“Good lord. And I thought Louie had it bad.”
“I know, right? Xabiere has serious issues. Which makes him dangerous. Now, we can wait for a few days for the permission to get his records, if Hym can even convince a judge to give him permission. Give Xabiere the chance to catch on. Maybe flee. Or attack Jazlyn. Maybe take a shot at Vera and Louie again. Or we can get the records ourselves, force a confession, and let everyone, including Louie, get on with their lives.”
It did not take Cate long to weigh the options. “All right then. Let’s do this.”
As they approached the hospital, Hannah suggested they find the cafeteria. It was an open area where no one would be suspicious of their work and a good place for Cate to tap into the hospital’s WiFi network. Hannah knew that most modern facilities used these systems but that security around them is not always what it should be. As such, intruders within a set radius of the facility could access files if they had the skillset to do so. And she knew Cate had them, among her many talents. Hannah recalled that Cate double majored in library science and computers, specializing in web security. Her life goal was to become a digital archivist for the Smithsonian. But when her mother, Myra Jordan turned up with cancer, Cate settled in Twilight and took a job at the library.
After finding their way to the cafeteria, the two settled and both began their work. While waiting for Cate’s laptop to boot up, Hannah tried to listen in on the conversation at the next table. A group of nurses ate, chatted, and watched the news that was playing. The news story revolved around the incident at the studio. Thus, the nurses’ discussion centered on it.
Hannah turned back to Cate, who focused on the laptop. After a moment, Cate looked up and gave a single node. Hannah knew this meant that her companion had connected to the network and that it was time to put a plan into action. A plan that would save them time and effort of going the hard route to the records.
“Uh, did you get the pass code for the network?” Cate said in a loud enough voice for the nurses at the next table to overhear.
Hannah shook her head. “I didn’t.”
Cate turned to the nurses, “Excuse me. I hate to interrupt, but you wouldn’t happen to have the WiFi pass code would you?”
A young nurse, perhaps in her late twenties Hannah calculated, spoke up. “I don’t think there is one. It’s an open system.”
“Oh,” Cate said, typing. She then frowned. “Darn it. Something must be wrong with my computer.”
“It still won’t let you on?” the young nurse inquired.
Cate mocked another attempt and shook her head. “No. I just need to check on my aunt. She’s in ICU.” She gave an imploring smile.
“You can always go to the nurses’ station,” another nurse recommended. Hannah devised her as being not just older but more experienced, given her voice tone and mannerisms.
“Oh, no. Not her,” Hannah exaggerated. “She’s got this thing about hospitals.”
Cate looked sheepish. “It’s a phobia. A real problem,” she sighed. “This is as far as I go unless I’m unconscious.”
Hannah reached over and patted Cate’s hand. “I’ll check on her. You stay here.”
The older nurse got up and stepped next to Hannah and Cate’s table. “They won’t give a non-family member much info. But, here, I can get you in if you like.”
Cate gave a charming smile. “Thank you.”
“Just be sure and sign out,” the nurse said smiling, and stepped back to her group.
Hannah gave Cate a capricious look. After a few seconds, she exclaimed, “Oh. Here.” Cate turned to the nurses. “Everything looks good. Everything is going to be all right.”
The nurses got up to leave, and the helpful one said, “Good for you, honey. Hope everything turns up well.” Both Hannah and Cate waved. “I’m sure it will,” Cate responded.
“Well?” Hannah asked.
“You cannot rush great art. You must savor it… bingo!” Cate confirmed access as she scanned the electronic medical record. “Says here he registered under his legal name, William Robert Barton. Admitted 8:24 p.m. from the emergency room. He complained of a headache, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, vertigo, and agitation. Related that he had fallen down stairs in his condo earlier around 1:00 p.m. He struck his head, and a neighbor who heard the fall reported she found him unconscious, and remained so for about a minute. His symptoms progressed until he came to the hospital. The doctor recommended overnight observation.”
Hannah frowned, disappointed that the information was not what she had hoped for. “What about nurses’ reports?”
