Read A Fair to Die For for Free Online Page A

lid on the sputtering skillet, turned down the heat, and went to say “Hello.“
    “You still plannin’ to come?” Shirley asked.
    “You bet. I’m just preparing ingredients for Crock Pot Beef Stew, and I’ll be down as soon as I get everything into the pot. That way I can leave the stew to cook by itself.”
    “Well now, I never heard of making stew in a crock pot. Good idea. Where’d you find that recipe?”
    “Cookbook.”
    “Cookbook ? Didn’t know you owned one. ”
    “ Well, yes, this was a gift from Henry. He has a friend who . . .”
    Shirley’s hoot of laughter stopped her. “Who-eee, so it took Henry to do it. I wondered when you’d break down and get yourself a real cookbook. Helpful things, sometimes.”
    “I have my notebook, and a file box full of recipes,” Carrie said, miffed. Then she remembered the time over a year ago when she’d had to call the county extension office to find out how to make meatloaf. Later, when she’d confessed that to Shirley, she’d endured a scolding and, in between laughs, the information that what Carrie should have done was call her friend, who’d been making meatloaf from memory for almost half a century.
    “How many cookbooks do you have?” Carrie asked, and knew she sounded peeved.
    “Mmmm, I guess six or so. They’re on a shelf back in our office.”
    “See there? You can cook without looking at a cookbook. Well, I can, too!”
    “Okay, but I’ve got experience.” Another laugh. “Never mind, I also know from experience both you and Henry can fix good enough meals. So, where did this cookbook come from?”
    Henry ordered it from a friend of his out in California. The guy is a real chef, the big deal kind. He has his own cooking show on TV, and a restaurant too, The Grass Valley Bistro . Henry met the man on the Internet several months ago, and, last week, got the recipe for tuna salad I told you about from him.” Carrie put her finger in the page with the recipe she’d been following and closed the book to look at the cover. “It’s called The Grass Valley Bistro Cookbook, by Chef John Bohnert. I can bring it to show you.”
    “No need. And calling yourself a chef doesn’t make you a good cook.”
    “Well, maybe not, but it’s pretty interesting, seeing how a chef puts things together. Most of his recipes have more ingredients than mine, though. My tuna salad has three ingredients. Chef John’s has six. I made it when Cousin Edie came, and it was really good.”
    “Hmmmm. You ever hear any more from your cousin since she vanished last week?”
    “No, not yet.”
    “Mighty peculiar, her disappearing like that.”
    “Yes, I know.” Carrie hurried to change the subject. “The book has just a few slow cooker recipes and, since I wanted to make something for supper that could take care of itself all afternoon, I picked out the beef stew. Henry’s in town talking about police work at the grade school today, so I knew he wouldn’t be available to help get supper preparation under way. I’m almost done now. Be there in a bit.”
    “Good. Roger and I cleared space in the workshop and set up my booth there. The three walls are hinged so we can fold it all and load it into his truck. I’m just now starting to figure out where to put everything. When Jason goes out with the shop’s deliveries, Eleanor’s having him come by here with a few display stands she thinks I can use.”
    “I saw the stands when I was in town yesterday, and she said then she was sending Jason with the van to help carry your things when we go to set up at the fairgrounds on Wednesday. She’ll stay behind and keep her flower shop open, but will be with us during the fair. Jason, and probably Henry, are working in the shop for the rest of the week while we’re at the fair, and . . . .
    “Ummm,” Shirley interrupted.
    “Well, I guess she would have told you all that.”
    “Um-hmmm. You do know I’ve been plannin’ on this fair thing for quite a