The Death of a Celebrity Chef Read online

  As the group moved along the way to their next stop, Louie continued his quiet accusations. “The biggest mistake of Julia’s life was marrying that man. If it weren’t for him, she might still be alive.”

  Hannah measured Louie’s words. Granted, Asa was a force of nature. He was impressive, powerful, and aware of both facts. A man who had absolute control over every aspect of his world. That much was clear. Though he had not been welcoming, Hannah had seen nothing that suggested he would hurt Julia. She was, after all, an asset and a moneymaker. It would be interesting to know if the two were as committed to each other in private as they were in public.

  Nevertheless, Hannah could see Louie’s jealousy boiling over. Asa had taken Julia from him. There were old wounds here. That type of pain never heals in the presence of the person who Louie perceived as causing it. He would not approve of any man for Julia, other than himself. Thus, his advice would prove jaded and not helpful in the investigation.

  Making their way down a long corridor, Jazlyn came to a stop before a large door. The words ‘Studio One’ stenciled in black on the outside stood out. “I would ask that you please be careful not to touch or move anything. We’ve preserved everything as it was.” She opened the doors and led everyone inside.

  “Uncle decided to keep Julia’s original set as it was when she was alive. We’re opening tomorrow’s show with an opening shot from here and changing to digital using the new set. Uncle feels it will be cathartic for the old fans. It pays homage to Julia and moves on to me.”

  “Smart,” whispered Cate to Hannah, both of whom were looking over the original kitchen. “Lure ‘em in with the original look, and move on as a sort of shock treatment.”

  “Um,” was the affirmation Hannah gave. She focused on everyone’s place in the operation, running everything through cycles in her mind.

  After a brief history of the original show, Jazlyn led the group through a massive, oak door to the rear of the studio. “This was Julia’s personal studio office,” she explained. “She liked to be close to the set, for some reason. A quirk I guess. She spent a lot of time in here picking out the recipes, and deciding on what featured guests to bring in. The room has not changed since the accident. Uncle and I are the only people allowed in here. Oh, and the staff who dust the room come in upon occasion.” She turned to Louie. “I wanted you to get a glimpse of her style and grace. This place is Julia. I figured you might like a look for your article.”

  Louie took out his cell phone. As he surveyed the room, he spoke with a subdued voice into the device, making notes so as not to miss any details. Hannah watched and wondered what was going through his mind. She knew that for him, this chance would never present itself again. She wondered why Jazlyn was risking the anger of her uncle by letting him in. It was clear this was a sacred place to Asa. This much, Louie and his rival had in common.

  Hannah’s curiosity was piqued further when Louie closed his eyes. Was he imagining his love sitting at her desk? Could he make out her smile as she worked?

  When Louie opened his eyes, he stared down at the assortment of pink accessories which adorned the large, ebony desk. “Pink. Of course,” he mumbled. He was audible enough that Hannah and Cate could hear, but not Buster and Jazlyn, who were now engaged in a quiet conversation.

  Cate’s voice pulled him from his semi-trance like state, when she addressed the particular color. “She had a thing for pink, didn’t she?”

  “That was her color,” Louie explained. “That or some shade of it. I don’t recall ever seeing her without something pink: a ribbon in her hair, a purse, shoes.”

  It was at this moment when Louie’s eyes fell on the hot pink high heels sitting on the floor next to a large black couch with pink cushions. He let out a gasp.

  Hearing this, Hannah turned her attention to the man. “Something wrong?”

  Louie pointed to the footwear. “I gave her those, years ago for graduation. I had them specially made. They are one of a kind.” He gulped and cleared his throat. He brought his hand to his mouth and held it there before continuing. “They cost more money than I could afford at the time.”

  He stiffened and shrugged back his shoulders as if he were shaking something off. He blinked several times. “I was going to tell her how I felt about her, but she was busy, so I waited. And…” His words dropped off. Hannah could guess the rest. Julia left. Asa appeared in her life. And all Louie was left with was a sour memory. That memory’s changed, thought Hannah. The sight of those shoes is a sign she never forgot him. She kept them to remember him.