Scanning down the page, Cate lifted one eyebrow. “Two for two. Says here that around 10:40, the nurse’s assistant checked in on him and he was missing from his room. A general search failed to find him. Around 11:50 p.m., he turned up in the waiting room in ‘a delusional state’. He told them he was waiting to see a doctor. They took him back to his room and restrained him for the night.”
Cate looked up from the screen. “That’s an hour and ten minutes unaccounted for. More than enough time.”
“He wouldn’t even need that. Ten minutes to and from. That leaves fifty minutes to do what he did.” Hannah swirled her tongue around the inside of her mouth for a bit and then tapped the top of the computer. “Can you get to the security reports for the night?”
Cate began typing. “What are we looking for?”
“Anything out of the ordinary not related to that.”
After a moment, Cate grinned. “Gotcha.” She turned the computer around so Hannah could read. The sleuth’s eyes lit up as she read. “A stolen car.” She lifted her face to meet Cate’s. “Nailed,” was all she said.
Chapter 27
Several phone calls later, and an hour’s passage led everyone back to Louie’s once more. A recap of present evidence and suspicions led to a discussion of the burden of proof.
“But is it enough?” Louie asked, handing Hym a mug.
Hym took the vessel and lifted it to Louie in thanks. He then leaned back into his host’s couch. “Well, no, to be honest. Not by definition.”
Hannah paced the floor pointing out the fact that Xabiere had both motive and opportunity.
“Now you are sounding like a dime store novel detective,” Hym accused.
Hannah showed clear signs of frustration. “He was missing from the hospital at the time.”
“From the hospital. The same hospital where he was later found mumbling in the waiting room, claiming they wanted to admit him when he already was. And this…” Hym added, pointing to the laptop, “says he did have an injury to the head. By the way, that’s inadmissible. Just so you know.”
Hannah glared at the officer. “A slight injury. And I emphasize slight.”
Hym drew in a breath before choosing his words. “Look. I know he did it. You know he did it. We all know he did it. But prove it? No. You and I have a theory. We can show doubt. That is all.”
“And doubt doesn’t always convict,” Buster commented. He glanced over to Cate. “Uncle Wilson says that all the time,” Cate agreed.
“We’ll just have to get him to admit it, then.”
Buster blew out a breath as Cate responded, “Oh, dear.” Hym, Louie, and Vera turned to the cousins with quizzical looks. “Drama time.”
All eyes returned to Hannah for an explanation.
In no time, Hannah laid out her plan. “The beauty of it is in its simplicity,” she insisted. But she could already see the concern on Louie’s face.
“Look, I want this bastard as much as anyone. But this plan…” He glanced over at Vera, who interrupted him. “Dad,” she said, “I appreciate your concern. And I know you want to protect me. But I’m a grown woman. And I’m doing this. For Mom. And for you. And for me. And for Jazlyn.”
“But…”
“No buts. I love you. And it’s going to be fine,” she said as she leaned in and kissed him on the forehead. Louie produced a small smile.
“Dad. Mom.
I like the sound of that,” he said as he gave his daughter a hug. The room went silent except for the sound of Buster sniffling.
Hym coughed. “Not to break the sentimental moment, but if we are going to do this, shouldn’t we get going?”
“We should,” Hannah confirmed. “So come on. We’ll need to stop at the hospital and talk to both Jazlyn and Asa. They’re going to release her today, right?”
“I’ll give her a call,” Vera said, already dialing.
Within moments, she confirmed Jazlyn’s release within the next hour. The group split up to make their way as fast as possible. Hym, Cate, and Hannah left in Hym’s car. Louie, Vera, and Buster took Louie’s. Once there, with Vera’s help, they approached Jazlyn in her room.
Jazlyn listened with a harsh, intent look on her face as Hannah explained what she had found over the course of her investigation. The falsification of reports, her suspicions, and her reasons. The most shocking moment came to Jazlyn when she was told of Vera’s place and role in the whole affair. “Her daughter?” she said quietly. She looked over at Vera. “I see it now. We all should have.”
