Killer Cuisine

by Velvet Vaughn

  “Dad!”

  The man jerked his head up and fired. Dante felt a searing burn along his upper arm but he pushed the pain away and ducked behind a dumpster as the man fired again.

  “Stay back or I pop the kid.” The man pulled Kai directly in front of him.

  Dante slowly rose and pointed his weapon at the man’s head. All his nerves fled and a calm came over him. He didn’t want to shoot with Kai in between but he had no doubt he could double tap the man without harming a hair on his son’s head.

  “Let him go, drop the gun or fair warning, you’re a dead man walking.” Dante’s voice was lethal.

  “Let the kid go. You’re surrounded.”

  The man spun around as Dorian Demarchis came up behind him. Dante moved from behind the dumpster.

  “Surrender now or die,” Dorian said, his SIG pointed directly between the guy’s wild eyes. “You have three seconds to live.”

  The man jerked his gaze between them. “You ain’t gonna shoot when you might hit the kid,” the man scoffed, pulling Kai more tightly against him.

  “You willing to take that chance?” Dorian taunted.

  Kai used the man’s distracted focus to elbow him in the groin.

  “Uh,” the man doubled over and grabbed his crotch. “You little shit.” He lifted his gun.

  Kai instantly dropped to the ground and covered his head. Dante didn’t even blink. Blood sprayed as the man’s face practically imploded from both his and Dorian’s simultaneous bullets. Kai scurried up and ran to him.

  “I’m so sorry, Dad.”

  Now that the battle was over, the fear came rushing back and Dante almost choked on it. He hugged Kai tight. “Where are you hurt?”

  “I’m not,” Kai said.

  Dante crouched down and wiped a streak from his cheek. “You have blood on your face.”

  “It was from the man. His hands were covered.”

  The alley filled with people alerted by the gunshots. “Dante? Kai?” Taylor rounded the corner and cried out when she saw them. She ran over and threw her arms around them.

  “Gracie?” he asked.

  “I made her stay with Jade. She wasn’t—Dante, you’re bleeding.”

  He glanced down at his arm and his head swam. Now that she mentioned it…

  “Oh my gosh, Dad, you were shot!”

  “Just a scratch.”

  “We need to get Dante to the hospital. He’s been hit,” Taylor fretted when Dorian jogged over.

  “I’m fine.” He was pretty sure it was a through-and-through and he could move his arm, so no broken bones. It just hurt like hell.

  “Let’s see it.” Dorian tugged at his sleeve and confirmed his suspicions. He applied pressure to the entry and exit wounds. Damn, that hurt. “Ease up there a little, bud.” Stars danced in his eyes but he blinked them away.

  “Gotta stop the bleeding,” Dorian grunted. “Don’t suppose you have any QuikClot on you?”

  “I keep it in my other pants,” Dante deadpanned.

  “Good to know your sarcasm wasn’t affected. Sure you’re okay?”

  “Barely feel it,” he lied.

  Sirens wailed in the distance. He didn’t want to go to the hospital but Kai and Taylor were worried. Their eyes were filled with unshed tears. He’d suck it up for his son and the woman he loved and get the wound bandaged.

  #

  “What happened?” Dan jogged over to the group huddled around Kai.

  “That man grabbed Kai and was dragging him down the alley,” Dante told him. “Dorian and I surrounded him and ordered him to drop the weapon but he didn’t comply.” He looked at his son. “How did he grab you?”

  “Oh, I almost forgot,” Kai said, surreptitiously wiping his eyes. “I was just minding my own business, checking out the buildings.”

  “Kai,” Dante said in warning. “I told you to stay in the SUV.”

  Kai looked at the ground. “I know and if I had, you wouldn’t have been shot.” His lip quivered.

  “Hey, Little C.” Dan waited for him to look up before he continued. “You just helped us catch another killer.”

  Kai’s eyes widened. “I did? I mean, I did! Go me!”

  “You’re not off the hook for disobeying orders,” Dante warned him.

