A Real Pickle

by Jessica Beck

  “I think it’s delicious,” I said.

  “You clearly aren’t used to the level of perfection we expect here,” Sarah said, almost as though she was speaking in sympathy. “You run a truck stop; is that right?”

  “It’s the best diner in our part of North Carolina,” Moose said. For a moment I thought he was going to leave his seat he was so upset, but I put a hand on his shoulder and he settled back down.

  “Of course. Forgive me,” Sarah said. “What type of fare do you normally serve there?”

  “You name it, and we can make it,” I replied.

  It was pretty clear that she doubted that with all of her heart, but I wasn’t about to let her get under my skin. “What is it exactly that you do, Sarah?”

  She looked at me defiantly. “I’m a student of life.”

  “Wow, what does that pay?” Moose asked.

  “Everything in this world is not about money,” Sarah snapped.

  Moose wasn’t about to back down, though. “It can be if you don’t have any, but then I’m not talking to anyone who’s ever felt that way, am I?”

  Charlotte stepped in before things got any bloodier. “Could we all strive to be more civil to each other, particularly during this meal? Let’s try to focus on the good memories we’ve all had of my brother. We at least owe him that. Agreed?”

  The family nodded their assents readily enough, and Jeffrey added his as well. Moose and I really didn’t have much choice to agree without looking heartless and uncaring. It was a clever move on Charlotte’s part, and I had to wonder if she had prompted her niece to goad us into an argument so she could use it against us.

  After that, enveloped in idle chitchat that did nothing to advance our investigation, we had an excellent roast with baby carrots and new potatoes that I wished my husband could have tasted. The cook had used an unusual spice combination on the roast’s rub, and I knew that Greg would have been able to identify every ingredient. After that, we had light and crispy salads, and then dessert and coffee. The chocolate truffles were amazing, but I restrained myself and didn’t clear the tray, as difficult as it was for me to do.

  “That was wonderful,” I told Charlotte after the meal was completed. “Would it be appropriate for me to give my compliments to the chef?”

  “Don’t praise him too much,” Sarah said. “I still believe that the soup was a bit bland.”

  “It was fine, Sarah,” Tristan said.

  “What do you know about the art of good food?” she asked. It was clear that the tiptoeing part of our evening was over. “Or good art of any kind?”

  “I’m warning you,” Tristan said before Charlotte spoke up.

  “Enough.” The single word was enough to get them to agree to a reluctant truce.

  Jeffrey took the opportunity to say, “If you’ll excuse us, I need to go over some reports with Crane tonight.”

  “It’s not all about business, young man,” Charlotte said.

  “Not always, but this is important,” Crane said. He turned to Jeffrey and suggested, “Let’s go into the study and work where we won’t disturb anyone.”

  “That would be fine,” Jeffrey said. “I’ll meet you there in a few minutes.”

  “You’re not coming with me?” Crane asked.

  “I need to have a word in private with Moose and Victoria first,” he said.

  It was clear that Crane wasn’t thrilled with the prospect of being kept waiting by a chauffeur and two commoners from a diner, but he really didn’t have much choice in the matter. “Don’t be too late,” he said. “I’m not a young man anymore.”

  “I won’t be long,” he said.

  “If you’ll excuse us,” Jeffrey said.

  “Of course,” Charlotte replied. “I’d like a word with Tristan and Sarah myself. Come along, you two.”

  They weren’t pleased about that, but they obeyed nonetheless, and we had the dining room to ourselves. Once they were all gone, Jeffrey grinned at us. “Welcome to the zoo.”

  “I’d say that it’s more like a circus if you asked me,” Moose said, not even trying to keep his voice in check. “Does anybody here miss Curtis?”

  “The three of us do,” Jeffrey said. “I’m sorry I didn’t join you in your toast, but I still can’t get used to the idea that these people are treating me as though I’m an equal all of a sudden after all of these years of being looked down upon.”

