Sifting for Suspects
Page 12
“The police are here? I didn’t actually call them.” Lucy looked towards the window.
“I did.” Chantelle frowned. “I couldn’t let you get yourself into trouble so I followed you. When I heard the shouts I called the police before I came in.”
“Lucy?” Annaliese pushed the door open and looked at the scene. She was followed by other officers and the detective working the case. “What happened here?”
“Sharon was going to kill me.” Lance hung his head. “She killed Derek.”
“Do you know how Alice is involved in this?” Lucy asked.
“Alice? She would never be involved in this,” Lance said.
“I found Derek’s phone in her locker.”
“Oh.” Lance nodded. “Sharon’s locker door broke last week, so Alice said she could use hers, that way she could store her keys and purse and training gear. Alice just keeps her purse behind the counter anyway.”
“Are you the one that moved the dumbbell out of her trunk?” Lucy asked.
“No.” He shrugged. “I don’t know anything about that.”
“He’s telling the truth. Sharon’s client Reggie confessed that he lied about her not leaving the session. The towel that you found was likely used to clean the murder weapon, which we now have,” the detective said as Annaliese took the dumbbell from Lance.
“You figured this out, didn’t you, Lucy?” Annaliese shook her head. “I didn’t believe it at first when the detective told me about your history of helping the police, but now I do.”
“I told you,” the detective smiled as he looked at Annaliese.
“What are you talking about?”
“Those calls you made over the years to help with cases. They weren’t anonymous. The police department has been tracking you for some time.”
“I didn’t know.” Lucy winced. “Trust me, my instincts aren’t always that great.”
“So the glass you turned in was Sharon’s?”
“No, it wasn’t. It was Noah’s.” She looked over at her sister. “I’m sorry, Chantelle, I don’t understand why he had the same protein powder as Sharon.”
“When Reggie confessed we did a search of Sharon’s office at the gym and turned up several laced containers. It wasn’t enough for her to drug herself, she’d been drugging her clients as well so that they would show better results. I’m sure that Noah had no idea what he was drinking.”
“You mean he’s been doped up?” Chantelle rolled her eyes. “That explains a few things.”
“I’m sorry, Lucy.” Lance stared hard at the floor. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize what was happening before it was too late.”
“Lance, you were in love. I hear that’s pretty blinding,” Lucy said.
“It can be.” Chantelle wrapped an arm around her sister’s shoulders. “Now, can I take you home?”
“Yes, please. I think I need a nap.”
“I think you do, too.”
As the two sisters drove back towards Lucy’s house, Lucy whispered a soft goodbye to Derek. Sharon took him away from everyone. It was heartbreaking, but at least it was an answer. Lucy unlocked the door to the house, and paused just inside.
“There’s something I need to tell you, Chantelle.”
“What now? Greg isn’t drinking that stuff is he?”
“No. I want you to know, I’m sorry. About Larry.”
“Larry? Why?”
“I’ve always felt terrible that I didn’t know, I didn’t sense something before his heart attack. Maybe if I had…”
“Don’t.” Chantelle shook her head and hugged her sister. “Don’t do that to yourself, Lucy. I’ve done it enough to myself for the both of us. Sometimes, things just happen. We don’t get a warning, and as tragic as it was, I’ve moved on. It’s time you did, too. Your instincts did a lot to find Derek’s killer, and your heart and determination did the rest.”
“I guess now my secret’s out at the police station.”
“It would have been anyway. Mom’s main customers since we met Annaliese have been police officers.”
“Her poor statue.”
“Are you kidding? That’s the only good thing that happened!”
“You’re so right!” Lucy dissolved into laughter as she hugged her sister. Yet again, she found a way to get her to laugh. As difficult as Derek’s loss was, she considered herself lucky to have such a wonderful family.
