Killer Comfort Food

by Lynn Cahoon

  “You question everything.”

  “And everyone. Paranoid and proud of it.”

  After putting the dishes in the dishwasher, they told Dom goodbye and got into Ian’s truck. Angie watched out the window as they drove away. “I may not be able to get back here before service. If I don’t, can you come out and feed the zoo?”

  “Of course. Then I’ll stop by the restaurant and eat. Just stay in the kitchen until I get there, okay?”

  Angie shook her head. “This guy isn’t getting me to adjust my life, just for him. But”—she put a hand out to stop Ian’s response—“I will let you hang around for the next few days. I think it’s overkill, but I’m not stupid, either.”

  “And I’ll drive you back home and sleep in the guest room.” He winked at her. “At least that’s our cover story.”

  “Are you sure you’re not just campaigning for more time together?” She leaned back in the seat, trying to relax.

  “Would you mind if I was?” Ian turned on the stereo, and the rest of the trip was filled with music and a little car karaoke.

  When they got to the Ansley home, Ian parked on the street. They stared at the house. The snow from the last big storm still covered the yard, but the driveway and sidewalks were cleared. The blinds were closed, and the house looked dark.

  “You ready for this?” Ian took the keys out of his truck and jangled them. “We could just go home, or maybe out to lunch.”

  “He might tell us something important.” Angie reached out to squeeze Ian’s hand. “Let’s go talk to the guy. If he’s crazy, we’ll leave. If he gives us anything, you can call your uncle on the way back to River Vista.”

  “Sounds like a plan. But I didn’t hear any lunch stops added in there.” Ian grinned at her. “Promising me a meal will make sure I protect you as we go inside the fun house.”

  “Dude, you’ve already shown your hand. You’ve set yourself up as my protector this morning. You should have negotiated better.” Angie opened the door to the truck and slid out until her feet touched the sidewalk.

  “You know the fire and frying pan saying, right?” Ian got out on his side and walked around the truck. “Let’s do this thing.”

  “Okay, Rambo.” Angie laughed as Ian took her arm in his and they made their way up the driveway.

  When Angie rang the bell, she heard a rustle inside. She rang again, and a dog started barking. “Hey, Timber, is your dad home?”

  The barking was closer now, but Angie also heard some footsteps. The door opened, and a sleepy-looking Jon poked his head out, squinting at the sun. “Is it already that late? Damn, I was hoping to get a shower first to make it appear like I’m not some unemployed bum.”

  “You look fine.” Angie glanced around him to see Timber standing in the hallway. “Can we come in, so Timber doesn’t escape?”

  “What? Oh yeah, sorry, please come inside.” He opened the door wider and reached back for Timber’s collar. “The maid didn’t come this week, so the place is a mess. I think I was supposed to pay her or something last time. How was I supposed to know? Susan took care of all of these things.”

  They walked inside and stood in the foyer. Angie decided to take some control over the situation. “We can’t stay long, Jon. What did you want to show us?”

  “First, I wanted to tell you that she’s not at the cabin. Timber and I went up a few days ago. It’s empty. And second, you need to tell me if that dress is something she would have ordered for the cotillion. I don’t know much about dresses, but it’s all sparkly and crap. She had to have bought it for that stupid dance.” He stared at her for a long time, then nodded to the stairs. “Go look in her closet. The gown was delivered yesterday. She ordered a freaking dress for this dance she was working on. She wouldn’t have just left if she ordered a dress, would she?”

  Angie and Ian moved up the stairs and looked down at Jon for directions. He pointed and they turned left. Ian pulled her closer. “I think the guy is over the edge. A long way over the edge.”

  “If there’s a dress in the closet, he’s right. Those things cost a lot of money, and no one is going to just pack up and leave a few months before an event like this. She wouldn’t have even ordered a dress. She was planning on being at the cotillion.” She swung open two double doors and stepped inside what could only be the master bedroom. “I wonder if any of her suitcases are gone.”

