by Lynn Cahoon
“Don’t let her out of your sight today. We’re going to figure out if this aunt is really here and if she can just take Bleak with her. I don’t think Sheriff Brown is going to let that happen.” Angie gave Hope a hug. “You did great.”
“I kept thinking what would Estebe do, but then that didn’t work, because he’s big and strong and he’d probably flip over the car.” Hope let her lips curve into a smile. “Then I wondered what would you do and that’s when I saw Felicia. I pulled into a parking spot and told Bleak to stay inside. Felicia scared her off. I think she was trying to get Bleak alone.”
“So let’s not let her be alone. You go inside and help with the shopping.” Angie dialed Sheriff Brown’s number as she watched the hill, making sure the woman didn’t make a U-turn and come back. “Allen, this is Angie.”
“What have you gotten yourself into now?” Allen’s terse response made her chuckle.
“Where are you? At the fairgrounds?”
“Just arriving now. Don’t tell me your trailer was torn up because you won?”
Angie hadn’t thought of that. “I hope not. Actually, we’re over at the grocery store. We think someone is following Bleak. Her aunt.”
“The father said he was washing his hands of her. Why would her aunt come to find her?” The sheriff’s tone wasn’t dismissive, but instead, thoughtful, like he was trying to piece together a puzzle.
“I’m not sure, but I know there’s more to the story of why she left than she’s telling us. She said she confided in this aunt and told her about her plans to come to Boise. Maybe there’s something more than just a bad childhood going on here.”
The line was silent. “That was my initial thought too. These cults are known to marry off their daughters early. Maybe that’s what Bleak’s running from.”
Pain crushed her heart. “Then we have to keep her here.”
“I’m working on it.” He sighed. “Of course, it’s Saturday and I’m not going to be able to get any formal court documents before Monday. What’s Ian doing today?”
“He was talking to a farmer earlier, why?”
“Keep an eye out on her. I’m going to call him and ask him to play bodyguard for the day until I can take her home. I don’t like her around all those people by herself. People are abducted from big events like this all the time.”
Chapter 20
“Seriously, I don’t need a babysitter.” Bleak glared at Angie like it was her fault Ian was going to be following her. “Maybe it wasn’t even Martha. Maybe I was just seeing things.”
Ian had shown up less than an hour after Angie had hung up with Sheriff Brown. Which told Angie how serious Allen had taken the threat.
“Then you’ll have a handsome man at your beck and call all day until Allen comes to get you. I haven’t seen all the fair yet. I keep meaning to get over here, but I’m always working. Would you mind showing me around? And if you wouldn’t mind, I’d love to ride some of the rides. The last time I was here, my date was a little bit of a wimp around the rides.” Ian pushed up the English accent just for Bleak’s amusement.
“You wanted to go on the zipper. I hate anything that flips me upside down as part of the ‘fun’,” Angie explained.
Bleak laughed and Angie could see she was relaxing a little. “I guess I could hang out with you for a while. Just don’t cry when we’re on the rides. It’s so embarrassing.”
“We’ll see who cries first.” Ian lifted his closed fists under his eyes and twisted, like he was bawling. Then he dropped his arms. “That’s as close as I’m going to get. You, on the other hand, you look a little frightened already, and we haven’t even left the trailer.”
“Oh, buddy, you’re so on.” Bleak grinned, but Angie could still see the worry in her eyes. The kid had moxie. She was going to pretend nothing was wrong as long as she could. “I guess if you insist, you’re going to see what rides are supposed to be like.”
Angie stopped Ian as he started to follow Bleak out of the trailer. “Keep her close, okay?”
“Don’t you worry. You just get in there and cook amazing food.” He kissed her, then focused on Bleak. “You want some food first? I’m starving.”
“You’re going to regret that,” Angie said as she watched them walk away. She turned back to Hope and Felicia. “Or maybe not. Ian has an iron stomach.”
Hope sank into a chair. “I really am praying this is a false alarm. She seemed so happy last night. She was even talking about letting Maggie check her into school next week. She asked what kids wore to school here. I’m going to go through my closet and see if I have some things that will fit her. She’s so tiny.”
“You’re a good kid.” Angie squeezed Hope’s shoulder. “If there is a problem, Sheriff Brown will fix it. He’s invested in keeping Bleak safe.”
“Maggie told Bleak that they never had kids but they’d both wanted several. I guess she just couldn’t get pregnant.” Hope looked up. “I probably shouldn’t have told you that.”
“We’re not going to spread rumors about the sheriff and his wife,” Felicia assured her. “So let’s get things unpacked and ready for prep time. Getting all those apples ready is going to take some time.”
Felicia had decided on a caramel apple crumble. Simple, but full of flavor. It would be easy to carry in a small paper basket like the ones that loaded hot dogs came in, but you could also sit and enjoy the dish. Angie headed to the door. “I’ll go outside and see where the judges are. We should be starting any minute.”
When she stepped outside, she saw Sheriff Brown heading her way. When he came close, she shut the trailer door and moved to the table, motioning him to follow. “What’s going on?”
