Murder at the Grill (Cold Creek Book 3)

by Christa Nardi

“Yes, Zoe came in at 10 along with Lance. Dawn didn’t come in until almost noon. She was scheduled to close.”

  “And when did Harrison come in?”

  “As bookkeeper he keeps standard hours, so 9 AM to 5 PM. He can’t cover for any of us so I don’t really keep track of his hours. He barely said anything. Just went into his office and hid.” Trevor’s irritation with all these questions was evident in his tone of voice.

  “Let’s focus on the food preparation again. You did the food preparation all morning for breakfast, and then you and Dawn did the food preparation for lunch? Did you ever leave the restaurant?”

  “No. I usually leave by 2 PM and would have that day as well.”

  Marty was taking notes. I interjected, “When Jebediah worked at the Grill, did he keep the same hours Harrison does now?”

  “Yeah, pretty much. It’s a family business, so probably more flexible than other places. As bookkeeper, Harrison keeps track of his hours for payroll purposes, same as Jebediah did.” He nodded as he answered.

  Marty looked at me and back to Trevor. “There’s no check on the bookkeeper then? Harrison pays himself?”

  “I never thought of it like that, but that’s the way it works, yeah.”

  Marty nodded and signaled with his hand for me to jump in.

  “I know my order at the Grill is pretty much the same thing every time. Back when Jebediah worked at the Grill did he tend to eat the same foods every day or did he go out to eat?”

  “Jebediah didn’t ever go out to eat. He was cheap and he could eat for free so why eat out? If I remember correctly, he ate a chocolate chip or raisin bran muffin in the morning. I tend not to make those high carb foods. My dad was the breakfast person back then and we had a bigger selection of breads and muffins. I go for more egg, yogurt, and healthy choices.” He looked proud of the change in the menu since he’d taken control.

  “Lunches and dinners then and now are mostly salads or sandwiches or half and half. He stuck to the BLT, grilled cheese, or the chicken salad for lunch and dinner. He had the chicken salad at least once every day, a real creature of habit.”

  Marty interrupted. “Tell us about the chicken salad. Is that a special recipe, made in house or bought and delivered from some where?”

  “It depends. Most of the time, we make it in house. If we get busy we’ll buy it premade.”

  “And that day?” Marty leaned forward and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the answer.

  “Around 10 when I took my break, Jason called and said not to worry about baking any chicken breasts. He had baked up a bunch of them the night before and he was on his way over with them. All I’d need to do was cut up what I needed for the chicken salad, and I could use the rest for grilled chicken sandwiches or whatever.”

  “That’s not exactly kosher is it?” Marty asked. I wasn’t sure what the health laws say about bringing food cooked in a private home to serve to customers, but I didn’t think it was allowed.

  Trevor shrugged. “I don’t argue with my father, Mr. Cohn. The health department? No, they would not have approved.”

  “He brought the chicken breasts and you prepared the chicken salad?”

  “Right. It’s the same recipe all the time. Actually pretty close to the Costco one. Chicken, mayo, celery, a little onion, some light secret spice. We started adding nuts a couple of years ago, usually almonds or pecans. If I’m making it, I prefer the pecans. Dawn prefers the almonds.” Once again, pride in his creation was evident.

  “Who arrived first – Zoe, Jebediah or your father?”

  “Jebediah and Zoe arrived almost at the same time. It was like he knew her schedule and arrived primed to make her life miserable.” He shook his head.

  “Then what happened?”

  “I know you have to ask all these questions. Unfortunately none of this will help Zoe. He heckled her the whole time. Every time the door opened, I could hear him.”

  “So what did he order?”

  “He complained about no muffins, and finally ordered an omelet. I made the omelet and Zoe delivered it. It was late and I started to work on getting the grill ready for the lunch. I had it cleaned off and ready, when Zoe brought the omelet back.” Trevor exhaled a long breath before he continued.

  “Anyone else… He said the omelet was too dry, not enough ham, too much cheese. Zoe waited for my response and I could tell she was already rattled. I nodded and made a new one.”

  “And he ate that one?”

