Getting Rich (A Chef Landry Mystery) (26 page)

I was silent for a moment while I searched for the appropriate words. “Does she have any idea of your worth?”

“Anybody who can do a Google search would have a pretty good idea. She knows my grandparents’ name. She knows I inherited from them. And I gathered from some of the things she said that her father’s parents resented my mother’s parents for their wealth and for the way they treated my father.”

“At any time, did you happen to mention when you were going to the lawyer’s?”

She scrunched up her forehead and then nodded. “I think I might have mentioned I had an appointment last week. I was referring to the one where I was planning to leave my estate to Steven, but she might have thought I was changing it in her favor.”

“Did she know you missed that appointment?”

She shrugged, looking exhausted. “I have no idea. But after our little performance in your living room, she knows now.” She headed for the kitchen, calling over her shoulder, “I could sure use a glass of wine right about now. Want to join me?”

“No, thanks.” I looked at my watch. “We have to be at the restaurant in forty-five minutes.”

Toni turned around and headed for her bedroom instead. “Seven o’clock, who ever heard of such an uncivilized time for dinner?”

I guess that made me less than civilized, because I didn’t care what time we ate, as long as we ate.

*

Ten minutes before the hour, I was ready. I was dressed in my favorite dress, an emerald green shift that made me look pounds thinner. Toni surprised me by wearing a simple black dress with a high neck and long sleeves. If not for the side slit that ended mid-thigh, I’d have described it as conservative.

“You look amazing,” I said. “You’re so elegant.”

“You don’t think it makes me look like an old lady?”

“No, you look...classy.”

She chuckled. “Me, classy, that’ll be the day.” But I could tell she was pleased. She gave me an appraising look. “You look terrific too.” And then, frowning, she added, “Something’s missing. Oh, I know.” She took off toward her bedroom, reappearing a moment later with a pair of earrings and something woolly draped over her arm. “Try these. They’ll be perfect with your dress.” She then unfolded the garment, which turned out to be a beautiful black cape. “You shouldn’t wear your parka over your beautiful dress.”

“Are you up to this?” I asked, struggling with the hinge-back earrings while keeping my weight on my crutches.

She nodded. “One thing I can’t figure out is, if my sister is involved, who’s the blonde and what is her relationship to her?”

It was a damn good question, one for which I had no answer.

She squared her shoulders. “No matter what, tonight we have to behave like normal. I don’t want Steven to know we found the equipment.”

“Or Judy,” I said.

“Er, actually, she already knows about that.”

My jaw dropped. “But...how?”

“She called just before we left for the police station. She was surprised to find out you were here, so I told her about the surveillance equipment.”

“Shit.” I’d been on the phone with Crawford at the time and hadn’t been paying attention to what she was saying. A million new thoughts rolled through my mind. “Shit,” I said again. “This is not good.”

“I told her I suspect Steven.”

“If they’re working together you can bet he already knows too.” I thought quickly. “How’d she react when you told her?”

“She kept insisting that I must be wrong, that the equipment must be something else.” She opened the door, and we left for an evening that should have been a happy occasion. I couldn’t shake a sense of impending doom.

*

“We’re right on time,” Toni said as we reached the restaurant door twenty minutes after seven. “It’s polite to arrive a few minutes after the appointed hour.”

This helped explain why my friend kept me waiting so often. She was so rarely on time that, when by some weird chance she was, I checked my watch to make sure it hadn’t stopped.

Toni threw her shoulders back and strode in, exuding charm and confidence. People from nearby tables turned to look at her.

I scanned the restaurant and spotted Steven at a table in the back. Next to him was—my heart skipped a beat, and I almost gasped out loud. It was the blonde from the fake production company.

“Nicky? Are you all right? You look as if you’ve just seen a ghost.” Toni was staring at me, worried.

“I—I...” I turned toward the back of the room again, and almost wept in relief. The blonde was just Judy. It must have been a trick of the lighting, but what an uncanny resemblance. I looked at her again, and all at once, it hit me.

The maître d’ suddenly appeared, arms wide open. “Welcome to Bacci Bacci. Do you ladies have reservations?”

Toni pointed toward the back of the room. “We’re joining our friends over there.”

“May I take your coats?” he asked. Toni took hers off and handed it to him.

I tapped her on the arm. “Er, Toni.”

She ignored me and smiled at Judy, who was waving us over.

“Toni, listen to me,” I whispered.

She turned to me. “What?”

“I just thought of something.”

Having hung up our coats, the maître d’ said, “If you ladies will follow me.”

“Not now,” Toni said to me, already turning away. “You can tell me later.”

“It’s important.”

The maître d’ picked up two menus from the reservations desk and led the way. Toni followed. There was nothing I could do but plaster on a smile and go along.

The men stood as we approached. Richard stepped forward, grinning. He was tall, probably close to six feet, with dark hair, dark eyes and an easy smile. His gaze rested on Toni. “You look so much like my wife that you can only be Toni.” He turned to Judy. “Honey, I know I always said you were the most beautiful woman in the world, but now I have to admit that you have to share that title with your sister.”

Judy’s eyes crinkled in laughter. I squirmed under his studying stare.

“And Nicky, so happy to meet you.” He held my hands between his, and for a moment I thought he was going to kiss them.

“You didn’t tell me your husband was such a charmer,” Toni said, grinning. She was being so pleasant that if this was an act, it would fool anyone.

The maître d’ pulled chairs for Toni and me.

I wasn’t nearly as good an actress as Toni. I struggled to keep my smile as I nodded to Judy. Could my suspicions be correct? Could Judy be the mastermind? I glanced at Steven. He was watching Toni. Judy or Steven? Or Judy
and
Steven. No matter which, Toni would be devastated. I looked at one and then the other again. They looked...normal. Not innocent, not guilty—just normal. I was completely confused.

