“Not exactly.” Ivy sprinkled raw sunflower seeds and then rolled the tortillas, packaging them in plastic wrap and depositing the Kale Blazers in the fridge next to the Indulgent sandwiches. “But it’s only been a few months since his fiancée died, and we didn’t want people to think he was that kind of guy.”
“Right. Because most folks don’t know that he and Regina weren’t exactly a love match.” Dani finished with the chips and since the first batch was already cool, she started portioning them into compostable cello bags. “Is Laz’s father aware of your true relationship?”
“Yes, but his mom isn’t.” Ivy shrugged. “She was a huge fan of Regina and wouldn’t take it well that he was already dating again.”
“Why didn’t you tell me and your BFFs the truth?” Dani was a little hurt that Ivy hadn’t confided in her.
“Tippi and Starr might slip and say something to our mutual friends on campus.” Ivy peeked at Dani from under her lashes, then said, “And you didn’t seem to think Laz was boyfriend material for me, so I wasn’t sure if you’d be disappointed in my choice.”
“Then that’s my fault for making you feel that way.” Dani stopped what she was doing, stepped over to Ivy, and hugged her. “At first, I was just concerned that you and Laz didn’t seem to have much in common. Once I got to know him better, I realized that you actually did mesh very well. And I really like him.” With one last squeeze, Dani returned to her position behind the counter, then said, “Besides, it would take a lot more than disagreeing on who you choose to date for me to be disappointed in you. I think you’re pretty darn terrific.”
“Right back at you,” Ivy said as she grabbed the red-and-white-striped sacks.
Dani stifled a yawn. “If Mr. Hunter knows you’re Laz’s girlfriend, I’d just call, tell him about the text, and ask what’s up.”
She checked the clock. Her early-bird customers would be there in half an hour and she still needed to get the Healthy dessert bars made. They were cutting it close.
Dani melted butter over low heat and stirred in sugar-free marshmallows. Once they softened, she removed the pan from the burner and stirred in mini twist pretzels, pumpkin seeds, dried apricots, and oats.
“Should I talk to Mr. Hunter in person?” Ivy gathered the entrées and side salads from the catering fridge and started filling the lunch bags.
“If you want to do that, you could invite him and Mrs. Hunter to dinner tonight,” Dani offered. “I’m free and could whip up something.”
She used a spatula coated with cooking spray to press the pretzel mixture into the prepared cookie sheet, drizzle it with sugar-free caramel topping, and sprinkle it with salt, then put the pan aside to set. Once that was done, she took the tray of Indulgent dessert bars and cut them into squares, slipping them into the same type of bags she’d used for the chips.
“That would be awesome.” Ivy continued to assemble the sack lunches. “But it would only be Mr. Hunter. He and his wife are divorced.”
“Okay.” Dani smiled. Everything was done except for the Healthy dessert bars. While they cooled, she got out her cash box and set up her credit card reader. “Just let me know if he can make it.”
“Six thirty for dinner sound right?” Ivy asked, and when Dani nodded, she wiggled her fingers in farewell and dashed out of the kitchen.
Shaking her head, Dani smiled. Having Ivy, Tippi, and Starr living with her had turned out be as much of a blessing as inheriting Mrs. Cook’s property. They were good girls and their rent was a big help, as were the hours they worked for her as partial payment for their room and board.
Dani ran her hand fondly across the four-sided stainless-steel island that had two commercial stoves, a griddle, a broiler, a salamander, a sink, a pot-filler, and a built-in ice container integrated in the countertop. She glanced at the restaurant-sized refrigerator against the back wall. It was amazing that the kitchen designed by Mrs. Cook was exactly what Dani needed for her company.
Simultaneously handling the trio of businesses was tough, but the mansion’s setup made it a lot less stressful. The kitchen was spacious enough to prep all the food that she would need for her catering gigs, and with the installation of the pass-through window that she’d had put in near the back door, it made selling the lunch-to-go meals a snap.
