“A.J.” Jake pounded the staircase. A.J. met him halfway, flying into his arms.
“I was praying you’d get my message!”
Jake hugged her tightly. “What did you think you were doing? Don’t ever take that kind of chance again. We could have gotten a search warrant—we did get a search warrant!”
A.J. shook her head. “I know. I know.” She gave a shaky laugh. “But as the Bard says—”
Jake’s mouth covered hers.
“Wait, wait, wait,” Andy interrupted. “So Goode’s murder had absolutely nothing to do with his previous life?”
A.J. shook her head. “Not a thing. It was a—”
“Red herring,” Elysia supplied.
“No. It was a—”
“MacGuffin.”
A.J. threw her mother an exasperated look. “I was going to say it was a dead end.”
Jake supplied, “False lead.”
“I was going to say it was ironic,” Nick put in.
“Poetic justice, in fact,” Elysia said, reaching for the dish of olives Jake passed her way. She popped an olive in her mouth. “Mmm. Lovely.”
It was Thanksgiving Day and A.J., Jake, and Elysia were gathered around the sumptuously laden table in Andy and Nick’s elegant Manhattan brownstone. Barber played softly in the background, and the Wedgwood china and silver gleamed in the warm candlelight.
A.J. was glad to see Elysia seemed much her usual self. She had turned up at Deer Hollow that morning without Dean. When asked, Elysia had said that she and Dean had decided to call it quits. Later on the drive she had volunteered the information that Dean and Sarah were going to give their long-lost relationship another try.
She seemed philosophical about it. A.J. couldn’t help wondering how Mr. Meagher was taking that news, and she resolved to call him soon.
“So Goode was behind the Jersey Devil sightings?” Andy sounded so disappointed, everyone laughed.
Nick grinned. “Scratch a cynic, find a kid who still believes in monsters.”
Andy’s mouth quirked, but he shook his head, denying this. Glancing down the table, he said, “Ellie, your glass is empty. More mineral water?”
He started to rise. Nick was already on his feet, a friendly hand clamped on his shoulder, keeping him seated. “Relax. I live here, too. I know where we keep the mineral water.”
Andy rolled his eyes and met A.J.’s gaze. He winked. Then he glanced at Jake and wiggled his eyebrows in inquiry.
A.J. shook her head.
Andy’s expression managed to capture astonishment and aggravation. A.J. hoped that hers communicated something sufficiently dampening, but there was no repressing Andy. He was a born tease, and apparently he was yet another person convinced that Jake was about to pop The Question any moment.
Jake was saying, “Yep, it’s not clear whether Goode was manufacturing demon sightings to give his own church publicity for fund-raising or simply because he had a taste for the limelight. He enlisted Lance to help, and in an effort to get his story and probably to preserve his undercover role of devoted assistant, Lance went along taking notes and not interfering with anything Goode did. Including slaughtering the Baumann cattle.”
“Did he think there was a Pulitzer in his future?”
“Something like that.” A.J. picked up the story. “When Goode discovered Lance’s real agenda he fired him. When Lance tried to talk him down, Goode threatened to discredit him by blaming Lance for killing livestock and perpetuating the rest of the Jersey Devil myth.”
“You know who had a narrow escape.” Elysia took the glass of mineral water Nick handed her. “Oriel Goode. And I don’t mean Lance’s attempt to shoot her.”
Nick agreed. “Leopards don’t change their spots.”
“I’m not so sure,” A.J. said. “I think no one bought into the Reverend Goode’s con like the Reverend Goode. I think he believed completely in the persona he’d taken on—and I think Oriel believed in it, too. And I think in a funny way that was part of what kept her safe. She did last longer than his other relationships.”
“Intriguing,” Elysia mused. “Perhaps there’s some truth in that.”
Jake smiled at her across the table. A.J. smiled back. For a moment it was as though they were the only two people at the table.
“Was Lily properly grateful for everything you went through on her behalf?” Andy asked.
Jake laughed and reached for his glass.
A.J. made a face. “In her own way, I think she was. You know Lily. I think she feels she really solved the whole thing herself by putting me on the trail of Oriel Goode’s affairs.”
