by Linda West
“I want to thank you, Kat. Thanks to you, everything has been set right.”
Maritime’s eyes gleamed soft and happy, and there was not a smidgeon left of the angry, upset man I had seen outside the café that evening.
“Oh, Mr. Maritime,” I said. “I’m just glad it’s all through.”
Maritime shifted his weight. “Well, Kat, I discovered some things that I wanted to share with you since you’ve had such a big part in setting things right. I have an old law school buddy that is representing Fuzzbottom’s case. He said that Fuzzbottom confessed everything, hoping to get a more lenient sentence. Seems he and Mia had been watching old Jackson by himself with all that money for a long time. So they hatched a plan to have Mia seduce him, and try and get some of his money. They never meant to kill Jackson – but when Helena and Frankie came on the scene and started making waves about wanting money, Fuzzbottom decided they couldn’t wait for the old man to die as originally planned. Mia knew Jackson still carried the torch for Carol Landers, so when he wrote her a note to lure her to his house for a private lovers’ talk – it was the perfect opportunity to frame someone else for the murder.”
My eyes went wide. “So they kidnapped Carol’s crockpot so they could get her over to Jackson’s house for sure?”
Maritime nodded. “Fuzzbottom used his police jimmy to get into the bakery van and steal Carol’s signature crockpot – and Mia gave Jackson’s love letter sealed with his personal seal to a random man to pass over to Carol, only after Fuzzbottom did the horrible deed.”
“And that’s when I saw him – trying to creep back to his car to change out of his black murderer’s outfit? “
Maritime nodded. “He hadn’t counted on anyone being outside during the announcements of the big prize winners.”
That made sense. I wouldn’t have been out there if I hadn’t been sneaking a smoke myself.
“So he had to come after me to shut me up.”
Maritime nodded. “Exactly. But you thwarted him, thankfully.”
I gulped, thinking how close I had come to being one of Fuzzbottom’s victims.
“Then when Mia inherited all the money and tried to leave him, he went crazy and killed the only person he ever loved. They might have gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for you, Kat.”
I shivered as the last of the details of the sordid story fell into place. I couldn’t wait to tell Ethel the whole story now that Mr. Maritime had filled in the last pieces of the puzzle.
I watched Ethel darting about like Husain Bolt with two serving trays of hors d’oeurves for the guests. She was all smiles. She and Carol had insisted on making all the appetizers and they were stunning. Ethel had a tray of tiny lobster dainties with fresh dill and capers in one hand, and a tray of deviled eggs with truffle sauce and blackened shrimp in the other. Her husband Earl was beside her with a tray of champagne flutes. Maybe Brice’s fancy expensive Whispering Pines Supper House did influence Ethel just a bit.
Speaking of, Brice and Dolly came in together and I could see Dolly blushing from across the room. I was happy to see them together. Maxine sauntered in behind them, wearing a bright red feather mini dress. She sported an obnoxious orange wig and a new man on her arm. I had to laugh.
Wow, the place really was full to the brim. Maxine waved to me and I waved back. I couldn’t wait to get her story. But right now, I had one last question for Mr. Maritime.
I couldn’t help but think about all that money of Jackson’s that had been the cause of so much strife. I glanced at Helena and Frankie as they walked around the café chatting with neighbors as if they’d lived here their whole lives. They had really gotten a rotten deal. I wondered what would happen to them.
“So what will happen with all of Mr. Jennings’s millions now?”
The side of Mr. Maritime’s mouth lifted up. “Well, I finally got smart and opened those darn cigars.”
I totally understood wanting a smoke. I could use one myself.
“For sure sometimes a good smoke just makes everything better,” I said.
Mr. Maritime looked at me oddly. “Well no, dear, I didn’t plan on smoking. I had an idea. You see, I was so mad at that old coot for changing his will and never even telling me. Always pushing me around, never listening to my input, selling our business out from under me. Well, on top of everything – the ultimate hypocrisy – leaving me his Cuban cigars. I was so angry…”
He shook his head and then laughed. “You think someone I had known forty years would know I don’t even smoke! And then it dawned on me…
“When they pinned the murder on Fuzzbottom and Mia, I got to thinking. Jackson was a smart man; he certainly wasn’t easily fooled. He must have guessed they were up to something. That’s why he was so on edge. So last night, I opened up the box of cigars he left me, and low and behold…
“Those Monte Christos were wrapped in his real will – with a note to me, and a small painting by a little known painter you may have heard of named Picasso.”
I gasped. “Helena’s painting!”
He nodded.
“You see, in Jackson’s note to me, he explained that he knew Mia’s baby couldn’t have been his, and with her pushing the marriage and the will, he decided it best to play dumb and go along with her plan. He was hoping Carol would give him another chance if he could get her jealous.”
