Vanilla Vices Read online

“He attacked you downstairs, Suzanne. I heard it. That’s assault.”

  “Grace, he also saved our lives,” I said. I looked into Benny’s eyes. “Are you sorry for what you did to me?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Are you ever going to do it again, to anyone?”

  “No, ma’am. As of this moment, I’m going on the wagon. No more drinking for me, ever again.”

  “That’s good enough for me,” I said as I extended a hand to him to help him up.

  “Are you really just going to forgive and forget?” Grace asked me.

  “That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

  Benny started for the door when I asked, “Where do you think you are going?”

  “I thought I’d take off,” he said.

  “Think again. You need to stay right here until my husband arrives.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said docilely, and I had a hunch that he was going to be okay from there on out. Even if he wasn’t, I knew that I couldn’t press charges against him after he’d acted to save us all, no matter what anyone else thought.

  I tried calling Jake again when I heard the door downstairs open. “Suzanne, where are you?” Jake called out.

  “We’re up here,” I said. “Did you get my voicemail?”

  “No, I haven’t had time to check it yet.” He walked into the bedroom and saw that I was holding a gun on Belinda, who happened to be tied tightly with Dan’s sheet from his bed. “Okay. Do I even need to ask?”

  “She killed Dan for some gold he hid here,” I said.

  “I’m not admitting to that,” Belinda said. “In fact, your wife has lost her mind. I came by to collect a few things and she attacked me.”

  “I know better than that,” Jake said as he took the revolver from me. “What happened here, Suzanne?”

  “Dan melted down some gold and formed it into three balls. He painted them to look like lead musket balls and then he made a paperweight out of the whole thing. Benny and Belinda knew about it, and they tried to get it.”

  “Should he be tied up, too?”

  Grace said yes at the same time that I said no.

  “Explain,” Jake said.

  After he heard what we had to say, he moved close to Benny, and I was afraid for one second that he was going to punch him. “Jake, don’t.”

  “Let me deal with this, Suzanne.”

  “He saved us,” I said.

  “That still doesn’t give him a free pass to manhandle you.”

  “Jake, I’m asking you, as a favor to me, to leave him alone.”

  My husband stopped in his tracks, turned to look at me, and then he asked, “Are you sure?”

  “I’m positive,” I said.

  After a few moments to compose himself, Jake nodded slowly. “If that’s what you want.”

  “It is. Thank you.”

  After calling on his radio to get backup on the scene, Jake kept staring at Benny. Instead of coming to me, he slowly started walking toward the man who had assaulted me and then redeemed himself by saving us all. In a voice that was filled with calm resolve, my husband said, “Listen very carefully to me, because I’m just going to say this once. If you ever so much as look in my wife’s general direction again, you’ll wish you hadn’t.” It was a threat, plain and simple, and Benny realized just how close he was to paying for what he’d done to me, despite my pleas. “Do you understand?”

  “Yes, sir,” Benny said.

  Jake stared at him for another long moment, and then he held out his hand. “Thank you for saving my wife’s life.”

  “Happy to help,” Benny said as he cautiously shook it.

  I knew that as far as Jake was concerned, it was over. As my husband turned back to me, someone else came in the door.

  To my surprise, Inspector Black came into the bedroom, which was getting a little crowded at that point. “What are you doing here?” I asked her.

  “I heard your husband calling for backup over the police-band radio,” she said. “Do you care to run down the details of what happened here with me?”

  After a quick recap, she leaned down, removed the bedsheet, and applied her handcuffs to Belinda’s wrists, all against the woman’s vocal protests.

  “That’s Jake’s arrest,” I said.

  “Sorry, but it’s still my case,” she said as she pulled Belinda to her feet.

  “Jake, this isn’t right,” I protested.

  “She can have the collar,” Jake said. “All I care about is that you’re safe.”

  “Good. Then it’s agreed,” the inspector said as she walked Belinda out of the room. After asking permission to leave, Benny quickly left as well, no doubt to put as much distance between him and my husband as he could manage in the snow.

  I didn’t blame him a bit.

  “She’s going to take all of the credit for what we did, isn’t she?” I asked him.

  Jake grinned. “By the time she’s finished telling it, she’ll say that she knew Belinda was the murderer all along. She was just setting a trap for her, and you and Grace were the bait.”

  “Well, if you can live with it, then so can I. Grace, are you ready to go?”

