A Pocket Full of Pie

by Leena Clover

  “And instead, ran into Jordan.”

  I tried to imagine what Nellie must have felt, how shocked she might have been to see her nemesis right in front of her, just when she thought she was making a new start.

  “As luck would have it, Jordan and Jessica were celebrating their engagement. It was too much for Nellie.”

  “Did she ever intend to harm Jessica?” I asked. “She’s the one who took Jordan away from her, so Nellie should’ve been mad at her too.”

  “We asked her that,” Stan nodded. “But Nellie thought the fault lay with Jordan. He would’ve fallen for some other girl if not Jessica. He was the bad apple.”

  “Did Nancy know Nellie had spotted Jordan?” Tony asked.

  I had wondered about the same thing.

  “Maybe she did, but she didn’t want to mention it.” Stan shrugged. “It seems neither of them mentioned it to each other.”

  “How did she manage to mess up my pie?” Sylvie spoke up.

  She had been following the conversation closely.

  “Nellie heard Jordan order the extra pie. And she heard someone assure Jordan it was his special order. That’s when she hatched her plan.”

  “Nancy said they went home afterwards.”

  Stan sighed.

  “Nellie heard the couple mention the lake. She sneaked out and went to Willow Lake. She had crushed some pecans into a fine powder and put them in a Ziploc bag.”

  A hush fell over as we all realized the significance of Nellie’s action.

  “Nellie found Jordan’s truck in the parking lot. It was open. She pulled the pie out of the box, sprinkled the powdered nuts over it and sealed it again. Then she just hid somewhere.”

  “She actually waited there?” I asked, aghast.

  “We are hoping one of the surveillance cameras caught her.”

  Stan sounded as disgusted as we were feeling.

  “She saw the whole thing. She saw Jessica and Jordan arguing. Then Colin came and picked up Jessica. Then Cam appeared and Jordan took the pie and followed him. She watched as he devoured the pie. Then she drove home and went to sleep.”

  “Did she know it was likely to be fatal?” Sylvie voiced the question at the top of everyone’s minds.

  “She just wanted to teach him a lesson,” Stan said. “That’s all she keeps saying.”

  We thanked Stan for bringing Jon over and bid him good night.

  There was a hush over the group. Sylvie came over and hugged me.

  “You said you’d have him back before Christmas and you did, Meera. How can we ever thank you enough?”

  “I had a lot of help,” I smiled, putting an arm around Becky and Tony.

  “All that’s fine, girl, but what about my dinner?” Pappa grumbled, tapping his cane. “Have you looked at the time?”

  Dad poured Scotch and wine and we toasted Jon and Sylvie.

  The lights on the Christmas tree twinkled and there was a festive atmosphere in the house for the first time in the season.

  Tony, Becky and Jeet dragged me into my room.

  “You were awesome, Meera!” Tony’s eyes shone as he looked at me.

  “Please, I couldn’t have done it without you. I think we just stumbled onto it by luck.”

  “Not really,” Jeet said seriously. “The police didn’t even know about Jordan’s first engagement until you found out about it. You explored options, examined them and eliminated them. I think you had a logical approach.”

  “Okay, Einstein,” I ruffled his head affectionately. “You can hire me to investigate your cases when you become a hotshot lawyer.”

  That set off a discussion about Jeet’s college admission.

  I slept in the next day, exhausted by the whole episode. I sat in the kitchen, enjoying my breakfast after a long time. Motee Ba had made my favorite cheesy scrambled eggs with jalapenos. I mixed in some salsa into my eggs and scooped them up with a cheese quesadilla.

  “Where’s everyone else?” I asked her.

  “Your aunt’s gone shopping with Reema. Pappa and Dad are at the barber’s. Jeet’s hanging out with friends.”

  I wondered what Tony was up to. I thought of the gift I had got for him and wondered if it was enough.

  Motee Ba smiled at me.

  “He’s going to love it.”

  I blushed.

