The Pub: A Murd*r Mystery © by Peggy Cole Chapter 2

Joe begins to question why she left a steady job at the bank after her new manager pulls some sneaky moves with staff assignments.

Joe sat in the tiny office surrounded by a tangle of adding machine tapes and messy files. Someone banged on the door and she jumped. There stood George, the head chef, clicking a pair of tongs.

"Someone's got a boyfriend. Someone's got a boyfriend," he crooned like a girl. One of his hands was tucked behind his bulk which filled the door frame.

He liked ducking into Joe's air-conditioned office to get out of the steaming heat of the kitchen. Right after she'd been hired, she'd learned to steer clear of him. He had an ugly habit of pinching female staff members with his ever-present tongs. That first week, passing his station at the grill, he'd gotten behind her and picked her up bodily, then, pointed her toward the upper cabinets.

"Grab those napkins for me, would ya'?" Snickering, he peeked under her mini-skirt as he held her up. Joe's face flushed while the kitchen staff looked on, saying nothing.

This time he had a legitimate reason for the interruption. He tipped forward daintily like a ballerina, leaned in and set a flower arrangement on her desk. George had on a sneaky smirk when he reached across and snatched the card out of the bouquet. Joe pulled a ruler from under the mountain of paperwork and smacked his hand hard. He dropped the card and winced.

She opened the envelope and read the note. Immediately she picked up the phone and started dialing when her manager's face appeared behind the chef.

"You, OUT!" Jason pointed at the suddenly somber chef, then pointed to the kitchen. There was an awkward dance as George backed out and Joe's manager barged in. The chef shot Joe one more silly grin as the door slammed in his face.

"So, how about it?" Jason asked with a wink. She hung up the phone and turned her attention to her work. He slid smoothly onto the bench across the table. A cold silence filled the room. Unfazed, he stared at the top of her head and began whistling off key.

Jason had been hired to replace Bob, the manager who had hired Joe. Rumors of embezzlement and cooked books had put Joe under scrutiny during the investigation that followed. Thankfully, her friendship with the owner had saved her job.

"I'm sure you had nothing to do with the missing cash, Joe," the owner told her. His fondness for the bookkeeper was no secret. The investigation dragged on.

Dick liked being seen with pretty women who were willing to chauffeur him around in his Maserati. He told her they were checking out the competition when he invited her to join him for dinner at comparable restaurants along the coast. Joe ended up driving back most evenings when he drank too much.

The silent partner from Chicago wasn't nearly as friendly. In fact, he hadn't made up his mind about the bookkeeper and her part in the financial turmoil that followed Bob's abrupt departure.

Joe was busy ordering the week's liquor supply when he showed up unannounced shortly after Bob left. She looked up to see him standing, briefcase in hand, at the open door.

The last time she'd seen Ervin had been when she interviewed for the job. She was glad he left the day-to-day operational decisions to Dick. According to Ervin, all that was about to change. He could be heard around the restaurant blustering about his plans.

"I'm here to get to the bottom of this. This accounting mess will be resolved. Be assured, heads will roll." Employees tried to steer clear of the not-so-silent partner.

Jason spent nearly two weeks during the investigation, back in Jamaica, closing out his affairs before moving to the States and into the condominium that came with his new position. He returned in time to join the staff's as they celebrated the silent partner's departure for Chicago.

The new food and beverage tracking system Ervin had put in place caused confusion and much grumbling from the staff. On the bookkeeping end, Joe was flooded with indecipherable food tickets as staff resisted the new system.

Once Ervin left, Jason changed things back to the old food and beverage codes. That made him an immediate hero of everyone except Joe. She had to deal with the aftermath of returning to the old system. New hires had been trained one way. Now, they had to learn the old method of handling food orders. Registers failed to balance for weeks.

Despite Joe's misgivings about Jason, he could dish out the charm when he wanted to. It was useful for drawing people to him, happy for a round of drinks, the telling of bawdy jokes and a fond slap on the back. But, it didn't take long for him to alienate most of the female staff with his racy innuendos and off-color remarks that annoyed his bookkeeper.

A chopping noise and the aroma of prime rib cooking came in with him as he stepped inside.

