by Gale Deitch
My mouth was open, and I was speechless for a moment.
“So, I guess Ally actually told me the truth about her relationship with Bob Lewis,” I said. “And from what Steven said, she wasn’t lying about the college girl who died or the bars for her father or about the trip to Toronto.”
Maybe about the abortion, too, I thought. Could it have been Zach’s baby after all?
I shifted my head on the pillow to look at Daniel. “I hope Ally and Zach work this out. I think they’d be happy together.”
“Like us?” Daniel asked.
“Yes, just like us.” I ran my fingers through his hair and kissed him.
“You know you can stay here as long as you want,” he said.
My condo, now a crime scene, would be a mess for a while. Even so, I didn’t know if I could ever live there, or face that refrigerator, again without thinking about Steven.
“My parents would love for me to move in with them.”
“But I want you here, naked and in my bed with me.” He nibbled at my earlobe. “If I could only uncover you,” he crooned into my ear.
I’d wrapped myself like a burrito, still self-conscious about my multitude of curves and bulges.
He peeled back a corner of the sheet to reveal my shoulder and breast. “You’re beautiful, Trudie.”
I closed my eyes and savored the movements of his hands and mouth. “Right now, this is the only place I want to be.”
Daniel smiled and moved in for a kiss. “Then you’ll stay?” He brushed the hair from my face.
Helping him remove the sheet that enveloped my body, I smiled. “Stay? I barely know you, Detective Goldman.”
He shook his head at me. “Will you stop with the Detective Goldman bit? It’s Daniel.”
“Daniel.” I put my hand behind his head and pulled him back down to me for a long, lingering kiss. “Well, maybe I’ll stay for a little while. This is kind of nice.”
“I’ve got you for a little while, then?” He grinned broadly and ran his thumb along my jawline.
“You’ve got the whole enchilada, baby. The whole enchilada.”
Turn the page
for recipes from
A Fine Fix
*Recipe provided by executive chef, James Turner
Trudie’s Knock-Out Sangria*
(Schwartz backyard Mexican Fiesta)
Makes 2 qts or a little more
1 C sugar
1 C water
1 bottle red wine
½ C Triple Sec
½-1 C brandy
½ C tequila
¾ bottle of seltzer (1 liter)
1 orange
1 lime
1 lemon
1 granny smith apple
½ C maraschino cherries (de-stemmed)
Combine sugar and water in small pot and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Let cool. This is simple syrup.
In a pitcher, add red wine, triple sec, brandy, tequila, and seltzer water.
Add simple syrup. Adjust sweetness. You can add more seltzer water to dilute or add more triple sec or sugar for sweetness. (If adding more sugar, make sure it is dissolved by stirring before adding fruit.) Slice oranges, lemon, and lime and cut in half. Medium dice granny smith apple.
Add fruit and cherries to sangria.
Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.
Serve in wine glass. Make sure to get some of the yummy fruit when serving!
Mango Salsa*
(Schwartz backyard Mexican Fiesta)
Makes about 2 cups
1 large ripe mango medium diced
½ red pepper small diced
½ green pepper small diced
½ small red onion small diced
1 medium jalapeño pepper seeded and small diced
3 sprigs chopped cilantro
1 tbsp vegetable, canola or olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
Salmon Fillets with Honey Chile Glaze*
(Schwartz backyard Mexican Fiesta)
4 6-oz portions of salmon
salt and pepper
1-2 tbsp olive oil
For the Honey Chile Glaze:
1-2 tbsp olive oil
½ small diced onion
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp chopped cilantro
¼ tsp paprika
1 chipotle pepper in adobo smashed into paste
¾ C honey
Glaze:
In a small saucepan, cook onion and garlic with a little oil until soft. Use moderate heat so garlic does not burn.
With a French knife smash the chipotle pepper with a little salt with the side of the knife blade and add to the onion and garlic.
Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for 5 min and set aside.
