Scones and bones, p.24
Scones & Bones, page 24
Being ever so careful, Theodosia jacked one foot up onto the window ledge, grasped the sill with her hands, and pulled herself through.
Her bare toes hit a threadbare carpet as the smell of coffee, mildew, and fish assaulted her nose.
Now what? Now that she was inside, what was her next move?
She tiptoed to the back bedroom. Somewhere, in a cop show probably, she'd seen how officers had cleared the scene. So that was what she did. Checked carefully, made sure nobody was hiding anywhere.
Nobody was hiding. And a good thing for that. So the next thing ... where was Haley?
"Haley!" Theodosia called in a hoarse whisper. "Are you here?" She checked a front closet, then looked behind a sagging old sofa.
"Haley!" she called again, this time a little louder. A noise overhead. A kind of thump. Then a voice.
"Theodosia!”
Theodosia's head cranked back, and she scanned the ceiling. A crawl space. Has to be a crawl space. "Haley? Are you up there?"
"Help!" came Haley's faint voice. "Get me out of here!"
"Haley," said Theodosia, "where's Grace? Is he up there with you?"
"Outside!" came Haley's cry. "I think he went outside."
"First things first," said Theodosia. "Let's get you down from there."
Standing on her tiptoes, Theodosia lifted her arms in the air and felt around. As she batted the air, a rope swished against her forearm. Quick as a snapping turtle, Theodosia grabbed the rope and gave it a good yank. Slowly, a narrow wooden stairway dropped from the ceiling.
Theodosia was up the stairs in a matter of seconds.
Haley was curled up on a dirty mattress, hands tied behind her. She was shaking and making little mewling sounds, though she was probably unaware she was doing so.
"Got to get these knots undone," Theodosia said, picking at them frantically. But Grace hadn't tied Haley with ordinary rope; he'd used some kind of plastic cord. Which meant the knots were tight and the cord was slippery.
"Hurry!" urged Haley.
"Working as fast as I can, honey." Theodosia struggled with the knots, worrying about Peter Grace, wondering about Tidwell. She fumbled in the dark, frustrated and nervous.
"Plan B," said Theodosia. "We're leaving right now." She helped Haley to her feet and then down the stairs, hands still tied behind her back. The important thing, she decided, was to get outside, get into Tidwell's view so if anything happened, he'd have their back.
"Where's Grace?" Theodosia asked as they hit the last step.
"I don't know," Haley whimpered. "He went running out of here like five minutes ago. I think he's got a boat out back. Maybe even a shrimp boat? I crawled over to the upstairs window and peeked out. I think I saw one of those boats with the big riggers and nets."
Could Grace have taken off in a boat? Theodosia wondered. Absolutely, he could have. He could be making his way down the coast right now, running silently, floating along on the currents. Or he could be pushing further inland, where streams led to more turgid, blackwater swamps.
Theodosia tiptoed to the open window and looked out. Where the heck was Tidwell? What was taking him so long? Did he call for backup or was he waiting for backup?
Maybe, instead of leading Haley out the front door, she should stash her somewhere. Keep her safe for the time being, until she located Tidwell.
"Change of plan," said Theodosia. She pushed Haley into the tiny space behind the kitchen door. "Stay there, and don't make a sound no matter what!"
Padding softly to the open window, Theodosia gazed out. Her eyes were much more accustomed to the dark now, her night vision almost perfect.
There was Tidwell, standing not twenty feet away from her, talking softly into his cell phone. She opened her mouth to call out, her tongue curling to form a T-when a shadow seemed to flicker within her range of vision.
Theodosia blinked, wondering if she'd really seen anything at all, or if it had been a trick of moon and clouds. And then she saw Peter Grace, right hand extended low, gripping a pistol and slowly sneaking up behind Tidwell. Theodosia sucked air in sharply. What to do? If she yelled, Grace would turn and fire at her. Then he'd probably spin and shoot Tidwell as well.
But she had to do something-anything!-to stop him! Her eyes lit upon a rusted harpoon mounted to the wall. A weapon. Then they flicked to the bookcase next. Two skull cups rested there side by side! But which one was the real skull cup and which one the fake?
Didn't matter. Theodosia snatched the nearest one and balanced it in her right hand for a split second. Then she coiled like a major league pitcher and let loose her best fastball.
The skull cup rocketed out the window, tumbling end over end, evil eye winking back at her.
And just as Peter Grace brought the gun level with Tidwell's head ... just as he was about to pull the trigger, the skull cup smacked him in the side of the head.
Whack!
And shattered into a dozen pieces.
Stunned, his jaw fractured instantly, Grace threw his right hand straight up into the air. He fired a single, ineffective shot, then dropped like a sack of potatoes.
30
Theodosia leaned over the handcuffed form of Peter Grace.
"I'm going to drag your sorry carcass to hell," she snarled at him. She was angry as a rabid dog, shaking like a frightened rabbit. "You're going to pay for what you did to Camilla and Rob!"