"Joey!" He'd only started calling her that after he discovered the name annoyed her. He smirked at her expression when he made his grand entrance.

The phone rang and she picked it up, eager for any kind of diversion.

"Good morning, The Pub. How may I help you?" She turned away from his stare.

"Hey, baby!" It was a familiar sleepy voice. She shuffled through the piles on her desk and opened a random file.

"Yes, I have that file right here," she paused, flipping through some invoices. "Certainly. I can send you an itemized statement."

The door slammed as Jason stormed out.

"But Baby," the voice said. "Don't you recognize my voice? It's meeee!" The caller drew the word out in a whine.

"Of course I do. 'He' was in here."

"Oh. I get it. Meet me for lunch?"

"Noon in the lobby," she said and hung up.

Jason returned holding a page he'd ripped from the bulletin board. He tossed it on the desk where it landed in front of her. The staff schedule had deep lines through the page where he'd  crossed off a few names. Chip, the assistant manager was one of those names.

"What's this?" Joe asked.

"You've been promoted."

"But, what about Chip?"

"Oh, that's your first assignment. You get to tell him he's fired."

"What if I don't want the job?"

He grinned and pointed. "There's the door."

Mrs. Smith's Pie Crust Recipe

This favorite recipe for 2 pie crusts was taught in my Home Economics class way back when. 

Mrs. Smith, my high school home economics teacher, shared a recipe that's come in handy many times over the years. Little did she know that decades later, I'd be posting her tried-and-true recipe for egg pastry for other home cooks to try.

Whether you're an experienced baker or trying this for the first time, you can master this easy, tasty recipe with great results.

Check the price of fresh or frozen pies at the grocery store and it just makes sense to make them yourself. You'll have the satisfaction of saving money and impressing your family with a homemade treat.

Equipment You'll Need:

• Large mixing bowl
• Sifter (optional)
• Two knives and a fork
• Dry measuring cups
• A Liquid measuring cup
• Measuring spoons
• Rolling pin
• Deep dish pie pan eight or nine inches

Ingredients: (This makes 2 Pie Crusts)

• 3 cups of All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
• 1/2 cup Crisco solid vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup butter, unsalted
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon of vinegar
• 1/2 cup of ice water
• 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour for dusting the pastry board

Instructions:

1. Gather your ingredients so you know you have everything you need.
2. Measure out 3 cups of flour then sift the measured quantity over the mixing bowl. Add the salt and blend the mix together with a whisk.
3. Add 1/2 cup of vegetable shortening to the flour mixture. Blend the shortening into the flour using two knives in a crosswise fashion.
4. Cut the butter into smaller pieces and repeat the cutting-in process until the flour mixture looks like cornmeal.
5. Beat the egg slightly and add 1 teaspoon of vinegar and 1/2 cup of ice-cold water.
6. Pour the egg liquid into the flour mix, blending lightly with a fork, stirring just until the dough holds together in a loose ball.
7. Divide the dough into two portions. Wrap one half in cellophane and refrigerate if making a one crust pie.
8. Roll out the other dough ball on a floured surface until it's about 1/4 inch thick and one inch larger than the edge of the pie dish
9. Transfer the dough to the pie dish using a spatula to fold the edges inward, then lift the dough to the pie dish and carefully unfold

Cutting in the shortening

Cutting the butter into smaller squares first makes it easier to blend into the flour mixture. Continue to use the knives to cut crosswise until the butter is blended and the mixture looks like corn meal. The butter could be put into the freezer until firm and shredded into the mix to make the blending easier.

Slightly beat one egg in a liquid measuring cup. Add one teaspoon of vinegar and the iced water.

Stir this mixture only until a soft ball forms and the flour holds together. Too much mixing can cause the dough to be tough. 

Divide the dough in half. While working on the first half, put the other half into cellophane and refrigerate.

Roll each portion out to 1/4 inch to an 1/8 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.

The second half of the dough may be refrigerated for use in the next 2–3 days. Allow it to come nearly to room temperature before rolling it out after refrigerating.

Moving the pie crust into the pie dish

Fold the dough over onto itself and again. Use a spatula to lift the dough into the pan.

Unfold gently and fit the edges into the shape of the pan.

