Murder at Le Bijou Bistro: Northwest Cozy Mystery Series (Northwest Cozy Mysteries Book 5)

by Dianne Harman

  “Ah, that’s the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question,” Pat said. “I don’t know where that cake came from, but it wasn’t from here. I’ve checked the order book and the computer going way back. The last delivery we made to Le Bijou Bistro was over a week ago. The police have spoken to all the delivery drivers and verified that from their rosters. We don’t even make chocolate cakes like the one in the picture the cops showed me. Ours are much fancier. I honestly think someone’s trying to set me up.”

  Jake tapped the pen on his notebook, writing down what Pat had just said.

  “Who do you think would want to do that?” Luke asked Pat.

  Pat shrugged. “Might not be anyone I even know. Creative Cakes is one of the most popular specialty cake companies in the Seattle area. Looks like some crazy person made a cake with poison in it and sent it to a restaurant saying it’s from here. Let’s say, just for a minute, that we made that cake.”

  Jake’s eyes narrowed as Pat continued.

  “I’m hardly going to implicate my own business saying it was from here, am I?” Pat said.

  “Good point,” Jake said. “No one’s saying you were aware of it, but could one of your staff have made it without your knowledge? Can you think of anyone who has a grudge against you and would like to see you in trouble?”

  “Sure,” Pat said, with a rueful smile, “but she doesn’t work here.” He rubbed his chin. “No, I don’t think even Jessica would stoop that low.”

  “Who’s Jessica?” Luke asked Pat.

  Jake looked up from where he had been doodling the initials JS on his notepad. “Do you mean Jessica Simmons, your ex-wife?”

  Pat sighed. “Even though we split up a long time ago, the woman still hates me. She divorced me for alleged unreasonable behavior, but I’m still not sure what I’m supposed to have done. She took our daughter away and turned her against me. Recently, Jessica seems to have gotten worse.”

  “What do you mean?” Jake asked. “Do you still see her?”

  “Not if I can help it,” Pat said. “However, she has a key for this place, so she can use the kitchen to test recipes for her blog. She only does it after our regular hours, so I’m rarely here at the same time she is.”

  “That’s very generous of you,” Luke commented.

  “I’ve found, when it comes to Jessica, it’s just easier to let her have her way. And she’s still my daughter’s mother. I had no idea she wanted to get back together until recently. It was all very embarrassing.” Pat visibly reddened, and he shifted his weight from foot to foot.

  Jake raised his eyebrows. “Can you tell us what happened?”

  “Um, well she called me one evening sounding panicked. She said there’d been a small fire in the kitchen, and of course I came rushing down. When I arrived, there was no fire but she was, how shall I put it…waiting for me in a state of undress, in a provocative position in the frosting room.”

  “Okay, I think we get the picture,” Jake said, trying to shake the same picture from his mind. “I take it you weren’t tempted?”

  “Not even close,” Pat said. “I wrapped a blanket around her and explained as gently as possible that our relationship now is strictly platonic. She insisted I’d been coming on to her. The thing is, Jessica has some serious issues. She’s delusional, to put it mildly. I really don’t want to cause her any further distress.”

  Jake finished writing in his notebook, and flipped it shut. “Pat, this is very helpful, thank you. Do you mind if we get back to you if there’s anything else?”

  “That’s fine,” Pat said, deep in thought.

  Jake remembered something else. “Oh, and my girlfriend has a big birthday coming up in a few weeks. Can I take a cake catalog with me?”

  Pat nodded, and Jake tucked one under his arm.

  Luke waited till they were outside before saying anything. “He seemed like a nice guy, and got kind of sad when he was talking about his ex-wife. Do you think she made the cake?”

  “I have no idea,” Jake said, striding toward the car. “But I fully intend to find out.”

  CHAPTER 12

  “Don’t look at me with those sad eyes,” DeeDee said. “I’ve already told you that you can’t come with me today. I’m going to Seattle with Cassie.”

  Jake looked up from where he was reading the morning paper on the sofa in the great room. “Are you talking to me or to Balto?”

  “Huh,” DeeDee said as she sorted through some papers she’d laid out on the coffee table. “I might as well be talking to both of you. You’re equally as bad when it comes to playing the sad eyes game with me. Balto and I have already been to the beach this morning, so he shouldn’t be acting sad, but can you take him out again later? I promised I’d meet up with Roz, as well as seeing a Deelish client about a May barbecue. I can’t seem to find the menu samples I prepared for them.”

