Hearse and Gardens (23 page)

Elle and I had stopped for lunch at Sandringham a week after the Aqua Net unveiling, and Ingrid informed us she and Nathan were engaged. I was happy for her and I was glad she didn't turn out to be a murderess, not just because she looked like my mother but because she had a similar heart to my mother's.

Ingrid told us Harry gave the Aqua Net painting inspired by Tansy to his granddaughter, Liv. Liv put it in the gallery with her father's drawings. I wondered what other things she'd find hidden at Sandringham. When I thought about it, we'd never checked for revolving bookcases.

Now that Uncle Harry's head was clear, he promised to work with Liv to try to remember other secret spots around the mansion. I envied them the hunt.

When Richard had the gall to ask for Tansy's Shelby
convertible, Uncle Harry said that was a no-go. He sold it to a local collector. He did, however, let Richard keep Tansy's can of Aqua Net hairspray from the car's glove compartment, then he sent him on his way.

Uncle Harry also went easy on Celia because I'd told him Brandy was the one screwing around with his medication, not Celia. Celia wouldn't admit she had anything to do with the Pollock scandal. Uncle Harry and Celia were still slated for divorce because Liv had told him about what we'd witnessed between Richard and Celia on the beach.

Ingrid put in a good word for Kate after she returned all the jewelry she and Richard had found from the drawings in Pierce's journal. Uncle Harry wouldn't be pressing charges.

Apparently, Richard came to Montauk when he was twenty-one, after his father died. He wanted to find out more about his mother's other life and his half brother. His father had told him stories about Tansy and the Warhol painting inspired by his mother. Richard hooked up with Celia when she was working in an art gallery in Bridgehampton.

Twenty years ago, when Pierce and Helen disappeared with the Warhol, Richard went crazy trying to track it down. Then after we found Pierce's skeleton, he obsessed even further. Richard enlisted Kate's help in finding the Warhol after he heard from Kate that Liv found jewelry from clues in Pierce's sketch journal.

I had no idea on the status of Liv and Kate's relationship. I doubted it would ever be repaired, even though Kate had remembered Liv's inhaler when they were in the cellar.

On our way out the door, Ingrid gave Elle and me a huge container of chowder and our own loaves of bread. We each picked a cheek and kissed it.

I had a feeling our lunch date might turn into a weekly event.

The fickle finger of good fortune pointed itself in my direction.

I was at 221
B
Surfside Drive.

After hearing what I'd gone through at the hands of Kurt Pinkus, the good and the bad, the court, under recommendation from Sgt. Miles, granted me half ownership of the land at Little Grey. I received a refund of more than half my down payment because Sgt. Miles got the side of the property with Little Grey and I got the folly side with the garden.

Sgt. Miles said he'd hire Cottages by the Sea to do the interior design in Little Grey, using whatever I wanted from Little Grey's packed attic. Anything left over was mine to use in my own future cottage.

A small glitch was that I only had through December until my lease ran out, which would bring me to January.
I didn't think Jo and I would make it in the glass folly during a Montauk winter. The space heaters that ran on my new generator in the folly were adequate for forty-degree weather, but I didn't think they'd do much good in a deep freeze. And who wanted to visit The Watercloset in the middle of a frigid winter's night? I didn't.

Duke and Duke Junior had helped me find a contractor to build a small cottage on my half of the property. However, we wouldn't be breaking ground until the spring.

*   *   *

I waited in the folly for Byron Hughes's text.

Byron had shown up at my rental after he'd read in the papers about Brandy's arrest. I never asked him about the woman who answered the phone. I had a tendency to put those kinds of questions on the back burner. Today he was bringing new landscape plans he'd drawn up free of charge. I'd given Sgt. Miles the other plans.

My phone vibrated. I read the message from Byron.
Meet me by the cottage. Now!

Okay. A little terse. But I'd give him the benefit of the doubt.

I threw on my jacket and followed the bluestone path Duke and Duke Junior had just laid down.

Byron was sitting on Little Grey's porch. A bottle of champagne in one hand and two cut crystal glasses in the other. “Hey, stranger.”

“Hey, yourself. What have you got there?”

“Time to celebrate.”

I sat next to him. “Well? Pop her open.”

“You have to wait.”

“For what?”

“You'll see.”

The sound of gears grinding made me look in the direction of the drive that led from Route 27. I stepped off the porch and put my hand over my eyes to block the sun. Byron joined me. A huge tractor trailer approached, flattening bushes and shrubs as it inched forward.

“What's going on? Is this your doing?”

