by Rosie Sams
Chef Coleman could not be described as friendly and humble, but he was talented. Melody thought the food had been divine. Even the chili was exquisite. Still, was this just a ruse? Was he a good actor, the look he had given the knives seemed to point to one thing, whereas his devastation pointed to another? Maybe, he was just hiding his real feelings. After all, he was a man! She felt compelled to address the argument she had witnessed between him and Ruth, not even 24 hours ago. There was a fine line between love and hate, but she was still not fully convinced of his tale of his life.
“I know you are hurting, Chef. I’m just a little surprised to hear the depths of your feelings for Ruth. There have never been any public displays of affection or even a hint that you two were involved. The only time I saw an interaction between you two was the anger we saw last night. I know you couldn’t have known that it was Ruth’s last night alive. You must wish you could take it back. Still, she wanted you to stop using pistachios in everything and you flat out refused. Actually, she said you would only use them over her dead body.” Melody stopped as his face turned a little whiter. That had been mean, but she needed to push him. The truth had to come out.
“Every couple that has passion has fights. That was a demonstration of ours. Arrrghhh.” He raised his hands and clenched them into fists. Melody felt Alvin stiffen bedside her, and Smudge came in front of them. Her little body tense, her ears alert, and her teeth bared. The chef dropped his arms and seemed to crumple in on himself. He looked smaller now, defeated.
“We balanced each other out,” he said, blinking his eyes to fight back the tears that glistened there. “Ruth wanted to stay safe for the business. I wanted to explore its boundaries. She was the yin to my yang. My Ruth was a little timid, despite her bold exterior. She wanted everyone to like the inn and was afraid to experiment with food, decor, or anything else. Still, she trusted my instinct. In fact, we worked so well together that she nearly made me a partner. That is until she got foolish and turned her attention to another man.”
“Who?” Alvin asked.
“Ruth got distracted by Shawn and seemed to forget all about me. Can you imagine choosing the help over a creator, someone who’s just a warm body putting food on the table rather than the one who brings food to life?”
Melody felt her old excitement sparkle. He was a spurned lover, that was motive, and it also put Shawn back in the picture as a suspect.
“I am shocked to learn you and Ruth had a thing. Now you are telling me Shawn came on the scene and she forgot about you? Forgive me for saying this, but Ruth seemed too buttoned up to be involved with her team, even one member,” Alvin said.
Melody knew they had heard this from two people, but she wanted to push him. To see if she could break him and get a confession, so she decided to pick at this wound.
“I have to agree,” Melody said. “Grief, especially unexpected grief, can make us see things or connections that weren’t there. It is just the start of the healing process - not everything you think right now is real. Maybe this was all in your head.”
“It was real! I loved Ruth, and she loved me back until Shawn came on the scene. That hockey boy stole her away from me. You don’t know anything about my stress or grief, Melody. We were more than just boss and employee. Ruth and I were special. And speaking of how a boss should behave, maybe you should look at your own employees before having an opinion and interfering in anyone else’s business,” Chef Coleman said.
Melody almost asked the rudest chef she had ever met to repeat himself. She didn’t know what to say, as her brain was reeling from the insinuation. It looked like her questioning had backfired, but she would have him. Before she could say anymore, Alvin motioned for her to follow him out of the kitchen. He knew that Chef Coleman was just trying to hurt her. To get her to stop asking so many questions. Melody accepted a hug from Alvin and a lick from Smudge, but it took her a moment to feel steady on her feet.
“We should push him, we’re getting somewhere,” Melody said.
“No, we have some new information, let’s think about it first,” Alvin said, taking her arm.
The trio made their way out of the dining room. Smudge walked by Melody’s side, sensing that her master was upset. Melody was thrown by the ideas that Kerry and Leslie might not be happy with her, and that there was something she couldn’t see that was wrong with her business or the way she carried herself as a boss.
“What did he mean, Alvin? Does he see or know something I don’t?”
