1 Chocolate Worth Dying For (13 page)

"Carly!?"

"Why couldn't you leave things alone," Carly said furiously.

Maxine took a step back. This wasn't the Carly she knew. Gone was the smile and sunny disposition. The happy pills Wendy hinted at had clearly run out and she was working on full-out crazy. A smudge of dirt on her cheekbones didn't hide the fury in those blue eyes. Her beautiful blonde hair, always so carefully arranged was messy and dirty.

"You just keep pushing and pushing." Her eyes went wild as she aimed a gun at Maxine. "Why couldn't you let it go? The police had a suspect!"

Maxine's' heart was beating so loudly she was surprised Carly hadn't said anything about it. "How, why?," she said now backing away until there was nowhere to go. Her hand searched behind her trying to find something, anything…

"I got tired of being the one without money. So creative and artistic," she said, her voice rising. "When Rick Dodd started paying attention to me I thought, why not?"

"I mean Rae-Ann, Tracey, all the other wives, they didn't know how good they had it."

"But, Bernice?"

"You'd figured out too much already. Once you talked to Bernice I was done! I couldn't let that happen!" She waved the gun at Maxine.

Maxine's mind was racing furiously. Bernice? But it was Devon… She looked up, the pieces coming together. "You were the one who Bernice invested with," she whispered.

"You always were smart," Carly snarled.

"And the project. Rick had found a way to take money from West Shore Developments hadn't he?" She knew she was right. "What? How much of West Shore Developments has he pre-sold without Ron's knowledge," she guessed suddenly.

Marly just shrieked. "It wasn't supposed to be like this! He already had the tickets, we were going to go away!"

"And then Ron found out!" Maxine said suddenly.

"I'd listened to David one day talking about how dangerous some of the medications he prescribed were and how people needed to be more careful. It was easy," she boasted. "I said I'd get something from Devon's' closet when I was over and I swiped some samples from David's' home office."

"But, how did it get in my chocolates," Maxine said, horrified as she looked at this creatures she'd always seen as someone too nice to hurt anyone.

"Simple," Carly said leaning forward now and smiling. "Everyone trusts me. They'll trust me now when I tell them I came in and found you fighting with a stranger." She shrugged, a mad smile on her face. "I tried to stop it, I really did but the gun went off and hit Maxine." She raised the gun.

"At least tell me how you got it in my chocolates," Maxine said frantically. "You can tell me now."

Carly stopped, considering. She gave a small smile. "I suppose I can afford to give away my secrets. I crushed the pills and made them into a paste mixed with water. Then I loaded up a needle with it. No one paid any attention to me. I saw a tray of truffles waiting to go out and I," she paused, smiling triumphantly, "borrowed one. After I put a hypodermic of drugs I found Ron and told him he had to try the truffle, it was special. I don't think he knew about me so he just thought I was acting like myself." She smiled triumphantly. "And what I told him was true. It really was a chocolate worth dying for!" She raised the gun.

Maxine put a hand up. "Wait a minute. You still haven't told me why you had to," she paused for a moment feeling bile come up in her throat, "get rid of Bernice."

"That old lady," Carly said disdainfully. "She'd have ID'd me and you'd have known it wasn't Devon. Besides how much longer does she have anyway?"

Maxine had thought there was nothing more Carly could do to surprise her. But now as she thought of just what she'd done to Bernice a sense of disgust threatened to overwhelm her. "Why wouldn't you just kill her?"

Carly shrugged. "There'd have been a bullet. With luck no one would find her until they started developing here. And with her out of the way it would only be a matter of time." She shrugged, "there'd be no evidence left."

"How? Why?"

"I wanted a better life," Carly said firmly. "I was tired of being the nice girl, the creative one."

"But your shop?" Maxine said, stalling for time. She had to believe Heath would be doing something, Patrick would figure out where she was.

"Was losing money hand over fist," she said cheerfully. "Rick bailed me out once. But it was only a matter of time." She raised the gun.

