The Death of a Celebrity Chef Read online

  “Hey, back at you, man. Don’t you both look great,” Louie shouted with laughter. He released Buster and took Cate in his arms in much the same manner. After a brief exchange with his lifelong friends, he turned to Hannah. His eyes at once focused on the Victorian style top hat with mechanically enhanced goggles over the brim that rested on her head. “And you must be Hannah?”

  “Guilty.” Hannah extended a hand. She was rather shocked when he pushed it aside and hugged her as he had done with her friends.

  “Pleased to meet you. These two have told me all about you. Makes me feel as if I have known you forever. Thanks so much for coming.”

  Hannah grinned as she looked over Louie’s shoulder at Cate. “My pleasure.” She caught her breath. Louie’s hug was breathtaking in a literal sense, she thought to herself.

  Everyone proceeded to make their way inside. Louie gestured around the interior of the large room with oversized furniture. “Kick off your shoes, make yourself at home.”

  On one wall was a huge LED TV that had to be 60 inches or more. Sports memorabilia covered the wall at the end of the room, with signed jerseys from top athletes from many teams. It did not take a detective to surmise from Louie’s passion and the room’s décor he was a confirmed bachelor. This is the definition of man cave, she thought.

  “I can show you where your rooms are now, or in a while, whichever you prefer?”

  Since Buster had already dropped their luggage in the entry, all agreed to go relax for a bit. As they started to find places to sit, Hannah noticed many items on the other wall in the massive room. She walked over to find pictures of Julia at various stages of her life. High school prom queen. Cheerleader. A great one as she received her degree making her a chef, and one at the opening of her first restaurant, Julia’s Kitchen on the Water. Off to the far left corner hung a framed article. It was a document from Le Jean Luc Goddard Institut Gastronomique, which named Louie M. Woolridge as a chef. Thinking back, Hannah recalled it was the same institute in Paris where Julia had received her training. Next to it was a nice, professional photograph of Louie and Julia with the autograph, “Always with love, Julia.”

  “That’s you.” Hannah pointed to a thinner, younger Louie in the picture. “Looks like you two had a history.”

  “Yes.” Louie’s voice was proud but soft. He walked over to stand next to Hannah. “That’s from many years ago at a food convention. Julia and I were in the same class together at Goddard’s.” He pointed to his diploma. “I knew early on that I had a better future becoming a food critic than a chef, but Julia? The woman was a natural, born to cook.” Hannah noted the extreme sorrow in his voice. He smiled in remembrance before continuing. “We became good friends. Those days were special. Before all the madness began after she met Asa.” The mention of Julia’s husband’s name seemed almost painful and distasteful to the man. Sighing, he could not hide his emotions, which showed through his otherwise happy face. “She was the best person I have ever met. Her generosity, warmth…” he stopped and cleared his throat, “not to mention the raw talent. Mr. Goddard himself would have been proud.”

  Part of the reason Louie was not accepting her early demise was the fact he was still deeply in love with her, Hannah determined. With this in mind, she vowed to prove to him Julia died a natural death, or if she were murdered, find the culprit. One way or another, she hoped he would accept her findings, let go, and move on.

  Hannah glanced over to Louie. “Well, seems we have some downtime. This seems as good a time as any to start getting your thoughts on the events surrounding Julia’s death.”

  Louie nodded through a weak smile. “I have a folder of clippings I’ve kept in the office.” He waved to the group to follow him. “You can check them out in there. In the meantime, how about some refreshments? Soda, tea, latte anyone?”

  “Oh, your special latte?” Buster commented. “Oh, yeah, Hannah, you cannot miss this.” Both ladies agreed, and Louie left the room, mission in hand.

  In the office, Hannah, Cate, and Buster took seats at a small conference table. Buster looked around the room before calling out, “Critic. Come, boy!” Seconds later, a large Mastiff padded into the room, happy and ready for pats and love.

  In a short while, Louie brought in the steaming hot coffee mugs filled with his special latte mixture. He placed them before his guests. Hannah did not acknowledge the beverage as she was already engrossed in the file before her.