“That man was just trying to make you doubt yourself. You shouldn’t. Your business is fine, your staff are happy and lucky to have you. He just didn’t like you asking so many questions about his personal and professional affair, now that we know they were one and the same. Don’t forget that Kerry and Leslie are your friends. Trust me, if something were wrong, they would be the first to tell you. I would also be honest with you if I thought you should be doing something differently. Think of his words like an unpleasant wind, it will blow over.”
“I guess…” Melody said.
“I think it is interesting that Terrance, Shawn, and now Chef Coleman haven’t mentioned the evidence of Hillary’s guilt,” Alvin said. “None of them have even acknowledged her being covered in blood or having a motive after being fired. I find this whole thing very odd. I am a little embarrassed that I was so quick to jump on the purely circumstantial evidence, especially after what happened to you.”
“Alvin, I think there is way more to the story than we know. Everyone looks like a suspect.”
Melody thought back to how Chef Coleman looked at those knives more lovingly than he had at Ruth when she saw them alone together.
“That’s the way every investigation goes.” He shrugged. “Everyone close to the victim usually has a motive. You just have to be patient because the killer’s guilty conscience will usually betray them in some way.”
“There has to be something we are missing. I can feel it. There are too many loose ends. And poor Hillary is in a jail cell scared that her life is over. I know that feeling of waking up covered in someone else’s blood. It is so surreal, especially when you know that killing is something that is not in your nature. Still, you’ve been mercilessly accused of it, and no matter how much you deny it, the evidence is there. It is and was such a traumatic feeling and experience. I don’t even know if I’ve released my own trauma over the Swan murder yet…”
“It might be best to let it all go at this point. Thinking too much will have you chasing every loose end. You need to be comfortable with uncertainty. The crime will solve itself if we just look at this methodically. We have to remember that most of the evidence points to Hillary, whether you want to accept it or not.”
Alvin gave Melody a quick hug to soften his words and guided her toward the entrance. He suggested she and Smudge check on the shop. Melody nodded, even though her gut was telling her something was off. She couldn’t quite figure it out until…
“I got it!”
Melody and Smudge broke from Alvin and made their way back to the kitchen. Alvin followed a few steps behind them.
“Melody, please come back,” Alvin called.
“Chef Coleman, who signed the order for the new set of knives?” Melody asked. “They look expensive, and Terrance made a big show about holding off on non-essential purchases during his interview.”
“I am an artist! Paperwork, and matters like supplies are not my concern!”
“Chef, please refrain from raising your voice at my fiancée,” Alvin said from behind her.
Coleman’s face was stony cold as he ripped the purchase order from the knife box he had placed under the counter and shoved it into Melody’s hand.
“Terrance must have approved it,” Chef grunted. “Look for yourself if you don’t believe me.” Then he gave a little huff and raised his chin. “You, madam, seem a little too interested in Ruth’s murder and in accusing other people. Maybe someone should be looking at you. You have already been acc
used of one murder! Where were you when Ruth was murdered?” Chef Coleman asked.
Melody ignored the ridiculous insinuation and scanned the document for the signature. She knew purchase orders better than most accountants as she saw so many in her own business. Melody passed it over to Alvin. The couple exchanged a knowing glance.
Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Nine
Alvin asked one of his deputies to bring Hillary back to the inn while he gathered the other suspects. Knowing Alvin was switching into his intense cop mode, Melody picked up Smudge and walked to the dining room. It had been a long night, but she knew she could not rest until the real murderer had been caught. She knew Hillary would be so relieved to be free and feel the sunlight on her skin. Being behind bars made a person appreciate the smallest delights. When they were at Alvin’s family cabin, Melody had made sure to watch every sunrise and sunset and to get outside in the open as much as she could.
