Truffle Me Not: Baker by Day ,Sleuth on the Side (Cupid's Catering Company Book 2)

by M K Scott

  “I don’t know.” Della found it hard to imagine someone gutsy enough to take a cat from a woman’s lap. The cat owner could be packing heat, or the bad guys could be planning to kill Vanessa. The possibility made her shiver. The cat should be visible, but not in the lap—possibly behind her, allowing the thieves to snatch the cat without anyone being the wiser.

  Helen harumphed. “You’re clearly not a cat owner. Snatch a cat and it will yowl.”

  The flickering light of the television made it difficult to see each other’s faces, but Della settled a questioning gaze on Helen, who offered no explanation about how her cat vanished without her knowing. The catnappers probably offered food, and Prince Purrfection waddled off for a taste of fresh Atlantic Salmon or whatever cats preferred.

  Finally, the woman said, “Chloroform might be used, which I don’t even want to think about. It would be used on the owner. Too much could kill a cat.”

  There was no reason to mention the perps had no real interest in the cat, just any money associated with it or its collar.

  They agreed to let the stuffed cat sleep in the light of the television, which would occasionally reflect on the glittery collar. The women hid themselves around the house, placing their phones on silent.

  Kyle had installed doorbell cameras on Vanessa’s home, too, when asked. This allowed them to watch the front door from their phones. They all crouched in different places, waiting. As the youngest, Della volunteered to be in the hallway leading to the living room and the bait. Beside her sat an uncapped can of wasp spray, rumored to be just as effective as mace, but much easier to get.

  Each woman carried her own can of spray. If nothing else, if they panicked, the place should be wasp-free. One hour passed while Della listened to game contestants flub easy questions. They must do that on purpose to make the watching public feel better about their own intellect. By hour two, she had to go to the bathroom. Della texted the crew, and Vanessa replaced her for about five minutes.

  Another hour passed along with two game shows with questionable participants. Della used to believe if she were ever on a game show, she’d forget everything she knew. That could be their issue, or they never knew anything to begin with. Maybe the producer liked to mix up the knowers and the clueless. As she contemplated the nature of game shows, her phone vibrated in her pocket. Possibly, it was someone else who needed a potty break.

  Della examined her phone and discovered a text from Guy. He included an emoji with bushy eyebrows and a cigar, while his message read. What’s up?

  Without giving it undue consideration, she typed, Bored silly waiting for catnappers to take the bait.

  That got a reaction. Guy thought she was joking. The texts flew back and forth. She wondered if she should have even mentioned it. On the surface, it made her sound weird and a little foolhardy. Another text came through. Did you contact the police?

  They weren’t interested. You have to catch someone in the act for them to be guilty. That’s why we’re doing this on our own, but we are filming it.

  A noise sounded like someone trying to open a locked door. She typed, They’re here, and lay her phone on the floor while picking up her can of bug spray.

  Some muttered cursing erupted outside the Florida room door. What proved to be easy for the catnappers previously caused some issues since Vanessa had replaced the door with a better quality one. Maybe they should have left it unlocked, but that would have made them suspicious. Della’s finger cramped in its bent position on the nozzle. She wiggled it as her heart raced, reminding herself she was the first line of defense. They had to catch the baddies in the house and keep them there until the police arrived. She only hoped they could do that. With any luck, Vanessa had already called 911. Della thought about picking up her phone and doing the same when she heard a woman’s voice.

  “Oh, let me do it!”

  A metallic tearing filled the air, making Della wonder what was happening, and then she smelled the smoke—a blow torch. Screen doors didn’t offer much resistance to blow torches. Her trepidation mounted as she contemplated the possibility of someone who used a blow torch probably having a gun. Her only element would be that of surprise. Maybe she could scream some gibberish. In self-defense class, they insisted that yelling nonsense words, especially in a threatening tone, confused the criminals and sometimes made them think you were crazy. Even criminals avoided those who acted peculiarly. They were too much of a loose cannon and it was hard to predict how they might react.