"Stop," Tidwell warned, "it's over."
"It's not over," Theodosia protested. "It's not!" She was bubbling and seething, feeling as if molten magma might explode from inside her at any moment. She was prepared to grab a dull butter knife and disembowel Peter Grace if necessary!
It wasn't necessary.
Detective Tidwell really did have things under control. Along with his brothers in blue from the Johns Island Sheriff's Department.
Handcuffs rattled and shotguns racked amid the red and blue pulsing lights of a half-dozen official vehicles. Grace was transported, mumbling and moaning, but securely handcuffed to a gurney, into a waiting ambulance. The ambulance roared away with little fanfare.
Of course the event was capped off with a good amount of hand shaking and back slapping among law enforcement. Hoo-ya, Theodosia thought, standing on the narrow boardwalk with Haley and feeling utterly drained.
Ten minutes later, they were bumping their way back to Charleston. Theodosia, Haley, and Tidwell. Nobody said much on the drive back, though Theodosia and Haley sat in the backseat and held hands.
In fact, nobody uttered a peep until they pulled up to the side portico of Timothy Neville's grand home.
Theodosia peered out sleepily. "Why are we stopping here?" She was so exhausted she felt like she was talking in slow motion.
"We've been summoned for a command performance," Tidwell told her. He'd ridden all the way back with a cardboard box sitting on the passenger seat beside him. Contents: one skull cup and the fragments of one completely destroyed skull cup.
"Summoned here?" said Haley. She, too, looked puzzled.
"There are, apparently, people who are concerned about you," said Tidwell. "People who care." He let loose a delicate snort that could have been a legitimate sinus issue or a Tidwellian put down.
Then Drayton was pulling open the car door and helping Haley out. He hugged Haley tightly, then handed her off to Brooke, who immediately swept her into her arms. Then he reached in to assist Theodosia.
Theodosia crawled out gingerly.
"Back again safe and sound," exclaimed Drayton. He look rattled but infinitely relieved.
"Safe," said Timothy Neville, gazing at a somewhat dazed Haley. "I don't know how sound they are."
"I'm okay," said Haley, who promptly broke into tears.
"Dear girl," said Timothy, "shall I call my personal physician?"
Haley sniffled loudly, then wiped at her eyes and shook her head. "You know a doctor who makes house calls?" she croaked. She remained shaken but awfully impressed.
"If you need him, he certainly will," said Timothy. He peered at her carefully. "Do you need him?"
"No," said Haley, in a small voice.
"Inside, then," said Timothy, trying his best to shuttle everyone into his home.
"I'm sorry about your birthday present," Theodosia told Drayton. "Sorry about your Fitz and Floyd teapot."
"I'm sure we'll find another one," said Drayton.
"Looks like the party's over," Theodosia said, as they stepped inside. She was still agitated, and exhaustion was closing in on her fast.
"Not for you, it isn't," Drayton murmured.
Theodosia tottered down the center hallway, her brain running a constant loop that asked, Where'd all the people go? Where'd they go? Clearly the party was over, save for a few of the catering staff who were busily cleaning up.
"There's someone here who urgently needs to see you," Drayton told her.
Theodosia stopped in her tracks. "You're not going to make me talk to Nick Van Buren right now, are you?" It was the last thing she wanted to do.
"Theodosia!" called a voice, soft and urgent. Then an amazing-looking man emerged from the side parlor. Theodosia was pleasantly stunned and suddenly alert. "Max?" she said. She ducked her head and looked at Drayton. "Why is Max here?" she asked.
Drayton gave a genial shrug.
Theodosia switched her gaze to Max. "Why are you here?" "Drayton called me," said Max. With a minimum of effort, he looped an arm around Theodosia's waist and gingerly helped her into the front parlor. Whispering softly, he treated her as if she were a priceless Dresden figurine.
"I thought you might need help getting home," Drayton explained as he followed them in. His expression was one of pure innocence, but his voice held a hint of merriment.
Easing Theodosia down onto a damask-covered sofa, Max settled in next to her and fixed her with a loving but worried gaze. "When Drayton called me," he said, grasping Theodosia's hand, "and told me about your ordeal ... I was stunned! I had to come over . . ." He gazed at her earnestly. "I had to make sure you were really okay."
She gazed at him with tenderness. "Thank you. I am okay."
"Ah," Timothy exclaimed with gusto, as Tidwell strode into the room carrying his cardboard box. "Our prodigal piece has been returned to us."
"What I really want to know," said Haley, trying to stifle a yawn, "is which skull cup did Theo hurl at Peter Grace? The real one or the fake one?"
"Yes," said Brooke, who'd just heard the whole story firsthand from Tidwell, "which one?"
Timothy whisked the box out of Tidwell's hands and grasped it with his bony fingers. He cocked his small head to one side and said, "Does it really matter? Since everything is being returned to storage immediately."
"All of it?" said Haley.
