Killer Cuisine

by Velvet Vaughn

  “Was handled?” Logan asked. “Did she quit?”

  “No, she died in a car accident. It happened a few weeks ago.” He rubbed at his forehead. “That’s quite a few deaths for one restaurant, don’t you think?”

  “It does seem like a high count in a short amount of time,” Dan agreed. “Did Ms. Jackson consult with you before she hired personnel?”

  He shook his head. “With the number of restaurants I run, there just isn’t time for me to micromanage. The wait staff, bussers, they come and go. I hire competent managers to oversee the staff and handle any problems that arise.”

  “You didn’t hire Priddy, yet you used him as a personal chauffer?” Luke questioned.

  Dion nodded slowly. “Sometimes. There aren’t enough hours in the day. I can get work done in the car when someone else is driving.”

  “How did that come about?”

  “He offered, actually. I hadn’t really thought about it. He said he could use the extra money.” Dion shrugged. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

  “Did you know Priddy was an ex-con?” Logan queried.

  Dion shook his head. “I had no idea.”

  “So Ms. Jackson never mentioned it to you?”

  “No and it’s something that should’ve been discussed. I have a policy in place where we do give reformed convicts a second chance, but I have to personally approve the hire and absolutely no violent offenders, reformed or not.”

  “So you had no idea about Priddy’s past.”

  Again, he shook his head.

  “Can we take a look at his personnel file? Job application?” Dan asked.

  “Of course.” Dion stood and reached into his pocket to withdraw a set of keys. After unlocking the filing cabinet in the corner, he flipped through the “P’s”, frowned and scanned the folders again. He looked up at them. “That’s strange. It’s not here.” He turned his attention back to the records. “Maybe it was misfiled,” he mumbled as he checked each section. With a sigh, he shoved the drawer closed. “I have no idea what could’ve happened to it.”

  “Who else has a key?”

  “Colleen had a copy and there’s a spare in the safe. That’s it.”

  “What about Colleen’s replacement?”

  “I haven’t had time to hire one. Mindy, the manager of my other restaurant in town, has been overseeing the staff here until I can fill the position.”

  “Does she have a key?”

  “She uses mine. Colleen’s were in her vehicle when it caught fire after the accident. I haven’t had a chance to have a new set made.”

  #

  After a long day of dealing with the police and the aftermath of two more deaths, Kaitlyn was worried and she was exhausted. Knowing someone was still out there and gunning for her was disconcerting. Luke tried to talk her into staying with him but she refused to be run from her house. She reminded him of the excellent security system plus the two house guests, but François and Ronald’s presence didn’t appease him. He reluctantly agreed after making sure Dan would be staying with her as well. If she had anything to say to it, he’d never leave.

  Dan pulled into her driveway and killed the engine. When she started to get out, he laid a hand on hers to stop her.

  “Are you okay, babe?”

  She smiled at him and was surprised when tears filled her eyes. “I’m trying to be. I feel bad for Mason.”

  He wiped a tear that slipped free with his thumb. “Me, too. He’s pretty much one of us now, so we’ll help him through.”

  And they would. The COBRA Securities family was tight-knit and loyal. If one member of the team was threatened, they all were.

  “How’s your head?”

  “It’s fine. Barely aches at all.” He frowned. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay at Luke’s?”

  She shook her head. “I want to be with you.”

  He slid his hands around to cup her face and kissed her. She made a mewling sound and melted into him. How she craved this man. He pulled back and she wanted to cry out.

  “We have an audience.”

  She blinked her eyes open. “What?”

  He indicated her house with his head. She turned to see François and Ronald peeking out the window. They waved and she chuckled. So did Dan. He rounded the SUV and opened her door to help her out. The aroma hit them before they entered the house.

  Dan sniffed the air. “Damn, that smells good.”

  François threw the door open and greeted her with a hug and buss on each cheek. “Welcome home.” He did the same to Dan, much to his dismay. She had to slap a hand over her mouth to cover her mirth.

