Kee Patterbee - Hannah Starvling 01 - The Chef at the Water's Edge (18 page)

“Alex was in charge of that case. I didn’t work it at all. Ed was in a car accident a month before Ms. Karas died and almost got himself killed. I pretty much spent three months at the hospital with him. He’s just recovering now. But anyway, Alex, he used to go on and on about the Karas affair. He was always so sure there was more to it than he was able to dig out. It bothered him that it closed with little question. I don’t think he ever let it go.”

“Like I said, there’s a lot of unanswered questions. And there was a lot of money involved. The kind of money Cate and I saw at Dr. Niu’s could come just from one source involved.”

“Asa Karas.”

Hannah agreed. “But Dr. Niu never got her money directly. It was all off shore account transfers and such. She’s willing to make a statement now, though. But I’ll need someone official to take it.”

“Well, it just so happens that I’m official.” Hym thought for a moment as he dunked the last of his second donut into his coffee and swallowed down the bite. “You realize, of course, at the moment it sounds as if there is no way to prove any of your suspects did anything. Not Karas. Nor Miller. They could have been just as surprised as Lin Niu upon hearing the lab results. Not to mention that the alteration of the report suggests suicide, not homicide. ”

“True. But it does give some solid ground to reopen the investigation, don’t you think?”

“Without a doubt,” he assured her. Wiping his mouth with a napkin, he asked, “Would you mind if I talked with your friends about this? Go over it again? Maybe a fresh set of eyes and all that.”

“I think that would be helpful.”

Hym smiled and Hannah wondered what was going through his mind.

“What does he think of me?” she pondered. Then she heard a mental snapping of fingers. Her inner voice screamed, “Get your head in the game!” She looked around the table. “Well, I suppose we should get going. It’s your job to clean the mean streets of Zebulon.”

Hym straightened up and shook his head. He then glanced down at his watch. “Oh. Look at the time. I lost track…Uh… Are you ready?”

Hannah rose, cleared her throat, and gathered her purse. He held the door for her as they exited.

Hym drove Hannah back to Louie’s. Once at the house, he walked her to the door. “I’ll arrange to get Niu’s statement and give you a call after.”

“Do you need my number?” Hannah offered.

Hym held up his cell. “I’ve got it already. I mean, it’s on the report … from last night.” There was a nervous pause. “Well, I’ll call you then.”

“It’s a date.” Hannah bit the corner of her lip.

“Another date … at this rate, we’ll get married by the end of tomorrow.”

Hannah’s face lit up in a manner she had not felt in years. “You say that like it’s a bad thing?” she said, not realizing she had also said it aloud.

Hym smiled. “I can think of worse.” He turned, got into the cruiser and pulled away, waving. Hannah stood watching as he drove away, unsure of what just happened. She had met the man the night before, and now she was praying he would call her. Not hoping, praying.

“Honey, you all right?” Hannah jumped as she heard Cate and felt her hand on her shoulder. “You’ve been standing here for like five minutes. What’s up?”

Hannah turned to look at her friend. “I have not.”

“Hand to heaven.”

Unsure of what to say, Hannah just turned and moved inside. Cate watched her and smiled. “You don’t have to be an investigator to see where this is going,” she said to herself as she followed.

It was around 4:00 p.m. when Hannah received Hym’s call. He had taken Niu’s official account. Then he managed to get the case reopened. Finally, he arranged to get assigned to it. “Zebulon’s a small town,” he said. “Despite all, it doesn’t take a lot to get the ball rolling around here.” When she hung up the phone, she made her request that everyone join her for dinner once more at
Julia’s Kitchen on the Water
. “Hym wants to talk to everyone some more,” she explained.

Despite her self-insistence that the meeting was business, on the inside she was eager to see Hym again. Even if it was within the confines of the group.

Later that evening at the restaurant, after re-introductions, the conversation turned again to Julia. Vera recalled her as being “…so beautiful. Inside and out. As I grew up, I watched her life unfold. It was an incredible journey for me. There were so many nights that I went to sleep wishing that she was my real mother. I never dreamed she was for real. She taught me the love of cooking. Every creation was something special. From her most notable dishes to the ones that I have in a small recipe box that were the beginnings of her simple method of cooking.” Vera smiled at Louie. “She often said, ‘When you’re eating something and the palate is telling you ‘ick’--”

“Add to the ingredients to mix until it is right,” Louie interrupted.

