Killer Cuisine

by Velvet Vaughn

  She needed to check in with him anyway. He was still grieving over his girlfriend Colleen, who’d been killed in a car accident a few weeks ago. Even though they both worked at Fresh!, Kait didn’t know her well. Colleen was in charge of the wait staff and hourly employees. Kait reported directly to Dion. Any communication Colleen had with the kitchen staff was handled by Henry.

  “How’s it going?”

  Dion had showered and shaved and he smelled amazing. His custom-tailored navy blue Armani suit fit him to perfection. If there were any women attending this meeting, they’d be emptying their pocketbooks to throw money his way. “Great. I’ll have a nice selection of appetizers ready by the time—”

  The doorbell chimed, cutting off her words.

  Dion’s brows furrowed as he checked his watch. “It’s too early for them to arrive.”

  “I hope so,” Kait said, turning the burner down under the pan on the stove. “I can whip up some quick fillers if needed.”

  “Let me see who it is and I’ll let you know.”

  Kait padded to the refrigerator for the fresh crab meat. It needed to be minced for the mini cakes she had planned. She opened the package and started chopping. She heard a small pop, but no voices. Maybe it was just a delivery or something. Once the crab was diced, she gathered it up and added it to a bowl with eggs she’d whisked earlier. She was just about to add part of the sautéed onions and garlic when movement out of the corner of her eye had her looking up.

  “Henry! I was just thinking of you and how much I depended on you. Are you here to help?” Henry’s eyes were wild and dilated. The front of his shirt was stained. Was that blood? Unease crept down her spine and she fingered her new knife “Henry? Where’s Dion?”

  Henry laughed but the sound was demented. “Dion won’t be joining our party. It’s a party for two.” He sniffed and took a step towards her.

  She brandished the knife. “Stay back.”

  Henry chuckled and shook his head. “You wouldn’t hurt me, Kaitlyn.” He moved closer.

  She stumbled back and bumped into the counter. “What’s wrong with you, Henry? I don’t want to hurt you but I will.”

  He shook his head and smiled sadly, sniffing again. “You disappoint me.” The smile disappeared and his features hardened. He lifted a gun and pointed it at her. “Drop the knife.”

  Dilated eyes, runny nose. “Henry, are you on something?”

  He shook his head with rapid, jerky movements. “I’m not a druggie,” he protested. “Just a little cocaine now and then.”

  How had she not noticed that before? She hadn’t been around him very much the last few weeks and things were always hectic in the kitchen. Henry was a tireless worker. She’d even nicknamed him the Energizer Bunny because of his boundless enthusiasm. She never dreamed it was due to drugs. If he were high, he’d be unstable. She raised her voice and called out for Dion.

  Henry shook his head. “He can’t hear you anymore, Kait. He can’t hear anyone.”

  Bile rushed up her esophagus. Dion was dead? “All along it’s been you? Why?”

  Henry shrugged as if the answer was obvious and wiped his sleeve under his nose. “You’re supposed to be with me.”

  “You don’t feel that way about me, Henry. You loved Colleen.”

  “Don’t tell me how to feel!” As quickly as his anger appeared, it fled. “I never liked Colleen. She was a means to an end. My cousin needed a job and she took care of that for me.”

  His cousin? Pieces of the puzzle were falling into place. “Ralph Priddy? You were related?”

  “Our daddies are brothers. You might’ve even heard of them. They’re pretty famous. The Depraved Dafoes?”

  Kait reeled back. The Depraved Dafoes were successful businessmen who inherited a string of dry cleaning businesses from their parents. Respected by day, debauched by night. They kidnapped over twenty women during the span of five years until one managed to escape and notify authorities. Police found a chamber of horrors in the basement of one of their businesses where they kept the women chained, subjecting them to torture and repeated rapes. When they grew tired of one, they killed her, buried her in a mass grave in their backyard and moved to the next victim.

  “Your father—”

  “Was a sadistic serial killer?” He sighed dramatically. “Yes, he was.”

  “You don’t have the same last name.”

  “Changed it. You wouldn’t believe how people treat you when they find out your daddy was a monster.” He wiped his nose again. “Anyway, Daddy just took the women he wanted. I’m nothing like him. I wanted to do it right, so I needed someone to help me win you over and my good old cousin Ralph was the perfect partner.”

