by Lynn Cahoon
“He won’t let us in,” Hope said, crossing her arms. “He’s being a jerk.”
“He won’t let me in,” Bleak corrected. “I told Hope to go inside and I’d wait for you to come and fix this.”
“If she isn’t on the list, I can’t let her in,” the guard said, his arms crossed, mimicking Hope’s stance and meeting her glare. “I’m doing my job.”
“Do it a little faster,” someone behind Angie shouted, and the guard turned a little pink.
“Please step aside and let me deal with the rest of the people who are on the list.”
Hope shook her head. “I’m not moving.”
“Actually, you are.” Angie put her hand on Hope’s shoulder and turned her away from the guard. She shoved an envelope in her hands. “You take Bleak over to the ticket booth and buy both of you a weekend ride pass. There’s enough cash in there for both bands and a little extra for food and drinks. Meet me back here and I’ll have this fixed by the time you get back.”
Hope glared at the guard but moved toward Bleak and the ticket office. “I can’t believe how mean some people are.”
The guard held up his clipboard. “She wasn’t on the list.”
Angie stepped in front of him. “That’s my fault. I didn’t change my list of assistants. Can I do that with you? I’m Angie Turner, owner of the County Seat.”
“No additions to the list unless they come from the administrative office. Sorry.” He waved the person behind Angie to step forward.
“Sorry.” Angie stepped in between them again. “So, where’s the administrative office?”
The guard sighed and pulled out a map of the fairgrounds. He pointed to a white square. “Right here, behind the small animal tent.”
“If Hope and Bleak come back before I do, let them know I’ll be here as soon as possible.” She started walking in the direction the guard had pointed.
“I’m not a message board.”
When she turned back, some of her anger must have shown on her face. She saw the guard step back two small steps.
“But I’ll be glad to tell them.” He turned back to the guy who had been next in line. “Name?”
“That was impressive.” Miquel stood watching her and slow-clapping.
“Not now. I’ve got stuff to take care of.”
He dropped into step next to her. “That guy you were talking to outside your restaurant?”
“You were watching me?” She turned her head, but didn’t stop walking. She needed to get Bleak approved, then head back to the trailer.
“You were standing right outside the window. What? Do you think you’re invisible?” He jogged around a kid swaying a way-too-large ice cream cone in his direction. “Anyway, listen. I just saw him. He works here at the fair. In the concession stands. Not the local ones, but the ones in the carnival area? I was playing skee ball and saw him go into a stand to restock the cotton candy.”
“Okay.” Now Angie did stop and pull him to the side of the walkway, where they wouldn’t be run over by people passing by. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Don’t you think it was weird he was all the way out in River Vista? If he’s with the carnival, would he even have a car?”
“Again, I’m not sure why you’re concerned.” She had so much to do, but Miquel looked intent on telling her something. Something she should have been picking up on in his comments.
“Angie. The guy was at my restaurant the day before. I think he’s checking us out.” Miquel paled a little as he glanced around. “You don’t think he’s the one going after the chefs, do you?”
She pointed to the administrative office, which she could see from where they stood. “Look, I’ve got to get one of my team members on the list for today. You go tell the security guard what you just told me.”
“Are you crazy? They’ll think I’m trying to get attention off of me. You know they think I killed Nubbins.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry I told you. I thought you’d help.”
Angie watched as he took off down the walkway and disappeared into the crowd. She had things to do. “What a lunatic.”
A woman walking by her pulled her child closer and hurried away.
“Great, now I’m the lady who talks to herself.” She went up the stairs to the administration office to start the work to get Bleak on the list.
Chapter 17
When she got back to the security guard, he waved her inside. “The office called and approved your new team member. And just in time. They both sat there and stared at me for ten minutes before the office called.”
“Sorry about the bother,” Angie apologized. “I know you were just doing your job.”
“Yeah, but the worst thing is they each brought back one of those fresh corn dogs from the stand near the gate.” He looked sheepish. “I love those things. I was trying not to drool while they were giving me the evil eye.”
Angie laughed and made her way to the trailer. Bleak and Hope sat at the outside table. Hope looked up when she stepped on the stairs. “Be warned, Estebe’s in there and is in a rotten mood. He told us to stay out until he got things set up correctly.”
Angie opened the door and peeked inside. Estebe was setting up the kitchen. Music poured out from a small player he must have brought with him. “Hey, what’s going on?”
“I have all the food packed into the trailer and ready for our prep to start when they give us the green light. Now, I’m just cleaning and setting up the trailer so we have someplace good to work from.” He didn’t look at her.
“What’s wrong?” Angie sank into a chair near the door.
“Nothing.”
She let him pout for a few more minutes. Finally, her silence wore into him.
“I’m just wondering if I have gotten myself into a bad situation.” He finally set down the bottled cleaner and rag and met Angie’s eyes. “You know your friend better than anyone. Is she capable of a long-term relationship?”
Angie groaned inside. She knew if the couple had issues, it would affect the County Seat, but she didn’t think it would be this quickly. “I’m not the one to ask. Have you talked to her about how you feel?”
