Brownies & Betrayal (Sweet Bites Mysteries, Book 1) (9 page)

Despite the quaint European feel to the exterior, the interior was more like an old mom-and-pop restaurant. After continuing down the road for a few blocks to see what else was new, I headed back to my place. When I drew close, I saw a woman and child approaching and realized it was Valerie’s sister and daughter. Though they’d come to my table for cake Sunday night, there had been no chance for me to ask her any questions. I crossed the street and headed for Lidia.

“Hi, Lidia, isn’t it?” I asked when I got close. I looked at Dahlia and saw her sad, sad eyes and pinched face. Sympathy swelled inside me.

The fair-skinned woman with almond eyes and black hair like her sister’s looked at me, the little girl’s hand clasped in hers. “Yes, it’s Tess, right?”

“Yes. How are you doing? Are you enjoying the nice weather?” I studied the woman’s face. She looked worn out. Not surprising, considering everything she had to deal with.

She nodded. “Yes, it’s pretty here.” She seemed lethargic, and a bit wary.

“How are things going?” I asked. “You said you live in California?”

“Yes. My husband and I have a home in Long Beach. It’s a long drive. I didn’t get here until Saturday evening.”

“And when do you think you’ll be able to go home?”

She pressed her lips together for a moment, then shot a glance at the little girl by her side. “The police say I should be able to, um, arrange transport in the next day or so. We’ll have the funeral in Prescott on Saturday evening. I think Valerie would have liked a sunset service.”

“It sounds nice.” You know, if a funeral for a thirty-ish woman can ever be considered a
nice
event. “Are you making all the arrangements?”

“Yes. Our father passed years ago and Mom followed a few years back.” She dabbed at her left eye with the back of her hand and her voice hitched slightly as she spoke.

“This must be a terrible time for you. I’m sorry.” I understood what she was going through, as I’d had to plan my grandma’s funeral alone. Thank goodness for Honey. I looked at Dahlia. “It must be hard for both of you.” I knew Valerie had been a single mom to this little girl, which now left Dahlia all alone. I stuck out my hand. “Hi, Dahlia, I’m Tess. I’m pleased to see you again. Do you remember meeting me last night?”

She took my hand and gave it a shake, her pitiful eyes turned toward me. “My momma died.”

“I know, honey. I’m sorry. That’s a hard thing.” I crouched down. “You know what? My momma died too. I was a lot older than you, but it was still hard.”

That perked her interest. “How did your momma die?”

“My mom and dad
both
died in an accident. They were on a train and it went off the tracks. Lots of people died that day.” So many families destroyed in an instant. 

“I don’t have a daddy, just a momma.” The hand she had tucked in Lidia’s moved, and I realized she held on so tight that her knuckles were white. Poor baby.

My heart broke for her. She was too young to be so alone. “I’m sorry, honey. But I bet it was special to have time alone with your momma.”

“That’s enough, Dahlia,” Lidia said. “Mustn’t spread rumors.”

I rose and looked at Lidia. “Don’t worry, I’m not a gossip.” I only collect it. I’m not much for spreading it. “So will you get custody?”

“Yes. There’s no one else. Tad and Analesa have been wonderful, though, offering to do whatever they can. Tad even offered to help arrange care if I had trouble swinging it, but I can’t imagine having someone else babysit her during the days. She’s been left alone at daycare too much already.” She put a hand on Dahlia’s head and smoothed her hair back. It glistened in the sun with deep red highlights. The gesture was familiar, easy and loving. That reassured me. Lidia would love and take good care of this little girl. “My job is flexible, anyway. I run my massage business out of my house, so I can schedule appointments while she’s in school or arrange play dates here and there.”

“Tad and Analesa’s offer was very generous.” Much more than I would have expected from Analesa, who had been more self-absorbed than most brides. “I’m sorry you have to stay here for so long.”

She shrugged. “It can’t be helped, but I’m moving into Valerie’s apartment tomorrow until I get everything settled. Thanks for your kind words. If you don’t mind, I think we’re ready for some dinner. I promised Dahlia pizza.”

“Yes, sorry if I kept you. Gregorio’s Pizza is delicious—and I’ve been living in Chicago for years now, so that’s high praise.” I moved on, letting them go, but after a moment, I looked back over my shoulder at them. The little girl’s slumped form strengthened my resolved to find out what really happened.

 For a 9” springform pan. 

Preheat oven 350 degrees—It’s best to bake this with the springform sitting inside a large pan of water so the cheesecake bakes evenly. For consistent oven temperatures, you should preheat the oven for at least an hour before baking the crust with the filling. This can be done while baking the crust and preparing the filling.

Crust:

1 cup flour

1 tsp cornstartch

¼ tsp salt

½ cup butter at room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

2 extra-large egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla

Butter the pan bottom and sides, and wrap the outside with aluminum foil across the bottom and up the sides.

Mix flour, cornstarch and salt. In another bowl mix butter and sugar until creamy, add egg yolks and vanilla, and beat until blended, then lower the speed and mix in the flour mixture. Mix the dough with your hands until it forms a ball when you squeeze it. Chill for thirty minutes if you have time.