Smudge walked around the dining room. The bulldog whimpered when Hillary was brought through the front door. Melody had been so lost in her own thoughts, she almost didn’t recognize Hillary. Melody jumped up to greet the girl, but Hillary looked bewildered at being back at her former place of employment, where the murder had taken place. Melody took a step back from Hillary to give her the emotional space she clearly needed.
“Now, Miss Taylor, we brought you here so we could review the evidence and do a few more interviews. Your motive was that you were fired. You blamed Miss Bronwyn for ruining your life. Miss Marshall and I found you in the field quite upset. When we found you again after the murder, you were covered in what has yet to be checked, but we assume is Miss Bronwyn’s blood.” Alvin paused for a moment to let his words sink in.
“During the course of our interviews this morning, we learned that you were romantically involved with Shawn Murphy. Mr. Murphy is also rumored to have been involved with Miss Bronwyn. Effectively, you were in a love triangle with the woman who fired you and whom you had every motive and opportunity to murder. Is everything I said correct?” Alvin asked.
Hilary blinked her eyes but held back her tears. She nodded. “I know how bad everything looks. Believe me, I have had hours to think of every angle. My memory is really hazy from that time, but I don’t think I could have killed Ruth. She was an awful person, and I’m not sad that she is dead, but I didn’t do it. I promise you I am not capable of murder,” Hillary said.
Scanning the dining room for leftover food, Melody remembered she had a stash of cookies in her overnight purse. Careful not to interrupt what was unfolding before her, Melody reached into her purse for a butter cookie. After she snuck the first bite, Smudge yipped to remind her master that she would enjoy a butter cookie, too.
Hillary screamed at the noise. The girl turned toward the direction of the yip with eyes so big, they bordered on comical.
Alvin and a deputy rushed to calm Hillary down. Melody dropped the cookie, much to Smudge’s delight, and stood up.
“I recognize that scream. That was the scream that woke me up last night, right before we ran to see what had caused it,” Melody said. “That scream is so distinct that if the scared girl before us was the killer, she would not have yelled like that after committing a crime. She would have wanted to run away and never be noticed again.”
Alvin nodded. He knew Melody had a point, but there were still other suspects. Alvin asked his deputy to bring in Shawn Murphy. Hillary let out a smile at seeing Shawn. That smile quickly soured when Shawn refused to make eye contact with her.
Before Alvin could start to question him, Shawn began to speak. The words came out fast and gave them no chance to interrupt. “When I found Hillary, she was really upset. She was crying so hard,” he said. “I couldn’t understand anything coming out of her mouth. She lifted her hands and showed me the still-wet blood on them. It took me so long to figure out what she was saying that I remember the blood drying and falling into flakes on the floor. Then, Hillary said she used a knife to kill Ruth.”
“Are you serious, Shawn? You’re going to make me out to be the killer. You know me better than that. No one is going to believe that I killed Ruth,” Hillary said.
“With all due respect, Hillary, they put you in jail. I think that more than anything else makes you look guilty. Stop wasting these people’s time and just confess. I want to go to hockey practice. I can’t do that while you are being so difficult,” Shawn bickered back at her.
“I can’t believe you are acting like I’m a murderer. You need to stop pretending Ruth liked you… you were just her best server. I can’t believe you’re being so spiteful and turning on me. I hate you so much right now.”
Melody wanted to interrupt, but Alvin touched her arm. He wanted to see how this childish spat played out. Maybe one of them would let something slip.
“Ruth did too like me. She wanted to make me a partner. Hillary, you hurt my chances of being a partner because you were always staring at me with your puppy dog eyes. Always trying to hold my hand on breaks. I mean, you are a really nice girl, and you are not bad looking. But, Ruth would have made me a partner if you didn’t act like we were more than a casual fling,” Shawn said. “I told you I wasn’t looking for anything serious. You knew that going in and then tried to railroad me into something more. It’s your fault. You hurt your own feelings. And a casual fling isn’t the end of the world.”
“Did you just say we were a casual fling - twice?”