Follow this YouTube video of me cutting the edges, folding them under and shaping a fluted crust.

Finishing the pie crust

1. Roll out the dough to about an inch larger than the outside edge of the pie dish.
2. Use a spatula to fold the dough over on itself. Fold the dough over again before trying to move it.
3. Transfer the pie crust to the pie dish using the spatula and gently unfold it.
4. Trim the outside of the crust leaving about 1/2 inch of dough beyond the edge of the dish.
5. Fold under the excess dough to form a ridge around the outside edge.
6. To flute the pie crust, use two fingers of one hand and push between the two fingers with your other thumb or index finger. Press gently to form ridges along the entire outer edge (see video above).

Protect the edges from over-browning by using a two inch strip of aluminum foil around the edge. Pour the filling into the crust and bake according to directions for a one-crust pie.

How to make the aluminum foil strip for the crust.

1. Tear off one long strip of aluminum foil and cut it into three equal strips lengthwise.
2. Fold the short edges together to join two long pieces, then add a third piece. Seal the seams by folding the edges over a couple of times and crimp the edges to hold the seam.
3. Wrap the long strip of foil around the outer edge of the prepared pie crust.
4. Seal the final edge of the foil together around the pie pan after cutting off any excess length of the foil.
5. Bend the foil to form a protective rim in order to keep the pie crust edges from turning too brown.
6. Fill with your favorite fruit or mixture and bake according to directions for the type of pie.

This is Aunt Jessie's Chocolate Cream Pie (Recipe on this blog)

Baking a crust for a pudding or cream type pie:

To make a baked crust for pudding type pies, prick the sides and bottom of the crust with a fork, then bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown.

For pumpkin or custard pies that need to be baked, do not prick the crust. Add the ingredients and bake according to the recipe directions.

Making a pie crust from scratch takes a little bit of patience and some practice, but it really can be fun and rewarding.

Pumpkin Pie From Real Pumpkins

If you're wanting to use those October porch decorations, try out this recipe for fresh-cooked pumpkin. Here's how to cut them, cook them, and turn them into a pie.

Fall is here turning hot summer days into cool weather perfect for baking. How about baking those pumpkins wasting away on your porch as the temperatures drop?

For the tastiest pies, select a medium-sized sweet and adorable pumpkin. It's better not to use the really huge jack-o'-lanterns.

A four-pound pumpkin is a perfect size for making about 1 1/2 cups of cooked pulp.

• For baking: If you prefer to bake the pumpkin, cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and pulp. Cut the halves into quarters. After it's baked, the cooked pulp can be spooned from the skin.
• For boiling: If you like the on-the-stove method, continue cutting the quarters into 1-inch cubes.

Baking Method

1. Use a turkey roasting pan or disposable aluminum pan to bake the quartered pumpkin.
2. Add a little water to the bottom of the pan.
3. Cover with a lid or foil.
4. Bake at 375°F for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until a fork can be easily inserted into the fruit.
5. Spoon out the cooked pumpkin separating it from the skin.

Boiling Method

1. Begin by washing the outside skin to remove dirt, debris, and contaminants.
2. Using a sharp knife, cut around the stem and remove it.
3. Now, cut the pumpkin in half from the stem to the base.
4. Use a spoon or other utensil to scrape out the seeds and pulp.
5. Separate the seeds and soak them in water to remove the pulp.
6. Use a strainer to drain the seeds and spread them out on paper towels to dry.
7. Save the stringy pulp for the compost bin.
8. Cut the halved pumpkin into quarters, and then into smaller sections.
9. Turn each slice on its side to cut it into smaller pieces.
10. Slice off the peeling and the remaining pulp from each piece.
11. Place the cubed fruit into a large stew pot with a lid.
12. Cover the cubes with water and bring to a boil over medium heat.
13. Cover the pot and cook the cubes on medium heat for 35 to 40 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork.

Cooked pumpkin can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or stored in the freezer up to 6 months.

Now that the pumpkin is cooked and cooled, you're ready to begin making pies.