Confronted with the truth, Jazlyn thought about her jealousy of her step-cousin. In the end, she had to admit that Julia had solid reasons for keeping Vera close at hand, and herself at arms length. “Aunt Julia always had a plan. Sometimes we couldn’t see it. But she always knew where it was going,” she said in a halting voice. She apologized to Vera and promised to make it up to her. “We’re blood now,” she continued, as she held Vera in a tight hug.
After resolving that issue, Hannah then restated to Jazlyn what she wanted to do. Every now and again, Jazlyn looked down at the bandages on her forearms or rubbed along the bandages around her mid-section.
“So, that’s my plan. What do you think?” Hannah inquired. Observing the injured young woman, she added. “It’s our best shot at getting him to confess.”
Jazlyn glanced out the window of her hospital room and took in the sunlight filtering through. Turning back, she looked to Vera, but answered all. “He’s taken so much from us. Hurt us all.” A determined, angry expression sprinted across her face. “It’ll be my pleasure. For Aunt Julia.”
Once Jazlyn was released, she, Vera, Louie, and Hannah went to see Asa. Entering his private room, Jazlyn hugged the man, as did Vera. A short exchange of apologies over his treatment of Vera after Julia’s death followed. Asa then expressed his regrets to Louie. The two men shook hands, each vowing to make amends for past sins. Both agreed that vanity and jealousy were the basis of their differences. And as Louie put it, “Just plain male idiocy.” Then, Hannah once again explained in detail her plan to draw out a confession from Xabiere. Asa agreed to all her requests and gave Jazlyn the authority to handle any matters necessary in his name. After he thanked him, everyone but Vera left to gather in the lobby.
“I need a word with Asa and Jazlyn,” Vera explained. “Would you mind joining me?” she asked turning to her new found step-cousin. Jazlyn agreed. “We’ll join everyone in a moment.” She then joined Vera to go talk with Asa. The rest of the group made their way down to the lobby.
Waiting, Buster nibbled on a piece of candy from a vending machine. Between bites, he confirmed, “Let me get this straight. When Julia rebuffed Xabiere, he turned his attention to Vera? Why?”
“Obsession. She was the closest person to Julia. She was going to take over the show in time. So Vera became a Julia substitute.”
“Then why’d he dump her for Jazlyn.”
“Obsession is more about control. He wanted to control Julia. When she rejected him, he killed her. Then I’d imagine he felt guilty. So he tried to recreate her, this time by controlling the person closest to her position. In his mind, Vera became Julia, and he obtained the relationship he always wanted by proxy.”
“I get it,” reaffirmed Cate. “But when Jazlyn became the heir to the throne, so to speak, he rid himself of Vera. But Jazlyn isn’t anything like the others. She played with his emotions then dumped him.”
Hannah smiled, “And it drove him over the edge. Now he has killed again to remain close to Jazlyn.”
Louie shook his head. “Good lord,” was all he said.
Hym nodded. “Right. So the whole incident at the studio was…”
”A plan,” Hannah interrupted. “He created a plan to hurt her, come to her rescue and win her heart.”
“That’s insane,” Louie interjected.
“I think what you meant to say was crrrraaaaazzzyy,” Cate commented in a sarcastic tone.
Everyone issued a stressful chuckle. After the laughter died down, Hannah continued. “No arguments here. In fact, that’s my argument in its entirety He doesn’t think in a rational manner anymore. In his mind, he believed that if he got rid of Julia, Jazlyn would get what she wanted. The show, wealth and fame. Once he revealed that all her success was because of him, she would fall into his arms out of gratitude.”
“Unbelievable,” Louie remarked. “She was so kind to him, too.” A bitter look came into her eyes. “I’d like to...”
“He’s not going to get away with it,” Hym promised. It was at that moment that the elevator chimed and Vera and Jazlyn stepped out into the lobby. They glanced around, found where their friends sat and approached. Louie was the first to speak. “You all right?” he inquired of Vera.
“Everything’s fine.” She then addressed everyone. “Jazlyn and I have something we need to do before we go through with this. We’ll join you in a few hours.”