  “I see here that the police didn’t do an investigation because there was no reason, according to the news reports. This was an accident on a rainy night down at the lake?”

  Louie’s face grew solemn. “That’s what didn’t make sense to me.”

  “Which means?”

  “Julia didn’t like water. Open water, in particular. So why would she be out in the rain by the lake? I could never figure out why Asa built the house out there in the first place. In addition, she had night blindness. She couldn’t see anything after dark. There’s no light down there and it was a new moon. Think about it. It’s damn odd for her to be in a place that I know she would go out of the way to avoid if she were alone.”

  “Is it possible she was clearing her head and wandered out there in a fog? There was a lot of publicity about rumors of her manager and husband both having affairs with the same woman.”

  “Knowing Julia as I do… did, I can imagine how that cut her to the bone, but even if she was down, she wouldn’t go near the water. At least, not by herself.”

  “Is there anything to these rumors?”

  “No evidence that has made it to the public, at least not from reliable sources. The news rags harp on it now and again, but otherwise…”

  “What about on the inside? The inner circle. Any tidbits there?”

  “I’m not sure. Asa made sure to cut me out of Julia’s life a long time ago. He knew how I felt about her. Given we had a history, he tried to put a stop to our friendship. However, he wasn’t successful. Since I am involved in the culinary world through my work, I often turned up at many of the same events and functions as Julia over the years. She was the star. I was another pretty face in the crowd.” He said the last part in a half smile, which served to ease the mounting tension. After a few seconds, he continued.

  “Julia was the talent. She left the business operations up to Asa. Jack Miller, her agent, ran her personal appearances and media. He was another Julia follower. He had to beg for his job. I don’t believe Asa knew that he would have given anything to have more than a Platonic relationship with her. Julia’s innocence brought out this protective instinct in people. Women also succumbed to it.”

  Hannah nodded. She looked at Cate and Buster before coming back around to Louie. “That means that we’ll have to become creative to get people on the inside of the company to talk.”

  “At least at the executive level,” Cate agreed.

  Louie took in the conversation, watching Hannah and Cate. When the two turned back to him, he nodded. “You’re right. The ranks closed in tight after the story came out. Asa fired most of the staff, including two of the best, Xabiere Dauphin and Timothy Holloway. No one was immune to his wrath.”

  “I’ve never heard of these people,” Hannah affirmed. “What do you know about them?”

  “Xabiere was a sous chef for Julia, looking to make a name for himself. Holloway came to the U.S. from Europe to work with Karas, Inc. Asa paid them one last time, had them evicted from the studio, and locked the doors behind them.”

  Buster frowned as he listened. “The dude sounds vindictive. What’d they do?”

  “He is vindictive.” Louie took a drink of his latte and stared into the brown liquid, “real vindictive. Nevertheless, the two sous chefs each swore they would get even. They didn’t say how, just that they would. As crazy as Asa’s behavior was, I can understand it. Despite everything, he appeared devoted to Julia. Now, whether that was true, or if she believed it beforehand is another story. It wasn’t common knowledge, but before th
e accident, she isolated herself. She also canceled all her appearances until further notice.”

  “Odd.” Hannah twisted her face as she sat back in her chair. Her furrowed brow told Cate her contemplative friend had many, many questions.

  “I would like to do some sightseeing tomorrow to take in the world that Julia created: her home, business, and even the cemetery. I need to build a file on her that isn’t corrupted by public opinion and media. People can buy those things.”

  Louie half smiled and nodded. “Already handled. With all the crowds coming, I went ahead and got full event passes for us. I’ve been neck deep in the roll out. My company agreed to let me be the front man to the tasting events, which should get us in close. I doubt anyone expected this event to be so big, or for it to be so well publicized. Now the concern is safety and more security for a massive event.”

  “How big are we talking?” Hannah probed.

  “Oh, a hundred thousand, best estimate.”

  Cate shot Hannah a quizzical expression. “Oh, come on. That’s rather large. She was, not to be offensive or anything, just a television chef. It’s not like she was Beard or Child.”