My mouth opened further and further.
“But he began to suspect that Mia might be playing him,” said Maritime, “and that she might be dangerous. That’s why he put his real will in the only safe place he could think of where Mia wouldn’t look – a cigar box. He said she hated the smell of them.”
My jaw started to hurt from all this gaping. I clicked it shut.
“So Jackson had another will the whole time?!”
Maritime nodded once more. “He left me all the money and owed profits from our business together as he promised, along with a hefty bonus that I never expected. The rest of his entire fortune he left to Helena and his nephew. And of course I returned Helena’s mother’s Picasso to her as well.”
So that was the whole story it seemed! A lover’s plan gone wrong, way wrong. I still couldn’t wrap my mind around people I knew getting murdered. It seemed impossible in our little world. Our perfect baked goods, friends and family filled Kissing Bridge Mountain. But at least it seemed over, finally. Maybe we could get back to some sense of normal.
We both looked over at Helena, who was having a spirited conversation with Carol. Helena looked so much younger and at ease. At least her financial worries had been lessened.
Mr. Maritimes’ wife – Shirley – a tall, slender, dark-haired woman with big owl glasses and a soft face walked up to us.
“Hello, Kat. I wanted to thank you for everything.” She hugged me. Mr. Maritime cleared his throat, and smiled at his wife.
“We need to get going, darling, the grandkids have to get home to bed,” she said.
Maritime glanced over at his brood. “Right. Well, a sad ordeal all together that’s finally been made right somehow by your good deeds, Kat, and the will of God.”
I echoed. “By the will of God, amen.”
And by the will of old Jackson Jennings in the end, it seemed, as well.
Maritime patted me on the shoulder. “Enjoy your night, Kat. What a glorious opening for the new café.”
I smiled as I watched them rejoin the rest of their large family. Diana was laden down with her two young children clinging to her; she waved to me as she juggled them. Her husband had his hands full of drinks and plates of treats and he was trying to put on his youngest boy’s coat at the same time. It made me happy to know that they would be spending holidays again in their old homestead now that they could save the family house.
Somehow, the thought that Jackson wasn’t such bad a guy made me feel better. It’s not nice to think badly about the dead, but now Jackson would leave a new legacy. One that made his past injustices right again. After all was said and done, Hele
na and her son Frankie had gotten the family inheritance they deserved, and even her mother’s painting back. Her son would go to college, and get the surgery he needed.
I learned of his illness at last earlier this evening when Helena had hugged me in thanks. Frankie’s incessant hunger and pocketing of syringes was because he was a diabetic in full stage kidney failure. Now he could get the best of care and still attend the college of his dreams while he waited for a kidney donor.
Maybe someday he would help others like himself that were inflicted with kidney failure with no hope of a normal life. I had thought of him as antisocial, and the whole time, he was just in pain.
I made a note to myself to consider different options the next time someone seems odd and not just get caught up in my first deductions. I caught Frankie’s eye and he waved from across the room. He was back to wearing head to toe Harvard regalia and he smiled for the first time since he’d gotten here.
I felt a glow inside. Despite all the horrible happenings, tonight had turned out more wonderful than I could have imagined.
It was so great to have Carol home again.
Carol Landers absolutely radiated in her long red gown and matching red rose corsage. Her towering flaming red beehive had been resurrected after her stint in the jail cell. Now, she was back to her usual full glory. She reluctantly let go of her husband’s hand as Ethel prodded her through the crowd to stand in front of the group for a congratulatory toast.
I smiled at Carol as we all raised our glasses of champagne, sending a toast up in her honor, as well as the official opening of the Enchanted Cozy Café. It'd been a tough week for Carol, and for all of us. But tonight, we were celebrating.
We had amazing neighbors, and we had amazing friends, and I was finally really happy to be home again. Jaime was coming my way, and he looked even more handsome than ever…
He was out of uniform, and wearing a red flannel shirt with jeans that hugged him in all the right ways. I smiled even wider.
Things we're looking up in Kissing Bridge, they certainly were.
That was, of course, until the next murder.
The End.
It’s the end but it’s not over! The fun continues as does the series of Kissing Bridge Cozy Mysteries.
Look for Death by Rolling Pin
Coming in May!
Ethel drags Kat to a Rolling Pin convention bent on replacing her cane/bat with something grandmotherlier, yet still weapon like.
When the top rolling pin guru ends up murdered and dumped in their parking spot, it’s anyone’s guess which rolling “King’ pin” wanted him dead.
