Sprinkled in Malice

by Catherine Bruns

  Ally's gray eyes went wide. "That's wonderful! I didn't work yesterday, and my shift doesn't start until seven tonight. I'll stop by her room. Oh, I can't wait to see him."

  "That's terrific, Sally," Brian said. "Please congratulate her and Johnny for me."

  Ally glanced sideways at him slyly then swung her right hand that was entwined with his left. "Maybe it won't be too long before we're telling people the same type of news." She stretched her left hand forward for me to examine. "Look what Brian gave me last night when he got home."

  On the third finger of her left hand was a lovely one-carat marquise diamond surrounded by a circle of tinier ones. Given everything that had recently happened, this was something I hadn't expected. "Wow, congratulations. Have you set a date yet?"

  Brian's face reddened slightly. "We're thinking about June."

  "Not very far away," I said. "Will it be here or in Boston?"

  Brian looked at Ally and smiled. "I'm not going to Boston. I've decided to stay here in Colwestern. One of the detectives is retiring from the force next year, and I've been assured that I'm next in line for the job. Besides, Ally loves it here and working at the hospital. She doesn't want to leave. It's a great little town."

  "I'm so happy for you both." Secretly, I wondered what had happened to make him propose to her. He'd been so insistent about leaving town the other day. Maybe he'd realized he was "in love" with Ally after all and didn't want to lose her. At least I hoped so. I wanted Brian to be happy and not think about me anymore.

  "Thanks, Sally." Ally stepped forward and, to my surprise, gave me a quick hug. Then she glanced over at the display case. "Are those snickerdoodles I see?"

  "Made fresh this afternoon," I said. "Better hurry before we run out."

  Brian called after her. "Get me some chocolate chips, babe. Half a dozen. Wait, better make it an entire dozen."

  Ally grinned over her shoulder at him, her perfect white teeth gleaming from the light above.

  I leaned against the doorway. "Well, Officer Jenkins, you're certainly full of surprises. I'm so glad everything worked out."

  "Yeah, me too." He fell silent and continued to stare at me. There was a sudden look in his eyes that startled me—an empty, sad-like quality that made me feel sorry for him, but I wasn't sure why.

  "It was the right thing to do," he said quietly. "Ally deserves to be happy."

  Brian started toward the display case, as if intending to join her.

  Maybe I should have let him walk away and minded my own business, but that wasn't my style. "What about you?" I blurted out suddenly. "You'll be happy too, right?"

  Brian had his back to me and froze at my question. His shoulders slumped forward slightly, as if someone had placed a heavy burden upon them. He turned around and pinned me with a somber gaze. "Sure, Sally," he said without conviction. "I'll be happy too."

  My phone buzzed as I watched him join Ally. I'd said more than enough. Brian was a grown man, and if he and Ally wanted to get married, that was their business. But I sincerely hoped he would be happy. He deserved that much. With a sigh, I drew my phone out of my pocket and glanced down at the screen. "Hi, sweetheart."

  Mike sounded excited. "Princess, you have Brian's number handy, right? I need a cop out here as soon as possible."

  His words made me anxious. "What's wrong? Did you find a dead body?"

  He laughed out loud. "No, that's your department. Can you call him and ask him to come to the house?"

  "I can do better than that. He just showed up at my father's signing with Ally, but I don't think he's on duty. What's going on?"

  "Well, I think Brian's going to want to see this, whether he's on duty or not," Mike replied smoothly. "I discovered a fake bottom in my toolbox."

  "You mean a secret compartment?" I still didn't understand what he was trying to tell me. "Did it come from the manufacturer like that?" For what it had cost, it should have come with a gold lining.

  "No," he said. "Apparently Trevor had it installed without telling me. I was so busy with the renovation that I let him use my truck and the toolbox for different jobs, remember?"

  It finally dawned on me what he was trying to say, and my face broke into a wide grin. "Aha. Did you happen to find something green inside?"

  "Oh, yeah. Lots of dough, baby. More than you've ever seen in that bakery of yours."

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  "I think Alex looks like me," my mother said as she held the sleeping baby in her arms.

  My father sat next to her on my couch, one arm casually slung around her shoulders. With his other hand, he tapped a copy of his book in his lap, in case someone here might happen to ask him for an autographed copy.

  Dad stared down into Alex's face and grunted. "Sorry, hot stuff. You're gorgeous and all, but that kid looks like my father. One hundred percent Muccio."

  "What you talk about?" Nicoletta bawled from her seat across from them. "Little Alessandro—he be a Gavelli. Just look at that nose. It the image of Johnny's. That is all."

  Gianna frowned, but she said nothing. She was sitting at the kitchen table next to Mike and my grandmother while I served everyone coffee and Josie sliced up Nicoletta's chocolate cheesecake. Gianna and Johnny had decided to call the baby Alex. They both liked the name, and since it was a nickname for Alessandro, they hoped it might appease the new great-grandmother. However, Nicoletta still insisted on calling him Alessandro.

  Johnny was sitting on the arm of his grandmother's chair. He leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek. "For the last time, Gram, we're calling him Alex. Please stop making a fuss about it."