  “Nope. He complained about the coffee, he complained the omelet was cold, he complained about everything and kept throwing insults at Zoe. He sent it back and said he’d think about ordering something else. Like he was doing us a favor.”

  “So what time was that? Who was there?”

  “By then my father was there and I was getting everything ready for the lunch rush. Zoe, Kent, and Lance were there. Dawn hadn’t come in yet, so I guess it was 11 or so.”

  “What did your father do?”

  “Do? He handed me the chicken breasts. He ordered us not to engage Jebediah in conversation. As an afterthought, he told me if Jebediah was disruptive enough to have him arrested. Jebediah’s smarter than that. My father stuck his head out the door and then wanted to know what Rebekah was doing in the restaurant.”

  “Rebekah showed up then? She wasn’t working so why did she come in?”

  “Rebekah is quiet and shy, but she’s not stupid. In all the years she’s worked here, no one’s ever been told to take a day off. I’d bet that she called Kay to find out what was going on. We had warned Kay when we told her she had to work. Rebekah was definitely mad as heck.” He shook his head and looked off to the side his eyes filling.

  “Let’s get back to your father. What else did he say or do?”

  “Nothing really. If Rebekah had come in the kitchen, he’d have yelled at her. After she spoke with Jebediah she ran out the front. My father told Zoe to let her be and take care of Jebediah. Dawn came in then and he left.”

  “Did Jason and Dawn talk to each other?”

  “No, they just glared at each other. I’d given my father a letter from Jebediah to Dawn so he knew she was in contact with him.”

  “What happened next?”

  “I started working on preparation for lunch. Making the chicken salad. Slicing the rest of the chicken for grilled chicken sandwiches and for salads. Slicing tomatoes. The usual.” Trevor shrugged again.

  “Tell me about Jebediah’s chicken salad sandwich.”

  Trevor’s lips turned up as he tried to suppress a smile. “It wasn’t intentional, honest. We’ve been putting the nuts in the chicken salad for so long, I didn’t even give it a thought. He must not have seen the warning on the menu. He sent it back and said he wanted one without nuts. He was ranting and getting louder by the minute.”

  “Had he eaten any of that sandwich?”

  “I think so. A couple of bites. Enough to know there were pecans in there.”

  “He asked for another sandwich without nuts and you complied?”

  “It was easier to make up a small batch without the nuts than to fight with him. So I did. Next thing I know there’s screaming and he’s dead.” He shrugged and his face fell.

  “Thank you Trevor for coming in. I think we have a much better idea of what happened that day.”

  “Mr. Cohn, I hope you can get Zoe off. She didn’t deserve that man. If only I had shown an interest in getting married and siring an heir back then, maybe my father wouldn’t have pushed her into that marriage.” His sense of guilt over Zoe’s fate was obvious in his sullen expression.

  Trevor no sooner left and Marty leaned back and smiled. “What do you think Sheridan?”

  “I think it’s more than coincidental that Jason Baxter brought in chicken breasts on that particular day, even if he cooked them before Jeb showed up. He cooked the shrimp for the dinner so it wouldn’t be too far a reach to think he contaminated the chicken by cooking it in the same pan or cutting it on the s
ame cutting board.”

  “Accident or intentional?”

  “If it was after he knew Jebediah was in town, wouldn’t that make it premeditated? Not that it could be proven.”

  Marty nodded and held his hands so his fingertips touched. He nodded some more and leaned forward.

  “I think I’m inviting Chief Hirsch to our meeting with the senior Jason Baxter. If not in the room with us, then in the next room.”

  I agreed and he made the call. I walked out and brought us fresh coffee. We had almost an hour before the show down.

  CHAPTER 23

  Hirsch and then Officer Matthews arrived soon after Marty made the call. Marty shared the timeline Trevor provided. Hirsch looked skeptical and rolled his eyes at least once that I caught. His interest piqued with the source of the chicken and possible source of contamination revealed.