  “Are you kidding? I want to stay here and look for that gold.”

  I laughed at my friend. “Why not? Jake, do you mind?”

  “Knock yourself out. It looks like most of the snow is going to miss us to the north. There won’t be much accumulation after all.”

  “Then let’s get busy,” I said.

  “You two are quite a pair, aren’t you?” he asked with a smile.

  “We’d like to think so. Thanks for coming by.”

  “I only wish that I’d been able to do something to help you,” he answered.

  I kissed him before I said, “No worries there. You’ve done plenty.”

  After he was gone, Grace and I got busy.

  Given what had happened, we were eager to find those musket balls and see just how much gold Dan had left behind.

  Chapter 21

  Even after we did a full inventory of Aunt Teeks over the course of the next month, the gold musket-ball paperweight never did show up. Had Dan hidden it too well somewhere else, or had someone else known its true value and stolen it before we could find it ourselves? We’d never know, but I still managed to settle the estate and have five hundred dollars left over for my trouble. Instead of spending it on myself, I chose to throw a party on Union Square with it in honor of Dan. It was nice to see his friends come and say good-bye properly. The barbeque was good, and so was the local band, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

  Belinda’s trial promised to be a long one, since she continued to deny everything after Jake showed up, even to the point of owning a gun. Her fingerprints proved that she was a liar, though, and we had high hopes that she’d soon be in jail for the rest of her natural life.

  Benny came up to us smiling, and I couldn’t help noticing the cup in his hands. “Is that alcohol?” I asked him.

  “No, ma’am,” he answered hastily. “It’s plain old soda. I promised you that I’d quit drinking, and that’s what I aim to do.”

  Jake spoke up. “Just be sure that you do, because I’m keeping an eye on you.”

  “Jake, that’s not necessary,” I said. My husband hadn’t been pleased to learn that Benny had roughed me up a little, though in the grander scheme of things, he’d played a vital role in saving my life.

  “I don’t blame him a bit, Suzanne,” Benny said. “You won’t have to worry about me anymore. I’ve decided I need a clean break, so I’m moving to Tennessee to live with my brother. I’m going to go to work for him.”

  “What does he do?” I asked.

  “He runs a junk shop,” Benny said with a grin. “I guess it’s in our blood.”

  “Well, good luck to
you,” I said.

  Jake just nodded, and Benny quickly made his exit.

  “Do you really think he’s changed?” my husband asked me.

  “I have to,” I said. “In the end, I believe that people can clean their acts up and turn their lives around. The world is full of second chances. After all, you’re mine.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I failed miserably at being married to Max, but I think I’m doing pretty well the second time around.”

  “I can’t disagree with that,” Jake said. “It’s just a shame that Dan had to miss this.”

  “Do you approve of how I spent my inheritance?” I asked him as folks danced in the square to the band.

  “I can’t think of a more fitting tribute,” he said.

  “Then why don’t you prove it to me and dance with me?” I asked him as I hugged him.

  “You took the words right out of my mouth.”

  As my husband took me in his arms, I found myself feeling sorry for Dan. He thought that he’d found love, only to be betrayed by the person he’d cared most for. It was a sad end for what was generally a happy life.

  Jake had been right.

  This was a fitting tribute to the slain junk man, and I made myself a promise to make sure that the people I loved knew about it, loudly and often.

  In the end, I didn’t get rich, but I had something far more valuable than money, and that was people who loved me.

  That, to me, was the greatest possession I had in the world, and in my mind, it was worth more than every ounce of the gold that had been lost forever.

  Recipes

  A SIMPLE VANILLA GLAZE

  I love vanilla, though probably not as much as Crazy Dan the junk man did. A simple glaze that never fails with just about any donut is one that incorporates vanilla extract. One important note: I’m a firm believer in using real extract, not the artificial variety. The difference between the two, at least to me, is well worth the added expense that the real deal offers. This glaze can make even a simple donut made from canned biscuit dough a real treat!

  Ingredients

  •1 cup sifted powdered confectioner’s sugar

  •2 tablespoons vanilla extract

  •(optional) Add the seeds from half a vanilla pod for an extra bang of flavor!

  Directions

  In a small bowl, mix the confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract, and seeds if desired, stirring well until the consistency is translucent in nature and easy to pour.

  Don’t make this glaze until you’re ready to use it, since it will harden fairly quickly. It can be drizzled or spread on top of donuts, biscuits, toasted raisin bread, or just about anything you’d like sweetened!

