HOLE IN ONE
One slice of bread (any kind)
One egg
Softened butter
Biscuit cutter or juice glass
Spray a frying pan with non-stick spray and set it aside.
Butter the piece of bread on one side. Put it butter-side-down in the frying pan. Butter the side on top. (Using a rubber spatula makes this easier.)
With a biscuit cutter or the rim of a juice glass, stamp a hole in the center of the slice of bread. Put the circle you've cut out next to the slice of bread in the pan.
Put the pan on medium heat and wait until the bread starts to fry. Then crack an egg and drop it into the hole in the bread. (If you're really hungry, you can use two eggs.) Add salt and pepper to the egg if you wish. When the egg has cooked on the bottom, flip the whole thing, bread and all, with a pancake turner. Also flip the cutout circle of bread. Fry until the egg is done the way you want it.
Tracey loves these for breakfast. She prefers a runny yolk so that she can dip the fried bread in it. If there was ever any doubt, that would prove she's my niece.
Chapter Twenty-Five
"Let's save a dozen of these for Norman as a welcome home present," Lisa suggested, pulling the last two pans of Orange Snaps from the oven and sliding them onto the bakers rack.
"That's a good idea. I'm really glad he's back in town."
"So is there anything special we have to do today?"
"Actually… yes." Hannah took a deep breath to calm her frazzled nerves. She had yet to tell Lisa about the break-in she planned to accomplish with Norman and that was because she felt slightly guilty at contemplating the commission of a crime. She knew she was being silly. She'd never felt guilty about collecting evidence in not-so-legal ways before. But this time it was different. This time she wasn't rushing into things. She'd had the whole night to think about it and she'd gone over all the things that could go wrong in her mind. Her grandmother used to say that it was wise to think before you acted, but if everyone did that, they'd be so busy thinking over the pros and cons that nothing would ever get done.
"What is it?"
"What is what?" Hannah had been thinking so intensely, she'd entirely lost the thread of their conversation
"What's the special thing we have to do today?"
"Oh, that." Hannah took another deep breath and plunged in. "I need you to hold down the fort for a couple of hours this morning. Norman and I are going over to Nettie's duplex."
"But Nettie's gone."
"I know that. If she didn't leave any windows open, we're going to pick the lock."
"But why do that?"
"Because I need to search Sheriff Grant's home office for clues."
"Not that. I mean, why break in when I've got the key?"
"You've got the key?!" Hannah's voice hit a high note that made her wonder if her high school music teacher had been wrong to seat her in the alto section.
"Nettie gave it to me when I offered to water her house-plants."
Hannah just shook her head. Lisa had surprising depths. "It occurred to you that I might want to get into her duplex while she was gone?"
"Yes," Lisa said, grinning widely, "and I didn't want you to have to break in."
"I've said it before and I'll say it again. You're a gem, Lisa."
"A diamond of the first water," Lisa said and then she giggled when Hannah gave her a surprised look. "Bonnie Surma called to order cookies for the next Regency club meeting. She used it to describe their guest speaker and I asked her what it meant."
"What did she say?"
"She told me it meant quality and it usually referred to ladies. If they're diamonds of the first water, their appearance is perfect and so are their manners and their breeding."
Hannah thought that over for a moment. "That makes sense. Diamonds are sorted by water, and the best and heaviest gems fall out with the first washing. A diamond of the first water would be very valuable, just like you, Lisa."
"Thanks." Lisa blushed slightly at the compliment. "I think you should go in through Nettie's backdoor. Her yard is fenced and once you're inside the gate, nobody can see you."
"Good idea."
"And whatever you do, don't touch the houseplants."
Hannah was confused. "I wasn't really planning to, but why?"
"They'd die for sure, and then Bill and Mike would know you'd been there. You've got the biggest black thumb in town."
"You brought your camera?" Hannah asked, spotting it around Norman's neck when he met her in the alley behind Nettie's duplex.
"I thought I'd take pictures as we go along. It'll help to refresh our memory later."
"Good idea. Where did you park?" Hannah asked, opening the gate and hustling Norman inside the fenced backyard.
"Two blocks over. How about you?"
"I walked. I was afraid my truck would be spotted."
"You mean because it's candy apple red with a license plate that says COOKIES and the name of your store on both sides?"
"That's it," Hannah said with a laugh, appreciating Norman even more today than she had last night. "I'm glad you're back, Norman. I wouldn't want to break into a place with anyone else."
Norman smiled and gave her a little hug, obviously taking what she'd said as a compliment. Then he climbed the steps to Nettie's backdoor and took out a little leather case. "Dental tools," he explained, unzipping it. "I thought they'd come in handy for picking the lock."
"I'm sure they'd be perfect, but we don't need them." Hannah reached in her jacket pocket and pulled out the key ring Lisa had given her. "I've got the key."
"Oh. Okay then," Norman said, sounding a bit disappointed as Hannah unlocked the door.
Hannah stepped in, glanced back at Norman, and saw he was frowning. He had obviously wanted to test his skills as a burglar. "Don't put those tools away. The door to Sheriff Grant's home office is probably locked."
"Right." Norman looked much happier as he followed Hannah up the stairs and down the hallway. The pleased expression remained on his face until they arrived at the office door and he noticed that it was taped off. "That's crime scene tape."
"I know."
"But I thought that Sheriff Grant was killed in the school parking lot."
"He was."
"So this isn't a crime scene?"
"Not technically. When Mike sealed it off, he must not have had the KEEP OUT JUST BECAUSE I SAY SO tape."
"I see," Norman said with a grin. "And if we get caught in here, you'll argue that since it wasn't a crime scene, the tape must have been put up by mistake."
Hannah gave a little nod to show that he was right and grinned right back. Then she reached out to check the doorknob. "It's locked, all right. Do you think you can open it?"
"I don't know why not," Norman said, unzipping his leather case of tools again. "Picking a lock has got to be easier than tightening braces."