1. Gather all the ingredients into one area to be sure you have everything you need.
2. You can always use a prepared refrigerated or frozen crust to make things simpler.
3. If you decide to make a crust from scratch, you'll need a clean, dry flour-dusted surface to roll it; a rolling pin, a flat elongated bottle (like a wine bottle), or a smooth-surfaced glass to use for flattening the dough.

Prep Time - 1 hour 45 minutes

Cook Time - 50 minutes

Ingredients for the Crust

1 1/4 cups          Flour, all-purpose

6 Tablespoons   Vegetable shortening (Crisco in the can or sticks)

1/4 teaspoon      Salt

4 Tablespoons   Cold water

Ingredients for the Filling

1 1/2 cups  Cooked Pumpkin

3/4 cup      Sugar

1/2 tsp       Salt

1 1/2 tsp    Cinnamon

1/2 tsp       Ginger

1/2 tsp       Nutmeg

1/4 tsp       Ground Cloves

2                Eggs

1 can         Evaporated Milk (12 oz)

1. Mix the filling dry ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Add dry mix to the cooled pumpkin and combine with a hand mixer, potato masher, or an emulsion blender.
3. Stir in the eggs and evaporated milk to the mixture.

Assembling the Pie

1. Cut three strips of aluminum foil 2 inches wide. Join the strips together at the short ends to form one long strip. Fold the strip in half lengthwise. Wrap the outer crust with the strip of foil to prevent over-browning of the crust.
2. Place the foil-wrapped pie crust onto a cookie sheet to catch any spills.
3. Pour the pumpkin mix into the prepared, unbaked crust.
4. Bake at 450°F for 10 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to 375°F and continue baking for about 40 to 50 minutes.

Wrap the unbaked crust with the joined strip of aluminum foil pieces, connecting the ends together.

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the pie crust.

Allow the pie to cool for 1 - 2 hours at room temperature before slicing.

YouTube video of me preparing a pie crust.

Old Time Remedy for Upset Stomach

Things were simpler when I was growing up. Whenever a member of our family had a stomach ache, we depended on a remedy out of our medicine cabinet.

Back then there were fewer choices for medical remedies. If we had an upset stomach or diarrhea, Mom would treat us with an over-the-counter product from the general store. 

There are countless products now, claiming to relieve minor indigestion with catchy jingles about heartburn, stomach ache, and diarrhea. But I still turn to the old family favorite when it's needed. Whether it's the carbonation or the actual formula, this product still works for me when I'm feeling queasy.

Our family medicine cabinet held only a few items like aspirin, Vick's VapoRub, Noxema, Mercurochrome and Merthiolate, a child's worst nightmare. For minor burns and insect bites, we had Unguentine or Bactine. But the most frequently used product for minor stomach aches was a brown elixir purchased from the local pharmacist. We would head to the corner store to fetch a refill if our supply ran low.

Mom would send my brother and I to the corner store on our bicycles where we'd park in the bike racks and head to the pharmacy at the back. 

We'd waiting patiently at the glass wall while the druggist clanked out a prescription label on an old manual typewriter. The pharmacy was raised above the rest of the store which allowed a glimpse of his white coat when he moved around. Racks of glass bottles and blank labels littered his work counter.

The store had a variety of household items from bread and canned goods to toys and fishing gear. There was also a rack of comic books like Super Man, Donald Duck, Tom and Jerry or Tweedy and Sylvester that sold for ten cents.

The store was the neighborhood hangout with its soda fountain where they served the best hamburgers around. That was where we ate before fast food places made their way to Key West.

We'd sit on the vinyl stools and sip our five-cent Cokes from a real glass while our fifty-cent hamburgers sizzled on a flat grill. Many summer days were spent sitting near orange and grape drink dispensers, basking in the aroma of hot dogs grilling on the rotisserie.

From our place on the stools, we listened for the pharmacist to call our names to fetch the white bag with the precious remedy; a concentrated solution of Coke syrup in a small bottle.

We’d pay the cashier while eyeballing the nickel candy bars and penny bubble gum, then, hop back on our bikes clutching the package like a bag of gold.

Postal services were available and we mailed parcels wrapped in brown paper cut from grocery store bags. Packages had to be tied securely with cotton string. Regular postage stamps were four cents, with air mail stamps costing seven cents. Letters could be dropped off at the mail slot next to the pharmacy.

