Magic and Macaroons (32 page)

It was all I could do not to cringe away from the monster on her leg. “Um, sure. What were you just nattering about?”

“The stripes,” Ben said, his arm now around Lucy’s still-shaking shoulders. “Coral snakes and king snakes are often confused.” He pointed to Cookie, who was now holding the two-foot length of reptile in her hands. “That’s a king snake. They’re the good ones.”

She held it out to me. I shuddered. “Katie, meet Rafe.
My new familiar. He found me early this morning, after Oscar and I came to an understanding. He was in my purse when Samantha and her mother overpowered me, but was protecting me this whole time.”

After everything that had happened over the past few days, that was when I came the closest to passing out.

*   *   *

“Have another macaroon,” I urged Dawn Taite.

She sat across from me in the Honeybee reading area. The doctors were just as baffled by her sudden emergence from unconsciousness—at the same time the gris gris had reverted to its intended state—as they had been by the cause of the coma in the first place. Her peanut-butter-colored hair was drawn into two adorable ponytails on either side of her head, and her eyes were clear and a bright robin’s-egg shade of blue. Even her skin seemed more alive than the other times I’d seen her. She was still thin as a rail, however.

She laughed. “I think three is enough. Maybe you can talk my mother into a couple when she comes to pick me up. She’s checking out of her hotel, but I told her I wanted to talk to you alone for a few minutes. Then we’re driving back home to Saratoga Springs.”

I leaned forward. We’d already covered the basics of what she’d been doing for Franklin.

Now she continued. “Uncle Frank told me to come to you if anything happened on the, er, occult front if I couldn’t reach him. When I came back to Savannah, I learned from one of the guys at his rooming house that he’d up and disappeared. I tried to find him for weeks, but the trail was cold by then. And then the empty poppet showed up at the cheap motel where I was staying. I knew what it meant. That was when I came to find you.”

I nodded. “You knew you were cursed. But how did you know the gris gris was missing?”

“Because I could actually feel the curse. I didn’t know who unleashed it, but I’d learned enough from Franklin to know a regular voodoo curse doesn’t carry weight unless you believe in it.”

“And you don’t?”

“Well . . . not enough. At least I don’t think so. Uncle Franklin had shown me the gris gris, though, had told me that if anything happened to him, I should take it. But it wasn’t where he said it was, so I knew someone else had it.”

I took a bite of sweet macaroon, swooning at the combination of sticky pineapple and coconut. “Where was it supposed to be?” I asked after swallowing.

“He always found a hiding place wherever we were. Outside. At Cozie Temmons’ house, it was behind one of the loose bricks in the foundation on the side.”

The dowsing rod hadn’t lied, then—only been a bit behind the times.

“But you weren’t in Savannah with him? We found something about a cult.”

Dawn nodded. “I infiltrated a group headed by a prophet of sorts. Guy calls himself Astroy.”

I’d been reaching for my cup of coffee, but paused. “What?” I rose. “Hang on.” I went to the bookshelf, where one of our enterprising number had placed a copy of the spellbook I’d chosen for the last meeting. I showed Dawn the picture of Astroy.

“Oh! Now, what a strange coincidence that you’d have this. That’s the guy, all right. And that’s her.”

“Her? Rowanna Bronhilde?”

She laughed. “Her name is really Hazel Smith. She’s the one I went in to get.”

I stared at her.

“What?”

I shook my head. “Nothing.”

“Oh, there’s Mom.” She stood and waved at the woman in the doorway. Mrs. Taite included me in her return wave, looking far better than the last time I’d seen her, as well.

“Wait a sec,” I said, and reached into my pocket. The gris gris felt heavy in my hand. I held it out to Dawn. “I believe this is yours.”

She looked at it for a long moment, then shook her head. “I don’t think so.” She raised her eyes to mine. “It’s yours, Katie.”

*   *   *

I sat across from Mother Eulora in the rehabilitation center. She’d had a pacemaker put in, and she practically bounced in her seat with excess energy. Tanna sat in another chair a few paces away, eyeing Eulora with a combination of possessiveness and embarrassment. From what the spiritualist had told me, her apprentice was still upset about not saving her mistress from the fire herself.

Tanna wasn’t the only one embarrassed. Steve hadn’t returned my calls. Fearing Mambo Jeni’s love potion might not have worn off, I’d told his father about it. Whatever had happened next had sparked a terse text message from Steve:

Utterly mortified about Samantha. Thanks for looking out for me. Glad you’re okay. Taking some time away to think about things.

“I’m getting out of this place tomorrow,” Mother Eulora said. “Aaron pulled a few strings to get them to keep me a bit longer so the family could find someplace for me to live.”

“Are you going to live with your son’s family?” I asked.

She shook her head. “Oh, no. They’d never let me be. At least Tanna and I understand each other. There was a wonderful woman who held some kind of fund-raiser and got me the down payment on a little house over in Midtown. Mrs. Standish. Do you know her?”

I laughed. “Doesn’t Mrs. Standish know everyone? She asked us to provide the pastries for that party, by the way. I’m glad to hear it was such a success.”

Eulora looked pleased. “It was so nice to know so many people wanted to help. Evelyn Coopersmith got her whole church group to contribute. It was really something else.”

I made a mental note to thank Margie again. “Of course they did. You’re an important part of the Savannah community.”

