A Deadly Grind

by Victoria Hamilton

  Daniel nodded. “If Nathan Foster knew Trevor at all, then he knew about him communicating with me. Or if Foster read Trevor’s text messages, the guy would have been able to figure out about our ‘reunion’ weekend. He must have known too that I’d be worried if I didn’t hear from Trev, so Foster made up that first text and sent it. The second one . . . that was probably part of his plan to keep people from figuring out who the dead man was.”

  The detective nodded. “That’s what we think.”

  “But why didn’t Nathan want people to know who the dead guy was?” Daniel said.

  “It would delay things until he got the Button Gwinnett letter, keep the matter confused,” Jaymie said.

  “With Nathan Foster dead, there are a lot of things we’ll never know for sure,” Christian added.

  “What about Brett Delgado?” Jaymie asked.

  “We haven’t formally charged him with anything. He’s valuable as a material witness, though, and we’re in contact with him. He was badly frightened by Ted Abernathy’s murder. We’ll cut a deal with him, probably.”

  “Have the police turned the Button letter back over to the Bourne family yet?” Jaymie asked.

  “Yes. Mr. Bourne’s grandson was of the opinion that they should sell it, but the old guy told him, in no uncertain terms, that two people had died for it, and he was not going to profit from that. He’s donating it to the Queensville museum, if they will have it.”

  “Queensville museum? There is no Queensville museum,” Jaymie said, glancing over at Daniel. “Mrs. Bellwood and the others wanted Stowe House for that. That’s why she’s so frosty toward Daniel. But maybe with something as historically important as the Button Gwinnett letter to protect, the Heritage Society can get some grants to start one.”

  “I’ll contribute to a museum fund,” Daniel said. “If I’d known, I would have done that sooner!”

  “You’ll have to work that out. Quaint little town you have here, I will say that. Lots of . . . unique individuals.”

  “Well, thanks for dropping by, Detective . . . uh . . . Zachary,” Jaymie said. “I appreciate it.”

  “I never did think you could have done it, you know, the murder,” he said, looming over her, his tone gentle. “But I’ve learned the hard way, don’t eliminate anyone until you have an arrest.”

  “I don’t think I helped myself, either. I probably looked guilty as heck.”

  “You were very gutsy,” he said, softly.

  His voice sent a shiver down her back, and she was wordless, staring up into his dark-fringed gray eyes.

  “Take care of yourself, and don’t get in any more jams,” he said, chucking her under the chin. “You’re too cute to be arrested!” He turned and strode over to Daniel, sticking out his hand. “So long, Dan. I’m sorry about your friend.” They shook, and he headed to the back door and out.

  She turned away as he left, so Daniel couldn’t see her feelings. She was attracted to the detective in a way she was not attracted to Daniel, but ultimately it would come to nothing. He treated her like she was a cute kid, even though she was thirty-two, and he was probably not even ten years older than her.

  Daniel made a pot of tea—he had always drunk tea, he affirmed, because his mom was English—and they chatted. Daniel told her that Zell had left Queensville brokenhearted because Heidi had blown him off, telling him she didn’t mean anything by flirting with him and that he should have known that because she told him all along she had a boyfriend.

  Daniel shook his head. “Why did she act that way? I saw it; she was definitely flirting with the guy. Zell really thought they had a connection.”

  “She didn’t mean anything by it, though,” Jaymie said, moved to defend Heidi. Having talked to her and having watched her with Joel, she saw the subtle differences between how she acted with other guys and how she behaved toward her boyfriend. “Some girls are like that; they just can’t seem to keep from flirting with any guy who comes close to them.”

  “That’s not what I’d want in a girlfriend, I can tell you,” he said, watching her.

  She felt a trickle of warmth in her stomach. Daniel Collins was the real deal, like Clive, Anna’s husband. He was a good guy, and he liked her. She wasn’t sure how she felt yet, but she really did like him, too. They’d just have to see.