Louie gave a look of concern, but Vera assured him everything was fine.
“We’ll be there,” promised Jazlyn. They looked out at the front parking lot just as Staples pulled up in Asa’s Bentley. They said their goodbyes, exited, got into the car, and pulled away.
“I wonder if I should have gone with them,” Louie said half aloud.
Cate grabbed his hand and squeezed. “Sounds more like a girl thing. They’ll be fine. Come on. We all need to get to Asa’s.”
“I’ll meet you there,” Louie informed her. “I need to make a run to the house.”
Cate said nothing but watched as he exited for the parking lot. On the way to the Karas mansion, she expressed her concerns for Louie to Hannah, Buster, and Hym.
“Do you think he’s that irrational?” Hym asked.
“I don’t know. Knowing that Xabiere killed Julia, his one love. And tried to kill him. Endangered Vera. Who knows?”
“I know he keeps weapons around the house,” Buster said. “And Uncle Wilson told me in the military, Louie could, and I quote, “shoot the hairs off a gnat’s derrière.”
Hannah noted the concern in both her friend’s voices.
Cate stared out the window, a solemn look on her face. Hannah looked at her, and read it to be guilt. “Hey. I’ve had my concerns about this all along,” she admitted. “This whole affair has put him under extreme pressure.”
“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Hym said.
Cate, Buster, and Hannah all thanked him for his concern.
After arriving, Mrs. Staples greeted everyone. Asa called ahead, and she let them in with a gracious smile. She had coffee waiting in the security room above a massive, six-car garage to the rear of the vast house. There, she introduced everyone to head guard Jonas Grumby.
“Jonas,” he insisted, as he made sure to shake everyone’s hand.
Hannah put him in his early fifties. Medium height and weight. Solid build and handshake. Muscular. The way he moved and reacted suggested to her that he was former military. A quick question from Hannah revealed retired Navy.
“I’m here to assist in any capacity,” he informed. “This guy’s…” Angry, hurting words choked up in Jonas’s throat. “She was a fine lady, Ms. Karas. I’ll do whatever is necessary to rectify this.”
Hannah took his words to mean he felt some guilt in Julia’s death. According to the reports, he was not on duty the night she died. But it was clear he felt responsible in some way. Though it was Julia
who died that night, Xabiere left a trail of victims in his wake, Hannah concluded.
Reassuring the guard that his guilt was not warranted, Hym insisted he help in taking down the murderous chef. “Tell us about this security system,” he encouraged Jonas.
“Happy to,” he said, a relieved smile lighting his face. “But someones going to have to explain that hat,” he said, pointing to Hannah. Everyone laughed in a release of mounting tension. It was at this point that Mrs. Staples explained that she and her husband were staying with friends. Jonas had insisted on insuring their safety. She then excused herself to wait for his return before leaving.
Jonas went on to explain that Asa had always been lax on security before Julia’s death. This was much to the chagrin of the guard who Asa employed only during the day at the time. This was in part due to Julia’s insistence. She felt that such systems invaded her privacy as much as invasive fans. “I don’t like having my every move watched,” she complained to both Asa and the guard. “After her death, Mr. Karas had this system installed.”
The security room consisted of a large furnished area. Just inside the space was a well-kept kitchenette where Mrs. Staples had made the coffee. At the far end of the area was three huge, wall-mounted monitors. Each covered up to six cameras. The outer two screens broke the images down into two rows of three. These were the grounds coverage.
The center monitor covered the interior of the house. The six blocks on the screen rotated images throughout the house. “It’s on a ten second rotation. And each image is captured in a repeating sequence,” Jonas explained to his guests. In front of the monitors was a small, two-person desk. A second chair and desk rest to the left of first.
“We operate in two-man shifts now,” he clarified. “One on monitor. The other on ground or at the entry.” He pointed at the screen. On the first outer monitor, a young man walked the grounds. To Hannah, he appeared to be in his late twenties, muscular, light hair, and wearing glasses.
“All former military?” Hannah asked in no uncertain terms.
The Chef at the Water's Edge Page 21