Dear friends, I hope you enjoyed my book! Many of the characters featured in this book began their stories in the Love on Kissing Bridge Series. I would so enjoy giving you the first book in that series that introduce the Landers ladies for the first time. It would be my pleasure to gift you this book as a way of saying thank you
and to add to your enjoyment of this lovely town and its inhabitants)
Thank you for reading my books!
Just contact me directly at
[email protected]
And I will send you the book for free!
If you haven’t read the first in this #1 Best-Selling Romance Series on Kissing Bridge, just start here! Let me give it to you as a gift! Just write me at [email protected]
Christmas Kisses and Cookies
"Side-splittingly funny and filled with adorable Christmas spirit. I couldn't put it down!"
C. Patchett
Recipes from the Cafe
Key Lime Tart
Our Key Lime Tart will awaken your senses again and make you look forward to spring!
Ingredients
Crust
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• Scant 1/2 cup butter
Filling
• 1- 300 ml. 10 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
• 3 large egg yolks
• 3 key limes zested
• 1/2 cup key lime juice maybe 16-20 key limes
Topping
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 2 Tbsp. icing sugar
• 1 lime thinly sliced
• 1 cup of strawberries for decoration
• Chocolate sauce
Instructions
1 Preheat oven to 325F. Mix the graham crumbs with the ground almonds. Melt the butter and add, mixing well. Press into a the base of a 9 1/2 - 10" loose bottomed tart pan. Bake in the oven for 10 min. Cool.
2 Meanwhile, in a bowl of a standup mixer whisk the egg yolks and then add the condensed milk. Whisk for 3 min. Add in the juice and lime zest and continue to beat for an additional 3 min. Pour the filling into the cooled base. Place on a rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 15 min. Let cool completely and then chill for 3 hours or overnight.
When ready to serve beat the whipped cream until soft peaks, adding in the icing sugar to sweeten. Dollop the cream on top of the pie, decorate with the lime slices and raspberries. Alternatively decorate with more lime zest and serve.
Truthful Tomato Caprese Sandwich
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 large tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch slices
•
• 1 (16 ounce) package fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions:
• Stir balsamic vinegar and honey together in a small saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the vinegar mixture has reduced to 1/3 cup, about 10 minutes. Set the balsamic reduction aside to cool.
• Put the sliced tomatoes on a roasting pan and drizzle liberally with the balsamic reduction.
• Roast the tomatoes for two minutes on broil – do not overback!
• Arrange alternate slices of lightly baked tomato and Caprese cheese on a serving platter. Drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil.
• Grind the Juniper well and sprinkle on the baked tomatoes and Caprese cheese.
• Arrange the tomatoes, Caprese and slivered basil on a slice of thinly cut bread.
Spoon some balsamic reduction onto the other slice of bread, then, Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Combine the sandwich and enjoy!
Deviled eggs with Pulled BBQ Pork
12 large eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup finely chopped smoked pork
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce
Garnish: paprika
How to Make It
Step 1
Place eggs in a single layer in a large saucepan; add water to a depth of 3 inches. Bring to a boil; cover, remove from heat, and let stand 15 minutes.
Step 2
Drain and fill pan with cold water and ice. Tap each egg firmly on the counter until cracks form all over the shell. Peel under cold running water.
Step 3
Cut eggs in half lengthwise, and carefully remove yolks. Mash yolks with mayonnaise. Stir in pork and next 4 ingredients; blend well.
Step 4
Spoon yolk mixture evenly into egg white halves.
Garnish with a bit of pulled pork on top
Blue Cheese and Pear Tarts
• 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
• 1 ripe pear - peeled, cored, and chopped
• 2 tablespoons light cream
• ground black pepper to taste
• 2 oz. of Dark Rum
1 (2.1 ounce) package mini phyllo tart shells
Directions
Pre-bake phyllo shells according to package directions. Set aside to cool.
Mix together¾ of the blue cheese, pear, liquor and cream. Season to tas
te with pepper. Spoon mixture into cooled shells.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degree
Remove and add sprinkles of the rest of the blue cheese.
Baked Brie with Fresh Raspberries soaked with Grand Mainer
Ingredients:
1 wheel of Brie
1 cup of fresh raspberries
3 shots of Grand Mainer
1 Loaf of French bread
How to make it:
Wrap Brie in tin foil and slip in the oven for fifteen minutes on 350. Check for softness. It should just begin to melt but not be overdone.
Slice the French bread into slices.
Combine fresh raspberries with Grand Mainer and toss together.
Slip the French bread into the oven with the Brie for the last two minutes to slightly toast edges.
Remove Brie and toast and spoon softened cheese dollops onto each toast round.
Place a few drunken Raspberries on top of each round.
Enjoy!
Thank you so very much for reading my books! I hoped you loved reading about Kat and the Landers’ adventures. Thank you for reading my books!