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Bernie’s story about recently taking Argentine tango lessons, but she’d reluctantly complied. More like a teenager instead of a fourteen-year veteran of the police force, Bernie had awkwardly twirled himself in, blocked her leg, lost his balance, and crashed, taking her down with him.
    Disentangling her legs from his beefy body and searching for the shoe that had flow off her foot when she hit the floor, Abby had winced at the laughter of the patrons and had hissed at Bernie, “Never again.” Never.
    “So whaddya say?” Kat asked.
    “You buying?”
    “My turn?” Kat grinned.
    “Yep,” Abby replied, handing her a sprig of lavender from the tied bunch lying on the passenger seat. “It clears the nose when you’ve had to smell something unpleasant, like a dead body.”
    “Why, thank you. So about tonight . . . my shift ends at seven . . . half hour to get to the cottage. What say we review the crime-scene images after we eat? I’ll make sandwiches.”
    “Sounds good.” Abby turned the key in the ignition. “Oh, and I’ll be interested in what you find on the surveillance camera behind the faux ivy that was on the baker’s rack. The plastic cup that fell off the rack is still there. Smells of booze.”
    Pulling away, Abby glanced in the rearview mirror to see Kat racing back into the pastry shop . She hoped that the video had the killer’s mug on it or something else that could point the investigation in the right direction .
     
     
    Honey-Almond Madeleines
     
     
    Ingredients:
     
    3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
cup finely ground blanched almonds
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (almost melted),
plus extra for greasing 2 madeleine baking tins
1 tablespoon honey
     
    Directions:

    Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease 2 madeleine baking tins with butter.
    In a large stainless-steel or copper bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Add the powdered sugar and beat the whites to stiff peaks. Gently fold the flour and almonds into the whites in 4 additions.
    In a small bowl, combine the butter and honey and mix well. Gently fold the honey butter into the almond–egg white mixture.
    Spoon the batter into the prepared molds, filling them about two-thirds full. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the outer edges of the madeleines are golden brown.
    Remove the madeleines from the oven and allow them to cool in the tins for 5 minutes. Then remove them from the molds and arrange them on a wire rack to cool completely.

    Makes 3 dozen cookies

Chapter 3
    To get stronger eggshells, feed your chickens extra calcium.
    —Henny Penny Farmette Almanac
     
     
    K at’s cottage squatted behind a three-story Victorian with ornate gingerbread trim and a large wraparound porch with a swing. Unlatching the iron side gate, Abby swung it open and followed the gray stone walkway through drifts of silver maiden grass leaning over a low-growing row of mounding native violets. The scent of wild hedge roses and eucalyptus tinged the air with a spicy pungency that Abby loved.
    She hadn’t done a whole lot of socializing after leaving the force, that is, until Clay entered her life. But even he preferred nights in—cooking together and dancing through the unfinished kitchen—to dining out. After he left, friends had accused Abby of becoming a hermit. Tonight, it felt rather nice to slip into a girly dress and stylish heels for a change. But each precarious step on the gray paving stones tested Abby’s ability to steer the two-inch silver pencil heels of her taupe-colored Anne Kleins away from the cracks.
    After limping to the red door with the brass kick plate and antique Victorian knocker, Abby leaned against it and removed her high heels. Holding them with two fingers of one hand, she tucked her clutch bag under her arm and raised the fist-shaped striker. The knocker was one of Kat’s prized flea market finds.
    She banged the striker