  “How’s Roz coping with being pregnant?” Jake inquired.

  “She’s doing really well. I can’t wait to see her. She’s tired from being in the early stages of her pregnancy, plus she’s right in the middle of tax season, but that will end pretty soon. I think Clark wants her to quit working after the baby comes, but she won’t hear of it. I wish I had that option.”

  “Well, I know you’re not with me for my money, that’s for sure,” Jake said. “Because I don’t have any.”

  DeeDee tossed some papers on the floor before picking up a glossy magazine and looking at the cover. “I knew it,” she said excitedly, flipping through the pages.

  “I don’t think you’ll find the menu you’re looking for in Vogue,” Jake commented, before going back to the crossword puzzle he was working on. “Hmm, nine across. Framework that supports a bridge, five letters. Got any idea what that would be?”

  “Truss,” DeeDee said, waving the magazine in Jake’s face. “Here, look…I knew I’d seen it somewhere before!”

  Jake adjusted his reading glasses and moved his head back. “Be careful with that thing, woman, or you’re going to hit me in the eye. Why are you showing me an article about Elizabeth Taylor’s jewelry collection?”

  “Because…” DeeDee’s tone was triumphant. She pointed to a picture of a huge diamond ring. “This is Cassie’s ring. It went to sealed-bid auction recently along with several other pieces. Al must have bought it for her. Isn’t that romantic?”

  Jake frowned. “Let’s hope he bought it, and didn’t acquire it some other way. You know what Al’s like.” He raised his arm to shield himself from DeeDee’s blows with the rolled-up magazine. “Ow. Just kidding. Ouch.”

  Balto came over to join in the fun. He leaped up, trying to catch the magazine in his mouth, thinking it was some sort of game.

  “You have far too much energy, Balto,” Jake said, managing to wrestle DeeDee’s paper weapon from her grasp, while Balto landed on his lap. “How about you, me, and Red heading out for a while?” Balto jumped off of him and bounded into the hallway, wagging his tail.

  DeeDee smiled, placing a handful of menu cards in the tote bag she used for work. “Found them. Are you going to be meeting with Luke again today?”

  Jake raised his wrist and glanced at his watch. “Yes. We’re going to visit Jules Moreau, and I need Rob to get more information on Jessica Simmons.” Balto’s head appeared around the doorway. “That’s after I’ve taken Balto and Red out, of course,” Jake said, grinning.

  DeeDee turned at the sound of a car pulling up outside. “That’ll be Cassie.” A car door slammed, and DeeDee looked out the window. It was another clear day, and a beam of sunlight in the distance was reflecting off the sparkling blue water of Puget Sound.

  A black town car with tinted windows was parked in front of the house. Cassie was walking up the steps of the porch, followed by a small wiry-looking man with a shiny bald head, who was carrying a sports bag. Jake joined her at the window, and DeeDee looked across at him, stifling a laugh.

  “Do you think that’s Harry the Hatchet? He looks more like a librarian.”
/>   “Maybe it’s his cover,” Jake said. “Although I agree…ugh, that mustard sweater.” Jake made a face.

  “Do you think his hatchet’s in the bag?” DeeDee whispered. “It’s so heavy it’s almost trailing on the ground.”

  “Don’t know. Maybe a submachine gun’s in it.”

  DeeDee’s mouth fell open as the sound of the doorbell rang through the house, and she watched Jake walk over to let them in, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

  Cassie entered the house, smiling. “Hi, you two, this is Harry, a friend of Al’s,” she said. “He’s our babysitter for the day.”

  DeeDee approached him to shake his hand, and saw Cassie give her a warning look. Harry took a step back, still gripping the bag.

  “He’s a man of few words, aren’t you Harry?” Cassie said as she looked at Harry, who silently nodded.

  “I’ve got to get going,” Jake said, pulling on his coat. “Nice to meet you, Harry. Don’t let these ladies give you any trouble.”

  Harry gave Jake a cold stare. Balto, who had followed the guests into the great room, sniffed Harry’s feet before retreating to stand beside Jake.

