprise, I have included a recipe for one of the treats that was featured in the book. You will find that recipe right after the newsletter information.

  Lastly, at the very end of the book, I have included a couple previews of books by friends and fellow authors at Fairfield Publishing. First is a preview of A Pie to Die For by Stacey Alabaster - it’s part of the popular Bakery Detectives Cozy Mystery series. Second is a preview of Murder in the Mountains by M. Lancaster. I really hope you like the samples. If you do, both books are available on Amazon.

  FairfieldPublishing.com/pie-to-die-for

  FairfieldPublishing.com/murder-in-mountains

  FAIRFIELD COZY MYSTERY NEWSLETTER

  Make sure you sign up for the Fairfield Cozy Mystery Newsletter so you can keep up with our latest releases. When you sign up, we will send you our FREE Cozy Mystery Starter Library!

  FairfieldPublishing.com/cozy-newsletter/

  After you sign up to get your Free Starter Library, turn the page and check out the free previews :)

  Recipe

  Religieuse

  A religious is a French pastry made up of two pastries filled with pastry cream, chocolate ganache and whip cream. This is not a quick and easy treat to make, but it will impress the heck out of anyone you serve them to :)

  Ingredients

  •60g/2¼oz butter, cut into cubes

  •75g/2½oz plain flour

  •2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten

  For the crème pâtissière filling

  •500ml/18fl oz full-fat milk

  •1 vanilla pod, seeds only

  •6 medium free-range egg yolks

  •75g/2½oz caster sugar

  •20g/¾oz cornflour

  •25g/1oz
plain flour

  For the chocolate ganache icing

  •150ml/5fl oz double cream

  •200g/7oz plain chocolate (around 36% cocoa solids) broken into pieces

  For the collar

  •150ml/5fl oz double cream

  Recipe

  1.Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and draw onto it eight circles 5cm/2in wide and another eight circles 2.5cm/1in wide. Put the butter in a heavy-based saucepan with 150ml/5fl oz of water and heat over a medium heat until the butter melts. Bring the mixture to the boil and then immediately remove from the heat.

  2.Quickly tip in the flour. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a soft ball. Return to the heat and cook over a low heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly.

  3.Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Gradually add the eggs, beating well between each addition to form a smooth, shiny paste. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm/ ½in plain nozzle.

  4.Pipe round discs onto the baking tray in the marked circles and, using a damp finger, smooth over the top of each disc. Bake in the centre of the oven for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 190C/375F/Gas 5 and cook for a further 10-15 minutes. Remove the choux buns from the oven and pierce each bun with a skewer to allow the steam to escape. Return to the oven for 4-5 minutes to dry out. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.

  5.For the crème pâtissière filling, pour the milk and vanilla seeds into a heavy-based pan and bring gradually to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 30 seconds. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar until pale, then whisk in the cornflour and plain flour. Pour the vanilla-infused milk onto the eggs, whisking continuously, then pour back into the pan.

  6.Bring back to the boil, whisking continuously over a medium heat and cook for one minute. Pour the crème pâtissière into a bowl. Cover the surface with cling film to prevent a skin from forming and leave to cool. Transfer to the fridge to chill.

  7.For the chocolate ganache icing, bring the cream to the boil in a small pan. Remove from the heat. Add the chocolate and stir until melted and shiny. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool. Transfer the fridge to chill until the ganache has thickened to a spreadable consistency.

  8.To assemble the religieuse, spoon the cold crème pâtissière into a piping bag fitted with a long thin nozzle (or alternatively you can use a jam syringe). Fill the choux buns with the crème pâtissière.

  9.Dip the filled buns into the chocolate ganache to coat half-way up the sides. Sit the small buns on top of the larger buns.

  10.For the collars, whip the cream in a mixing bowl until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed from the bowl. Spoon the cream into a piping bag fitted with a small star nozzle. Pipe lines of cream around the join where the small bun sits on top of the large bun to form a collar.

  Recipe Source:

  http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/religieuse_46431

  Part I

  Book Previews

  Preview: A Pie to Die For

  "But you don't understand, I use only the finest, organic ingredients." My voice was high-pitched as I pleaded my case to the policeman. Oh, this was just like an episode of Criminal Point. Hey, I wondered who the killer turned out to be. I shook my head. That's not important, Rachael, I scolded myself. What's important is getting yourself off this murder charge. Still, I hoped Pippa had recorded the ending of the episode.

  I tried to steady my breathing as Jackson—Detective Whitaker—entered the room and threw a folder on the table, before studying the contents as though he was cramming for a test he had to take the next day. He rubbed his temples and frowned.

  Is he even going to make eye contact with me? Is he just going to completely ignore the interaction we had at the fair? Pretend it never even happened.

  "Jackson..." I started, before I was met with a steely glare. "Detective. Surely you can't think I had anything to do with this?"

  Jackson looked up at me slowly. "Had you ever had any contact with Mrs. Batters before today?"