  “The point is, she’s gone. And no one knows where she went off to.” Ian pointed to the full set of matching luggage in the closet.

  Angie pointed to the dress. “It’s here too. If she was running away with a lover, wouldn’t she at least have packed some clothes?”

  Chapter 9

  Angie and Ian were sitting in the office of Sheriff Allen Brown. He’d been out on a call when they’d arrived, but Ian talked the receptionist into letting them wait there until his uncle returned.

  Angie glanced back at the open door and at the officer who had turned his chair sideways so he could watch them as they sat waiting. “He’s not happy you talked him into letting us sit here.”

  “Blake’s a tool at times, but he means well. And he’s devoted to my uncle.” Ian picked up a magazine from the coffee table in the large office. He pointed to the cover. “Look, according to Law Enforcement Quarterly cybercrime is up ten percent over last year.”

  “Soon you’re going to have to be a computer geek with a master’s degree to even apply for the police force.” Angie raised her voice a little, hoping that Blake, the tool, might hear her. She was pretty sure the guy hadn’t finished college, since he looked like he should be in high school.

  “Be nice.” Ian spoke in a low voice and didn’t look at her. “And you wonder why you run into roadblocks at times. Sometimes I think you like twisting people by their chain.”

  “He started it,” Angie murmured.

  Ian chuckled and set the magazine down. “I don’t doubt it.”

  Sheriff Allen Brown came through the door and slipped off his gun belt. He closed the door and hung the belt on a hook, taking the gun out. Sitting at his desk, he unlocked a drawer, slipped the gun inside, and then keyed in a code. Finally, he looked at both of them. “Before I yell at Blake for letting you in my office, tell me why you’re here.”

  They went through the morning’s visit to Jon Ansley. Angie finished up with a question. “Since her luggage is still there, doesn’t that prove that she’s missing, not just a runaway wife?”

  He picked up a pen and tapped it on the desk. “Tell me, Angie, what would you do if your house was on fire?”

  Fear gripped her. “Oh no. Is that where you were? Is Dom okay? Did the barn get damaged? Where’s Dom?”

  He shook his head. “No, there’s nothing wrong. Sorry, I used a bad example. I guess you and Ian talked about our concerns for your safety?”

  Angie nodded, rubbing her suddenly sweaty hands on her jeans. “So, Dom’s okay? There wasn’t a real fire?”

  “Merely a what-if. Tell me what you would do if you were in the building and your home was on fire.”

  “I’d take Dom outside and put him in my car and I’d grab his bag and mine as we’re going. And if there was time, I’d move the car near the barn and then go back in to get my Nona’s recipe books, my jewelry box, and my knives. Then…”

  “You’d take your knives?” Both Allen and Ian were staring at her.

  “Yeah. My chef knives. I paid a lot for them, and I’d hate to have to replace them. You know how things start to just mold to your hand? That’s the way these are now.” She rolled her shoulders. “So why are we playing a sad game of what-if?”

  “Let me change the question. What if you were an abused wife and saw a chance to escape, what would be so important that you’d risk being caught to take?” His brown eyes stared into her.

  “My dog. I’d take my dog if I loved him as much as Susan i
s supposed to have loved Timber.”

  Allen leaned back in his chair, now tapping the pen on the arm of the chair. “You’re right. I should have realized that.” He opened a file and started writing.

  Ian leaned toward the desk. “So, you agree with us. You think she’s been kidnapped?”

  “I think she was taken unwillingly from her home, yes. Now, was it her husband or someone else? That I don’t know yet. But I suspect she was kidnapped.” He set the pen down and rubbed at his face. “I really don’t like having two open cases involving missing or murdered women on my desk.”

  “I don’t blame you.” Angie stood. “I guess I need to go and get the County Seat ready for service. Have you found out anything about the woman you found in the park?”

  “She went missing about three months ago while walking home from a yoga class in California. Then she shows up here. That’s all I’ve got so far.” He shook his head, and Ian stood to go with Angie.

