Trust (22 page)

The air was cold and raw as she lugged the heavy trash bag to the shed where the dumpster was. She fished in her pocket for the key, but when she looked closer, saw that the shed was open and the padlock was hanging there. That was odd, it wasn’t like her to forget to lock it. But, she hadn’t been sleeping well all week and must have been distracted. She pushed open the door and then the key dropped out of her hands.

In front of her, lying flat on the ground and looking quite dead, with a deep, bloody gash across her forehead, was Samantha Sellers. She was about Jane’s age and hadn’t been happy about Jane opening Comfort & Joy. She had actually just brought a lawsuit against her, trying to get the town to shut her down. It was what Jane noticed next that sent a chill up her spine. The stiletto heel of Samantha’s bright red pump had been shoved in her mouth and stuck to the shoe was a yellow sticky note with a message written in bold black marker,

“I took care of her for you.”

~

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~Author’s Note~

D
ear Reader,

I hope you enjoyed the story. I welcome any feedback you may have, and would love to hear what you loved, liked, or even disliked, as well as what you might like to see next. Please drop me a note anytime at
[email protected]

About the author

Pamela Kelley lives and works in Plymouth, MA and has always been a huge book worm. She worked as a journalist many years ago and in recent years as a food writer for local papers. She is very excited to finally be following her passion to write the kinds of books she loves to read.

Recipe

Braised Short Ribs

4 pounds bone-in short ribs (or 2 pounds beef brisket)

1.5 cups red wine (I like to use a fruity zinfandel or any red you like)

1.5 cups beef broth

1 large onion, sliced thin

One cup mushrooms, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup tomato sauce (any favorite sauce is fine)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

¼ tablespoon rosemary

¼ tablespoon thyme

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. On the stovetop, in a large, heavy dutch oven (I use a 5 qt enamel coated cast iron soup pot, but have sometimes just used a big stainless pot too), heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the meat and brown it on both sides until you have a nice crust, about 5-8 minutes or so per side. Remove the meat and let it sit. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and stir, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom. After about 5 minutes, add your mushrooms, and let them cook a couple of minutes. Then add your tomato sauce, wine, broth, spices,  and mustard. Stir well and then add your meat and any juices that have collected, back into the pan; cover and throw it in the oven for 3 hours. Stir and serve over mashed potatoes or noodles. I like to make it at night and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. I then scrape off the hard fat the next day, reheat on the stove and it’s delicious.  Enjoy!  ~Pam