Also by Denise Swanson
Welcome Back to Scumble River
Dead in the Water
Die Me a River
Come Homicide or High Water
Chef-to-Go Mysteries
Tart of Darkness
Leave No Scone Unturned
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Books. Change. Lives.
Copyright © 2020 by Denise Swanson Stybr
Cover and internal design © 2020 by Sourcebooks
Cover illustration by Tsukushi/Lott Reps
Sourcebooks, Poisoned Pen Press, and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
Published by Poisoned Pen Press, an imprint of Sourcebooks
P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410
(630) 961-3900
sourcebooks.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Swanson, Denise, author.
Title: Winner cake all / Denise Swanson.
Description: Naperville, IL : Poisoned Pen Press, [2020]|
Summary: “Dani Sloan is back in another delicious Chef-to-Go mystery!”—Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019059978 | (paperback)
Classification: LCC PS3619.W36 W56 2020 | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019059978
Contents
Front Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Back Cover
Chapter 1
Dani Sloan’s critical gaze swept the front parlor of the mansion she’d inherited from her grandmother’s sorority sister Geraldine Cook. The Victorian settee’s gold-and-red-brocade upholstery had been spot cleaned that morning, and the Eastlake side chairs’ intricate, carved backs were free of dust.
She inspected the brightly colored Persian rug covering the hardwood floor and was pleased to note that, per her instructions, it was freshly vacuumed. Next, she checked the fan-shaped transom above the front casements. The glass sparkled in the mid-October sunlight.
Nodding to herself, she blew out a relieved breath. As far as she could see, everything was in place and there wasn’t a speck of dirt anywhere.
Wait! Dani frowned and used the bottom of her shirt to rub a fingerprint off the silver coffee service sitting atop the ornate gilt-and-marble coffee table. Now, the setting was immaculate and ready for visitors.
Yvette Joubert, the most important client Dani’s fledgling Chef-to-Go company had ever attracted, was due to arrive at three o’clock to discuss the catering she needed for her upcoming engagement party. If that went well, Ms. Joubert had promised to hire Dani for the reception, the bachelor and bachelorette parties, and the rehearsal dinner too.
Franklin Whittaker, Ms. Joubert’s intended, was rumored to be the wealthiest resident of Normalton, Illinois. If his fiancée selected Chef-to-Go to handle their wedding events, the business would be in the black for the next year. Or possibly forever.
Pleasing Yvette and Franklin meant Dani was almost guaranteed additional bookings from their many friends and business associates. Their social circle would follow the couple’s lead and hire Dani when they needed an event catered or wanted a personal chef for their dinner parties.
Blinking away the dollar signs dancing in her head, Dani looked at her watch. It was time to fill the coffeepot and bring out the platter of mocha truffle brownies, orange brown-sugar raisin swirl coffee cake, and her secret weapon: chai latte snickerdoodles. One bite of that cookie and Yvette would be eating out of her hands. Pun intended.
Dani just hoped the woman wasn’t on a diet. So many brides starved themselves before their weddings. Dani had been at one ceremony where the bride actually passed out as she walked down the aisle with her groom after the ceremony. When the paramedics arrived, the new bride admitted that she had been fasting and had had nothing in her stomach except broth for the previous week.
Dani ran her hands down her own generous curves. She’d long ago quit trying to conform to the reigning beauty standards. There was no way a chef could stay a size two, not that she’d ever been even close to any single-digit dress size since puberty.
Shaking her head at how far afield her thoughts had wandered, Dani refocused on the upcoming meeting and headed into the kitchen.
She was placing the heavy tray of desserts on the coffee table when the doorbell rang. After one last glance around the room to assure herself that everything was ready, Dani hurried into the foyer.
Swinging open the massive oak door, Dani gulped. The woman standing on her front porch was utterly dazzling. If you saw her in a magazine, you’d swear the image had been photoshopped. She was that gorgeous.
It was impossible to judge her age. She could have been as young as twenty-five, or as much as ten years older than that. The porcelain skin on her perfect face was flawless, completely unmarked by any hint of a wrinkle or a blemish. And her navy-blue eyes were framed in long, lush lashes that looked completely natural but had to be very expensive extensions.
As Dani stood transfixed, the stunning beauty raised a raven eyebrow, and in a lilting soprano asked, “Danielle Sloan?”
Mentally slapping herself, Dani nodded and said, “But please call me Dani.”
“I am Yvette Joubert, but no one calls me Yvi.” The stunning woman winked, then tucked a lock of gleaming, jet-black hair behind her ear and added under her breath, “At least not anymore.”
Dani was trying to figure out if she should respond to that or not when Yvette tilted her head and asked, “You were expecting me, no?”