  François tugged their arms to lead them inside. “My new BFF and I have been cooking all day. Sit, sit. Both of you. We will serve you.”

  “This way,” Ronald said, in host mode. He looked very colorful with his yellow shirt, blue shorts with a matching blue bow tie and his red sneakers. He led them to her dining room, intimately set for two. Candles were flickering and soft music played in the background. Dan raised a brow at her and she shrugged.

  She eased into the chair Ronald held out for her. “You guys didn’t have to go to this much trouble.”

  François brushed her comment away. “It is no trouble at all. We had a wonderful time cooking together. The afternoon passed quickly. We work together well, non?” He looked at Ronald, who smiled and nodded.

  They started with a selection of appetizers including Black Olive Tapenade and Gougères, or cheese puffs, and Kait’s favorite French wine. François must have brought it with him. Next was the most delicious and savory Coc Au Vin she’d ever tasted. Her eyes rolled back in her head it was so good.

  “My God, this tastes amazing.” Both François and Ronald twittered with happiness at Dan’s compliment. When they hurried off for the dessert, he reached across the table and clasped her hand. “But not nearly as good as anything you make,” he whispered.

  She raised a brow. “That’s sweet, but I thought you hated my tofu-soy-bean sprout cooking.”

  “Nah, I just let you think that so you wouldn’t see how whipped I was. Manly pride and all.”

  Love for this man rushed through her like water bursting through a dam. Before she could tell him how she felt, the men returned with a sinful-smelling apple croustade, or flaky apple tart. When they finally put down their forks, she was stuffed.

  “Thank you both. That was divine.”

  “I think you should go forward with your plans to open a restaurant,” Dan told them as he pushed back his chair and stood. “With food like that, you’d do really well.” He held out a hand for her, not even noticing the looks of open admiration on both men’s faces. He’d just made two friends for life.

  She accepted his hand and they retreated to her living room with their glasses of wine. François and Ronald joined them and they ended up chatting for hours. It made her heart happy to see Dan getting along with her friends. But then, he could pretty much get along with anyone.

  He yawned and she checked her watch. “Wow, it’s late. We should get some sleep.”

  She only had two bedrooms. Dan would be sharing hers, so that left one other and the couch for François and Ronald. They assured her that the arrangements were taken care of and not to worry. After goodnight hugs, she led Dan to her room. They stripped and crawled under the sheets, but they were both too tired to do more than hold each other and fall into a deep sleep.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Francois and Ronald were animatedly discussing the differences between coffee blends when the doorbell rang. Kaitlyn was glad for the excuse to get away. She wasn’t a java junkie, so the conversation wasn’t one that particularly interested her.

  Dan left earlier to run by the office and get in a few hours of training. He assured her that his head was fine and made her promise that she’d stay inside with François and Ronald with the doors locked and the security system activated. She really wanted to go for a run, especially after that decadent meal last
night, but she’d just have to wait until he returned and they could go together.

  She checked the peephole and her eyes widened in surprise. After deactivating the alarm, she pulled the door open. “Hi, Dion. Come in.” She stood back so he could enter her house. “What brings you by?”

  “I just wanted to tell you again how sorry I am about everything. I can’t believe Priddy was that psychotic and I never even saw the signs.”

  I did. “It wasn’t your fault.”

  “Still, he was one of my employees and I feel responsible. Did you know he was an ex-con?” At Kaitlyn’s nod, he cursed. “Seems everyone was keyed into that fact but me. How did you find out?”

  Kaitlyn searched her memory but couldn’t recall. “I’m not sure. I saw some of his crude tattoos and thought they looked like ones I’d seen on Oz or some other show about prison life. Maybe someone mentioned it? I don’t remember.”

  He shook his head. “I never knew. And now Amy’s dead, too.” He sighed. “I’m seriously considering closing the restaurant—”

  She gasped. “You can’t do that.”

