One Potato, Two Potato, Dead

Book 3: Farm-to-Fork Mystery

by Lynn Cahoon

Genres: Cozy Mystery; Female Sleuths; General Fiction

Synopsis

Angie Turner's restaurant, The County Seat, is conveniently located near a first-class farmers market—so her menu is full of fresh ingredients. But a visiting culinary professor has just had a taste of something very unhealthy . . .

Angie first meets Daniel Monet at a local mission, where she and her chef-in-training, Hope, are serving barbecued chicken poutine to the homeless. Monet is one of Hope's teachers—but Angie's boyfriend knows him from his youthful days in England. But soon, the bon vivant is no longer vivant. When Monet is found dead, with Hope's prints on the wine glass next to him, it will be Angie who has to sauce out the real killer . . .

Release date: March 19, 2019

Publisher: Lyrical Press

Print pages: 212

Sample

Chapter 1

Angie Turner shivered as she all but ran to the barn to feed her only hen, Mabel, and the newest member of the Turner household, Precious, the goat she’d found earlier that year. Fall had come hard to the little farm town of River Vista, Idaho. She’d known when she moved north from San Francisco the moderate weather wouldn’t hold long, but she wasn’t quite ready for winter yet. She didn’t know why, but she always worshipped days like this that started cool, then turned into a sunny afternoon. The chill made her appreciate the warmth that arrived later in the day.

The best thing about fall was the produce that came out of the farmers market. Her options had turned from the leafy greens of summer to the deep oranges of fall. And the potatoes she’d been cooking with lately were amazing.

Today she was planning on experimenting with a few different takes on the Canadian staple poutine. Hope Anderson had been talking about the dish since her classes started back up last month. Angie thought that maybe her dishwasher/chef-in-training was more interested in the Canadian visiting professor than the food he was teaching them to make. A bleating from the middle stall brought her out of her musing. Precious, the not-so-baby goat she’d adopted in early spring, was standing on two legs, looking at her over the top of the gate.

Angie hurried over and waved the goat down. The last thing she needed was Precious learning she could jump or climb the gate into the main barn area. She wasn’t afraid the goat would take off; instead, she was more concerned that Precious would find the grain stored in the barn. Mabel, the lone black-and-white hen from Nona’s last flock, wouldn’t be pleased with sharing her corn.

Angie’s boyfriend Ian had suggested they put up an electric wire to shock Precious when she got close, but that just seemed cruel, especially since the goat hadn’t got out of her pen. Yet. However, it looked like Angie might be running out of options.

She rubbed behind the goat’s ears. “Hey, girl, how was your night?”

Precious bleated out a few sounds, lifting her head to sniff Angie’s hair. When Angie had first gotten the new addition, she’d set up a baby monitor in the barn so she could hear if anything went south. But now that Precious was older, she’d turned off the monitors and trusted the barn to keep her safe.

She fed the goat, cleaned out her stall and water trough, and then turned to where Mabel liked to roost. The hen eyed her warily as she spread out corn. Angie figured Mabel might warm up to her in a few years, but she wasn’t holding her breath. The chicken had loved Angie’s grandmother. And maybe that was enough.

Taking one last look to make sure she’d finished her chores, Angie headed back across the yard where Dom, her St. Bernard, sat waiting for her on the porch. Dom and Precious didn’t quite get along. The goat liked the dog well enough, but Dom? He was scared of Precious. He’d been that way since the day Angie had brought the baby home from Moss Farms. Back then, she thought the goat was just a visitor. When she became one of the family, Dom hadn’t voted for the change.

“Good morning, mister.” Angie climbed the stairs to the porch and turned to study her neighbor’s house. Mrs. Potter was visiting her son and daughter-in-law this month, so no one was in residence across the street. The house had a sad look to it. Dom glanced that way and sighed. “Don’t worry. Mrs. Potter and Erica will be back soon.”

As they walked in the house, Angie wondered if Mrs. Potter would even come back from California or if she’d stay down for the winter. And maybe longer. She was getting up in years and didn’t have anyone here except her granddaughter, Erica, who was going to school at Boise State. Angie wanted her to be happy, but even now, she missed seeing her come over with her walker just to chat.

Angie tied on an apron and pushed the sad thoughts out of her head. It was time to cook. By noon, she had a pot of tomato basil bisque on the stove, chili-braised short ribs in the pressure cooker, and she’d tried two different versions of poutine using a variety of potato types.