  His mouth twisted. “Yes, sir. Anyway, I heard the door screech open so I hid behind the dumpster. The man came out and his hands were covered in blood. He was carrying a bag. I watched him toss it inside. I thought he was gone so I stuck my head in to look. That’s when he grabbed me.”

  Dan padded over and glanced inside. Then he looked around, picked up Kai’s forgotten stick and prodded the contents. “Looks like a wig and bloody clothes. I’ll leave it for the crime scene techs.”

  “Oh my God,” Kendall said. “He must’ve killed Shandee.”

  Dan walked over and studied the dead man. It was impossible to identify him by the bloody pulp that used to be his face. Then he noticed the colorful sleeves on both arms and bells rang in his head. He pulled out his cell and snapped a picture of each arm and then of his neck, trying to capture as little gore as possible.

  “What is it?” Alex asked, coming up behind him. “Do you recognize him?”

  “I’m pretty sure it’s Ralph Priddy.”

  “The dishwasher from Kait’s restaurant?”

  Dan nodded. “He definitely could’ve been the one to leave the dead dog in her bed, too. He was at the house that night.”

  “The security company did a piss-poor job of securing the perimeter, if he was able to come and go without alerting anyone. That never would’ve happened on our watch.”

  Dan agreed with Alex. The team was competent but not thorough. COBRA Securities was both.

  Sirens grew louder and then cut off as police cars swarmed into the alley. Dan walked over to meet Frank Hurley as he exited his vehicle.

  “Describe Ralph Priddy to me.”

  “Bald, covered in art on both arms and his neck. Maybe five nine or five ten.”

  Dan indicated the body with a jerk of his head. Hurley stepped closer.

  “Son of a bitch, that’s him,” Hurley’s lip curled with disgust. “I interviewed him twice but had nothing solid I could hold him on. Dammit.”

  “He’s not our main concern,” Dan said. “We’ve got another body inside.”

  Hurley sighed. “Lead the way.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Kaitlyn couldn’t wipe the picture of Shandee’s beautiful face from her mind. The last moments of her life must have been horrific—the terror she must’ve felt, looking into the eyes of her killer. She shuddered.

  “Are you okay?” Ronald asked.

  “Not really.” The room was packed with anxious people, all wondering what was happening. The air conditioner was blasting away but it was stuffy with so many bodies stuffed into such a small space. There weren’t enough chairs, so most of the people were either standing or sitting on the floor. She sat in a corner with Ronald at her side. She told him what happened.

  “The network will cancel the show, won’t they?”

  “It’s a very real possibility,” she answered truthfully. She knew after Cora’s death, the show was in trouble. Shandee’s murder would push it over the edge. At this point, she didn’t care. She didn’t want anyone else to die.

  Would it stop if the show ended? She hoped so but she also prayed the cops would find whoever was doing this so they could pay for their crimes. Cora and Shandee deserved justice.

  All heads turned to the door as it opened. A visibly-shaken Kendall entered with Dorian at her side. A wave of longing hit her. She wanted Dan. The door opened again and he stepped in, his eyes scanning the room until he found her. He strode over and dropped down beside her, gathering her close. She sighed into him, absorbing his strength.

  “Listen up, everyone,” Kendall said. When the room was quiet, she continued. “It’s with deep sorrow that I have to announce Shandee has been murdered.”

  Gasps sounded aro
und the room.

  Joy stood up and pointed at Kait. “She did it, didn’t she? Every time something bad happens, she’s there. She’s either guilty or a major jinx.”

  “Sit down, Joy.” Kendall’s voice was hard and unyielding. “I will not tolerate any more of your petty, unsubstantiated accusations. Ronald said it earlier—you’re dangerously close to slander and there is a room full of witnesses. If I hear one more word from you, consider yourself served.”

  Joy’s face turned beet red and she slid back to her chair.

  Kendall addressed the room again. “I’ll be honest with you, I’m not sure what this means for the show. We’ll worry about that later. Right now, the police are here and they want to interview each one of you individually. Once the interrogations are over, we’ll meet at the house and I hope to have more information for you then. They want four at a time, so we’ll start here.” She indicated the corner with Ronald and Kait. Dan helped her to her feet and they exited the room.

