A Zest for Murder (Sky High Pies Cozy Mysteries Book 5) (16 page)

“About Kyle and Clark Gallagher?”

At the mention of their names,
Tipper’s face went flat. Her eyes looked glassy and her mouth was a lifeless
straight line.

“Tipper?”

She glanced up. “Sorry, Katie. I
think maybe I’m…I don’t know, maybe I’m in shock or something.”

“Oh, there’s no maybe about it,” I
agreed. “You’ve been subjected to trauma and nonstop adrenaline and fear and…”
I could tell she didn’t want me to go on, so I stopped and patted her arm
again. “It’ll be okay,” I continued. “Nobody can tell you when. And they can’t
tell you exactly how. But you’ll get through this.”

She sighed loudly. “I don’t know
how.”

Her voice had grown faint and her eyes
were closed. I reached over, squeezed her hand again and got up from the chair.

“Get some sleep,” I said softly.
“I’ll see you again soon.”

CHAPTER
42

Olivia and I were in the Sky High kitchen.
It was around eleven that night. She’d arrived a half hour earlier, sputtering
vulgarities about the traffic and other drivers and how much she disliked a
particular country singer.

“I mean, she’s pretty and
everything,” my sister said, pouring more of Nana Reed’s Caramel Cinnamon Crème
Sauce onto the mound of vanilla ice cream in her bowl. “But her voice sounds
like somebody being fed into a wood chipper.”

I cringed. “Um, thanks for that
unfortunate image, Liv. Can we maybe not talk about
anything
being
ground to a pulp? I’m exhausted from the day.”

She pushed the jar of gooey sweet
condiment across the counter toward me. “Sorry, sis. Have some of the sauce.
It’ll cure every ailment, whether physical, psychological or—”

A cavernous yawn interrupted her
endorsement for our grandmother’s famous dessert sauce. “I just wish it would
heal the blisters on my feet,” she continued. “I wore a new pair of heels at
the client dinner last night. You should see the gunk that’s oozing from—”

I waved my hand. “Liv! Please!
We’re trying to enjoy a decadent late night treat, not hear about body parts in
a wood chipper or the sores on your feet.”

She spooned some ice cream into her
mouth, humming contentedly while it melted. “How’s Tipper doing?” she asked
after the spoonful disappeared. “I can’t imagine being involved in such a
horrific nightmare.”

“She’ll be in the hospital for a
couple of days,” I answered. “Before they transfer her to the county jail. I
sat with her earlier until she fell asleep.”

While Liv enjoyed more ice cream, I
thought about Tipper’s face as I left the hospital room. She’d looked pale and
gaunt, with bruises on her forehead and a series of red welts on her neck. I
didn’t want to guess who had caused them, but I knew it would take a long time for
her to recover from the ordeal.

“Are you going to see her
tomorrow?”

My sister’s question cleaved the
thoughts in my mind. “If I can. That’ll probably depend on how things go when
Trent and Dina question her.”

“I can’t believe she got messed up
in something like this,” Liv said. “The Tipper that I remember was always
strong and resilient. Like the time she broke her leg skiing! Do you remember
that? It was right before prom and she managed to get out on the dance floor
with her crutches and cast.”

I chuckled at the memory. “Wasn’t
that a fun night? Arlo and his brother helped Tipper up to the stage after she
was named prom queen?”

Olivia lifted her chin. “Remember?
That image is seared on my brain, Katie. I had such a crush on Arlo that year.”

“Isn’t he married now?”

Her lower lip quivered slightly.
“So?”

“Nothing. I just didn’t know if
you’d heard that he got married.”

The slight pout vanished. “It won’t
last,” she said. “Did you know they live in Denver?”

I shook my head.

“And did you know that he flirted
with the bartender at their wedding reception?”

“No, I hadn’t heard the—”

“And the bartender’s a friend of my
coworker’s sister’s daughter,” she went on. “And she told her mother that Arlo
propositioned her outside the service entrance at the hotel where they were
having the party.”

“Maybe he was drunk,” I said.

She sighed. “Is that an excuse?”