A quick knock on the back door and then Ian stepped into the room. His dusky red hair and rock-star build only made his blue eyes sparkle that much more. Ian McNeal was the town do-gooder. He ran the farmers market, helped Mildred run Moss Farms, and taught Sunday school. Definitely not the type Angie usually went for. Todd, her last boyfriend, had been more of a bad boy type. She didn’t think he’d ever stepped into a church, let alone taught Bible study. Thanks goodness she’d gotten that type out of her system.

“Are you about ready?” Ian paused after closing the door. Mostly he had to stop forward movement because Dom had come and sat on his foot, wanting attention. Next to Angie, Ian was the dog’s favorite person. Angie suspected it was because Ian snuck bits of human food to him when she wasn’t looking. “What is all this? We don’t have to bring anything. You know we’re cooking this afternoon, right?”

Angie stirred the soup, the smell of the sweet basil she’d harvested from her garden last summer filling the room. She then set the spoon down on a plate. “Cooking? The County Seat isn’t open today.”

“You forgot, didn’t you?” Ian leaned down and gave Dom a quick hug, moving him off his foot. Then he stepped to the table and snatched a French fry from one of the poutine dishes. Dipping it into the brown gravy, he ate it before nodding his approval. “This is really good. Are you putting it on your menu?”

“Not sure yet. I’ve got two versions there.” She handed him a plate. “Do you have time for lunch? I’d like your opinion.”

“Sure. We had planned on picking up takeout on the way into Boise, but lunch here sounds better. Besides, you’ll need to put all of this away before we go.” He went to the sink and washed his hands. Standing next to her, he gave her a light kiss as he dried his hands. “You still don’t remember, do you?”

“We’re going somewhere in Boise to cook.” Angie thought about where they were going to cook as she filled two bowls of soup and took the pot off the heat. There was no way this would be cool enough to package by the time they were done with lunch. Then the answer hit her. “Crap, today’s the day we’re volunteering at the mission.”

“Give the girl a cigar.” Ian took the bowls to the table and went to the fridge. “Want a soda or water?”

“Water, please.” Angie got plates, silverware, and napkins out and put them on the table next to the bowls. “I even put it on my calendar, but I haven’t looked at it since Saturday. How do you keep all this in your head?”

“I check my calendar each day. I don’t have to keep it in my head.” He sat and took a minute of silence before starting to eat.

Angie knew he was praying, but he didn’t make a big deal of it. He’d invited her to attend his young adult Sunday school class several times, but with her having to work every Saturday night until late to close the County Seat, she’d begged off. Besides, she wasn’t sure what she believed. Not like Ian. He knew who he was and what he believed. It was kind of overwhelming at times. She waited for him to pick up his spoon.

“So how long are we there today?” She took some of each poutine to try. One would have a beef spare rib topping that was still on the stove. The other had a chicken gravy and would have grilled chicken with a spicy sauce. Of course, she hadn’t completely finished the creating of the topping, but she still had a week or so before they changed their menu at the restaurant.

“You’re wanting to get back to work. I get it. But you have to admit that the people we’ll be feeding will be appreciative of your talents, just like your customers are.” He grinned as he picked up another fry. “Besides, we’ll finally get to meet Felicia’s boyfriend. She’s been spending a lot of time with this Taylor guy.”

“I’d like to say my intentions in signing up to cook were pure, but meeting Felicia’s guy is the main reason I agreed to this.” Felicia was her best friend and partner in the restaurant. If some guy was going to be taking up Felicia’s time, Angie wanted to make sure that he wasn’t a flake. “I’m not sure she has her eyes open on this relationship. I know feeding the homeless is a worthy occupation, but according to her, this guy has trust fund money. Why would he be running a homeless mission?”

“Because he wants to serve mankind?” Ian held up a fry with the beef gravy. “If you want a vote, I’d go traditional with this. The chicken gravy just seems a little flat compared to the richness of the other.”

“Still, it seems suspicious.” She let her worries about Felicia go for a minute and focused on the food. “I was afraid of that. I’m thinking instead of gravy, I might change it over to a barbecue sauce. But I don’t want to overwhelm the potatoes.”

“You’re always looking for a new path. At least with food.” Ian focused on his plate. “I have to say I’m enjoying my frozen dinners you supply me with much more than my usual ramen soup I had before we started dating.”