Flour your hands and press the ball into the center of the pan working it up to the edges of the pan and up 1 ½ inches up the side. Prick the crust with a fork, then bake until just golden and set, about 15 minutes. Don’t let it over-bake. Set on a wire rack to cool. Leave the oven on for the cheesecake.

Filling:

4 8-oz packages cream cheese at room temperature (use full fat, not reduced-fat varieties)

1 2/3 cups sugar

¼ cup cornstartch

1 Tbsp vanilla

2 extra-large eggs

¾ cup heavy or whipping cream

1 tsp almond extract

½ lb semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

1 tsp ground nutmeg

Put one package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar and the cornstarch into a bowl and beat until creamy. Then add the other packages of cream cheese, one block at a time until mixed in. Scrape down the sides as needed. Increase the speed of the mixer and add the rest of the sugar, the vanilla, almond extract, and nutmeg. Then beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well.

In a pan melt the chocolate on low heat. Cool a little so it’s still warm to the touch, then whip in cream. Add the chocolate cream mixture to the cream cheese mixture, blending just until mixed, but don’t over mix.

Spoon batter into the prepared crust. Place springform pan into a larger, shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan. Bake about 1 ¼ hours or until set. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and place on a wire rack to cool for two hours, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until cold, at least four hours. Overnight is better.

Honey likes more almond in her cheesecake, so I double it when I make it for her, but Marge likes it when I cut up a small bottle of maraschino cherries and put them on the crust before pouring the batter on top.

Shawn picked me up at straight-up six o’clock. I liked a guy who was punctual, so it earned him points in my book.

Not that I was keeping track of points. Obviously I wasn’t interested in a real relationship. This was a harmless flirtation, a distraction from real life. I kept telling myself that, hoping it would keep me from forgetting.

“You look great,” he said when he took in my black skirt and long-sleeved red blouse.

“Thank you. You look pretty terrific yourself.” He wore a sports jacket over a button-up shirt and a pair of tan chinos. I think this man would look good in rags.

His answer was to grin, and maneuver to help me into my leather jacket. What a gentleman. How did he get a sister like Analesa again? I felt a slight shiver of excitement when his fingers brushed my neck as he settled the coat on my shoulders, then slid his hands along my shoulders. 

Shawn took me to the hotel for dinner. Not that there weren’t oodles of other places to eat, I thought, but the little restaurant was quaint, quiet and leaned toward romantic. This man was no socially inept teen, no matter what Analesa thought. I was going to enjoy that fact immensely.

We ordered and I glanced over as another couple was seated nearby. Tad and Analesa. “Looks like they decided to emerge from their room for a little while,” I noted. I hadn’t had a chance to ask her about the argument I’d overheard between herself and Valerie on Friday night. Of course, Millie told me what the argument had been about—assuming her information was accurate.

“Yeah. I thought they might. Analesa loves Tad, but she
needs
social interaction.” Shawn twisted his glass on the tabletop.

“Even on her honeymoon? I’d have thought Tad would be oodles of social interaction for her.”

Shawn laughed. “I think she’s still fuming that they had to cancel their trip. The police weren’t happy about them traveling to Florida for their honeymoon with the investigation still ongoing.”

I hadn’t thought about that. They’d told me not to go anywhere, but I didn’t expect the bride and groom to be stuck in town, too. Had they made everyone stay? “Is one of them a suspect?”

“I think at this point just about everyone is,” Shawn said. “Probably even me, and I have an in with the detective.”

“Well, that makes me feel a little better. I thought I was being picked on.” I took a sip from my water glass, letting my eyes linger on him. “Why would they think you killed her?”

Shawn leaned forward and lowered his voice. I followed suit, as if this was a deep dark secret. “I dated her for about ten minutes when I was eighteen. I must have a broken heart.”

He didn’t appear the least heartbroken. “The evil wench. What happened?”

“We went out, had some very nice goodnight kisses and I went home. She returned to college and a couple weeks later, I started dating Carla.”

It sounded about right for teenage romance, but oddly made me feel a little jealous. “Apparently your sister never heard about it. She seemed to think Valerie flirted with you Friday night, and that she’d chew you up and spit you out.”

He threw his head back for a laugh. “I grew immune to Valerie long ago. Still, she was fun for a little light banter at the rehearsal.” He took a sip of his drink. “Am I supposed to be a soft touch?”

“Tender-hearted was the way Millie described it.”

“Unbelievable.” He leaned forward in his chair again, took my hand on the tabletop and wiggled his brows. “I could be a soft touch for you, if you’re interested.”

I was glad the appetizers arrived then, as it took me a while to readjust my thinking. Was he serious, or a player? Perhaps he and Valerie had some common ground . . . the thought didn’t please me. “So what were you up to that night?”

“I played pool with some buddies—including the detective—early in the evening, and was tucked in bed long before midnight. My life is super exciting.” His smile was infectious, making me return the expression. Or maybe it was knowing he hadn’t been with her that evening, and wasn’t trying to fake an alibi. Wouldn’t the guilty person make sure they could claim something? Or was that only in movies?

We were digging into our food when Analesa seemed to notice us for the first time. She yanked on Tad’s sleeve, and they came over to speak with us. “What are the two of you doing here together?” she asked. When she looked at me, her gaze held accusation, as if she thought I was taking advantage of her baby brother.