  Della slipped off a shoe as they entered and threw it, shattering a glass display case in the corner. She exploded from her position, spraying madly. From her time in the dark, her eyes had adjusted, and she could make out the forms of the intruders. Vanessa and Mabel rushed out with their sprays while Helen circled around to block the exit. In the near distance, sirens could be heard.

  *

  SEVEN OF THEM exited the house coughing as the police tried to sort out what was what. Vanessa, agitated with her second door having been destroyed, kept pointing to it. “They used a blow torch to get into my house.”

  One officer walked over to it and whistled. “They sure did. What was it they wanted so bad?”

  “My cat,” Helen offered. “Actually, they wanted the jeweled collar the cat wore.”

  “You’re her,” an officer remarked. “The woman with the cats and the jewels.”

  “I am.” Helen agreed. By this time, neighbors were peering out their windows. A few, including Jolene, came out of their homes to witness the commotion better than from behind glass windows.

  Seeing the final cat acquirer, Helen pointed to her. “She has my cat. Search her house.”

  Before the officer said they couldn’t search houses just because someone wanted them to, Jolene disappeared into her house and returned with her arms full of the Himalayan version of a grumpy cat. “I didn’t know it was your cat. I thought it was Vanessa’s. I just took it to irk her. Here, take it.”

  Helen rushed to take the cat and immediately started cooing over it. “I’ve missed you so much!”

  One issue solved. The police decided to take Lacey and her two thugs into custody. As they escorted the two men to a squad car, Vanessa broke off from the group to trail them.

  The smaller man kept ducking his head and tried to turn away. The officer who had a grip on the man’s arm addressed Vanessa. “Do you know this man?”

  “I think I do.” Vanessa darted closer to stare at the man in the meager light. “I think I saw him at the rest stop.”

  “Stupid broad,” he growled the words while twisting in the officer’s grip. “If you’d leave stuff alone that doesn’t belong to you, then none of us would be here.”

  Not intimidated, possibly due to the thug being in police custody, Vanessa drew herself up to her full height of five foot two. “That’s rich coming from you. Catnapper!”

  AWARE THAT VANESSA wouldn’t give up easily, Melvin murmured, “Wasn’t trying to hurt you. No reason for you to get involved. Insurance will pay for everything. I got a glance at your car when you fled with the cat. Didn’t make out the entire plate, but no one drives a caddie that old. Even if they did, I doubt they’d have a Beam Me Up, Scotty bumper sticker.” He said the last with a touch of testiness.

  “Yeah, that’s what you think. It’s a very popular bumper sticker.”

  The officer addressed Vanessa. “Done?”

  “Guess so.”

  The officer canted his head toward Melvin. “Are you pressing charges?”

  Melvin cut his eyes toward Vanessa and beamed to no avail.

  “You bet I am!” Vanessa answered before tromping off to join her fellow crime solvers. Breaking and entering would be the starting charge. Helen strolled over to the group, clucking at her rescued kitty while watching the squad cars drive away. “Some people just don’t know how to live without being super-rich.”

  Most of the residents of Owens would label Helen as rich. Della felt the need to call her on it. “Ex
cuse me. You live in a mansion on acres of wooded land. In my book, you’re rich.”

  Helen continued to pet her cat. “I live there now, but I no longer own it. The buyer has been gracious, giving me extra time to find a place. Money or lack of it forced the move, but after the robbery and catnapping, I’d like to move someplace where I’m just the crazy cat lady, not the rich cat lady.”

  Della stared in the direction the squad cars vanished with their larcenous occupants. Never had she modeled herself on Lacey. Sure, she envied her a bit when her parents gave her a new BMW sports car for her sixteenth birthday. Her jealousy died about the time Lacey wrecked the car a couple of weeks later. Maybe, it was then she realized the Dankworths and the Delacroixs operated on very different values systems. Right now, Lacey could even be envious of her. The absurdity made her laugh. No doubt, the grown-up mean girl grumbled about being a victim and threaten to sue the police and the city of Owens.