“Don’t tell me that you’re dating me for the food!” Angie said with a laugh. She finished her soup and glanced at her watch. “I guess I better put this stuff away so we can get going. Remind me who else is going to be there?”

Ian listed off the staff from the County Seat who’d said yes. The only one who hadn’t agreed was Nancy, and she was still working a second job. Angie hoped by next summer they’d be able to open the restaurant full-time and get Nancy down to one job. “And Hope called. Her class got canceled for this afternoon, so she’s coming as well.”

“So the full gang, almost.” Angie ladled the soup into freezer containers. Mrs. Potter would be happy to have a pot of this going when she returned and the weather turned chilly. Maybe she’d make her a corn bread to go with the soup when she took it over. She looked up and saw Ian grinning at her.

“Earth to Angie? I asked you where you wanted the leftovers twice.” He held the two plates of poutine.

“We’ll have to compost those. I’d hoped we’d eat most of it, but it’s so filling.” She put the soup pot in the sink and turned off the water. “I’ll do dishes when I get back.”

“I’d help, but I have a meeting with the farmers market board this evening. It’s our last meeting until next spring when we reopen.” He scraped the scraps into her compost bag and rinsed the plates. “Maybe we could do a date night next Monday? I’ve got you penciled in on my schedule.”

“I feel so honored.” Angie took a rag to wash off the table and eyed Dom, who was watching the food move out from his reach. He whined and laid his head between his paws. “Sorry, dude. You have your own food.”

Ian came up behind her. “You’re always on the top of my list. We’re both just so busy, and when I’m free, typically you’re working.”

“Well, at least we have the car ride to and from Boise to chat.” She took off her Kiss the Cook apron and glanced at her capris and T-shirt. “Do I have time for a shower and change of clothes?”

“If it’s quick.” Ian walked over to Dom. “I’ll take him out and do a lap around the barn with him so he gets some exercise today.”

“Give me fifteen and I’ll be ready.” She grazed her lips over his. “You’re the best, you know that?”

“I’ve been told that by many beautiful women. I’m just happy you think so.” He grabbed Dom’s leash off the key holder by the door. “Come on, big guy, let’s go see what’s going on outside.”

As she got ready for their adventure, she glanced at Nona’s picture on her dresser. “You would have loved Ian.”

Traffic downtown was crazy busy, but they made it to the mission fifteen minutes before they were supposed to meet Taylor and the group. Sitting in the car, Angie eyed the building. It looked more like a warehouse than a shelter. “Are you sure we’re at the right place?”

Ian laughed and turned off the engine. “I keep forgetting you just moved back into the area. They started here about five years ago. And besides, I know it’s the right spot because I’ve come here with my class several times to help serve. But this is the first time I’ll be helping in the kitchen.”

“It’s really not that much different. Except the kitchen staff works harder.”

“Don’t say that in front of Felicia. I think she could take you. She’s been taking a martial arts class.” He nodded to the woman who had just walked inside the mission. “There’s Hope. Let’s go in so they won’t think we’re making out in the car.”

When they got into the building, they almost ran into Hope, who stood frozen at the edge of the room. Two men were yelling at each other in the middle, and as Hope turned to escape, her face lit up as she realized Angie was right behind her. Tension filled the large room.

“I’m so glad you’re here. I’m not good with conflict.” She moved between Ian and Angie. “Should we stop them? Or maybe we should just leave?”

Before Hope could spin around and escape, another man walked over to the uproar and put a hand on each man’s shoulder.

“You know we don’t solve our issues with loud voices or violence.” The man’s voice was calm and comforting.

“He stole my paper. I was looking at the jobs section and Harrold took it.” The taller man poked a finger into Harrold’s chest. “I told him to leave it alone.”

“I was just looking at it. George was in the bathroom. He didn’t need it in the bathroom.” Harrold slapped the man’s hand away from his chest. “And don’t poke me.”

“Don’t touch my stuff and I won’t poke you.” George poked the guy again.

Angie stiffened. “This isn’t going to end well.”

The guy trying to stop the fight turned and smiled at her. An unspoken challenge danced in his eyes. He mouthed the words watch this.

He stepped between the two men. “What’s our motto?”

“We are all friends and soldiers in the war against poverty,” the two men chanted.

Angie watched as the man smiled and tapped both men on the shoulders. “And who do we fight?”