“Yes, I was. Sorry.” Dani stepped out of the way. “Please come in.” She gestured toward the parlor. “Right this way.”
Once Yvette was seated, she glanced around the room and grimaced. “I’m not fond of antiques. I prefer glass and leather. This”—she waved her hand—“looks as if so
meone’s granny died here.”
Dani noted that Yvette’s slight French accent seem to come and go. Was she faking it? And if she was, who cared? Dani silently scolded herself.
Needing to assure her prospective client, Dani hastily said, “These furnishings came with the house. I promise you that my food is not reflective of the surroundings. Would you like to see my modernized kitchen?”
“Thank you, but no.” Yvette gave a theatrical shudder and giggled. “I make it policy to avoid that room whenever possible.”
“I’m very grateful that a lot of people feel that way.” Dani chuckled. “It’s why the personal chef branch of my business is so popular. Busy men and women, who don’t want to eat out or order in all the time, hire me to do the cooking for them once or twice a week.”
“I’ve been hearing about that service from several friends.” Yvette gracefully crossed her tanned, toned legs. “Chelsea Barnes raves about your food.” Straightening the hem of her periwinkle sheath, Yvette added, “In fact, she and her husband are the ones who recommended your company to me. Trent mentioned that you had catered a faculty tea that was utterly exquisite.”
Dani was pleased that the Barneses, who were regular personal chef clients, had recommended her. She also briefly wondered if Yvette’s relationship with Chelsea was personal or professional. While Professor Barnes taught at the local university, Dr. Barnes was a famous plastic surgeon.
“That’s very nice of them.” Dani made sure her voice reflected her gratitude. “Word of mouth is so important in my line of work.”
Yvette indicated her agreement with a regal nod. “I always take what people have to say about a product more seriously than any advertising.”
“I do too,” Dani said, then asked, “Shall we get started?”
“I hope you don’t mind, but I asked my wedding planner to meet me here.” Yvette glanced at the slim diamond watch on her wrist. “Unfortunately, she’s driving down from Chicago and texted me that she won’t arrive for another fifteen or twenty minutes.”
“No problem.” Dani gestured to the refreshments on the table and asked, “Would you like a cup of coffee and a snack while we wait?”
“That would be lovely,” Yvette answered. “Do you have any stevia?”
“I do. It’s in the kitchen.” Dani rose. “I’ll be right back.”
After quickly transferring the light green packages of stevia to a crystal sugar bowl, Dani returned and offered it to Yvette. The woman had already poured herself a cup of coffee and, from Dani’s glance at the tray, had to be eating her third snickerdoodle. Dani’s secret weapon seemed to be working.
Once she had her own cup fixed the way she liked it, Dani grabbed her notebook from the table, settled back in her chair, and said, “If you’d like, we can use the time until the wedding planner gets here for you to tell me a little about yourself and the groom. That way I can be thinking about possible menu ideas.”
“Excellent idea. Let’s see.” Yvette took a bite of cookie and chewed thoughtfully. “I was born in France, but my parents moved to the States when I was five and I’ve lived here ever since. I work for one of the top architectural and design companies. We were involved in several Chicago municipal buildings.”
“I can see why my decor was so important to you,” Dani murmured.
“Yes.” With a look of repulsion, Yvette glanced around the parlor.
Dani was immediately sorry she’d reminded the woman of her surroundings and encouraged, “You were saying?”
“Although I am currently taking time off from the company to concentrate on my wedding, once an interior designer, always an interior designer.”
“Of course.” Dani agreed. “It’s the same when I’m served a meal.” When Yvette didn’t respond, Dani continued, “From what you said earlier, do your tastes lean more to ultra-modern styles?”
Dani noticed that Yvette had finished her snickerdoodle and was now sampling the brownies. That had to be a good sign.
“Absolutely. I like sleek, clean lines, and I love white-and-black color schemes.”
Dani made a note, then asked, “Do you or your fiancé have any food allergies?” She looked up in time to see a puzzled expression on her prospective client’s face, and added, “Or anything you dislike?”
“The only thing I can think of for me would be lima beans.” Yvette made a face. “Those are just nasty.” She tapped her chin. “Franklin may have an issue with mushrooms, but I can’t remember. It could be my first husband or my previous fiancé who hated those.”
Wow! Dani blinked. She hadn’t realized this was Yvette’s third engagement.
She hid her surprise and said, “Okay. But let me know as soon as possible.” She chuckled. “We don’t want to poison the groom-to-be, right?”
“Right.” Yvette giggled. “At least not before we’re married.”
Dani didn’t have any idea how to respond to that. She was pretty sure the woman was kidding, but it was hard to be sure. Especially without knowing what happened to husband number one and fiancé number two.
