Murder at the Cooking School: Book 7 of the Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Series

by Dianne Harman

  “How did Signor Rizzo take it?”

  “As expected. Not well. We found out something else that is quite interesting. Evidently he has a mistress, and he’s paying for an apartment for her in Florence. When we found the credit card receipts for it in a file, Carlo sent the information to a friend of his who’s on the Florence Police Department. Within an hour he got back to Carlo with the woman’s name and a photograph of her. She’s a real beauty.”

  “Wow! That man’s been busy. Gives a new meaning to being a Romeo. He’s got a wife, according to everyone he was having an affair with Tonia, and now he also has a mistress. Did you find out anything about Tonia deeding the castle over to him?”

  “No. We found a file with her name on it, but the only thing we found in it was the same deed you found yesterday, the one that had never been signed by her. After seeing the photograph of his mistress and talking to his wife today, which I’ll tell you about in a minute, I have to believe that the only reason he was having the affair with Tonia was to get her to deed the castle over to him. She sure wasn’t the beauty that the other two are. It looks like the castle will go to Signor Nardo with no strings attached.”

  “What happens to Giovanni now?”

  “Carlo arrested him for embezzlement. He’ll be arraigned tomorrow and will probably plead not guilty. If he can post bail more than likely he’ll be released afterwards. Carlo told me it would be very rare in an embezzlement case for the person not to get out on bail. What was interesting was when we went to his house.”

  “I want to hear all about it, but isn’t that home and the land it’s on beautiful?”

  “Yes. It was exactly like you’d described it. We didn’t call first as we preferred to surprise Signora Rizzo. You never know what a spouse will do in a situation like this. Sometimes they’ll try to leave town or cover up evidence if they think they can be implicated. She didn’t do either one of those things, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone that angry. I think she was sincere about not knowing anything regarding the embezzlement.

  “Carlo asked her if she knew about the apartment in Florence. He wanted to see what her response would be. From the way she acted, I’m sure she didn’t know anything about it. When he told her about it being rented to a young woman, she was furious. Between her husband being arrested for embezzlement, finding out he had a mistress in Florence, and having someone, she didn’t tell us who, confirm that her husband was having an affair with Signora Nardo, she was in a rage. She screamed she wouldn’t give him one penny from her trust fund to help him out, and even though she’d never believed in divorce before, she did now. And the tirade went on and on. I can’t begin to tell you the awful things she called Giovanni.”

  “Did you discover anything at the house?”

  “Not really. He had an office there, but about the only things in it were bills and receipts relating to the olive oil business and the house.”

  “Do you really think Signora Rizzo will divorce him?”

  “If today was any indication, I don’t think there’s a shadow of doubt that if she hasn’t called her attorney today, she will tomorrow to start the proceedings. She said it was a good thing she had a large trust fund she’d inherited from her parents, because it looked like her husband had been lying to her for years about his assets.”

  “So even though you found out about the mistress and the embezzling, there was nothing to indicate he murdered Signora Nardo.”

  “No, not a thing. We know nothing more about that than we did when we started looking into it two days ago. I know we’re leaving for Florence tomorrow, but if it’s all right with you, I thought we could go in the afternoon. Instead of traveling with the rest of the students in the van to Florence, Carlo told me there’s a train that leaves from the village for Florence. He even said he’d drive us to the train station. That way I could be with Carlo when he talks to Signor Nardo. You don’t mind, do you?”

  “Not at all. I wouldn’t mind spending a little more time with Caesar. Anyway, I’ve had a very interesting afternoon. Can you talk a few more minutes, or will you be back here in time for dinner? If you’re going to be, I’ll wait until then to tell you.”

  “No. Carlo just ordered some pizza for us. He’ll take me back to the castle in a couple of hours. Go ahead without me.”

  “Will do, but I do have a couple of things you’ll probably want to tell him.”

  “Shoot.”