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  I said a quick prayer for having Motee Ba in my life. That reminded me of the other project I had taken up. The decision to look for Mom had been mine but the outcome was going to affect everyone.

  Motee Ba ladled the rest of the eggs on to my plate.

  “Becky said a car was following you yesterday too.”

  I nodded.

  “She said that. But I’m not sure myself.”

  “Have you been in any scrapes recently?” Motee Ba asked me.

  “What? Of course not!”

  “Then why would someone follow you around, Meera?”

  “Beats me. If they want something, they should just come forth and talk to me, right?”

  The phone rang as if on cue.

  “It’s for you, Meera.”

  Motee Ba handed me the receiver. I leaned back in the kitchen chair, twisting the long telephone cord around my finger.

  “What’s up, Stan?” I asked, spearing another forkful of eggs and salsa.

  Stan had news for me.

  “The car was returned,” he began. “It was a woman alright. She switched cars and drove off.”

  “Did you question her?” I asked eagerly.

  “We missed her! We are short staffed, Meera. Today’s Christmas Eve.”

  I sighed.

  “Becky thinks she spotted a tail yesterday.”

  “Maybe that’s why the woman switched cars,” Stan said. “We have a general description, and we have the tags. We are just waiting for her to speed or run a light or something so we can pull her over. But she’s very careful.”

  “Can’t you do anything else?” I asked, frustrated.

  I had been dealing with this ghost for the whole semester and I was finally beginning to lose it. I just wanted to confront whoever it was, and ask them what they wanted from me.

  “Normally, a rental place copies the driver’s license for records,” Stan sounded as frustrated as I did. “But this place hasn’t done that. I may try something different though. One of my nieces is pretty good at portraits. I am going to take her to this rental place.”

  “You mean get her to draw a sketch of that woman?” I was getting excited.

  I was impressed with Stan Miller. The old Stan was a paper pusher who didn’t think much beyond putting in his hours. But Stan was turning over a new leaf.

  “Let me know if you find out something,” I told him.

  I went into the living room with an armful of presents. I placed them around the tree. Then I rearranged all the presents a bit so they looked pretty. Motee Ba clapped as she looked on from her favorite chair. I went and perched on the arm, placing an arm around Motee Ba.

  “It’s perfect, Meera,” Motee Ba said softly, snuggling into my shoulder.

  I remembered what Motee Ba had always taught us, growing up. Life is as perfect as you want it to be. So we had a few challenges ahead of us. But the Patels of Swan Creek, Oklahoma had a lot to be thankful for this Christmas.

  Thank You

  Thank you for taking the time to read A Pocket Full of Pie.

  If you enjoyed the book, please consider leaving a review here.

  I would also really appreciate it if you tell your friends and family about the book. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend, and it will be of immense help to me. Your efforts are much appreciated.

  Thanks!

  Author Leena Clover

  Leenaclover@gmail.com

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  Books in the Meera Patel Mystery Series

  Book 1 – Gone with the Wings

  Book 2 - A Pocket full of Pie

  Book 3 - For a Few Dumplings more – coming in August 2017

  Keep reading for Meera’s yummy recipes like Mutton Curry, a glossary of Gujarati/ Indian terms and a sneak peek into Book 3.

  Glossary

  Desi – broadly refers to people from the Indian subcontinent

  Gujarati – of the Indian state of Gujarat; pertaining to people from the western Indian state of Gujarat

  Ba – Mother

  Motee Ba – Grandma, literally Big Ma – pronounced with a hard T like in T-shirt

  Thepla – a flatbread made with wheat flour, pan fried. Chopped fenugreek leaves are often added to the dough along with spices like turmeric and coriander.