Dani was the type of chef that cleaned up as she cooked, but there were always a few items that needed washing, and she was placing the last dirty bowl into the dishwasher when the service bell chimed. She dried her hands, straightened her apron, pasted on her professional smile, and went to greet her first customer of the day.
Sliding open the window, Dani recognized one of her regulars and said, “Good morning. Which lunch do you want today?”
“I want the Indulgent, but I’ll take the Healthy. My track coach isn’t happy with my weight.” The boy tapped his credit card on the machine attached to the narrow shelf, then taking the red-and-white-striped paper sack Dani handed him, he waved and said, “See you tomorrow.”
Dani wished she had half of the young man’s willpower. Smiling, she watched the boy hop onto his bike and head toward the university.
It was a little after two by the time Dani sold the last lunch-to-go and finished cleaning up the kitchen. Grabbing her cell from her pocket, she noticed three missed messages. One was Ivy confirming that Mr. Hunter would be there for dinner. The other was from Spencer, telling her that their tentative plans for a late lunch were a no-go because he had a guard out sick, which meant he had to fill in for the man. And the third was from Vicki Troemel saying she had stopped by the mansion last night and dropped off the signed contract and check for the memorial meal. She wanted confirmation that Dani had received it from Starr.
Unlocking her phone, Dani texted Spencer that she understood his absence, informed Ivy that supper would be ready, and assured Vicki that she had indeed gotten the contract and check. Then, after grabbing a Diet Coke and the only leftover Kale Blazer wrap, she took a seat at the kitchen table and called Gray. The message from the wedding planner had reminded her that she wanted to contact him.
He picked up on the first ring and asked, “Everything okay?”
“As far as I know.” Dani chuckled, thinking he sounded more and more like the big protective brother she never had and always wanted. “Have you found out anything new about Yvette’s murder?”
“Nothing I can discuss.” Gray’s voice was guarded, which worried Dani.
“So you do have something?” Dani asked. “Like a likely suspect?”
“We’re following some leads, but no one stands out from the pack.”
“If you’re interested, I have a few thoughts on that,” Dani offered, then realizing she was starving, took a quick bite of the wrap.
“Sure. Let me grab the file.” Gray rustled some paper. “Shoot.”
“First, I need to paint the scene.” Dani took a hasty sip of her soda and then gave him a summary of the wedding planner’s visit.
Before she could go on, Gray said, “No one told me they were releasing the body to the family. Are you sure the service will be Sunday?”
“Vicki told me that the mayor personally spoke to Franklin Whittaker and guaranteed him that he’d be able to have the memorial for Yvette on that day.” Dani took another bite of her lunch as she waited for Gray to stop swearing.
“It sure would have been nice if someone told me that.” Gray cursed again. “But hey, I’m only the lead detective on the case.”
“Sorry.” Dani wasn’t sure why she was apologizing. It wasn’t her fault. Then again, she was the one bearing the bad news.
After a few seconds, Gray said, “So I’m guessing that wasn’t the information you called about since you had no idea I didn’t know.”
“Right.” Dani quickly swallowed the last of the wrap, then said, “I was wondering if you ever considered Vicki as a suspect?”
“Not really,” Gray said slowly. “She had opportunity, but the only motive we could see was that Yvette wasn’t exactly nice to her employees.”
“Which would give me and everyone else that worked for her a motive.” Dani’s stomach roiled and she was suddenly sorry she’d wolfed down the Kale Blazer as it threatened to make a reappearance.
“Exactly,” Gray agreed. “So why are you bringing up the wedding planner?”
“Bear with me.” Dani wasn’t sure if Gray would think she was being silly or not and she wanted him to listen before making up his mind.
“Okay.” Gray’s tone was a bit lighter. “I’m ready for your theory.”
“When Vicki came here to finalize the details from the engagement party contract, she looked awful, almost as if she’d been ill.” Dani frowned at the memory. “Plus, she was dressed like she’d just rolled out of bed.”