“What was she like after the magazines picked up that story about the affair?” Hym probed.

“She began to change and pull away from everybody. She cut everyone off. Asa, of course. But also her friends. Myself to a degree. When Asa tried to expose the accusations of an affair as a lie, the media just dug in deeper. It hurt her. She did her work on the show, but when she stepped off the set she became reclusive. Depressed. No one could convince her to seek professional help. She said, ‘It would just be more stuff for the media to print.’ I agreed with her. Still, she would not have taken her own life. She was adamant about taking life. I’m living proof.” Again, Vera looked at Louie. She put her hand in his and squeezed.

“Fair enough. But it won’t be enough to prove anything beyond just that. Death by accident in the attempt of suicide. We need more.”

Hannah took a sip of her iced tea. “That’s the conclusion we’ve come to as well.”

Hym thought for a moment. “Who beyond Karas, Miller and this Jazlyn person came into routine contact with her?”

“Any number of people, I suppose. Her home staff. Her work staff.” Vera paused. “Myself.”

“Any of those jealous or aggressive?” Hannah interceded.

Vera shook her head no. “Not anyone that comes to mind. But I can tell you that anyone who came into contact with Julia was either awed by her or jealous of her. Sometimes both. Men wanted her. Women wanted what she had. Asa, in particular. Women always pursue him.”

“How’d she respond to that?”

“She learned not to show her jealousy. Later, she didn’t care. It seemed the passion was over.”

Louie lifted his glass of wine and drank. “So, the number of suspects is endless, what with the men in her life trying to control her and women trying to take what she had. That is if you rule out the three obvious ones.”

“They remain a suspect where I’m concerned,” Hym assured. It was at that moment that the waitress arrived at the table followed by an assistant. Each was carrying a tray and a small folding stand. The group’s headwaiter began setting up as Hannah said, “I’m sorry, but we didn’t order dessert.”

The young woman smiled and said, “Yes, madam. But this is compliments of the chef. Julia Karas’ favorite dessert and individual creation. He insisted.”

“And the chef is?”

“Xabiere Dauphin, madam. At your service,” came a voice from behind.

Everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice and locked eyes onto a man in a chef’s uniform. Hannah studied him, and remembered having encountered him before. She clicked off details.
Tall, light build, close black beard and hair to match, dark eyes, and scar over left eye
... She paused, then it came to her. “Oh, yes,” she recalled. “He was speaking with Jazlyn when we first encountered him.”

Vera stood and peered at the man. “Xabiere? What are you doing here?” Hannah noted by her tone that she was uneasy in his presence and that she had become quite tense.

“Vera. So wonderful to see you again. Mr. Karas has employed me as the new head chef as of today. Cranston left town without explanation. I was convenient and available. The matter with Timothy was also resolved to Mr. Karas’ satisfaction. It would seem that Timothy was a ‘mole’. I believe that is the proper term for it.”

Hannah watched as both waitresses worked on the set up. “What is all this?”

“Chocolate Lava Cake with marinated Cherries Jubilee. It was Mrs. Karas’ favorite and most famous creation.” Xabiere looked at Vera again and gave a toothy grin. “And a favorite of Ms. Bessinger’s as well, as I recall.”

Vera sank back into her chair and replied in a meek voice. “Yes.”

“Well. I will leave you then in the capable hands of Daphne and Velma. Please enjoy. Again, wonderful to see you Ms. Bessinger.” Xabiere turned to leave and then stopped to look back at the group once more. “Oh, Mr. Woolridge. I understand you to have a canine. Critic is his name if I remember correctly. I’ve some tasty roasted spare rib with bones prepared for an order that was never taken. I would like for him to have them. I’ll have them wrapped and sent out at the end of your meal. I am such a fan. ”

Louie thanked Xabiere and with that, the chef left toward the kitchen.

“I wonder what that’s all about?” Louie asked.

“Me too,” thought Hannah.

After the dessert was lit, doused and served, everyone ate in silence for a bit. Watching everyone, Hannah determined that everyone half enjoyed the affair. “This would be exquisite under the right circumstance,” Cate commented. “But that man. He’s the definition of creepy.

