Louie half smiled and nodded. “Already handled. With all the crowds coming, I went ahead and got full event passes for us. I’ve been neck deep in the roll out. My company agreed to let me be the front man to the tasting events, which should get us in close. I doubt anyone expected this event to be so big, or for it to be so well publicized. Now the concern is safety and more security for a massive event.”
“How big are we talking?” Hannah probed.
“Oh, a hundred thousand, best estimate.”
Shooting a quizzical look at Hannah, Cate asked, “Oh, come on. That’s rather large. She was, not to be offensive or anything, just a television chef. It’s not like she was Beard or Childs.”
Louie nodded. “Well, I guess we’ll see. In my opinion, that’s a conservative estimate.” He looked around at his guests’ stunned faces. “Her fame has grown even more in her death, as it does with true superstars.”
“What kind of access can you get us to the inner circle?” Cate inquired, biting her lip.
“Well, as of now, you are my assistants. That should get you close to the man himself.”
For a second, the girls looked puzzled, then a soft smile spread across Hannah’s face, and she said, “Perfect. Provided of course, I don’t have to eat all day!”
Buster interjected. “Hey. Hey, now. Speak for yourself. A job requiring eating all day? Now, that is employment I can handle.”
Louie punched him on the shoulder. “Some things never change, dude. You still got that hollow leg.”
“You got that right.” Cate was laughing so hard she began choking on her latte. All the excited laughter got Critic barking, much to the amusement of all.
“What is he?” Hannah said, grabbing the sides of the poor dog’s face and forcing them into a sort of smile. “He looks part wolf and part bear. “He looks just like a big ole teddy bear.”
“As long as he has eaten his dinner,” Louie said.
“But he doesn’t like the taste of pretty girls, so you’re good Hannah,” Buster added with a wink toward Louie, who grinned.
“Ha, well, then, you should do well for his next meal then.”
Louie patted his leg, which served to call the dog over. He held up one finger and commanded, “Critic, tell Hannah you love her,”
“I luv you!” Critic howled, imitating his master as best a dog could muster. With that, Critic helped lighten the mood of the group. They decided it was time to find their rooms and freshen up.
After gathering up their luggage, Louie led them through the small but airy house. It reminded Hannah of a small bed and breakfast in the town of Twilight where she, Cate and Buster had grown up, with every room having a bathroom attached. Tight and comfortable. “Will this do?” Louie inquired as he showed Hannah her room. “Fine,” she said. “I’ll be as snug as a bug in a rug.”
Louie made a mock-horrified face. “Geez, I hope not. I just spent a bundle getting this house fumigated. Old Critic, here, he’s my buddy. He’s also a walking invitation for infestation.” Hanna looked at the dog, who wagged his tail at the attention. It’s true, she thought to herself. Pets sometimes come to look like their masters. The thought made her repress a private laugh.
“Come on, boy,” Louie said, patting Critic’s head. “I need to get you a treat before I lose your loyalty.” He turned and headed down the hall. He stopped to call out, “Dinner in two hours, so put on your nice duds. We’re going to the best restaurant ever.”
Chapter 3
Dinner was, as Hannah suspected, at Julia’s Kitchen on the Water. Initial conversation centered on extended introductions between Hannah and Louie. Louie was particularly interested in Hannah’s top hat and goggles. She gracefully explained how she had always loved the Victorian era, especially the late period. A case had led her to a shop that had the hat. Upon questioning about the goggles with it, she had been introduced to the world of Victorian steampunk. Hannah found she liked the clothing, and the sentiment of culture, so she adopted some of the articles into her daily wear. The hat and goggles were just a bonus.
Everyone found the idea fascinating. But given the location of the restaurant, it did not take long for the conversation to start up once again. The subject returned to the late chef and the accident that took her. Hannah started a log of mental notes. She took notes of the photos of Julia’s humble beginnings in the museum connected to the famous eatery. She wanted to capture the setting and all the important elements of the historic restaurant and building. So photogenic, she thought as she tapped the screen.