  The neighbors melted back into their houses, and Mabel invited everyone to her house. Her doors worked fine, and she had Tony the watchdog. Helen declined but promised to deliver Tunameister tomorrow. As Helen walked away, a white van parked under the streetlight that illuminated Guy as he slipped out of the Burgers, Brews, and Books’ van.

  Della met him on the sidewalk. “What are you doing here?”

  “Checking on you.” He gave her a visual inspection, and then sniffed. “Are you aware you smell like bug spray?”

  No surprise there. “I’ll take your word for it. How did you find my mother’s house?”

  “It wasn’t easy. I found your cousin’s house, and I had to give them free coupons to my restaurant before they would give me your mother’s address.”

  “Sold out for a free dinner. I’m not surprised we’re not very close. As a cop, my father didn’t like our address being listed. You never know when someone you’ve arrested may come calling.”

  Guy gestured to the screen door hanging askew. “What happened here?”

  “Not sure. I think our culprits are newbies, not seasoned criminals. I’m afraid it’s what happens when a spoiled, mean girl with no skills watches too many movies highlighting the thief. The really weird thing is the police got here right on time.”

  Guy stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Della’s shoulders. “I called them, told them your mother’s name, and they knew the address. I told them it was a matter of life or death.”

  “Once I heard the blow torch, I had doubts. We needed something better than wasp spray.”

  “Wasp spray?” Guy echoed her words and shook his head.

  “Long story.”

  “One I’d love to hear. You never answered me about trying my chicken alfredo pizza.”

  At last, the opportunity she’d hoped for. “I’d love to try your pizza.”

  THE END

  Truffle Me Not Recipes

  Two Ingredients Truffles

  Prep Time: 5 minutes

  Total Time: 5 minutes

  Yield: 15-20 truffles

  Ingredients

  • 8 oz semi-sweet or dark chocolate

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream or coconut milk

  • optional 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

  • optional pinch salt

  Instructions

  1) Chop chocolate finely, so it will melt more quickly and evenly.

  2) If using coconut milk, be sure it’s the full-fat canned type. Heat the milk or cream just until it barely begins to boil.

  3) Pour over the chocolate, add the salt and vanilla if using, and stir until smooth.

  4) Refrigerate at least 2 hours, or until firm enough to scoop out and roll balls with your hands or a mini cookie scoop or melon baller.

  5) If desired, roll truffles in cocoa powder, sprinkles, crushed walnuts or almonds, coconut, powdered sugar, or melted chocolate.

  6) Set on a parchment-lined plate, and refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve.

  7) Leftover truffles can be refrigerated for 1-2 months.

  Adding in Extra Truffle Flavors

  Mint – Stir in 1/4 tsp pure peppermint extract.

  Coffee – Stir in 1 tsp instant coffee, regular or decaf.

  Raspberry – Instead of rolling balls, place a raspberry on a fork or spoon and cover in the ganache, then refrigerate or freeze until firm.

  Peanut Butter – Stir 2 tbsp softened peanut butter with the cream and melted chocolate.

  Four Ingredients Truffle

  Ingredients

  • 12 ounces chocolate, chopped (semisweet or bittersweet)

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1/3 cup heavy cream

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 2-3 tablespoons liqueur, optional (see step #5)

  Instructions

  1) In a double boiler over barely simmering water, combine chocolate, butter and heavy cream. Heat until chocolate is melted. Stir until you have a smooth mixture.

  2) Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla.

  3) Pour into a shallow casserole dish and cool to room temperature.

  4) Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 hours. If you refrigerate longer than two hours, the mixture will be too hard to work with. If this occurs, allow the mixture to sit at room temperature until they are pliable enough to work with.

  5) If you are infusing truffles with spirits of any sort, be sure to let the chocolate cool enough, so the heat does not burn off the alcohol. A good measure of readiness is to place a small dab of chocolate on your lips, if it’s warm and not hot the truffle mixture is ready to be infused.