  “Bye, Cassie. Call you later, sweetheart,” Jake said to DeeDee, kissing her on the cheek.

  “You didn’t have to come out all this way,” DeeDee said when Jake had left. “I could have met you in Seattle. Do we have time for a coffee?”

  Cassie shook her head. “Better not. I had to come out here to check on a few things on the house we’re buying, anyway. I need your help with something, if you don’t mind.”

  “Sure.”

  Cassie nodded to Harry, who set the bag down with a thud. He stooped down to unzip it, and DeeDee held her breath while he pulled out a couple of dark, heavy lumps.

  “Which do you think, the antique pavers or the cobblestone?” Cassie said. “DeeDee, are you all right? These are for the patio,” she explained. “I can’t make up my mind.”

  DeeDee giggled, thinking about the conversation she and Jake had just had regarding what was in Harry’s bag. “Definitely go with the antique pavers. I’ll get my coat.”

  *****

  “Ms. Ekenbach will see you now.”

  “Thanks, Darlene,” Cassie said to the receptionist. “Ready?” she asked DeeDee.

  “Yes,” DeeDee said, following Cassie down the corridor. DeeDee glanced back at Harry, who remained seated in the reception area, his head motionless, but his eyes were constantly darting around the room. There was a black bag at his feet. It wasn’t the sports bag he’d been carrying earlier. This one was smaller, but just as heavy. DeeDee had a feeling it didn’t contain household items.

  When they entered Gloria’s office, a messy-haired blond stood up from her desk and greeted them warmly. She kissed Cassie on both cheeks, and gave DeeDee a strong handshake. It was so strong it caused DeeDee’s arm to strain in its socket.

  “Sit, sit, sit,” Gloria said, motioning towards some chairs and a round table in the corner of the office. “Cassie, how are you holding up? That was such a horrible thing to have happen at a restaurant you were going to review. I completely understand that you won’t be able to file a review on that one. I’m sure you agree that it would be terribly inappropriate.”

  Cassie nodded. “Yes, I—”

  Gloria went on speaking, oblivious of Cassie’s attempt to reply. “And this must be your friend, the wonderful DeeDee Wilson from Deelish. DeeDee, several of my friends have been raving about your catering. You’ll have to give me one of your business cards.”

  DeeDee pulled one out from her purse. “Sure, here yo—”

  Gloria had already turned her head back to Cassie. DeeDee put the card on the table and pushed it towards Gloria, before looking around the room. The immaculately decorated office was at odds with Gloria’s unkempt personal appearance. It was the office DeeDee would have dreamed of, if she had a dedicated space for her work at home. A giant iMac computer screen took center stage on a shiny white desk, the wireless keyboard and mouse tiny by comparison. A copper wire basket held some papers, and several pens poked out of the top of a papier-mâché pen holder, painted with gaudy childlike brushstrokes. A giant Stendig designer wall calendar adorned the wall behind the desk. Thick-pile ivory carpet and the white tulip table they were seated around, on cracked tan leather chairs, gave the place the feel of a magazine shoot. Given that Gloria was the newspaper’s Lifestyle Editor, DeeDee supposed that wasn’t far from the truth. She made a mental note to give her Deelish working area, aka the kitchen table, a more streamlined look.

  “The thing is,” Gloria was saying as DeeDee tuned back into the one-way conversation, “I’m so glad you came in. I’ve got a proposition for you, Cassie. How would you feel about taking on more work? Of course we’ll make it worth your while.”

  Cassie opened her mouth to speak, but Gloria had merely paused for breath. She lowered her voice a little as she continued. “We’re making some changes here, and the readers just love your column. Did you know that the cute waiter you mentioned a few weeks ago has his own Facebook fan page now with thousands of followers? You’re what’s known in the trade as an influencer, Cassie, and that’s exactly what we need more of.” Gloria smiled, revealing a smudge of lipstick on her front teeth. “What do you say?”

  DeeDee and Cassie stared at Gloria, waiting for her to go on. Gloria clasped her hands together, and leaned in towards them. “Well?”

  “I’m sorry, Gloria, but that won’t be possible right now,” Cassie said. “That’s what I came here to tell you. After the incident at Le Bijou Bistro, my husband’s worried for my safety.”