  Afraid of being accused of entrapment, Hirsch elected to be in the room when Marty interviewed old man Baxter. Officer Matthews was to wait in the library next door. Hirsch wanted him there in case there was trouble, but didn’t want to spook Baxter right off. The intercom served as a means for Officer Matthews to hear what happened in the office.

  Hirsch took a chair away from the conference table, as if he were a bystander to the conversation. A knock announced Baxter’s arrival, this time without Louisa. He stomped in blustering just the same.

  “What is it now Cohn?” Taking in Hirsch’s presence, he bellowed, “What’s he doing here?”

  “Thank you for coming in Mr. Baxter. I need to clarify a few things. Chief Hirsch is an interested party to the conversation. You’re not hiding anything from him are you?”

  “Nothing to hide. Let’s get this over with.” His tone was lower, almost a growl. He sat down in the chair next to me, arms crossed over his chest. With his large size, he was a little too close for comfort.

  “Great. Can you recall when you first knew Jebediah was coming to Cold Creek?”

  “I don’t remember. What difference does it make?”

  “Bear with me, I’m trying to get a timeline here. The last time we talked, you mentioned a letter that Trevor gave you.”

  “Yeah, so what? Trevor recognized Jeb’s scrawl and gave it to me. He told Dawn he needed a job and was coming back. Hoped he could get his job at the Grill back. Fat chance!”

  His voice rose as he finished and he leaned forward. He was so close I could smell his whiskey breath even though it wasn’t yet noon.

  “Did the letter say when he would arrive? Where he’d stay?”

  Baxter grunted. “He wasn’t specific. Just soon.”

  “So when did you first know he was here?”

  “What difference does it make? You’re wasting my time again.” He huffed and looked about ready to bolt. I noticed Hirsch sit up, alert.

  “Your wife, Mrs. Baxter, said she talked to him. Did you find out when that was?”

  He knocked the table and grimaced, yet his voice softened. “You’ll leave Louisa out of this if you know what’s good for you. She’s a good wife.”

  “But you didn’t realize she talked to him before our last meeting, did you?”

  “No. Is that all? Are we done here?”

  “Just a few more questions. Whose idea was it to have the dinner at your home the night before Jebediah died?”

  “What? Can’t a man decide to have family over for dinner?” He barked in response and I caught some of the spittle. Definitely too close for my comfort.

  Marty kept his calm and continued his questions. “So when did you make that decision and tell your family members they should come for dinner?”

  “What difference does it make? I got a good deal on some shrimp and called everyone for dinner who wasn’t working. Big deal.”

  “Was that before or after Mrs. Peabody called?”

  “I don’t remember.”

  Marty stared at Baxter and waited for him to say something else. Baxter stared right back and clamped his mouth shut. A standoff. He was mad but not about to reveal anything.

  “The day Jebediah died? I’m trying to get a better idea of who was working or at the Grill. You know, who might have seen Zoe or anyone else mess with the chicken salad.”

  “Look Cohn, are you trying to get someone to point the finger at Zoe or what? Aren’t you supposed to be on her side?”

  “That’s correct. I am on Zoe’s side. That’s why I’m asking these questions. If no one saw her near the food preparation, that could mean she was innocent. It also would mean someone else had to contaminate the chicken salad. Right?”

  Baxter sat back in the chair, but his arms were crossed and he worked his jaw.

  “Mr. Baxter, you said you stopped in to check on everyone. About what time was that?”

  “Around 11 or 12. I don’t really remember.” He looked directly at Marty and didn’t hesitate in his answer.

  “Hmm. Do you remember who was working at that time?”

  “Trevor, Zoe, and some college kid I think. Dawn wasn’t there yet. What difference does it make? You’re wasting my time and not helping Zoe.”

  “I’m not sure yet. You never can tell, it might.” Marty made a big deal of looking at his notes. “So you said you saw Jebediah. He was there already?”

  He glared at Marty and hissed, “Yes, he was there. Sitting at that back corner table and acting like he was king of the place. I opened the door a crack and saw him, heard him mouthing off.”

  “What was he saying?”

  “I don’t remember.” Baxter’s jaw jutted forward.

  “Do you remember what he was eating?”