Timothy nodded. “Absolutely. First thing tomorrow."
"The whole enchilada?" Brooke murmured.
"Every single fragment," said Timothy, a mirthless grin splitting his face.
"So the skull cups will never be heard from again?" asked Drayton. He seemed unsettled by Timothy's decision.
"Not for another forty or fifty years," Timothy assured him. "Not until one of my successors pulls this box out one day and wonders what on earth this skull business was all about." He rapped his knuckles on the top of the box, as if to reinforce the finality of his decision.
"Then what about the treasure?" asked Drayton, unwilling to let the subject matter go.
"Probably lost forever," said Timothy. "Lost to the ages.”
"You think that's wise?" Drayton asked. "To simply deepsix everything?"
"Of course it is," said Tidwell with a big cat growl. "Because the case is closed." He laced his hands in front of his stomach, looking pompously pleased. "The murder's been solved."
"What do you think?" Drayton asked Theodosia. "About banishing the skull cups to storage?"
"I think," said Theodosia, snuggling closer to Max, "it has all the makings of a good old-fashioned mystery!"
FAVORITE RECIPES FROM
The Indigo Tea Shop
Chilled Peach and Ginger Soup
3 1/2 lb. fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
PUREE the peaches and ginger in a food processor. Then slowly add the heavy cream. Chill and serve cold.
Haley's Proprietary Lemon Scones
3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 Tbsp. water
PREHEAT the oven to 400 degrees F. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the lemon zest and sugar, using a spoon to firmly grind it all together. Add the sugar to the flour mixture and mix well. Cut the butter into the mixture until you get an even, crumbly consistency. Mix in the nuts, if using. Pour in the buttermilk and stir thoroughly until the mixture forms a dense dough. Take a good-sized lump of dough and gently form it into a triangular scone shape. Place the scone on a baking sheet lined with parchment, then continue forming scones until the mixture is used up. Whisk the egg with the water to form an egg wash, then brush the egg wash on top of each scone. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden-brown.
Easy Chai Tiramisu
1 can (14 fl. oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 package (3.3 oz.) white chocolate instant pudding mix
1 cup cold water
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. whipped topping
1 1/4 cups chai tea
1/4 cup Kahlua
1 Sara Lee pound cake
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
COMBINE the condensed milk, pudding mix, and water, then let chill for 30 minutes. When the mixture is chilled, beat in the cream cheese, then fold in the whipped topping. Combine the chai and Kahlua and reserve. Slice the pound cake into 1/2 inch slices and place one layer in a large glass bowl. Add a layer of the chai mixture, then layer in the pudding mixture. Then sprinkle on some unsweetened cocoa. Repeat the layers, then cover and chill for at least 6 hours. Enjoy!
Tomato and Basil Dip
1 1/2 cups fresh basil, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
2 cups fine, dry bread crumbs 2 garlic cloves, mashed
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
IN a medium bowl, combine the basil, tomatoes, bread crumbs, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Add a little more olive oil if needed for a creamy consistency, then serve with your favorite chips or crackers.
Cheesy Bruschetta
3 Tbsp. olive oil
4 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
8 oz. cream cheese
4 oz. herb and garlic feta cheese
1 loaf sourdough or Italian bread, thickly sliced
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
HEAT the olive oil in a saucepan, then add the tomatoes and basil. Saute lightly until slightly tender. In a small bowl, blend the cream cheese and feta cheese. Place slices of sourdough bread on a cookie sheet and toast very lightly under the broiler. Remove the toast from the broiler and spread with the feta cheese blend, then top with the tomato-basil mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and toast under the broiler again until bubbly. Serve immediately.
Miss Dimple's Favorite Tea Cakes
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose white flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
PREHEAT the oven to 325 degrees F. Cream the sugar and butter, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and vanilla and mix to form a dough. Knead the dough on a floured board, then pat it out gently to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out the tea cakes with a cookie cutter or glass. Bake for S minutes on a greased baking sheet. Serve hot with butter and jam.
Goat Cheese Truffles
6 oz. goat cheese
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup chopped dates
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
MAKE 36 small 3/4-inch rounds of cheese using a melon ball scoop. Then roll 12 of them in the almonds, 12 in the dates, and 12 in the basil. These are a great accompaniment to tea sandwiches or mini quiches. Note: You can use any type of soft cheese, including cream cheese or Rondele, and you can substitute chopped pecans for the almonds.
Couscous Salad
1/2 cucumber, chopped
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup boiling water
1 cup couscous
1 Tbsp. chicken stock
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled Salt and pepper, to taste
MIX the cucumber, onion, and vinegar in a bowl and let marinate for 20 minutes. In a second bowl, add the boiling water to the couscous and chicken stock. Mix well and let cool. Once the couscous is cool, add the cucumber mixture, tomatoes, and olive oil. Gently stir in the feta cheese and add salt and pepper to taste.
Old-Fashioned Crumpets
2 tsp. honey
1/2 cup warm water
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