“She talks about plans for the future. Plans that don’t include staying here in Idaho. Which, by extension, don’t include me.” He leaned against the counter. “Am I a fool to hope?”
“So, you’re saying you haven’t talked to her. Tell her how you feel. Tell her that you’re looking for something possibly long-term. I don’t think she’s ever had someone in her life who offered that possibility. Maybe she doesn’t think it’s on the table.”
He stared at her for a long time. “You are wiser than your years. I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Again, I’m the wrong one to be talking to about this. Take her out on Monday when we don’t have service and this thing is finally over. Tell her that you want her to dream about a future together. See what she says.” Angie prayed that she wasn’t sending him to get his walking papers from Felicia, but it was better he be hurt now than later. Especially if Felicia was just having fun.
“I will follow your advice. Now it’s time to cook.” He went back to cleaning.
Angie took a bottle of water out of the cooler. “Now it’s time to wait for them to tell us we can cook.”
“We need to wait for Matt. I sent him to get better potatoes. I didn’t like the ones from the store.” Estebe glanced at his watch. “He should be here in twenty minutes.”
“And the event starts in thirty. Do you need me for anything?” She glanced around the trailer, which looked cleaner than it had when she first stepped inside.
“No. And thank you. I was being overly thoughtful and let my concern spill out into my working life. I will be more controlled in the future.”
Angie walked over and put a hand on his arm, so he’d turn and lo
ok at her. “That’s not what we do here. If you have something that’s bothering you, personal or work-related, we’re here for you. I’m here for you. I know you’d do the same for me, because you have.”
“You have a kind heart, Angie Turner. Ian is a lucky guy.” Estebe took a deep breath. “I am fine, and we will win this section. I am sure.”
“I’m going back outside to check on the girls. Then, when Matt gets here with the last of the supplies, let’s do a quick rundown of the dish. I think you’re right. This one’s a winner.” She headed out the door.
“We cook with heart,” he called after her. “We need a T-shirt.”
Outside, Angie sat on the stairs. “Hope, you know your role, Estebe will run it through for you. Matt’s dropping off the last of the supplies in a few minutes, then we’ll start as soon as they let us. It’s a challenging dish, but they’re going to love it.”
Bleak raised her hand. “What am I supposed to do? Hope says you can only have three people in the trailer.”
“You are our runner. Once every half hour, I need you to stop in and check on us. If we need food or water, I want you to be the only one that gets it for us. No getting free apples from a friendly witch on the fairgrounds.” She handed her an envelope. “That should be enough money for whatever we ask for, but if you run out, just tell me.”
“So the rest of the time I just sit here?” Bleak glanced at her backpack.
Angie guessed she’d brought several books along with her. “No need. Go see the exhibition hall. I love the quilts, but there’s all kinds of stuff in there. Go on rides, play games, eat junk food, just make sure you’re back every thirty minutes. Do you have a watch?”
Bleak shook her head.
Angie took off hers and handed it to her. “You set your timer here. It will vibrate when the alarm goes off. Every time you leave here, set it for another thirty minutes. When we’re done, either I can take you home or you and Hope can stay and she can take you home.”
“She’s staying overnight at my folks’ house. Sheriff Brown already approved it.” Hope grinned. “First thing in the morning, we’re doing a mani-pedi thing at the house. My mom and sister are setting it up. And Dad’s ordering pizza for when we get home tonight.”
“Sounds like fun.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the man who had been at the restaurant the other night. “I’ve got to check something out. I’ll be right back.”
She marched straight over to the fence where he was standing, watching another trailer. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Her words must have confused him, because when he turned to look at her, it didn’t seem like he even knew who she was. “Oh, Angie from the County Seat. Sorry, I didn’t recognize you out of your chef whites.”
“You know my name, what’s yours?”
The man shrugged. Today his red hair was tied back in a ponytail and he had on a T-shirt with the word Galveston in huge block letters. The guy must travel a lot. “Most of the crew call me Red, but my real name is Ted. I guess they think it’s a joke.” He glanced around at the gathering crowds. “You play hard today.”
“It’s not really playing.” She nodded to the carnival opening. “You work for the carnival, don’t you?”
His grin was slow. “It’s my current employment. I think people define others way too much on what they do to put food on the table, don’t you?”
“Angie?” A woman’s voice behind her made her turn and find Barb Travis walking toward her. When she turned back to Ted, he’d disappeared into the crowd. Angie scanned the people milling around and found him moving toward the carnival area.
This was the guy that Miquel was afraid of. The one she’d told him to report. Maybe she should point him out to the guard? And say what? That he’d come to her restaurant? That he knew her name?
“Angie?” Barb stood next to her now. She looked at her face, then scanned the crowd for someone she might know. “Are you all right? Are you looking for someone?”
“I’m fine. What are you doing here? I didn’t peg you for a fair type.” Angie turned to Barb and took in her jeans and Jack Daniel’s tank that showed off her toned arms. “You look great.”
