Oh Say Can You Fudge (19 page)

“Allie,” Trent called from the shadows ahead of me. “Stop!”

The tone of his voice made me freeze in place. “Trent?”

“Don’t come any closer. I mean it.”

“Trent, I can’t see you. What is going on?”

Mal barked.

“Do you have Mal?”

“Allie, listen to me carefully,” Trent said. “Do not come any closer. Do you have your cell phone?”

“Yes,” I said. “Don’t you? What’s going on?”

“I have Mal,” he said, his words careful. “We are tangled in what might be a trip wire for what looks like a bomb.”

“Oh, my, gosh, Trent.” I took two steps toward them before I realized what I was doing.

“Allie,” he said sternly. “Stop. Call 9-1-1. I can’t see where you are and I can’t see what other trip wires are around. I’ve got Mal. Call 9-1-1. Trust me, I don’t want to be the last firework of the night.”

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the chopped pecans on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for about 8 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from the oven and allow the pecans to cool.

Prepare a 9x9-inch pan by lining it with aluminum foil. Butter the foil with 1½ teaspoon butter. Place 2 cups of dark chocolate mini chips in the bottom of the pan.

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the brown and granulated sugars, the half and half, and the corn syrup over medium heat. Stir until the sugars dissolve. Insert a candy thermometer, making sure it does not touch the bottom or sides of the pan, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Allow the mixture to boil, until it reaches 238 degrees on the candy thermometer. This takes approximately 10 minutes. (I set the timer to help understand how long it takes for the temperature to reach this point.)

Once at 238 degrees, remove from heat. Take out the thermometer and stir in the butter, maple and vanilla extracts, and chopped pecans.

Stir the fudge vigorously with a heavy wooden spoon. (I break more spoons making fudge. It will get thick.) Stir constantly for 10-15 minutes until the fudge loses its shine and holds its shape.

Pour fudge into the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer.

Refrigerate the fudge for at least 1 hour to set it.

Once set, remove the fudge from the pan using the foil as handles. Cut the fudge into small 1-inch pieces to serve.

Store fudge in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Chapter 21

I swallowed my panic, put down everything I was holding, and hit 9-1-1 on my phone. It was very late. I wasn’t sure who would be on dispatch.

“9-1-1. Please state your emergency,” said a male voice.

“Hi, this is Allie McMurphy,” I said, trying to remain calm. “I’m with Trent Jessop. He is tangled in what he thinks is a trip wire for a bomb.”

“Do not move!” commanded the male voice.

“We’re not. I’m going to put you on speaker. I think Trent can hear you.”

“This is Officer Pulaski. Where exactly are you?”

“We’re behind the school. We packed up our things after the fireworks and were moving through the lawn toward the McMurphy. My puppy Mal got loose and Trent went after her and got tangled.”

“Jessop, can you hear me?” Pulaski’s voice boomed out of my phone.

“Yes.” Trent’s voice was strangely calm.

“I’ve got Officer Brown and Office Lasko on their way there. Can you tell me exactly why you think there might be a bomb?”

“Yes, sir. I saw the dog go under some bushes, so I crouched down to get her. When I did, my knee hit a wire.”

“Do you have a flashlight?”

“I have an app on my phone.” Trent said. “I tucked the dog under my arm and hit my flashlight app. There is a bundle of something about a foot in front of me with wires running out of it. One of them is stretched across my knee.”

“Okay,” the dispatcher said. “I’ve got the bomb squad scrambling. It will take some time for them to helicopter over. Can you sustain your position?”

“I kind of have to,” Trent said.

“Good man,” Officer Pulaski said. “Allie, are there any other people nearby you?”

“No,” I said, looking around. “It’s just Trent and Mal and me.” I touched my own flashlight app on my phone and swung it around. The ground near my feet was clear. Luckily, when I put the cooler and chair down there hadn’t been any wires nearby. “It looks like we are behind the Hummingbird Cottage’s backyard. There’s about a hundred feet between us and the back fence and nothing much closer.”

“Okay. Take it easy. Allie, can you see any wires where you are?”

I looked around my feet. “I don’t see anything near me.” I squatted and flashed the phone’s light. “I can see where Trent went in. It’s damp enough that his footprints show. Okay, I think there is a wire about eighteen inches in front of me.”

“Don’t move,” Officer Pulaski ordered.

“Allie, don’t move,” Trent said at the same time.

“I’m not. You don’t move, either.”

Officer Brown and Officer Lasko came up behind me, walking in careful motion of one step in front of the other. They had powerful flashlights that illuminated the lawn.

“The officers are here,” I said to both Trent and Officer Pulaski.

“Okay,” Trent said. “Come on, Mal. Don’t wiggle.”

I could hear my puppy whining. She must have seen the new people approaching and wanted to run off to greet them.

“Mal, stay!” I ordered. The whining stopped.

