Devonshire Scream (28 page)

They all huddled
on the deck of the Coast Guard ship. Theodosia with an arm around Haley, Drayton on her other side, Billy Grainger standing right behind Haley, gently kneading her shoulders.

Grace Dawson had been tied up and was being guarded belowdecks. Two of her minions had also been captured and a Coast Guardsman had taken the wheel of Grace's yacht and was guiding it back to the harbor.

“It was Grace all along,” Theodosia said. “She was the one who had the gang. Pity we only caught two of them when we stopped their ship.”

“I suppose the others got away,” Drayton said.

Tidwell stepped out of the wheelhouse. “Not to worry. I already sent a SWAT team to Grace Dawson's house. And I'm pleased to say three others have been apprehended.”

“Wait a minute.” Drayton looked totally befuddled. “Grace had a gang?”

“I told you one of the robbers might have been a woman,” Theodosia said. “It looks as though Grace was the leader.”

“She was their leader,” Tidwell said.

“So who are the other guys?” Drayton asked.

“Paid thugs,” Tidwell said. “Recruited to help her carry out the Heart's Desire robbery.”

“And then they were going to go after the Fabergé egg,” Theodosia said. “But they chickened out.”

“Probably scared off by too much security,” Tidwell said. “Which is why their fallback was to steal your ruby-and-diamond pin.” He opened his hand and there it was, glimmering and elegant, looking none the worse for wear.

“Thank you,” Theodosia said as she accepted the pin. “I can't wait to return this to Brooke.”

“And tell her that the mystery's been solved,” Haley said.

“That Kaitlin's murder has been solved,” Theodosia said in a quiet tone.

Drayton still looked puzzled. “I was under the impression that Grace Dawson was an extremely wealthy woman. That her late husband owned a Mercedes dealership.”

“Doubtful,” Tidwell said. “I'd be willing to bet that her life is a complete fabrication. I've got investigators going through her house right now.” His cell phone shrilled and he stepped out of the circle to answer it. “Yes?” he said. “Go ahead.”

“Your investigators?” Theodosia asked him as he listened on his phone.

Tidwell frowned at her but nodded his head.

“Did they find anything?”

Tidwell held up a paw. “Wait a minute . . . I'm having trouble hearing you. Speak up.” Then the connection seemed to improve because he suddenly seemed on full alert. “Is that so? Really. Well, get a crime scene team in there immediately. That's right, photograph everything. No, better yet, videotape it. We'll want to take everything into court for
show-and-tell.” He listened for another ten seconds and said, “That's exactly right—it's a murder charge now.”

“What?” Theodosia demanded once he'd hung up.

Tidwell's eyes had taken on an odd light. Probably the light of victory. “Would you believe the woman's bedroom looks like Ali Baba's treasure cave?”

“No!” Drayton exclaimed.

“Grace must have been a modern-day pirate,” Theodosia said. “Dip over to Hilton Head for a quick heist, then scoot down to Miami for another raid.”

“And Lionel Rinicker wasn't in on it?” Drayton asked.

Tidwell shook his head. “He doesn't appear to have been.”

“Grace was using him as cover,” Theodosia said. “Getting introductions to all the right people, going to the opera, the chamber music society, all the charity events. Meeting all the right people.”

“Rinicker's going to be awfully stunned when he finds out that his girlfriend is an international jewel thief,” Haley said.

“Ex-girlfriend,” Drayton said.

Theodosia touched a hand to Haley again, reassuring herself that the girl was okay. “What a night. And to think that the FBI missed out on this.”

“I have a feeling you'll be seeing Special Agent Zimmer again,” Drayton said with a mousy grin. “And when you do, just think of the conversation starter you'll have for your first date.”

Haley perked up. “You're going to date that guy? Cool.”

“Maybe,” Theodosia said.

“Hey there,” Lieutenant Commander Barley called as he leaned out of the wheelhouse. “Why don't you folks try to crowd in here and get warm? Grab a hot drink if you want.”

They all moved stiffly inside, grateful to be out of the wind and pouring rain.

“What have we got in the thermos?” Barley asked one of his Coast Guardsmen.

