"Okay, okay," Sheriff Nevil announced as he strode back onto the stage. He made his way toward the judges table where Martin Von Beak held a single slip of paper with the final scores tallied. Sheriff Nevil plucked it from the judge's fingers and read what was written.
"Okay," he said again. He strode to the middle of the stage to face the crowd. Constance was still shaking, finding herself wishing he would just get on with it. "Ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls. The elderly, the young. The not so young. The babies and the unborn —”
"Just get on with it!" Someone yelled from the crowd. Laughter and cheering greeted this.
"Okay, okay," Sheriff Nevil frowned as he glanced into the crowd in search of the person who had yelled. "As the host of the 2018 Modest Peak Spring Fair, it is my great pleasure to announce that this year's winner of the Best in Town Contest, the cooking division, is none other than Pierre Le Fon of A Modest Affair!"
Constance felt her stomach drop through the floor. Even as the crowd erupted and cheered around her, she found that she could barely hear them. She just couldn't believe it.
She looked up at Gustavo, her heart breaking for how he must feel. Indeed, he looked... well he certainly didn't look sad. Nor did he look broken or upset or even surprised. Instead he looked angry, and even that was an understatement. He looked like a volcano ready to explode, a bomb about to go off, a car crash about to happen. He shook on the spot, his face turning redder and redder by the second. And when Le Fon reached the center of the stage to collect his trophy, the Italian Chef lost it.
"You're all a bunch of morons!" Gustavo screamed. It cut through the crowd like a knife, silencing even the most exuberant of celebrators. "A bunch of dimwitted, know nothing dickheads!" He stormed to the front and center of the stage, turning on the crowd and judges both. He didn't seem to know which he wanted to yell at. "I slave away, pouring my sweat, my blood, my bone into this food and for what!? So, some bakery tart, a Principal that couldn't teach gym and a wannabe food critic can spit in my face and —”
"Now, there's no need for that." Collecting himself, Sheriff Nevil hurried forward and put his hand on Gustavo's shoulder as a means to calm him down. It didn't work.
Gustavo threw the hand off his shoulder with a single jerk. "You want real food! You want good food! You choose some French prick's idea of a meal over my masterful creation! You don't deserve me! You don't deserve to live!" He threw his hands in the air and shook them at the sky as if cursing the clouds above. "I hope you all rot in the ground!"
And then, with his piece said, he turned and stormed off the stage. The crowd parted as he reached them, allowing for the volatile chef to pass through the grounds unmolested and disappear.
A deafening silence followed this moment. No one in the crowd seemed to know what to do or say... that was if they should even do or say anything. Rather, everyone just kind of looked at one another. And even more than that, they looked directly at Constance.
She could feel the eyes on her, the whispers starting too. Nearly everyone in town knew who she was and knew Gustavo to work for her. So surely, he was her responsibility? Surely, she should have predicted such an outrageous over reaction and worked to do something about it?
But in truth, Constance was as surprised as the next person. Oh, she was aware that he had a slight temper. And she was certain that he didn't like his food being put down, as most chefs didn't. But what she had just witnessed was unbelievable. She tried to think of another time that someone had said they didn't like his meal but couldn't. Maybe he had always been like that, but there had never been a chance to show it?
"Well I don't think anyone expected that," Sheriff Nevil suddenly spoke. His voice seemed to break the tension of the moment as the eyes of the crowd slowly peeled themselves from Constance and looked back up to the stage. "Some people just can't handle criticism..."
And just like that, Constance figured it out.
The sensation was odd at first, like dipping oneself into a warm bath after a hard day. It was as relaxing as it was freeing. It was a weight off her shoulders. It was an itch that had finally been scratched. It was a satisfaction that could only be felt by a person who had been told they were wrong so many times that they didn't know how to react when they were finally right.
Whether it was those final words of Sheriff Nevil's 'some people just can't handle criticism...' or the way that Gustavo had acted – or both! Indeed, one could not have happened without the other. Whatever it was, Constance couldn't hide the smile that was building inside of her. So, she didn't.
