I sighed, understanding I had to protect my father from now on. My aunt, whose face was turned toward the window while she sniffed and wiped her eyes, would need kid glove care too.
I also accepted there was unfinished business with Mr. Bucanetti. He was still a criminal and had only helped me for his own benefit. Someday he would go to prison for the rest of his life and I’d be the one to put him there. I’d gained another ally in this quest, his gorgeous nephew. Until it’s Bucanetti’s time, the flash drive and the copy stay with me.
All these thoughts ran through my mind on a continuous loop, but came to a halt when Corrigan reached over and squeezed my hand. An understanding look flit across his face.
I closed my eyes, a bittersweet smile on my lips.
A Dessert Recipe…
Panna Cotta (cold Italian custard)
1C whole milk
1Tbsp unflavored powdered gelatin
3C whipping cream
1/3 C honey
1Tbsp granulated sugar
Pinch salt
Place milk in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Let stand 3-5 minutes so gelatin softens. Pour mixture into a saucepan and stir over medium heat only until the gelatin dissolves but the milk doesn’t boil. About 5 minutes. Add cream, honey, sugar and salt. Keep stirring until the sugar dissolves. 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into parfait glasses. Cool a bit. (I cover it completely with plastic wrap so a film doesn’t form.) Refrigerate at least 6 hours or until set.
Top with grated dark chocolate before serving.
Dear Reader,
If you enjoyed this book, please recommend it to a friend. Even lend your copy to them!
Reviews are always welcome. They help other readers discover your favorite books. If you do write one for The Terrified Detective: Plateful of Murder, please let Carole know. She’d like to thank you personally. Her email is: [email protected]
Sign up for Carole’s Newsletter to get insider information, sneak peeks, contests and freebies, and to be the first to hear when her next book is coming out. Since these newsletters only come out a few times a year, you won’t be inundated with them. Also, rest assured, Carole doesn’t sell email addresses.
The link for her Newsletter is: http://eepurl.com/8xC5L
For more information on Carole, visit her website. www.carolefowkes.com
If you enjoyed this second book in the Terrified Detective cozy mystery series, make sure you check out the first book in this series, Plateful of Murder, and the third, Bake Me a Murder, which are available now.
Here’s an excerpt from “Bake Me a Murder”…
Bake Me a Murder
The Terrified Detective, Book Three
Chapter One
Monday, 8:00 p.m.
People ask plumbers and carpenters for free help all the time. It’s a well-known fact. In response, these tradesmen either do the favor or learn how to refuse. A lesser known fact is, as a private investigator, nobody, except for the panhandlers at 9th and Euclid in downtown Cleveland, ever asked me for anything. So, when Ed Horwath, my sometime employee and full-time security guard at Triton Pharmaceuticals, requested my help, it shocked me.
To explain, I better go back to the beginning, meaning from the start of this case.
Since the Joey Corroza incident, Cleveland Police Detective Brian Corrigan and I had gone on two dates, enjoyable ones, I might add. For our third, my dad invited us to his place for dinner. Since my mother died he’d become a great cook and his manicotti was delicious. Aunt Lena, my late mother’s sister and owner of Cannoli’s, one of the best bakeries and cafes in the Cleveland area, had brought her chocolate chip caramel brownies.
Brian and I had been in the kitchen doing the dinner dishes. When we returned to the dining room, Aunt Lena and Ed, who had been dating since that same Corroza case, sat at my father’s heavy, dark-wood dining room table. They were making eyes at each other while my father squirmed and cast his glances everywhere but at the two lovebirds.
In a voice sharper than I believe he meant, he said, “Lena. Ed. Not in front of the kids.”
Lena snorted and tilted her head toward Brian and me. “Frank, those two haven’t been kids for a long time.”
My dad responded, “They still don’t need to see a fiftyish woman and her young man playing cootchy-coo with their eyes.”
I laughed. “It’s okay, Dad. We’re all adults here. Besides, there’s only six years’ difference between them. I think I can speak for Brian, too, when I say we’ve both seen worse things.”
My attention drifted to the brownies stacked on a serving plate. A wistful pang hit me. If I’d inherited my dad’s metabolism, I could have downed half the pan and arm-wrestled anyone else for the remainder. Since I put on weight like other people put on clothes, I’d have to restrain myself and only have one. Or two. I consoled myself with staring into Brian’s blue eyes. I have to admit, my eyes couldn’t resist traveling past his cute dimples down the full length of his hot body. My Aunt Lena had no qualms about her robust figure. She snatched the biggest brownie. But she cut it in quarters and fed it to Ed as he gazed at her. Okay, this was one of the worst things I’d seen.
I glanced at Brian in case he had a notion to do the same, but he was staring at his phone. He then frowned and excused himself.
As if on cue, Ed’s phone rang too. His voice boomed. “Hey buddy, what’s going on?”
I couldn’t hear the other man’s exact words but he sounded pretty upset. Ed turned pale and lowered his voice. “Slow down, Merle. When did this happen?”
He listened for a moment. “Okay, I’m going to give the phone to a private investigator I work with, Claire DeNardo. You tell her what you told me.”
Ed held his phone out in my direction.
I waved my arms like windshield wipers and shook my head. I was on a date and didn’t want to think about business. But Ed’s eyes pleaded and I broke down. “This is Claire DeNardo. How can I help you?”
Plateful of Murder
Claire DeNardo is scared of a lot of things. Ordinary objects like roller coasters and men's hairpieces make her knees knock loud enough to be a band’s rhythm section. Unfortunately, the only job Claire can find is working for her Uncle Gino in his seedy detective agency. Until now, her cases have all been middle-aged men with trophy wives who needed watching. But when Gino retires and leaves her in charge, Claire quickly gets swept up in a murder case despite her fears. Both the client who hired her and the handsome police detective want her off the case. When the wrong person is charged, it’s up to the terrified detective to summon all the courage she can to find the true killer.
Available now on Amazon
Bake Me a Murder
Private Investigator Claire DeNardo reluctantly takes on a case presented by her part-time employee, Ed. Ed’s cousin, Merle, is searching for his former girlfriend, a topless dancer who ran with a rough crowd. But it’s too late. The woman has been killed and Merle, who is now Claire’s client, is arrested. When Claire digs into the victim’s past, she uncovers a thriving illegal drug trade. Her fears about this case double when she learns about the mobster who is behind the unlawful business. All this while dodging Police Detective Brian Corrigan’s determined efforts to get her off the case and into his arms.
Available now on Amazon
Acknowledgements
I want to thank my husband, Greg, for his support, ideas, and patience. Nikki Salupo and Joanne Moore both stepped up when I needed their help most. Patience Jackson, Rae-Dawn Brightman, and Bill Payne lent their expertise to my efforts. Huge thanks goes to Kathleen Baldwin, whose advice, assistance, and reassurances made the publishing of this book possible.
Copyright
Copyright © 2016 by Carole Fowkes
eBook conversion by Ink Lion Books
Cover by Kathleen Baldwin
Copy Edited by Michelle Morrow
Release date: January 2016
All Rights Reserved
; No part of this book may be reproduced, downloaded, transmitted, decompiled, reverse engineered, stored in or introduced to any information storage and retrieval system, in any form, whether electronic or mechanical without the author’s written permission. Scanning, uploading or distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without permission is prohibited.
Please purchase only authorized electronic versions, and do not participate in, or encourage pirated electronic versions
Table Of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Plateful of Murder
Bake Me a Murder
Acknowledgements
Copyright
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Plateful of Murder
Bake Me a Murder
Acknowledgements
Copyright
Killer Cannoli (A Terrified Detective Mystery Book 2) Page 19