“But Oriel Good didn’t have any affairs.”
“I know. Anyway, the good news—and Lily and I are in total agreement on this—is that she’s got her job back at Yoga Meridian. She couldn’t be happier. And I couldn’t be happier for her.”
“A toast to Lily,” Nick said. “Before the food gets any colder.”
They touched glasses in a succession of musical clinks.
“Wait a minute,” Andy protested suddenly, setting his glass down. “What did A.J. see in the abandoned house? Was that Dally or not?”
“No,” Jake said. “He swears up and down he wore camos and fatigues when he tracked the Sacred Balance group through the woods, and I can’t see why he’d lie about that when he admits to shooting at Oriel Goode.”
“His story confirms what Suze reported about seeing him following us,” A.J. said.
“Okay. So it wasn’t Dally at the campsite and it wasn’t Dally in the abandoned house. Who was it?” Andy looked from A.J. to Jake.
A.J. also looked at Jake. “Come to think of it, what did you do with that scrap of hide or fur or whatever it was you found under the house that afternoon we hiked back?”
Jake cleared his throat. “I had it analyzed.”
“And?”
“The closest the lab could get to identifying it was . . . equine.”
“There was a horse in the cellar?” Andy looked at Nick. Nick raised his brows.
Jake said, “Not exactly. The sample had equine characteristics. It also had, er, characteristics of Canis lupus.”
“Wolf?” Nick said disbelievingly.
Elysia began to laugh. “You mean the lab couldn’t identify it?”
Jake was laughing, too, albeit reluctantly. “Not so far.”
“Good God. Well, as the Bard says, ‘There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.’ ”
“Speaking of heaven and earth,” Andy said, reaching out his hands to Nick on one side and A.J. on the other. “How about a prayer before the meal?”
They all clasped hands and bent their heads.
Andy said quietly, “Lord, thank you today for this feast. Thank you for the food for our bodies, and thank you for the food for our souls: a chance to spend time with those we love, friends and family.”
A.J. raised her lashes. Jake gazed at her across the table.
“Amen,” she said.
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Exercises
I realize that not everyone who reads the Mantra for Murder series plans to enroll in the nearest yoga class. I also realize that yoga can seem intimidating from the outside looking in. But as we age (and so far I haven’t discovered how to avoid that) our bodies grow tighter, stiffer, and yes, heavier.
The three exercises that follow are basic yoga moves, but more important, these are basic exercises that just about anyone can do, and they’ll help you preserve your flexibility and limberness while also helping to trim your waistline. Do these every morning and every evening, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the results.
Sideways Bend
If you ever took a gym class, I know you know this one. You didn’t realize you were doing yoga, did you?
Step One: Stand with feet about two feet apart. Balance weight equally, lightly on feet.
Step Two: Inhale as you raise your arms over your he
ad and clasp hands in prayer position (you can interlace your fingers if that feels more comfortable).
Step Three: Exhale as you bend to the right. Focus on the pressure of your feet touching the earth, concentrate on your breathing—slow, deep breaths—and think about how good it feels to lengthen your spine as you stretch.
Step Four: Hold the position for eight deep and even breaths—relax into it if possible.
Step Five: Inhale and return to standing position, lower arms to your sides.
Step Six: Breathing in, return to standing position.
Now repeat bending to the left.
Forward Bend
The key to this one is to really focus on your hips and back.
Step One: Stand with hands on hips. I find this move easier to do with feet apart. Exhale and bend forward—you should be focusing on using your hips, not your waist, for this move. As you lower, all your focus should be on lifting and lengthening your spine.
Step Two: Keep your knees straight. Touch your palms or fingertips to the floor, positioned slightly in front of or beside your feet. Try to press your palms to the floor. Or, if you’re feeling flexible, clasp your ankles. Press your heels firmly to the floor—really concentrate on feeling grounded, centered.
Step Three: Inhale slowly and evenly. With each in-drawn breath, lift and lengthen the front torso if you can. With each exhale, relax a little more deeply into the bend. Let your head hang down. Relax.
Step Four: Breathe softly, deeply, evenly, eight times.
Step Five: Lift yourself from your hips as you rise back into standing position.
Do this three or four times.