  “You missed out, my friend,” Moose said. “That’s the best whisky I’ve had since I was in Ireland, and that’s saying something.” My grandfather had taken an extended trip there before opening The Charming Moose, and though he’d only stayed a week, he’d made a lifetime of memories.

  “Next time,” Jeffrey said. “Have you had any luck so far?”

  I wasn’t sure that we should be sharing with him just yet, especially since our investigation had just started. I tried to warn Moose off from talking about it, but I couldn’t get his attention. “We’re doing what we can,” he said, and I nodded in approval of his brevity.

  Jeffrey smiled apologetically. “I don’t mean to push you, but in less than three days, all of us will be out of here. You need to work as quickly as you can.”

  “We’re giving it our full attention,” I said. “Do you really have reports to go over with Crane tonight, or were you just trying to break up our charming little dinner party?”

  “I’m not an idiot by any stretch of the imagination, but Curtis’s estate is complicated. What made him think that I could handle it?”

  “He trusted you,” I said as I put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m certain that he cared more about that than any qualifications you might be lacking.”

  “I understand that, and it does mean something to me, but I wish I had someone besides Crane helping me. After all, he’s got to be a suspect, right?”

  “He is,” I said.

  “You know, you don’t have to do this all on your own,” Moose said after a momentary pause.

  “Are you volunteering?” Jeffrey asked.

  “Not me,” Moose said quickly. “But I do know a woman who could lend you a hand.”

  “You’re not talking about Judge Dixon, are you?” I asked. Holly Dixon may or may not have had a fling with my grandfather once upon a time, and my grandmother still didn’t trust the woman all these years later.

  “No, of course not. I’m talking about asking Renee to pitch in.” Renee West was a customer at the diner, a forensic accountant who specialized in complicated cases.

  “That’s brilliant,” I said, and then I turned to Jeffrey. “I’m sure that she’s not cheap, but you won’t find anyone any better.”

  “Money’s not an issue,” Jeffrey said. “I’ve got a discretionary fund that you wouldn’t believe. Do you trust her?”

  “I do,” Moose said, and I echoed the sentiment.

  “That’s good enough for me, then. I suppose the next question is if she’ll take it on.”

  “If Moose calls her, I’m sure of it. She’s sweet on him.”

  “She’s no such thing,” Moose said in a stammer. “She’s just a child, Victoria.”

  “A thirty-one-year-old divorcée is not a child, Moose.”

  “Compared to me? You’d better believe that she is.”

  “Would you mind calling her for me tomorrow, Moose?” Jeffrey asked.

  “Why wait until then? I’ll call her right now.”

  “Do you have her home number?” I asked him with a grin.

  “No, but I’ve got her cell number on my phone,” he said, waiting for a remark from me. I decided that I’d teased him enough for one night.

  As Moose spoke in a hushed whisper, Jeffrey said to me, “I appreciate everything that you two are doing, Victoria. Curtis would have been pleased.”

  “We’re happy to help,” I said. “How are you holding up? After all, you just lost a dear friend. It’s got to be especially tough dealing with all of these details.”

  “Honestly, I’m thankful to have it.
It’s letting me take my mind off what happened to Curtis. I’m sure that it will hit me soon enough, but for now, I have a reason to keep it together.” He paused, and then Jeffrey added, “I admit that I just about lost it when Moose paid tribute to Curtis at dinner, though.”

  “Join the club,” I said. “Even if it was just the two of us. What’s wrong with those people? They were supposed to be the closest folks in the world to Curtis, but I didn’t see any sign of it in there.”

  “If it’s any consolation, I’ve never gotten it, either,” he said as Moose hung up and rejoined us.

  “Great news. She just finished up an audit, so she’s free. She’ll be here in half an hour.”

  The relief on Jeffrey’s face was obvious. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “She’s the one to thank,” Moose said. “You’re in good hands with Renee.”

  “I’m sure that I am,” Jeffrey said. “I’d better go break the news to Crane. I’m sure that he’s going to be upset about it.”

  “Why is that?” I asked.