  “Not permanently,” he assured her. “Just until the police stop whoever is doing this.” He ran a hand down his face. “I don’t want to have to close, even temporarily.”

  Now was a perfect time for her to champion Henry’s cause. She extolled on the virtues of her sous chef, insisting that he was more than capable of the job.

  Dion nodded slowly. “He’s worked solo on nights you aren’t there and he’s done an admirable job. I trust your judgement. If I keep the restaurant open, I’ll give him a shot.”

  She almost hugged him but she still wasn’t over the fact that he’d had an affair with Mason’s wife. She clasped his hand instead. “Thank you. This will mean so much to him.”

  “Kaitlyn, I’m so damn sorry the show was cancelled.”

  “Me, too. Not that I would’ve won, but it was a great experience.”

  François said something that made Ronald burst out laughing. She smiled, happy that her old friend and her new one were getting along so well.

  Dion glanced at the kitchen. “I see that you have company, and I hate to pull you away, but the reason I stopped by is that I have a huge favor to ask.”

  “Okay.”

  “I have an important meeting scheduled with investors in a couple of hours at my house. You’re my usual go-to caterer for the important ones, but you were busy with the show, so I asked Amy…”

  And now she was dead. Kate felt a wave of sadness again for the woman who had made her life difficult. She wished they’d had the chance to make up.

  “I’m in a bit of a bind. I would’ve cancelled, but after everything that happened, first with Priddy and then Amy and Abby, I totally forgot. When I remembered this morning, there wasn’t time to postpone. They’d already left on their flight.”

  “Today?”

  “It would only be two hours, three max,” he cajoled. “Amy purchased all of the ingredients already, so the kitchen’s stocked.”

  Kait looked over her shoulder at the two men huddled over her table in a deep discussion. She hated to leave them, but truthfully, they probably wouldn’t miss her. Dan would be upset if she left. She faced Dion. “I promised Dan I wouldn’t leave since Abby and Amy’s killer is still on the loose.”

  “I’ll drive you and bring you home,” Dion assured her. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  No, Dion wasn’t Dan, or any of the COBRA Securities personnel, but he was capable. “I’ll do it.” She’d send Dan a text to let him know that she wasn’t going out alone. He’d probably still be upset, but she couldn’t stay a prisoner in her house forever. There was no telling how long it would take to catch the killer.

  He exhaled and pulled her in for a hug. “You’re a lifesaver.”

  “Let me just grab a chef’s jacket and tell my friends.”

  Kait explained to François and Ronald that she needed to leave for a few hours. They were a little too understanding and she wondered if they were looking for a chance to be alone again. She grabbed one of her jackets, ran a brush through her hair and then secured it into a ponytail, added a swipe of lip gloss and headed back downstairs.

  “Call if you need anything,” she told them. They hugged her and walked her outside. Dion was waiting by his car, holding her door open. She thanked him and slid into the passenger seat. Her Beemer was nice but his Jaguar was pure buttery-soft leather luxury. As soon as he drove away, she fired off a quick text to Dan to let him know where she was going and who she was with.

  #

  Dan finished the circuit and slammed the button to stop the timer. “Yes,” he crowed breathlessly, throwing his hands in the air. “Fastest time yet.” He pumped his arms and gyrated his hips as he stood on top of the warped wall. He needed to work on his celebratory dance. He didn’t want to look silly on national television.

  “That’s only because I haven’t run yet,” Alex boasted as he twisted to stretch his core muscles.

  “Put your money where your mouth is, old man. Hundred bucks says you can’t beat that time. I smoked the course.”

  “Only a hundred?” Alex scoffed. “I was hoping to take more of your money.”

  “What, you want to make it a thou? I’m in.”

  “How are you even doing this with a concussion?”

  “Fast healer,” Dan remarked. His head felt fine. He hated being away from Kaitlyn when there was still danger but she had a state-of-the-art security system, courtesy of her brother, and she promised him she wouldn’t go anywhere. Plus, she had her friends to entertain. He’d gone too long without training, so he needed to squeeze in a couple of workout hours when he could.

