The Death of a Celebrity Chef

by Kee Patterbee

  “Fair enough, but it won’t be enough to prove anything beyond that. Death by accident in the attempt of suicide. We need more.”

  Hannah took a sip of her iced tea. “That’s the conclusion we’ve come to as well.”

  Hymn thought for a moment. “Who beyond Karas, Miller and this Jazlyn person came into routine contact with her?”

  “Any number of people, I suppose. Her home staff. Her work staff.” Vera paused. “Me.”

  “Any of those jealous or aggressive?” Hannah interceded.

  Vera shook her head no. “Not anyone that comes to mind, but I can tell you that anyone who came into contact with Julia was either awed by her or jealous of her. Sometimes both. Men wanted her. Women wanted what she had. Asa, in particular. Women always pursued him.”

  “How’d she respond to that?”

  “She learned not to show her jealousy. Later, she didn’t care. It seemed the passion was over.”

  Louie lifted his glass of wine and drank. “So, the number of suspects is endless, what with the men in her life trying to control her and women trying to take what she had. That is if you rule out the three obvious ones.”

  “They remain a suspect where I’m concerned,” Hymn assured. It was at that moment the waitress arrived at the table, followed by an assistant. Each was carrying a tray and a small folding stand. The group’s headwaiter began setting up. Hannah looked at him curiously. “I’m sorry, but we didn’t order dessert.”

  The young woman smiled. “Yes, madam, but this is compliments of the chef. Julia Karas’ favorite dessert and individual creation. He insisted.”

  “And the chef is?”

  A voice called from behind. “Xabiere Dauphin, madam, at your service.”

  Everyone turned in the direction of the voice and locked eyes onto a man in a chef’s uniform. Hannah studied him and remembered having encountered him before. She clicked off details. Tall, light build, close black beard and hair match, dark eyes, and a scar over left eye... She paused, and it came to her. “Oh, yes,” she recalled. “He was speaking with Jazlyn when we first encountered him.”

  Vera stood and peered at the man. “Xabiere? What are you doing here?” Hannah noted by her tone she was uneasy in his presence and she had become quite tense.

  “Vera, so wonderful to see you again. Mr. Karas has employed me as the new head chef as of today. Cranston left town without explanation. I was convenient and available. The matter with Timothy was also resolved to Mr. Karas’ satisfaction. It would seem that Timothy was a mole. I believe that is the proper term for it.”

  Hannah watched as both waitresses worked on the set up. “What is all this?”

  “Chocolate Lava Cake with marinated Cherries Jubilee. It was Mrs. Karas’ favorite and most famous creation.” Xabiere looked at Vera again and gave a toothy grin. “And a favorite of Ms. Bessinger’s as well, as I recall.”

  Vera sank back into her chair. Her voice became meek. “Yes.”

  “Well, I will leave you in the capable hands of Daphne and Velma. Please enjoy. Again, wonderful to see you Ms. Bessinger.” Xabiere turned to leave, but stopped to glance back at the group once more. “Oh, Mr. Woolridge, I understand you to have a canine. Critic is his name if I remember correctly. I’ve some tasty roasted spare rib with bones prepared for an order that was never taken. I would like him to have them. I’ll have them wrapped and sent out at the end of your meal. I am such a fan.”

  Louie thanked Xabiere, and with that, the chef left toward the kitchen.

  Louie eyed the man as he exited. “I wonder what that’s all about?”

  Me too, thought Hannah.

  After the dessert was lit, doused and served, everyone ate in silence for a bit. Watching everyone, Hannah determined everyone half enjoyed the affair. “This would be exquisite under the right circumstance,” Cate commented, “but that man is the definition of creepy.”

  The entire time, both Hannah and Hymn watched Vera. For having received her favorite dessert, she just picked at the food.

  Hymn motioned toward the dessert. “Something wrong?”

  Vera produced a weak smile. “We have a history.”

  Louie set down his napkin and frowned. “With that? He’s like my age.”