“Where’s Bleak? Did Ian get here yet?” He glanced around as if the two of them would be just around the corner.
“He’s here. He took Bleak to get some food and to go have some fun. She needs to relax if she’s seeing things like her aunt around every corner.” Angie watched his face, hoping to see the answer she wanted. Instead, he stayed serious. Too serious. “Crap, her aunt is in the area, isn’t she?”
“We don’t know that. I just know that the officer I sent out to the compound verified that she wasn’t there. Everyone’s claiming not to know where she is, but her vehicle, a 1972 green VW van isn’t at the compound either.” He took his hat off and ran a hand through his thinning hair. “Maggie’s scared for the kid.”
“We’ll just keep an eye out for her. I’ve got plenty of people who will take shifts being with her if you need more people.”
He studied her. “That’s kind of you. You’ve already bonded with the girl, haven’t you?”
Angie smiled. “It happens when you cook together. She’s part of our crew now. Hope’s probably the closest person to her. I know she’s older, but Bleak appears to be an old soul. I think they could truly be friends.”
“I think you’re right.” He stood, checking his watch. “I’ve got to get back to the task force. They’re bringing in Tara to question her this morning.”
“I don’t think Tara killed Chef Nubbins. According to her, they’d already broken their thing off.” She stood and followed him to the edge of the counter. “She was even invited to the wake last night.”
“About that, I heard you went. Didn’t you think that maybe it wasn’t the best idea? Especially since by winning yesterday’s section, you’re probably in the killer’s crosshairs right now anyway?” He froze her with his gaze.
“Estebe was with me, and neither one of us ate anything. I could see the headlines in The Statesman this morning. Entire culinary community killed at wake for poisoned chef.” She glanced around at the two other trailers in the lot. “I can tell you that I’m not coming back for next year’s contest. This has been way too stressful for what should be lazy August days.”
“You got that right. Although the fair is always a high-cri
me time, usually it’s just kids breaking into all those shiny cars in the parking lot.” He tipped his hat. “Good luck today and keep your eyes open for trouble. I don’t think this is over yet.”
Angie watched as he strolled out of the area. She thought he was right about one thing. She didn’t think it was over yet either. Which was another reason she didn’t believe that Tara was the killer. Either way, it was a good thing her restaurant hadn’t made the finals. Tara would be too busy with the task force to focus on what to serve one hundred people. And, if she wasn’t in the contest anymore, the killings couldn’t have been about winning if she was the killer.
She closed her eyes. She was going around and around with this. She needed to clear her mind and think about the apple crumble. What could they do to make it stand out? Sydney was an excellent pastry chef, so Angie knew her dish would be outstanding. And Miquel had a solid pastry chef at Bien Viveres as well. The odds were about even that any of the three remaining contestants could win this thing. She just wanted it done and over with.
Feedback from the mic had her eyes flying open. She watched as the three judges along with another person climbed onto the wooden platform they’d built to bring the judges a little higher so people could see them. Ann Cole walked with a striking redhead up to the microphone.
“Looks like we got done just in time,” Felicia said. Angie turned to see Hope coming out of the trailer to meet them.
“Who’s that with Ann Cole?” Angie gestured toward the stage.
Felicia frowned. “You don’t know? I thought you and Estebe would have met her yesterday.”
When Angie shook her head, Felicia pointed. “That’s Carol Nubbins. The widow?”
Angie studied the woman. At the event last night, she’d had her head wrapped in a black scarf. Now, her red hair was bouncing around her shoulders. She hadn’t been wearing makeup either. The woman on the stage was drop-dead gorgeous. David Nubbins had been an idiot.
As Ann Cole tapped on the microphone to get everyone’s attention, Mrs. Nubbins stood behind her, making eye contact and waving to several people in the audience. She glanced right over Felicia and Angie, not even pausing to see if she knew either women. Ann turned the microphone over to her and she smiled.
“Good morning, everyone. I just wanted to thank you all for attending the wake last night. David would have been so emotional knowing how much he meant to the culinary community here. I’ve been told by the Boise State Culinary Department that a scholarship fund has been set up to take donations in David’s name. If you want to make a difference and support the future of the restaurant business, please consider giving.”
She stepped away from the microphone and smiled at Ann. “With that lovely announcement, let’s get this contest going. Today’s winner won’t be announced until noon tomorrow, so make sure you’re here for the award presentation. Chefs, let’s get those desserts going. We’ll be serving at exactly 1 p.m., and voting closes at three. That should give you all enough time to choose your favorite dessert.”
This time a man standing behind her blew an air horn, and the chefs scrambled back to their trailers to start working. Felicia was on her left as they walked back to the trailer. “I can’t believe they’re stringing this out for another day. I thought I’d have tomorrow to relax.”
“We don’t have to miss service if we don’t want to. We could go in and work.” Felicia climbed the steps to the kitchen. Hope was already at the sink, running water to wash the apples.
“I have a date tonight. You can do what you want, but you’re more than welcome to hang out with us, like we’d planned.”