“And that was unusual?”
“Definitely. Every other time I’ve seen her she radiated professionalism.”
“Hmm.”
“She told me that Franklin Whittaker was being attacked by his vendors and guests,” Dani said, then crossed her fingers and added, “In my previous profession, one of my biggest talents was being able to read people. And Vicki’s passionate defense of Mr. Whittaker was more than just that of a loyal employee. Her body language, and the way she said his name, made me think she was in love with the man.”
“Which would give her a strong motive to get rid of Yvette before she married the man Vicki loved.” Gray’s tone was thoughtful.
“Exactly.” Dani smiled in relief that Gray wasn’t ridiculing her train of thought. “And the murder obviously wasn’t planned. So Vicki just might have seen her chance and taken it.”
Dani could hear some commotion in the background and Gray said hastily, “I’m being called to a meeting so I’ll have to talk to you later.”
“Okay.”
“Thanks for the tip.” Gray disconnected and Dani let out a sigh.
Mission accomplished.
Chapter 22
Dani did a hasty search through her recipes and then inventoried her supplies. If she wanted to offer Laz’s father any kind of sophisticated meal, she needed to run to the grocery store.
And considering both Mr. Hunter’s social status and business contacts in Normalton, she definitely wanted to wow him with her cooking. The chicken noodle casserole she’d planned to serve the girls that night just wouldn’t cut it.
Well aware that Laz’s grandfather had provided the funds for NU’s new library, Dani had a good idea of where the family was on the list of who’s who. Near the tippy top. The Hunters were among the elite of the town’s upper crust and she couldn’t afford to make a bad impression.
When Dani had originally conceived her company, she’d known that most of her personal chef clients would have a decent amount of discretionary income. What she hadn’t realized at the time was that in order for the catering arm of her business to be profitable, those were the types of people she would need to attract to that part of her enterprise as well.
The wealthier the individual, the more likely that they would throw huge, extravagant events. Sometimes several a year. They didn’t care about the cost. Wanting the best of the best, whether it was for little Jerry’s bar mitzvah or little Carmen’s quinceañera or their annual holiday extravaganza, as long as their friends and acquaintances were awed, they’d happily pay Dani’s invoice.
It had only taken one or two instances of supplying food for the parties thrown by the well-to-do for Dani to realize that there was good money in cultivating their patronage. And those people, the one percenters, chose their vendors almost entirely via word of mouth, which meant Dani needed to produce a stellar meal for Mr. Hunter.
Sprinting upstairs to take a quick shower, Dani’s mind raced with the future booking possibilities if she dazzled Laz’s father with her food. As soon as she was clean and dry, she hastily pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweater. Then, grabbing her handbag, she jumped into the van and headed for her favorite grocery store.
While she loved farmers markets and boutique food shops and utilized them whenever her client’s budget allowed, since she was footing the bill for tonight’s dinner, she drove to a larger supermarket where the prices were more in her budget and the variety couldn’t be beat.
The rain had stopped an hour ago, but just as she pulled into the lot, the sky opened up again and she was drenched by the time the store’s first set of automatic doors swished shut behind her. She used an entire packet of tissues to dry off her face and arms, but the rest of her was still wet as she pushed her cart inside the local Meijer. She shivered and rubbed the goose bumps on her arms as the overcooled air surrounded her.
Ignoring the mouthwatering aroma of barbecue ribs wafting from the nearby deli, Dani headed into the produce section. She retrieved the list from her purse and quickly skimmed it, then picked up cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, baby arugula, and alfalfa sprouts for the arugula salad.
Next, she selected a small pumpkin and a bunch of parsley for the risotto. And finally she nabbed the last bag of Meyer lemons for the tart.
As she moved to the next aisle, she remembered that she hadn’t called Frannie Ryan to set up the interview with Spencer. He had agreed to give Frannie half an hour Thursday night before his date with Dani, and she had said that she would make the arrangements.