“She isn’t going anywhere,” Trent said. “I’ve got a strong hold on her.”

“Allie McMurphy?” Officer Brown called my name.

I turned and had the flashlight shone in my eyes. I covered my eyes, blinking against the red dots left by the light. “Yes. There is a wire about eighteen inches in front of me. Trent is two yards in front and to the left of me. His knee is on a trip wire.”

“Oh, man,” Officer Lasko said, her voice sincerely concerned, her face deeply shadowed. “Who would do this? We’re just a few feet from where everyone was set up. Children were playing nearby.”

“Pull it together,” Officer Brown said. “We’ve got a couple people in trouble here.” He took a straight line path to me. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, but Trent is in deep trouble.”

“There’s a brick of something with duct tape wound round it and several wires coming out of it,” Trent said. “I’ve never seen a bomb in real life, but this sort of looks like one.”

“Okay.” Officer Brown raised his right hand in a
stop
motion. “Okay. We’re going to assume that it is. Lasko, have dispatch get the fire department out here to evacuate this block and the next.”

“Roger.” She held out her hand. “Allie, come with me.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” I said sternly. “Trent and Mal are in danger.”

“You being in danger does not help us,” Trent called.

“I’m not leaving you.”

“Yes, you are,” Trent said calmly. “Charles, make her go.”

Officer Brown took my elbow and raised me to my feet. “You have to go Allie, so we can concentrate on getting your guy and your dog safely out of this situation.”

“Trent—”

“Go, Allie.”

I let Charles turn me, his bright flashlight ensuring that our steps were clear of any other wires. We took three steps before Mal started crying. I froze. “It’s okay, Mal.” I glanced behind me. “I’m not going to leave you.”

“You have to get to a safe distance,” Officer Brown said.

“Mal will fight Trent if I leave. She could slip out of his grip and trip a wire.”

“I won’t let her go,” Trent said.

“You may not have a choice. She’s persistent.”

“Okay, okay. Talk to your dog. Let her know you are not going anywhere.”

“Charles—” Trent said the name like a curse.

“No one’s going to die today.”

“It’s okay, Mal,” I said as calm as possible. “Stay. Stay.” The whining stopped. “Good girl. It’s okay. Mommy’s right here.”

“This isn’t getting us anywhere,” Officer Lasko said.

“We need to all remain calm. Lasko, evacuate the Hummingbird and the other cottages in the vicinity. The bomb squad will be helicoptering in. Pulaski has them landing in the schoolyard. We need to have the scene secure for their arrival.”

“Yes, sir.” She turned and walked carefully back to the sidewalk.

“Trent, are you doing okay?” Officer Brown ran his flashlight in front of him and took a few steps toward Trent.

“I’m okay.”

“Good. You stay okay. Can you get any phone pictures of the bomb?”

“I don’t have a free hand, but I can try.”

“No.” Officer Brown took careful steps toward Trent. “Don’t try. Keep your hands on the dog and stay as still as possible.”

After what felt like forever, the fire department arrived. They carefully set up hoses in preparation for fire. Rex showed up with four very large lights on five-foot-tall tripods.

I sat down on my spot and spoke softly to Trent and Mal while the lights were set up in a perimeter. “Hey Trent. Thanks for going after Mal. I may not have noticed the wire.”

“She’s a good dog,” Trent said.

They turned on the lights one by one until the area was bright as daylight. I could hear a crowd of people in the distance.

“Keep those people back,” Rex shouted and the firemen scrambled.

From where I sat, I could see Trent’s back. He was down on his knees. Mal’s tail wagged as she was tucked under his right arm. I couldn’t see around him. I didn’t want to see. I’d already lived through two explosions. I didn’t want to experience a third.

“Allie,” Liz called my name.

I turned my head to see her standing beside the fire truck. “Liz, back up!”

“What is going on? They’re saying there might be a bomb?”

“Yes.” I looked at her. “What if the arsonist is actually making bombs?”

Liz drew her darkly winged brows together. “Maybe . . .”

“It’s got to be all connected. But why put a bomb in random bushes near an area where people are gathered to play and watch fireworks?”

“Terrorism?” Liz asked.

“No, terrorism doesn’t make any sense. We’re a little island. Not exactly a target like New York City or even Chicago.”

“Maybe the bomber knew you were in the area and counted on Mal finding the bomb.”

“Wait. Do you think this might be a way to get rid of me and Mal?”

“Maybe,” Liz said.

“Then why not just put a bomb in the McMurphy?” I paused and stood. “Liz, call Jenn. We need to get everyone out of the McMurphy.”

“I’m on it.” Liz grabbed her phone and disappeared behind the fire truck.

“What are you thinking about, Allie?” Trent asked.

“There may be a bomb at the McMurphy. If this is an attempt to get rid of me, then it makes more sense to place a bomb there than here where I may or may not have tripped it.”