She let the smile break free, taking over her face and spreading its warmth to anyone that dared look. She could not remember a time she had been so darn happy.
"What are you so happy about?" Eleanor demanded. She had been hiding her face in embarrassment over what Gustavo had done and evidently couldn't see anything worth smiling about.
"Oh nothing," Constance continued to smile. "I just solved a murder."
Chapter Eighteen
"I have to say," Sheriff Nevil began as he sat down at the restaurant table. He wore a satisfied smile and Constance could not think of a time she had seen him look so darn happy. "I am nothing but surprised. Glad, but surprised."
"Why is that?" Constance asked with a frown. She made sure to look extra confused by the question too, as if this would help the charade. she knew it wouldn't make a difference in the long run, but she was in far too good of a mood to care.
"Well I've asked you out a total of five times since our dinner and each time you said no. Not only did you say no, but you made it nothing but clear that you didn't want to see me again."
"Not clear enough," Constance muttered as she remembered all the times he bombarded her with date requests.
"What was that?" Nevil asked, leaning forward.
"Nothing," she said quickly and with a pleasant smile. "I'm just glad that you said yes when I finally had the courage to ask you." She batted her eyelashes like a debutante on her first ever date.
"Of course, I was going to say yes," Sheriff Nevil beamed his delight. "A second date with Constance Aberfield. Only a crazy man would say no to that!"
"Indeed," Constance smirked – but masked it as if she were trying to hide her flushed cheeks. "Shall we order?"
As crazy as it may look, Constance was on a second date with Sheriff Nevil. But it’s important to note that the day wasn't what it appeared. Not by a long shot.
The location was The Lone Peak's in-house restaurant. This was important and vital to the plan that Constance had spent the previous evening concocting. In order for her plan to work too, Constance had had to ‘close the restaurant’ to all but five people. These people included Constance, Sheriff Nevil, Sydney, Eleanor and Gustavo. And of those five people, only Gustavo and Sheriff Nevil thought the date was real and that everything was as it looked.
In fact, so sure was Gustavo that the two were on a date that when he heard she would be having dinner with the Sheriff, he went into a flurry.
"I want to apologize for the other day," he began, fidgeting nervously with his hands. "I can't... I don't know... you must forgive me."
"It's perfectly fine," Constance assured him, waving him down as if it were nothing. "It's forgotten."
"And Sheriff Nevil?" he asked nervously.
"Understands. He wouldn't be eating here if he didn't."
Gustavo let out a sigh of relief. "Oh good." He then puffed up his chest and took on his usual persona. "Then tonight I will make the most Agora of meals. It will be the likes of which neither of you have tasted. He will melt at the table. I can assure!"
"I'm counting on it," Constance said. She wore a knowing smile, but to Gustavo it would have simply looked like the smile of a woman who was excited for the date she was about to go on.
But of course it wasn't.
The other two workers in the restaurant were Eleanor and Sydney. Sydney was there because she was integral to the date and had to be. Eleanor was simply the
re because she said she didn't want to miss it. She knew exactly what was going to go down and after all she had done to help, she demanded that she be allowed to be present. So, she sat in the back corner, pretending to eat, all the while watching on.
"So, what's good here?" Sheriff Nevil asked as he opened up the menu. "I mean, I am sure it's all good, but I want the very best!"
He was positively giddy with excitement; Constance could even feel his leg bobbing nervously under the table. No doubt he was disappointed with how the last date had gone and was eager to make up for it. In a way she felt a little guilty in using him the way that she was... but on the other hand she didn't give a damn. When the night was done, the fake date would be totally forgotten, and if not, it would at least be forgivable.
Constance grimaced and leaned across the table. "Do you mind if we order the spaghetti bolognese," she whispered. Her eyes then darted to the kitchen door as if worried that Gustavo would hear. "He's been a little down since... well you were there, and I think ordering it would do him good."