  “Well, you know I went to the Mercato Centrale today. Oh, by the way, while I was talking to one of the shopkeepers, I would swear that Chef Bianchi was eavesdropping on my conversation. When I turned away from the shopkeeper I saw her, and she hurried away. Several times on the way back I caught her staring at me. I can’t figure that out.”

  “Kelly, while that’s interesting I don’t think it’s something Chief Varano is going to be particularly interested in.”

  “That’s not what I was going to originally tell you. I just thought of it, and I’m curious about it. Anyway, I overheard a huge argument between Signor Nardo and his brother-in-law, the chef’s husband. Here’s what happened.”

  She spent the next few minutes relating how she happened to hear the conversation, where she was standing when she heard it, and what the two men had said during the exchange.

  “So what do you think, Mike?”

  “I think we should start living in Italy, so you’ll keep your promises to me like the chief says the Italian women do. Maybe I need to be a little more chauvinistic.”

  “That’s not funny. I just happened to overhear something when I was standing near some trees.”

  “Oh, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly. Whatever am I going to do with you? It makes me sick to think what might have happened to you if Salvadore had spotted you as angry as you say he was. The last thing he’d want is a witness to his conversation with Signor Nardo. I love you Kelly, and at times I don’t think you have a clue how much danger you’re in. This was one of those times. I’ll be glad when we can leave the castle and all of the suspects behind us. Maybe I’ll be able to keep you safe then.”

  “Look at it this way, Mike. All that’s left is the last dinner tonight, and then I’ll come back to the room and go to bed. Tomorrow I’ll spend a little time with Caesar, and we’re off to Florence. What can possibly happen in that short period of time?”

  “I don’t know Kelly, but if anything can happen to you, I’m sure it will. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

  Mike was absolutely right. If anything could happen to Kelly, it would.

  CHAPTER 24

  Kelly walked out to the dog run and fed Caesar. Then she went into the library and joined the other students for their last evening at the castle. She had mixed feelings about leaving tomorrow and continuing on to Florence. She’d thoroughly enjoyed the cooking school and what she’d learned from it. She felt far more confident about preparing Italian food than she had in the past, but she didn’t like to leave something undone, and the Signora’s murder was still unresolved.

  “I’d like a glass of white wine. Whatever you recommend is fine with me,” she said to the wine steward. “What do you do when the cooking school isn’t operating?” she asked.

  He looked around to see if anyone was listening and then said, “Don’t tell anyone, but I’m the wine steward at the Moretti Palazzo when they’re conducting a cooking school. It’s been very fortunate for me that the cooking schools are never held at the same time. At the Moretti Palazzo there is also a restaurant, and when I’m not being the wine steward at either one of the schools, I’m the sommelier at Moretti’s Ristorante. I’m really very fortunate that I can do what I love in a village this small.”

  “Tell me something. I met Berto Moretti’s son when I visited their shop, Cucina, the other day, and he seemed very nice. I’ve heard conflicting things about the two cooking schools. What’s your opinion about them?”

  Again he looked around to make sure no one was listening to their conversation and said, “Ber
to’s son is a wonderful young man. He’s nothing like his father. Berto has a very bad temper which I don’t think his son inherited, or if he did, he’s learned to control it. I’ve never seen him angry. Even if I wasn’t working here at the school when it’s in session, I would know when the Castello di Nardo is getting ready to have another cooking school. Berto becomes impossible to be around. He has never forgiven Signora Nardo for making the castle into a hotel with a cooking school. He is very jealous of the success of the castle and quite frankly, there are times when the Moretti cooking school is not full. He and his son like to tell everyone that their cooking school is much better than the one here, but that is not true. Many times he has talked about how much he hates her.”

  “Why do you think that is?” Kelly asked.