“How could they put a bomb in the fudge shop?” Trent asked.

“We closed down for the fireworks. Everyone was here tonight. That means—”

“No one was at the McMurphy,” Trent finished.

“Exactly.” I wrapped my arms around my waist. “My parents are there. Jenn is there. I have a hotel full of guests.” My voice broke and tears welled up in my eyes.

“Don’t think about that,” Trent said.

“Allie,” Rex said as he came around from where he was talking to the firemen. “Liz told me what you think might be going on at the McMurphy. I’ve sent some firemen over there to walk through the building and make sure it’s safe.”

“Thanks,” I said in a whisper. The spit in my mouth had dried up, leaving me with a dry mouth and scratchy throat. “Who would do this?”

“Someone with a lot of anger,” Rex said. “Charles tells me that you are staying here to keep Mal from getting away from Trent and tripping wires.”

“Yes.” My stomach was in my throat. “Isn’t that right, Mal?” Her stubby tail wagged brightly under Trent’s arm. I turned to Rex. “We have to get them out of there.”

“We’re going to do just that,” Rex said, his blue eyes serious. “The chopper is on its way.”

Within moments, the loud sound of helicopter blades whipping through the air filled my ears. The copter landed in the schoolyard and four men dressed in full bomb gear got out.

The noise was loud and I glanced over to see Mal trembling and squirming. “It’s okay, Mal. Stay. Stay with Trent. Please stay.”

I have to say if I didn’t know those were guys in the suit coming from that loud noisy bird, I’d freak out, too. It was all too much for my puppy. Mal burst out of Trent’s arms and streaked straight for me. “No!”

The whole scene stopped. People literally held their breath. Mal could fly when scared and fly she did, barely touching the ground and leaping over two more trip lines straight into my lap.

In the next instant, everyone reacted. I cried and held my puppy. Trent turned to look at me with fear frozen to his face. His jaw was tight as if bracing himself for the coming explosion. When nothing happened, his expression turned to pure relief and I swear there were tears in his gorgeous eyes.

Officer Brown, who stood near Trent, had thrown his arm up to cover his face. He slowly put it down and turned to me with an incredulous look.

Rex rushed to me, grabbed me and Mal, and pulled us out of the pool of light and back an entire block behind the fire truck. He muttered something dark and dangerous under his breath.

Mal bathed my face with kisses, curious over the taste of the tears that ran freely down my face. My legs trembled, but I kept moving until Rex stopped and lowered us to the ground next to George Marron.

“Take care of her,” Rex said and went back to the darkness and the pool of light.

All I could see from there was the large dome of the light in the distance. George did a quick check of my heart and my eyes.

“I’m fine,” I said through the tears.

“Sure.” George put a blanket around my shoulders as I started to shake.

Jenn appeared next to me. “Honey, give me Mal. Okay?”

I let her take Mal’s leash and pull my wayward puppy out of my arms. “Jenn, are you okay? Are my parents okay? Is the McMurphy okay?”

“I’m fine.” Jenn patted Mal on the head. “Shane and I were in the lobby when the police came in. Your parents are good. They are with the rest of the guests in their robes a block from the McMurphy. When I heard about the bomb I came straight away. What happened?”

“Mal got away from us and when Trent went after her, he came face-to-face with a bomb. Jenn, there were trip wires everywhere.”

“It’s going to be okay.” She put her hand on my shoulder. “The police and fire departments are doing all they can.”

“Trent is still in harm’s way,” I said.

“Allie, thank goodness you are all right,” Paige Jessop said as she came toward us. Reggie walked by her side. “Where’s Trent?”

I swallowed hard. “He’s near the bomb.”

“What?” She started out in the direction of the light. Reggie grabbed her arm. In the next moment, there was a very large boom. Everyone instinctively ducked.

I screamed a little. Mal jumped into my lap. I leapt to my feet. “Trent!” I was off and running before I could think. In fact, the whole crowd ran with me. We came into site of the pool of light. Rex and Officer Brown were walking toward the fire truck with Trent safely between them.

“Oh, thank goodness!” I threw myself on Trent and hugged him and kissed his face, tears streaming down my own. “I heard the explosion.”

“They brought in a robot. It took the tension on my wire and I got the heck out of there just in time as the motion caused the bomb to go off.” Trent held me close and I could feel him tremble and his heart race.

“This really is a crime scene now,” Rex said. “You people all need to get back. Lasko!”

She stepped up and pushed the crowd back as Rex and Officer Brown walked back toward the lights and the firemen who were hosing everything down.

“You need to be checked out,” Paige said as she grabbed Trent’s free arm and wiggled her way in to get a hug. “Come on.”

We walked back to the ambulance. George’s helper cleared the crowd of curious bystanders. The light from the back of the ambulance showed how pale Trent’s skin was. His lips were blue. He had a few cuts and scratches from the explosion but was pronounced healthy except for the shock.