Cobra Pose
I have to say that I used to think this pose was useless—until I stopped doing it for a time and then tried to pick up where I’d left off. I was shocked at how my spine had tightened up! It really is a good move for keeping your back supple.
Step One: Lie prone (facedown) on the floor, legs stretched back, arms stretched in front, elbows to your side, and torso braced as though you were about to read your favorite yoga mystery.
Step Two: As you inhale, straighten your arms and push your chest off the floor, not rising up so far that your hips leave the ground.
Step Three: Tilt face ceilingward. Relax your shoulders. Breathe slowly, deeply, for a count of eight. Lower yourself to the floor.
Step Four: Inhale and rise up again, this time looking over your right shoulder. That’s not so easy! But hold the pose and breathe slowly, evenly, deeply.
Step Five: Lower yourself to the floor.
Step Six: Inhale and rise up again, this time looking over your left shoulder. Hold the pose and concentrate on keeping your shoulders down and expanding your chest cavity as you breathe slowly, deeply, evenly.
Step Seven: Lower yourself to the floor. Don’t just flop down. Keep the movements controlled.
Do this three or four times on each side.
Recipes
Baked Manicotti
(Serves 6ish)
Ingredients for crepes
5 eggs
1¼ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
¼ teaspoon salt
1¼ cups water
Ingredients for filling
2 pounds ricotta cheese (whole milk is best,
but may be sacrificed for health/artistic
license :-p)
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 eggs
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Directions for crepes
Combine all ingredients in medium bowl with electric mixer. Lightly grease a 7-inch skillet and place over low heat. Pour in 2 tablespoons of batter, rotating pan to evenly coat bottom. Cook until top is dry, but bottom is not brown. Using a spatula, turn crepe over and allow reverse side to cook, approximately a few seconds. Turn onto wire rack to cool. Repeat with remainder of batter, stacking crepes on wire rack to cool.
Directions for filling
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine all ingredients in medium bowl with a wooden spoon. Once crepes have cooled, spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling in each crepe and roll up. Place rolled-up crepes in shallow baking dish (either a broiler pan or jelly roll pan works well). Cover with foil, and bake until steaming, approximately 30 minutes. Serve with favorite marinara sauce and grated Parmesan cheese.
Thanks to my old friend Gillian Houde for supplying this yummy recipe!
Chocolate Clementine Cake
(Serves 12–16)
I can’t pretend that this cake doesn’t take a bit of preparation, but it can be made a day or two in advance. Being culinarily challenged like A.J., I buy a nice brand of chocolate sauce, heat it up, and pour it over, but some of you will choose to make your own). I personally think if you use the best ingredients, you get the best results—especially when it comes to chocolate.
By the way, a clementine is a type of mandarin orange!
Ingredients
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 cup butter
7 large eggs (separated)
1 cup sugar
¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons grated clementine zest (about 2 clementines)
2 medium clementines, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons orange liqueur (orange juice may be subbed)
¼ teaspoon salt
warmed chocolate sauce
sweetened whipped cream for garnish
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9-inch springform pan (or line bottom with parchment paper and grease that). Flour. Tap out excess flour and set aside.
2. Melt chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat.
3. Beat egg yolks and ¾ cup sugar in a large bowl at medium speed with an electric mixer until pale and thick. Add melted chocolate mixture, beating until blended. Add flour, beating until blended, stopping to scrape down sides. Stir in zest, chopped clementines, and orange liqueur.
4. Beat egg whites in a separate bowl at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Slowly add salt and remaining ¼ cup sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third egg white mixture into chocolate mixture. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
5. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until slightly firm to touch. Remove from oven and set aside to cool in pan for five minutes.
6. Remove from pan by running a sharp knife around edge and tapping bottom of pan gently. Remove sides of springform pan. Tip cake onto serving plate, and remove springform bottom and parchment paper. Serve while still warm with hot chocolate sauce and whipped cream garnish.
Berkley Prime Crime titles by Diana Killian
CORPSE POSE
DIAL OM FOR MURDER
MURDER ON THE EIGHTFOLD PATH
DEATH IN A DIFFICULT POSITION
Death in a Difficult Position Page 23