  Kait knew Detective Hurley from her brother. Like her, he was an unofficial COBRA Securities team member. He shook her hand and led her to the adjoining building.

  “Tell me what happened,” he said as soon as they were seated.

  She told him about walking into her kitchen and noticing the spot on the floor that she thought was ketchup but now knew to be blood. How she opened the cabinet to reach for her coat but found Shandee instead.

  “You didn’t see her once she left the green room?”

  Kait shook her head. “No, but my knife was used to kill her. It was locked in the safe. How did the killer get it?”

  “The crime scene techs found signs of tampering. It looks as if the lock was picked.” Hurley glanced at his notes. “I had a chance to speak with Amy Warren and Ralph Priddy. Both deny any knowledge of the dog head in your bed. Have you seen either of them around today?”

  “No, but I did see my boss Dion McArthur. Ralph Priddy chauffeurs him around town sometimes, so he could’ve been here.”

  “But you don’t recall seeing him?”

  “No.”

  He picked up his phone and flipped the screen around to her. “Do these look familiar?”

  Kait leaned forward to peer at the display “I’m not positive, but they look like Priddy’s arms. I’ve never looked too closely at his tattoos but he had full sleeves like those.”

  Hurley reached for his phone but Kait slapped a hand over his to stop him. “Wait a minute. Blood.” She looked up. “Is he dead?”

  Hurley nodded.

  “My God. What happened?”

  “Kai Costa saw him sneaking out of the set covered in blood and carrying a bag. He tossed the bag and Kai went to retrieve it. When he did, Priddy grabbed him.”

  Kait jerked. “Is Kai…”

  “He’s safe. His dad and Dorian Demarchis were able to take Priddy down before he got any more shots off.”

  “Any more? Was someone hit?”

  “Dante took a through-and-through in the brachium. He’s fine,” he rushed out before she could ask. “He’s at the hospital getting stitched.”

  Kait slumped against the back of the chair. “All of this is because of me?”

  “We won’t know for sure until we dig into Priddy’s background. But it does seem as if he fixated on you.”

  Hurley asked a few more questions and then he stood and handed her a card. “Call me if you think of anything else. Otherwise, I’ll be in touch.”

  As she stepped into the hall, she spotted Dan leaning against the wall with his arms and feet crossed. His head snapped up and he pushed upright when he saw her. The relief she felt sent her sprinting into his arms.

  “How are you doing, babe?”

  “I honestly don’t know.”

  #

  Dan savored the feel of Kait wrapped in his embrace. He breathed in her scent and felt his blood pressure drop for the first time in hours.

  “Why did Priddy do all of this?” Before he could answer—not that he had one—she eased back. “It’s all hatred for me, isn’t it? The car, Cora’s poisoning, the dog, and now Shandee. Killed with my knife.”

  He wasn’t going to lie to her. “It looks like he was obsessed with you.”

  “Why? What have I done? If you’d asked me a month ago who disliked me enough to torment me, the only person I would’ve thought of would’ve been you.”

  He jolted like he’d been punched. “My God, Kaitlyn, I would never do anything to hurt you.”

  “Physically, maybe,” she muttered.

  “Look, I’m an asshole. I admit it. And maybe I have done bonehead things in the past. But I would give up my life for yours, Kaitlyn. In a heartbeat.”

  She looked into his eyes and then threw herself against him, bursting into tears. He felt like joining her. God. How could she think he’d do those things to her? “I’ve never disliked you, Kait. Never.”

  “It felt like it sometimes,” she said in a soggy voice.

  “I’m sorry.” It was the only thing he could say. When her tears dried up, he led her down the hall.

  “Kait?”

  Luke was standing at the door, trying to get past the security guard.

  “He’s okay,” Dan told the man. As soon as the guard stepped aside, Luke came charging. Kaitlyn ran into his arms.

  “Thank God you’re all right,” he said as he rocked her. He looked at Dan. “What the hell is going on? You got the guy, right?”