“We took the liberty of ordering a bottle of chardonnay,” Judy was saying. “I know you both love your chardonnay.”

“That we do,” Toni replied. “But, you know, I’ve been thinking. I’ve been drinking way too much wine lately.” She turned to the waiter, who had just appeared at her side. “Make mine a martini.”

Steven laughed. Toni flicked back a strand of hair, preening for him.

The waiter filled my glass, handed us menus and left, reappearing a moment later with Toni’s martini.

Judy raised her glass. “I’m so happy you’re all finally meeting. I propose a toast, to friends and family.”

We all raised our glasses. I turned my attention to Judy’s husband again. He was a handsome man. He and Judy made an attractive couple, just as Steven and Toni did.

Richard caught my eye. “I understand you are an amazing chef. How does it feel to go out to other restaurants? Do you enjoy it, or do you keep comparing to your place?”

“Both, actually. I enjoy it, but there is a part of me that analyzes and compares. I often find new ideas this way.”

“It’s too bad your boyfriend couldn’t be here,” Judy said.

“I understand he’s an author,” her husband said.

“He is. He would have loved to join us, but he’s in New York right now, working with his editor.”

“I’d like to meet him when he comes back. I’m an avid reader.”

“He’ll be happy to,” I said, as questions crowded my mind. Judy had told us that she was raised as an only child, yet she and the blonde looked enough alike to be sisters. I grappled for an explanation. If Toni’s grandparents had been correct in their opinion of Toni’s father being a womanizer, he might have had multiple affairs, maybe fathering more children. Was this too farfetched? We’d considered so many crazy possibilities that this one didn’t seem any nuttier than the others.

My ponderings were interrupted by the waiter hovering to take our orders. I hadn’t even thought about what to order—totally unlike me.

“What are you having?” Judy asked.

I focused on the menu and settled on the first item in the pasta section, spaghetti marinara.

“Not very adventurous of you.” Judy gave her order to the waiter, smiling. I’d always prided myself on my ability to read people, but if Steven or Judy turned out to be guilty, I could strike that talent off my list.

“Nicky?”

I startled, realizing that Steven was speaking to me.

“I got the name of a lawyer to help your friend,” he said. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of her when we spoke, but Toni used her.” He mentioned a name and turned to Toni. “You saw her last week, didn’t you?”

Toni almost choked on her martini. “Er, yes, I mean no. I was supposed to meet with her, but I had to cancel at the last minute. I’ve rescheduled for next week.”

While Toni studied Steven’s expression, I watched Judy’s. Was it my imagination or did her smile waver when Toni said she had cancelled her appointment?

Toni turned to me. “Steven’s right. She is an excellent lawyer. If anybody can help Charles in estate matters, she can. Mind you, an estate lawyer isn’t the kind of lawyer he needs right now.” To Steven, she said, “The police just arrested Charles for Jennifer’s murder. They think he then set fire to the restaurant to cover it up. How anybody can imagine Charles as a killer is beyond me.”

“What’s your theory?” Judy said.

Wouldn’t you like to know
? Something told me I should not mention that the crazy woman was now in police custody. And just in case Toni opened her big mouth, I said, “I wish the police would find that woman. I still think she’s behind the whole thing.”

Toni’s eyes widened, and then noticing Steven staring at her, she chuckled. “Honestly Nicky, you change your mind more often than you change your socks. Five minutes ago you thought it was Jennifer’s ex.”

Bless her, she’d gotten my drift. “I think it’s a more likely her than Charles. And, honestly, the fact that the police arrested him is enough to convince me he’s innocent. In my experience, you can count on the cops getting it wrong.” I turned back to Steven. “Would you be interested in taking his case?” I searched his face, waiting for his reply.

“I’ll see what I can do,” he said vaguely.

Was he trying to avoid helping Charles? If so, did that mean he was guilty?

“Thank you. I’d appreciate that,” Toni said.

Soon the food arrived and Judy brought the conversation around to the restaurant space she’d visited with us. “Have you signed a lease on that store yet?” she asked. “Toni and Nicky took me along to look at some restaurant sites and one of them, on Avenue Road, is perfect.”

Steven’s face fell. He stared at Toni. “Are you serious? You never told me you’re thinking of reopening. As long as that lunatic is out there, you could be in danger. I’d hold off on doing that if I were you.”

She raised her eyebrows. “I thought you said she wasn’t dangerous.”

“I didn’t think so initially, but if you think she burned down the restaurant and killed Jennifer, then it’s a completely different story. Are you absolutely sure Charles had nothing to do with any of this?”

Toni nodded. “One hundred percent.”

“In that case, why don’t you wait before making that kind of decision, at least until we’re sure the police got the right guy?”

Other than being sincerely worried for Toni and me, I couldn’t think of any other reason Steven would care about the restaurant.

“God forgive me for saying this,” Toni said, “but what if they convict Charles and the real guy goes free? Do you really expect me to sit around and do nothing?” At that moment, the theme of
Sex in the City
began to play. She rummaged through her bag and glanced at the call display. “I have to take this. I’ll be right back.” She hurried toward the washroom.

Steven turned to me. “Please, Nicky, if she won’t listen to me, maybe she’ll listen to you. Talk some sense into her, will you. Why don’t you hold off on reopening? There’s already been one victim. I don’t want to see anything happen to either one of you.”

I looked into his eyes and saw nothing but sincerity. I didn’t care what Toni thought, Steven simply could not be guilty. He loved Toni.

Before I could answer, Toni reappeared and gave me the thumbs up. “We got it,” she announced, grinning. “The landlord accepted our offer. We now officially have a new location for Skinny’s.”