  Hannah attempted to ease his pain. “Can we get a picture of a few items for a personal collection?”

  Jazlyn started to decline, but Hannah motioned with her head toward Louie. She saw the welled tears in his eyes and looked to where he was staring. She relented. Why, Hannah could not quite make out, but Jazlyn agreed nonetheless.

  “Of course, but give me your word you will not publish them. Uncle would be furious.”

  Louie responded with a meek but appreciative smile and nodded. He dropped the bag he carried, pulled out a small camera, and began his work.

  Trying to break the sudden somber mood, Hannah pointed to the door to the rear of the room. “Mind me asking where that leads?”

  “Her private room. She would dress there before the show, but sometimes, she would rest after a taping. As you can imagine, it took its toll on her. It’s the one room no one, including me, can enter. Just Uncle. Her personal effects are still in place, per his order: her clothes, jewelry, makeup, hairbrushes. Everything is as if she walked out yesterday and will return tomorrow,” Jazlyn explained. “That room is to stand as is until the studio is dust.”

  Cate smiled and understood the implications of that remark. “Being here in this room, it’s… well, unbelievable, overwhelming.”

  Jazlyn agreed with a nod and pulled out a key. She led everyone to another door opposite Julia’s private room.

  “This was her personal research library. The number of cookbooks will amaze you,” she explained. “She and Vera spent hours in here preparing,” Jazlyn recalled. She smiled. “I had never been inside the ‘sanctum Sanctorum’ until I got a call from Uncle. It was right after I completed my degree in Germany. I had never dreamed that he wanted me to replace Julia. I figured Vera would.”

  Cate gave a quizzical look. “You didn’t have a clue?”

  “Not one.” Jazlyn responded with an innocence that did not quite ring true for Hannah. “This whole event came about because the company has lost a tremendous amount of money since the accident.”

  Hannah noticed the occasional tone of sarcasm in her voice changed to one of jealousy. This cleared up any uncertainty about the nature of Jazlyn and Vera’s relationship. It was an unhealthy one. Julia favored one. Asa favored the other.

  “I see what you mean. In the end, it always comes down to business, doesn’t it?” Hannah commented as she turned to study Jazlyn’s face. Her statement had been harsh and pointed, but it was not random. It was to get a reaction, which it had.

  Jazlyn’s face soured. “I suppose it does.” Her demeanor cooled. “Now, let’s move on.”

  Hannah judged the young woman’s response as being somewhere between annoyed and angry. The query had made Jazlyn uncomfortable. Now, the question was why? Was it because Hannah, without intent, had questioned her talents as a chef? Or was it because it suggested something about the relationship between the niece and the uncle? In either case, Hannah would spend time later considering all this, but for now, she continued along.

  As the tour continued, Hannah once again became lost in her thoughts about the day. It was bizarre how it all came about. How gracious Jazlyn had been, but the reasons for it all were still a mystery. It all left Hannah feeling suspicious. Jazlyn may have been projecting nothing but acceptance and kindness toward Louie, but it was obvious her uncle would have something to say later in private.

  Chapter Five

  Jazlyn led the gro
up back through the main corridor. A tall, rough looking, heavy man, entered the hall from the office door. The man reminded Hannah of a misplaced actor when he grinned through near-perfect white teeth. He drew many eyes to him, with his short brown hair showing from beneath a black drover’s hat. A day’s worth of facial growth covered his face. Brown eyes matched his worn leather jacket. And all this, set against a black shirt, black cowboy boots, and blue jeans, led Hannah to consider him attractive.

  Approaching the group, he singled out Jazlyn to make eye contact. “Handsome,” Cate mumbled under her breath.

  “Yeah, for a man caught in a cheesy 1970s western film,” Buster added with sarcasm.

  “Hello, beautiful,” he crooned as he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. “How’s my favorite girl?”