The young ensign, the same one who'd helped haul Haley in, shrugged and said, “I don't know. I think just some hot tea.”

Drayton caught Theodosia's eye and gave a slow wink.

“Is that okay?” the young man asked.

Theodosia smiled. “I'd say it's just about
perfect.”

The Indigo Tea Shop

4 oz. mascarpone sweet cheese

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla

2 Tbsp. sugar

PLACE
ingredients in a large bowl and beat on high until the mixture holds its shape and resembles softly whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate until serving time. Yields 1½ cups.

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp. strawberry preserves

10 slices thin white bread

COMBINE
cream cheese and strawberry preserves. Using a small, round cutter, cut 3 rounds out of each slice of bread, discarding the crusts. Spread half the rounds with the cream cheese mixture, then top with the remaining bread rounds. Yields 15 tea sandwiches.

½ cup water

2 cups potatoes, diced

1 cup carrots, sliced

1 cup celery, chopped

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

2 cups cream-style corn

1½ cups milk

2⁄3 cup Cheddar cheese, grated

IN
saucepan, combine water, potatoes, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add cream-style corn and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Add milk and grated cheese and stir until heated through (do not boil). Yields 4 servings.

1 cup onions, chopped

1 cup Bisquick

4 eggs

½ cup oil

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

¼ tsp. salt

3 to 3½ cups grated zucchini

PREHEAT
oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients except zucchini in a bowl. Add zucchini last and stir gently. Pour into a buttered 9-inch pie plate. Bake about 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown. Yields 4 servings.

3 egg whites

½ tsp. vanilla

Dash of salt

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup chocolate wafers, crumbled

½ cup chopped walnuts

Whipped cream or Cool Whip for topping

PREHEAT
oven to 325 degrees. Beat egg whites, vanilla, and dash of salt until mixture yields soft peaks. Gradually add in ¾ cup of sugar, then beat to stiff peaks. Fold in ¾ cups of crumbled chocolate wafers and ½ cup chopped walnuts. Spread mixture in a buttered 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool torte well, then top with whipped cream. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving. Yields 6 servings.

1 French baguette

Butter as needed

1 jar fig jam

8 oz. prosciutto ham

1 pear, sliced into very thin slices

Bibb lettuce

Salt and pepper to taste

SLICE
a French baguette lengthwise. Spread the bottom half with butter and the top half with fig jam. On bottom half, layer on prosciutto ham, sliced pears, and Bibb lettuce. Season with salt and pepper. Add top to sandwich and cut into pieces. Yields approximately 9 to 10 pieces.

2¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

¼ cup butter

2 eggs

¾ cup heavy cream

1 tsp. grated orange peel

¾ cup cranberries, fresh or frozen

PREHEAT
oven to 425 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter until mixture is coarse and crumbly. Mix eggs, cream, and orange peel in a separate bowl. Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Add cranberries and combine gently. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and pat into a circle, kneading as little as possible. Cut into 12 rounds or wedges and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. Yields 12 scones.

2 cups flour, sifted

2 Tbsp. sugar

3 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

½ cup butter

1 egg, beaten

2⁄3 cup milk

Strawberries or blueberries

PREHEAT
oven to 450 degrees. Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter until mixture becomes coarse. Combine egg and milk, and add to dry ingredients, stirring only to moisten. Spread mixture in greased 8-inch-by-8-inch baking pan. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into squares and remove from pan. Serve warm, topped with strawberries or blueberries. Yields 9 squares.

1 cup grated apples

¼ cup minced celery

½ cup finely chopped walnuts

¼ cup mayonnaise, or as needed

12 slices cinnamon-raisin bread

MIX
together apples, celery, walnuts, and mayonnaise. Cut crusts off 12 slices of bread and butter the bread. Spread apple-walnut mixture on 6 of the slices. Top with the other 6 slices and cut in half diagonally. Yields 12 tea sandwiches.

