Read Online Chocolate Quake by NANCY FAIRBANKS - Free Book Online
Authors: NANCY FAIRBANKS
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either help or protection.” As I said this, I was thinking of my husband, who didn’t want me to get involved.
“Oh sure, you need-a my help,” protested Mr. Valetti as he rose and carried his plate to the sink. “Only in books is-a detectives women. I’m-a go with you because you a woman, an’ my daughter when my professora marry me. How can-a she no marry me if I get her outa the jail?”
“Mr. Valetti, Vera’s been divorced for a long time, speaking of which, doesn’t your church forbid you to marry a divorced person?”
“How they gonna know if I don’ tell ’em? No, I go with you. What if the guard he don’ wanna tell you who sign his paper? I’m-a tell him I’m a mafioso. ”
“Are you?” I asked, alarmed.
“No, cara mia. ” Bruno laughed. “I’m-a pizza man. But the guard, he don’ know. He’s gonna tell us anything we wanna know, cause he’s-a think I’m a mafioso. ” He took my plate, from which I managed to fork up the last tomato before he could remove it. “An’ how you gonna get there? I’m-a got a truck. I drive you. I see no one gives you no trouble. I take care of you like you my own daughter. It’s-a my duty, because I’m-a love la Professora. ”
And that’s how I ended up beginning my investigation with Mr. Valetti at my side. He refused to be left behind no matter what arguments I used. We went downstairs and out into the backyard, behind which was a garage that housed his vehicle, a brown truck of some ancient vintage, but well maintained and preserved, as he was himself. Within minutes we were chugging off to the Union Street Women’s Center, a delightful Victorian building, two stories high and narrow in front, but rising behind to three stories as it descended a hill for almost a full block. It was adorned with bay windows, rounded turret corners, intricate gingerbread trim, stained glass, and a stunning light-blue exterior with maroon and white accents. My mother-in-law must have hated the décor. Fussy Victori ana was not her style!
Italian Omelet
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Sauté 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms and 1/2 chopped medium onion in 1 tbs. butter, and set aside.
• Mix 6 beaten eggs, 3 tbs. heavy cream, salt and ground black pepper to taste, 1/4 tsp. basil, 2 sprigs chopped parsley, and 1 tbs. grated Parmesan cheese.
• Heat 1 tbs. olive oil and 1 tbs. butter in a large cast-iron skillet or other heavy ovenproof frying pan until butter turns white. Pour in egg mixture and cook over a very low heat until mixture is soft on top. Remove from heat.
• Sprinkle the top with the sautéed mushrooms and onion, 1/2 cup diced cooked ham, 1 tbs. grated Parmesan cheese, several drops of lemon juice, 4 oz. cubed mozzarella cheese, and 1 tbs. butter melted.
• Place skillet in oven and bake until the cheese has melted (about 4 minutes). Remove to a hot platter and serve with parsley garnish, toasted garlic bread, and a side of sautéed tomato slices sprinkled with fine bread crumbs, olive oil, and herbs of choice.
• Serves 4.
11
Sleuths: Day One
Carolyn
O nce parked, Mr. Valetti and I had to climb a very steep stair to reach the front door of the center. For no sensible reason, the city fathers, several centuries earlier, had laid the streets straight up and down the hills, perhaps as an exercise in sheer perversity. San Francisco is known as a contrarian society for more reasons than its city planning.
I was panting by the time we arrived but not too incapacitated to admire the double doors with their stained glass insets and fan window above. At the same time it occurred to me the glass would make the center easy to break into. Perhaps the person who killed Denise Faulk had done just that. I’d have to investigate.
We entered a wide hall with an uncarpeted, scuffed, wooden floor. Immediately to our left was a table with a sign that invited us to state our business to “center security” and sign in. The chair behind the table was
“Oh sure, you need-a my help,” protested Mr. Valetti as he rose and carried his plate to the sink. “Only in books is-a detectives women. I’m-a go with you because you a woman, an’ my daughter when my professora marry me. How can-a she no marry me if I get her outa the jail?”
“Mr. Valetti, Vera’s been divorced for a long time, speaking of which, doesn’t your church forbid you to marry a divorced person?”
“How they gonna know if I don’ tell ’em? No, I go with you. What if the guard he don’ wanna tell you who sign his paper? I’m-a tell him I’m a mafioso. ”
“Are you?” I asked, alarmed.
“No, cara mia. ” Bruno laughed. “I’m-a pizza man. But the guard, he don’ know. He’s gonna tell us anything we wanna know, cause he’s-a think I’m a mafioso. ” He took my plate, from which I managed to fork up the last tomato before he could remove it. “An’ how you gonna get there? I’m-a got a truck. I drive you. I see no one gives you no trouble. I take care of you like you my own daughter. It’s-a my duty, because I’m-a love la Professora. ”
And that’s how I ended up beginning my investigation with Mr. Valetti at my side. He refused to be left behind no matter what arguments I used. We went downstairs and out into the backyard, behind which was a garage that housed his vehicle, a brown truck of some ancient vintage, but well maintained and preserved, as he was himself. Within minutes we were chugging off to the Union Street Women’s Center, a delightful Victorian building, two stories high and narrow in front, but rising behind to three stories as it descended a hill for almost a full block. It was adorned with bay windows, rounded turret corners, intricate gingerbread trim, stained glass, and a stunning light-blue exterior with maroon and white accents. My mother-in-law must have hated the décor. Fussy Victori ana was not her style!
Italian Omelet
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Sauté 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms and 1/2 chopped medium onion in 1 tbs. butter, and set aside.
• Mix 6 beaten eggs, 3 tbs. heavy cream, salt and ground black pepper to taste, 1/4 tsp. basil, 2 sprigs chopped parsley, and 1 tbs. grated Parmesan cheese.
• Heat 1 tbs. olive oil and 1 tbs. butter in a large cast-iron skillet or other heavy ovenproof frying pan until butter turns white. Pour in egg mixture and cook over a very low heat until mixture is soft on top. Remove from heat.
• Sprinkle the top with the sautéed mushrooms and onion, 1/2 cup diced cooked ham, 1 tbs. grated Parmesan cheese, several drops of lemon juice, 4 oz. cubed mozzarella cheese, and 1 tbs. butter melted.
• Place skillet in oven and bake until the cheese has melted (about 4 minutes). Remove to a hot platter and serve with parsley garnish, toasted garlic bread, and a side of sautéed tomato slices sprinkled with fine bread crumbs, olive oil, and herbs of choice.
• Serves 4.
11
Sleuths: Day One
Carolyn
O nce parked, Mr. Valetti and I had to climb a very steep stair to reach the front door of the center. For no sensible reason, the city fathers, several centuries earlier, had laid the streets straight up and down the hills, perhaps as an exercise in sheer perversity. San Francisco is known as a contrarian society for more reasons than its city planning.
I was panting by the time we arrived but not too incapacitated to admire the double doors with their stained glass insets and fan window above. At the same time it occurred to me the glass would make the center easy to break into. Perhaps the person who killed Denise Faulk had done just that. I’d have to investigate.
We entered a wide hall with an uncarpeted, scuffed, wooden floor. Immediately to our left was a table with a sign that invited us to state our business to “center security” and sign in. The chair behind the table was
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