Time to change the subject.
“What can you tell me about Mr. Whittaker?” Dani asked.
“Franklin owns over sixty businesses. Although most are regional, he’s been expanding his interests across the country. But his passion is the Korn Kings, which is a member of the Middle America Baseball League.” Yvette took a sip of coffee. “Since Normalton doesn’t have a pro team and the town is located several hours away from both Chicago and St. Louis, that franchise is very popular and very profitable.”
While Dani wasn’t a fan herself, she was well aware of the Korn Kings. “I’ve seen their logo all over the campus.” Although the university had its own college-level team, NU students were huge supporters of the Kings. “Maybe we could do ballpark-themed food for your engagement party.”
“Certainly not.” Yvette shot Dani a sharp look. “I want it to be elegant.”
“Of course. I love doing that type of event,” Dani hastily assured her, then in an attempt to distract Yvette asked, “How did you and your fiancé meet?”
“At a charity ball for the Chicago Fire Department. My previous fiancé was a CFD captain.” Yvette finished her brownie and wiped her fingers on a napkin. “Franklin and I hit it off right away.”
Dani was curious about what had happened to fiancé number two but refrained from asking. If he had died in the line of duty, she didn’t want to remind Yvette of her loss. And if the woman had dumped him for the wealthier guy, Dani didn’t want to have negative feelings toward her client.
Luckily, the doorbell chimed before she had to come up with another topic.
Jumping to her feet, Dani said, “That must be your wedding planner. I’ll go let her in.”
Yvette gave a queenly wave of permission and Dani hurried into the foyer and opened the door.
“Danielle Sloan?” the woman asked.
“Yes, but call me Dani.”
As they shook hands and the woman introduced herself. “I’m Vicki Troemel, Ms. Joubert and Mr. Whittaker’s event planner. Sorry I’m a little late. The drive from Chicago was a nightmare. You wouldn’t believe the construction on I-55. As the wedding gets closer, I may have to move down here to avoid the traffic jams. I don’t suppose you rent out rooms?”
“Actually, I do.” Dani immediately liked the bubbly woman. Vicki seemed about Dani’s age, and she had a similarly curvy figure. “Unfortunately, the rooms that are finished are already occupied. I lease them to three college student who help in my Chef-to-Go business.”
“Well, the wedding isn’t for another eight months so maybe we can work something out.” Vicki spotted Yvette and headed into the parlor.
As Dani followed, she admired Vicki’s suit—the saffron color flattered her nut-brown hair and fair skin. Suddenly self-conscious, Dani tugged at her own plain d
ark slacks and black-and-raspberry striped tunic. Maybe she should have dressed up a little bit more or worn her chef’s jacket. That always gave her a nice aura of authority.
By the time Dani sat down, Vicki had already made herself comfortable on the other Eastlake chair. She slipped a tablet from its case and glanced between Dani and her employer, clearly ready to begin.
“I’ve told Dani a little about myself and Franklin so we can get started discussing the event.” Yvette waited for Vicki to nod her understanding, then continued, “My fiancé and I will be hosting an engagement party the first Saturday of November.”
“Wow!” Dani inhaled sharply. “That’s only two weeks from tomorrow.”
“Yes, it is.” Yvette’s expression was bland, but her tone was sharp. “I take it you can make yourself available for that date.”
“Let me check.” Dani took her cell phone from her pocket.
But before she could swipe it, to consult her schedule, Yvette lifted her chin and said, “I certainly hope we haven’t wasted our time coming here. Chelsea assured me that you would accommodate me.”
Dani started to tell Yvette that Chelsea had no right to say that but stopped herself. It wouldn’t do any good to point out to Yvette, or, for that matter, to Dr. Barnes, that they weren’t the most important people in the universe or that their needs didn’t have priority over anyone else’s because neither woman would believe her.
Dani may have only met Yvette an hour ago, but having previously worked in human resources, she was pretty sure she was reading her prospective client correctly. As with Dr. Barnes, this woman was the kind of person who wouldn’t get it. Everything in her world would always revolve around her desires, and she’d expect that desire to be fulfilled at the instant she had it.
Instead of verbalizing any of those thoughts, Dani glanced at her calendar and said, “I am free, but in order to guarantee delivery, I’ll need to put in the orders for my raw ingredients by Monday at the latest.” She made a quick entry on her phone to save that weekend, then placed the cell on the coffee table.
“Our guest list is currently just a tiny bit shy of three hundred fifty, but there will doubtlessly be a few additions and probably top out at four hundred. I’ll have a firm count soon.” Yvette raised her eyebrows. “Can your company handle such a large number of guests?”
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