Fillet of Murder (27 page)

Talia's gaze skimmed the faces of the group gathered before her.

Mom and Dad, holding hands beneath the table, their expressions a combination of curiosity and concern.

Bea and Howie, their bubbly smiles dancing on their faces in anticipation of Talia's announcement.

And her new friends, Arthur and Ryan, who she hoped would continue to be a part of her life.

Rachel still hadn't called or texted her. Talia didn't know if she was more hurt by the snub or angry at Rachel's insensitivity, but she refused to allow it to tarnish her plans for the evening.

“I don't want to keep you in suspense any longer,” Talia said, rising from her seat. “Mom, Dad, I know you've probably guessed why we're here, but this makes it official.” She held aloft her steaming mug of hot mulled cider. “You are looking at the future proprietor of Lambert's Fish and Chips.”

Cries of joy rose from the table. Her mom and dad rushed
over to hug her while Ryan pumped his fist and Arthur clapped his applause.

“When will it happen?” her mom pressed. “Will you still call it Lambert's? Who's going to work for you? How—”

Talia laughed. “One thing at a time, Mom. December first is the official takeover date, but we'll be scrambling to get ready for the transfer of ownership during the whole month of November. As for the name . . .”

“I told her she needs to give it a whole new name,” Bea insisted. “Especially if she's going to be serving all those lovely new creations!”

“So I'm up for suggestions,” Talia said. “I haven't done any hiring yet, but that's in the works.”

“Bea . . . Howie, what will you two do?” Talia's dad asked.

Bea giggled like a teenager. “We're going to spend the winter in Myrtle Beach,” she said. “After that, who knows? If we like what we find, we might just settle there for good.”

Talia stared at the pair. “But . . . I thought that was your retirement dream!”

“Oh, it was,” Howie said. “But the thought of leaving the Berkshires . . .” He shrugged. “We'll take it one step at a time.”

Talia knew she was being selfish, but part of her—a huge part—hoped they hated it there and came back. She looked over at her folks and smiled. “Mom, Dad, is it okay if I bunk with you for a while? Until I find an apartment I can swing on my own?”

Her mother and father looked at each other for an uncomfortably long moment. Then Talia's mom said, “No.”

Bea rose from her chair “Whaaa . . . ?”

“I can't?” Talia squeaked.

“That's correct,” Natalie Marby said, sounding more like a school principal than a loving mom. “Two days ago, I received an offer on your Nana's house.” She sniffled. “A generous one, I might add. I immediately called the twins, and we all came to the same conclusion.” She reached over and took her daughter's hand. “Talia, we turned down the offer. We want you to have the house.”

Talia felt her heart leap. “But, Mom, even with today's rates I can't afford a mortgage on my own.”

“Maybe not, but you can afford the deal we're offering. The girls and I are going to take back a zero-interest mortgage. Your Aunt Jennie did the math, and she believes you can make it work. More important, your nana's bungalow will stay in the family, as it should.”

“Oh, Mom. You know you still have to pay the broker's commission, right?”

Her mom smiled. “We do, but we explained the circumstances and she's agreed to lower her commission to three percent. We'll shave the savings off the sale price.”

Hugs were exchanged all around, and Talia caught Ryan grinning at her. A loud bang at the entrance made them all turn around, and the door flew open.

“Sorry we're late,” Rachel said, striding over to their table. Behind her was a sheepish-looking Derek Westlake, looking handsome in a navy pullover and bun-hugging jeans. He nodded at everyone, blushing when he caught Talia's stare.

“You? And
Derek
?” Talia said. “But—”

“Sorry I couldn't tell you before, Tal.” Rachel's smile was apologetic. “With Bea under suspicion and Derek involved in the case, I had to lie low for a bit.”

A memory jolted Talia. The night Suzy was following them, Rachel had started to call the police. She'd flicked on her Bluetooth and said the word
top
before she disconnected. She'd been calling Derek directly. She'd obviously given his number the voice code Top Cop!

Rachel must have been the “little bird” who told Derek what Talia had learned about Kendra and her massage. No wonder that detective had acted so smug!

BFF code, indeed.