  Win her over? With murder? He was exactly like his father. Apparently psychoses ran deep in his family tree. “So when I had trouble filming my application video—the missing spices, power outage, water sprinklers—that was all you?”

  He nodded looking pleased with himself. “Ralph helped, of course.”

  “Why?”

  He lifted a shoulder. “So you wouldn’t leave me.” His brows scrunched. “I didn’t plan for your brother to offer his house. Then the video got made so I figured I’d just wait and see if they picked you. When they did, drastic measures had to be taken.”

  “You poisoned the food, made the customers sick? That reflected on you, too.”

  He shook his head and tsked. “That was Ralph improvising. I gave him too much leeway.”

  “You could’ve been caught.”

  “No, I made sure all of the sauce was destroyed so they couldn’t test it.”

  “You wanted me dead. You told Ralph to run me over with a car?”

  He huffed out a breath. “That was also his stupid idea. In case you didn’t notice, Ralph’s not the brightest bulb in the box.” Uh, pot, this is the kettle…you’re black. “I just didn’t want you competing on the show. I knew you’d win and I’d never see you again except on television.”

  “Poisoning Cora Crenshaw, killing Shandee, that was all you?”

  His sigh was laced with frustration. “How many times do I have to tell you. It was Ralph.”

  “On behalf of you.”

  “Well, yeah.”

  “So it was Ralph’s idea to fly a drone over the warehouse and firebomb it?”

  “No, no, no,” he corrected her. “That was all me. Worked like a charm. All those years of aerospace engineering paid off,” he boasted.

  “I’m sure your mom will be proud,” she murmured. A niggling suspicion worked its way into her brain. If Colleen hired Ralph Priddy knowing he was an ex-con, she was a loose end. “I don’t suppose Colleen’s wreck was actually an accident?”

  He smiled and shook his head.

  “What purpose did slashing my tires prove?”

  He held up a finger. “Now that one was Amy. Bitch didn’t like you confronting her. But don’t worry. I took care of her.”

  “If Ralph was dead, then you actually pulled the trigger. You killed Amy.”

  “Yeppers.”

  “Just because she slashed my tires?”

  “Amy thought she was better than everyone else, barking orders and trying to tell me what to do. I didn’t plan on killing her—murder was Ralph’s specialty. But seeing her eyes widen in shock, knowing she was taking her last breath, what an unbelievable rush. Nothing like it. I finally understood why Ralph and our daddies enjoyed it so much. I guess you could say I’ve developed a taste for it.”

  “You killed Abby Rossi, too.”

  “Sure did.”

  “Why?”

  “Bitch caught me dumping Amy’s body. She thought she was all Kung-Fu Panda or something, unloading all these moves. I didn’t want to have to kill her, but she left me no choice.”

  “So you killed both women in cold blood?”

  He nodded in agreement. “And those two queers at your house.”

  Kaitlyn gasped and the room spun violently. No! Not François and Ronald. He killed
them? “Why?” she choked out.

  “Because you’re mine, Kaitlyn. I won’t share you with other men. I don’t care if they’re fags.”

  She had to force the images of her friends from her mind, otherwise, she’d lose it. She needed to stay focused so she could stop Henry. François and Ronald would not die in vain. She cleared her throat. “So if we’re supposed to be together, why are you pointing a gun with a silencer at me?”

  His face twisted into a mask of hatred. “Because you betrayed me. You’re supposed to be with me.” Spittle flew from his mouth. “You’re sleeping with that arrogant asshole. Me! You’re supposed to be with me!”

  Kait hoped she could make him mad enough to lower the gun so she could attack. Then there was the possibility she’d piss him off enough that he’d use it.

  “Drop the knife, Kaitlyn. Now.”

  With the gun pointing directly at her chest, she didn’t see any other choice. She placed it on the counter.

  He grabbed her purse and dug around inside, smiling when he found her phone. “Just so you don’t try to call anyone.” He dropped it on the floor and proceeded to stomp it to smithereens. “Now lover boy won’t be able to find you.” She rubbed her wrist, dismayed to realize she forgot to put on her watch. It was a gift from Luke and not only was it GPS enabled, but it had a panic button she could push if she was in trouble…like now. Luke would be so mad. He made her promise she’d wear it all the time. And she usually did.