“Louie, what was the timeline in her career up until she began her show?” Hannah asked.
“Well, she was just Julianna Durbin, a country girl from Bucks County back then, and she...”
Hannah glanced over at Buster and Cate. Louie’s historical knowledge engrossed both of them. She could hear the passion in his voice as he chronicled the start of Julia’s career. It continued all the way to the day he heard about her death. By the time he concluded, he was trying to hide the tears in his eyes.
“I was just devastated when I got the news. The thoughts of never seeing her again except in my dreams set off a depression that has affected me to this day.
Hannah put her hand on his forearm. “I’m sorry. I understand that spending the next few days immersed in her life will be painful.”
He smiled through his sadness. “It isn’t about me. It’s about her.”
Hannah considered the look on Louie’s face as one of complete devotion. For this man, who was in love with a dead woman, Julia Karas was kindness personified. As she pondered the situation, she wondered about the potential harm or good this case might cause. Could she win either way? If she confirmed her death was no accident, it would open an investigation that would keep this man’s emotions raw for years to come. If she found out that it was an accident, would he be able to grieve and then move through the process back into life again? Such questions weighed heavy on the amateur investigator long after they had retired for the evening.
***
The next morning, Hannah woke with a start as Louie yelled up the stairs, “Rise and shine!” She rolled out of bed, made her way over to the door and cracked it. Hearing it open, Louie turned and looked to see a woman who was not yet awake. Her hair shot in a multitude of directions. Her face screamed of weariness. Her eyes spoke more of the living dead than ‘I’ll be there in just a moment’.
“Sorry to wake you. But I’m supposed to be working the pre-event setups in an hour and traffic will be murder.”
Hannah yawned. “Coffee?”
At that moment, both Buster and Cate exited their rooms and headed down the hall toward Louie. Seeing Hannah, Buster called out, “Big guy! Didn’t I warn you last night about feeding the bear?”
Cate nudged Buster into the wall. “Oww,” he exclaimed in a loud voice to emphasize his fake injury. She then took Louie by the arm and led him toward the stairs as she tossed out to Hannah, “On the landing when you are ready.” Hannah nodded and closed the door.
Looking over to Cate, Louie asked, “Not a morning person I take it?”
“Not in any fashion,” Cate said. “Remind me later to show you my scars.”
Just under fifteen minutes later, Hannah made her way down the staircase. Dressed in casual business attire like Cate, Louie commented, “Nice.” He ushered her toward the front door, where Buster stood waiting with a cup of coffee just for her. Taking it from him, she drew it to her nose as she took a breath. She then proceeded to start her day with a sip. “Liiiiifffffeeee.”
Her reaction made Louie chuckle before asking, “Do you have everything you need? It’s going to be a long day, but we can always relax in the media RV if need be.”
“I think we’re good,” Hannah assured him, looking to Cate, who nodded in agreement.
“I understand that small towns aren’t used to this kind of activity. So where are most of the venues going to be?” Cate asked.
As she stepped through th
e door, followed by Hannah, both women paused to take in a large RV sitting in the driveway. A large Food Critic logo stood out on the side of the vehicle. “Wow,” both uttered in unison. Louie continued as if it were an ordinary vehicle and urged them to enter as he answered the question.
“Karas, Inc. owns a good part of this town now. Asa began buying everything a while back. He has spent a fortune on Zebulon. To answer your question, there will be the usual stuff throughout the city. Booths, hawkers, and such. The larger events will be at the TV studio on the edge of town. There’s plenty of room there to support the crowds. Asa’s had massive tents trucked in and set up on the land near the main studio, for the food tastings and such. It used to be farmland. The food samples are coming over from the studio test kitchens. In addition, he called in favors. It would seem many people owe him. The state highway department is helping lay out navigation routes into the town. That should keep the flow of traffic as efficient as possible. He’s hired retired military for security and stationed them everywhere. The gravesite is of special concern. There are always some vultures who want to grab a piece of history and Asa intends to nip that in the bud.”