  Kem Cho - how are you; standard Gujarati greeting

  Khichdi – stew made with equal quantity of rice and moong dal lentils

  Kadhi – buttermilk stew thickened with gram flour, seasoned with Indian spices

  Samosa – fried pastry triangles stuffed with veggies or meat

  Pakora – fritters, generally vegetables dipped in batter and deep fried

  Sneak Peek – For a few Dumplings more – Book 3

  Heavy black clouds hung low on the horizon. Winter winds buffeted everything in sight. The weather forecast gave ample warning of a cold front coming in. I wanted to get home before the roads turned icy. My old car wasn’t the most reliable in bad weather. A healthy hum of conversation rippled through the diner. The hardy folk of Swan Creek had bundled up and chosen to spend Saturday afternoon at Sylvie’s Café and Diner. Many of them didn’t have a choice if they wanted a hot meal.

  Most of the local women were attending one of the most important meetings of WOSCO, the local ladies’ club. The Women of Swan Creek Oklahoma or the WOSCO Club has been around since World War II, and they believe in keeping busy.

  Becky topped up someone’s coffee and rubbed her lower back with her other hand. I motioned her to come and sit down at the small table wedged between the kitchen door and the pantry.

  “I swear, if I pour one more coffee today …” Becky blew out a huge breath and dabbed her forehead with a napkin.

  It might be 40F outside, but the blast of hot air coming out of an overhead vent wasn’t doing us any favors. We had been at it since breakfast, and with Sylvie gone, we were rushed off our feet.

  I had barely touched my tushie down when the phone rang. Jon held up a hand from the counter as I started to get up. Two soup bowls full of Jon’s spicy gumbo were calling to us. I couldn’t wait to start eating.

  “Just two of these left?” Becky grumbled, pointing to the samosa dumplings on a plate.

  “There’s plenty of stuffing left,” I reassured her. “We’ll fry us some more after we take a break.”

  The samosa dumplings are the latest item I have added to Sylvie’s menu. Samosas are pastry triangles stuffed with a spiced potato mixture, deep fried until golden. They are a very popular Indian snack, even in small town Oklahoma. I had mixed some chicken in, making them even more popular.

  We had fried up a few dozen for the WOSCO meeting. A couple dozen had been gobbled up by the weekend crowd.

  Jon walked up to us, shaking his head.

  “That was Sylvie. They want a couple dozen more of those dumplings.”

  I swallowed my first spoonful of gumbo and stared at Jon in dismay.

  “What, right now?”

  Jon nodded.

  “Those women sure must be hungry. Sylvie said their meeting hasn’t started yet. It will easily go on for 2-3 hours more.”

  “I’m not getting up until I eat this,” Becky declared. “I’m dead on my feet.”

  We scraped off every bit of the gumbo from our bowls, guzzled our colas and finally got up.

  “I’ll do the frying,” Becky offered. “I still can’t fold them as well as you.”

  I rolled out the dough in circles, stuffed the dumplings and Becky fried them up. Soon we had a couple dozen ready to go.

  “Want to ride with me?” I asked Becky.

  “I wish,” she groaned. “One of us needs to be here to help Jon.”

  I covered the tray of dumplings with a lace doily and placed it on the front seat of my battered Camry. I drove out slowly, taking the straightest possible route to the Lucas house. Lucas mansion, really.

  The local ladies come up with a calendar of activities for the year, including everything from charity to pure entertainment. The annual election of the club was coming up, and the first meeting of the year is always an important one. This is where the women throw their bonnets into the ring. I mean, put in their names to be on the committee. Motee Ba, my grandma, is an active member, and so is Sylvie. Motee Ba had been hinting that she wanted to run for President. Sylvie supported her and was eager to be her running mate. Personally, I wasn’t sure my grandma would be able to usurp Mary Beth Arlington, the sitting President of the last ten years.

  The Lucas kid was lurking by the garage when I pulled up to their front door. Their acreage is even more lavish than ours, which meant I could park anywhere I wanted. I stooped in to pull out the tray, feeling eyes on my back. Teenagers!

  The kid smirked when I caught him staring.

  “Don’t you have school or something?” I glared.

  “Saturday,” he grinned.

