1 21/2- to 3-pound fryer chicken
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise (Hellmann’s brand preferred)
Flour for dredging, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste
11/2 cups plain dry bread crumbs
2 ounces vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chicken stock
Cut chicken into 6 pieces (2 legs, 2 thighs, and 2 breast halves) and remove all skin. Make egg wash by combining eggs, milk, and mayonnaise; mix well. Get each piece of chicken good and wet in the egg wash. Roll chicken in seasoned flour, shake off excess, then dip chicken back in egg wash, and finally roll into bread crumbs. Make sure chicken is completely coated.
In a large frying pan, heat oil and butter, then chicken over medium heat, cooking on all sides until nicely browned, approximately 15 minutes. Remove chicken and place on warm plate. With a wooden spoon scrape all browned bits from pan into a bowl or any nonplastic container and set aside. (These drippings may be used to make gravy.) Place chicken back in pan and pour in stock. Cover pan and steam chicken for 30 minutes over very low heat. Serves 3.
I missed the people that I had become friendly with in Fort Myers, and I also missed my income. Irving gave me an additional payment for my outstanding service. At least this is what I told myself. And I really believed it. I was pretty flush at the time. Cash-wise, that is. Although I made a donation every four months to a needy organization and I gave Belinda $1,200, every time I received a payment I still had enough for a good time. It wasn’t like I kept it all for myself. I shared whatever I could with others. It made me feel like that guy Robin Hood. Him being some kind of a hood made me wonder if Robin was from the Gambino’s.
I had been living in this apartment for about six or seven months now, and I left my place to drive to the grocery store. As I drove through the security gate, I noticed a late-model car across the street parked on the embankment. As I made a right turn, I saw his headlights go on. The car pulled right behind me and was following me. I pulled into a parking lot where this large grocery store was and went inside and got a shopping cart. I pushed the cart behind one of the aisles and waited to see if anyone who looked familiar or suspicious came into the store. I watched for about five minutes, then started to shop. I thought to myself that I could have been mistaken. I had my gun with me and I carried it always, ever since that incident at the club in Fort Myers Beach. I was paranoid a lot since then, so I was very careful. When I checked out, I asked the cashier for an extra bag, and I was leaving with my groceries and I held the gun inside the bag, just in case someone tried to surprise me: then I would be able to defend myself. They didn’t, but that same car was behind me again, and soon after I pulled out of that parking lot. I went through the security gate, and in my rearview mirror I noticed that the car went back to its same position on the lawn across the way.
I was on the phone immediately, talking to the guard at the gate, asking him if he knew who was in the car across the street from him. He told me it was a private investigator. He also told me that someone else had called the police, and the police questioned him, and he had to show his ID. The police told the guard that the man was within his rights because it was private property. I called up Larry and informed him about what happened and he said to get out of the area quickly. I was hungry, so I made myself a quick cup of coffee and I ate some leftover cheesecake that I had made.