  “What? You have to be kidding!”

  “Well, no. I wasn’t. I understood he sent back food twice. The second time was the chicken salad, but I don’t have a notation about the first time or what time that happened. Never mind.”

  Marty shrugged like it was no big deal. “Let’s talk about the chicken salad. Is that made in house or bought in bulk?”

  With a slight squirm and some pride, Baxter answered, “In house. I insist.”

  Obviously he didn’t realize or didn’t want to admit that sometimes it was bought.

  “I’m curious here. What’s involved in making the chicken salad?”

  “You want the recipe? How is this going to help Zoe? She doesn’t do food preparation or have anything to do with making the chicken salad.” His leg bounced under the table as he spoke. He uncrossed his arms long enough to pop his knuckles.

  “Like I said, I’m curious. I make chicken salad myself when I have leftover chicken. At the restaurant, do you do the same?”

  “Geesh. Yes, alright. We use chicken breasts for the grilled chicken sandwiches and the chicken Caesar salad. If there’s extra, it’s used to make the chicken salad. Or the other way around depending on demand. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

  “What if there’s none left over?”

  “Well, obviously you cook some chicken, some for the sandwiches and some for the salads.” Getting more rattled, he pushed at the table and our coffee cups shook. Then he crossed his arms again.

  “So did Trevor use leftover chicken or cook up some fresh that morning, Mr. Baxter?”

  He paled and then turned red. Before I knew it, he had pushed off from the table, knocking over the coffee cups with his movement, and grabbed me. At the same time, he kicked my chair out from under me. It happened so fast I couldn’t react. His thick arms held me pinned to his large body. I felt like I was being crushed.

  Hirsch and Marty both jumped up. Hirsch moved toward the table. “Mr. Baxter, you don’t want to hurt her. You need to let her go and sit back down. We can talk this out without anyone else getting hurt.”

  “You don’t understand. I worked hard all my life, built a business, protected my family. He sold me a bill of goods, stole from me, and tore my family apart.”

  He propelled me backward toward the door. Dizzy, partly because of his hold and partly out of fear, I struggled to breathe. I saw Hirsch
inch forward and then everything went black.

  CHAPTER 24

  “Sheridan? Sheridan?”

  “Huh? What happened?”

  The person shaking me was Marty. I tried to sit up and he stopped me. “Stay where you are. Take it easy.”

  I looked around and could see old man Baxter cuffed and flanked by Hirsch and Officer Matthews.

  “She okay?”

  Marty nodded and I managed to squeak out “Yup. What happened?”

  The three of them left and Marty’s admin came in with a cold cloth. Marty finally let me sit up, but that was as far as I got.

  “You passed out and missed all the excitement. Baxter was dragging you to the door, and you went limp about the same time that Matthews opened the door. Hard to say which surprised Baxter more.” Marty smiled and shook his head.

  “Whichever, that was all Matthews and Hirsch needed. Baxter dropped you and went to plow through Matthews. Matthews ducked at the right time and Baxter flipped over him. Great football move. Next Baxter knew? He was staring at both of them with their guns drawn.”

  I tried to get up, and again Marty stopped me. “You hit your head when you landed on the floor. Got a pretty good egg back there. Take your time. I don’t think you need a doctor. That’ll be Brett’s call.”

  “Brett?” I cringed, not from pain.

  “Hirsch called him. He should be here soon.”

  I smiled, but with mixed emotions. “Did Baxter confess to contaminating the chicken?”

  Marty sighed. “Not yet. Hopefully he will down at the station. Assuming he doesn’t lawyer up. If he were my client I wouldn’t let him say a word.”

  “Hopefully, he won’t go that route,” Brett inserted as he walked in. He dropped down beside me and took my hand. “How are you doing?”

  “I’m doing fine, only Marty won’t let me get up.”

  Brett smiled and helped me up and into a chair. He held my hand and asked Marty to fill him in. When Marty finished, Brett had more information to add.

  “I did some investigating myself. Did you know that Baxter is a member and founder of the North Shore Small Animal and Reptile Reserve?”