  “He wants to spoon-feed this to me, but I’m not entirely sure that I trust him,” Jeffrey said with a hint of hesitation in his voice.

  “Do you think that he might have killed Curtis?” I asked.

  “I don’t know. I can’t say that one way or the other, but something’s going on with him; I’m sure of it. It will be great getting Ms. West’s input.”

  “Do yourself a favor and don’t ever call her that to her face,” I said. “She’s Renee, plain and simple.”

  “Moose, we both know that there’s nothing plain about Renee.” She was a quite nice looking woman, and she had an electric personality, too. Her divorce had been a bitter one, and as far as I knew, she hadn’t dated since it had been finalized, but you never knew. Maybe she and Jeffrey would hit it off.

  “She’s okay,” he said, barely able to hide his smile. My grandfather patted Jeffrey’s arm. “You’re in for a treat, my friend.”

  “I just hope that she can help me,” the executor replied.

  “I’ll let you know when she gets here,” I said.

  “I’d appreciate that,” Jeffrey said.

  After he left to rejoin Crane, it was back to just Moose and me.

  “I want to text Renee and have her call me when she gets here,” I said.

  “I don’t mind phoning her back,” Moose answered.

  “I’m sure you don’t, but this will just take a second. Give me her number.”

  After I finished sending the text, I put my phone away and asked my grandfather, “Do you have any ideas about what we can do in the meantime?”

  “I think we should follow through with your suggestion that we should congratulate the chef,” Moose said.

  “And poke around behind the scenes while we’re at it?” I asked.

  My grandfather smiled broadly at me. “If we uncover anything while we’re talking to the staff, I admit that I wouldn’t be unhappy about it.”

  “Then let’s go have ourselves a chat with the help,” I said.

  “You’re not going to call them that, are you?” Moose asked as we made our way toward the kitchen.

  “Of course not. We’ve got something in common with them, though. We’ve all worked for a living, which is more than I can say about most of the people we’re dealing with here.”

  “Let’s make sure that they know that,” Moose said.

  “Do you think it will help our cause?” I asked.

  “Well, as far as I’m concerned, it couldn’t hurt,” he replied.

  Chapter 8

  “Excuse me,” I said to the group of workers as Moose and I walked into the kitchen. “May we speak with the chef?”

  “Is there a problem?” a beefy young man in whites holding a meat cleaver asked me.

  “On the contrary,” Moose said with a hearty smile. “That beef rub was unbelievable. Was that sage I tasted?”

  “Among other things,” the man said as he put the cleaver down. “Nice catch.”

  “I’ve jockeyed a grill or two in my time, though nothing on your level,” my grandfather said as he extended a hand. “My name’s Moose, and this is Victoria.”

  The chef took it, and I saw that he and Moose were locked in a struggle to see who could apply the most pressure. Evidently it was a draw, because when they broke, both men were happy enough with the results. “I’m Cassidy,” he said.

  “Pleasure to meet you. We were wondering if you had a few minutes. We’re guests here for the next few days.”

  “I know who you are,” Cassidy said. He looked around and saw that the three other people cleaning up the kitchen were watching us. “Get back to work. There’s nothing to see here.”

  Moose said, “We’re talking with everyone about Curtis,” he said, “and we were wondering if you had any insights about what happened to him in the end.”

  “It’s tough,” Cassidy said. “There’s not much to say. We all worked for him; we weren’t his pals.” It was clear that the chef didn’t really want to discuss his former employer, and I couldn’t blame him. Most likely everyone was going to be out of work soon, and it didn’t make sense to risk future employment.

  “We understand,” I said. “Come on, Moose.”

  My grandfather looked surprised when I suggested that we leave so soon, but I had my reasons.

  Once we were alone out in the hallway again, Moose asked me, “What was that all about? I was just getting warmed up.”

  “It was obvious that Cassidy wasn’t going to say anything, but did you notice the young woman washing dishes? She’s the one who served us tonight, too. I think her name was Margo. Anyway, she looked like she was dying to say something when we asked Cassidy about Curtis.”