“I look great for a fifty-year-old woman.” Barb glanced around the area. “I wanted to see what all the fuss was about with this Restaurant Wars thing. You’re getting a lot of good buzz in The Statesman. In fact, you’re one of the front-runners to win.”
“I’m just hoping it brings in more customers to the County Seat.”
Barb laughed. “From what I’ve seen, you’re doing just fine in that area. And my bar receipts are going up to show it. People either come in early to get a drink before their reservation at your place or afterward. I guess being a dive country bar next to a high-end restaurant isn’t a bad thing. I wasn’t sure about the kind of people you’d bring in.”
Seriously? Barb had been worried about her customers? “I’m glad we can support each other in bringing in more people.”
“I don’t think my crew is going to your place, so I’m the winner here.” Barb patted her arm. “Anyway, fight hard today. And it’s nice what you’re doing for that girl. I tried to get her to tell me where she lived, but I guess I scared her off. Your Ian, he’s good with scared things.”
Angie watched the woman make her way through the crowd and wondered if she’d been one of the scared things Barb had referenced. She turned to the trailer and almost ran right into another woman standing behind her.
“Sorry, I was waiting for you to be done with your conversation. I’m Sheila Roberts from the Sandpiper?” The younger blonde had her hair pulled back into a ponytail and wore jean shorts and a tank. She held out a flyer. “Mrs. Nubbins wanted all the restaurants to know that they and their crew are welcome at the celebration of David’s life tonight.”
Angie took the flyer. “Seven? Isn’t that late for a funeral?”
“It’s not really a funeral, but more like a wake. The actual funeral is on Saturday. Mrs. Nubbins wanted to make sure as many of you who were here the day…” Sheila paused, swallowed, then changed her words, “the first day of the contest could be there. The Sandpiper is closed this weekend, so we’ll have an open bar and food available. Don’t worry about bringing anything. We’re making tons of food. I think she’s invited the entire Treasure Valley.”
“Thank you for the invitation. I’d come and pay my respects, but I didn’t bring any dress-up clothes.” Angie glanced at the jeans and tank she’d worn to work in.
“Oh, I’m supposed to point that out too. Dress code is kitchen casual. She’d rather people show up in what they wore to cook in than not show up.” Sheila pointed to the flyer. “See, she says that right there. I guess she knows chefs pretty well, huh?”
Actually, Angie mused, Mrs. Nubbins knew human behavior around death rituals really well too. Maybe Estebe would come with her. “She’s covered all the bases, so I guess I’ll be there.”
“Great.” For the first time since she’d started talking, Sheila smiled. “He would have liked knowing you were coming. He’d talked about the County Seat since it opened. How brave you were for being in River Vista and not setting up in town. He even ate there once, incognito. He said your chicken and dumplings made him miss his mother.”
“How sweet.” Angie wondered if Felicia had recognized the disguised chef. She’d have to ask her. “I’m touched that he even knew about us.”
“He loved researching all the local restaurants. He said if you didn’t know your competition, you got stale and then went down. He was focused like that.” Now tears filled Sheila’s eyes. “I still can’t believe he’s gone, and I found him in the trailer. It’s like a bad dream.”
“Did the cops tell you what happened? Heart attack, right?”
Sheila’s eyes watered. “No. He was given poisoned cotton candy. Can you believe it? Someone sprinkled som
e sort of powder on the top. You know how the fluff melts in your hands, especially on hot days? Well, he got a huge dose of this poison. And his heart, it just wasn’t up to fighting off the overload.”
“That’s so strange. I mean, it’s crazy anyone would want to kill him. Did he have a fight with someone recently?” Sheriff Brown had been less than forthcoming on the details of the chef’s death.
“No. Everyone loved him. Mrs. Nubbins said that he was going through a kind of rebirth and had made amends for all kinds of things with her just this last month.” Sheila slapped a hand over her mouth. “I probably shouldn’t have said that. They’re a great couple, it’s just, well, David could be very attractive to women. He had to keep telling everyone he was married and to stop trying.” She glanced around and lowered her voice. “I think maybe sometimes he didn’t say no.”
“That must have been hard on her.”
Sheila nodded. “She was crying and everything when she told me. Of course, she’d also been drinking, but who could blame her with her husband dying.”
Angie saw Ann Cole climbing up to the podium. “Looks like the contest is about to start. Thank you for the invitation, and let Mrs. Nubbins know that the County Seat will be there. Should we send flowers?”
“No, it’s on the flyer. She wants donations to go to the culinary program at Boise State.” Sheila saw the chef from the Black Angus standing in front of his trailer. “I’ve got to go. There are so many people to invite.”
Estebe was standing outside the trailer, watching her as she walked toward him. “What is wrong?”
“You read me too well.” Angie shook off the unease she’d felt after the conversation with Sheila. “Do you and Felicia have plans tonight?”
He shook his head. “Why?”
“How would you like to be my date for a wake for Chef Nubbins tonight?” She handed him the flyer.
He read it, nodded, and handed it back to her. “I am guessing we are not there just to pay our respects?”
Angie shrugged as Ann Cole started her announcements. “If we happen to find out more about his death and maybe who killed him, that would only be a coincidence.”