Fish:
Brush both sides of the salmon fillets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Using a non-stick pan, sear the fish on both sides for about a minute. Transfer to a baking dish. Baste with the honey chili glaze and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
Serve glaze over top the fillets.
Grilled London Broil
(Lewis dinner party)
Serves 4
1 flank steak (1 ¼ to 1 ½ lb)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dry minced onion
½ tsp dry mustard
½ tsp dry or fresh rosemary
¼ tsp ground or freshly grated ginger
1 tsp whole peppercorns
¼ C fresh or bottled lemon juice
½ C salad oil
1 clove garlic, split
Mix together salt, sugar, minced onion, dry mustard, rosemary, ginger and peppercorns.
Add lemon juice. Mix well. Mix in salad oil and garlic.
Place steak in glass container or gallon size plastic bag. Add marinade.
Marinate in refrigerator 3 to 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally (overnight is best).
Remove meat from marinade and grill about 7 minutes on each side for medium.
Transfer to cutting board and let meat stand for 10 minutes, then slice in thin diagonal slices.
Flan*
(Schwartz backyard Mexican Fiesta)
Serves about 8
1 C white sugar
1 tbsp light corn syrup
3 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz can)
1 can evaporated milk (12 oz can)
1 tbsp Kahlua or coffee flavor liqueur
2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350°.
In a small pot combine corn syrup and sugar. Simmer on medium heat until sugar starts to turn a golden brown (about 8-10 minutes) with only an occasional stir as too much stirring will crystalize the sugar. This will be hot! Carefully, but quickly, pour into a round 8-9 inch glass baking or pie dish, tilting the dish to coat the bottom with the caramel.
In a medium bowl combine eggs, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla, and Kahlua. Mix well with a metal whip or cake mixer. Pour mixture over caramel in the baking dish.
To make a water bath for even cooking: Place the baking dish in a roasting pan. Add hot water to the roasting pan so water comes halfway up the sides of the dish. Be careful not to get any water in the custard mix. Carefully move the roasting pan with the water and baking dish to the oven.
Bake 40-55 minutes or until custard has set. It may jiggle a little when moved.
Remove baking dish and water bath from oven. Refrigerate in baking dish 4-5 hours or overnight.
When ready to serve, run a knife around the inside of the dish to loosen. Place a plate or platter on top and invert flan to pop out.
Top with fresh berries or toasted almonds.
Ally’s Cookie Bars
(peanuts optional)
¼ lb butter
&
nbsp; 1 ½ C graham cracker crumbs
1 C flaked coconut
1 pkg (6 oz) chocolate chips
1 pkg (6 oz) butterscotch chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 ½ C chopped walnuts or peanuts
Preheat oven to 350° (325° for a glass pan). In a 9” X 13” pan, melt butter in oven.
Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over melted butter, mix together and press into pan with spatula or back of spoon. Sprinkle coconut, chocolate chips and butterscotch chips over crumb mixture.
Sprinkle nuts on top and pour condensed milk over entire mixture.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool before cutting into squares.
Acknowledgements
Trudie Fine came barreling into my mind one day in July at a Wildacres Writers’ Workshop and wouldn’t budge until I began to put her on paper. Since then, she has channeled herself through me onto the page, both of us lovers of food and cooking.
Without the consistent and persistent help and encouragement of my critique groups, Novel Experience and White Oak Writers (WOW), I could not have brought this project to fruition. Heartfelt appreciation to Cindy Young-Turner, Mary Doyle, Mark Willen, Jonathan Allen, Brian Connors, Vic Brown, C. J. Cooper, Alma Lopez, Holly Callen Berardi, Eileen McIntire, Marilyn Greenspan, Rochelle Maya Callen, and Bill LaFond, many of whom are talented published authors in their own right. Thank you also to my beta readers, in particular Blanca Miller and Olga LaFond, whose comments also helped to imprint these pages. I am very grateful to Leonard Spitzer for taking the time to educate me about semiautomatic pistols.
