The Death of a Celebrity Chef Page 6

  “How’d she take that?”

  “Not well. I had discussed it with her. While she had no objections to sharing with my parents, she did not want the money returned to her. ‘It’s for you,’ she always insisted.”

  Hannah rolled her tongue around the inside of her mouth as she thought. This was one of her telltale signs she had a theory, and she would not share it until assured of its absolute certainty. Of all the quirks Hannah had, this one was the most frustrating to others. “Who else knows about this fund?”

  “No one, to my knowledge. Julia told me not to talk about it. The lawyers even had me sign a confidentiality agreement before I went off to school, but now that Julia’s gone…” Vera shrugged her shoulders, leaving her words unsaid but clear to all.

  “Would it be in the public record?” Cate inquired of Hannah.

  “I’d imagine so. The question is who would look into it?”

  “Asa,” Louie offered.

  Hannah expected this answer from Louie, given his suspicions and attitude toward his rival. She also knew he was right. Nevertheless, she did not want to give Louie a reason to single out one individual because Asa had obtained what he desired. So, she added to the possibilities, “Or Jazlyn.”

  Hannah’s implication of Jazlyn caused Buster to bristle, so he, too, added to the possibilities. “What about that Miller guy? Wouldn’t he have reason as well?”

  Louie frowned, but said nothing. The frustration and disappointment on his face suggested to Hannah he wanted the focus to remain on Asa. Buster’s reaction to Jazlyn’s consideration worked to the same effect. Both men had tainted opinions, a factor Hannah now had to both work with or around for the purposes of this investigation. Deflecting potential resentment, she spoke in broader terms. “All would have reason.”

  “Do you know of any enemies that Julia had?”

  Vera shook her head, almost lost. “No, everyone seemed to love her. I can say in all honesty that I know of no one who would hurt her.” She raised her head to meet Hannah’s gaze. “But I know this. Someone did.” She turned to stare at Louie. “You said you thought it strange that Julia was out alone at night also?”

  “Damn right, I did. She had night blindness. She couldn’t see anything after dark unless there was plenty of light, and there wasn’t.”

  Hannah paused to take these details in and compare them to what she already knew. It did seem odd that Julia, a woman who had a fear of open water and was blind in the dark, would wander to the water’s edge. “Hmm,” she pondered, before asking, “what about moonlight?”

  Louie indicated no. “As I’ve said before, it was a new moon, so it was pitch black.”

  “No other light sources?”

  “None.”

  Hannah leaned back in her chair, a deep furrow in her brow twitching. The information intrigued her. The case had a slew of things for her to rummage around in. A beloved victim. Questionable circumstances. An obsessed and devoted friend. Controlling husband. Manipulative niece. Unusual manager. And a protégée with a curious relationship to the deceased. Any reservations Hannah harbored were now dismissed. She was now in full investigative mode. God help whoever did this, she thought. They don’t know the beehive they’ve stirred.

  Working on the puzzle laying before her, Hannah became lost in thought. At several points, Louie started to say something, but Cate waved him off. She assured him Hannah would have something to say soon enough. Still, his anxiousness showed. He had invited Cate and Buster down for the festival as a friend, but Hannah’s presence offered him the opportunity to justify his feeling. Vera’s feelings further vindicated his own. When Hannah readjusted herself, and looked around the room, Louie jumped at the chance to ask a question. “So what are you thinking?”

  Hannah answered bluntly. “I’m hungry.”

  “Wha… What?”

  “I’m hungry.” Hannah looked over at Buster. “Orange beef. Hot and sour soup. Egg roll. Crab Rangoon. Tea with lemon.”

  Buster listened and nodded. As he rose, he mumbled, “Talk about your hollow leg.” He grabbed a pen and small notepad from Louie’s desk. “Anyone else?”

  Louie’s face was a mixture of uncertainty and questioning. Hannah measured his expression and explained. “I don’t think well when I’m hungry. And that’s what I need to do.” She returned to her silent considerations.