"Oh yes," Sheriff Nevil said quickly. "That makes perfect sense." As soon as he agreed, Constance looked across the room toward Sydney and nodded her head. Sydney nodded back and then hurried into the kitchen.
It was only then that Constance realized how set-up her action had looked. She really should have gotten Sydney to come over and take the order. But as luck had it, Sheriff Nevil didn't notice. "How is the chef? Better I hope?"
"He is," Constance nodded reassuringly. "He's apologized and really just hopes we can get past it."
"Quite the temper that man has," Nevil continued seriously. "You best keep an eye on that."
"Oh, only when someone insults his food." She so desperately wanted to wink at what she knew to be a splendid use of dramatic irony, but alas she could not. Instead she just reminded herself to go back and wink later.
"I have to say too, Constance that I'm just a little impressed."
"Really?" Constance frowned, that one being an actual frown. She had no idea what he was talking about.
"Yes, really. I thought this date was going to be another excuse for you to try and drill me about the case. Honestly, I almost said no at first as I was sure of it. But now I see this for what it is."
"Which is?" Constance grimaced, knowing what was coming next.
"An actual date!" he said with merriment. "I wore you down, admit it. Like a jingle that gets stuck in your head. The first time you're not a fan, the second you're curious then by the third time you hear it you can't stop humming along."
Constance felt a sudden stab of guilt, deep in her chest. Sheriff Nevil was just so damn cheerful over his good fortune, so sure that he was on a date and not in the middle of a veritable sting operation. She told herself that she would make it up to him when this was all done with and take him on an actual date... that was assuming he wanted to go on one.
But as it were, what was currently transpiring was not a date at all. It was a trap, designed to show Sheriff Nevil once and for all who the real murderer was.
Oh yes, Constance knew who it was now. She was so certain in fact that she would have been willing to put her life on it. But as that was an impossibility, she figured the next best thing to do was simply show Sheriff Nevil her theory. Yes, she could have just flat out told him, but she was certain that wouldn’t be enough. Sheriff Nevil had already grilled her for not moving on and if she came to him with her new theory, the odds were he would not listen.
It all fit so well together too. That was why the previous 'solve' of the Flanders couple didn't sit right. It was a jigsaw that didn't even show a clear picture. There were pieces missing and others jammed together to appear to fit, even though they didn't. Well now Constance had all the pieces in place and a perfectly clear picture of what happened. All that was left was to show it off.
Just then Sydney came bustling out of the kitchen, two plates of Gustavo's famous spaghetti bolognese in hand. She reached Constance and Sheriff Nevil, putting one plate down in front of each of them. The moment the plate was sat down before her, Constance glanced at Sydney, trying to catch her eye. Sydney didn't give it.
Constance rolled her eyes. The entire plan hinged on Sydney giving Sheriff Nevil the correct plate of food. She needed to check that it had been done before the two ate.
"Ah, Sydney. Is everything... as it should be..." She spoke through her teeth, whispering as she did so that Sheriff Nevil could not hear.
Sydney looked at her blankly. She then blinked a few times, only to return to the same blank expression.
Constance clenched her jaw and tried again. "You know... is it all —”
"Oh!" Sydney suddenly exclaimed. Sheriff Nevil had just picked up his fork and was about to take his first bite of the pasta dish when Sydney scooped the plate up and put it down in front of Constance. She then took Constance's plate and gave it to Sheriff Nevil.
"Ah, what are you doing?" Nevil asked with confusion. He still held the fork in mid-air, frozen as if about to drive it into the plate of food.
"It's better for the energy of the room," Sydney said simply. She then winked very obviously at Constance before hurrying away.
Constance wanted to grab the woman by the scruff of the neck and shake her until she had no air left in her lungs. She just knew that Sydney would forget to give Sheriff Nevil the wrong plate, but didn't expect her to be so damn obvious about making the change.
She looked at Sheriff Nevil and shrugged. "She's an odd one,' she attempted with a laugh, hoping that did the trick.