“I’ll give this to the man,” Buster said as he stepped into the RV, “he believes in control.”
Once Louie introduced everyone to the driver, they settled into the rear of the vehicle and chatted. Along the short trip to the studio, all could see from the side window crowds already wandering the town’s streets. He was right, Hannah considered to herself, this is going to be huge. From where she sat, she could see the studio on a knoll in the distance. Pointing to the structure, Louie explained that it was the main studio and well over 70,000 square feet
“It never dawned on me that Karas, Inc., had so much wealth. Or that this was going to be so huge,” Hannah said. She leaned forward to get a better view as they passed the main gate.
As the RV came to a stop and everyone began exiting, Louie continued to tell them about Asa Karas. “He’s an astute businessman, to say the least,” Louie scoffed. “Before becoming the largest land baron of the county, or should I say the state, he was already wealthy. Made his money in oil. He became even richer after Julia married him.”
“A billionaire, right?” Buster asked.
Louie affirmed with a nod, adding, “A couple times over.”
“Now, that’s wealth,” Buster said as he climbed out of the vehicle. Hannah pulled on a coat just in case the buildings were cold. She also put on her top hat with goggles in place. Cate and Louie emerged behind the others, putting on the protective UV sunglasses provided to them against the morning sun.
Louie stopped dead in his tracks and went pale as they proceeded to the studio tent setup for media. “It’s almost like looking into the past,” he mumbled aloud. “She could be Julia.”
The group’s eyes followed to where the man was looking. Behind a desk under the tent was a petite, thin yet curvy young woman. She wore conservative, oversized clothing while passing out materials and directing the workers. She had large glasses, which half hid her violet eyes, with dark brown hair rolled in a tight ponytail at the back of her neck.
“Could she be a relative of Julia’s?” Cate whispered to Louie.
Louie shook his head to clear it. “I don’t know. I guess so. I mean, I could have sworn it was Julia. My heart stood still for a moment.”
“That is odd,” Hannah stated in a questioning tone. “She does resemble her, but…”
Louie stiffened and shook his head again. “No. She doesn’t. She can’t. It’s just a trick of the memory.
Hannah turned to Louie for answers. “Come on,” she said, “Let’s find out who this is.”
As the four approached the woman under the tent, another woman stood just behind and was in a discussion with a man. Something about the intensity of the ongoing dialogue caught Hannah’s attention. The man was tall and slim. Hannah decided him to be in his late forties. He sported a close-cropped black beard and hair to match. She also noticed a small scar on his forehead over his left eye. The woman was tall, thin, with short-cropped black hair, and from Hannah’s vantage point, deep green eyes. She determined her to be in her early twenties. Hannah watched as the beautiful young woman listened to what the man was saying before taking a manila envelope from him. She nodded as he exited. She then stepped up beside the first woman. She was a familiar face to Buster, Hannah, and Louie from her official photos.
“Jazlyn Karas!” Buster exclaimed much to the surprise of all present. “Wow!”
Jazlyn looked surprised and pleased to find herself noticed by the handsome man. “Thank you,” she said. In a breathy voice she added, “You’re kinda ‘Wow,’ yourself.”
The other woman who was passing out papers tapped Jazlyn on the shoulder and thrust some papers her way.
Before he could stop himself, Louie blurted out, “Excuse me. But are you related to Julia?”
Taken aback, the young woman paused. She turned to Jazlyn for answers, before turning back to stare at the group. “No,” she said in a sharp, stern voice.
“Allow me to present to you Ms. Vera Bessinger,” Jazlyn explained to the group. Hannah noted a slight distaste in Jazlyn’s voice. “I suppose she does bear some resemblance to my late aunt, doesn’t she?”
“Some?” Louie added in disbelief.
Everyone turned to look at the woman, who fidgeted under everyone’s scrutiny. “Here’s the material for later on. If you’ll excuse me.” Hannah noted a hint of a foreign accent. French, perhaps? she questioned herself.