  “Yes, with that, and yes, he is.”

  Louie’s faced tightened. “We need to have a talk about men.”

  “Time for a daddy talk,” Buster whispered to Cate and Hannah, which made all give repressed chuckles.

  Hannah looked up to see Hymn staring in the direction Xabiere exited. “What’s on your mind?”

  “What do we know about that guy?”

  “Not much, but if you’re thinking he could have managed Julia’s demise, it looks doubtful. I read in Alex’s report that he was in the hospital on the night Julia died. He fell down a flight of stairs at his condo and hit his head on the wall as he bounced around. He had a concussion and doctors kept him overnight for observation.”

  “Looks doubtful.” Hymn emphasized the looks part. “Remember what they taught you about looks at your FBI training?”

  A look of realization played across Hannah’s face. “They can be deceiving.”

  Cate looked back at Hannah and Hymn. “What are you two going on about?”

  Hannah picked up her glass of tea and tilted it toward Hymn. “About how blind I’ve been up until now. Sometimes, I can’t see the forest for the trees.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  It was the last day of the festival, and Hannah knew time was not on her side. Working undercover as part of the Food Critic magazine staff, she had great access to the Karas studios as well as three of her top four suspects. With it concluding at the end of the charity ball at 12:00 midnight, all of that would come to an end. Thereafter, she would have to count on Hymn.

  Louie, Vera, and Buster had left for the day’s events. She employed the three to look into Xabiere’s past and the story of his sudden hiring. Although he had moved up on her list of potentials, as she called them, access to him would be much easier in the following days. Not so for Asa, Jazlyn and Miller. Today would offer her the last opportunity to size up their role in Julia’s death, be they innocent or otherwise.

  Hannah decided the first person to approach was Jack Miller. She guessed he would be at the studio office, at least for the first part of the day, to be near Jazlyn. He needed her contract as a means to stay within the Karas empire. Given her propensity toward picking up men, the way he could keep her on task was to hover over her. Cate came along as a backup since Hymn could not join her due to his duties. “Be safe,” he warned. “And take your friend along just in case. She seems practical and not caught up in the intrigue of it all.” His words reminded Hannah of something her Papa Jay would say.

  Once they arrived at the studio, both met with Vera. She again led them past Malcolm at the guard stand. He greeted Vera with his usual uncertain demeanor. As they made their way up to the elevators that would take them to where Vera and Miller had offices, Cate glanced at the woman. “You know he likes you, right?”

  Vera looked at Cate. “Malcolm.” She slowed her pace, but turned to peer back in the direction where the guard would be. “Are you serious?”

  “Oh, yeah,” Hannah agreed, “and, if you don’t mind my saying, a lot less sketchy than Xabiere.”

  The elevators opened, and they got in. “Huh.” Vera peered back in the direction of the guard. The grin on her face suggested to Hannah she was considering the possibilities.

  When she arrived on the floor where Miller and she shared offices, Vera pretended to have just met them on the way in. She proceeded to her office as Hannah suggested. As she approached the floor receptionist, Hannah whispered to Cate, “Follow my lead.”

  The receptionist looked up from her station and smiled. “May I help you?”

  Removing her hat, Hannah produced her charming smile. “Perhaps. My friend and I are journalists from Food Critic magazine. We would like to feature Mr. Miller in our next issue.
Our original slot didn’t work out and now we are up against a deadline. A friend suggested him as a better replacement, anyway. So, since we are at the event, and I’m sure he could use the publicity, is there any possibility that he could see us right away?”

  The receptionist looked over at Cate, who at first seemed lost but recovered. “Yes, I’m sure our readers have an interest in learning about Julia Karas’ accomplished manager. But if we don’t get our story today, I’m afraid we will not be able to feature him in next month’s edition.”

  “Of course, please have a seat and I’ll check to see if he is available.”

  “Thanks.”

  The receptionist called up Miller and soon she showed them the door to his office. “He is waiting for you,” the receptionist confirmed.

