Maple Mayhem (A Sugar Grove Mystery) (23 page)

“Would a gentleman have captured the guy who trapped you down there?” Knowlton asked. My fists dropped and a shriek died off in my throat.

“You caught Kenneth?”

“I’ve got him tied up to a tree in front of Jill’s sugarhouse.”

“How did you manage that?”

“I followed him back to Jill’s. You know how quiet I can be walking through the woods when I set my mind to it.” Which was true. Knowlton had a terrifying ability to appear out of nowhere when I was enjoying a walk through the sugar bush. “When Kenneth stopped in Jill’s driveway I hit him over the head with my walking stick. He crumpled like a piñata in the rain.”

“You hit the chairman of the select board over the head?”

“I did. Then I tore the clothesline down, dragged Kenneth to a tree, and tied him to it. I guess that makes me a hero after all.” Knowlton draped an arm across my shoulders. “You’ll have to be nice to me now.” He pulled me just a little closer. And that’s when I realized Knowlton was the heart-shaped card.

“You were just doing your civic duty. It wasn’t like you did me a personal favor.” He was managing to press himself against the length of my side. I wasn’t sure if it was shock setting in or the idea that Knowlton was trying to get me to be grateful in a highly demonstrative way but I was starting to feel dizzy.

“It was more personal than that. I stopped him just as he was trying to push your car over the edge of that steep drop-off near Jill’s driveway. If I’d been any slower, the Clunker would have been a goner for sure.”

Two weeks later the opera house was full once more. The crowd was even bigger than it had been for meat bingo. Tonight instead of the bingo ball cage sitting up on the stage, a projector screen stood at the ready. All around the hall people whispered and shuffled their boots against the worn hardwood floor. Jackets rustled and the wintery smell of damp wool scarves and mittens filled the air. Phoebe climbed the short set of stairs to the stage and gently tapped the microphone. The noises in the room died off and all faces turned toward her.

“I wanted to thank you all for coming this evening. I wasn’t sure if anyone was going to make it, what with the snow and all.” Phoebe dipped her head shyly and glanced off to the side, where Mitch stood giving her a thumbs-up. “I hope you enjoy the show and the refreshments that will be available afterward.” Phoebe hurried down from the stage and took a seat close to where Mitch was standing. I couldn’t imagine how awkward it would be to watch all your friends and neighbors watching you. The houselights went down and the screen lit up. And then there was Frank’s survival bunker, mostly like I remembered it, but without anyone tied to a chair.

The camera panned around and then settled on a figure wearing a cap and sitting on a stool, back to the camera. A hand reached up and pulled off the cap and then the head shook and a cascade of blond hair tumbled down. Phoebe spun around on the stool and faced the camera, a great big smile on her face.

“Welcome to today’s episode of
Backwoods Bruce
. I’d like to dedicate this show to my dad, Frank Lemieux. Frank taught me everything I know about the woods, survival techniques, and being yourself even when you think it might not be a popular choice. Frank thought I should go ahead and trust people to like my program whether I was Backwoods Bruce or Backwoods Brenda. I didn’t decide to trust my viewers until it was too late for Frank to know how it turned out.” Phoebe’s voice broke a little on the screen and I noticed everyone in the hall turning to see if the real-life Phoebe was starting to cry, too. She wasn’t. She was just sitting there peacefully, hanging on to Mitch’s hand. “Frank never got to see me do a show as myself and that is my biggest regret in my life so far. I hope all my viewers decide to risk living their own dreams before they run out of time.”

People all over the opera house leaned toward each other. I saw more than one person elbow another in the ribs. If I were close enough to Loden, I would have been one of the elbowers. He was sitting a regrettable two rows behind Piper. But Dean was sitting three rows back on the other side of the hall with Cyan in his lap. Chelsea sat at his side, watching like she was worried he’d drop the baby and run.

Celadon was discreetly waving a finger in my direction like she wished she could tap me on the forehead with it. I thought back to what Graham had said about the state of Celadon’s marriage and I wondered if Phoebe’s message grieved her at all. I smiled at her before shifting my attention to my mother and Lowell. They were gazing at each other in a way that looked to me like they were congratulating each other for being bold, for pursuing their heart’s desire. With their unseasonably tanned faces they looked like people who had snatched happiness from the jaws of too late and knew it.

You know that soreness that comes from a strenuous workout? That tight feeling in your muscles that twinges but makes you feel alive and virtuous? That’s how I felt looking at my mother and Lowell. It still stung a bit seeing them together but the ache felt good, too. Like I was stretching a muscle that had forgotten how to be used but appreciated being remembered.

Things were different, there was no denying that. Things with my mother, things with my business, things with my impressions of the town around me. It was disillusioning to realize the people who had been in charge as long as I could remember weren’t always what they seemed. Mothers had love lives, classmates had secret identities, and respected townspeople had killer instincts. Things certainly weren’t the same, but then I wasn’t the same either.