  Louie nodded. “Well, I guess we’ll see. In my opinion that’s a conservative estimate.” He looked around at his guests’ stunned faces. “Her fame has grown even more in her death, as it does with true superstars.”

  “What kind of access can you get us to the inner circle?” Cate inquired, biting her lip.

  “Well, as of now, you are my assistants. That should get you close to the man himself.”

  For a second, the girls looked puzzled. Thereafter, a soft smile spread across Hannah’s face. “Perfect, provided of course, I don’t have to eat all day.”

  Buster interjected. “Hey, hey, now, speak for yourself. A job requiring eating all day? Now, that is employment I can handle.”

  Louie punched him on the shoulder. “Some things never change, dude. You still have that hollow leg.”

  “You got that right.” Cate was laughing so hard she began choking on her latte. All the excited laughter got Critic barking, much to everyone’s amusement.

  “What is he?” Hannah grabbed the sides of the poor dog’s face and forced him into a sort of smile. “He looks part wolf and part bear. He looks like a big ole teddy bear.”

  Louie gave a small laugh. “As long as he has eaten his dinner.”

  “But he doesn’t like the taste of pretty people, so you’re good, Hannah,” Buster added with a wink toward Louie, who grinned.

  “Ha, well, you should do well for his next meal.”

  Louie patted his leg, which served to call the dog over. He held up one finger and commanded, “Critic, tell Hannah you love her.”

  “I luv you!” Critic howled, imitating his master as best a dog could muster.

  “I’m impressed!” Hannah cried out, patting the dog’s head. “How long did it take you to teach him that?”

  Louie gave a smile. “It’s a work in progress. We’re working on “I want a treat.”

  With that, Critic helped lighten the mood of the group. They decided it was time to find their rooms and freshen up.

  After gathering up their luggage, Louie led them through the small but airy house. It reminded Hannah of a small bed-and-breakfast in the town of Twilight where she, Cate, and Buster had grown up, with every room having a bathroom attached. Tight and comfortable. “Will this do?” Louie inquired as he showed Hannah her room.

  “Fine.” She smiled. “I’ll be as snug as a bug in a rug.”

  Louie made a mock-horrified face. “Geez, I hope not. I spent a bundle getting this house fumigated last month. Old Critic here is my buddy. He’s also a walking invitation for a flea infestation.” Hannah looked at the dog who wagged his tail at the attention. It’s true, she thought to herself. Pets sometimes come to look like their masters. The thought made her repress a private laugh.

  “Come on, boy.” Louie patted Critic’s head. “I need to get you a treat before I lose your loyalty.” He turned and headed down the hall. He stopped and called out, “Dinner is in two hours, so put on your nice duds. We’re going to the best restaurant ever.”

  Chapter Three

  As Hannah suspected, dinner was at Julia’s Kitchen on the Water. Initial conversation centered on extended introductions between Hannah and Louie. Louie was particularly interested in Hannah’s top hat and goggles. She gracefully explained how she had always loved the Victorian era, especially the late period. A case had led her to a shop that had the hat. Upon questioning about the goggles with it, she had been introduced to the world of Steampunk. Hannah found she liked the clothing, and the sentiment of culture, so she adopted some of the articles into her daily wear. The hat and goggles were a bonus.

  Everyone found the idea fascinating, but given the location of the restaurant, it did not take long for the conversation to start up once again. The subject returned to the late chef and the accident that took her. Hannah started a log of mental notes. She took note of the photos of Julia’s humble beginnings in the museum connected to the famous eatery. She wanted to capture the setting and all the important elements of the historic restaurant and building. So photogenic, she thought. “Louie, what was the timeline in her career up until she began her show?”

  “Well, she had been Julianna Durbin, a country girl from Bucks County in those days, and she...”

  Hannah glanced over at Buster and Cate. Louie’s historical knowledge engrossed both of them. She could hear the passion in his voice as he chronicled the start of Julia’s career. It continued all the way to the day he learned of her death. By the time he concluded, he was trying to hide the tears in his eyes.

