Heaven Preserve Us (34 page)

"Fluorescent," repeated the red-haired kid. "F-l-u-o-r-e-s-c-en-t. Fluorescent."

"That is correct."

Applause, even from the kids already eliminated and now sitting in the front row.

Carrot-top and Erin switched places. She licked her lips and
squinted against the bright light, eyes searching the audience. Her
gaze settled on our row, and she gave a little smile.

"Serendipitous," intoned the judge.

Erin licked her lips again. "Serendipitous. S-e-r-e-n-d-i-p-e-to-u-s. Serendipitous."

"I'm sorry. That is incorrect."

Her face fell, and I heard Meghan groan.

Then the whole place erupted in applause, people standing and
clapping. The judges got everyone settled back down for the awards
ceremony.

Later, as we were all filing out to the cars, Erin said. "Well, at
least I still get to go to regionals.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yep. Top two."

Behind me, Meghan made a small noise, too low for her daughter to hear, but enough that I turned around and looked at her. She
gave me a weak smile, and Kelly laughed.

Of course, all hell broke loose when we got home and I told them
what had happened. Meghan cried, and Barr kept hold of my hand
and wouldn't let go. Kelly listened carefully, and I had the feeling
he wanted to take notes for the foundation.

"I can't believe you went off with him alone like that," he said
at one point, though he sounded oddly admiring. Barr frowned.
Probably afraid I'd feel encouraged to do something that stupid
again.

Fat chance.

"Well, I did think you were going to be there," I said.

"What? Why?"

"Jude told me he'd asked you and Bette to help him move, too.
Then you weren't there, and he said you were running late. Then
he finally told me you weren't coming at all. And by then-" I
shrugged, "-I thought George was upstairs."

He shook his head and started asking more questions, most of
them about the money

Finally, I held up my palm and pointed toward the living room.
Erin sat on the sofa, acting like she was watching television, but I
could tell she felt upstaged.

"Listen. Seth is fine, and he's not really a stalker after all. He
agreed to go see a professional, as long as we don't rat him out to
his brother and father, and I agreed to be a friend when he needs
one. The kid just misses his mom and wanted someone to talk to.

"Jude has a nasty concussion, but he's a hard-headed s.o.b.,
and he's going to be fine, too. Except for the going to jail part. Detective Lane is sure she can work with the county attorney to put a
good case together against him for Philip's murder. I'm sure Ruth
will agree to help, now that he can't hurt Thaddeus."

"What about Heaven House? And the foundation?" Meghan
wanted to know.

"No clue. And you know what else? I don't really care. Philip's
killer has been caught, the Cadyville Creep won't hurt anyone else,
and even my own personal stalker mystery is solved. I'm perfectly
happy to put this all behind us and celebrate Bug's victory."

So we all trooped into the living room and Meghan broke open
the sparkling apple cider and the single malt Scotch, and we toasted our resident spelling expert in as many creative ways as we
could think of. Finally, we called it quits, and Meghan pointed Erin
toward the stairs to put on her pajamas and brush her teeth. Before she obeyed, she came over and put her arms around me.

"I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks, Bug. I'm glad you get to go to the regional bee."

A big grin split her face. "Me, too. 'Night everyone."

After she'd gone to bed, Barr said, "That agreement you made
with Seth Chase? I don't like it."

"You sure say that a lot. Let's see how it goes. If he breaks his
word, or if he still seems to be acting strangely, I'll be the first one
to take action."

Meghan said, "I think it was a compassionate and kind thing to
do. Sometimes you have to give people the benefit of the doubt."

Kelly, beside her on the sofa, was all goo-goo eyed as he watched
her. Oh, he had it bad, too, I thought.

"Thank you," I said, directing a triumphant look Barr's way.
"When are you going back to work?"

"In another week or so. I've found I kind of like the time off.
And the TLC I've been getting here. Doesn't seem right to be in
too much of a hurry to end it." His eyes said more, reminding me
of his suggestion the night before. For some reason, after having
my life threatened, the idea of making a major step forward in our
relationship didn't seem quite so scary.

"To family," I said

Barr smiled, and Meghan and Kelly raised their glasses. "To
family, and to friends."

THE END

These have it all! Like other bath tea bags, this recipe includes
dried herbs long used to benefit the skin. However, you'll also find
Epsom and sea salts, essential oils to sooth your skin and your
mood, and a slight fizzing action that disperses a light, softening
bath oil.

Makes four teapot-sized bags.

1/8 cup dried green tea (gunpowder green if available)
1/ cup dried calendula
1/ cup dried chamomile (loose leaf chamomile tea is fine)
1/ cup dried lavender flowers OR dried spearmint OR dried
rosemary OR dried lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon of one of the following essential oils to match the
dried herb above: lavender, spearmint, rosemary or 1/ each
of lemon and orange
1/8 cup baking soda 1/16 cup citric acid
2/3 cup Epsom salts
2/3 cup sea salt
2 full teaspoons light oil such as hazelnut, jojoba, almond or
wheat germ

Combine all dry ingredients thoroughly. Combine oils separately,
then drizzle over the top of herbal/salt mixture. Mix thoroughly.
Divide into four large (teapot sized), heat-sealable tea bags (available online, or in specialty bulk tea shops). Wrap in cellophane or
package in a glass jar to preserve scent.