  This vanilla glaze will cover 1 to 2 dozen donuts, depending on how it is applied.

  A GOOD VANILLA DONUT THAT’S NOT TOO POWERFUL!

  Baked Vanilla Bites

  These donuts offer a nice baking alternative for those looking for a healthier option than deep frying. They offer a subtle hint of vanilla, but when they are paired with the glaze above, they take on a whole new level of taste. We make these sometimes with the snow falling outside, and they are complemented nicely by a steaming mug of hot chocolate!

  Ingredients

  •2 cups all-purpose flour

  •3/4 cup milk, whole or two percent

  •1/2 cup granulated sugar

  •1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

  •1 egg, beaten

  •2 tablespoons baking powder

  •1 tablespoon real vanilla extract

  •1/4 teaspoon salt

  •1 vanilla bean, halved and scraped seeds

  Directions

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

  While you’re waiting for the oven to reach the correct temperature, use a large mixing bowl to combine the milk, sugar, softened butter, beaten egg, vanilla, and vanilla seeds, mixing everything thoroughly. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring this all until well mixed. Then slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, being careful not to over-stir the mix. Fill cupcake pan reservoirs halfway until you’ve used the entire mix. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out nearly clean. Remove them from the pan immediately, and if you’ve made glaze while the donuts have been baking, add this now while the donuts are still warm.

  Makes 8 to 12 donuts, depending on your pan.

  MOMMA’S, AND NOW TRISH’S, CRUMB-TOP APPLE PIE

  This is my favorite pie in the world, and hardly a holiday or special event goes by without at least one of these making it to our dinner table. It’s even been requested from one certain family member as a birthday cake on more than one occasion, which to me is the supreme compliment! If you like a tart pie, go heavier with the Granny Smith apples, but if you like a smoother pie, go with equal portions of Granny Smith and Stayman, Gala, or Pink Lady.

  Ingredients

  •Crust

  •9-inch pie crust, premade (honestly, I’ve made homemade crusts using flour and lard in the past, but these can’t be beat)

  Filling

  •2 to 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

  •1 to 2 Stayman, Gala, or Pink Lady apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (total apple slice amount: approximately 6 cups)

  •1/2 cup granulated sugar

  •3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

  •1 teaspoon cinnamon

  •1 teaspoon nutmeg

  •2 dashes of salt

  Crumb Topping

  •1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

  •1/2 cup brown sugar (we prefer dark, but light will do)

  •1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

  Directions

  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

  While you’re waiting for that to reach temperature, cut, core, and peel the apples. In a small bowl, mix the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Use this blend to coat the apples and add them to the pie crust. Next, mix the flour and brown sugar together, then add the butter until the mixture is the size of small peas but still crumbly. Add the topping, then put the pie on a baking sheet before you put it into the oven. Bake loosely covered with foil for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking for another 20 to 25 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and an inserted knife easily pierces the apple segments beneath the crust.

  Serves 4 to 8 people, depending on their appetites

  SUZANNE’S VERY OWN HOT CHOCOLATE RECIPE

  Since hot chocolate is mentioned in the book, it might be a good time to revisit my all-time favorite recipe. Sure, you can always tear open a packet in a pinch, but we don’t think any mix can touch this special blend that we’ve been tweaking for years.

  Ingredients

  Dry

  •2 cups powdered milk

  •3/4 cup granulated sugar

  •1/2 cup nondairy creamer, powdered

  •1/2 cup Hershey’s Cocoa, natural unsweetened powder

  •1/2 cup Special Dark Hershey’s Cocoa, Dutch Processed powder

  •2 dashes of salt

  Wet

  •3/4 cup hot milk, whole or two percent, as desired, per cup, with 1/4 cup dry mix added and thoroughly stirred in.

  Directions

  Combine all of the dry ingredients (powdered milk, sugar, powdered creamer, cocoa, dark cocoa, and salt) and mix together thoroughly. This blend should be placed in an airtight container until you’re ready to use it. For us, we don’t like it to have more than a one-month shelf life, but it never seems to last that long anyway, so it’s never been a problem. You can always add marshmallows if desired, but this blend doesn’t need it!

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  Also, be sure to visit our website at jessicabeckmysteries.net for valuable information about Jessica’s books.

  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

  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 Cover-Up