  “Come now.” He motioned with the gun. “We’re going to take a little ride.”

  She didn’t want to go anywhere with him. There was a very good possibility if she got in his car, she’d never get out alive.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “Henry Nelson is Ralph Priddy’s cousin?”

  Alerted to his tone, Alex rushed over. “Who’s Henry?”

  Dan put his hand over the cell and said, “Kait’s sous chef. Tyler, get me directions to Dion McArthur’s house and send them to my cell. And get me Nelson’s number, too.”

  “Will do,” Tyler said.

  Dan disconnected and tried Kait’s cell. It went instantly to voice mail.

  “I’ll drive,” Alex offered.

  Dan didn’t argue and they didn’t take time to change from their sweaty workout gear. Dan debated whether to call Luke and decided to wait until they had more info. His cell buzzed a text: Tyler sending Henry Nelson’s cell number and the coordinates for McArthur’s home. He linked it to the SUV’s GPS. He tried Nelson’s number but it went directly to voice mail, too. “Let’s swing by Kait’s house first. It’s on the way. Maybe she hasn’t left yet.

  Alex pulled up to the curb in front of Kait’s bungalow. Dan jumped out and jogged up the steps to the porch. The door was wide open and his instincts went on instant alert. He held up a hand to Alex and pulled out his SIG. Alex did the same. They positioned themselves on either side of the entry. Dan counted down with his fingers. On three, Alex yanked open the screen door and they burst inside.

  The first thing Dan noticed was blood. Everywhere. Ah, shit. François was crumpled by the door, unmoving. Blood was seeping from a hole in his chest. He checked for a pulse. “Weak,” he said to Alex, who was calling for a bus. He rushed over to Ronald, sprawled on the floor between the kitchen and living room. There was a trail of smeared blood in his wake. Dan checked for a pulse and Ronald groaned. “Ronald, it’s Dan. Can you hear me?”

  “Hurt,” he whispered.

  “I know, buddy. Help’s on the way. Hang in there.”

  “Kait…”

  “What was that?”

  “Have to help Kait. Henry. Wanted to know where she was. Thought it was okay to tell.”

  Dan patted his shoulder. “You had no way of knowing. I’ll get her, don’t worry.”

  Sirens sounded in the distance. “Ronald, I need to go get Kait now but the police are here. They’ll take care of you and François. The next time I see you, you’ll be charming the nurses. Okay? Be strong.”

  “In here,” Alex called out as the cops rushed up the steps. He was applying pressure to the wound on François’s chest, trying to staunch the bleeding.

  Dan quickly filled the cops in on the situation and then he and Alex took off for McArthur’s house. Dan tried Kait again but it went straight to voice mail, as did the call to Nelson. He tried McArthur’s number and got a machine. He punched in Tyler. “I need a trace on Kait’s cell, Nelson’s cell and Kait’s tracker.”

  “She hasn’t activated the panic button,” Tyler said. “And I already checked the tracker. It’s at her home address.”

  “Dammit.” Dan slammed his hand on the dash. “Text me the traces on the phones. I need to contact Luke.” He dreaded this call. He dialed the direct line, bypassing his secretary.

  “Hey Dan, what’s up?”

  Dan told him about Henry Nelson’s connection to Priddy and about finding François and Ronald gunned down in Kait’s house. “She’s not answering her phone and neither is Nelson. We’re headed to McArthur’s house now.”

  “I’ve got Logan. We’re on the way. Keep us posted.”

  “Roger that.”

  #

  Kaitlyn needed to keep Henry talking. If she could stall long enough Dan would find her, she was sure of it, even if he had no way of knowing she was in trouble. If she got in that car, the statistics weren’t on her side. Hopefully Dion’s guests would arrive and they could help her. “You don’t have to hold me at gunpoint,” Kaitlyn told Henry. “I’ll go with you.”

  “Liar!”

  “Henry, we’re friends. I wouldn’t lie to you,” she cajoled.