  6) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a small scoop (2 teaspoons) or a melon baller, scoop out chocolate mixture, roll into one-inch balls, and place on a prepared baking sheet.

  7) Continue with remaining chocolate mixture.

  8) Roll balls in your desired coating, I typically use high-quality sweetened cocoa powder such as Scharffen Berger.

  9) Refrigerate truffles until ready to serve.

  Mexican Chocolate Truffles

  Ingredients

  • 8 ounces semi-sweet or dark chocolate (Della prefers dark.)

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • Chocolate melts for dipping or powdered sugar, cocoa and/or sprinkles for rolling

  Instructions

  1) Break or cut chocolate into pieces.

  2) Place heavy cream in a small saucepan and heat just until it bubbles.

  3) Pour over chocolate. Stir until all chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. (If it is cold in your house and your chocolate doesn’t want to melt all the way you can put it in the microwave in 10 second increments to aid in melting.)

  4) Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, and cayenne. Chill mixture for at least 2 hours. You can also let it sit overnight.

  5) Use a cookie scoop (1 or 2 tablespoons) to scoop balls of truffle. Roll into uniform balls and place on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet.

  6) Melt chocolate melts according to package directions. Dip truffles in chocolate and top with sprinkles, if desired. Or, roll them in cocoa, powdered sugar, crushed pecans, or sprinkles.

  Maple Walnut Truffles

  Serving: 20 Truffles

  Prep Time: 30 minutes

  Total Time: 30 minutes

  Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened

  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

  • 1/4 teaspoon maple extract

  • 1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

  • 8 ounces chocolate candy melts such as Candiquik

  Instructions

  1) Mix butter, maple syrup, and powdered sugar with a hand mixer. Add both extracts and beat until creamy. Stir in walnuts. Chill for 30 minutes.

  2) Once chilled, scoop tablespoon-sized balls o
f dough and place on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Chill again until just ready to dip (at least 10 minutes).

  3) Melt your candy in a microwave-safe bowl according to package directions. Dip each truffle in the bowl of chocolate.

  4) Do not roll it around, use a spoon to spoon chocolate over the top. Lift onto a fork carefully and tap to remove excess chocolate. Place on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet. I find it best to use a toothpick to help the truffle slide off the fork without disturbing too much of the coating.

  5) Note: these truffles soften quickly. If you find them getting too soft, re-chill them and only remove a few at a time to dip.

  6) Chill dipped truffles for just a few minutes until coating is semi-hard. Meanwhile, transfer the remaining chocolate to a squeeze bottle (or a plastic bag with the tip cut off) and pipe swirls or swipes of chocolate over the top for decoration.

  Double Chocolate Deception

  Chapter One

  DESPITE IT BEING February 1st, strings of fairy lights still outlined the bakery windows. Della took down the decorated Christmas tree on December twenty-sixth. It lent a festive touch to the corner where it had stood next to the bookcase filled with paperback books and games for the patrons. The back door slammed. Her mother entered the shop area and waved before helping herself to coffee.

  “Hi, Mom!” Della called out as she continued to survey the café area of the bakery. “I think the place needs some jazzing up. Any suggestions?”

  In reply, her mother yawned and carried her filled cup to a round table where she pulled out a chair and sat. “Too early to think.” Mabel Delacroix’s manicured hand patted a stray auburn curl into place. “Besides, what’s wrong with a plain, clean dining area and counter? It’s winter in the Midwest—nothing is colorful or jazzy here. Why bother? I’d think after all our recent drama and brushes with the criminal element, you’d be content to perfect your cookie-making skills.”

  “Perfect cookie-making skills?” Really? Despite the fact her mother helped her with the bakery and catering jobs, how did she miss out on the other demands of an independent business owner? As a former teacher, her mother simply showed up for work. She never talked about her work with delinquent boys, except to answer her late husband’s questions regarding a student they both knew. No one would call it a walk in the park. All the same, her mother hadn’t kept the school running or made sure the employees got paid.