by B R Snow
Yeah, I know. When it comes to dogs and food, I’m completely spoiled.
“What a horrible thought,” my mother said, shaking her head. “I’d rather be forced to drive a Chevy.”
“I drive a Chevy, Mom,” I said, glancing at my dirty SUV parked in the driveway.
“So I’ve noticed, darling,” she said as she leaned in to kiss my cheek. “I’ll see you Saturday. And when you meet Dirk, remember to play nice.”
“Dirk? You’re dating a man named Dirk?”
“Yes, Dirk Sinclair,” she said, smiling. “Maybe you’ve heard the name.”
I shook my head.
“No, I’m sure I would have remembered that one, Mom.”
She waved goodbye and climbed into her car. Chloe and I watched her tear out of the parking lot and disappear down the road.
I glanced down at Chloe who had dropped the tennis ball at my feet. I leaned down and scratched her head and picked the ball up.
“Who the heck names their kid Dirk?” I asked Chloe.
She cocked her head then I watched her effortless strides as she raced after the tennis ball.
I huffed and puffed my way toward the lawn.
Yeah, I know.
I need to get to the gym.
Don’t remind me.
Chapter 16
“Your mother thinks she found a keeper?”
“That’s what she says.”
Josie leaned forward to place a dog biscuit directly in front of Sluggo who was sprawled out at her feet. He sniffed at it, then ignored it and closed his eyes.
“He’s still not eating,” Josie said. “And those are his favorites.”
“Are you sure there’s nothing wrong with him?”
Josie looked at me and raised an eyebrow.
“Never mind,” I said, knowing that if something had been wrong with Sluggo, she would have found and fixed it already. “Forget I even asked.”
“Who’s the guy?”
“According to my mom, he owns a foreign car dealership.”
“Well, when in Rome, right?” she said, laughing.
“Yeah, I guess,” I said. “But with a name like Dirk Sinclair, I would have expected him to come straight from the cover of a romance novel.”
“She’s dating a guy named Dirk?” Josie said.
“Yeah.”
“Who the heck names their kid Dirk?”
“That’s what I asked Chloe,” I said.
“What was her take on it?”
“I couldn’t understand what she was saying,” I said.
“Still having problems translating dog to English?”
“No, tennis ball in the mouth,” I said, laughing.
We heard a knock on the kitchen door, and moments later Chef Claire led Alice into the living room. She appeared distraught, and her eyes were red and puffy.
“Hi,” Alice said. “I hope you don’t mind me dropping by unannounced. I just had to get out of that motel for a while.”
“No problem at all,” I said, making room for her on the couch. “Would you like a glass of wine?”
“That would be great,” she said, leaning over to pet Chloe who had woken up.
Josie got up to pour a glass for her and refill ours in the process.
“Chef Claire?” Josie said, extending the bottle toward her.
“No, I’m heading out,” she said.
“You got a hot date?” I said.
“No, I’ve got a meeting with a guy who wants to talk to me about running one of his restaurants in Florida.”
My stomach dropped, and I was sure that my heart skipped a couple of beats. I looked at Josie. She was in even worse shape than I was.
“Florida?” Josie finally managed to get out.
“Yeah,” Chef Claire said. “I was hoping I could figure out a way to open my own place, but at least it’s warm down there, right?”
“Warm weather is highly overrated,” Josie said.
“Yes, and with all the climate change going on, melanoma has to be on the rise,” I said.
“Nice try, guys,” Chef Claire said, laughing. “But don’t worry. You’ll be the first ones to know if I decide to take it.”
“For some reason, that doesn’t make me feel any better,” Josie said.
“I made some snacks. They’re in the fridge,” Chef Claire said, waving goodbye.
We waited until we heard the door close and then Josie and I stared at each other.
“This can’t be happening,” I said.
“She certainly knows how to put a damper on the evening,” Josie said.
“Well, at least she made snacks.”
“She’s such a tease,” Josie said. “This is horrible news.”
I nodded. Devastated by the news, I forced myself to focus on the more pressing concern of what was bothering Alice. I glanced at her, and she took a sip of wine as she continued to rub Chloe’s head draped across her lap.
“How are the renovations going?” I said, deciding to ease into the conversation.
“They’re getting there,” Alice said. “I just wish they’d hurry up and get it done.”
“Have they found the other four they were looking for?” I said.
Alice gave me the same alien stare I’d gotten from John.
“What?”
“John mentioned that he was looking for four more workers so they could finish faster,” I said.
“Oh,” Alice said. “That’s news to me. But I’m all for it.”
She stared into the fireplace and took a sip of wine.
“So what’s gotten you so upset?” Josie said.
“Men. What else would it be?” Alice said, shaking her head.
For one, the possibility of Chef Claire leaving town was pretty high on the list at the moment. But I remained quiet on that front.
“Captain Bill, right?” I said, deciding just to toss it out there and see where the conversation went.
