No Farm, No Foul (Farmer's Daughter Mystery)
Page 24
“It doesn’t sound like Alan, either. I can’t picture him spilling his sins to the local rector. No, Prudence recognized him from their previous parish and knew he was married to a woman there. She called his other wife—probably to ask if they’d been divorced. And when it became apparent the other woman—her name is Marcia—was still married to Alan, Prudence filled her in on Alan’s double life. Ironically Marcia didn’t believe Prudence. It seems Prudence had cried wolf once too often.”
Bert rolled her eyes. “That I can believe.” She blew on her coffee and took a sip.
“From what I was able to learn, Alan planned to do away with his first wife and collect on a hefty insurance policy in her name. And Grace didn’t seem to mind. She wanted to be married at all costs.”
“And married to a man with money,” Bert added. She was thoughtful for a moment. “So Alan is the one who did the deed.”
“I think Grace followed Prudence into the mudroom and tried to reason with her—Alan must have told Grace he’d been recognized. But it was Alan who actually wrapped the cord . . .” Shelby pushed her toast away. Talking about the murder brought the horrific scene to mind and took her appetite away.
“It’s like one of those soap operas,” Bert said, getting up and putting her empty mug in the dishwasher.
They were both startled by a knock on the back door.
Shelby got up and walked over to push open the screen door, making a mental note to fix the small hole that had appeared in the upper right-hand corner.
Kelly burst into the room, bringing with her the scent of hay, warm animals, and manure. Her jeans had ominous-looking stains on the knees and there were some equally indecipherable spots on her T-shirt, which advertised a 5k run that had taken place seven years ago.
“I heard on the scanner that the police were headed to your house,” Kelly said breathlessly. “But the Mingledorffs had another emergency, and I couldn’t get away until now. I’ve been a nervous wreck.” She looked Shelby up and down. “Are you okay?” She glanced around the kitchen. “And the kids?”
“Just fine on all counts,” Shelby assured her.
Kelly collapsed into a kitchen chair and ran a hand through her unruly red hair. “So what happened?”
Bert cleared her throat. She took off the apron she’d retrieved from Shelby’s cupboard and draped it over a chair. “I’ll be off if that’s okay with you. I promised to make some rhubarb pies for the St. Andrews Women’s Auxiliary, so I’d better shake a leg, considering we’re only going to get twenty-four hours today as usual. You gals carry on.”
She turned to leave, then stopped in her tracks and pointed at Shelby. “Better check that patch of lettuce again. Thought I saw some spots of mildew on the butter oak. I know you sprayed, but maybe you ought to do it again to be sure.”
Shelby groaned. She couldn’t afford to lose her crop of lettuce. She’d better tend to it right away. She’d wasted too much time already looking into Prudence’s murder.
Kelly exhaled forcefully as Bert left the room. “Okay, enough of that. I want to hear about what happened this morning. If you knew how worried I was . . .” She reached across the table and took a piece of the toast Shelby hadn’t finished. “Do you mind? I’m starved. I never got breakfast this morning.” She took a huge bite and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “First let me tell you my news. It’s good. Seth didn’t murder Prudence,” she finished triumphantly.
“I know.”
Kelly looked crestfallen. “How did you know?”
“Alan Swanson murdered her.”
“Alan? Seriously?”
Shelby nodded. “But it sounds like Seth had an alibi—like you found out where he was when he was supposed to be at the potluck.”
“He was having lunch with an old girlfriend.” Kelly wrinkled her nose. “They dated when Seth was in medical school but broke up before graduation. I guess she looked him up and came to Lovett to see if she could rekindle things.”
“That’s awfully forward of her.”
“I think it’s typical of her and that’s one of the reasons they broke up. Seth wasn’t high-powered enough for her. She’s on her way to finishing her training as a heart surgeon, and here Seth is—a family doctor in a small country town.” Kelly shrugged. “Apparently she decided that that didn’t matter to her anymore, though, because she came here determined to get Seth back. But he sent her packing. He said he’d tried calling me the afternoon of the potluck, but I’d left my phone in the truck. This Natalie turned up out of the blue, and by the time he got rid of her and was about to head to your place, he got called out on an emergency—some farmer had a nasty accident—got his foot tangled in a piece of machinery. The potluck was nearly over before Seth was finished there.”