  I shifted in my seat. "Yes," I had to admit. "I knew her a little from the store. She was always quite antagonistic towards me, but I'd never try to kill her!"

  "Witnesses near the scene said that you two had an argument." He gave me that same steely glare. Where was the charming, flirty, sweet guy I'd meet earlier? He was now buried beneath a suit and a huge attitude.

  "Well...it wasn't an argument...she was just...winding me up, like she always does."

  Jackson shot me a sharp look. "So, she was annoying you? Was she making you angry?"

  "Well... Well..." I tripped over my words. He was now making me nervous for an entirely different reason than he had earlier. Those butterflies were back, but now they felt like daggers.

  Come on, Rach. Everyone knows that the first suspect in Criminal Point is not the one that actually did it.

  But how many people had Jackson already interviewed? Maybe he was saving me for last. Gosh, maybe my cherry pie had actually killed the woman!

  "Answer the question please, Miss Robinson."

  "Not angry, no. I was just frustrated."

  "Frustrated?" A smile curled at his lips before he pounced. "Frustrated with Mrs. Batters?"

  "No! The situation. Come on—you were there!" I tried to appeal to his sympathies, but he remained a brick wall.

  "It doesn't matter whether I was there or not. That is entirely besides the point." He said the words a little too forcefully.

  I swallowed. "I couldn't get any customers to try my cakes, and Bakermatic was luring everyone away with their free samples." I stopped as my brows shot up involuntarily. "Jackson! Sorry, Detective. Mrs. Batters ate at Bakermatic as well!"

  My words came out in a stream of breathless blabber as I raced to get them out. "Bakermatic must be to blame! They cut corners, they use cheap ingredients. Oh, and I know how much Mrs. Batters loved their food! She was always eating there. Believe me, she made that very clear to me."

  Jackson sat back and folded his arms across his chest. "Don't try to solve this case for us."

  I sealed my lips. Looks like I might have to at this rate.

  "We are investigating every place Mrs. Batters ate today. You don't need to worry about that."

  I leaned forward and banged my palm on the table. "But I do need to worry about it! This is my job, my livelihood…my life on the line. If people think I am to blame, that will be the final nail in my bakery's coffin!" Oh, what a day. And I'd thought it was bad enough that I hadn't gotten any customers at my stand. Now I was being accused of killing a woman!

  I could have sworn I saw a flicker of sympathy finally crawl across Jackson's face. He stood up and readjusted his tie, but he still refused to make full eye contact. "You're free to go, Miss Robinson," he said gently. There was that tone from earlier, finally. He seemed recognizable as a human at long last.

  "Really?"

  He nodded. "For the moment. But we might have some more questions for you later, so don't leave town."

  I tried to make eye contact with him as I left, squirreling out from underneath his arm as he held the door open for me, but he just kept staring at the floor.

  Did that mean he wasn't coming back to my bakery after all?

  Pippa was still waiting for me when I returned home later that evening. There was a chill in the air, which meant that I headed straight for a blanket and the fireplace when I finally crawled in through the door. Pippa shot me a sympathetic look as I curled up and crumbled in front of the flames. How had today gone so wrong, so quickly?

  "I recorded the last part of the show," Pippa said softly. "If you're up for watching it."

  I groaned and lay on the carpet, my back straight against the floor like I was a little kid. "I don't think I can stomach it after what I just went through. Can you believe it? Accusing ME of killing Mrs. Batters? When I know that Bakermatic is to blame. I
mean, Pippa, they must be! But this detective wouldn't even listen to me when I was trying to explain Bakermatic's dodgy practices to him."

  Pippa leaned forward and took the lid off a pot, the smell of the brew hitting my nose. "Pippa, what is that?"

  She grinned and stirred it, which only made the smell worse. I leaned back and covered my nose. "Thought it might be a bit heavy for you. I basically took every herb, tea, and spice that you had in your cabinet and came up with this! I call it 'Pippa's Delight'!"

  "Yeah well, it doesn't sound too delightful." I sat up and scrunched up my nose. "Oh, what the heck—pour me a cup."

  "Are you sure?" Pippa asked with a cheeky grin.

  "Go on. I'll be brave."

  I braced myself as the brown liquid hit the white mug.

  It was as disgusting as I had imagined, but at least it made me laugh when the pungent concoction hit my tongue. Pippa always had a way of cheering me up. If it wasn't her unusual concoctions, or her ever changing hair color—red this week but pink the last, and purple a week before that—then it was her never-ending array of careers and job changes that entertained me and kept me on my toes. When you're trying to run your own business, forced to be responsible day in and day out, you have to live vicariously through some of your more free-spirited friends. And Pippa was definitely that: free-spirited.

  "Hey!" I said suddenly, as an idea began to brew in my brain. I didn't know if it was the tea that suddenly brought all my senses to life or what it was, but I found myself slamming my mug on the table with new found enthusiasm. "Pippa, have you got a job at the moment?" I could never keep up with Pippa's present state of employment.