“Oh, the Captain. Him I can handle,” Alice said, managing a soft chuckle. “He tries to come across as the daring manly man of the sea, but he’s pretty harmless. And he’s a follower.”
“I see,” I said, glancing at Josie. “So who’s making your life miserable?”
“I am,” she said, laughing. “It’s all me.”
“No, I meant who’s the man-”
“I know what you meant, Suzy,” Alice snapped, then immediately softened. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said.
She leaned forward and seemed about ready to speak, then she sat back and sighed.
“Jackson will be here Saturday night, right?”
“Yes, he will,” I said.
“Good,” Alice said. “I need to talk with him.”
I glanced at Josie. Apparently, her assumptions about Alice and Jackson were right on the mark. And whatever Jackson had said or done to her had left a scar. Alice seemed to be on the verge of tears again, and Chloe sensed her discomfort and started licking her hand.
“We’re just getting ready to start watching a WIJ. You want to join us?” Josie said.
“What’s a WIJ?” Alice said, frowning.
“It’s a movie. A woman in jeopardy movie. The one tonight is about a woman who has done something terrible and is trying to figure out a way to tell the right people before something really bad happens to her.”
“It sounds a little too much like reality,” Alice said, getting up from the couch.
“You don’t need to leave,” I said. “Maybe we can find a comedy.”
“No, I should go,” Alice said. “I think I need to be alone for a while. But thanks for the wine.”
“No problem,” Josie said. “Stop by anytime.”
“Thanks,” she said. “And I’ll see you Saturday night.”
“Looking forward to it,” I said, walking her to the door. “Take care of yourself, Alice.”
“Oh, I’m trying,” she said, waving over her shoulder on the way out.
“I can’t believe it,” Josie said.
“What?”
“We’re losing her.”
“Maybe she’ll turn it down,” I said.
“We need a plan,” Josie said.
“Or a miracle,” I said.
“What’s that?” she said, sitting up upon noticing the tray covered with aluminum foil.
“Let’s have a look,” I said, pulling back the foil.
“Is that what I think it is?”
“Yup. Two dozen Cannoli,” I said.
“I think I’m gonna cry.”
“Just don’t do it over the tray. You remember what happened the last time they got wet.”
“Suzy?”
“Yes,” I said, chuckling.
“Shut up.”
Chapter 17
I was standing behind the reception desk chatting with the new owner of a gorgeous pair of spaniel lab mix two-year-olds that were inseparable. We’d had the pair for about six months in our rescue program and had decided early on that the pair had to go to the same home. It had taken a while to find the right family, but looking down at the owner’s five-year-old twins rolling around on the tile floor with their two new family members convinced me that we’d made the right decision not to break the dogs up. I asked Sammy to help them into get settled into their car outside and waved goodbye.
“Nice family,” Jill said, watching their departure. “We did a good job with those two.”
“Yes, we did,” I said. “But I’m going to miss having them around.”
I leaned over her shoulder to review the morning schedule displayed on her computer screen, and then I caught a glimpse of Chef Claire poking her head around the corner of the entrance to the condo area.
“There you are,” Chef Claire said.
“Hey, what’s up?” I said. “And thanks for the cannoli.”
“No problem,” Chef Claire said. “Thanks for saving a couple for me.”
“Trust me, it wasn’t easy,” I said, laughing. “I had to convince Josie that she miscounted.”
Then I noticed Josie hovering right behind her, and I knew what Chef Claire wanted to discuss. The party menu had been top of mind for her since we first discussed it. I headed for my office, nodding for both of them to follow. I sat down on the couch, and Chloe hopped onto my lap and stretched out.
“Don’t you have other important things you should be doing?” I said to Josie, laughing.
“Not until ten,” Josie said, glancing up at the clock on the wall. “And at the moment, nothing is more important than this.”
Chef Claire laughed and removed some papers from her jacket.
“You two are unbelievable,” she said, shaking her head.
“We like to think so,” I said.
“Before we go over the menu, I need to understand something,” Chef Claire said, glancing back and forth at us.
“Sure,” I said, shrugging.
“What’s up with the staggered serving times?” Chef Claire said.
I looked at Josie who took several seconds to think about the question then gestured for me to answer.
“We need to create some subterfuge,” I said.
“Okay,” Chef Claire said, frowning. “And you thought my Gorgonzola stuffed burgers with pickled coleslaw and fried onions would do the trick?”
“Oh, I was so hoping they’d be on the menu,” Josie said.
I felt the same way. The burgers were total knee bucklers.
But for the moment, the burgers were irrelevant.
At least as much as Gorgonzola stuffed burgers with pickled slaw and fried onions could ever be considered irrelevant.
“Josie and I need to disappear from the party for a while, and we need to make sure that everyone who might want to know where we’ve gone is at our house while we’re gone.”
“And you thought that if I put together a menu where different dishes were ready at different times that would be the best way to make sure nobody leaves the party early?” Chef Claire said.
“Yeah,” Josie said. “Brilliant, huh?”