“Angie Turner, I’ve never known you to turn down an opportunity to work. What has gotten into you?”
Angie shrugged and picked up a paring knife to start peeling the skin off the apples. “I’m being nice to Estebe. He likes to be in charge sometimes.”
“That’s for sure.” Felicia laughed and turned on the stereo. “Then I’ll be your wing girl tonight. As long as you don’t think of me as a third wheel.”
“Never. Now, let’s get this dish done. The people aren’t going to feed themselves now, are they?”
They were about halfway through prep when a knock came at the door and Bleak and Ian came bounding inside. Ian took a big whiff. “Hey guys, how’s the food coming? It smells amazing.”
“We’re doing great. How’s the fun times at the fair?” Angie didn’t have to ask, really. Instead of the worried, almost-in-tears girl who had left with Ian a few hours ago, Bleak looked like she could float on air. Her face was bright red, though, from the heat. “Grab some water bottles. I don’t want to have to pack any of this back home.”
Ian grabbed two out of the fridge and threw one at Bleak. “We’ve exhausted the rides so we’re going into the exhibition hall so we can see if there’s any good free stuff left to grab.”
“And you’ll be inside out of the heat,” Angie added.
He shrugged. “There’s that too. What time are you serving?”
“One thirty. So be back here about one and you can help hand out bowls to people. That front window is way too tall for kids to reach.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He looked at Bleak. “You ready, kid?”
“Unless you need more time to cool off. Being old and all,” Bleak shot back.
Ian shook his head and glanced at Angie. “The abuse I have to put up with.”
“Whatever. Come on, old man. I want to get some fudge.” Bleak moved to the door.
“Hope, step outside with Bleak a second. I want to talk to Ian.” Angie glanced at Hope, who scurried after Bleak. “We’ll be quick.”
When the door closed, he focused on her. “So, it’s not an idle threat.”
“Bleak’s aunt is nowhere to be found, but she told people she was coming here to get her.” Angie touched his arm. “Be careful, but keep a really good eye out for her. The aunt can’t know she’s at the fair, but just in touch.”
“I think she knows. Bleak told me she called her aunt from Allen’s house and told her all about what was going on here. She thought her aunt was being supportive.” He stepped toward the door. “I don’t like her alone out there. Even with Hope.”
Angie let him go, and soon, Hope came back inside. She paused at the sink to wash her hands. “Bleak already knew her aunt was here. She was just putting up a good face so she wouldn’t look like a baby.”
“She’s a strong girl,” Felicia said. “No one should have to decide that living in an alley is better than being home.”
With that, they got back to work. But Angie’s mind didn’t leave Bleak’s situation through the entire prep time. When they were ready to start serving, she opened the door and scanned the crowd. No Ian. No Bleak.
Felicia put a hand on her arm. “Don’t freak out. They probably just got tied up with something and lost track of time. You know how hard it is to get somewhere with all these crowds. They could be right outside the gate, waiting to be let inside.”
“You’re right. Let’s get this party started. Felicia, Hope, you two plate, and I’ll go outside and hand out the dishes. When Ian and Bleak arrive, I’ll come back inside.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Felicia grabbed the bowl of cream she’d just whipped and moved it to the table near the window.
Angie slipped outside and into the crowd. The number of people who were there seemed larger than yesterday. She didn’t see the guard at the entrance. Had they stopped checking people before they came inside the event grounds? She ducked and weaved through the crowd, stopping at the large window at the front of their trailer. People were already lined up, waiting for them to start serving.
Angie smiled and handed out the first bowl. “This is our take on a caramel apple crisp. The County Seat uses locally grown products as much as possible in our creations, so the apples you’re eating came from Emmett.”
“Go back in. Bleak and I can handle this now.” Ian stood in front of her and handed the bowls to the next two people waiting in line. He smiled at the women in front of him. “The County Seat is a farm-to-table restaurant located in a small town south of here called River Vista. Have you been there?”
“We’ve been to the town, but not to the restaurant. Where are you from? Are you the chef there?”
Angie thought the woman actually batted her eyes at Ian.
“No, ma’am. That’s my girlfriend’s job. I’m from the area originally, but grew up in England. If you will excuse me, there are a lot of hungry people in line.” He turned back to Bleak and waved Angie back to the trailer. “We’re handling this. Go back inside and help Felicia and Hope. Bleak, grab me two more. You get them from the trailer, and I’ll hand them out.”
Within ten minutes, the routine of adding two more people to the process had their line totally worked through. They had a few stragglers here and there, but Angie thought they might just have served most of the one hundred people who had bought wristbands for the event.
“Just ten more minutes and we’re done.” Felicia rolled her shoulders. “I swear, this is more stressful than a full service at the restaurant.”
“I agree. It’s because the service is all condensed.” She leaned against the wall and watched the people milling by the trailer. Ian was talking with an older gentleman about apple orchards from what Angie could overhear. She glanced around but didn’t see Bleak. She stepped closer to the window.