We kept our antics in the store to a minimum, knowing better than to cause trouble. If our parents got a call from the druggist that would mean big trouble when we got home.

Once we got home with the remedy, Mom would send us to fetch a tablespoon from the silverware drawer. Armed with the bottle of coke syrup, she would climb the stairs to the bedroom of the ailing family member.

If Dad was the one with the stomach ache, we would sneak up the stairs behind her and wait quietly on the landing while she gave him a dose. If one of the children was ill, the rest of us would march boldly behind her into the bedroom of the afflicted. We'd surround the bed and watch as she opened the glass bottle and poured out a measure of the sticky syrup. The patient, sitting in bed, lips puckered, would swallow the brown liquid, leaving us to lick our lips vicariously at the sickeningly sweet taste.

Coca-Cola was originally intended as a patent medicine. Invented by John Pemberton in the late nineteenth century, it became a popular carbonated soft drink. Two of its original ingredients were kola nuts and coca leaves. The Coca-Cola Company, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, produces concentrate of the revised formula, which is sold to licensed bottlers and distributors in over 200 countries throughout the world.

The current formula still remains a trade secret.

Walker Bag and Organizer - Gift for the Mobility Impaired

Looking for a handmade gift for a friend or beloved senior? If you've used a walker you know how hard it is to carry things around.

This gift makes it easy to carry lightweight items like pens, nail clippers, cough drops, tissues, photos, eyeglasses, or the TV remote.

This project will take a few hours depending on your experience with sewing. Most of the stitches are straight lines and there aren't too many pattern pieces to cut out.

Start by asking your loved one their preferences for flowers, plaids, stripes, solids or animal prints. The fabric store is a good place to get ideas.

What You'll Need:

• Simplicity Pattern 2300 - Try to catch a sale at the fabric store. Mine was 99 cents.
• A good pair of sewing scissors for cutting through the thicknesses of this polyester-filled broadcloth.
• A flat surface and good lighting. Try to set up a dedicated area for sewing that doesn't require everything to be put away after use.
• Practically any sewing machine will do. No zig-zag stitching is required.
• A good fabric marking pencil helps for marking the spots to be matched up. Or, a number two pencil or eyebrow pencil will work.
• A measuring tape helps keep the pattern even on the fabric
• Straight pins are essential.
• Notions needed are thread, double-fold bias tape, and sew-on Velcro for the straps.

The pattern will tell you how much fabric you'll need. This pattern calls for double-sided, quilted fabric. Be sure to buy enough to match designs if you choose a fabric with stripes or a  pattern.

Remember thread, Velcro tape, and double-fold bias tape in a color that matches your fabric. If you find the fabric and pattern on sale you'll save a bundle.

Begin by ironing the pattern pieces flat using a warm setting on the iron to get out the creases and folds in the paper. It really makes things easier.

Determine the pattern pieces that you'll need and put the extras in the envelope. Cut apart pieces that are printed on the same sheet. That helps in laying the pattern on the fabric.

Turning the straps after stitching takes a little patience and a keen eye. There are optional devices to speed this task along like a heavy-duty needle or a strap turner.

For Mom's walker, an extra strap was needed on either side of the center support Instead of just one strap in the center.

After the straps are turned right side out, Velcro is added and the straps are attached to the main body of the bag. Pictured above are the top straps and the side strap that holds the organizer to the leg of the walker.

Notice how the pattern of the fabric is matched to the pattern on the bag bodice.

The most trouble I had was the lack of directions for the side straps. It took a little improvising to cover the raw edges on the strap for the leg of the walker.

Notice along the side seam where the strap extends outward from the main body. The instructions say to encase the raw edges with the bias tape. That was hard since the strap is in the way.

I cut an extra strip of double fold bias tape about two inches long to affix to the unfinished edge left after attaching the strap to the main body of the organizer.

Attaching a short piece of bias tape along the edge of the pocket insert will cover the unfinished edge.

This organizer gets a lot of interest from the residents at the nursing home and I've been asked if I would make one for them.

The cost to make the entire project is around forty dollars depending on the fabric chosen, the notions, and the cost of the pattern. It's a worthy project to bring happiness to the receiver and the giver.