  “Signora Nardo was not the easiest person to be around and certainly not the warmest, but she paid her staff well. I’ve never heard a complaint from anyone who has stayed at the hotel or has attended the cooking school. She was always able to get better help than Signor Moretti, and I think that’s the difference. The grounds here are spotless. The ones at the Moretti Palazzo, not so much. It’s like that with everything. It’s kind of like the old saying; you get what you pay for. He wasn’t willing to pay for the best, and it’s reflected at the Palazzo. The kitchen here is state of the art. Signora Nardo spared no expense when she had it installed. The Moretti kitchen is dingy and doesn’t have any of the high technology things one finds here.”

  “May I ask you something personal?” Kelly said.

  “Sure, I don’t mind.”

  “Are you paid more here than at the Moretti Palazzo?”

  He grinned. “Oh, yes, far more. Plus the wines I serve are a much better quality than what he buys. It’s the little things, but even if the students and guests aren’t consciously aware, somehow I think they know.”

  “And the reason you continue to work for Signor Moretti is so that you can do what you love in this small village, is that correct?”

  “Yes. My family has been here for centuries, and there is nowhere else I would rather live. Of course I could make more money if I worked in Florence or Rome, but my wife and I have two small children,n and we want to raise them here, where we both grew up.”

  “I don’t want to keep you from the other guests, but thank you so much for taking the time to tell me all of this.”

  She looked at her watch and saw that it was almost time for dinner, and she didn’t want to be late for the last dinner, particularly since the main course was a beef filet served on a bed of lettuce with a truffle salad. She’d always heard about Florence beef, and tonight she was going to have her first taste of it. Who knew? If she really liked it, she’d have it again when she and Mike were in Florence.

  Kelly put her wine glass down and joined the other students as they made their way to the dining room. This was incredible she thought, as the meal drew to an end two hours later. What a dinner. I’m so sorry Mike missed it. He would have loved it. What’s not to love about the beef, the gratin of tomato with anchovies which Mike loves, the braised artichokes with potatoes, parsley and garlic, topped off with the limoncello dessert, which was fabulous? I can make that at the coffee shop. What could be easier than vanilla ice cream and lemon sorbet with a couple of splashes of limoncello liqueur on it? Yum, yum.

  After she finished dinner, Kelly left the dining room and went to the dog run to get Caesar. Little did she know that in the very near future the big dog would be the reason her life would be spared.

  CHAPTER 25

  “There you are,” Kelly said to the big dog as he stood up and walked to the front of his dog run. “Time to go up and see how Mike’s day was. Caesar, come.” The two of them walked into the castle and started up the stairs.

  “Darn,” she said when they were halfway up the stairs. “I left my apron in the kitchen, and I don’t want the cleaning crew to throw it out. I want to take it home as a souvenir. I’m sure they’ll be doing a thorough cleaning job since the cooking class has ended. Come on, Caesar, I need to go back to the kitchen. Mike will just have to wait a few minutes.” She turned around, waked down the stairs, and headed towards the back of the castle where the kitchen was located.

  On her way to the kitchen she passed by the library and saw Domenico, the wine steward. She walked in and said, “Need some help? Caesar and I are on our way to the kitchen. We were halfway up the stairs when I realized I’d left my apron in the kitchen, and I was afraid the cleaning crew would throw it out. I didn’t want that to happen. The apron, along with some cookbooks I bought at Cucina, are my only souvenirs from the cooking school. We paid plenty to attend the cooking school, and since Mike has barely even eaten a meal here, I have to say they’ve done well by us.”

  “No, but thanks. Every night I take the wine out of the library and decide if there’s enough left in the bottles to return any of them to the wine cellar which is next to the kitchen. If there are only a few drops left in a bottle, I throw it out, which is usually the case, but tonight there are two bottles that are almost full.”

  “Since the class has ended and there won’t be a lot of people around, who gets the leftovers?”