Sheriff Nevil frowned and looked back at Sydney who stood in the corner watching them with a very weird look on her face. "You can say that again." He shook he head and turned back to his plate of food. Constance breathed a sigh of relief. "Now, let's see if this was worthy of taking out the gold." And he drove his fork into the pasta.
Constance didn't touch her pasta. Not only was she not hungry – she was far too nervous and excited for that – but there was no need. The plan was in full swing now and all she had to do was wait.
As the pasta touched Sheriff Nevil's tongue, and as he chewed and then subsequently swallowed, his face very quickly went from one of delight and satisfaction, to one of disgust and abhorrent anger. His eyes opened wide in shock, he began to choke on the pasta and then, without warning, he spat his mouthful of spaghetti back out and onto the plate.
"Dear, God," he choked, punching at his chest as a means to help the last fragment of half-chewed pasta dislodged from his throat. "That was... that wasn't right." His face was an off green color, as if he had eaten something very foul and was trying not to vomit.
"What do you mean?" Constance asked, feigning surprise. "Is something wrong?"
"That spaghetti!" he exclaimed. "It was horrible!"
"Horrible how?" she quizzed.
"Off? Rotten? The worst tasting thing I have ever put in my... if that was what Gustavo served the other day then he ought to be ashamed of himself."
"Mine was fine," Constance said simply. She hadn't tasted it, but Nevil was in too much of a state to notice.
"Mine was... I can't believe he would serve something... it was..."
"Well you must tell him," Constance pressed. "I can't have my chef serving food that sends the eater into such a state. Here —” she raised her hand and indicated to Sydney. Sydney nodded and disappeared through the kitchen.
A second later she reappeared with a very confused looking Gustavo by her side. The two approached the table.
"Is something the matter?" Gustavo asked.
"There is," Sheriff Nevil said, drawing himself up. He seemed to have overcome the initial shock of what he had tasted. "This food is inedible," Nevil began. "I don't know what you did to it... maybe something is not ripe, or has gone rotten or I don’t know? But it is... well like I said, inedible."
Like watching a house fire, Constance could not look away. The look that Gustavo gave Sheriff Nevil as he listened to the man's criticism was akin t
o that of a fire, growing in force and tenacity. Licking up the walls of a home, melting the paint, threatening to bring the entire structure crashing down.
"Excuse me?" Gustavo managed, his body shaking. Constance eyed his hands. They were gripping onto his apron, twisting and pulling on it like he was trying to tear the thing in two.
"I said this food was the worst thing I have ever tasted," Sheriff Nevil said seriously. "I'm sorry to be harsh but —”
And then Gustavo snapped... just as Constance knew he would.
The plate of pasta went flying through the air as Gustavo literally whacked it from the table. He then grabbed the table itself and launched it above his head.
"How dare you!" he screamed. "How dare you come into my restaurant and talk that way about my food!"
"Easy man," Sheriff Nevil cautioned. To his credit, he was quick to react, jumping to his feet the moment the pasta went flying past his face. He held his hands in front of him as a means to try and calm the chef down. It wasn't working.
"You tell me to be easy! I should see you hung! I should take a knife and cut your tongue out, fry up your eyeballs and serve them to you! See how you like it!"
Constance hadn't bothered moving during this exchange. She was both far too excited by what she was seeing, and nervous about the result to move. Although the plan had so far gone exactly as she had hoped, it was the next step that was out of her hands.
"Easy," Sheriff Nevil warned. "Remember you are talking to a police officer."
"I don't give a damn," Gustavo exclaimed, his rage only worsening. Evidently the loosing of the Best in Town contest had really taken its toll. "If I had my knife I would gut you, I would cut out your heart and —”
In a flash Sheriff Nevil launched himself at Gustavo the Italian chef, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, pushing him across the restaurant floor and pinning him against the wall. Another second and his hands were pinned and cuffed behind his back.
"You, sir, just threatened a police officer," Sheriff Nevil said as casually as if he was telling Gustavo that it was raining outside. "It's not something I take lightly."
Murder at the Lone Peak Page 14