I’d heaved a sigh of relief when I returned home from Pets ’R People to find everything in order. The mouthwatering aroma of roasting meat drifted from my upstairs apartment. Casey greeted me with an effusive display of affection, dancing about until his toenails clicked on the tile floor like castanets. Melly stood at the stove, dressed in a flowered skirt and peach-colored twinset suitable for a high tea. Except for the fact she viciously jabbed a helpless roast with a two-pronged fork, she presented the picture of genteel womanhood. “I hope Doug isn’t upset with me,” she said as she replaced the lid on the pot. “I know it was cowardly not to deliver the cookies personally, but I was just too … embarrassed.” I got out the makings for a salad. “Doug assured me that the sauce for his sauerbraten won’t suffer any permanent damage as a result. The other spices—juniper berries, cloves, and bay leaves—will compensate.” “It’s the cardamom that makes my cookies stand out.”