  As they entered the room, Miller looked up. He was somewhat surprised to see Hannah and Cate standing before him. “I met you two before with Jazlyn, right?”

  Hannah smiled, “Yes, we are with Food Critic. I’m Hannah Starvling. This is Cate Jordan. It would be helpful if I interview you for an upcoming piece about the event. It would be about your position and association with the Karas empire. That is, if we can do this now. I have to write it and email it tonight. Do you think you could help us out?”

  He considered her words and smiled. “I’d be happy to. Have a seat.” He motioned to the couch across from his desk.

  As Hannah took her seat, she crossed her legs and noticed he stared at her long legs with appreciation. She felt slightly violated, so she began asking easy questions to gain his trust. Cate was putting notes on her tablet and did not see his unprofessional stare.

  It did not take long for Miller’s ego to show itself. Any mention of Julia’s accomplishments, no matter how minuscule, he took credit. She meant nothing to him, Hannah decried to herself. Though she had started the interview with simple questions, she soon moved on to ones that were more difficult.

  “Could you talk about her work on the anti-drug movement she championed?”

  Miller was supportive of Julia’s anti-drug stance and her fight to rescue children from drugs.

  “Would you say you held her same passion? Would that be a correct assessment?”

  “Of course, and I’m here to see to it that her nonprofit will live on long after her death, just as it does today.”

  “I’m glad to hear that, because day after day, there are growing rumors that she abused barbiturates. Also, that she did not die by accident, rather from an overdose.”

  Miller shifted. Hannah could tell he was uncomfortable. “Never, I swear. The tabloids are vultures. You know she hadn’t even made it into the ground when those lies hit the stands.”

  “I agree, but this goes beyond the tabloids. Dr. Lin Niu has confessed to tampering with the evidence. She claims that Mrs. Karas did have illegal substances in her blood, and that she altered the report to claim otherwise.”

  Hannah could see that she struck a nerve, so she pressed on. “She also stated that someone coerced her into not divulging that information. The net result was that she received payment to alter her findings. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

  A few seconds of silence passed. Miller rose, and through a forced smile said, “I’m sorry, but this is all I can say for the moment. This concludes the interview.”

  “So, for the record, you had no knowledge of her tainted blood?” Cate reiterated.

  “Goodbye.” He opened the door to his office to ushered them away.

  Hannah turned back to face him once more. “Before we go, do you realize that there is a distinct possibility that someone murdered Mrs. Karas?”

  Miller looked distressed., “If we have anything further to disclose, it will be through our corporate law offices. Good day!” He slammed the door after them.

  “Was that what you were looking for?”

  Hannah grinned. “Indeed, it was. Now all we have to do is wait to see who he runs to.”

  The way things had played out pleased Hanna. In fact, it was for this reason she wanted to break the news about Niu’s confession. Knowing the police would soon come to question him, his reaction told her she had been just evasive enough to create a stir.

  As they proceeded toward the elevators, they heard the office door from Miller’s suite open. Miller talked in a loud voice. “Nora, cancel my appointments.”

  Thinking on her feet, Hannah dragged her compatriot into the restroom. Both placed their ears against the door to listen. Miller continued to talk as he moved past their door and toward where the elevators were. “Come on. Come on.” Both women could hear him pushing the button over and over. His voice called out loud and irritated. “Where are you?” There was a pause before he continued. “Stay there, I’ll be right down.” The ding sound alerted the women that the elevator had arrived. The doors closing told them it was safe to come out of their makeshift hiding spot. Cate and Hannah looked at each other. Both responded in unison. “Jazlyn.”

  Choosing to take the stairwell, they made their way down the stairs to the floor that held Jazlyn’s office. Checking to make sure the hall was clear, they made their way over to Jazlyn’s office. Hannah again leaned into the door as Cate watched for people coming into the area. She could make out Miller and Jazlyn in a heated exchange.