  “Thanks for seeing us.” Ian held out his hand, and the two men shook. “I guess we’re coming over for dinner on Sunday?”

  “Maybe, depends on where this case goes in the next two days. I’ll have Maggie call you.” Allen stood behind the desk. He nodded at Angie, then sat back down.

  Angie looked at Ian. They had been dismissed. He didn’t say anything until they got outside the station. “Look, he means well. He’s just got a lot on his plate.”

  “Believe me, that’s one of the best conversations I’ve had with your uncle. Don’t worry about it.” Angie tucked her arm into Ian’s, and they crossed the road. “Sorry to have you run back out to the house.”

  “Animals need fed. It’s a fact of life. You can’t have animals if you’re not going to adjust your lifestyle to take care of them.” He glanced up at her face, then quickly added, “I didn’t mean you. You have adjusted your life. You let me in.”

  “And you get stuck taking care of my zoo.” They paused outside the front door of the restaurant. She tried to open the door and then let it go when she found it wasn’t locked. “We might have to change the way we work here. Maybe we should be more careful.”

  “In your favor, you tried to give Precious back when we realized she was from the Moss Dairy farm. It just didn’t happen before you fell madly in love with the silly girl.” He brushed back a lock of hair from her eyes. “Besides, I’m one of the zoo. They like me.”

  “They like anyone who feeds them.” Angie smiled up at him. “Are you coming back for dinner?”

  “Yes, but probably pretty late. I’ve got some work I needed to finish today, and since we’ve been out playing, I haven’t gotten it done.” He squeezed her hand. “Stay safe, okay?”

  “You too.”

  He laughed. “I don’t have a crazed developer out there wanting to kill me for not selling the linchpin for his new development.” He held the door open for her.

  “And for me, that’s just a rumor.” She patted his chest. “That being said, I loved our time together today. We’re going to have fun when we retire.”

  “I like the sound of that.” He leaned in for a sweet, slow kiss. Taking a step back, he looked at her.

  Angie felt a heat wave run down her body. So not fair. “I’ve got to go.”

  “Your carriage will be here when you’re ready to return to the castle, my lady.” He grinned.

  “Great. Maybe you can upgrade the truck before we’re seen inside it and rumors start to fly.”

  He motioned her inside. “Small town, big rumors. Get inside before you freeze.”

  Nancy was waiting for her outside her office. Angie gave her a quick hug. Holding her at arm’s length gave her the ability to study her drawn face and sunken eyes. “Nancy, how are you?”

  “I’m fine. It’s been a long night, though.” Nancy rubbed a hand over her face. “Anyway, I need a favor. Just for tonight. I couldn’t find a sitter, and my mom’s out of town.”

  “Do you need to take off? I can call in a temp.” She unlocked the office door and motioned Nancy inside. “Sit down. You look terrible.”

  “Gee, thanks.” But Nancy sat. “Actually, I’d rather work if possible. I don’t want to get behind on my budget, but in order to do that, I have to bring the kids with me.”

  “Sure.” Angie powered up her computer. “You can put them in the banquet room. Will they be okay alone, or should we have one of the servers watch them?”

  “My oldest is thirteen. She’s already babysitting for other families. She’ll keep the younger two in check. I’ll have to feed them, though.”

  “Take a break when you need to and make them something to eat. We have plenty of food here. Of course, they might not like some of our more upscale items.” Angie smiled at an unbidden memory. “I don’t think I ate mushrooms until I was in culinary school.”

  “Felicia told me the same thing when I asked her about the kids.” Nancy sank back into the chair. “But I wanted to make sure it was okay with you. Kids don’t belong in the workplace.”

  “Families do belong.” Angie ignored the unread email that was calling to her and focused on Nancy. “You had a break-in yesterday. It’s only normal for you to want to keep your kids close by. I think you’ll be a better chef if you’re not worried about what is happening at your house.”

  “They can burn the house to the ground, as long as they let the dogs out first,” Nancy admitted. “But my kids, I need to know they are safe.”