Toss one bag in the bath. First it will puff out and fizz, dispersing the oils (don't squeeze!), then it will float in the water. The
longer you leave it, the more the herbs will steep, tinting and softening the water.

The essential oils in these keep them fresh for a long time, but you
can also add a drop of vitamin E oil to each one as an added preservative. Just as with commercial gel air fresheners, the scent is
released as the gel dries. Each one contains a lot of essential oil, so
they are quite fragrant.

Makes four fresheners (4 ounces each).

1 packet of unflavored gelatin
3/ cup boiling water
1/ cup cold water
Coloring (food coloring is fine, or you can skip the color
altogether)
4 teaspoons essential oil or essential oil blend

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in cold water, coloring and
essential oil. Pour into 4-ounce glass or plastic containers with
lids- avoid using tins, as the oils may corrode the metal. Once
the liquid is no longer steaming, five minutes or so, cap the containers and allow to cool at room temperature. When ready to use,
uncap and enjoy!

Some nice scents for these are lavender, cinnamon with clove,
rosemary with peppermint, or fir needle.

This jelly can be made anytime, and provides a special accompaniment to meat. Earthy red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz
are particularly good with lamb or beef; a sweet Chablis or dry
Chardonnay is nice with chicken. Add a little Sherry to the mix for
an interesting twist.

Makes four 1/ pint jars.

2 cups wine
3 cups sugar
2-3 ounce foil pouches liquid fruit pectin

Mix wine and sugar in the top of a double boiler placed over boiling water. Stir four to five minutes, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and immediately stir in pectin. Mix well. Skim off
any foam. Pour hot jelly into heated 1/2 pint canning jars, leaving 1/
inch of space. Apply jar lid and ring, twisting tightly.

Process jars for ten minutes in a hot water bath (190deg F). Remove
jars from boiling water and allow to cool at room temperature.

These are sweet and sour and utterly delicious. They make a great
addition to a holiday relish plate, and are yummy with cold roast
beef... or eaten out of the jar by the light of the refrigerator at
midnight. You might have to hunt for watermelon with a thick
rind; so many recent hybrids have eliminated the light green or
white interior rind as well as the seeds. Any heirloom variety
should work. If you can't find a watermelon with a thick rind,
keep a little of the red flesh on when you trim the pieces. They
won't be quite as crisp, but the lovely color will make up for it.

Makes four pints.

8 cups watermelon rind cut in 1-inch cubes, dark green skin
removed
1/2 cup pickling salt
4 cups cold water
5 teaspoons whole cloves
4 cups sugar
2 cups cider vinegar
2 cups water

Combine salt with cold water and stir to dissolve. Pour this brine
over the watermelon rind, adding more water if needed in order
to cover. Weigh down with a plate to completely immerse the rind.
Allow to stand for six hours. Drain and rinse thoroughly. Drain
again. Combine vinegar, sugar and water. Tie the cloves in a cloth
bag and add them to the vinegar mixture. Bring to a boil; simmer
for ten minutes. Pour vinegar mixture over watermelon rind and let stand overnight. It's a good idea to use a plate to weight the
rind down again.

The next day bring all to a boil; check consistency of rind. If
still hard and crunchy, cook until rind is translucent, five to ten
minutes. This may not be necessary, depending on the thickness
and kind of watermelon rind. Be careful not to overcook or your
pickles will be mushy. Take out the bag of cloves, and pack the watermelon rind into hot, sterilized pint jars. Add enough hot syrup
to leave 1/2 inch of room at top of jar. Apply jar lids and rings, twisting firmly. Process jars in a boiling water bath (185deg F) for ten
minutes. Remove jars from water and allow to cool at room temperature. When cool, check to make sure jars have sealed properly.

If you enjoyed reading Heaven Preserve Us,
stay tuned for the next Home Crafting Mystery

Spin a Wicked Web

COMING SOON FROM MIDNIGHT INK

"WE HAVE TO TALK."

Ah, those four magical words. They strike dread into the most manly
of hearts, and as a woman, it was an interesting experience to be on the
receiving end. Interesting, but not particularly pleasant.

"Okay." I buckled my seatbelt. "Talk."

Barr flipped his turn signal, carefully checked both ways, and turned
right onto Highway 2.

"There's something I have to tell you, Sophie Mae."

Oh, for heaven's sake, enough with the preamble. I began to regret the
super spicy Thai curry I'd had for dinner in Monroe. Barr knew I loved
Thai food. Had he been buttering me up?