Murder by Devil's Food Page 14

  "Quiet!" he ordered.

  "You're so pathetic! A disgusting blowhard."

  "I said—"

  "You're a ball-less lump of gristle, not worth the water to flush away."

  "Damn you!" Momentarily stricken at her verbal assault, the Baron tore off his mask and robe. His face was contorted with rage as he picked up the knife. "I'll crush you! You are not worthy to serve my Queen! I'll beat you until there's nothing left."

  "Oh, I'm so scared. You're no Dark Lord. You're Lord of the Stupid and Craven. That's all. Put down that knife and leave us alone before you find yourself the one who's a prisoner—a prisoner on death row."

  He stomped toward her. "You will rue this day for all eternity!"

  Angie saw his hand tighten on the knife and screamed.

  Connie sprang to her feet and in one motion spun around, picked up the chair, and flung it at the Baron. The chair crumbled to pieces as it hit him. He staggered, but didn't fall.

  The Baron, shaken and furious, spun toward Connie. "Damn you! You would have been my Queen," he shouted, raising the knife high overhead.

  Shots rang out. The Baron gasped, his face, his entire body writhed with fear and surprise, and then he stiffened and fell to the ground.

  o0o

  "Angie!" Connie shrieked and threw her arms around her friend as Paavo and Kylie rushed into the dungeon. Paavo saw the manacles on Angie and hurried to the Baron, kicking the knife from his hands before he saw that the Baron would no longer be a threat to Angie, Connie, or anyone else. He searched the Baron's pockets and found a small key.

  Right behind him came Yosh, followed by what seemed to be a whole squadron of blue uniforms.

  At Angie's side, Paavo unlocked the manacles to free her, then held her tight as she all but fell into his arms. As his hold loosened, Connie and Kylie hugged her as well.

  "Angie, I was so scared." Connie cried. "Are you all right?"

  Angie grabbed her friend. "You did it Connie! Paavo, Connie saved me. And look at her poor hands and wrists. She needs a medic."

  "I'll be fine," Connie said. "I did little. It was you. You distracted him."

  "No, you!" Angie said. "Shall we fight again?"

  They both began to laugh through their tears, and again hugged and patted each other.

  Yosh was checking out the very dead Baron and calling for the CSI and Medical Examiner.

  Angie put her arm around Paavo again. "How did you find us?"

  "Thank Kylie," he said. "She alerted me."

  "And it was your friend who told me about the Baron," Kylie explained.

  "My friend?"

  "Natalie—at your house. She said you and Connie went with a tall, thin man with thick white hair, but you didn't look very happy about it. I immediately called Paavo, and here we are."

  "Wait," Angie said. "Natalie? At my house? A pretty woman, with light blond hair, shoulder length?"

  "Yes. Why? Wasn't she supposed to be there? She seemed right at home," Kylie said.

  Paavo looked at Angie. "Who's Natalie?"

  Angie swallowed hard. Natalie Fleming was the name of the woman who, with her husband Eric, had been murdered in Angie and Paavo's back yard many years earlier. The description matched Natalie's, and the little dog, Jock, was the same breed—with the same name—as the dog owned by Natalie and Eric. Paavo, fortunately, had paid little attention to the house's history. To him, it was the living, not the dead, that could cause problems. "Natalie is a … a friend. A neighbor. I must have left the door unlocked and she went right in looking for me."

  "Should I talk to her about that?" Paavo asked. "I mean, it was great she did it this time, but that doesn't seem right to me."

  "No. It's fine. Really." Angie wracked her brain for an explanation. "She's part of our Neighborhood Watch. She must have realized something was wrong. Thank God she took action. I'll thank her tomorrow."

  Paavo looked at her strangely. "You're right about one thing. Thank God she took action."

  "Can we get out of here?" Angie asked.

  Yosh gave Paavo the okay. He would handle the crime scene and get statements when everyone calmed down a bit.

  "Great," Kylie said. "Because right now, I can't wait around. I've got to find Danger, and make sure he listens to doctor's orders."

  "Thank God he's alive," Angie said, and then smiled at Kylie. "And I'm sure he'll want your company."

  Kylie nodded. "I hope so, because he's going to be stuck with me for a long time."

  "Let's go," Paavo said once more, then put one arm around Angie and another around Connie as he led them up the stairs and out of the crypt where paramedics stood by.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  It was Monday morning. Angie stood in the doorway and waved goodbye to Paavo. He was going back to work after spending the past few days acting like a mother hen as he watched over her, made sure she was all right, and suffered no nightmares, fright, or other repercussions after her harrowing experience with the Baron.

  She did her best to convince him she was quite fine. And she knew she would be, in time.

  She stepped into the living room. Standing outside the sliding glass door, his tail happily wagging, was the Westie, Jock. She opened the door and he trotted inside.

  Hercules, who was much more accustomed to fighting with dogs than sharing a home with one, immediately sprang to the top of a bookcase. As he stared down at Jock, at least his tail wasn't flicking, and his expression appeared cautiously benevolent.

