Skeleton Letters (36 page)

“Crimes that
she
committed,” Carmela mourned. She clutched her phone tighter. “Awful,” she said. “Poor Byrle. And then Brother Paul.”

“Just because you were getting close,” said Babcock.

“And she needed an exciting ending,” said Carmela. “Really ...abominable.”

“But she didn't get away with it,” said Babcock. “Thanks to you.”

“Me?” Carmela said, with a strangled gasp. “I didn't do anything. All I did was . . .”

“Shoot her,” said Babcock. There was grudging approval in his voice.

But Babcock's voice seemed to be fading in and out for Carmela. Or else she was descending into some kind of posttraumatic shock. Carmela wasn't exactly sure what was happening. All she knew was she seemed to be losing her tenuous connection to Babcock, who, right now, was proving to be not only her boyfriend, but her rock and champion.

“I wish you were here!” she told him, in a gush of emotion. “I wish you could just hold me!” Standing on the front porch, she collapsed back against the outside wall and slid down until she landed in a cross-legged, hunched sprawl. “I just feel so ...alone.”
And miserable
, she thought to herself.

“A mistake!” Marilyn shrilled from inside. “A huge mistake!”

“Shut up!” came Ava's angry voice. “Shut up or I'll whack you upside the head!”

Carmela squeezed her eyes closed, trying to shut out the noise from inside. She just wanted to make it all go away.

“Are you there?” came Babcock's voice.

Carmela ducked and blinked as a flash of light strobed before her eyes. This time she knew she was slipping into shock. Or ...maybe the sun was just beginning to rise on the bayou? Could that be happening? Had she and Ava spent the entire agonizing night out here? Yes, probably they had.

“I'm coming,” Babcock told her. “I'll be there.”

Carmela clutched the phone, as if his voice alone could sustain her.

A low thumping pounded in her temples and then seemed to telegraph through her entire being.
Heart attack? I'm having a heart attack? Or, worse yet, a stroke?

And then a light shone even brighter and the rotor blades of a helicopter sounded distinctly, beating their whap-whapwhap out across the sparkling water, whipping out concentric circles of ripples.

“That's you?” Carmela cried out, when she suddenly realized what was happening. “That's you?” Now a top note of joy colored her voice as she pulled herself to her feet.

“Landing in two minutes,” Babcock told her.

“The cavalry coming to the rescue,” Carmela murmured. Her head throbbed, her back ached, her nerves felt like they'd been shot through with electrical current. On top of that, she was ready to collapse.

“From the way Officer Stump tells it,” said Babcock, as the helicopter swooped down onto a jetty of soft land, “you're the one who did the rescuing.”

“You think?” said Carmela. She could see a set of impossibly long legs dangling out the side of the helicopter. Then a man in a flapping leather jacket with a phone pressed tightly to his ear hurried toward her.

“Job well done,” Babcock told her, as Carmela's own phone slipped from her hand and she flew into his outstretched arms. “You saved the day.”

“I think,” said Carmela, hugging him tightly, “we saved each other.”

 

Metal embellishments and charms are lovely when applied to large pillar candles. Think silver dragonflies on white candles, perhaps a bronze Celtic cross on a maroon candle, or gold keys on a yellow candle. For a more ornate candle, glue on some beads and tie a piece of sheer ribbon around it.

 

This triptych style of card is showy but easy to create. Simply start with a piece of card stock that measures six by twelve inches. Then find the middle of your length of card stock and mark it with a pencil. Then find the quarter points and mark those with a pencil. Now score only the quarter lines and fold carefully so the two sides meet in the middle. From here, simply decorate your card, front and inside, just as you would your traditional cards.

 

Transform a simple wooden birdhouse into a table centerpiece using decoupage. For winter months, decoupage using tortoiseshell or velvet paper and enhance with bits of brocade or velvet ribbon and Paperclay birds that have been painted gold. For warmer months, select floral papers and then embellish with pressed paper dragonflies and silk butterflies.

 

If you have a one- to two-inch heart punch, you can easily create a beautiful flower! Choose yellow or gold paper and punch out seven hearts to use as petals. Now add a bit of gold paint to give your petals some depth. Then assemble your flower by overlapping each petal and using a dab of glue to hold them all together. These flat flowers work perfectly in a scrapbook, or you can bend the petals slightly before assembly to create dimension.

 

Don't toss out those mounds of shredded packing paper! Instead, mix them with a simple flour-and-water paste to create instant papier-mâché. Mardi Gras masks, anyone? Or cover an old wine bottle with papier-mâché to create a bumpy artifact look. When it dries, simply rub on colored paint to simulate an antique bronzed effect.

 

Small envelopes filled with seeds make wonderful gifts or favors. Just select your favorite envelopes from the craft store, then embellish by rubber-stamping them with floral and leaf motifs. Gild the edges and hand-letter a greeting or floral sentiment (such as
Where flowers bloom, so does hope
). Then fill with your favorite seeds (think wildflower or zinnia seeds), tie on a bit of sheer ribbon, and your gift is ready to share with all your green-thumb friends.

 

 

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper and sauté until tender. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, rice, garlic salt, black pepper, and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked. Stir in the chicken and heat thoroughly. Serves 4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Blend in the brown sugar. In a separate bowl, combine the beaten egg, buttermilk, and melted butter. Add to the flour mixture and combine well. Stir in the chopped pecans. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 5-by-9-inch loaf pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside 2 cups of the crumb mixture and press the remaining mixture on the bottom of a 9-by-12-inch baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in the condensed milk until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Pour the mixture over the baked crust and smooth out. Combine the nuts with the reserved crumb mixture and spread on top. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool, then cut into bars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix the lime zest, lime juice, and olive oil in a small bowl. Add the shrimp to the lime mixture and let marinate for 10 minutes, making sure all of the shrimp are coated.

Wrap a half-slice of bacon around each shrimp and secure with a toothpick. Place the finished shrimp on a slotted baking pan and brush any remaining lime mixture on top. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, until the shrimp are pink and the bacon is crispy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Brown the bacon in a skillet, then drain and crumble into a bowl. Add the pork and beans, brown sugar, chili sauce, onion, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir, then pour into a baking dish. Bake for 1½ hours.

 

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare the brownie mix according to the directions, then spread the brownie batter in a greased 9-by-12-inch pan and set aside. Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth, then add the sugar and mix well. Add the vanilla and egg and stir until blended. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the brownie batter. Cut through the batter with a knife to achieve a marbled effect. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

 

 

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Arrange the chicken in a 9-by-12-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the thyme, rosemary, and garlic powder. Pour the wine over the chicken. Dot the chicken with pieces of butter. Sprinkle with the chopped pecans. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 30 minutes.