“No, of course not. But it could
explain why he behaved like a caveman.”

I watched her consider the
suggestion. Then she got up from the counter, carried her empty bowl to the
sink and rinsed it out.

“I don’t accept that,” she said.
“If you truly love someone, it should be strong enough to stop you from doing
those kinds of stupid things.” She dowsed a sponge with dish soap and scrubbed the
bowl. “Especially on your wedding day, right? I mean, too many people rush into
relationships before they even really know the other person.”

“Mom and dad got married six weeks
after they met,” I said, walking over to the sink.

“So?”

“I’m just saying that every couple
is different. How long had Arlo known his wife before they got hitched?”

She grabbed a dish towel from where
it hung on a cabinet handle. “Eight months,” she said. “At least, that’s what I
heard.”

I flashed a mischievous grin. “From
the friend of your coworker’s sister’s daughter?”

Olivia smirked. “Don’t go there,
Katie.”

“What? I’m just saying you should
consider the source. Maybe the rumor about him flirting with the bartender
isn’t true.”

“But maybe it is,” she said
defiantly.

I studied the look on her face. “Is
it possible that there’s a teeny, tiny piece of you still pining for Arlo?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Meaning what?”

“Meaning that maybe the embers of
some long ago teenage crush are still smoldering in your heart.”

She groaned again. “Oh, give me a
break
!
I’m not infatuated with Arlo Cunningham.”

“I didn’t say that. I said that you
might be upset about a rumor that you heard because—”

Her hand flew up and covered my
mouth. “Not another word! I need to get to bed so I can get up early and drive
home.”

“Your fingers smell like
cigarettes,” I mumbled. “Did you smoke on the trip to Salt Lake City?”

She glowered at me. “Jeez, Katie!”

“It’s none of my business,” I said.
“But it took you such a long time to quit, so…”

Her eyes welled with tears. “I’m
sorry,” she said in a hushed voice. “I was with some people last night. One of
the other women went outside to have a cigarette, and I…” She brushed the tears
away. “It was a moment of weakness, that’s all. No big deal. I’m fine.”

I pulled her into a tight embrace.
“I just want you to be healthy,” I said. “Which is totally a selfish thing, I
suppose. Because if you’re healthy, you’ll be around when we’re both old and
gray.”

The comment earned a muffled laugh.
“And then what?” she said. “We’ll be running Sky High Pies with our
grandchildren tearing through the kitchen?”

I relaxed the hug so I could see
her face. “Would that be so bad?”

She shook her head.

“Did you buy a pack of smokes for
the drive?” I asked.

She answered with a sullen nod. “I
had four,” she confessed. “Then I threw them away.”

I hugged her again. “It’s okay,
sis. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”

“Okay,” she said as we separated.

“And don’t be so hard on Arlo
Cunningham.”

She giggled. “His wife’s actually a
really sweet girl. We’ve had lunch a couple of times.”

“See? You’ve made a new friend. And
she’s the wife of your high school crush.”

“One of them,” my sister said with
a wink.

“One of what? Arlo’s wives?”

“No, one of my crushes from back
then. I was also madly in love with Andy.”

My heart skidded. “Arlo’s brother?”

Olivia grinned. “Yes! They were
both
so
cute that I couldn’t quite decide.”

“Does Andy know?”

She shook her head. “Not a chance.
I never told anyone until just this second.”

I tweaked her chin between one
finger and thumb. “Well, for what it’s worth, I’d say you got the best deal
possible.”

She frowned. “What’s that supposed
to mean?”

“Uh, your husband,” I said. “Did
you forget about him?”

Her face erupted with a sparkling
grin. “Oh, I get it,” she said, stifling a yawn. “I should probably give him a
quick call to let him know that I got here okay.”

“Ready to go upstairs?”

She yawned again. “More than ready.
How about you?”

“Why don’t you go on up? I want to
check the front door again and make sure everything’s set for the morning.”

“Okay, sis. See you up there.”