Only a few weeks earlier I had stood quaking in front of Kenneth Shaw hoping he wouldn’t send me home with my hat in my hand and my tail between my legs. And I would have thought seriously about calling on Grampa for backup if he did. Now I had a few more survival skills of my own under my belt and the confidence that went with them.

Up on the screen Phoebe was demonstrating the pros and cons of a quality flashlight. She was just starting to mention how a flashlight could come in handy if you found yourself unexpectedly tied to a chair when the door to the opera house creaked open. In the dimly lit space a figure crept quietly around the back of the hall and then slipped into the empty chair next to me. Graham leaned in close and whispered in my ear.

“I had a call about a some out-of-control snowmobilers. I hope I’m not too late.” I felt someone staring at me and looked over to see my mother winking like she knew just what I was thinking. I reached out for his hand and felt his cool fingers wrap around my warm ones.

“I’d say you’re right on time.”

Grandmadama Bread

Makes 2 loaves

This is Grandma Greene’s variation on the New England classic, anadama bread. Subtly sweet with a moist, nubbly crumb, this bread is sure to please your family as much as it does the Greenes. Try to use Grade B maple syrup if possible. The maple flavor will be more pronounced.

½ cup yellow cornmeal

2 cups water

1 package active dry yeast

½ cup lukewarm water

½ cup Grade B maple syrup (if Grade A must be substituted add ½-1 teaspoon of maple extract when maple is added to other ingredients)

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons softened butter

3½ cups all-purpose-flour

½ cup whole-wheat flour

½ cup oat flour (you can make this at home by grinding old fashioned oats in a food processor or blender until pulverized to a powdery consistency)

Place the cornmeal in a heat-safe bowl. Boil the 2 cups of water and pour over the cornmeal, stirring with a whisk to eliminate lumps. Leave soaking for half an hour for cornmeal to soften.

Grease two loaf pans with nonstick baking spray. In a small bowl dissolve the yeast in ½ cup lukewarm water and let stand five minutes. Add yeast, maple syrup, salt, and softened butter to the cornmeal and blend until smooth. Add the flours and mix thoroughly. Divide batter equally between prepared pans and allow to rise in a warm place until loaves are doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 40-45 minutes or until bread’s internal temerature registers 190 degrees on a instant read thermometer. Tip out of the pans and cool on racks.

This bread is especially delicious served still-warm and slathered with Dani’s Maple Butter.

Dani’s Maple Butter

Quantity varies

With a metabolism like a hummingbird, Dani is always trying to slip a few extra calories into her diet. Even if you aren’t faced with the same problem, this sweet and creamy spread is just the thing to slather on warm bread on a cold day.

In a small bowl mix five parts softened butter to one part maple syrup. Spread generously on toast, muffins, and even saltines. Kids, especially, love this!

Apricot Maple-Glazed Ham

All the members of Dani’s family love ham but this sweet, salty, and tangy combination is her favorite way to eat it.

1 4-6 pound, fully cooked boneless ham

2 cups apricot preserves

3 tablespoons maple syrup (Grade B has the strongest maple flavor)

¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the ham in a shallow roasting pan. Place the apricot preserves in a microwave-safe dish and heat until mostly melted, approximately 30-60 seconds. Stir in the maple syrup and the pepper. Lightly score the top of the ham in a diamond pattern. Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the ham. Spoon the glaze over the top of the ham. Bake for 1¼-2½ hours or until thermometer registers 140 degrees F.

Caramelized Peach Oven-Puffed Pancake

On a cold morning nothing beats a hot breakfast, especially if it features peaches enveloped in a sweet, buttery sauce. This recipe is almost as easy to make as it is to eat. Served with bacon or sausage this is a great breakfast to share with guests.

1 pound sliced frozen peaches

½ cup salted butter

½ cup brown sugar

1 cup flour

1 cup milk

7 large eggs

¾ teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place peaches in a microwave-safe bowl and defrost until mostly thawed but still firm to the touch. Alternately, the peaches may be left at room temperature for several hours before use. In an oven-safe skillet melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, remove 1 tablespoon of the butter and place it in a large mixing bowl. Add brown sugar to the peaches and stir to coat evenly. Add peaches to skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until butter and sugar have thickened slightly into a sauce that clings easily to the peach slices. Remove from heat and set aside.

Beat the milk, nutmeg, and eggs together in the mixing bowl containing the melted butter. Add the flour and, using an immersion blender or a whisk, beat until the batter is smooth. Adjust peaches so they are spread evenly in the skillet. Carefully pour batter over the peaches, trying not to disarrange them. Slide skillet into the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the pancake is puffed and golden brown.