Sweet vindication

Bena Mae Seivers

Life goes on, as the saying goes. It was hard for me to believe that I had been caught up in a drama not unlike what I had seen in the movies or read about in crime novels. Even in high school I was fascinated with Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes mystery novels, graduating to the grittier Mickey Spillane, Nero Wolfe crime stories.

But never did I think I would play a role so close to what I had read in fiction. It was totally unbelievable and left me wondering if I could place my trust in anyone anymore.

I had stayed on a couple of years but the job was no fun anymore. So I decided to retire.

One day before I left, I was sitting at my desk when the phone rang. I picked it up and on the other end of the line was the voice of the federal prosecutor who was head of the FBI in Knoxville. I had met him when I gave my testimony before the federal grand jury and knew he was a man of importance. I was a little taken aback. The federal prosecutor wanted to talk to me!

“Mrs. Seivers,” he said, “I just want you to know that during the investigation of the sheriff, you came out shining like a beacon in a dark tunnel. Everyone we asked about you said you were a person whose honesty was above reproach. That you would never be a part of what the sheriff was planning to do.”

Although my conscious was clear it was sweet vindication to hear him say what I knew in my heart was true. And so closes one of the darkest periods of my life.

Post script: The sheriff died a few years after his release from prison. I often think about how things might have been different.

Pineapple Bars

There are only a few ingredients and this is super easy to make.

Ingredients
Crust and Topping
1½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup sugar
pinch salt
1½ sticks cold butter (cubed)

Filling
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
½ cup sour cream
pinch salt
1 16 oz can crushed pineapple – drained

Coconut Drizzle
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons half and half
1 teaspoon coconut extract

Instructions
Spray 9×13 glass baking dish with non stick spray.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add flour, sugar, salt and cubed butter to mixing bowl, beat until combined and crumbly.
Take 1 cup of the topping mixture and set aside.
Take remaining mixture and firmly press into your baking dish, covering the bottom. Bake 15 minutes.
While crust is baking – whisk eggs in a large bowl, then add sugar, sour cream, flour and salt. Gently fold in pineapple.
When crust is ready – remove from oven and add filling. Gently spooning over the top of the crust.
Sprinkle with remaining crust mixture you had set aside.
Bake 1 hour or until top is lightly browned.
Cool for 15 minutes.
Using a fork drizzle topping mixture over bars.