  “I was devastated when I got the news. The thoughts of never seeing her again, except in my dreams, set off a depression that has affected me to this day.”

  Hannah reached over and took hold of his hand. “I’m sorry. I understand that spending the next few days immersed in her life will be painful.”

  He smiled through his sadness. “It isn’t about me. It’s about her.”

  Hannah considered the look on Louie’s face as one of complete devotion. For this man, who was in love with a dead woman, Julia Karas was kindness personified. As she pondered the situation, she wondered about the potential harm or good this case might cause. Could she win either way? If she confirmed her death was no accident, it would open an investigation that would keep this man’s emotions raw for years to come. If she found out it was an accident, would he be able to grieve, move through the process, and back into life again? Such questions weighed heavy on Hannah long after they had retired for the evening.

  * * *

  The next morning, Hannah woke with a start, as Louie yelled, “Rise and shine!” She rolled out of bed, made her way over to the door and cracked it. As it opened, Louie turned and looked to see a woman who was not yet awake. Her hair shot out in a multitude of directions. Her face screamed of weariness. Her eyes spoke more of the living dead than ‘I’ll be there in a moment.’

  “Sorry to wake you, but I’m supposed to work at the pre-event setups in an hour and the traffic will be murder.”

  Hannah yawned. “Coffee?”

  At that moment, both Buster and Cate exited their rooms and headed toward Louie. Seeing Hannah, Buster called out, “Big guy! Didn’t I warn you last night about feeding the bear?”

  Cate nudged Buster into the wall. “Ow,” he exclaimed in a loud voice to emphasize his fake injury.

  She took Louie by the arm and led him toward the stairs as she tossed out to Hannah, “On the landing when you are ready.” Hannah nodded and closed the door.

  Louie peered at Cate. “Not a morning person, I take it?”

  “Not in any fashion.” Cate moved past her host. “Remind me later to show you my scars.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Hannah made her way down the staircase. Dressed in casual business attire like Cate, Louie looked her over. “Nice.”

  He ushered her towar
d the front door where Buster stood waiting with a cup of coffee for her. As she took it from him, she drew it to her nose as she took a breath. She proceeded to start her day with a sip. “Liiiiifffffeeee.”

  Her reaction made Louie chuckle before asking, “Do you have everything you need? It’s going to be a long day, but we can always relax in the media RV if need be.”

  “We’re good.” Hannah looked to Cate, who nodded in agreement.

  Cate raised an eyebrow in consideration. “I understand that small towns aren’t used to this kind of activity, so where are most of the venues going to be?”

  As she stepped through the door, followed by Hannah, both women paused to take in a large RV sitting in the driveway. A large Food Critic logo stood out on the side of the vehicle. “Wow,” both uttered in unison. Louie continued as if it were an ordinary vehicle and urged them to enter as he answered the question.

  “Karas, Inc. owns a good part of this town now. Asa began buying everything a while back. He has spent a fortune on Zebulon. To answer your question, there will be the usual stuff throughout the city: booths, hawkers, and such. The larger events will be at the TV studio on the edge of town. There’s plenty of room there to support the crowds. Asa had massive tents trucked in and set up on the land near the main studio for the food tastings and such. It used to be farmland. The food samples are coming over from the studio test kitchens. In addition, he called in favors. It would seem many people owe him. The state highway department is helping lay out navigation routes into the town. That should keep the flow of traffic as efficient as possible. He’s hired retired military for security and stationed them everywhere. The gravesite is of special concern. There are always some vultures who want to grab a piece of history and Asa intends to nip that in the bud.”

  Buster glanced around as he stepped into the RV. “I’ll give this to this Asa character. The man believes in control.”

  Once Louie introduced everyone to the driver, they settled into the rear of the vehicle and chatted. Along the short trip to the studio, all could see from the side window that crowds were already wandering the town’s streets. He was right, Hannah considered to herself, this is going to be huge. From where she sat, she could see the studio on a knoll in the distance. Pointing to the structure, Louie explained it was the main studio and well over 70,000 square feet.