A Beeline to Murder

“What can I do to help?” Philippe asked, standing. A grin crinkled his face as he stood at the ready. “I shall be your knight in shining—”

“You’re not afraid of being stung again?”

His smile evaporated as he thought for a moment. “Do you have an extra bee suit?”

Smiling at his exuberance, Abby shook her head.

Seemingly dismayed, Philippe stared at her.

“The swarm is tiny, Philippe, and it’s so late in the day that they might just go back inside the hive,” Abby explained. “But, in case they’re indecisive, I’ve already placed a super close by with frames of wax and honey for when they are ready to make a move.”

Philippe drew a half step closer and put his arms around her. When Abby tilted her face upward, his gray-green eyes locked on hers. “Then, will you stay here with me?” he whispered huskily. “I am not indecisive like your bees. I am ready to make the moves.”

Abby sucked in a breath and let it escape in an effort to calm the sudden erratic beating of her heart. “What about dinner?” she teased. “Have you no appetite?”

“Au contraire. My hunger, it increases . . . for you.” Philippe flashed a sexy grin, slipped his hand under her blouse, and trailed his fingers along her waistline at her back. “Ma chérie, let us do what the bees do.”

The warmth of his touch against her flesh kindled sensuous feelings within Abby, feelings she no longer wanted to resist. Pricks of electricity arced through her body. “And, pray tell, what is that? Taking flight?”

“Non. Making something sweet,” he whispered, “of our time together.”

“In that case . . . ,” Abby mumbled as Philippe’s lips pressed hungrily against hers. We won’t need bee suits.





Old World Honey Cake





Ingredients: 1 cup honey (preferably dark and thick), plus 1

tablespoon for brushing the cake

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

? teaspoon ground nutmeg

? teaspoon ground cardamom

2 teaspoons baking soda

? cup softened unsalted butter

1 cup dark brown sugar

4 large egg yolks

? cup natural Greek yogurt

? cup cottage cheese (small curd)

1 tablespoon fresh orange zest

2? cups unbleached all-purpose flour

? teaspoon salt

10 dates, pitted and diced

1 cup walnuts, finely chopped

? cup seedless raisins

12 cup slivered almonds, for garnish (optional)



Directions:



Preheat the oven to 300°F. Grease a 10-inch tube pan.

Combine the honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Stir in the baking soda, remove from the heat, and let the honey-spice mixture cool.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the brown sugar. Beat in 1 egg yolk at a time. Fold the reserved honey-spice mixture into the butter-egg mixture and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, mix together the yogurt, cottage cheese, and orange zest.

Sift half (1? cups) of the flour and the salt into the reserved honey-spice-butter mixture. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the remaining 1? cups flour, the dates, walnuts, and raisins. Fold the date-walnut mixture into batter. Fold the yogurt mixture into the reserved honey-spice-butter mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepared tube pan and bake for 1? hours. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the cake, which should have no batter on it when extracted.

Cool the cake for 15 minutes before inverting. Invert the cake onto a wire rack, and brush it with the remaining 1 tablespoon honey. Sprinkle the cake with slivered almonds, if desired. After the cake has completely cooled, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours before serving.





Serves 8





Acknowledgments

My deepest gratitude goes to Aaron Pomeroy for his insights into law enforcement. I also want to thank his wife, Heather, as well as their daughters Madison and Savannah, for their feedback, suggestions, and hilarious stories, which continually inform and enrich my own storytelling.