  “Can you get me the other two drawers for the Hoosier?” she asked to keep any declaration of interest at bay. She was not going to rush into anything. “By the way, why was Zell McIntosh at the auction on that Friday night?” She had already told Daniel about Becca’s auction photo with him in it. She hadn’t told him how Zell’s flirting with her the first time they’d met had made her suspicious of him and his interest in the Hoosier.

  “I asked him about that, because he said something about seeing Heidi first at the auction. He just shrugged. I think he wanders, and sometimes I wonder if he keeps track of the time and dates too well; that’s why he showed up early to my place. I don’t quite know what to think about my old buddy,” Daniel said, his tone sad. “He seems lost. He’s not a very happy guy, for all that he’s such a joker. I’ve lost Trevor, but I’m going to make sure I don’t lose Zell. I told him to come back and stay at my place if he wants.”

  “You’re a really nice guy, Daniel Collins,” Jaymie said, softly, putting her palm to his cheek. “A very nice man.”

  “Haven’t you heard?” he said, staring into her eyes, his voice slightly hoarse. “Nice guys finish last.”

  “I don’t think that’s true,” she murmured.

  “We’ll see.” He covered her hand with his and smiled.

  She felt a tremor of dawning warmth toward him.

  “You know, I always did like you, Jaymie,” he said, still watching her eyes. “But while you were with Joel . . .” He shook his head. “Then I found out you guys broke up. I hate to say it, but I was glad. He was never good enough for you.”

  “Now, you are good for my self-esteem! I should have had you around last December.” She smiled up at him, intent on keeping it light.

  Once the cabinet was fully put together, she began to choose the display pieces she wanted to store on the Hoosier, while Daniel sat at the table sipping tea. A vintage glass rolling pin and a collection of tin cookie cutters were her first choices for the work top. Then she picked out a wood-handled rotary eggbeater and a copper kettle. Along the top of the upper cabinet she lined up a vintage colander on a stand, a wood spice drawer and a salt box.

  It wasn’t quite right, yet, but she’d work on it. She got out her digital camera and took a couple of photos. “This will be for the blog, if my cookbook gets picked up.” Denver slunk in and rubbed up against Daniel’s leg. Jaymie noticed and laughed. “He never does that!”

  “I like cats,” he said, picking Denver up and cradling him on his lap. The cat didn’t hiss or jump down.

  “He always hated and still hates Joel with a fiery cat passion.”

  “Cats are more discerning than dogs,” Daniel said, his mouth quirking up in an awkward smile.

  There was another long pause, a fairly comfortable silence, as Jaymie fussed with her arrangement, then Daniel said, “So, you doing anything tonight?”

  “Not really. Laundry, but that can wait.”

  “Would you like to go out somewhere for dinner?”

  She hesitated only a moment, watching him pet Denver, then said, “Sure, why not?” Dinner was just about right. Maybe she needed more time to figure out what she wanted from a guy and a relationship, but dinner she could manage.

  history of queen elizabeth cake

  by Jaymie Leighton

  According to CooksInfo.com, the recipe for Queen Elizabeth cake was sold for fifteen cents a copy during World War II as a fundraiser for the war effort. As Queen Elizabeth (known now as the late Queen Mother, as she wa
s the current Queen Elizabeth II’s mother) was a staunch supporter of the war effort, it may have been named in her honor, but it was certainly not a favorite cake of hers.

  In fact, according to another foodie website, Astray.com, when the Queen Mother was asked about the source of the recipe, her lady-in-waiting wrote back to the questioner that the source was uncertain, but that it should not be called “Queen Elizabeth cake” but rather “date and walnut cake.” Given the rather plain and unexciting nature of the recipe, who can blame her? Perhaps she would have liked something a little more regal named after her!

  The modern cook will notice that some assumptions of knowledge were made in this recipe, originally from the 1953 Johnsonville United Church Ladies’ Auxiliary Cookbook, that may baffle modern cooks.