Heath launched himself from the bedroom off to the side. He hit Carly full force slamming her into the ground as a bullet fired and Maxine dived for cover. The wail of police sirens filled the air as Heath sat up, rubbing his shoulder for the second time that day. Carly appeared to be out.

The door burst open and she found herself looking into another gun, this one held by Patrick. "It's OK," she said. "Heath stopped her from, from," her voice started to wobble.

He looked over at Carly. "Carly Halvert?"

Maxine nodded. "With Rick Dodd. But she was the one, the one," Maxine broke down crying as Bernice joined them, looking slightly wobbly herself.

"She tied me up and left me for dead. Sounds like she's been on a killing spree." She looked at Heath, nodding towards him. "It's lucky Heath came looking for me. Otherwise I'd probably be tied up in my shed. And who knows who she'd have come after next." She looked at Marly in disgust. "I thought I'd seen just about everything in my life but that one… that one's a special brand of evil."

An ambulance was called to get them checked out and once again she found herself giving a statement to Patrick. "You see," she said. "I knew Heath couldn't do something like this!"

Patrick smiled. "I'm glad about that. But next time let the police do the investigating OK?"

"Of course," she said sweetly. "I just wanted to help."

"Stick to catering," he advised her. "Leave the police work to me."

Marly was safely in jail, after bail had been denied her. With the string of killings she'd been judged far too dangerous to let loose on the community. Thankfully once the story had come out Maxine found herself the caterer for events both large and small.

Rick Dodd had been caught at the airport and was also languishing in jail. West Shore Developments had started up again with Tracey Vandemeer the new president.

"It's not the same," she said now as she stopped by to discuss some last minute details. "I'll always miss Ron. But this is what he would've wanted."

Bernice was wearing a new outfit and discussing something with Grandma Ellie. It might be better not to think about what. The two had become firm friends as they'd worked with Tracey to design a new set of townhouses.

Tracey stood at the podium. "Today," she said speaking to everyone assembled "I'm proud to announce we're opening a new townhouse development. But this one is special. It combines the best parts of living independently with their own community kitchen and recreation area. I'd like Bernice Kelly to come on up."

As everyone clapped, Heath took Bernice's arm and escorted her up to the podium. Maxine felt herself tearing up as she watched from the sidelines.

"When I first heard about Bernice Kelly I knew she wasn't very happy about West Shore Developments. Ron was upset about that. He was a visionary and always thought his developments were going to make people's lives better and he was trying to come up with a solution." She paused here, visibly choking up. "I know he would be proud of the Bernice Kelly Townhouses. Bernice could you please cut the ribbon." She held a pair of scissors to Bernice who did the honors.

After that there was chocolate for everyone. In cakes, cookies, cupcakes and chocolates because, as Maxine was so fond of saying, "you could never have too much chocolate."

I have had great fun writing this book and hope you have enjoyed it as well. I've included some chocolate recipes that have been used in the book. The people who have bravely taste tested these for the book, seem to have enjoyed them so I hope you do too!

Always use the best possible chocolate you can find

Chocolate and water don’t mix.

If you do get water in chocolate don’t despair. Add cream and make it into a chocolate ganache.

Use oil based flavors to flavor pure chocolate. If you must use water based make the chocolate into a ganache and add flavoring to that.

Chocolate chips in recipes using chocolate chips shouldn’t be switched with chocolate chunks. The melting temperatures are different and you won’t get the same effect.

Most of all, have fun!

• 4 oz chocolate of your choice (white,dark, semi-sweet)
  
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
  
• 2 egg whites
  
• Flavoring of choice (optional)
  

Melt chocolate in microwave (when melted add flavoring if using)

Beat cream until it stands in stiff peaks in separate bowl

Beat egg whites to stiff peaks in separate bowl

Add chocolate to whipping cream careful not to over-mix

Fold meringue in

Divide into servings

Garnish with shavings of chocolate, berries, wafer sticks

Makes 2 – 3 servings

• 1 litre or quart of Strawberries or other fruit
  
• 1/2 cup chocolate of your choice. Whatever type you choose make sure it's the best quality you can find.
  