  I acted cool, ignoring him, and walked up the steps to their front door. Balancing the tray in one hand, I lifted my hand to knock. There was a healthy buzz of voices inside. A groan went up and someone swore. The voices rose a few seconds later, until a scream rent the air.

  I gave up any thoughts of being polite and banged on the door. I doubted anyone could hear it in the uproar. Someone pulled open the door suddenly, and walked into me.

  “Meera!” Henry Robinson gasped, staring at me wildly.

  “What’s the matter, Miss Robinson? I heard a scream.”

  A scream wasn’t that unusual in a big gathering of women. But my Motee Ba was inside, and I wanted to make sure she was fine.

  Henry Robinson remained tongue tied. I gently nudged her aside and entered the spacious foyer. A wide flight of stairs led to the second floor landing. I followed the voices to a room a few paces to the left. All the women were gathered around something, buzzing like bees.

  I placed my tray of dumplings on a side table and sidled up to the women. I put my hand on someone’s shoulder and tried to peer through. I wasn’t ready for the sight that met my eye. A frumpy old woman lay motionless on the floor. She was wearing a navy dress that had seen too many washes. The scarf lying beside her had cost more than her entire outfit. One hand held a crushed samosa dumpling while the other was wrapped around the leg of a table.

  “Is she…?” I looked around, trying to spot my grandma.

  The wail of sirens sort of answered my questions.

  Can’t wait to read on? Get your copy of For a Few Dumplings More here!

  Keep reading for Meera’s yummy recipes!

  RECIPE - Black Bean Burger

  Ingredients

  2 cans black beans

  ½ tsp garlic powder

  ½ tsp onion powder

  ¼ cup green peppers, diced fine

  ¼ cup red peppers, diced fine

  ¼ cup sweet corn

  1 jalapeno pepper, diced

  ¼ cup scallions, diced fine

  ½ tsp Ancho chili powder

  ½ tsp cumin, ground

  1 tsp sweet paprika

  1 cup+ breadcrumbs

  Method

  Wash and drain the black beans until dry. Add to food processor. Add the seasonings and spices and pulse until minced.

  Transfer black b
ean mince to a bowl.

  Add the diced/ chopped peppers, scallions, chili etc.

  Add salt only at the last minute before cooking the burgers.

  Add in half the bread crumbs and mix. Add more breadcrumbs as needed later.

  Refrigerate patty mix for half an hour or more.

  Apply some water or oil to your hands and form patties.

  Cook them on a hot grill, a few minutes on each side.

  Add a slice of pepperjack cheese or cheese of choice on top of the patty.

  To serve the burger

  Squirt chipotle sour cream on one bun. Apply guacamole on the other bun.

  Place patty on the bun.

  Add sliced onion, tomato, lettuce etc.

  Add pickled jalapenos and salsa.

  Add some tortilla chips.

  Place the bun with the guacamole on top.

  Fiesta Black Bean Burger is ready to be served.

  RECIPE - Mutton Rogan Josh Curry

  Ingredients

  250 g mutton cubes (lamb)

  4 Tbsp ghee or clarified butter

  4 pods green cardamom

  4 cloves

  1 inch cinnamon stick

  1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed

  2 bay leaf

  1 Tbsp ginger, grated

  1 large onion, slivered

  ½ cup plain yogurt

  1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or paprika

  1 drop Kewra water

  Salt to taste

  Method

  Add half the ghee to a thick bottomed pan or wok.

  Fry the onions until brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

  Add the remaining ghee to the pot.

  Add whole spices to the ghee and fry until aromatic and the cardamom pods split open. This can take a few seconds depending on how hot the ghee is.

  Add the meat and fry for about 10 minutes until any fat is rendered.

  Add the yogurt and fry until the yogurt dries up and is absorbed.

  Now add onions and chili powder and fry for a minute.

  Add one cup of water and the grated ginger. Add salt per taste.

  Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes or more until meat is tender.