Read Online Pumpkin Roll by Josi S. Kilpack - Free Book Online

and—”
     
    “Okay, I get it,” Pete said, standing. “You’re observant.”
     
    Sadie accepted the compliment with a nod. “But for the sake of fantastical explanations, let’s pretend the hat was there last night. We still have some of the same questions. Why? How did it get here? Mrs. Wapple had it on her head when she went back through her gate last night.”
     
    Pete let out a breath, a distinct wrinkle between his eyebrows. “Let’s check the locks.”
     
    Sadie was closest to the kitchen so she headed for the back door. Pete crossed the living room to the front of the house. She heard him say “Locked,” seconds before she twisted the knob on the back door. The knob didn’t turn. “This one’s locked too,” she said, turning it a second time to make sure.
     
    “So, how did the hat get here?” Pete asked when they returned to the hallway.
     
    “Someone put it there.” It almost seemed silly to say it out loud, it was so obvious.
     
    “Why and how?” Pete asked, his voice tight.
     
    Sadie had a brief movie play in her head of Mrs. Wapple picking the lock, putting the hat down, and then locking the door on her way out. It was like a cartoon—not real, not believable.
     
    Sadie stared at the hat and felt a chill run down her spine as Kalan’s words came back to her. She shook her head, trying to dislodge the words from her mind, but ended up saying them instead. “She’s a witch.”
     
    “What?”
     
    “Nothing,” Sadie said, quick and sharp. “I . . . just . . . have no idea how the hat could have gotten here.”
     
    They stood for several seconds before Pete seemed to snap out of his thoughts. He ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath. “We should take pictures,” he said. “Document the exact position of the hat. We should also look for anything else that might be out of place in the house.”
     
    “Good idea,” Sadie said. She turned to look at the hat and startled to see Chance standing in the hallway, holding the limp hat by the point so that it hung nearly to the floor.
     
    He wrinkled his nose and held it up another few inches. “Why is Mrs. Wapple’s hat here?” he asked, scrunching up his nose. “It stinks.” Chance threw it to the side of the hallway where it crumpled into a pathetic heap before he looked at Sadie expectantly. “I’m hungry.”
     
    Whole Wheat Pancakes
     
2 cups whole wheat flour*
     
⅓ cup sugar
     
2 teaspoons baking powder
     
1 teaspoon baking soda
     
1 teaspoon salt
     
2 eggs
     
⅓ cup oil (or melted butter)
     
2 cups buttermilk or sour milk (for sour milk, add 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup regular milk)
     
Heat griddle to medium. Combine dry ingredients and whisk together. Add eggs and liquids. Mix well. (Thin batter with water if consistency is too thick.) Drop by ⅓-cup portions on hot, greased griddle. Cook about three minutes on one side, until edges begin to look dry. Flip and cook one to two more minutes or until golden brown.
     
Makes approximately 16 pancakes.
     
*Shawn prefers white flour because it’s not good for him. You can substitute the flour if you want, but you should really eat whole grains.
     
Homemade Maple Syrup
     
2 cups sugar
     
1 cup water
     
1 teaspoon Mapleine or maple extract*
     
Microwave directions: Combine all ingredients in a 3-cup capacity microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl. Cook 3 minutes. Remove from microwave and stir for 30 seconds for sugar to dissolve.
     
Stovetop directions: In a saucepan, bring ingredients to a boil on medium-high heat, stirring consistently. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.
     
Cool slightly before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container. (Previously used commercial syrup bottles work great.)
     
*For a buttery flavor, add 1 teaspoon butter extract. For a vanilla flavor, add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. For a tangy flavor, add ½ teaspoon lemon extract.
     

Chapter 7
     

     
     
     
    Sadie distracted