  “No, I missed that,” Moose said with a bit of grudging respect in his voice. “How are we going to get her off by herself so we can speak with her?”

  “Let’s find Jeffrey. He might be able to help,” I said.

  “I hate to bother him,” my grandfather said. “He’s up to his eyebrows in work right now.”

  “Maybe so,” I replied, “but we need his help navigating the treacherous waters around here.” My phone rang, and I answered it quickly.

  “I’m out front,” Renee said.

  “We’ll be right there,” I said. “Come on,” I told Moose as I put my phone away. “Renee’s here.”

  We walked down the hall, and I saw Humphries lingering near the front door. “We’ve got this, Humphries,” I said.

  “As you please,” he said, though he clearly wasn’t happy about being usurped from his job.

  I opened the door and found Renee standing there in burgundy slacks and a lovely blouse. It was a far cry from her normal attire, but she looked amazing in something other than her standard gray suit. “Wow, don’t you look fancy.”

  “I was on a date,” she said with a frown.

  “I’m so sorry. You didn’t have to come right away,” I said.

  “Are you kidding? Your call was an answer to my prayers. I never dreamed how boring a handsome man could be. I was ready to gnaw my foot off to get out of there.”

  “Luckily you didn’t have to do that,” Moose said as he smiled at Renee. “And let me echo my granddaughter’s earlier comment. All I can say is wow.”

  She smiled at his compliment, and I saw Moose grin himself. I loved my grandfather dearly, but if Greg tried something like that, he would have lived to regret it. I didn’t know how Martha put up with him, but I was happy that she did. “Thanks,” Renee said. “It’s nice to be appreciated.”

  “If I were thirty years younger and single, I can tell you one thing; you’d have your hands full,” Moose said.

  “Wishes and dreams,” she said with a hint of laughter in her voice. “Now, let’s get to work. I’m itching to get my hands on some spreadsheets and bank statements.”

  “You really know how to live it up, don’t you?” I asked her with a smile.

  “What can I say? I love
it, and the more complex the puzzle, the happier I am.”

  “Then you’re in luck,” Moose said. “Evidently this estate is a real maze.”

  “Mazes are meant to be solved,” she said.

  “Then let’s go,” I answered.

  “Jeffrey, this is Renee. Renee, I’d like you to meet Jeffrey Graham.”

  “I’m pleased to meet you,” Jeffrey said as he extended his hand in the hallway outside the library. I wasn’t all that surprised to see him light up the moment he saw her.

  Renee took his hand, but then she jerked it away quickly. “You shocked me.”

  “Sorry. There must be a lot of static electricity in the air tonight.”

  “Or something,” I said softly.

  “What did you say, Victoria?” Renee asked me.

  “Nothing. I was just mumbling to myself,” I replied.

  “Shall we get started?” Jeffrey asked. “I’d be happy to give you an overview of the accounts tonight, and we can get started in earnest in the morning.”

  Crane walked out into the hall and joined us. “Hello, all.”

  “Hi,” I said. “Crane, meet Renee. Renee, this is Crane.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Crane said, “but honestly, I’m afraid you’ve been dragged out here at night for no reason. Everything is simple enough, and I’m certain that Jeffrey will see that once I’ve explained how this works to him.”

  “I don’t mind,” Renee said, and I noticed that her smile diminished a little. “If it gets too difficult to follow, you can explain it to both of us.”

  “I’m sorry, but what are your qualifications? Do you have any experience, or are you just here as Jeffrey’s girlfriend?”

  They both denied that status immediately, which was a bit funny. “Actually, I’m a CPA with a background in forensic accounting, Mr. Crane. I trust that meets with your approval.”

  He looked surprised by her credentials. “Of course. That would be fine.”

  “Let’s get started then, shall we?” she asked.

  “By all means,” Crane said as he walked back into the other room with Renee close on his heels.

  Jeffrey lingered a moment before joining them. “You know what? I like her,” he said.