  Cate stood and smiled at Louie. “Don’t worry. She’s working on the puzzle in her head. She’ll be back in a moment.” Looking at Buster, she added, “Pea pods and egg drop soup. Diet soda.”

  Once the meal had arrived and been consumed, Hannah once again returned to her inquiries. Now, she wanted details. The reported news accounts Louie collected were sparse. It was Hannah’s supposition that someone who had personal knowledge of Julia’s life could fill in the blanks. What Vera told her, interested her even more. On the day of Julia’s purported accident, she had heard a volatile confrontation between Julia and Asa. Accusations came forth that he had an affair.

  “It was at the studio. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. I was in the room next door. They were shouting quite loudly. It wasn’t hard to hear them. Asa flat-out denied it, but from what I understand, Julia did not believe him.”

  “Did you hear who she said the other person was?” Hannah’s voice was low and serious.

  Vera affirmed, as a flash of distaste rolled across her face. “Jazlyn.” The statement made everyone sit up straighter.

  “That dirty son of a…” Louie exclaimed as he slammed his clenched fist down on the tabletop.

  “Louie.” Hannah responded in a terse and stern voice.

  “I know, but… it’s just that…”

  Cate reached over and put her hand over Louie’s. He acknowledged the gesture and settled down. “Sorry,” he apologized.

  Hannah turned to Vera. “Please continue.”

  “They argued for over an hour. I heard the door open, footsteps, and the door slammed. I went to check on her. She was in her dressing room, crying. She said it was a silly argument and that everything would be fine.” Vera frowned. “But it wasn’t. The last time I saw her was around five-thirty, when she was leaving for home. She seemed to have gotten over the argument, and told me that she needed to talk to me the next day. She said that she had something to share with me. That was the last time I ever saw her.”

  Everyone watched as the memory overtook the young woman and light tears escaped her eyes. Watching, Hannah added to her mental profile of Vera. Still raw with emotion.

  As the conversation continued between Vera and Louie, much information came to light. According to police and coroner’s reports, Julia Karas had succumbed sometime around 11:30 p.m. The groundskeeper, one Peter Grimes, found her floating at the water’s edge near the gazebo the next morning. The coroner went on to list the death as an accident. The cause was blunt force trauma to the front of the head. A police investigation determined she fell forward and struck her head on an exposed beam in the gazebo. This sent her reeling into the water. Cased closed for everyone except the victim’s protégé, a loyal friend, and now, a former F.B.I. agent and her companions.

  For Hannah, too many questions remained. It was out of character for Julia to be where the groundskeeper found her body. No one had questioned the fact she was not seen leaving the house because the security cameras were not activated. Nor had anyone given thought to the lateness of the hour. Police had written it off as an insomniac out for a walk.

  Hannah reopened the file Louie had gathered and ruffled through the papers. “What was the timeline again?”

  Buster looked around and picked up a sheet off a stack of papers, which sat before him. “I got it here.” He peered at the paper and handed it to Louie. “You’ll have to read it. Your handwriting is awful.”

  Louie snatched the sheet of paper from the handsome young man’s hand. “Humph,” he let out, “let’s see. Julia came home after her fight with Asa around 5:45 p.m. At some point, they made amends and ate together,
according to the personal cook. She said they ate around 7:00 p.m. Asa reported leaving the house around 8:30 pm for a late meeting. It was never revealed with whom, but his security guard and valet confirmed his departure time.”

  Hannah questioned as she sipped on her tea, “When did he come back?”

  “Around 12:30 AM. He told the police he had a few drinks at the meeting and fell right asleep. He didn’t question her not being in bed because she was an insomniac, and would wander the house at all hours.” Louie twisted his jaw and added, “I can attest to that. She always had trouble sleeping.”

  How could he know that? Hannah questioned herself. Louie’s experience of Julia’s sleeping habits bothered her. Such matters are intimate and by all accounts, Julia had been faithful. She scrutinized Louie a bit more. There was the possibility he might have too much knowledge of his love. She added it to her mental personnel files.

  “Well, they did find her in her nightgown, which adds some more credence to his story,” Cate proposed.