The entire time, both Hannah and Hym watched Vera. For having received her favorite dessert, she just picked at the food.

“Something wrong?” Hym asked.

Vera produced a weak smile. “We have a history.”

Louie set down his napkin and frowned. “With that? He’s like my age.”

“Yes. With that. And yes, he is.”

Louie’s faced tightened. “We need to have a talk about men.”

“Time for a daddy talk,” Buster whispered to Cate and Hannah, which made all give repressed chuckles.

Hannah looked up to see Hym staring in the direction that Xabiere exited. “What’s on your mind?”

“What do we know about that guy?”

“Not much. But if you’re thinking he could have managed Julia’s demise, it looks doubtful. I read in Alex’s report that he was in the hospital on the night Julia died. He fell down a flight of stairs at his condo and hit his head on the wall as he bounced around. He had a concussion and doctors kept him overnight for observation.”

“Looks doubtful.” Hym emphasized the ‘looks’ part. “Remember what they taught you about looks at your FBI training?”

A look of realization played across Hannah’s face. “They can be deceiving.”

Cate looked back at Hannah and Hym. “What are you two going on about?”

Hannah picked up her glass of tea and tilted it toward Hym. “About how blind I’ve been up until now. Sometimes I can’t see the forest for the trees.”

It was the last day of the festival, and Hannah knew that time was not on her side. Working undercover as part of the Food Critic magazine staff, she had great access to the Karas studios as well as three of her top four suspects. With it concluding at the end of the charity ball at 12:00 midnight, all that would come to an end. Thereafter, she would have to count on Hym.

Louie, Vera, and Buster had left for the day’s events. She employed the three to look into Xabiere’s past and story of his sudden hiring. Although he had moved up on her list of ‘potentials’, as she called them, access to him would be much easier in the following days. Not so for Asa, Jazlyn and Miller. Today would offer her the last opportunity to size up their role in Julia’s death, be they innocent or otherwise.

Hannah decided that the first person to approach was Jack Miller. She guessed he would be at the studio office, at least for the first part of the day, to be near Jazlyn. He needed her contract as a means to stay within the Karas empire. Given her propensity toward picking up men, the way he could keep her on task was to hover over her. Cate came along as a backup since Hym could not join her due to his duties. “Be safe,” he warned. “And take your friend along just in case. She seems practical and not caught up in the intrigue of it all.” His words reminded Hannah of something her Grandpa Jay would say.

Once they arrived at the studio, both met up with Vera. She again led them past Malcolm at the guard stand. He greeted Vera with his usual uncertain demeanor. As they made their way up to the elevators that would take them to where Vera and Miller had offices, Cate said, “You know he likes you, right?”

Vera looked at Cate. “Malcolm.” She slowed her pace but then turned to look back in the direction where the guard would be. “Are you serious?”

“Oh. Yeah,” Hannah agreed. “And, if you don’t mind my saying, a lot less sketchy than Xabiere.”

The elevators opened, and they got in. “Huh,” Vera said, peering back in the direction of the guard. The grin on her face suggested to Hannah that she was considering the possibilities.

Arriving on the floor where Miller and she shared offices, Vera pretended to have just met them on the way in. She proceeded to her office as Hannah suggested. Approaching the floor receptionist, Hannah whispered to Cate, “Follow my lead.”

The receptionist looked up from her station and smiled. “May I help you?”

Removing her hat, Hannah produced her charming smile. “Perhaps. My friend and I are journalists from Food Critic magazine. We would like to feature Mr. Miller in our next issue. Our original slot didn’t work out and now we are up against a deadline. A friend suggested him as a better replacement, anyway. So since we are at the event, and I’m sure he could use the publicity, is there any possibility that he could see us right away?”

The receptionist looked over to Cate, who at first seemed lost but then recovered. “Yes, I’m sure our readers have an interest in learning about Julia Karas’ accomplished manager. But if we don’t get our story in today, I’m afraid we will not be able to feature him in next month’s edition.”

“Of course, please have a seat and I’ll check to see if he is available.”

“Thanks.”

The receptionist called up Miller and soon she showed them the door to his office. “He is waiting for you,” the receptionist confirmed.