Chapter 14
That night, the whole family met for dinner. Tex had gotten his famous barbecue skills out and was overseeing the proceedings with his customary flair. Mom had baked a ginormous apple pie that now stood chilling on the kitchen windowsill. Gran had wanted to invite Leo over for dinner but Mom and Dad had put their foot down. No repetition of the beach scene in their house.
Chase had arrived, as Uncle Alec’s guest, and had brought a bottle of the best—Chardonnay from the looks of it—and Odelia was happy to see him, which was a big change from before, when she used to scold her mom for inviting the burly cop. The cats were all there, except for Harriet and Diego, who were conspicuously absent. Brutus, Dooley and Max sat on the porch swing, looking on as dinner progressed, with Brutus looking like a shadow of his former self.
Odelia had no idea what was going on with him until she remembered about Diego making a pass at Harriet. Apparently the Persian’s allegiances had shifted once again, and this time it was Brutus whose heart had been stomped on.
“So what’s all this about a big murder investigation?” Dad asked as he placed a nice, fat kabob on her plate.
She added roasted baby potatoes with rosemary and garlic and dug in. “Famous chef got killed, Dad,” she said. “Niklaus Skad.”
“Oh, the Kitchen Disasters guy? I loved that show!”
Tex Poole, a bluff man with a shock of white hair, loved all cooking shows. He considered himself something of a cuisinier, though the only thing he did well was barbecue. Still, if it made him happy, that was all that mattered.
“Poor man,” said Mom, a delicate, fair-haired woman. “I thought he was a little too harsh on his candidates from time to time, but I think he meant well.”
“He was brutal,” Uncle Alec said, dumping a glob of mayonnaise on his potatoes. “It was car crash television at its best.”
“It wasn’t that bad,” said Gran, who’d been moping all this time. She was probably missing her Leo. “A lot of these so-called chefs can’t cook for crap, and Niklaus Skad didn’t mince words when he told them so. The fact that they couldn’t cope was their problem, not his.”
“I thought he was overly harsh,” said Chase, munching down on a sausage. “The way he treated restaurateurs was uncalled for and more about boosting his ratings than a genuine desire to see those restaurants he selected do better.”
She smiled at Chase. “That’s exactly what I thought, but you put it so much better.”
“I guess I have a way with words,” said Chase.
“You’ve got a way with your lips,” said Gran. “There’s a difference.”
“Mom,” said Chief Alec warningly. “Let’s keep it civilized.”
“I am keeping it civilized. I’m just like Niklaus Skad: I say it like it is.”
“Well, there’s a difference between saying it like it is and intentionally hurting people, and Skad crossed that line many times on his show,” said Alec.
“Which is probably what got him killed,” Odelia added.
“Amen to that,” her uncle said, clinking his glass of Chardonnay against hers.
“So how was the interview with Hendrik Serarols?” she asked. She’d forgotten to ask her uncle about that.
“He’s a suspect,” said her uncle.
“A very strong suspect,” Chase added.
“Who’s Hendrik Serarols?” asked Tex, flinging more kabobs on the grill.
“The chef at Fry Me for an Oyster,” Odelia explained.
“He was the one who suffered the most abuse,” Chase said. “There’s a video online of Niklaus having a go at him.” He shook his head. “Not pretty.”
“I saw that,” said Odelia. “So did he have an alibi for last night?”
“He does, but he doesn’t want to supply it,” said her uncle.
She frowned. “He’s refusing to tell you where he was?”
“Yup. He says he was nowhere near the restaurant, but when I asked him where he was, he refused to tell me.”
“That’s odd,” said Mom.
“That’s suspicious,” Gran said. “If you ask me, he did it.”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” said Alec.
Chase dabbed at his lips with his napkin. “He had motive—he had opportunity—and he’s certainly strong enough to have pulled this off. I say we have plenty of grounds for an arrest, Chief.”
“And I say my gut tells me he didn’t do it.” They all looked down at Chief Alec’s sizable gut, and he laughed. “Now don’t start with me, you people.” He patted his round belly. “A good chief needs bulk.”
“A good chief needs muscle,” Chase chided him.
“Fair enough. I have gained a few pounds. And I blame my sister’s cooking.” He glanced at Marge, who smiled indulgently.
“A good chief needs to be fed properly,” she said. “And I know that if I don’t do it, you certainly won’t.”
That was true enough. After his wife had died, Uncle Alec had let himself go for a while, snacking on fast food and anything he could get his hands on. Since then, Mom had taken him under her wing, and now he ate out here most nights.
“Great food as usual, Mrs. Poole,” said Chase appreciatively. “Doc.”
“Thanks, Chase. It’s nice to cook for someone who appreciates it,” said Mom.
“I think you should lock up this chef and force him to supply you with an alibi,” said Gran, who was starting to sound as harsh as Niklaus Skad.
Chief Alec grimaced. “I’m doing no such thing, Mother. And may I remind you that I’m the one in charge of this investigation and not you?”
“You reminding me won’t stop me from giving you my opinion.”
“So what happened to Leo?” Chase asked, giving Odelia a wink.
Gran shrugged. “How should I know? They’ve forbidden him from the house—kicked him out on his ear. The poor man is probably lying in a gutter somewhere, wondering what he did wrong.” She wagged an admonishing finger. “You can’t stop true love. You can beat us—you can arrest us—you can send us to the electric chair for all I care, but nothing will keep Leo and me apart. We’re like Romeo and Juliet. Though Leo told me he’s not going to try and climb to my balcony on account of his arthritis. That and he just had a hip replacement.”
“Leo Wetland is married, Mom,” Chief Alec said with a sigh.
“His wife is in a retirement home so that doesn’t count,” Gran said stubbornly. “She’s no good to him all drugged up and bedridden and all.”
“I just don’t think it’s very nice of him to run around with you while his wife is laid up is all,” said Uncle Alec, throwing down his napkin.
“The man has needs,” Gran insisted. “And so do I.”
“So find yourself a decent man,” Mom insisted. “Not this… weasel.”
Gran narrowed her eyes into slits. “Who are you calling a weasel?”
“Leo! He should be by his wife’s side—her aid and support.”
“You know how hard it is for a girl to find a decent guy at my age?” Gran asked, changing tack. “There’s so few good men out there.”
“So? That doesn’t mean you have to steal other people’s husbands.”
Gran threw up her hands. “If you’re all going to gang up on me I’ve got nothing more to say. I’m out of here.” At this, she got up, her chin in the air. Then she caught sight of Mom’s apple pie and promptly sat down again. “Maybe after dessert.”
“Don’t you have any other suspects apart from this chef?” Dad asked.
The Chief leaned back, his hands on his belly. “Well, there’s Skad’s assistant. Stacie Roebuck. I haven’t had a chance to talk to her yet, but she told one of my officers that she was in her hotel room all night. I don’t think it’ll be hard to verify that she was. Those rooms all have key cards, and the data is accessible to hotel security, complete with date and time stamp, so…”
“I heard she was pretty bullied by Niklaus,” said Chase.
“Yes, she was,” the Chief confirmed. “First line of fire and all that.”