  Gloria, if you knew what was in Harry the Hatchet’s bag in the reception area right now, you’d realize just how worried he is, DeeDee thought to herself, observing the editor, whose face had fallen.

  “We agreed when I started working here that it was just a temporary thing, anyway,” Cassie continued. “I’m not really looking for a full-time position. When is Myles Lambert planning on coming back?”

  “He’s not, that’s just it,” Gloria said thoughtfully. “I’m sure there must be a solution to this little problem. We really don’t want to lose you, Cassie.”

  “What happened to Myles?” DeeDee asked. If Gloria told them he’d left and moved out of the state, maybe they had Megan’s killer in their sights.

  “It’s kind of surprising,” Gloria said. “He came to see me Monday morning. We had words last week, you see. I’d suggested he take longer to finish his foodie book, or whatever it was supposed to be. Truth is, I’ve been trying to discourage his return. I guess he sensed that too, and I could tell he wasn’t very happy about it.”

  Cassie piped up. “Was he threatening to cause any sort of trouble?”

  Gloria rubbed her teeth with her finger, removing the traces of lipstick. “No, not at all. Actually, he was very happy and excited. He pulled out a large box with a manuscript in it, and told me he’d been working on it all weekend. He said it was better than he remembered, and asked me to have a look at it for him. It was a murder mystery novel he’s been trying to finish for years, and he thought he’d finally nailed it.”

  Cassie and DeeDee looked at each other, and DeeDee could see Cassie shift uncomfortably in her seat.

  “Um, what was it about?” DeeDee asked.

  “I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but it was terribly clever,” Gloria said. “A woman gets murdered in a restaurant. I was up all night reading it, because I could hardly put it down. I called an agent friend of mine, and by Wednesday morning there was a bidding war going on between three of the big traditional publishing houses. Hollywood’s already called him about the movie rights for it. Seven figures.”

  “I see,” DeeDee said, unable to believe what she was hearing. “That’s…amazing.”

  “It sure is. Myles is laughing all the way to the bank.” Gloria turned to Cassie. “In fact, he asked me to thank you for everything. He said if it wasn’t for you, he probably never would ha
ve finished it. Of course, he won’t be coming back to the paper now. This deal has him set up for life. He’s living the writer’s dream.”

  Cassie exhaled. “Good for him, that’s marvelous. I was worried he might have a grudge against me or something.”

  Gloria leaned across the desk to pat Cassie’s arm, causing the table to shake. “Oh no, quite the opposite. So you see, if you would rethink my offer, it would be a great outcome for everyone.”

  “I can’t promise anything, but I’ll discuss it with my husband,” Cassie said. She looked down, distracted by the sound of her cell phone buzzing in her purse. “Sorry, do you mind if I get this?”

  “Go ahead,” Gloria said, picking up DeeDee’s business card from the table and squinting at it.

  “Briana, is that you, darling?” the excitement was audible in Cassie’s voice, and DeeDee turned to her friend with a smile. In a matter of seconds, she watched the color drain from Cassie’s face. The hand Cassie was using to hold her phone began to tremble. “Briana, please, calm down. Tell me where you are. It will be all right, I promise.” She shook the cell phone in the air, and started frantically pressing some buttons, finally meeting DeeDee’s worried gaze with a look of despair. “The line went dead,” Cassie gasped, jumping up. “We have to go. Briana’s in trouble.”

  CHAPTER 13

  “Mr. De Duco, it’s been a while. Good to see you, sir. Your usual table on the patio?”

  “Thanks, Doug.” Al followed the General Manager of Ray’s Café to the outdoor deck. A sailboat with a bright yellow sail bobbed past, its passengers a young couple wearing sweaters and shorts. Their laughter carried to where Doug was seating Al.

  “Will anyone be joining you today, sir?” Doug asked, handing him a menu.

  Al grunted. “Yeah, ‘fraid so. Ima gonna’ have a beer, and today’s newspaper if ya’ got it, please. Might be waitin’ fer a bit.”

  Doug nodded, and placed a second menu on the table. “Coming right up, sir.”

  Al’s beer and newspaper arrived within moments, and he sat in leisurely silence, looking up from the sports pages every now and then to take in the view of Puget Sound and the snow-capped Olympic mountain range beyond. Regular water traffic from the Ballard Locks sailed across his line of vision, as he tapped a reminder note into his phone.