Sincere thanks to my incredible instructors, Ron Rash, Ann Hood, Luke Whisnant, Michael Parker and Nancy Bartholomew, in whose class Trudie Fine was born. These generous and gifted writers gave me the self-confidence to pursue my writing and the guidance to constantly strive to improve my skills.
I was honored that James Turner, an executive chef in Washington, D.C., provided me with such magnificent recipes. Find out more about James and where you can currently sample his fabulous food at www.gdeitchblog.com
I am deeply indebted to my family, Stanley, Marcie and Matt, who never questioned when I was finally going to publish my book. Stanley, you always encouraged me and never complained about my numerous critique group meetings, writing conferences and my week away each summer. I love you so much for your support.
About the Author
Gale Deitch enjoys writing all types of fiction—novels, short stories, flash fiction and poetry. Her flash fiction piece, Prima, has been featured in the March, 2013 issue of literary magazine, the Rusty Nail, and her poetry in the 2011 Maryland Writers Association poetry anthology, life in me like grass on fire, love poems. In the fall of 2013, literary magazine The Writing Disorder, will feature her short story, Pressing Matters.
Although most culinary mysteries take place in small town U.S.A. locales, having been born and raised and still residing in the Washington, D.C. area, Gale’s Trudie Fine mystery series, and much of her other writing, is based in her hometown, Washington, D.C.
Gale works for a large non-profit nursing home and senior living system. She has two grown children and lives with her husband in Rockville, Maryland.
Following is an excerpt from the next book in the
Trudie Fine mystery series…
Fine Dining
Coming in 2014
Excerpt from
Fine Dining
Micah followed her into the alley.
She spoke in a hushed voice, but one I could still hear. “I want you out of here now.” Then it began to crescendo. “I want you out of my house, out of my kitchen, out of my restaurant, out of this town.” Now she yelled at the top of her lungs, her voice strangled. “I want you out of my life—forever. I wish you were never born. Now. Get. Out.”
Tears sprung to my eyes. I knew May loved Micah, that he was her only living relative, and even with all his failings, she still believed that one day he would grow up and make something of himself. But seeing her now, disgraced by her brother in front of her staff, her business neighbor, and me, her friend, I knew that all of her hopes and dreams for Micah had disintegrated.
I didn’t want her to have to face me now in her embarrassment, so I turned to leave. That’s when I discovered Daniel, standing in the doorway. He had seen it all unfold.
As we returned to our table, I glanced up at the other diners who seemed to be looking to us for word about the loud ruckus in the kitchen. Daniel put his hand up and nodded, indicating that all was okay and they could return to their meals. I noticed that the men Micah had spoken to earlier were gone; two young couples now occupied the corner table.
Daniel signaled Katie to our table for the check. Her entire demeanor had changed, her face drained of all color, her eyes ringed with red. Had she been distressed for May or upset that Micah would be leaving town? Either way, I felt bad for her in her sweet innocence. Katie acknowledged him with a nod and stepped into the kitchen.
And we waited. I was anxious to leave so May wouldn’t have to face us. I wanted to get home with Daniel and speak to him about those thugs who were terrorizing local business owners. Most of all, I just wanted to get into bed with him to lay in the comfort of his arms. Where was Katie with that check?
Screams emerged from the direction of the kitchen, muffled at first and then more pronounced, and seeped into the dining room like a noxious gas.
Daniel sprang from his seat and ran into the kitchen.
I followed close behind.
As I entered, tortured cries rang out from the alley. I followed Daniel out the back door. The restaurant staff stood in a ring gazing down at the ground, their shrieks and sobs escaping into the muggy August air.
“Police,” Daniel pronounced in an authoritative tone as he urged his way through.
I took advantage of the opening he’d created and peered through to see what had happened. The sight made me gasp. A man’s body lay face up, the stain on his white shirt growing larger by the second like a paper towel absorbing a spill. His face was turned away from me, but reflecting from the overhead spotlight on the building, a large diamond sparkled in his left ear.
May sat on the ground rocking back and forth, her voice keening, face to the heavens. Her hands were raised high, grasping a Santoku knife dripping with blood.