by Jessica Beck
“Don’t do it,” George Morris said as he held his handgun pointed straight at Michelle.
“You don’t have the guts to shoot me,” Michelle said, but I noticed that the knife drooped a little in her hands as she said it.
“Try me,” George said. Without even looking at me, he asked, “Suzanne, are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I said.
“What’s that blood doing on your arm, then?” he asked.
“I’m not saying I’m perfect,” I said, fighting the urge to giggle, scream, or maybe even pass out. It seemed to take all of my energy just to focus on what was happening.
“Okay then,” he said. “Michelle, this is your last chance.”
I could hear footsteps running down the hallway toward us now. Michelle wasn’t going to talk her way out of this one, and she knew it.
To my surprise, and to George’s as well, she reversed the course of her knife at the last second and plunged it toward her own chest, trying to cheat us from catching her after all.
Unfortunately for Michelle, her aim wasn’t as true as it had been with Dusty, and there was a crack team of doctors and nurses steps away to save her from her own folly.
Apparently Michelle was going to have to face charges for what she’d done, and I was going to do everything in my power to nail her hide to the wall.
After all, she’d almost been the end of me, and while I was a forgiving person by nature, that was a little beyond the scope of my understanding.
Chapter 26
As I was getting stitches in my arm, I asked George, “What made you come by the hospital, anyway?”
“I’d love to say that I figured it out, but I was actually visiting someone on the other end of the floor when I heard your scream. You’ve got some lungs on you, woman.”
“Thanks,” I said. I was a little shaky at the moment, which was often the case when I’d had a brush with oblivion. I was ordinarily calm enough during a direct confrontation, even with a killer.
It was only afterward that I fell apart. “Where’s Jake?”
“He’s on his way,” the mayor said.
“Would you have really shot her?” I asked George as the doctor finished up with me.
“I would have done it in a heartbeat,” the mayor said, and I had no reason to doubt him.
“I’m glad you didn’t have to,” I answered, “but I appreciate you being willing to do it.”
He touched my good shoulder lightly. “For you, I’d do anything, my friend.”
It was as touching a moment as we’d ever had, and I was about to tear up when my mother came rushing in.
“I just heard the news,” she said, her face white with fear. “Suzanne, are you all right?”
“I’m fine now, Momma. George here saved me.”
“I did no such thing,” the mayor protested even as my mother wrapped him in her embrace. It was a sight to see, given that she was nearly a foot shorter than he was, but I respected the effort. I would have hugged him myself if I could have.
“I don’t believe you for a second,” Momma said, kissed his cheek soundly, and then she turned back to me. “Suzanne, is there anything I can do for you? Anything at all?”
“Anything?” I asked.
“All you have to do is name it,” she said.
“Well, I’ve got a dozen raffle tickets for literacy in my Jeep that I promised Paige I’d sell for her. Would you be interested in buying a few?”
Momma laughed long and hard, no doubt from relief as much as anything else. “I’ll take them all,” she said. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“That makes two of us,” I said.
As I sat there patiently listening to Momma and George talk, I couldn’t wait to see my husband. Being in Jake’s arms right now was the only thing I needed, and I knew that it would do me more good than anything the modern medical community could ever provide.
Love mattered.
After all, Michelle had murdered Dusty because he had rejected her.
I had so much more in my life than she ever had.
Jake loved me, plain and simple, and it was something as important to me as oxygen.
And in the end, that was really all that mattered to me.
Recipes
Apple Cinnamon Drops
One of my favorite ways of making donuts when I’m pinched for time is by whipping up a quick batter and then dropping balls of it straight into hot oil! There are no fussy proof times to worry about with these tasty little goodies. In a world full of instant gratification, these delightful little treats really fit the bill!
We recently started adding diced chunks of apples to the mix, much like Suzanne does in the book, and I must say, the results are excellent. You can play with different apple varieties, but in my opinion, you can’t go wrong with Granny Smith apples.
Ingredients
Mixed
•1 egg, lightly beaten
•1/2 to 2/3 cup whole milk (the richer the better, but 2% or even 1% will do in a pinch) (you want a batter, not a dough, so add enough milk to attain that consistency)
•1/3 cup sugar, white granulated
•1/8 cup oil (canola is my favorite)
Sifted
•1 cup flour, unbleached all-purpose (though bread flour will work as well)
•2 teaspoons baking powder
•1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
•1 teaspoon nutmeg
•1/4 teaspoon salt
Last-Minute Addition
•1 diced apple, peeled (I prefer Granny Smith, but feel free to experiment)
•1 teaspoon cinnamon
•canola oil, enough for frying (the amount depends on your pot or fryer)
Directions
Heat the oil (I like canola) to 365 degrees F.