  The chemistry between the two was both clear and electric. It was recognizable to all, in particular Buster, whose sudden jealousy was also present.

  Leaning over to Hannah’s ear, Cate whispered, “She’s a walking pheromone, that one.” Hannah smiled but agreed. She had seen Jazlyn interact with many men this day, three in a similarly friendly manner: Buster, Asa, and now this man. Every one had been responsive to the woman, swayed by her charm and beauty. It made Hannah wonder what any one of them would do if she were to ask them to do something.

  “Hey.” Jazlyn smiled at the man before gesturing to the group. “May I introduce you to a few new acquaintances, and an old friend of Julia?”

  As the man looked the group over, he stopped at Louie. “Louie Woolridge. I recognize you from Food Critic. Julia talked about you often.” He extended a hand. “Jack Miller.”

  Hannah looked over at Louie, who was not showing any emotions, thinking that for him, this was a miracle.

  After a second, Louie took Miller’s hand and shook it. “Pleasure. I recognize you, too. You were Julia’s manager.”

  Hannah watched, catching the slight contraction in Jack’s eyes. She made another mental note as she continued to watch the two men’s interactions. After a second, Miller’s eyes readjusted. “Yes. I had that honor. She was… something else. Something unique. But I didn’t know you knew Jazlyn as well.”

  Sensing an interrogation on Miller’s part, Jazlyn interceded. “We’ve just met today. They also got to meet Uncle.” Hanna watched the interplay with curiosity. She’s observant, she noted, clicking off another trait in her mental profile of Jazlyn.

  Judging by the reaction on his face, Jazlyn’s revelation shocked Miller. “Well, that’s something, now isn’t it? I wish we all three could have met at once.”

  Hannah sensed the growing tension brewing. She watched as Jazlyn said goodbye with the promise of circling back to Miller later. Once he was gone, Jazlyn turned again back to the group. “Well, not to rush things along, but the trial run is tonight. I’ve got a lot of prep work ahead of me. So I guess this is where we part company.” Catching Buster’s eye, she added, “I’m so glad to have met you all. Feel free to wander about, but please be mindful that things are being set-up, so don’t interrupt the workers or move anything, please.”

  Before turning to leave, she handed Buster a card with her contact information on it. “I’m sure we will bump into each other soon.” She smiled before giving a small wave and hurrying on her way.

  Cate leaned over to Buster. “And I’m sure you will.”

  Buster nudged his cousin hard with his elbow. “Ow,” Cate exclaimed in mock pain. “I just agreed that you would bump into her again.”

  He looked into her eyes and frowned. “She’s nice. Don’t read too much into it.”

  “Not like I had to.”

  Looking toward where Jazlyn had exited, Cate frowned. “I find it odd she would let us roam around, given her Uncle and all.”

  Hannah again glanced around the area to look for security cameras, hidden or otherwise. “Me, too. There’s more to her than meets the eye.” She looked over to see Buster frowning hard. His brow furrowed, and the corners of his mouth pulled tight.

  “Come on. I know you like her, but you got to admit…”

  “Yeah, yeah, I get it. Still, I hope she cut us loose for a reason. Maybe she wants answers, too. Maybe she thinks we can get them for her.”

  Cate gave her cousin a questioning look. “That doesn’t make sense. Why would she want us to find answers?”

  “Not us.” Buster turned to Louie.

  “You did know her, perhaps better than anyone, even her husband. Maybe she believes you can get some answers because you know how she would think.”

  Under normal circumstances, Hannah would scoff at such an explanation. She would have chalked it up to Buster’s libido over-riding his reason. Regardless, this time he could be right, she deliberated with herself. However, if he is right, what is she looking for? Shaking off deeper considerations, she redirected her attention to the moment at hand. Asa was gone for the moment, with the key phrase being ‘for the moment.’

  “Let’s head back to the library. She spent a lot of time there, and I think I saw a journal of some kind on the shelf.”

  For the first time in a while, Louie came to life. “She always kept a journal, at least when I was around.”