  “I don’t care what your problems are. The single problem I have right now is you and this contract. What? Did you think I wouldn’t have it checked out? It’d lock me down as tight as you did Julia,” Jazlyn accused.

  Hannah heard the rustling of papers as if thrown into the air. She wondered if Jazlyn tossed them at Miller. Cate tapped her on the shoulder. She rose as a woman shuffled by; never looking up from the papers she was looking over. Hannah returned to listening in on the conversation.

  “… That is nothing compared to what’s about to come down on us. Vera’s new friends came and saw me. Did you know that Niu confessed? They suggested it was murder.”

  “So, the tabloids tried to say Julia’s accident was murder a year ago. Why is this news now? Let them think what they want. It has nothing to do with me. I wasn’t here yet and wasn’t involved.”

  There was a pause before Hannah heard Jazlyn ask in a curious tone, “Friends? What friends? Vera has no friends.”

  “Those women you introduced Asa to: the reporters. The ones who were with your new boy toy. What was his name? Buster something.”

  “They are not reporters. That one girl, Hannah, mentioned she had culinary training. Asa wants her to do some of Julia’s old recipe prep work, but she didn’t say she was a reporter. Why are they interviewing you?”

  “She writes for Food Critic.”

  “So, let them interview you. Deny everything. It’s not the news. It’s Food Critic, for heaven’s sake. No one reads that rag, anyway.”

  “You’re missing the point here, doll face. You weren’t on the official payroll yet, but you and Asa were cozying up for your clandestine meetings to take Julia’s place. Julia had no knowledge of that. When she found out you were in my bed, and she heard about your relationship with Asa, she assumed you had an affair. The fact that he had to pay you five million to put your life on hold until Julia stepped down, well that sounds premeditated in my book.”

  Another tap on the shoulder and Hannah rose, pretending to talk with Cate outside the door. The older gentlemen, who exited out the door up the hall, looked toward them, and smiled before he turned in the opposite direction. Hannah returned her ear to the door.

  “I wouldn’t sleep with my uncle! That’s disgusting.”

  “Then how do you explain Vera not taking her place? Face it, Jaz. You know what sells. You have it in spades and you use it.”

  Something smashed against the door, causing Hannah to jump back. Both she and Cate looked to see if the sound had garnered anyone’s attention, but no one appeared, so Hannah returned to her position. She wondered how often such fights occurred. The general disregard for the noise by every office surrounding Ja
zlyn’s suggested often.

  “I got this gig on my own! Uncle knew Julia was cracking. He made a business decision about replacing her with me. He holds all the cards as far as the business decisions. Vera is a story that Julia never would tell him. He resented her because of it. My replacing her was his choice as a way of getting payback.”

  “You’re like a black widow, Jazlyn. You take men in, use them, and devour them. That’s how you operate.”

  “I’m not the one who preyed on Julia. Who devoured her?”

  “I protected her after her death. If it weren’t for me, she would have no reputation.”

  “Protected her? That’s a joke. She lived a miserable life in the middle of paradise. I never understood why she was so unhappy, other than she wanted a child and could never have one. Still, she had it all. At least, that’s what I thought. Now, I see what she had wasn’t real. In the end, all she had was people just like you standing over her grave, hoping to get a handful of dirt to sell. Now get out. I’m done with you, old man. No contract with me. No extension with Karas Inc. You’re done here.”

  Hannah turned from the door, grabbed Cate by the arm and headed toward the exit.

  “Anything?”

  “More than you can ever imagine.” The two made their way down the hall.

  Chapter Nineteen

  After exiting the studio, Hanna and Cate took a shuttle back down to the event area where they met up with Louie and Buster. Both were taking advantage of the many free food samples. Vera joined them, having received a call from Cate upon their departure. As they walked along, tasting various foods, Hannah detailed what conversation she had heard.

  “Five million dollars’ sign-on bonus? Unheard of.” Louie raised his eyebrows and looked at Hannah as he took in this new information. “That’s a motive for murder in any court.”