  “It seems like there are always people willing to drink what’s left of the wine. Some of the staff has a glass of wine after they finish work, and the Signor and Signora always enjoyed their wine. People know it’s here. I won’t serve a wine that’s been opened for more than three days.” He put a trash barrel containing the empty bottles in the hall. “The cleaning crew takes care of the empty bottles for me, and they also take the glasses to the kitchen where they’ll be put in the dishwasher. All I have to worry about is doing something with the leftover wine.”

  She looked down at Caesar. “You’ll have to stay in the hall. You know the rule about no dogs in the kitchen.” She turned to Dominico. “Where is the wine cellar? I don’t think I’ve seen it.”

  “It’s not really a cellar. We just call it that. It’s on the other side of the kitchen. When the Signora renovated the kitchen, she had it installed. It’s temperature controlled, soundproof, and there’s room for 1,500 bottles. I have to walk through the kitchen to get to it. I’ll put these two bottles in the wine cellar, and then I’ll go home. It’s probably too late to see my children tonight, but at least I’ll have a chance to see my wife for a little while. If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you something.”

  “Certainly. What is it?”

  “You said ‘we were halfway up the stairs.’ Does that mean you let Caesar stay in your room at night?”

  “Yes, why do you ask?”

  “I’m just thinking he must love it. He was very much the Signora’s dog, but she never allowed him to sleep in her room. Maybe it’s an Italian thing, but I don’t know of anyone who lets their dog sleep in the same room where they do.”

  “Could be. Both of our dogs at home sleep in the bedroom with us. It must be cultural thing. I never thought about it.”

  “I’m sure Caesar’s happy with the arrangement.”

  The three of them walked down the hall towards the kitchen. Kelly opened the kitchen door for him and at the same time motioned for Caesar to stay where he was. She looked back at him as she and Dominico walked into the dimly lit kitchen. They heard a voice at the far end of the kitchen and saw someone who looked like Chef Bianchi talking into a cell phone with her back to them. From the tone of her voice, they could tell she was very angry. Dominico laid the bottles down on the counter and the two of them stood silently side by side as they listened to Chef Bianchi speak into the phone.

  “What do you mean you won’t be inheriting the castle? You told me before we were married that if anything happened to your sister, you would be the one to inherit it.” She listened a minute. “Of course Signor Nardo told you that. What did you expect, you stupid fool! Did you think he’d tell you the castle would be yours now that Tonia’s dead, and he was happy to move out and give it to you?” Again she listened.


  Kelly knew she should leave, but she was rooted to the spot on the floor where she was standing. Also, she wanted to hear what Chef Bianchi was saying, as she had a sense it could be very important in solving the murder.

  “You called the lawyer who wrote up your parents’ Wills and Tonia’s Will, and he told you that you had no legal right to the castle property? Are you sure?” Her next words utterly shocked Kelly and Dominico. “The reason I killed Tonia was so we could finally be the owners of the castle. Do you know what will happen to me if anyone finds out? And I did it for you, you idiot. Don’t start sniveling. I’ll think of something. Maybe it’s time to take care of the Signor. If he’s not around, you would be the only one left, and then we could have the castle. Yes, that’s what I’ll do. You told me a long time ago to keep a gun with me for protection. Well, guess what? I just took it out of my purse, and it’s time the Signor joined the Signora.”

  Just then one of the bottles of wine that Dominico had placed on the counter rolled off and shattered on the kitchen floor causing the chef to whirl around. They both saw the gun in her hand. “Don’t move. Stay where you are or I’ll shoot,” she said to them in a menacing manner. She spoke into the phone, “Sal, I have some other work to do. I’ll be home in a little while.”

  “You were the one who murdered the Signora?” Dominico asked incredulously. He couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. “I’ve worked for you since the cooking school opened, and the Signora hired you as the chef. She was your sister-in-law. How could you do such a thing? I can’t believe this.”

  “Well you better, because you two are next. I can’t let you live knowing what you do now and Kelly, I know you speak Italian. I heard you at the Mercato.”