“I don’t know why you ever thought we were anything else. I never did. We had one night in your car. Then we talked about how hard relationships are. You were always reaching out to me. I made everything clear. To be honest, it was a little embarrassing how you chased me. You really need to get some respect for yourself.”
Hillary jumped up and slapped Shawn. Alvin eased Hillary back and warned her she would be driven back to the station if she did not control her emotions.
“Shawn, Ruth would never have made a server a partner,” Hilary said. “Maybe if you were a manager, but a server is still learning about the front of the business. A partner needs to know the front and back end of the business. You are too inexperienced to run the back. She wouldn’t have made Chef Coleman a partner, either. I think she was giving you guy’s false promises so she could work you harder, without a raise.”
Shawn’s face turned a bright red, and he clenched his fists. That comment had hit home, and it made a lot of sense. Shawn began to move towards her but Alvin was quicker and he got between them. His calm presence was all that was needed and Shawn lowered his fists.
“I am going to ask Mr. Shawn Murphy to go with my deputy, we will talk to you later. Now, we are going to interview Chef Coleman.” Alvin turned to Hillary. “Hillary, we are going to take you upstairs so you can take a shower in private, but there will be a deputy outside your door,” Alvin said.
Chef Coleman walked into the room as if he commanded it. Alvin smirked at the arrogance of this self-important man. Alvin asked him a few basic questions to review his alibi before Melody took over.
“Chef, why were you unpacking new knives when one from your previous set was in Ruth’s back?” Melody asked. “You proclaimed to love her so much. Wouldn’t it be a bit hard to touch a knife just like the one you knew killed her?”
“Only someone like you, a bottom-feeding baker, would have a fixation on cutlery. Unlike you and your cheap fare, I am an artist. You are just jealous that I trained with a real master. You are basically self-taught, a worm who will end up below the poverty line.”
Melody’s mouth dropped open, and Smudge let out a low growl.
“Really, Chef,” Melody said. “If we want to trade insults, then you are a jerk, not an artist. You may have trained in Italy, but you keep mentioning it in everything you say. I think you keep doing it because you are a poser.”
The Chef’s eyes blazed, and he tried to come back with a retort, but Melody beat him to it.
“You are a master at cooking spaghetti and meatballs. Maybe t
hat is why Ruth didn’t want you to expand everybody’s palate. You might not be as creative as you think. In fact, I doubt you could order a stick of butter, even if your next masterpiece depended on it.”
Chef Coleman and Melody exchanged a few more insults before Alvin stepped in.
“Chef Coleman, we are going to ask you to go back to the kitchen. Your pizza and chili were excellent, but that doesn’t mean you can talk to my fiancée or anyone else like they are beneath you. Port Warren is a small town, where we each care about each other and try to get along. I suggest you consider your reputation. While chefs can be particular, the good people of Port Warren will not even buy a hot dog from someone who is not nice,” Alvin said. “Deputy, let’s bring out Mr. DeWitt once Chef Coleman is back in the kitchen, keep a deputy on him in case he decides to leave.”
Chef Coleman gave Melody a final glare as he was walked out. Melody sighed and shook her head. She was glad she had always been too busy learning how to bake and running a business to get such a big head. Melody was also glad that Terrance would be the final interview. She wanted to go home and sleep off the past 24 hours in the comfort of her own bed. One more interview stood between her and a restorative nap next to her beloved bulldog.
Alvin and Melody grabbed a cup of coffee from the kitchen. Melody wished she could have had one of her own pastries from the shop. Alvin must have read her mind and gave her a loving pinch on the hand. She looked up in mock annoyance. Alvin winked at her. They returned to the makeshift interrogation room and got ready for the bookkeeper with a serious coffee addiction. Melody poured an extra cup and placed a lid on it. Alvin had once told her that sometimes a suspect would break down for a cigarette because they could not bear the withdrawal symptoms. Alvin gave her a knowing look, and Melody nodded.