If Fried Chicken Could Fly

by Paige Shelton

  If only someone had noticed the red spots.

  Miles shot at Jake and me for the reasons he’d mentioned in the Jasper. He was convinced that whoever had access to the archives would somehow figure out that he was the one who’d killed Everett. He had no idea how confusing the archives had actually been. Jim claimed that Miles had become so caught up in himself that he thought everyone was seeing what he was seeing. When he wasn’t able to kill us, he thought he could at least steal the archives. He said he thought he’d at least put Jake in a coma, but again my best friend had beaten the odds and survived Miles’s second attempt to take him out of the picture.

  Gram said that Everett had no idea that Jerome’s treasure was hidden underneath the theater. She claimed that even finding Belinda’s obituary hadn’t given him the final clue. If he’d been “giggling like a schoolgirl and talking to himself” while reading the obituary at the pool hall it was just the result of finding something interesting or entertaining. The treasure hunt had turned into more of a fun diversion than a real hunt. Everett had taken Gram’s business card so he could give it to his wife when he told her what he’d been up to. Everett thought Gram might be able to ease the blow of learning about Everett’s “crazy idea.”

  Before Everett had come to Broken Rope, he had no idea that Jenna was his daughter. But not only did Jenna look like Belinda, she looked like Everett’s mother, too. Before they were married, Everett and his wife had had a baby, a little girl they couldn’t afford to raise and they thought would be better off with a family that could give her the best in life. The resemblance caused Everett to search further, and Gram claims that he somehow found out she was adopted and he hinted—though never admitted it to her—that he thought Jenna might be his daughter. Maybe he had contacts in Topeka, too, but none of us would ever know.

  No one knew who placed the small pieces of paper, the copies of the word Jasper, in the tombstone and in Everett’s desk. No one. Of course, I could never be sure, but something told me they came from the same place that Jerome was now, not from him exactly but from “that place,” wherever it was. It was a disconcerting thought and not something I wanted to dwell on, but maybe someday I’d think about it more. Maybe someday I’d talk to Jerome about it. I hoped at least.

  It turned out that the familial connections didn’t mean much of anything when it came to Everett’s murder. The only one who’d seemed to figure them out beforehand was Verna, and until the meeting I’d called with her and Gram, she never thought those connections meant anything important. She never admitted to the anonymous note, but come to think of it, I don’t think anyone asked her outright.

  I was fine. The doctor threw a little alcohol over my wound and put in a couple stitches for good measure. I hoped I’d have a scar.

  Other than the bad things, it turned out to be a pretty good opening day.

  Jerome’s treasure was buried right where he’d said. It was gold—a lot of gold. Jim had it excavated without any damage to the Jasper and then he sealed off the area underneath the stage and theater. Never again would anyone be able to get into that space. Unless they were a ghost and could do those sorts of things. Later we’d learn that Amy had told Mabel that Everett had touched her inappropriately. It was a horrible accusation. And, it wasn’t true according to the story Amy was now sticking to. Amy had said what she’d said because Everett wouldn’t let her into a movie without paying. Mabel and Amy hadn’t done anything to Everett, but Mabel admitted to thinking about it.

  We’d all been called to a meeting in Jim’s office. Gram, Teddy, Verna, Jake, Cliff, and I were all there as Jim called the meeting to order.

  “There are laws we must abide by. This is gold, folks, and someone else’s gold at that. It’s a historical find, and there are certain things we are required to do,” Jim said.

  None of us wanted the gold, had ever wanted it. In fact, Gram and I had been pushing Jim to give it all to Everett’s widow if that was possible. It wasn’t. There were laws and such.

  “That makes sense,” Verna said. Miles had tried to hire her as his attorney, but she’d refused. “Give us the scoop.”

  “This is what’s been worked out with the authorities. I hope you’re all in agreement. Even if you aren’t, there’s nothing we can do, though I feel they’re being very generous,” Jim said.

  We looked at him and waited.

  “Everett’s widow will get some. Some will be given to Jake for archiving purposes only. I’d like Jake to put something together that shows our visitors who the real Jerome Cowbender was.”

  I swallowed hard and clenched my fist to keep my hand from reaching for the bandage at my neck or tearing up.

  “I’d love to do that,” Jake said.

  “Verna, you’re getting some to cover your attorney fees for Miz,” Jim said.

  “Hell’s bells, Jim, I can pay,” Gram said.

  “I didn’t do anything anyway. I wasn’t going to charge her,” Verna said.

  “Yes you were,” Gram said. “I wouldn’t hear of you working for free.”

  “There, I fixed it. Verna, you’re getting some,” Jim said firmly. Gram and Verna both looked perturbed but didn’t say anything more.

  “Betts, you’ll get a little for pain and suffering.” Jim looked at me.

  “I don’t want any…wait, I take that back. I would like a small bit. One coin would be fine.” I suddenly had the desire to carry one of Jerome’s stolen coins with me.

  “You’ll get a few coins.”

  “You can give what you don’t want to me,” Teddy said with a big Teddy smile. “Kidding, sis, kidding.”