“No. But I am a part of the plan.” He smiled that smile.

The truck kept coming. Smoke billowed from a pipe next to the cab. The front of the truck had a banner stretched across the front grill, which read,
OVERS
IZED LOAD
.

Then all was quiet.

Byron put the champagne glasses on the porch step, grabbed my hand, and pulled me toward the truck. He still held the bottle of champagne in his other hand.

We stopped. My mouth opened wide. “Holy smokes!”

On the back of a flatbed truck was a bungalow. Not Pierce's bungalow, because that had burnt to the ground. But it was one of its sextuplet siblings.

Byron said, “Courtesy of Mr. Harrison Falks. May I present you with your own Cottage Sweet Cottage.”

I was floored.

“Time to christen it.” He handed me the champagne bottle. When I hesitated, he laughed. “I have another one on ice in the car.”

I took my left-handed batting stance and swung. The bottle broke, the champagne fizzed down the porch railing of the bungalow, and just when I thought things couldn't
get any more intense, a three-legged dog bounded in my direction.

Tripod!

And right behind him, Cole, Tripod's master, blue eyes stormy as hell on his handsome face.

I looked from Cole to Byron.

*   *   *

Hang on, Meg Barrett. I think you're in for a bumpy
ride.

Meg:
Rub scented essential oils, such as lavender, orange, or sandalwood on the underside of wood furniture: the oil is good for the wood, and at the same time, scents the room.

Elle:
Place a vintage ironstone or graniteware pitcher by the kitchen sink to store your bottle brushes, dishwashing soap, and other dishwashing odds and ends.

Meg:
Create a piece of art by gluing a map to the back of an old salvaged window. Look for old folded travel maps at garage sales or vintage shops. It's even more fun if the map represents places you've traveled or hope to travel. If you want, you can reinforce the paper maps with a few coats of matte decoupage glue. When dry, glue the map to the back side of the window frame and hang on the wall. This works for windows with or without their panes of glass.

Elle:
Search thrift shops and estate sales for inexpensive vintage or antique china dinnerware in assorted transferware patterns; try to stick to the same color family—it makes for a festive, eclectic table setting.

Meg:
Put outdoor iron wall planters in your bathroom. Spray-paint the planters to match your room's color palette. As long as your bathroom has a window, potted houseplants flourish in the steamy environment. Or, put vintage American pottery flower pots in the planter's iron rings and instead of inserting plants, use the pots to store your toothbrushes, makeup brushes, etc.

Elle:
Buy vintage or antique oil lamps with clear glass chimneys. Insert a photo in the brass slot where the wick comes out. A grouping of three or more oil lamps on a mantel, dresser, or piano creates an interesting photo gallery. Odd numbers are best for displaying similar collectibles in a group.

Meg:
You can also fill the bottom of vintage Ball jars with buttons in one color, or a mixture of colors. Stick a photo or other ephemera at the bottom of the jar, using the weight of the buttons to keep the photo upright, then replace the lid. Or, place a flower frog lid found at craft stores on top on your Ball jar. Use the jar as a vase for your fresh flowers, leaving the buttons inside to hide the bottoms of the stems.

Elle:
Spiky iron flower frogs perform double duty as a way to display photos, business cards, or vintage postcards.
When it's cold outside, treat yourself and buy a single stem of freesia or a single scented lily stem, cut the stem straight across the bottom, and put in the center of the spiky flower frog. Display the flower on its frog in the center of a footed Depression glass dish with a lip, or in the center of your favorite piece of vintage pottery. Only use enough water to cover the top of the flower frog. Flowers last longer on spiky flower frogs because the water travels up the flower stem.

Meg:
Set up an indoor herb garden by hanging vintage tiered vegetable baskets from the ceiling near a kitchen window. Fill the baskets with herbs in clay pots or herbs planted in vintage tea or coffee cups. This way your cat won't eat your cilantro. Grow edible cat grass in an accessible pot for your wayward kitty. Tiered vegetable baskets also work as an outdoor herb garden; just add moss, hanging basket liners, dirt, and your herbs. Hang the baskets under the eaves, near your outdoor grill.

Elle:
Vintage or antique tablecloths make great coverlets for your bed, or use vintage tablecloths to upholster chair seats. Instead of buying a matching set of kitchen or dining room chairs, buy different chairs in a similar style, then spray-paint them one color for cohesiveness.