The End
Sign up for Cindy’s newsletter to be notified of her latest releases so you don’t miss out on the special new release price: http://www.cindybellbooks.com
Also by Cindy Bell
Sage Gardens Cozy Mysteries
Birthdays Can Be Deadly
Money Can Be Deadly
Trust Can Be Deadly
Ties Can Be Deadly
Rocks Can Be Deadly
Jewelry Can Be Deadly
Numbers Can Be Deadly
Memories Can Be Deadly
Paintings Can Be Deadly
Nuts About Nuts Cozy Mysteries
A Tough Case to Crack
Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mysteries
Murdering the Roses
Dead in the Daisies
Killing the Carnations
Drowning the Daffodils
Suffocating the Sunflowers
Books, Bullets and Blooms
A Deadly Serious Gardening Contest
A Bridal Bouquet and a Body
Dune House Cozy Mysteries
Seaside Secrets
Boats and Bad Guys
Treasured History
Hidden Hideaways
Dodgy Dealings
Suspects and Surprises
Ruffled Feathers
A Fishy Discovery
Chocolate Centered Cozy Mysteries
The Sweet Smell of Murder
A Deadly Delicious Delivery
A Bitter Sweet Murder
A Treacherous Tasty Trail
Luscious Pastry at a Lethal Party
Trouble and Treats
Wendy the Wedding Planner Cozy Mysteries
Matrimony, Money and Murder
Chefs, Ceremonies and Crimes
Knives and Nuptials
Mice, Marriage and Murder
Bekki the Beautician Cozy Mysteries
Hairspray and Homicide
A Dyed Blonde and a Dead Body
Mascara and Murder
Pageant and Poison
Conditioner and a Corpse
Mistletoe, Makeup and Murder
Hairpin, Hair Dryer and Homicide
Blush, a Bride and a Body
Shampoo and a Stiff
Cosmetics, a Cruise and a Killer
Lipstick, a Long Iron and Lifeless
Camping, Concealer and Criminals
Treated and Dyed
About the Author
Cindy Bell is the author of the cozy mystery series Dune House, Sage Gardens, Chocolate Centered, Macaron Patisserie, Nuts about Nuts, Bekki the Beautician, Heavenly Highland Inn and Wendy the Wedding Planner.
Cindy has always loved reading, but it is only recently that she has discovered her passion for writing romantic cozy mysteries. She loves walking along the beach thinking of the next adventure her characters can embark on.
You can sign up for her newsletter so you are notified of her latest releases at http://www.cindybellbooks.com.
Chocolate Hazelnut Macaron Recipe
Macarons can be quite technical to make as so much can go wrong with them if something is just slightly off. Even when you have mastered making macarons sometimes things just go wrong. But even if they don’t look perfect, usually they still look good and are delicious.
Ingredients:
Macaron shells:
3/4 cup hazelnut meal
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large egg whites at room temperature
1/4 cup superfine sugar
Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache:
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1/4 cup hazelnuts
1/2 cup whipping cream
7 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
Preparation:
This recipe makes about 18 macarons.
Process the hazelnut meal and confectioners’ sugar together in a food processor so the mixture becomes very fine. Sift the mixture into a bowl. Sift the cocoa powder into the bowl.
Put the egg whites in another bowl and beat them using an electric mixer until they start to turn white then gradually add the superfine sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Be careful to not overbeat the eggs.
Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the eggs about a third at a time. Continue to fold the mixture until it becomes quite thick like lava. A good way to tell when the mixture is ready is when you can continuously make a figure 8 with the mixture falling off the end of a spatula or when you spoon a small amount onto a tray and the tip disappears within ten seconds.
You do not want to overmix so keep checking the mixture as you fold.
Pipe the mixture using a half inch round tip or just snip the end off a disposable piping bag. Pipe the mixture into rounds on a lined baking tray or macaron mat. There are many mats and stencils available that you can use to make it easier to pipe the correct shape.
Tap the tray on the counter to release any air bubbles. Leave the mixture for about 30 minutes to an hour, you want the macarons to form a skin so when you touch the top they are not wet and they are shiny. This is to help the feet form.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once the skin has formed place the macarons in the preheated oven for 10-14 minutes. If the macaron can be peeled away from the paper then it is cooked.
Take the tray out of the oven and cool completely before taking the macarons off the tray for assembly.
For the ganache preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the hazelnuts on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Take the roasted hazelnuts out of the oven and leave to cool. Remove the skins from the hazelnuts. Place the hazelnuts in a food processor and process them until they are finely ground.
Chop the chocolate into pieces and place in a heatproof bowl. In a saucepan over a low heat gently heat the cream until it just starts to bubble. Take it off the heat. Pour the cream over the chocolate and leave to sit for 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly stir the mixture until the chocolate has melted. You can melt it over a double boiler if you can’t get all of the chocolate to melt. Stir in the ground hazelnuts. Leave aside or place in the refrigerator to cool until it is a spreadable consistency.
Take a macaron shell and pipe or spoon some ganache on the bottom of the shell then take another macaron shell of similar size and sandwich the bottoms together, so the ganache is in the middle.
Leave the macarons in the fridge overnight so they absorb the flavor of the ganache. If you can’t wait that long they still taste delicious.
Take the macarons out of the fridge a couple of hours before serving so they get to room temperature.
Enjoy!