  "Are you hungry?" she asked the dog.

  Jock looked up at her, but instead of heading into the kitchen, he curled up on the living room floor where the carpet had been warmed by a ray of sunshine coming through the glass.

  "Not a bad idea." Angie sat on the floor near him, also in the warm sun.

  "I'm glad you've come back to visit," she said. She always found the little guy's presence a pleasure. "We've had quite a time around here. You know my friend, Connie. Considering that a maniac wanted to make her his Dark Queen, she's doing remarkably well."

  Angie noticed the dog perk up his ears, almost as if he understood what she was saying.

  "Yes, it's true. She's proud that she not only freed herself from the ropes that bound her, but for clobbering the Baron with the chair. That horrible man." Angie shuddered. "His real name we learned, was Winston Henson. He'd inherited a lot of money and used it for drugs that so badly warped his brain he became convinced he was the Dark Lord and destined to rule the world. But as I was saying about Connie, she's quite sure that if Paavo hadn't found us she would have somehow managed to stop the Baron. She likened it to the biggest adrenaline rush she'd ever had in her life. Wonder Woman had nothing on her. She now plans to take a karate class as soon as the skin on her hands heals"

  Angie was sure that if dogs could laugh, Jock would laugh at that image.

  "I know you've seen Danger, even if you never met him," she continued. "He's out of the hospital and doing fine except for a couple of cracked ribs from the bullets that hit him. He and Kylie are getting along more than well, and both seemed happy with who they 'really' are. I'm glad for them."

  Then she turned more thoughtful and gave a heavy sigh. "At the same time, I have to admit, I'm not looking forward to going back to making cupcakes. Not one bit."

  Jock's brow seemed to furrow.

  "Come to think of it," she said, "I should offer my Custom Cupcakes business to Kylie. She'd be great at it. And she's far better than me at decorating, that's for sure. I'll even throw in all the supplies I bought to help her get started. Besides, I'd rather find myself a business that doesn't take me away from Paavo the way those cupcakes did!"

  She glanced at Jock. She would have reached out and petted him, but he always moved away when she tried. Once, when she first found this house, he let Paavo pat his head, but only that one time. She couldn't help but marvel at the way he had gone to Kylie, seeking her out, and letting her pet him. She wondered if it didn't have something to do with Kyl
ie's sister, and Jock wanting to let Kylie know that although her sister was no longer here with her, she was okay.

  But such a thought would mean she believed there was something 'other-worldly' about Jock, and she really didn't want to go there.

  More likely, he was simply a sensitive little dog giving attention to someone he instinctively knew needed comforting.

  "I'm glad you made friends with Kylie," she said. "You're a good boy, even if I don't know where you live, or where you go when you're not here."

  He cocked his head.

  "No, I don't. And there's something else around here I don't know enough about. Natalie and Eric Fleming. Before we bought this house, the rumor was that they haunted it, and that they continued to live here—even that they owned a little Westie, one whose name was also Jock."

  Jock suddenly sat up and looked straight at her.

  "Just between you and me," Angie said, "if I did believe those rumors, I'd have to thank Natalie for talking to Kylie and getting her to contact Paavo. If Natalie hadn't done that, I hate to think …"

  She saw one of the throw pillows on her sofa move ever-so-slightly to the side, the way a person might adjust a pillow to make a seat more comfortable. Angie drew in her breath. Was she seeing things now?

  "I really don't believe in ghosts, Jock. And I don't believe my house is haunted." She pondered those words a moment. "Or, maybe I should say, I don't want to believe my house is haunted. But that envelope full of clippings about Joy Zwolinsky didn't just slide out of Kylie's backpack all by itself, did it? And Kylie swears she talked to a woman named Natalie who was inside this house. You know what's funny about that? I'm almost jealous of her. I mean, why would Natalie talk to Kylie but not to me? Whose ghost is she, anyway?"

  Angie chuckled at her silly words. "Oh, my, can you imagine Paavo's reaction if he heard me say that? If he thought I'm seriously beginning to believe our new house is haunted? Not only would he worry himself sick about my sanity, he might even want us to move. No way would I go along with that. I love this house. I really do. I even love you, Jock, you funny little dog!"

  Now, she was sure he smiled.

  She raised one knee and looped her hands around it, fingers laced. "I'm just being silly. That's all. People have always accused me of letting my imagination run away with me, and in this case, I'd say they're right."

  Jock curled up on the floor once more.

  "That's right, boy, you can relax," Angie said to him. "Don't worry. I've not gone off the deep end. Not yet, anyway. And, believe me, I know there's no such thing as ghosts."

  No, she definitely didn't believe in ghosts. Not a bit.

  But then . . . coming from somewhere inside that very room, Angie heard a very faint chuckle.

  THE END

  From Angie's Kitchen ...

  Here are three cupcake recipes that Angie loves. The first two are "from scratch," but not difficult, while the third uses a cake mix as its base, is super easy, and is always a hit.