4 Tbsp. oil

1 medium onion, chopped

6 oz. beef strips

2 Tbsp. flour

Salt and pepper to taste

1 lb. mushrooms, sliced

¼ cup sour cream

HEAT
2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet. Add onions and cook until soft. Set aside. Coat beef strips with flour, salt, and pepper. Add another 2 Tbsp. oil to skillet and cook beef strips over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes. Set aside strips. Add mushrooms to skillet and cook. Add cooked onions and cooked beef strips to mushrooms,
stirring gently. Add sour cream and warm it—do not overcook as it will separate! Serve beef Stroganoff over buttered noodles or rice. Yields 2 to 3 servings.

2½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

½ cup butter, softened

¾ cup sour cream

1 egg

½ tsp. vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

PREHEAT
oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly and coarse. In another bowl, combine sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Add sour cream mixture to flour mixture and stir until moistened. Stir in chocolate chips. (If mixture seems dry, add a little cream.) Place dough on lightly floured surface and gently knead 8 or 10 times. Divide dough into halves and pat each half into a 7-inch circle. Place each circle on a large, greased baking sheet. Score each circle into 6 wedges, but do not separate. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until scones are lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes, and then gently separate scones. Yields 12
scones.

Laura Childs

Celebrate the summer months with a salute to the tropics. Go wild with as many floral bouquets as you can fit on your table, then add a roost of pretty feathered birds from the craft store. If you have a floral tablecloth, napkins, and dishes, so much the better. Serve curried chicken salad in pineapple halves, banana nut scones, and small slivers of mushroom and cheese quiche. An oolong tea is perfect and so is an iced tea infusion of raspberry and hibiscus if the weather is hot.

Pull out your crisp white tablecloth and decorate it with anything that's British themed. We're talking Shelley china, statues of Big Ben, even plates that bear the Queen's likeness. English tea roses would make an elegant centerpiece. Your first course will naturally be buttermilk scones with froths of Devonshire cream. Move on to a mandarin orange salad topped with sliced almonds, smoked chicken and fig butter tea sandwiches on white bread, and smoked salmon and cream cheese
tea sandwiches on dark bread. Consider an English trifle for dessert and serve rich Ceylon tea.

Who doesn't love an autumn tea? And dear Mr. Poe can certainly set the mood for Halloween. Think cinnamon-apple scones, chicken salad with cranberries on nut bread, corn chowder, and gingerbread bars. Liven up your table with crocks filled with colorful leaves, black crows from the craft store, and candles dripping rivulets of wax. Make color copies of Poe's book covers to use as place mats. Mix it up with two different teas, perhaps a smoky Lapsang souchong and a spiced plum tea.

This is a fabulous excuse to pull out everything that's lacy and floral. Start with a floral tablecloth, and then layer it with a lace tablecloth. Keep the theme going with floral napkins and teacups—if everything's mismatched, so much the better! For a centerpiece, pop pink peonies into a glass jar or cream-colored crockery and cluster some framed photos and pretty tins around it. If you're doing a buffet, you could even add painted birdhouses and vintage purses as a backdrop. Serve Cheddar cheese quiche, shrimp salad tea sandwiches, cream scones, and biscotti. A Keemun tea would be delicious, but so would peaches and ginger iced tea served in a large glass container with a spigot!

The mood is laid-back and elegant for this luncheon or afternoon tea. Decorate your table with a lavender tablecloth and your favorite purple flowers displayed in a crystal vase. Lay dried lavender around for an elegant, aromatic effect. Serve lavender scones, chicken salad on nut bread, and lavender shortbread cookies or tea bread. An Assam or Earl Grey tea would be perfect. Packets of lavender seeds make memorable party favors. Classical music is a must.

This is your chance to channel the richness of India and the exuberance of Bollywood. Decorate your table with an Indian-print tablecloth or napkins. For your centerpiece, fill a large colorful bowl with floating candles and flowers. Add an elephant statuette and sprinkle some colorful “jewels” from the party store on your table. Go wild with tableware, too—colors of orange, hot pink, and red are perfect. Serve raspberry and rosewater scones, fresh papaya, cream cheese and cucumber tea sandwiches, and Indian tea biscuits. Darjeeling tea makes the perfect complement, and don't forget to pass out washable henna tattoos to all your
guests!