A mischievous gleam in her eye, Rachel conveyed a silent message to Talia:
No worries, what happened in Turnbull's office stays in Turnbull's office
.

Talia grinned. There was so much she wanted to ask her friend, but there'd be time for that later. For now, enjoying the company of the people she cared for most was all that mattered.

Derek moved toward Bea. “For the record, Bea, I never thought you killed Turnbull. But the whitefish on the knife threw us all, big time.”

Bea waved a hand at him. “No hard feelings, copper.”

Derek laughed, and he and Rachel pulled up chairs and helped themselves to hot mulled cider. Talia left everyone chattering and laughing and headed into the kitchen. Peggy at the bakery had given her a loaf of chunky apple-cinnamon bread, and Talia had sliced a slab of it into triangular-shaped wedges. One at a time, she swirled each wedge into the sweet batter she'd prepared and lowered them into the fryer. When they were crisp and golden she drained them, dusted them with powdered sugar, and placed them on a serving platter. Noses twitched with anticipated pleasure as she delivered them to her guests.

“I have something I want you all to try,” Talia said. “If you like them, I might start offering them as a seasonal item.”

A sea of hands reached into the platter, and it was soon clear from the moans of pleasure that everyone loved the fried apple-cinnamon bread wedges.

“I've got enough batter for one more wedge,” Talia said, when the platter was empty. “Anyone?”

All but Ryan declined. “Sure,” he said. “Go ahead and fry me a sliver.”

“Fry me a sliver,” Talia repeated slowly. “I like it!” In her mind's eye, she pictured the new sign, hanging in front of the eatery.

When everyone was through and they rose to leave, Talia's mom pulled her aside. “Honey, this came in the mail for you today.” She winced. “I didn't know what was inside, and I didn't want to spoil your evening by giving it to you sooner.”

Mystified, Talia took the legal-sized envelope from her mom. The return address was Chet's. Heart pounding, she opened it. Inside was a sheet of paper folded around a check.

Hey, Talia. Here's a check for your half of the furniture. Courtney hated it, so I sold it to my boss, who wanted it for his kid's new condo on the wharf. Wishing you the best, now and always. Chet.

The check was generous, more than half what she'd contributed to the cost of the furniture. It was almost enough to make a down payment on the bungalow.

Talia kissed her mother's perfumed cheek. “Don't worry, Mom, it's good news. Now why don't you and Dad come home with me and I'll introduce you to my new cat.”

½ head of green cabbage, shredded

½ head of red cabbage, shredded

2 medium carrots, shredded

1 large shallot, diced

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

1 tsp. white sugar

1 tbs. chipotle paste

2 tsp. salt

Finely ground black pepper (to taste, about ¼ tsp.)

Using a box grater or food processor, shred the cabbage and place it into a colander. Sprinkle the salt over the cabbage and combine, then place a plate over the cabbage and weight
it with a large can of tomatoes or something of similar weight. Place the colander into a bowl and refrigerate for an hour. This will allow the excess water to drain.

In the meantime, prepare the dressing, whisking together the diced shallot, mayonnaise, sour cream, white sugar, chipotle paste, and ground black pepper.

Drain and rinse cabbage and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Combine cabbage and carrots. Add the dressing a little at a time until you've reach your desired consistency. Chill before serving.

~Serves 8 to 10~

Ingredients for pickles:

Vegetable oil for frying

½ cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs, beaten

½ cup cornmeal

½ tsp. of cayenne pepper

Pinch of salt

16-oz. jar kosher spear pickles, or deli pickles (quartered)

In a heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 inches of oil to 350° (test with a candy thermometer). Place flour in one bowl, beaten eggs in another bowl, and cornmeal in a third bowl. Blend the salt and cayenne pepper into the cornmeal.

Dip the pickles first in the flour, shaking off the excess; dip into the beaten egg, then dredge in the cornmeal mixture to coat. Once the pickles are coated, fry them in small batches for about 30 seconds or until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer fried pickles to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Serve while hot with the honey-mustard dipping sauce.

To prepare the honey-mustard sauce, stir together the following ingredients:

¼ cup Dijon mustard

¼ cup mayonnaise

2 tbs. honey

¼ tsp. lemon juice

Pinch of black
pepper

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