  Also, if you love desserts the way Angie does, you might be interested in her Cook's Dessert Cookbook which contains 50 of her fabulous Italian dessert recipes, including an easy tiramisu, a simple cannoli, lots of biscotti, as well as a number of non-Italian but still mouth-watering recipes such as almond praline meringue cake, linzer torte, and even some French macarons.

  o0o

  CHOCOLATE-ORANGE CUPCAKES WITH PISTACHIO FROSTING

  CUPCAKES:

  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

  1 cup sugar

  3 tablespoons cocoa powder

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  1/4 teaspoon salt

  1 cup cold water

  1/3 cup olive oil

  2 tablespoons orange juice

  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1 tablespoon grated orange zest

  FROSTING

  1/2 cup butter

  2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

  2 tablespoons instant pistachio pudding mix

  2 tablespoons cold water

  1 ounce dark chocolate, grated

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

  In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir together. Then add water, olive oil, orange juice, and vanilla extract and beat to combine, about two minutes. Fold in orange zest.

  Line 12 muffin/cupcake baking pans with cupcake liners. Pour batter into the cups to about 2/3 full.

  Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

  To make the frosting: beat butter in a bowl at medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add confectioners' sugar and beat to mix well, about two minutes. Add pudding mix and beat until just combined. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency of icing is reached. Ice the cooled cupcakes. Garnish with grated chocolate.

  o0o

  ALMOND CUPCAKES WITH CARAMEL-CREAM FROSTING

  CUPCAKES

  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

  1 cup white sugar

  1/2 cup butter, softened

  2 eggs

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1 teaspoon almond extract

  3/4 cup whole milk

  CARAMEL-CREAM FROSTING

  1/2 cup brown sugar

  1/2 cup butter

  2 tablespoons light corn syrup

  1 tablespoon vanilla extract

  1/2 cup heavy cream, or as needed

  1 pinch salt

  3/4 cup salted butter, softened

  2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

  CUPCAKES:

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

  In a mid-size bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder, set aside.

  Now using a larger mixing bowl, cream sugar and 1/2 cup of butter together. Beat in eggs, and then add vanilla and almond extracts. Beat together. Gradually add flour and milk, first add some flour, then some milk, and repeat until all has been added and mixed into the batter.

  Line 12 cupcake baking pan cups with paper liners.Spoon the batter into the cupcake cups, filling them about 2/3 full.Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

  CARAMEL:

  Place the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and vanilla into a large saucepan over medium heat. Slowly bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and allow mixture to simmer until thickened (will take about three to five minutes). Remove it from the heat and let it cool. Once cool, add a little cream and then stir. Stop when the caramel is the consistency of honey. Stir in a pinch of salt. Set aside.

  FROSTING:

  Beat the salted butter with confectioners' sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly add and beat in the caramel, a heaping spoonful at a time. (You might want to taste the frosting from time to time and stop adding caramel when you think it's sweet enough. Also, if it tastes too sweet, you can add a pinch of salt to even it out a bit.) Continue to beat the frosting until it looks smooth and silky.

  Frost your cupcakes and enjoy!

  o0o

  OVER-THE-TOP CUPCAKES

  What's great about these cupcakes is you can use as many different "chips" and "bits" and other extras as you wish. Some people even add M&Ms and white chocolate to the mix. It's a fun and easy recipe.

  CUPCAKES

  1 package yellow cake mix

  1 1/4 cups water

  1/3 cup canola oil

  3 large eggs

  1 cup miniature marshmallows

  1/2 cup butterscotch chips

  1/2 cup chocolate-coated toffee bits

  3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

  1/2 cup peanut butter chips

  1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut

  CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

  1/2 cup butter, softened

  8 oun
ces cream cheese

  4 cups confectioners' sugar

  2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

  In a large bowl, put cake mix, water, oil, and egg whites. Beat for three minutes at medium speed. Fold in marshmallows, butterscotch chips, toffee bits, chocolate chips, and coconut flakes.

  Line muffin cups with paper liners (you might want to use two paper liners for each cupcake—they turn out gooey). Fill each cup about 2/3 full with batter. Should make about 20 cupcakes.

  Bake in the preheated oven until cupcakes are golden brown and set, about 20 minutes.

  To make the frosting, beat butter and cream cheese until well blended. Add powdered sugar and vanilla beat until smooth and creamy.

  Frost cooled cupcakes. You might garnish the tops with some extra pieces of toffee, chocolate, and/or butterscotch chips.

  Plus...

  Reviews are gold to authors. If you've enjoyed this book, a review on Amazon's Murder by Devil's Food page would be most appreciated.

  To find out what's happening next in the lives of Angie and her friends, please sign up now for Joanne Pence's Angie & Friends Mailing List . Keep in mind, there's also an Angie & Friends "time-travel fantasy mystery" called Cook's Curious Christmas, as well as Angie's own cookbook called Cook's Dessert Cookbook .