Kelly finished the last few bites of Shelby’s uneaten toast. “So, tell me how you knew it was Alan Swanson who murdered poor Prudence.” She glanced at her watch. “Rats! I have clinic in twenty minutes.”
She got up from her chair and brushed the crumbs from the toast she’d filched from Shelby’s plate into the palm of her hand. “You can tell me tonight over a glass of wine—how’s that? I’ll pick up a bottle of chardonnay and swing by here after work.”
“It’s a date.”
Shelby had barely closed the door behind Kelly when the front doorbell rang. She scurried down the hall, through the living room, and flung open the door. With Alan and Grace in custody, there was no longer any need to worry about who was at the door.
Frank was waiting on the front steps.
He appeared ill at ease, his arms hanging limply at his sides, his expression serious.
“Come in,” Shelby urged him as he hesitated on the front steps.
“Do you have more questions for me?” Shelby hoped that wasn’t the case. She didn’t want to have to relive the morning’s events one single more time.
“No.” Frank hooked a thumb through the belt loop on his worn jeans. “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
For a moment Shelby’s breath caught in her throat. Even Frank’s voice was like Bill’s—deep and mellow. She was tempted to close her eyes. The moment passed. “Yeah, I’m okay. I’m just fine.”
Dear Reader,
Something like Prudence’s death certainly puts everything in perspective. Problems like Billy getting his head stuck in the banister become small in comparison. I can even view Amelia’s sneaking out with Ned in a new light. Not that I’m going to allow it to continue, but I am willing to face the fact that she is growing up even if it breaks my heart. I think that will make her happy.
RECIPES
HOMEMADE MEAT LOAF
2 pounds ground beef
1 pound ground pork
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
½ teaspoon thyme leaves, crumpled
½ cup unseasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs
optional: bacon strips
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Measure all ingredients except bacon, place in large bowl, and mix thoroughly with your hands. Form into loaf shape and place in baking dish (or form smaller loaves and freeze some for another dinner.) Arrange optional bacon strips on top.
Bake for 1½ hours, basting occasionally. Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing.
LOVE BLOSSOM FARM BEET SALAD
2 large beets
grated zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
½ small red onion, sliced into rings
⅓ cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 ounces crumbled feta cheese
Preheat oven to 400
degrees. Place beets in a roasting pan and cover tightly with foil. Bake until the beets are easily pierced all the way through with a paring knife—about 1 hour and 15 minutes, depending on the size of your beets. Let them cool slightly.
Whisk together the lemon zest, juice, oil, and honey to make the dressing.
Rub off the beet skins and slice the beets into thin rounds. Place them in a salad bowl, along with the red onion, and toss with the dressing. Add walnuts or pecans, salt and pepper to taste, and toss. Sprinkle the feta cheese on top.
HOMEMADE SLOW COOKER YOGURT
½ gallon whole milk (not ultrapasteurized)
6-ounce container of plain unsweetened yogurt with live cultures (check the label)
Pour milk into the slow cooker and heat to 180 degrees (approximately 1½ to 2½ hours, depending on your slow cooker).
Turn off the slow cooker and allow the milk to cool to 120 degrees (approximately 1½ to 2½ hours, depending on your slow cooker). Let the container of starter yogurt come to room temperature while the milk is cooling.
Mix the container of starter yogurt into the milk and stir.
Cover the slow cooker and wrap it in a beach towel or several smaller towels. Let it sit for 8 hours or overnight. Unwrap the slow cooker, remove the insert, and place in your refrigerator to cool.
To make thicker Greek-style yogurt, line a strainer with cheesecloth and set it in your sink. Place yogurt in the strainer and allow it to drain until the desired consistency is reached.
Save ¾ cup of yogurt to use as a starter for your next batch.
YOGURT CHEESE SPREAD
Place homemade Greek-style yogurt in a sieve lined with cheesecloth and drain, pressing out the whey, until the yogurt is the consistency of soft cream cheese. Mix in a combination of fresh herbs of your choice—parsley, dill, basil, oregano, or mint—and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Use as a spread for crackers or crudités.
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