  "Huh." Nicoletta grunted and folded her arms over her chest.

  "Wow, he got brave all of a sudden, didn't he?" Josie said to Gianna, clearly impressed as she placed a piece of cake in front of her.

  Gianna smiled. "Fatherhood agrees with him." She took a bite of the cake and then shook her head at me. "No coffee for me. We're going to have to leave soon, Sal. The baby needs to eat, and I'm exhausted."

  "I understand, whenever you're ready. I'm so happy you were able to come for a little while. It wouldn't have been a family dinner without you and my new nephew. Now open your fortune cookie before you go."

  Josie barked out a laugh as I held up the container with the cookies I'd made last week. "You saved them? They've got to be stale by now."

  "There's personal messages inside for everyone. I thought it would be fun to still open them, even if they are a bit hard." I glanced at my husband, who was sitting next to Gianna and eating one of the sprinkle cookies I'd made earlier today. It was also my attempt to try to erase what had happened the night of the robbery, although the memories would never go away completely for us.

  Mike's midnight blue eyes twinkled at me. "That's a great idea, princess. Things are looking up already."

  He was referring to the cash he'd found in the toolbox yesterday. Brian had come to the house to remove the money and later told us there was almost a hundred grand inside.

  Gianna broke into my thoughts. "It was so honest of you guys to turn the money over to the police. I'm proud of you both."

  "Bah," Nicoletta snorted. "That your money Trevor take from you. Why give it to police?"

  Mike glared across the room at her. "Because it was the right thing to do. Brian said that after the investigation is finished, there's a very good chance we'll get back the portion Trevor stole from us."

  Grandma Rosa nodded her approval. "I too am proud of Mike and Sally. You have both been through so much, but I have a feeling that the tides are burning now."

  Josie gave her a puzzled look. "I think you mean turning, Rosa."

  "That is good too." To my surprise, Grandma Rosa winked at me, something she never did. "Let us all open these fabulous cookies and see what they have to say."

  My mother cleared her throat noisily. "Gianna has an announcement to make as well. Tell everyone, darling."

  Gianna watched Johnny take the baby in his arms and then g
rinned sheepishly at me. "Sal, I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to tell you, but Johnny and I have finally set a date."

  "That's wonderful! What are you thinking? A summer wedding?"

  She shook her head. "December. I love the idea of getting married at Christmas."

  "We'll have a big affair." My mother beamed. "At least two hundred people. A red and white theme."

  My father snapped his fingers. "That's a great idea. I'll give away a book to everyone at the reception. You know, they can be party favors."

  My grandmother cocked her head at him. "No, pazza. This is their day, not yours."

  "Why so far away?" Nicoletta wanted to know. "You should be married tomorrow now that little Alessandro is here."

  "Hush, fool," my grandmother told her. "It does not matter when they get married. This baby will be greatly loved, and that is the important thing."

  Gianna touched my arm. "You'll be my matron of honor, won't you, Sal?"

  "Oh," My breath caught in my throat. "Yes, you know I will."

  She looked at me strangely. "Something wrong?"

  "Of course not." I gave her a warm hug but was aware of my grandmother's keen eyes focused on me. "I'm so happy for you." I crossed the room to hug Johnny. "For both of you." I leaned down to gently touch the little white cap on Alex's head. "Such a little sweetheart."

  Grandma Rosa cleared her throat. "Everyone has not finished opening their fortune cookies yet, cara mia. Let them do this, and then Gianna must go home. We will talk about wedding plans later this week. I will make dinner, and everyone will come."

  "I think that's a great idea." With a smile, I held out a fortune cookie to Gianna. "It seems that my message was spot on. Open it and see."

  Gianna broke the cookie open between her two graceful hands and read the strip of paper aloud. "'Your new baby will look like its father.'"

  "Did you know that Gianna was having a boy?" my mother squeaked at me.

  "Huh," Mrs. Gavelli sniffed. "I could have told you that. Gavelli genes—they dominate over Muccio ones. That no mystery."

  "Watch it, old lady," my father growled, then waved his message in the air. "Mine says, 'Your book will be a deadly success.' Ha-ha!" He placed the paper into his pants pocket. "That's a keeper, Sal. I'll have to mention it on the blog."

  "What this?" Nicoletta said in apparent disbelief as she read her message aloud. "'Your bark is worse than your bite.' What, I a dog now?"

  Johnny stared down at the floor, his mouth turned upwards at the corners.

  Josie patted me on the shoulder. "Well done, girlfriend. Now, I've got to run too. Rob leaves for work soon, and someone has to supervise the little monsters."

  I held up a finger. "Hang on. There's only one left." I handed the final cookie to my husband.

  My father talked around the piece of cheesecake he had shoveled in his mouth. "Hey, Mike, I bet it says that you're going to get a big contract tomorrow."

  Mike sighed as he drew me onto his lap. "Even if I did, Domenic, it's going to be at least six weeks before I can work again. Maybe Sal can start putting foundations in for me. There's nothing she can't do." He kissed me tenderly on the lips.