  First, a “moderate” oven is about 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

  Second, what the heck is “top milk”? Cream! In previous years, milk used to be bought in glass bottles with an odd ballooning of the neck. This would capture the cream as it separated from the milk and floated to the top, and thus, “top milk!”

  The recipe still seems, to the modern eye, to be a jumble of directions and ingredients. Following this, you will find the deciphered recipe, with baking and serving suggestions!

  recipes

  Queen Elizabeth Cake

  vintage recipe (from cooksinfo.com)

  This is the original recipe for the cake Jaymie made for the annual Queensville Tea with the Queen event!

  Mix 1 cup dates, 1 cup boiling water, 1 small tsp. of soda and let stand while doing the rest. ¼ cup shortening, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, ½ cup chopped nuts, 1 ½ cup flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, salt and vanilla. Mix cake as usual, fold in date mixture, pour into 8X8 pan and bake in moderate oven for about 30 minutes.

  TOPPING:

  5 tbsp. brown sugar, ¼ cup cocoanut, 3 tbsp. butter, 2 tbsp. top milk. Boil 3 min. Remove cake from oven and while still warm pour this mixture over cake. Sprinkle cocoanut over and put back in oven to brown.

  Queen Elizabeth Cake

  modernized recipe

  Feel free to experiment with what is essentially a simple date nut cake. Perhaps you could change out the “topping” for a cream cheese icing, or bake it in a round pan, turn it out and slice the cake horizontally, then fill it with raspberry preserves. It is a very rich, moist tea cake, though, and doesn’t really need any fancying up!—JL

  Makes 16 good-sized pieces.

  CAKE:

  1 cup dates (I packed the dates down to fill the cup

  measure)

  1 cup boiling water

  1 tsp. baking soda

  ¼ cup shortening

  1 cup sugar

  1 egg

  ½ cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts)

  1½ cups flour

  1 tsp. baking powder

  ¼ tsp. salt (estimated)

  ½ tsp. vanilla (estimated)

  TOPPING:

  5 tbsp. brown sugar

  3 tbsp. butter

  2 tbsp. cream

  ¼ cup shredded coconut

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  Mix dates, boiling water and baking soda together and let stand while doing the rest. This softens the dates to let them blend with the batter.

  Blend together shortening, sugar, beaten egg and vanilla in large bowl.

  Mix together in a separate bowl the flour, baking powder and salt, then add chopped nuts.

  Mix dry ingredients (flour mixture) with wet (shortening mixture) until thoroughly combined, then fold in the softened dates. (I mashed the dates to make them softer, and it helped the batter blend nicely.)

  Spray 8x8 pan with spray oil, pour cake batter in and bake in 350 degree oven for about 40–45 minutes. Test cake with a toothpick for doneness; inserted toothpick should come out clean.

  Meanwhile, mix topping ingredients and boil three minutes.

  Remove cake from oven, and while still warm pour this mixture over cake. Sprinkle coconut over and put back in the oven to brown. (I put the cake in the 350 degree oven for five minutes, but the coconut was not browning, so I put it under the broiler for two or three minutes—four inches away from the element—to brown the coconut. If you do this step, watch it carefully! The caramel glaze on top will bubble.)

  Cut into squares and serve with good, strong tea, on your prettiest cake plates! I would suggest, in honor of the Queen Mother’s Scottish origins (she spent her childhood at Glamis Castle in Scotland), that you use a tartan-pattern china like Lenox’s Holiday Tartan or a wonderful Canadian original, Newfoundland Tartan dishes made by Royal Adderley of Ridgway, though the latter are rare and hard to find! Alternately, in honor of Queen Victoria, you could use the Herend pattern “Queen Victoria,” a lovely floral china introduced at the first world’s fair, the Great Exhibition in 1851 and actually purchased and used by Her Royal Highness!—JL

  Victoria Hamilton is a pseudonym for national bestselling author Donna Lea Simpson, who is also a collector of vintage cookware and recipes.