  He shook his head. “The old Kaitlyn wouldn’t, but this one, the one who sleeps with arrogant assholes, she lies.”

  “It’s me, Henry. Kaitlyn. Your friend.” She held out her hand. “Where do you want to go?”

  Henry narrowed his eyes at her and ignored her hand. “You’re trying to distract me, but it won’t work.” He gestured with the gun. “Let’s go.”

  She lifted her arms in the air and sidled around him. “Please, Henry, I’m afraid of guns. Put that one down.” If she could get him to lower it, she had a chance at hand-to-hand combat. Having three older, rowdy brothers was a blessing. They’d taught her how to defend herself practically from the time she could walk. Henry was nothing like her tall, muscular siblings. She had no doubt she could take him. Plus, she had a backup plan stashed in her purse.

  “Afraid of guns? Kaitlyn, your brother runs a security company. I know for a fact you use their shooting ranges all the time. Which reminds me…” He rooted around in her purse again and found her SIG Sauer P938 with a rosewood grip. Damn. He ejected the magazine, letting it fall to the floor. Then he dropped the gun into the industrial-grade garbage disposal and flicked the switch. She winced at the grinding noises. She loved that gun.

  With renewed vigor, she spun around. Appealing to his friendship hadn’t worked, so she took a different tack. “That’s right. He does own a security company. The best damn security company in the country. If you think you’ll get away with this, you’re crazy.”

  Henry shrugged. “He’ll never find us. We’ll be long gone before anyone even knows you’re missing.”

  “Dan will never stop until he finds me. He loves me. We’re going to be married.”

  Henry backhanded her across the face with the gun. “Shut up! You’re marrying me!”

  Kait placed a hand against her throbbing cheek as tears blurred her vision. She’d been hit before, but never that hard. If felt like her cheekbone shattered.

  “Let’s go.”

  She covered her injury with her hand. “Dion has guests arriving any minute.”

  He chuckled. “About that…”

  Dread pooled in her stomach. “You killed them, too?”

  Henry frowned. “Now why would I do that?”

  Um, maybe because you just admitted to having a sick obsession with taking lives.

  “No, I simply called and reschedu
led for next week. I guess I’ll have to call them back and cancel since Dion won’t be able to make it seeing as how he’s a little dead.”

  Kait couldn’t stop the tears from leaking out this time. Dion didn’t deserve to die because of this man’s obsession with her. “I don’t believe you,” she managed.

  “The old Kaitlyn would’ve believed me,” he groused. “Fine. In there.” He shoved her in front of him and prodded her with the gun at her back. Dion was indeed lying in a pool of red by the front door, the white shirt under his Armani suit was stained crimson with his blood. She couldn’t tell if he was breathing. Kait gasped and rushed to him. “Dion.” Henry yanked her ponytail, wrenching a cry from deep in her throat as he practically ripped all the hair from her scalp.

  “There’s nothing you can do for him. He’s very dead.” Henry whipped his foot back to kick Dion. “See—ah!”

  Dion grabbed Henry’s foot before it could connect, causing Henry to plummet to the ground and drop the gun. It sailed across the polished hardwood floors and landed under the couch. Kait dove for it, reaching her hand in the spot she saw it disappear. Just as her fingers clasped the metal, Henry untangled himself from Dion’s grasp and launched himself across the room to land heavily on top of her. The crushing blow forced all of the air from her lungs. She struggled to breathe as he wiggled his hand beneath the couch to grapple for the weapon. She managed to dislodge him and pull the gun out but he knocked it from her grip. They struggled for it, bumping into tables and knocking over lamps and vases. The gun went sliding along the floor again. She scrambled for it but Henry lunged for her, trapping her against the floor. Pain shot through her as broken glass sliced her skin. Her hand was around the handle but Henry was fighting her for control.

  The door burst open and crashed against the wall. She couldn’t turn to see who it was or she’d lose her grip. She was fighting for her life.

  #

  Alex wheeled into Dion McArthur’s driveway and slammed the brakes. A car was parked with the door open. Dan read the license plate. “It’s Nelson.” He texted Luke to let them know they were going inside. Luke immediately texted back that he and Logan were less than five minutes away.