“Actually, it’s not a bad plan,” Chef Claire said. “A little nuts maybe, but I’m getting used to that. It’s got something to do with the murder and that boat, doesn’t it?”
“Yes,” I said, nodding.
“You’re going snooping,” she said.
“Yes,” I said. “Probably around 8:30. It’ll be completely dark by that time. We should be back by ten at the latest.”
Chef Claire frowned.
“What do I tell people if they ask where you’ve gone?”
“Dog emergency,” Josie said.
“I’m impressed,” Chef Claire said. “It sounds like you guys have a real plan.”
“You seem surprised,” I said.
“I was going to say astonished,” she said, laughing. “But what the heck, let’s go with surprised.”
She handed each of us a sheet of paper. Josie and I stared at it. Then we looked up and stared at each other.
“This is amazing,” Josie said.
“Yeah, it should be good,” Chef Claire said. “But I realized this morning that I’m going to be a couple of warming trays short. You think John might be willing to let us borrow some for the party?”
“I’m sure he will,” I said. “And I need to swing by to see him today, so I’ll grab them while I’m there.”
“You do?” Josie said, giving me a blank stare.
“Yes, I do.”
Actually, I didn’t. But it was a great excuse to stop by for a chat and perhaps do a bit of snooping.
Chef Claire studied the piece of paper in her hand.
“This is a lot of the items I’ve always planned to include on the menu when I open my own place.” Then she coughed nervously. “And since this might be the last time I cook for you guys, I wanted it to be special. You’ve been so good to me.”
Chef Claire looked out the window and her comment about it being the last time she cooked for us seemed to echo inside my head. Josie was devastated and slumped further down in her chair.
“I take it your meeting last night went well,” I finally managed to whisper.
“Yes, it did,” Chef Claire said. “It’s not a perfect deal by any means, but it’s not bad.”
“If you accept the offer, when would you start?” I said.
“A week,” she said. “Maybe two.”
“No,” Josie whispered.
Chef Claire broke the somber mood by tapping her fingers rapidly on the desktop.
“You guys will be fine,” she said. “And you can always come visit me in Florida.” She refocused on the menu. “Okay, if you’re going to be gone for an hour and a half, why don’t I serve the herb crusted salmon around nine, and the crab-stuffed lobster tails just before ten? That way Suzy will be able to avoid both of the seafood dishes.”
Since I detest eating any and all things that come out of the water, I loved the idea.
“Could you serve the salmon around 8:30?” Josie said.
“Sure,” Chef Claire said.
“Great,” Josie said. “That way I’ll be able to grab one to eat on the road.”
“Not in my car you won’t,” I said, shaking my head.
“Then I’ll eat it standing outside the car before we leave,” Josie said, glaring at me. Then she turned to Chef Claire. “And if we don’t make it back by ten, save a couple of the lobster tails for me.”
“You got it,” Chef Claire said, getting up out of her chair. “I need to head into town to start shopping. I’ll make the adjustments to the times and review them with you tonight, okay?”
We both sat in silence. I managed a small nod of my head.
“Look, guys,” Chef Claire said. “I don’t know how to thank you for all you’ve done for me.”
“Stop,”
I said, holding up a hand. “We are not having this conversation. At least not yet.”
“Okay, sure. I get it,” Chef Claire whispered. She smiled and gave us a quick goodbye wave then left the office.
“We’ve lost her,” Josie said.
“No, not yet we haven’t.”
Josie pulled herself out of her chair.
“I need to get to my ten o’clock,” she said. “Try not to do anything silly today when you see John.”
“I’ll do my best,” I said, grabbing Chloe’s leash, more out of habit than any other reason. She rarely needed it. But she heard the jangle of metal tags, hopped off the couch, and sat waiting by the door. Josie glanced down at Chloe, then back at me.
“You know, you could learn a lot from her,” she said.
Her laughter continued to reverberate down the hallway long after she’d left the office.
Chloe and I headed into town, and I parked in front of John’s office. I climbed out of the car and noticed Captain Bill climbing down the stairway of the yacht onto the dock. He saw me and waved. I returned the wave and decided to wait. He approached, said hello, and knelt down to pet Chloe.
“How are the renovations going?” I said.
“If they don’t hurry up, we’re going to need an ice boat to get out of here.”
It was a total exaggeration, but I understood where he was coming from. The temperature had continued to drop, and a brisk wind out of the north made it seem at least ten degrees colder. I zipped my jacket up and bounced up and down on my tiptoes for warmth.
It was a very brief workout, but I’m counting it.
“How much longer do they think they’re going to need?” I said.
“They say if they get lucky, maybe they’ll finish over the weekend,” Captain Bill said.
“Lucky?”
“They’re a bit stuck at the moment,” he said, giving Chloe one last head rub and standing up.
“Another math problem?” I said, remembering John’s comment from the end of summer party.
“What?” Captain Bill said, frowning.
“John mentioned something about a math problem,” I said.
I had touched a nerve, and I studied his reaction closely.