Foil covered plate

Wash and dry fruit carefully. Drying is particularly important since water and chocolate DO NOT MIX.

It’s your choice whether you leave the leave/stem on the strawberries or other fruit. For bananas cut into sections.

To get strawberries of uniform size you’re either going to have to make a deal with a local farmer or supplier to give you uniform size strawberries or buy at least double the amount you need and then pick through for uniform sized ones. The good news is that the ones left over can be used for smoothies, jam or any number of goodies.

Melt chocolate

Dip fruit in chocolate. You may cover the whole berry or half the berry, double dip or just make sure you cover it thickly the first time. You can swirl white chocolate through the dark or fill the centers with cream cheese.

You may use other fruit such as bananas, orange segments, pineapple

6 oz. semi-sweet or dark chocolate

5 oz. unsalted butter cut into pieces

3 TBSp rum, brandy, or other liqueur of your choice

3 drops or to taste of almond extract

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup whole almonds

2 TBSP flour

*Pulse previous 2 ingredients together in food processor until texture of cornmeal. (almonds and flour)

4 large eggs separated at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

Pinch of cream of tartar

• 6 oz semi-sweet or dark chocolate
  
• 4 oz unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  
• 1 TBSP white corn syrup
  
• 2 oz white chocolate or 1 oz each of white and milk chocolate
  

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 8" x 3" springform pan

Melt chocolate and butter together.

Stir in flavorings

Whisk egg yolks together in large bowl with 1/2 cup of sugar.

Stir chocolate mixture into egg mixture.

In clean dry (Dry very important) beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.

Fold in remaining 1/4 cup sugar as whites are beaten at high speed until peaks are stiff.

Sprinkle nut flour mixture over chocolate along with about a third of egg whites. Fold in with spatula and repeat until egg whites are folded in. Be careful not to over-mix.

Turn batter into prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

When done a toothpick can be inserted about 1 1/2 inches from the edge and emerge almost clean.

Cool cake on rack. It will fall slightly when it cools.

Remove from pan. You can put it on a cardboard circle of the same size.

The cake can now be wrapped and stored in the refrigerator for 3 days or freezer for up to three months. Bring to room temperature to decorate or serve

Melt the chocolate, corn syrup and butter together. Cool glaze.

Put a quarter of the glaze in a separate bowl. Take the torte and level the top with cake knife. Cover with glaze in a thin layer and fill any cracks. Refrigerate for about ten minutes.

Rewarm the remaining glaze while melting the white chocolate and milk chocolate in separate bowl.

Glaze should be 90 degrees approx. or 32 degrees C

Put cake on turntable. You can use the turntable from your microwave for this. I do.

Pour glaze in center of torte and then spread as you rotate the turntable with spatula. It should pretty well cover the cake without much effort on your part. There will be over-flow though so scoop up excess from edges and put in center of torte. You can use extra to cover any cracks as well.

Drizzle white and milk chocolate randomly over top of cake and drag stick, toothpick, skewer or whatever you have on hand that will work to create marbled pattern.

Press toasted almonds against glazed sides before glaze dries.

Store and serve at room temperature

This one does take some time and effort but the dessert is worth it

• 3 cups flour
  
• 3 TBSPS cocoa
  
• 1 TBSP baking powder
  
• 1/4 tsp salt
  
• 1/3 cup each, white, dark and milk chocolate chips
  
• 11/2 cup brown sugar packed lightly
  
• 11/4 cup milk
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 12 cup melted butter
  

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together.

Mix chips and brown sugar together.

Add to dry ingredients.

Mix milk, eggs and melted butter together.

Make a well in center of dry ingredients and add the wet.

Mix dry and wet ingredients together well.

Fill muffins 3/4 cup full in muffin pan with baking cups in them. There will be 15 – 18 good size muffins.

Cook for 12 - 18 minutes.

This would be a good breakfast muffin served with fresh fruit and an omelette. I wouldn't frost them as they are quite rich.