Chapter 28
When I had double-checked the locks, I picked up my cell phone and dialed a Chicago number. Despite the ridiculously late hour there, I knew Lenny was a night owl, so he should be up. “Hey, Lenny, it’s Tess. I have a favor to ask,” I greeted him after he answered his phone. I pulled the tiny note from my pocket. “I have a cell phone number and need you to see if you can find out the calls from last Friday.” When he said he was ready, I rattled it off.
“Twice in one week. What’s this all about? You’re not trying to get me in trouble, are you?” he asked.
“No way. I just need your mad computer skills. This is for the murder again. I wondered who she talked to last.” I dug into my cupboard, way too upset to go to bed after the break-in. Maybe a soothing cup of chamomile tea? The bags were left over from my grandmother, but I decided not to worry about how old they were—I needed something, and it was far too late for a cup of coffee if I was going to sleep before three.
“What’s it to you? She a friend of yours?” His thick Bronx accent made me feel like I was home.
“No, it’s complicated.” After I filled the teapot and put it on to heat, I lined flour, eggs, sugar and butter on the counter, then double-checked to make sure I still had whipping cream and cream cheese in the fridge. I was set.
“Maybe it’s better if I don’t know,” he said. “I’ll check into this after I catch a few Zs. I’ll call you tomorrow with results, if that’s okay?”
“Perfect. You’re the best.” I put the butter and water in a saucepan to heat.
“Yeah, yeah. You say that, but it’s DeMille’s ring you accepted. I see how it works.” He was such a shameless flirt.
I tried to keep my voice light as I measured out my flour and set it aside. “There’s no risk that I’ll be wearing it ever again.” Not after everything the creep pulled.
The sound of the elevated train clattered in the background. “I thought he was romancing you this week to bring you back here.”
I started cracking eggs into a bowl. “He tried. I can’t do it, though. It was time I realized what a jerk he is.” I whipped the eggs with fury. Some piece of my subconscious must have known all along—he’d been cajoling me into the engagement for months before I accepted.
“Way past time. Your business out there is gonna do awesome. Everyone will love your desserts. Oh, Kat’s calling through. I’ll get back to you tomorrow with that info.”
I thought of the tattooed, pierced and bleached-hair Lenny with sweet, mousy little Kat. They were an odd couple. “Thanks, Lenny. I owe you one.”
It came in handy sometimes, having friends with certain skill sets. Whomever Valerie called, they were likely responsible for her death, or at the very least, the last person to talk to her.
I’d had enough of this game and wanted some answers. I knew there was no way Detective Tingey would share with me.
When the flour was mixed thoroughly, I added the eggs to it a little at a time, blending them in until the dough was more like a batter. Had Millie torn apart my apartment tonight, or had it been someone else? And why? Were they looking for something, or just bent on destruction? Would I survive this investigation—because slashed tires, personal attacks and break-ins aside, I was getting very tired of working to get my business up and running while trying to find a murderer.
I put a round tip in a pastry bag and filled it, then piped the éclairs onto a cookie sheet before sliding them into the oven.
I looked at the clock. It was late. I needed to talk to someone, but was it fair to wake Honey up? I considered for a moment before sending a text. You up?
A minute later, as I started mixing milk into my softened cream cheese, my phone rang. I snatched it up. “Hey, I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“No,” Honey said. “Zoey’s cutting teeth again. She’s been fussing for the past half hour.” The sounds of a crying baby came through the phone to verify Honey’s story. “What’s going on? How was the date with hunky Shawn?”
I grinned. “It was great. Seriously great. Well, until we got back here.” I started whipping in the pudding mix.
“Did you fight?”
I filled her in on my newest excitement. “I have a couple of theories I want to pass by you.”
A giant yawning sound came across the phone line, and I realized Zoey had stopped crying. Honey spoke again. “She’s finally asleep. Give me a minute while I put her down. I’ll call back.”
I agreed and set aside the filling. It was perfect. I scrubbed the original pan—I really needed to bring my nice set from Chicago—and tossed in chopped chocolate, water, heavy cream and a little vanilla.
The phone rang and I picked it up. “I’m back,” Honey said when I answered. “So are you cleaning your place tonight or taking it easy?”
“Neither. I needed some éclairs. You care to come over in the morning and join me for a treat?”
“For your éclairs, I’d get dressed and come over now,” she said through her yawn.
“Yeah, because you’re not tired at all, are you? How about if you pop over when you get the kids running for the day and we can finish this chat. You need your beauty sleep.” I’d been making too many demands on her time this week—something I seriously needed to consider in the future.
“Thanks. I love it when you imply I look like the walking dead.”
“No problem. Any time. Rest so you’ll look like that fresh-faced teen so many people mistake you for.”
She laughed and said goodnight.
I continued stirring the chocolate sauce until it came to a boil, then turned off the heat and checked on the éclairs. I knew precisely how long it took to bake the shells to perfection at work and at my condo in Chicago. Since I was still learning the quirks of Grandma’s oven, I pulled one of the browning pastries from the baking sheet and thumped the bottom. Not quite ready. I put it back and set a timer to remind me again in a couple of minutes.
I looked over the living room, and the items the intruder had pulled from my kitchen cupboards. Cans and boxes were jumbled on the table where I’d stashed them while I cooked. The whole apartment would need a thorough cleaning in the morning, but since the kitchen mess drove me the most nuts, I started on it while the éclairs finished baking and cooled for filling.
Éclair recipe
Pastry
1 cup butter
2 cups water
2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 eggs
This makes a big batch of éclairs. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Grease two cookie sheets.
In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring until butter melts completely. Reduce heat to low, and add flour and salt. Stir vigorously until mixture leaves the sides of the pan and begins to form a stiff ball. Remove from heat. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well to incorporate completely after each addition. With a spoon or a pastry bag fitted with a No. 10, or larger, tip, spoon or pipe dough onto cookie sheets in 1 1/2 x 4 inch strips.
Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce heat to 325 degrees F and bake 20 minutes more, until hollow sounding when lightly tapped on the bottom. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Filling
1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 1/2 cups cold milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup cocoa powder
For the filling, combine pudding mix and milk in medium bowl according to package directions. In a separate bowl, beat the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Fold whipped cream into pudding. Cut tops off of cooled pastry shells with a sharp knife. Fill shells with pudding mixture and replace tops.
Icing
4 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons hot water
For the icing, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in 1 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, ¼ cup cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in hot water, one tablespoon at a time, until icing is smooth and has reached desired consistency. Remove from heat, cool slightly, and drizzle over filled éclairs. Refrigerate until serving.