  “Good. She spent a lot of time in her office and around that set. People tend to relax where they are most comfortable. Reveal themselves in areas we least expect them to. We need to be careful though. I’m not so sure how unsupervised we are.”

  Glancing around as inconspicuously as possible, Cate shuffled her stance. “To tell you the truth, I’ve felt like someone’s watched us all day long, targeted us. There are security cameras everywhere, but I didn’t see any mics.”

  “We’ll need to look as discreet as possible.” Louie thought for a moment. “Follow my lead.” He gathered the group around as though he were giving them directions. He explained that, given they were to be his assistants working for Food Critic, they should act as such. Journalists working to cover a story. Hannah, Cate, and Buster all agreed to the plan. They proceeded back down the halls, acting as if they were doing their official work so as not to raise the security’s curiosity.

  Louie and Buster headed back to the new sets and took on the different technicians. Like Louie, Buster recorded notes on his cell phone. He showed an interest in some of the equipment, focusing on how it all worked. He chatted up camera persons, soundboard operators, and lighting crew, and the like about the work they were doing. All the while, he questioned them about the atmosphere on set during Julia’s time and now under its new direction. While many were new to the studio, some were from the time between Julia passing and Jazlyn’s emergence. For the most part, Louie took observational notes. Talking into his cell, he flittered between documenting the look of the new set and that of Julia’s world before the accident.

  Meanwhile, Hannah and Cate headed to Julia’s original studio. Examining the set, both took special care to look to be studying the ‘kitchen’ in detail. They looked over cabinets, opened drawers, and examined cooking utensils. All the while, they made casual comments back and forth. It surprised Cate to find the kitchen set-up was not a mock up and not full of props, but functional. It could have been in someone’s home. Hannah noted the storage of items. Everything in its proper place, she noted. Detailed. As if, the family was soon to arrive for dinner.

  Opening a drawer with silverware placed in a holder, something struck her as odd. She stared at it a moment, but could not make out what bothered her. She pulled out her cell phone and took a picture. She shut the drawer and walked over to Cate, who was talking into her cell phone, as though she were recording notes. As Hannah approached, she could hear her friend was, in fact, making a list of things to do when she returned home. “Redo the kitchen.” Cate scanned around again. “And get organized.” Looking up at Hannah, she motioned toward the set. “Find anything?”

  “Take a look at this.” Hannah handed her the phone. “What do you see?”

  Cate studied the photos for a moment but shook her head. “Wh
at am I looking for?”

  “Depth.”

  Cate frowned hard as she studied the photos harder. “The drawer’s deeper than the flatware organizer.”

  “Uh-huh. I need a moment to get at it. Watch the cameras and text me with your cell when they turn my way.”

  “Got it.”

  As Hannah continued with the illusion of taking notes and walking about the set, Cate pretended to take photos. Once the cameras turned away, Cate sent Hannah a repeat text. The sound indicated to let Hannah know she had a few seconds to work. She opened the drawer, removed the flatware organizer, and set it on the floor behind the kitchen island. A second buzz from Cate let her know the camera was turning back her way. She re-positioned herself to appear as if she were examining the sink. Another text, another moment to move. Hannah saw a small, nail sized groove at the rear of the drawer bottom, pried it up, and lifted it away. Another text and another deceptive move later, Hannah glanced over the inside contents. After a few more repeat actions, she had returned everything to its proper order, and once again walked over to Cate. “Time to go.” The two left the studio and stepped into the hall to confer.

  “What did you get?” Cate inquired.

  “A small safe. It’s mounted to the base and has a particular lock type.”

  Cate frowned. “That presents a problem. No time to pick it. No way to smuggle it out. No idea where to start looking for the key. What now?”

  “Not sure yet. Let’s get the boys and make our way out. I’ve got some things to consider.”

  Cate agreed. The women made their way to the other studio and located Louie and Buster.

  Hannah produced a false smile. “Y’all ready to hit the road?”

  “I’ve been ready.” Louie pointed in the direction from which they came. “This way, I think.”