  “And she didn’t show any signs of sexual assault,” Buster confessed, lifting a paper he was reading for all to see.

  Cate winced. “That narrows the field a bit, though. Doesn’t it?”

  Buster stiffened. “What do you mean?”

  Hannah motioned to Vera. “Who else was in the house that night?”

  Everyone turned to Vera for an answer. “All night? Just Asa and Julia in the main house. The night guard at the gate. Mr. and Mrs. Staples. They are the valet and cook. They stay on the property in the servant’s house to the rear. Everyone else leaves by 9:00 p.m. They return on various days at various times.”

  “No one else?”

  Vera thought for a moment and her eyes opened. “Jazlyn. She was visiting.”

  “That must have been frosty.” Cate gestured around. “Given the argument earlier.”

  Hannah took a last swig from her cup of tea. “It’s interesting, that’s for sure. What kind of relationship did Julia have with Jazlyn?”

  Vera frowned and rolled her eyes as she searched for the right words. “A distant one. I do not want to judge, but Julia did not care for her niece, even before the rumors. She was never mean to her, but in private, she referred to her as, how do you say, a free spirit. I believe she meant it as an insult.”

  Cate half-laughed. “It means she thought Jazlyn was a little too familiar around men.”

  “It means she was a slut,” Louie chimed in.

  “Louie,” Cate exclaimed.

  “What? Just stating the facts.”

  “Yeah, well… state them better next time.”

  Hannah glanced in the direction where Buster was sitting. He blew out a slow breath of air as Cate gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Where were you?” Buster’s inquiry sounded almost accusatory to Hannah. With the conversation turned toward Jazlyn, both Cate and Hannah noticed Buster’s increased agitation. Jazlyn had made quite an impression on him earlier. So much so that he was on the defense in regards to a woman he had just met.

  “I was working late at the studio, prepping the set for the next day. I left around 8:30 p.m. I picked up some food and got to my apartment around 9:40 p.m. I was home for the rest of the evening.”

  “I hate to ask, but is there anyone that can confirm that?”

  “Yes, my roommate.”

  “I’m sorry, for some reason, I assumed you lived with Julia and Asa.”

  “No, she made that offer to me after I arrived in America, but I declined. Her trust was generous enough. The least I could do was to earn my way otherwise.”

  Vera’s answer disappointed Buster. Hannah did not think he wanted her to be the focus of the investigation. He was looking for someone else to draw attention away from a relationship that had not yet even occurred.

  “Did anybody else stop by or show up?” A sense of desperation escaped Buster.

  “I remember the police questioning Jack Miller. He stopped by to drop off some papers. I believe the police have everyone’s statements.”

  “I’m sure they do,” Hannah agreed. “I suppose it was Asa who identified the body?”

  “Yes, poor man. He hasn’t been the same since.”

  Removing his glasses, Louie dabbed his eyes with the corner of his T-shirt. “My poor precious Julia. Something happened to get her down to that lake.”

  Hannah picked up her empty cup and stared into it. “Anything else you can think of?”

  “Well, I’m not sure it means anything, but the groundskeeper who found her, had reported a problem with trespassers, who accessed the grounds, by small boat. It didn’t happen often, but it did happen.”

  “That’s worth considering,” Buster tossed out.

  “Everything is.” Hannah held her cup up to Louie. “Do you by chance have any hot tea?”

  “I do. Can I get you some?”

  “Please.”

  Louie gestured around, and both Cate and Vera agreed to the offer. He exited the room. Once he disappeared from view, Hannah turned back to Vera. “Not that you are any different, but Louie does seem to be a bit sensitive when it comes to Julia, just in a different way. I need to ask you, who all saw the body? Was it just the groundskeeper, the police, the coroner, and Asa?”

  “I believe so. Is that relevant?”

  “Maybe. Not likely, but maybe. Information is information. You have to consider everything, every possibility.”

  “Such as?”

  “Oh, the tabloid stuff. The rumor that she faked her death. That she is living in France under an assumed name. That sort of thing. Crazy stuff, but we must consider it.”