Stopping in front of shelves containing every imaginable kind of rice, Dani’s gaze skimmed the array for arborio as she fished through her purse for her cell. Locating the sneaky device hiding under her makeup case, she sent a quick text to Frannie:
Are you available Thursday at five thirty to talk to Spencer?
Frannie instantly answered: Yes.
After spotting the rice she wanted and putting it in her cart, Dani typed: Meet us at the mansion. You have thirty minutes and only reasonable questions will be answered.
A short pause and Frannie responded: Okay.
Dani wasn’t sure what to make of the emoji rolling its eyes that Frannie included, but it was probably a reaction to the word “reasonable.”
Shaking her head, Dani made her way to the meat aisle where she checked the price of beef fillet. The whole tenderloin was twelve dollars a pound and she’d need five steaks. She dug through the refrigerated case until she found a small package. It was a little less than five pounds and she only needed three for tonight’s dinner, but she had a private chef gig Wednesday evening and the remaining two pounds would serve her clients and their two guests perfectly.
After gathering a few more items, Dani got into the checkout lane. Over a hundred bucks later, Dani placed the bags in the van’s built-in chiller, then climbed behind the wheel.
Exiting the grocery store’s parking lot, she was glad the rain had stopped again. Although she had never fully dried off, at least she didn’t have to battle traffic in a downpour. Driving in a college town was crazy enough without adding bad weather to the mix.
As she steered the van toward home, Dani considered what she needed to do first. With Mr. Hunter arriving for dinner at six thirty, Dani had less than three hours to cook and change into something that made her appear to be a cool, competent professional.
She’d tackle her wardrobe selection later; her immediate objective was to get the food for the night’s menu started. And the lemon tart was number one on her to-do list.
Once Dani was home she put away her purchases, then while she put on her yoga pants and T-shirt, she checked her business voicemail. After she was re-dressed, she returned a couple of calls from prospective clients and sent Spencer a text confirming his interview with Frannie.
Finally, she was free to cook and as she bustled around preparing the food, Dani had a sudden feeling of déjà vu. Several months ago, she’d had Ivy invite Laz to a fancy dinner in order to pump him for data about
the death of his fiancée. Now his father was her guest so that Ivy could ask him about his son’s whereabouts. She hoped this meal would turn out as well as the previous one, both in deliciousness and information.
As it always did when Dani was in the kitchen, time flew by and she ended up with less than fifteen minutes to shower and put on a pair of nice black slacks and an emerald-green silk blouse. The doorbell rang while she was slipping her silver hoop earrings on and she finished adjusting them on her way down the stairs.
When she opened the door, an older version of Laz smiled at her and held out his hand. “You must be Ms. Sloan. My son has spoken of you often. Especially your wonderful skills as a chef.”
“That’s so sweet of him.” Dani shook his hand and said, “Please call me Dani.”
“And I’m Henry.” He wore a navy suit with a pale-blue, striped dress shirt. His coordinating tie probably cost as much as Dani’s whole outfit, including the shoes and jewelry.
Ushering Henry inside, Dani said, “It’s nice to meet you. You look a lot like your son. Or I should say he looks a lot like you.” She saw a flicker of sadness in his blue eyes, but he blinked and it was gone. Leading him into the kitchen, she continued, “I hope you don’t mind eating in here. The formal dining room is just so…”
“Formal?” Henry suggested.
They were both chuckling when Ivy burst into the room, and as she hugged the older man, she said, “Mr. Hunter, it’s wonderful to see you again.”
“It’s Henry, remember?” After giving Ivy’s shoulder a squeeze with one hand, he turned to Dani and presented her with a bottle of wine. “I understand from my son that you have a no-alcohol policy in the mansion, but I hope you’ll save this and enjoy it with someone special.”
“Thank you.” Dani accepted the gift and put it on the counter. In order to remove any temptation from the girls or their guests, she’d take the wine to her suite later. “I’m sure I will.”
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