Louie’s eyes followed Vera’s every step as she headed back toward the studio and exited the area through a large metal door. Cate put a comforting arm around his side, bringing him out of his thoughts, as Jazlyn called after, “Thank you, Vera. I will see you in a bit.” She then turned and looked at the group.
“Vera has worked for Karas, Inc., for quite a while. Uncle Asa kept her on working with us in an executive position. She was going to take over Aunt Julia’s spot on the show. After the accident, he felt that her similar looks might cause problems for the audience. I guess that is why he brought me in to replace her on the show. I am a chef, as well, and a family member.” She then added with a smug air, “I guess her loss is my gain.”
“Indeed,” Louie said in a noticeable, disappointed tone. He then extended his hand to Jazlyn. “Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Louie Wooldridge. These are my associates. This is Buster and Cate Jordan. And Hannah Starvling in the hat.”
“Well, hello to you all. So nice to make your acquaintance.”
Jazlyn looked up to Hannah’s top hat. “Nice hat,” she cooed. “Victorian?”
“Yes,” Hannah answered.
“Then we must talk sometime,” Jazlyn said in an interested tone.
“I’m sure we will.”
Looking Louie over, Jazlyn studied him. “But I do believe I have heard the name of Wooldridge before.” Turning to Louie, she asked, “Did you know Aunt Julia, by chance?”
“Why yes, I did. We went to school together a long time ago. She became a chef. I became a critic,” Louie replied.
“Oh, my, I can’t believe it is you. Julia often talked about her best friend in the world when she was younger. A thousand times. Louie Wooldridge. She called you … what was it now … Louie-Louie?” she said with enthusiasm.
Louie blushed at the memory and nodded. “That she did,” he added. “Jules used to tease me like that.”
“It is such a pleasure to meet you. We must have dinner soon so you can tell me all your stories about my aunt. I miss her so much,” Jazlyn replied.
“Of course. I miss her, too. I will never forget her. I doubt anyone who ever met her would.”
Buster stuttered. “Excuse me for butting in, but could I be so bold and ask you to sign an autograph for my mother?” he said to Jazlyn.
Jazlyn was all smiles, and Hannah noted that she seemed pleased that handsome Buster asked.
“Let me do something fo
r you a little better than that,” she quipped. “Follow me up to the studio? I have some press photos there that I can sign … for your mother.” She was looking straight at Buster. There was no denying the instant chemistry between the two. “I can show you … all, around my studio.”
“The studio? You’ve got to be kidding!” Buster exclaimed, exchanging an excited look with Louie. “I’d love to!”
“Wow,” mused Hannah to Cate. “She’s nice.”
“Yeah, well, Buster kind of has that effect on women,” Cate noted with a half-grin.
“Well, in truth, the estate belongs to Asa, now that poor Julia is gone. But seeing as your ‘mother’ is such a fan, it’s the least I can do,” Jazlyn responded with a laugh. “Anyway, how will I find out where such a handsome man comes from? Come on. We can take the shuttle car up.”
Chapter 4
The ride over to the studio did not take long. Within a few minutes, they had reached the main entrance to the complex, bypassing the crowded front iron gates to the studio. They stopped once to answer the directions of the guard. After acknowledging Jazlyn, he waved the group along.
Hannah glanced over at Louie to see how he was doing. He seemed lost in thought. Thinking that this was not easy for him and wondering why he did not bow out of this trip was something that mystified her. Was the shock at seeing Vera too much? Enough to push him over the edge? She questioned, and then decided to herself to keep an eye on him over the next few days.
The small electric vehicle came to a stop before a massive, multi-story, red brick building. Jazlyn piped up, “Welcome to the studio, which I call home sweet home.” She waved them along, adding, “There are three complete apartments upstairs. There was nothing available close to the studio when I started, so Uncle Asa offered it to me.”
“Isn’t she amazing?” Buster whispered as they all walked toward the entrance. “I mean, she seems so down to earth.”
Hannah looked over at Cate, who grinned, and said, “Sounds like you got a thing for her already.”
The Chef at the Water's Edge Page 3