Tarte Tatin Murder: A Seagrass Sweets Cozy Mystery (Book 2)
Page 12
Ashley smiled at Smoke Daddy. “It was Smoke Daddy's business advice that clued me in. What he said about putting your name out there and making things happen with the customers; it all came together. Someone mentioned that Evan's grant was running out and he was looking for a new job. He had to get his name out there, like a business owner, and that professional paper was the key to his future. When Smoke Daddy said that, I remembered that Javier Ortiz mentioned having seen someone arguing with Dr. Green. I also remembered seeing that stupid hat when Evan almost ran me down in the parking lot. I didn't recognize him when I first went to the lab, but something kept nagging at me after we found the hat. It wasn't until I realized how much was at stake for him that the hat and the fact that he was driving around the course seemed important enough to think about. After that, when I considered what we heard about Dr. Green's ethical stance in the labs, it seemed obvious that he'd fired Evan as soon as he was sure that's where the false data came from. That meant that Evan had the three things mystery stories emphasize—motive, means, and opportunity.”
“Well, I'm glad it's over,” Ryan said. “Uncle Charlie's off the hook for the murder, and he's doing well in rehab. He should be home in another week or two. He's already told his lawyer to get the divorce settled, no matter what it takes. He says none of his possessions are important enough to drive him back into addiction, and that my aunt can take it all, if that's what it takes to get that stress out of his life. I think he's finally ready to move forward with his life instead of clinging to what wasn't working for them anymore.”
“Relationships can be tricky,” Patty said, looking innocent, “especially if they are all talk and no walk.”
“Yeah, keeping secrets from your best friend definitely isn't cool,” Ashley teased. She knew what Patty was hinting at, but there was no way she'd admit it in that group. She was getting impatient waiting for Ryan to plan his elaborate surprise, but she wasn’t about to jinx it by talking about it with Patty and Smoke Daddy listening in. She really did wonder if she'd blown her only chance at romance with Ryan by telling too much about her past, but she had felt so comfortable talking to him that she couldn’t help herself.
“Sometimes talking is overrated,” Ryan remarked, not helping at all. “Sometimes you just have to go for it without thinking or talking it to death beforehand.” With that, he walked off toward the next hole, leaving Ashley even more confused.
Smoke Daddy Lee roared with laughter. “That boy's pretty smart. Maybe we'll all be surprised at what comes next!”
Ashley and Patty looked at each other, wide-eyed, before they dissolved into laughter themselves. Whatever happened, they'd see it through together.
“Hey, Patty!” Ryan yelled, turning back to look at them.
“Yeah, Ryan; what do you want?”
“It's 'fore,' Patty,” he hollered. “Look out, it's 'fore!'”
THE END
Letter from the Author
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Sandi
APPLE TARTE TATIN
For more recipes from the book, visit my website www.SandiScottBooks.com/recipes
Ingredients:
5 pounds firm apples (granny smith's work very well)
1/2 cup salted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
one sheet store bought frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/4 cup calvados
8 ounces creme fraiche
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a rack in the center of the oven.
Peel the apples. Using a melon baller and a paring knife remove the core of the apples. Trim the ends of the apples so they are flat.
In a 9 - 10 inch oven safe pan with straight sides, melt the butter.
When the butter is melted, add the sugar and stir it until it is melted and a deep golden brown. The caramel should be smooth and consistent in color.
Remove the caramel from the heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
On a floured surface roll out the puff pastry dough until it is very thin and larger than the pan. Using the lid of the pan for a guide, cut the pastry into a circle which will fit over the pan.
When the caramel has firmed up just a bit, arrange the apples in concentric circles, standing on end into the caramel in concentric circles.
Cut a small circle out of the center of the dough (about the size of a dime) and rest it on top of the apples. Any excess dough can be tucked in between the apples and the side of the pan.
Place the pan on a baking sheet and into the oven on the center rack. Allow tarte to bake for about 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
Remove pan from oven and place it on a burner over high heat for about 5 minutes to cook off some of the excess moisture (it will still look a little saucy).
Place a platter that is slightly larger than the pan and the tart over the lip of the pan. Invert the pan over the platter to release the tarte.
Pour the Calvados into the pan and heat it over medium heat, scraping up any bits of apple left in the pan. Spoon the heated Calvados over the tarte and allow it to cool.
Allow the tarte to cool for about 45 minutes. When cooled, cut it into wedges and serve it with dollops of creme fraiche.
From Foodista.com
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