  “Costa and Demarchis did.”

  “Come-on,” Luke said. “I’m taking you home.”

  Kait dug in her feet. “Luke, I can’t. I have to go back to the house.”

  “Like hell you do,” he protested.

  “I’ll be disqualified,” she said. “And the guy who did this is dead.”

  “We don’t know that Priddy was acting alone. This is about keeping you safe. Right, Dan?” He narrowed his eyes in warning.

  Dan hated upsetting Luke almost as much as he did his own brother. “She needs to go back to the house.”

  “You’re supposed to be on my side,” he warned.

  “I’m not choosing sides. I’m doing what’s best for Kaitlyn. This is her dream. She can’t let some twisted psychopath take that from her. I’ll watch over her and keep her safe.”

  Luke looked like he wanted to argue. “I should’ve locked your ass up when you were a punk kid.” He grasped Kait’s shoulders. “Call me when you get there and text before you go to bed. You moved to a different room?”

  A blush crept up her neck, impossible to miss. Luke narrowed his eyes and then pinned Dan with another glare. “You son-of-a-bitch. I ought to kill you.”

  “You’re welcome to try.”

  “Stop it, both of you. I love you Luke. I’ll call when we get to the house.” Kait took Dan’s hand and guided him outside.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The ride back to the house was quiet and subdued. Even Keisei’s fingers were unnaturally still. No one felt like talking with Shandee’s death so fresh in their minds.

  Mason spread out sandwich supplies for everyone to help themselves. Dan fixed her a turkey on whole wheat, with lettuce, tomato and light mayonnaise. He remembered her favorite. He made her eat it, even though she wasn’t hungry. She was surprised when he prepared one for himself. They were all sitting outside on the patio finishing their dinners when Kendall arrived.

  “I’m going to get right to the point. I’m honestly shocked, but CuisineTV wants to give this another shot.” Murmurs of surprise and excitement sounded. “With Ralph Priddy dead, they believe the problems are over. They’re planning to air a tribute to Shandee. They’ll want to interview each of you.” Kendall shook her head. “I’m completely surprised. I was pretty certain they’d shut us down.”

  “Where are we going to film?” Keisei asked.

  “The same place,” Kendall answered. Kait started to speak up—no way she could work on the counter above where Shandee took her last breath—but Kendall continued before she could. �
�As soon as the police release the scene, I’ve got a crew on standby to alter the set-up. We’ll move to the other side of the warehouse.”

  “So does this mean no one is getting kicked off? What?” Darrin said when everyone started to grumble. “You were all wondering. I was the only one brave enough to ask.”

  “That’s exactly what it means for this episode. You have a reprieve. I’ve seen the results of the audience voting so I would encourage you all to make good use of the second chance.”

  “In other words, Shandee wouldn’t have been kicked off,” Keisei guessed.

  “Most likely, no,” Kendall agreed. “So you’ll each have to up your game. We expect the number of viewers to explode off the charts. We’ve been bombarded with ticket requests.”

  “So murder and mayhem pay?” Darrin said.

  Kendall sighed. “Unfortunately. You know the saying that there’s no such thing as bad publicity.”

  A beep sounded. Mason checked his phone and then excused himself.

  “How safe will we be?” Ronald asked. “I mean, Shandee was killed right under our noses.”

  “That’s an excellent question and one I was about to address. I’ve been granted the authority to hire COBRA Securities to take over. They’re the best in the country and I have absolutely no doubt they’ll keep us safe.”

  “I work for them and I can vouch that they are the best,” Abby boasted.

  “Actually, you don’t work for us,” Dan corrected her.

  Abby blushed.

  “Dan Bradley is one of the executives with COBRA Securities,” Kendall said. “We’re lucky to have his expertise.”

  “He didn’t stop someone from leaving a mutilated animal in Kait’s bed,” Darrin pointed out.

  “For goodness sake, he’s not omnipotent,” Kendall chided. “There were dozens of people in and out that day.”

  “From now on, no more catered dinners,” Dan told them.

  “That’s punishment,” Joy muttered.