I watched her go out the backdoor
before turning and walking into the dining room. It was hushed and orderly; a
silent span of tidy tables, restocked supplies and clean countertops. Harper,
our impeccable dining room majordomo, never left for the day until the place
was spotless and arranged to her satisfaction.

“How did I get so lucky?” I said
softly as I walked to the entrance.

The front door was locked, the
CLOSED sign was in place and the benches gleamed with a fresh coat of furniture
polish. I’d just turned back to walk into the dining room when my phone rang in
my pocket. I quickly pulled it out and saw my sister’s name on the display.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

She sighed. “Can you do me a
huge
favor?”

“Anything.”

“Can you bring up a cupcake or
two?” she said. “I was going to grab one to eat before bed, but I forgot.”

The request sent me back down
Memory Lane. When we were kids, Olivia almost always asked our grandmother for
the same treat whenever we spent the night at her house.

“I can do that,” I said, walking
past the rows of tables. “Anything else?”

“Maybe some milk?” my sister said.

“Warm or cold?”

“Doesn’t matter,” she answered.
“I’d hate to be any trouble, Katie.”

I laughed. “As if you could, sis.
As if you could!”

Nana
Reed’s Sky High Recipes

Sunshine Citrus Pound Cake

Ingredients

2 cups cake flour, sifted

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup granulated sugar

1-1/2 tablespoon grated orange zest

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

4 large eggs, room temperature

2-1/2 teaspoons fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1.
     
Place oven rack
in middle position.

2.
     
Preheat oven to
325 degrees F (163 degrees C).

3.
     
Coat 8-1/2 x
4-1/2-inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray.

4.
     
Sift together
flour, salt and baking powder.

5.
     
Cream sugar and
butter until thoroughly combined.

6.
     
Stir orange and lemon
zests into the sugar-butter mixture.

7.
     
Add eggs—one at a
time—before juices and vanilla.

8.
     
Slowly add flour
into mixing bowl until all ingredients are blended thoroughly.

9.
     
Pour batter into
pan.

10.
 
Bake 60 to 85 minutes until golden and a
tester inserted in center comes out clean.

11.
 
Cool pan on wire rack for 30 minutes.

12.
 
Remove cake and allow to rest on rack
while making glaze.

Nana Reed’s Glossy Citrus
Glaze

Ingredients

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons lemon zest

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon brown sugar

Directions

1.
     
Combine
confectioners’ sugar, lemon zest and juice.

2.
     
Mix ingredients
thoroughly; consistency should be midway between stiff and liquid.

3.
     
Place bundt cake
on serving dish.

4.
     
Pour glaze evenly
around the top of the cake, allowing it to cascade down the sides and into the
middle.

5.
     
Dust lightly with
cinnamon and brown sugar.

Lemon Love Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/2 tablespoon lemon zest

1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

1.
     
Preheat oven to
350 degrees F (176 degrees C).

2.
     
Prepare baking sheet
with non-stick spray, parchment paper or silicone mat.

3.
     
Combine flour,
salt baking soda and zest.

4.
     
Cream butter and
sugar before adding egg, vanilla and lemon juice.

5.
     
Sift together
flour, salt and baking powder.

6.
     
Slowly add flour
into mixing bowl until all ingredients are blended thoroughly.

7.
     
Place dough by
the spoonful onto the prepared cookie sheet.

8.
     
Bake until light
golden on edges, approximately 14 minutes.

9.
     
Remove from oven.

10.
 
Allow cookies to rest on baking sheet for
a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack.

11.
 
Once thoroughly cooled, coat cookies with
Nana Reed’s Glossy Citrus Glaze.

Nana Reed’s Glossy Citrus
Glaze

Ingredients

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons lemon zest

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon brown sugar

Directions

1.
     
Combine
confectioners’ sugar, lemon zest and juice.

2.
     
Mix ingredients
thoroughly; consistency should be midway between stiff and liquid.

3.
     
Place bundt cake
on serving dish.

4.
     
Pour glaze evenly
around the top of the cake, allowing it to cascade down the sides and into the
middle.

5.
     
Dust lightly with
cinnamon and brown sugar.