  “Then they’ll be in the banquet room. We’ll set up the TV and DVD player we use for trainings if you want to bring in some movies. If not, Felicia has a large collection. I’m sure you’ll find a few the kids will like.”

  “I love working here. For you.” Nancy stood to leave. “I’ll make it up to you somehow.”

  “Just get them settled, then go to work. This isn’t a favor, it’s an accommodation for a team member.” Angie watched her leave the office and opened a new window on her computer. Then she spent the next hour trying to track down any information on Celcat Developing. She needed to know if there was a connection between Nancy’s ex-husband and Taylor Farms.

  By the time she had to go to the kitchen, she hadn’t found one. Yet, she told herself. Not yet.

  As service progressed, Angie focused on the food. Cooking eased her mind. Feeding people made her happy. And those two things, ease and happiness, had been in short supply lately. When Felicia came in to let her know that Ian had arrived, she let her shoulders relax.

  “Is something wrong?” Nancy stepped close to her and asked, her voice low.

  “No, I’m just a little on edge.” Angie wiped the edge of a plate before giving it to a server.

  “I know what that looks like. I had just stopped looking over my shoulder when I went outside, and now Charles is back in town.” She picked up a towel and refolded it. “He’s the one who was in my house. I don’t care what anyone says, it was him.”

  “Are the kids doing okay?” Angie asked. “You know you can leave if you need to.”

  “I’m not staying inside and hiding. He’s not controlling my life again.” Nancy took a big breath. “I want you to know that I’m going to be here, doing my job.”

  “Nancy, I totally believe in you. And if you need to be here, you’re more than welcome. But if you need to leave or take some time for yourself, I’ll understand.” Angie put a hand on Nancy’s arm. “We’re family. We take care of each other.”

  Nancy’s eyes filled with tears. “Now you’ve done it. You’ve made me cry.”

  “Tears are a sign of hope and joy,” Estebe said from his spot on the line. “You tell me if you need a new house. I have several rentals empty right now. We can get you to a different place where he won’t know where you are.”

  “You are a good friend.” Nancy nodded and wiped her eyes. “And now I’m going to go back to cooking and forget we ever had this conversation.
”

  “Except for my offer,” Estebe called after her. “I can hire movers and have you moved in twenty-four hours or less.”

  The others were quiet for a while, but soon, the chatter of the kitchen started up, but on a happier tone than the night had started. The ice had been broken and the problem addressed. They’d all be okay.

  When service ended, Angie walked out to the almost-empty dining room and joined Ian at the bar. He was just finishing his dinner. He grinned up at her. “This home-fried chicken is the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”

  “Thanks. It’s one of Nancy’s recipes we brought in from last month’s family meal.” She took a spoon and ate a bite of his potatoes. “I’ve got Estebe making me something to eat before he leaves, if you don’t want to leave quickly.”

  “Eat. You probably need fuel. You had a full house out here.” He glanced around the dining room.

  “Anyone look off?”

  He shook his head. “A lot of couples from my church, but not a suspicious character in the lot.”

  “If you are the one vouching for people, we may have a problem.” Estebe set a French dip in front of Angie, then reached out to shake Ian’s hand.

  “Hey now, I’m a good person. I know good people.” He slapped Estebe on the back. “How have things been? Angie’s not working you too hard, is she?”

  “Your sweet girlfriend is a slave driver here in the kitchen. You should marry her and take her away from all this before she runs us into the ground.”

  “You two are cute, you know that, right?” Angie picked up the sandwich and dipped it into the au jus. She almost groaned, it tasted that good. “You are a food god, Estebe.”

  “That I know.” He nodded to Ian. “I have to go clean the kitchen. No rest for the wicked.”

  Nancy came up behind him with a sleeping five-year-old in her arms. The girl’s curly blond hair covered her face as she turned into her mom’s shoulder. An older girl stood holding hands with a boy who must have been about eight. “We’re out of here. I’d have them say thanks, but I think this one is out for the count.”