  “How are the lungs?”

  “Okay,” Alex said. “Probably not one hundred percent, but getting there.”

  “Are you sure you should be doing this?”

  “If it starts to hurt, I’ll quit,” he promised.

  Techno music blasted through the space, barely audible over the hard rock pumping through the speakers. It was the ringtone he’d programmed in for Tyler Redmond.

  “Maybe it’s news on Priddy’s accomplice,” he told Alex as he leaped down from the wall and grabbed his cell. He checked the screen. He’d missed a text from Kaitlyn. He scanned it quickly and his heart pounded in anger. She promised him she’d stay home, but now she was headed to McArthur’s house to cater a meeting. She assured him that she wasn’t alone and she’d stay alert. Dammit. She should’ve called him before she left. If she needed to go, he would’ve driven her there himself. He gathered his things as he answered Tyler’s call, intending to head to McArthur’s as soon as he hung up.

  “What’s up, Lightman?”

  “Big news. I’ve been digging into the background of the late Ralph Priddy. Dude is a true psychopath. I mean, not like Dahmer-level or even Gacy. He didn’t dress in a clown suit to entertain the kiddos or anything.”

  “Tyler?”

  “Yeah?”

  “The point?”

  “Oh, right. I found something that I thought was particularly interesting, I mean, besides the fact that he used to kill neighborhood cats for fun. He’d cut their heads off…”

  Dan rolled his eyes and tuned out the gory details. Talking with Tyler was almost as exhausting as running the obstacle course.

  “…and I won’t even tell you what he did to the dogs.”

  “Good. I assume you’ll get to the point now?”

  “If I must. Apparently Priddy had a connection to Fresh!. I had to dig China deep to find this tidbit. Names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent. His dad was famous…or infamous, I guess. Plus, he has a cousin who works at the restaurant. Probably how he got hired on in the first place.”

  “What’s the cousin’s name?”

  #

  “I really appreciate this, Kaitlyn,” Dion said as he unlocked the door and ushered her into his multi-million-dollar home. “I know you’re busy, but I’m thank
ful you agreed.”

  “It’s no problem at all.” He’d been such a huge influence in her career, it was the least she could do. Just because he’d turned out to have the morals of an alley cat didn’t mean she couldn’t respect him on some level.

  “I promise it’ll just be a few hours.” He led her into his huge, sparkling gourmet kitchen outfitted with every major appliance imaginable. “Appetizers are fine. Amy bought all of the ingredients, so anything you want to make will work for me.”

  “You said four people?” she asked as she peered into the refrigerator to inventory the contents.

  “Counting me, yes. And as a token of my appreciation, I have something for you.”

  Kait spun around and gasped as the florescent lighting reflected off of the shiny blade of a serrated knife.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  “Dion?”

  He presented the gift to her with both hands. “I know your favorite knife was…damaged.” Nice way to say it was used in a brutal homicide. “I had the company put a rush order on this one.”

  She accepted the gift from his hands. It was exactly like the one her brothers had designed for her years ago. It was weighted perfectly for her hand and even had her signature etched into the blade. It had to have cost a fortune, especially with the rush order. “I don’t know what to say.”

  Dion squeezed her shoulder. “You don’t have to say anything. I’m going to shower.”

  Kait sat the knife aside to inventory the ingredients so she could come up with a menu. Appetizers would be easy. She pulled out the ingredients and got to work. Pretty soon, she was immersed in the makings of several dishes. Dion had a sound system pumping music through the kitchen, so she boogied to the Beastie Boys as she diced onions and minced garlic with her new knife. She added extra virgin olive oil to a heated pan and tossed in the ingredients to sauté. She didn’t realize how much she’d come to rely on Henry. He was her right arm. She’d worked with other sous chefs, but he was the most talented. If he were here now, the preparations would be done in no time.