  “I so wish that was true. It’s better than the truth.” Vera looked down and sighed. “I still can’t believe she’s gone. I miss her so much.”

  “That makes two of us,” Louie agreed as he re-entered the room. Settling back into his chair, he looked over to Hannah. “Teapot is doing its thing. It’ll be boiling in a few.”

  Cate drew a finger to her chin. "You know what I find odd? That you are not Julia’s replacement. That’s what she wanted, right?”

  “That is what she had told me. But after the accident, nothing happened. Months passed by and no one said anything about continuing. Without Julia, everything started unraveling. I assumed that Asa would let it go. But instead, he announced he was bringing it back, but this time with Jazlyn. He said he was replacing me because I would remind the audience too much of Julia. I don’t understand that.”

  “So, no explanation other than that you look too much like Julia?” Louie blurted out.

  “Well, you do look a lot like her,” Hannah noted.

  Everyone agreed.

  Vera squirmed in her seat. “Sometimes people have mentioned a similarity, but I have never seen it.”

  Louie stood up. “Follow me.” Vera gave him a quizzical look. “Come on.” Everyone followed as he led them into the living room. He motioned for Vera to look at the pictures on the wall displaying photos of Julia.

  As everyone scanned the frames, Vera focused on one when Julia was about the same age as herself. “Julia never showed me photos of her at this age. I suppose we do bear some resemblance.”

  Louie pointed to the picture and gestured as he talked. “She was taller than you, shaped somewhat different, and her hair was darker, longer. But in the face, you are similar without question.” He pointed to a picture of a child, perhaps six months old. “Did you look like that as a child?”

  Vera studied the photo for a second. “Somewhat, yes.”

  “There you have it. That’s what she saw in you. Herself. You reminded her of her. That’s why she took such an interest.”

  Everyone looked to Louie for an explanation, which he proceeded to give. “When Julia was younger, she was riding a horse. It threw her and she landed on a fence post. She broke her hip, had internal injuries, in short, it messed her up. They told her she would never be able to have children, something she knew she wanted someday.”

  Hannah unders
tood. “You’re suggesting that Vera became a substitute years later.”

  “Without question.”

  Vera, who was still looking over the photos, reached and grabbed Louie’s hand out of instinct, causing him to smile. “She never told me that.”

  “I doubt anyone other than Asa and I knew.” Louie’s voice went soft. “Maybe not even him.”

  After a long moment of silence, Buster interjected. “Well, one mystery solved, and one to go. Any ideas, flatfoot?”

  “A few, but I don’t like to blurt things out until I know the facts,” Hannah commented. “I promise when I know something, you will hear it from me. So, I’ll tell you all about it later, okay?”

  Everyone agreed, though the frustration on Cate, Buster, and Louie’s faces was clear. Vera seemed to accept it. Looking at her cell to check the time, she gasped. “Oh, it’s later than I thought. I need to get back to the studio for tonight’s test run.”

  Hannah handed her a business card with her name, private cell number, and email. “Say nothing about this meeting, and when we see each other again, act cordial, but not familiar. A sudden friendship would bring attention to us.”

  “I understand.”

  “We’ll meet back here tomorrow night to give you an update. If I don’t have anything new for you, I’ll get Buster to call you for coffee. You can make an excuse not to follow through. Otherwise, drop back over tomorrow, same time. Is that okay, Louie?” Hannah questioned.

  “Do you even need to ask?”

  Vera reached out and hugged Hannah. “You do not know how much this means to me. Thank you.”

  Hannah smiled at the gesture. “You’re more than welcome.”

  After making her goodbyes to all in a similar manner, Vera exited as the whistle of the teapot sounded. Louie looked Hannah. “Still want that tea?”

  “Do you even need to ask?”

  Chapter Eight

  The next morning, Hannah proceeded to the Zebulon police station. With a laptop in hand, she made her way to the receptionist at the front desk. She removed her hat and set it down with the device before directing a charming smile to the police receptionist.