  “The rest will go to the state historical society. The town will receive some compensation, a finders’ fee of sorts, but the amount is unclear. I thought we’d do repairs on the Jasper and the pool hall and whatever else might need a little something. Everyone good with the plan?”

  We looked at each other and nodded.

  “I think we’re all for the plan, Jim. Good work,” Gram said.

  The now-familiar metallic plunk sounded from the front of the jail. The handcuffs had fallen again.

  “I do not understand what is going on with those handcuffs,” Jim said.

  I looked at Gram. She winked at me.

  The meeting was adjourned and Cliff walked me out to my car. I still owned the Nova. I’d decided not to invest in the Mustang, no matter how wonderful it would have been.

  “You okay, Betts?” Cliff asked as we stepped out into the bright sunshine and into a group of tourists who seemed to be headed toward the gunfight at the other end of the street.

  “I’m fine. I might have a scar, but I’m just fine.”

  “I’m sorry about what you’ve been through. If there’s anyone I want to protect, it’s you.”

  I blinked.

  “That was a bit much, huh?” Cliff said.

  “No. Actually, it was great to hear. I’m just…” The words that were in my head were something about me being actually glad he was back but not knowing exactly why. Suddenly, I wasn’t pining away for what we once had. Suddenly, I saw him as he was now, not as he was then. And suddenly, I was excited to get to know this him, one step at a time. “It was just great to hear.”

  “Good.” He smiled.

  “Hey, sis, Cliff.” Teddy burst out the jail doors. “You two getting back together again anytime soon, or are we going to have to watch while y’all torture us all with your puppy-dog eyes and batting eyelashes?”

  “Oh stop, Teddy,” Gram said as she came out behind him. “Betts has never been an eyelash batter.”

  “Who says I was talking about Betts?”

  We all laughed. It was good to laugh, and it was suddenly good to be a resident of a place that was full of surprises: Broken Rope, Missouri. Or as I liked to call it, home.

  Recipes

  FRIED CHICKEN

  My dad has often told me about how, when he was dating my mother, her mother would fry up some chicken and leave it warming in
the oven just for him. He claims it was the best fried chicken he’s ever eaten. Of course, I remember my grandmother’s delicious chocolate chip cookies and her delicious Thanksgiving dinners. Sadly, those were the days when things like amazing fried chicken and chocolate chip cookie recipes didn’t get written down. My grandmother cooked and baked by adding a little of this and a little of that. My mother had no interest in such things, so she never paid attention, and my grandmother died when I was nine, long before I had any cooking or baking interest myself.

  I would love to have her fried chicken recipe, all of her recipes. I would love to share it with the world. But I don’t. And it seems no one else does either.

  So I went in search of the “best fried chicken recipe ever” to include in this book. What I found was something beyond ingredients and directions; I found tradition, family, and lots of love. A fried chicken recipe is one of those things that brings families together, puts future generations in touch with something that was theirs even before their time.

  I think the following recipe is pretty darn good. I’m not done searching, though. Maybe I’ll find something better, maybe I won’t. If you have a fried chicken recipe in your family, I’ll bet you think it’s the best—and it is. And if you’re lucky enough to have someone in your family who knows the recipe well, do me a favor: write it down and keep it close.

  3 cups all-purpose flour

  2 teaspoons salt

  2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

  1 teaspoon paprika

  1 whole chicken cut into pieces, skin left on

  Milk, I use whole

  Vegetable oil

  In a large shallow bowl or pie plate, mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. Rinse the chicken pieces and pat them dry with a paper towel. Dip the chicken pieces in milk, and then dredge through your flour mixture. Let the chicken stand for 20 minutes, and then dredge again.

  Fill a cast-iron skillet with about ½ inch vegetable oil, and heat it on medium high to 375 degrees F. Maintain this temperature throughout this first frying process. Make sure the skin browns, not burns.

  Dip the chicken pieces, one or two pieces at a time, into the oil. Brown both sides. Remove to a platter until all the pieces have been browned.

  Return all of the chicken pieces to the skillet. Reduce heat to low or medium low, and cover. Cook slowly and gently for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is done all the way through and is fork tender.

  Remove the cover. Turn up the heat to medium high, and recrisp the chicken, about 5 minutes, turning once, after the skillet is hot again.

  Serve!

  FAKE FRIED CHICKEN

  I can’t say the following recipe is healthy—flour is involved. It isn’t fried but tastes almost like it is. This has turned into one of my son’s favorite dishes. When I first made it, he couldn’t get enough so I doubled it. This is the doubled version. It’ll work if you have a large group or a teenage son or two. Not only does this make a satisfying dish for a meal, it’s also a great appetizer to serve for a TV sporting event.

  2 pounds skinless chicken strips

  2 cups low-fat milk

  1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  2 cups all-purpose flour

  2 teaspoons salt

  2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

  Vegetable spray

  Wash and dry the chicken.

  Place the chicken and milk in a gallon-size storage bag. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

  Spread the vegetable oil on the bottom of a 13 × 9-inch baking dish until coated.

  Place the flour, salt, and pepper in another gallon-size storage bag, seal, and shake until all ingredients are blended.