In a medium-sized bowl, beat the egg thoroughly, and then add the milk, sugar, and canola oil, mixing well. Grab another bowl and sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing well until you have a smooth consistency. Finally, dice the apple and coat it with cinnamon. Then stir these bits into the batter and you’re ready to fry!
Drop bits of batter using two tablespoons, one to scoop the batter and the other to peel it off into the oil. Fry for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, turning halfway through, drain and then dust with confectioner’s sugar.
Yield 12 to 16 donut drops
Spectacular Sour Cream Donuts
I have really grown to love a good sour cream donut, and this recipe tastes delightful. I usually ice these with a simple mix of confectioner’s sugar and water, but they are good without any embellishments whatsoever, which is the true test of a donut, in my opinion. We’re not coffee drinkers, but we enjoy these donuts with a cup of hot cocoa, no matter what time of year it might be!
Ingredients
Liquid
•1 egg, beaten
•1/2 cup sugar
•1/4 cup buttermilk
•1/4 cup sour cream
•1 teaspoon vanilla
Dry
•2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
•1 teaspoon baking powder
•1/2 teaspoon baking soda
•1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
•Dash of salt
Directions
Heat enough oil (I like canola) in a large pot to fry your donuts. I like to hit around 365 degrees F.
While you’re waiting for the oil to come to temperature, take a medium-sized mixing bowl and beat the egg, then add the sugar, buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix it all together thoroughly, and then set it aside.
In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt together, and then add th
e dry mix to the wet in thirds until it is all combined.
Roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick, then cut it into rounds and holes. If you don’t have a cutter, use two different-sized drinking glasses.
Fry the donuts in the hot oil for 3 minutes, turning halfway through, then place them on paper towels to drain.
Powdered sugar can be applied immediately, but wait until they cool to add icing and sprinkles.
Makes 6 to 8 donuts and holes
Super Easy Fried Cherry Pies
We make these with just about any pie filling you might find on your grocer’s shelves. While these will never be confused with gourmet treats, they are quite delicious, and I’ve never had any complaints! One of the best things about these is the fact that they look and taste as though they were a great deal more work than they really are!
Ingredients
•Cherry pie filling, 8 oz., from the can (or any other pie filling you might prefer)
•1 tablespoon sugar, plain granulated
•1 ready-made pie crust
Directions
This couldn’t be easier. Simply unroll the pie crust onto your lightly floured countertop. Flour the rim of a drinking glass and cut circles out of the dough by pressing down and twisting. You can get four decent-sized fried pies out of one crust if you choose the size carefully. Place a small amount of filling in the center of each circle, wet the edges of the dough, and fold each circle in half. Use a fork to score the edges of the dough in place, making any design you wish, but making sure you get a seal all the way around the joined edges.
Drop the pies into the oil, allowing them to brown on each side, anywhere from 6 to 9 minutes total in my experience.
Scoop them out of the oil with a spatula or spider strainer, drain them on paper towels, and then dust them with powdered sugar. Let them cool a bit before you eat them, since they come out extremely hot!
Makes approximately 4 pies
If you enjoy Jessica Beck Mysteries and you would like to be notified when the next book is being released, please visit our website at jessicabeckmysteries.net for valuable information about Jessica’s books, and sign up for her new-releases-only mail blast.
Your email address will not be shared, sold, bartered, traded, broadcast, or disclosed in any way. There will be no spam from us, just a friendly reminder when the latest book is being released, and of course, you can drop out at any time.
Other Books by Jessica Beck
The Donut Mysteries
Glazed Murder
Fatally Frosted
Sinister Sprinkles
Evil Éclairs
Tragic Toppings
Killer Crullers
Drop Dead Chocolate
Powdered Peril
Illegally Iced
Deadly Donuts
Assault and Batter
Sweet Suspects
Deep Fried Homicide
Custard Crime
Lemon Larceny
Bad Bites
Old Fashioned Crooks
Dangerous Dough
Troubled Treats
Sugar Coated Sins
Criminal Crumbs
Vanilla Vices
Raspberry Revenge
Fugitive Filling
Devil’s Food Defense
Pumpkin Pleas
Floured Felonies
Mixed Malice
Tasty Trials
Baked Books
Cranberry Crimes
Boston Cream Bribes
Cherry Filled Charges
Scary Sweets
Cocoa Crush
Pastry Penalties
The Classic Diner Mysteries
A Chili Death
A Deadly Beef
A Killer Cake
A Baked Ham
A Bad Egg
A Real Pickle
A Burned Biscuit
The Ghost Cat Cozy Mysteries
Ghost Cat: Midnight Paws
Ghost Cat 2: Bid for Midnight
The Cast Iron Cooking Mysteries
Cast Iron Will
Cast Iron Conviction
Cast Iron Alibi
Cast Iron Motive
Cast Iron Suspicion