“We don’t fight others, we fight discrimination, injustice, and hunger.” This time their voices were stronger, like they really believed what they were saying.

“And what do we do when we’ve hurt someone else?”

Now George shuffled his feet. “We apologize. I’m sorry, Harrold, I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

Harrold held out a hand, “I shouldn’t have read your paper without permission. I’m sorry, friend.”

As they shook, the other man smiled and nodded. “Great job. Now, both of you head out of here. We’ve got a dinner to get ready for.”

As the men shuffled past Angie and the others, she could hear the mumbled threat from George. “Next time you take my stuff, Taylor’s not going to be in earshot when I take you down.”

“You’re the one who should be glad he stopped me.” Harrold glanced back at Taylor and waved. “I would have crushed you.”

“Taylor...” Felicia popped out of the kitchen, her blond hair pulled back into a ponytail. “Oh, I didn’t realize you guys were here already. I was going to ask Taylor to keep an eye out for you. I know first impressions of this place and the guys can be a little intimidating.”

“Intimidating isn’t the word. Scary as heck is more accurate.” Hope almost ran toward Felicia. “If I wasn’t getting extra credit for this, I’d be running home right now.”

The man now known as Taylor smiled. “We all need a little help now and then. Let me introduce myself. I’m Taylor Simpson. You must be Felicia’s friends.”

Chapter 2

Ian held out his hand. “Ian McNeal. And this is Angie Turner, head chef and partner in the County Seat with Felicia. And that over there, quivering in fear, is Hope Anderson. She’s usually stronger than she appears today.”

“I think you’re overestimating my character, Ian.” But Hope smiled and waved.

“We’re still missing a few, but we can get started and the rest will come in as they arrive. What’s on the menu for tonight?” Angie walked toward Felicia and gave her a quick hug.

“We have tons of chicken and potatoes. What you do with that is up to you.” Taylor joined the group heading into the kitchen. “We like our guests to have freedom to create. Besides, the guys are thankful for any meal they get. Sometimes, they don’t eat for days. I can’t even imagine that. And with all the food that goes to waste in America.”

“You don’t have to lecture me on food waste. I work with the River Vista Farmers Market, and I’ve seen a lot of perfectly good produce go to the compost heap because it’s not sold or not perfect. Maybe we could work out a deal?” Ian studied Taylor with interest. “We’re shutting down the market this Saturday for the season, but I’m meeting with the board tonight. Maybe I could come up with a proposal.”

“You’re always saving the world.” Angie gave Ian a hug. “Let’s just feed this group, and you and Taylor can talk after we get dinner set up. I wish Estebe was here, I’d like to run a few ideas off him as we look at your pantry.”

As if she’d called him, her sous chef and the other cook, Matt, walked in the door. Matt waved at Angie. “Boss, you take us to the nicest places.”

“Just be happy you have a job and a home. Some of these people would be thrilled to have your life. Although I’m not sure who would want to be you.” Estebe turned from the shocked Matt, headed to the stoves, and nodded his approval. “This looks adequate. What are we making?”

Angie waved him over to the pantry. “I want to try something. But you make sure I’m not off my rocker.”

Ian smiled as Angie and Estebe headed to the pantry. “You’ll get more points for taste here than creativity.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Angie threw a look over her shoulder. “A little gourmet food never hurt anyone.”

Hope glanced up at Ian as she went to put on an apron. “She’s kidding, right? I don’t think these guys want fancy stuff.”

“Relax. When have you known Angie to make something that just looked good? She’s all about the taste.” Felicia pursed her lips as she started stacking plates from the dishwasher. “At least, I hope so.”

By the time Angie and Estebe returned from the pantry, they had a plan. She called the group together and started breaking out the chores. “Hope, you and Ian are on potato peeling duty. Felicia, you can focus on dessert. Matt, you help Estebe with the protein. And I’ll handle the gravy and the other toppings.”

Ian walked over to the pantry. “I take it we’re doing another take on the chicken poutine I vetoed at lunch?”

“It’s a good dish. It just needs some tweaks.” She turned toward Felicia. “Hey, could you ask Taylor how many he expects us to be feeding tonight? I’d hate to underprep.”

“I already did. Two fifty was his rounded number. Sometimes a little less, sometimes a little more.” Felicia still sat at the table, a pen and paper in hand. “What will work better, chocolate brownies or some sort of . . .