She surprised me with a giggle. In a low voice, she said, “I think I’ll be around for a long time, now that I have this contraption in my chest.”

I grinned. “Good to hear.”

Sitting back, she surveyed me. “And how are you doing after all the excitement with Mambo Jeni? Is she in jail?”

“Oh, yes. She and her daughter both. The police linked physical evidence in the warehouse to items they found at Jeni’s house. Plus, she confessed to murder in front of six people, so there’s that.” I shook my head. “But Jeni isn’t fighting it. When she thought her daughter was going to die, it changed everything. After all, Samantha’s happiness was the reason she was willing to kill Franklin.”

Eulora looked away, and I saw tears threaten. “I’m glad you found his killers, Katie. I know it wasn’t easy.”

I patted her hand. “I’m sure you miss him.”

“I do.”

“Dawn gave me the gris gris,” I said.

Interest sparked in her eyes. “Did she, now?”

“What am I supposed to do with it?” I asked.

She settled her deep purple gaze on me. “That, Katie Lightfoot, is your
choice.”

Recipes

Katie’s Thumbprint Macaroons

Naturally gluten-free, coconut macaroons pack a sweet punch made even sweeter here with the addition of a gooey filling. Easy to make, they can be topped with any kind of jam you might want, like a typical thumbprint cookie, or try a bit of homemade pomegranate jelly or pineapple jam for a different twist.

Yield: about 30 macaroons

3 large egg whites

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Dash of salt

1 package (14 ounces) shredded, sweetened coconut

½ cup jam or jelly of choice

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together the egg whites, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Fold in the coconut until combined. Portion heaping tablespoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking sheet about one inch apart, and, using wet fingers, tidy the coconut shreds around the edges so they don’t burn. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and make an indentation in the middle of each macaroon with the back of a spoon, being careful not to puncture the bottom of the cookie. Fill each with jam or jelly (see below),
and bake 10 more minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Pineapple Jam

Combine 1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, ½ cup sugar, and the juice of half a lime in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat and, stirring frequently, cook until reduced to a sticky jam—about 40 minutes. Makes about a cup. Leftovers are great over ice cream or as a topping for baked Brie.

Pomegranate Jelly

Combine 1 cup of bottled pomegranate juice from the grocer’s refrigerator case (so it has not previously been heated in a canning or bottling process) with 1 tablespoon of water and 2 cups of sugar (be exact) in a saucepan. Heat to a full boil, stirring constantly. Stir in ¼ cup of liquid pectin (there might be some left over if purchased in premeasured packets) and boil for exactly 1 minute, continuing to stir. Ladle into clean jars and fasten lids. Let them stand on the counter until cool, and then put the jars into the refrigerator. It may take a full day for the jelly to set. Makes about 2½ cups. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to two months, or jars can be sealed in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

Lucy’s Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo)

Crispy on the outside, soft and airy on the inside, this addictive cheese bread goes perfectly with any soup or stew. They keep for several days in an airtight container—they will soften (and make fantastic sandwich rolls) but can be re-crisped in the oven before serving. As an added bonus, these puffs are naturally gluten-free. Tapioca flour is made from the root of the cassava plant, so you may find “cassava flour” in international groceries. Most regular grocery stores and natural food stores carry tapioca flour. Bob’s Red Mill is a popular brand.

Makes 2 dozen puffs—or 1 dozen if you make them twice as large for sandwiches.

1 cup whole milk

½ cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups tapioca flour, sifted

2 large eggs

¾ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

¾ cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Note: you will reduce the heat once the bread goes in the oven, so arrange the racks to accommodate two baking sheets at once. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine milk and oil in a 2-quart saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat while stirring. As soon as it begins to boil, remove from heat and add the salt and all of the tapioca flour at once. Stir until combined. The dough will be slightly grainy in appearance.

Put the dough into the bowl of a standing mixer. (You
can do the next bit by hand if you’re looking for a workout.) Beat the dough for 2–3 minutes at medium speed, until it is smooth and has cooled enough to easily touch for several seconds. Crack an egg into a ramekin and scramble slightly. Add it to the dough and mix on medium until incorporated. Repeat with the second egg. The dough will be smooth and slightly golden. Add the Parmesan and Cheddar and beat the mixture on medium until the cheeses are thoroughly incorporated.

The dough will be sticky with a consistency between a dough and a batter. With an ice-cream scoop or using two soup spoons, portion the dough into mounds a bit more than an inch apart on the lined baking sheets. Smaller puffs take about two tablespoons of dough, but you can double that size to make larger rolls (add extra space between them), or use less dough for bite-sized appetizers.

Place the baking sheets into the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the dough has puffed, the exterior is dry, and the outside begins to color.

Serve immediately, or store for up to a week in an airtight
container.

ABOUT
THE
AUTHOR

Bailey Cates
believes magic is all around us if we only look for it. She’s held a variety of positions, ranging from driver’s-license examiner to soap maker, which fulfills her mother’s warning that she’d never have a “regular” job if she insisted on studying philosophy, English, and history in college. She traveled the world as a localization program manager but now sticks closer to home, where she writes two mystery series, tends a dozen garden beds, bakes up a storm, and plays the occasional round of golf. Bailey resides in Colorado with her guy and an orange cat that looks an awful lot like the one in her Magical Bakery Mysteries.

CONNECT ONLINE

baileycates.com