  Remove the chicken from first storage bag, drain, and then place it into the bag filled with the seasoned flour. I put in a few strips at a time. Shake to coat the chicken well.

  Place the chicken in the prepared baking dish.

  Coat the top of the chicken with a generous coat of vegetable spray—this is pretty important. Try to get a little spray on all exposed parts of the chicken. This gives it a great texture.

  Bake in center of oven for 20–25 minutes, or until the chicken is browned on the outside and cooked through on the inside.

  CHAMPAGNE COOKIES

  To this day, I crave Barbara’s Bake Shop champagne cake. I lived in Des Moines, Iowa, for a number of years when I was a kid. Barbara’s was only a few blocks from our house, but once I discovered the shop’s champagne cake, I was a convert. When I got to choose the cake, it was always champagne and it was always from Barbara’s. Sadly, Barbara’s closed a number of years ago.

  I created this recipe with the champagne cake flavor in mind. I had some help with the frosting. Thank you, Heidi Baschnagel!

  3½ cups all-purpose flour

  ½ tablespoon baking powder

  ½ teaspoon baking soda

  ½ teaspoon salt

  ½ cup butter

  1 cup sugar

  4 ounces cream cheese

  2 eggs

  ½ tablespoon vanilla extract

  5 drops red food coloring

  ½ cup champagne (I use an affordable pink variety.)

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

  In large bowl mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.

  In another large bowl cream together the butter, sugar, and cream cheese.

  Add the eggs, vanilla, food coloring, and champagne. Blend to incorporate.

  Add the flour mixture and mix until combined.

  Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

  On floured surface roll out the dough ¼–½ inch thick. Cut into desired shapes, and place shapes about two inches apart on a cookie sheet.

  Bake for about 12 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for about 1 minute and then remove them to a cooling rack. While the cookies cool, make the frosting (recipe follows).

  Makes about 24 two-inch-wide cookies.

  FROSTING

  4½ cups confectioners’ sugar

  ¾ pound (3 sticks) salted butter

  2 tablespoons pink champagne

  A few drops red food coloring

  Up to 4 tablespoons water, for consistency

  Edible silver glitter (optional)

  In a large bowl, mix the sugar, butter, champagne, and food coloring. Add a little bit of water at a time to achieve the desired frosting consistency—I think thicker is better. Spread the frosting over the cooled cookies, and sprinkle with glitter (if desired).

  MISSY’S PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

  Peanut butter frosting is a wicked creation. Because I love peanut butter, I’ve tried a number of different recipes over the years. Peanut butter frosting can be too thick, too crunchy, even too peanut buttery. I think I found a great balance of texture and taste with the following recipe. I recommend it on chocolate cake. While no Missouri Anna I know would ever do anything but make a cake from scratch, I’ll admit to using this frosting on a box mix.

  ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened

  1½ cups creamy peanut butter

  2 cups confectioners’ sugar

  ¼ cup milk

  In a large bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in half of the sugar. Mix in the milk. Beat in the remaining sugar. If you find it necessary, add a little more milk to give it a spreading consistency.

  Makes enough to frost one 2-layer 9-inch cake or one 9 × 13-inch cake.

  RED VELVET CAKE/CUPCAKES

  I think I’ve tried dozens of red velvet cake recipes. Most of the time, I’ve been terribly disappointed. They’ve been too dense, too dark, or just not flavorful enough. Then last year some friends of my son’s made him a red velvet cake for his birthday. It was delicious. I was on the phone the next day, asking if I could include the recipe in this book. Thankfully, they agreed. So, thank you, Michael Kennedy-Yoon and Katherine Ken
nedy, for the best red velvet cake ever!

  ½ cup shortening

  1½ cups sugar

  2 eggs

  2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  3 level tablespoons cocoa powder

  ½ ounce red food coloring

  1 teaspoon salt

  2½ cups sifted cake flour

  1 cup buttermilk

  1 tablespoon white vinegar

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch round cake pans or line a 24-cup pan with paper liners.

  In a medium bowl cream together the shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. In another medium bowl mix the cocoa and food coloring together with a spoon until pastelike consistency. Add it to the shortening mixture.

  Add and mix the salt and flour alternately with the buttermilk into the shortening mixture.

  In a small bowl mix the baking soda and vinegar, and add it to the batter. Mix until all ingredients are well blended and form a smooth batter.

  Pour the batter into two greased and floured cake pans. Bake for 25–30 minutes.* While the cake cools, make the frosting (recipe follows).

  Makes 1 cake or about 24 cupcakes. *Only bake for 17–21 minutes if making cupcakes.

  FROSTING

  6 ounces cream cheese, softened

  3⁄4 cup (1½ sticks) salted butter, softened

  2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

  3 tablespoons cream

  Red sugar sprinkles, for topping

  In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, cream, and sugar until smooth. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake or cupcakes, and top with sprinkles. Makes enough to generously frost one 2-layer 9-inch cake or 24 cupcakes.

  Gram’s secret ingredient is vinegar. When I was experimenting with recipes, none of them had vinegar, so I thought I’d found the magic. I have found vinegar in a number of recipes since then.