Meg:
Find a vintage suitcase and remove the top, insert a bed pillow or cushion on the bottom, cover with a soft blanket or vintage piece of fabric—voila! You have a cozy kitty or doggie bed. A rubber-edged window squeegee removes pet hair from cushions and upholstered furniture—especially
handy if you have a fur-ball like my Maine Coon, Jo. I can't think of a suitcase large enough for Tripod.

And remember, a modern home can meld perfectly with that little touch of vintage or antique.

Wishing you great finds!!

JEFF BARRETT'S CAJUN BBQ SHRIMP

It's called Barbecue Shrimp, but these shrimp don't go anywhere near the grill, which has a couple of very important advantages. Shrimp are difficult to grill properly because they cook so fast, and when overcooked tend to dry out and get rubbery. These shrimp are cooked in a pan, where you can control the heat and moisture content much more readily. Moreover, you cook them within a very tasty and robust sauce you create. That allows the shrimp to actually absorb the sauce, which improves the flavor even more. In fact, this is one of those dishes that really does taste better the second day, so don't be afraid if you have leftovers—feel free to make a large batch.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

2 pounds jumbo shrimp (about 25)

1 cup shrimp stock, or chicken broth

FOR THE SHRIMP STOCK:

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

FOR THE SPICE MIXTURE:

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed (you'll need to crush it; it doesn't come that way)

1 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon hot paprika

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon crushed hot pepper flakes (more or less depending upon your tolerance for heat!)

2 sticks unsalted butter

3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped or crushed

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 12 oz. bottle of beer (not light beer)

2 tablespoons or 1 oz. of your favorite barbecue sauce

Clean the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Save the shells for stock. Place shrimp in a bowl of cold water and set aside.

If you're feeling ambitious, and you have time (at least an hour; the longer the better) cover just the shells with water, add two bay leaves and one teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning, and bring to boil, then simmer for at least 1 hour. You should have no more than 1 cup stock. If you do not have the time, you can substitute the shrimp stock with chicken stock.

Assemble your spice mix in a large sauté pan.

With the spices in the pan, heat pan on medium high heat. The heat will bring out the natural oils in the herbs and accelerate the release of flavors. After 1 or 2 minutes, add 1 stick of butter (you'll be adding a second stick a bit later in the process). After the butter has melted, add 3 cloves of chopped garlic. Then add 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce.
Then add 1 bottle of beer, the more flavorful the better. (Light beer is to be avoided if possible.) Let the sauce cook down until syrupy. Add the stock and cook down again. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of your favorite barbecue sauce and stir it in.

Now add the peeled shrimp to the pan. Try to get the shrimp in a single layer. If the pan's not quite big enough for that, just be careful not to let the bottom shrimp overcook. Shake the pan while cooking the shrimp. Turn them with tongs. The shrimp will be done when the tails are orange in color and the bodies are white and curled. You want them to just be cooked through. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp or else they will be tough. When they have all cooked through, usually about 3 to 4 minutes, remove them to a clean bowl, leaving the sauce in the pan. The shrimp will have added to the liquid in the pan so it needs to cook down a bit more. Add the second stick of butter and shake the sauce as it melts. The sauce will thicken. When the butter begins to separate from the sauce, it is done. Remove from heat. Place shrimp and sauce together in your serving dish, pouring sauce over the shrimp. Garnish with fresh parsley.

You can serve two ways. As an appetizer, serve with crusty French bread for dipping. For a main course, prepare the Roasted Carrots, Sweet Potatoes & Onion Recipe.

JEFF BARRETT'S ROASTED CARROTS, SWEET POTATOES & ONIONS

Coated in spices and orange juice, these oven-roasted vegetables make for a great side dish.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

2 large sweet potatoes (about 1 ½ pounds), peeled and cut into ¼-inch by 3-inch strips

8 medium carrots (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces

1 large onion, cut into ½-inch thick slices

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 orange for its juice (about ½ cup juice)

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon high-quality paprika

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

20 fresh mint leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a large bowl add sweet potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic.

In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, melted butter, oil, salt, and dried spices. Pour over vegetables in the large bowl and toss until coated.

Transfer to a roasting pan and roast 35 to 45 minutes, then switch oven temp to broil and cook until crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.

Top with fresh mint leaves for garnish.

MEG BARRETT'S INSTANT PUMPKIN ICE CREAM

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

1 quart high-quality French vanilla ice cream, softened slightly in the refrigerator

1 cup canned pumpkin pie mix (includes sugars and spices)

Empty the ice cream into a large bowl. Fold in pumpkin pie mix until blended. Refreeze in airtight containers.

Could it be any easier?

Enjoy!