  Grandma Rosa eyed me shrewdly. She smiled as she placed a piece of cake in front of Mike. "I think that Sally has other plans."

  With his uninjured arm around my waist, Mike managed to break the cookie in half. "Hey, I'm getting better at this one-handed stuff," he joked. He unfolded the strip of paper and read the message to himself, then sucked in a sharp breath.

  "Sal. Is it true?" His voice was barely above a whisper as he pinned me with his dark blue gaze.

  Tears swam into my eyes as I lovingly stroked his cheek. "Definitely true."

  "What's it say?" Gianna asked curiously and leaned over Mike's shoulder for a peek at the paper.

  Mike waited a few seconds before he answered. He pulled me tightly against him, and there were tears in his eyes as well. "It says that I'm going to be a father."

  * * * * *

  RECIPES

  Sprinkled with Fun Cookies

  Ingredients

  For Cookies:

  1 box Funfetti cake mix (15.25 oz.)

  1 egg

  ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

  ¼ cup sour cream

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Add all the ingredients into a bowl and mix until completely combined. Scoop cookie dough into tablespoon-sized portions and roll into balls. Place on prepared baking sheets about two inches apart and lightly flatten the dough balls with your hand or a spatula. Bake, one pan at a time, for 9–11 minutes. The tops of the cookies should start to crack a bit, but the centers should remain soft. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting. Makes approximately 30 cookies.

  For Frosting:

  ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

  2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (optional, but helps develop crust on frosting)

  Pinch of salt

  3 cups confectioners' sugar

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  2–3 tablespoons half-and-half or milk

  Garnish:

  ¼–½ cup sprinkles

  In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the butter, vegetable shortening (if using), and a pinch of salt until creamy—about 2 minutes on medium speed. Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and slowly add in approximately half of the confectioners' sugar and beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons half-and-half (or milk) and beat until smooth. Beat in the remaining confectioners' sugar.

  Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. If frosting is too stiff, slowly add additional half-and-half until desired consistency is reached. Frost the completely cooled cookies and garnish with sprinkles. Allow the frosting to set before storing in an airtight container.

  Tips

  For seasonal-themed Sprinkled with Fun cookies, substitute 15.25 ounces white or yellow cake mix for the Funfetti mix. Gently stir in ½ cup seasonal-colored sprinkles to the batter after all the other cookie ingredients have been mixed together. Bake according to directions above. Feel free to use your favorite pre-made canned frosting.

  Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies

  Ingredients

  2 - 7-ounce boxes of raspberry muffin mix (You can also feel free to substitute blueberry or strawberry, whatever your preference might be. The Jiffy brand can be used. I used a brand called Martha White.)

  ½ teaspoon baking soda

  4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

  4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature

  ¼ cup brown sugar, firmly packed

  2 eggs

  1½ cups white chocolate chips

  1½ cups chopped macadamia nuts (optional)

  Combine butter and cream cheese until blended. Add eggs, baking soda, and brown sugar—then mix until blended. Add muffin mix, chips, and nuts (optional). Mix until blended. Place in the refrigerator for 1–2 hours. Scoop onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet, placing 2 inches apart. A two-tablespoon scooper will make cookies about 6 inches wide. Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes. Cookies will be puffy, almost a cake-like texture. If you want them thinner, flatten immediately with a spatula as soon as they come out of the oven. Cool completely. Makes about 18 cookies.

  Chocolate Brownie Cookies

  Ingredients

  5 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

  3 oz. unsweetened chocolate

  6 tablespoon (¾ stick) unsalted margarine, room temperature

  ⅓ cup all-purpose flour

  1 teaspoon baking powder

  ¼ teaspoon salt

  2 large eggs, room temperature

  2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1 tablespoon Dutch cocoa powder

  ¾ cup sugar

  ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips

  ⅓ cup chopped
pecans (optional)

  ⅓ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

  Preheat oven to 325°F. Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper. Melt the 8 ounces of semisweet and unsweetened chocolates and the butter in the top of a double boiler placed over simmering water. They can also be melted together in a microwave at 50% power, stirring at one-minute intervals until mostly melted. Remove from the microwave and stir until fully melted. Allow chocolate mixture to cool slightly.

  Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a small bowl and set aside. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs, vanilla, and cocoa in a medium-size mixing bowl until they are combined together—about 10 seconds. Add the sugar to the egg mixture and blend it all until thick—about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the melted chocolate and blend 1 minute more. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again. Add the flour mixture on low speed and mix until blended—10 seconds. Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts by hand or with the mixer on low speed. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Drop the dough by generous rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake the cookies for 11–13 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. This is most easily done by sliding the whole piece of parchment paper onto the cooling racks with the cookies still on it.

  Makes approximately two dozen cookies.

  * * * * *

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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bruns lives in Upstate New York with a male dominated household that consists of her very patient husband, three sons, and assorted cats and dogs. She has wanted to be a writer since the age of eight when she wrote her own version of Cinderella (fortunately Disney never sued). Catherine holds a B.A. in English and is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.