Heat Vol. 5 (Heat: Master Chefs #5) (7 page)

Waving
me away, he collected himself.  “You don’t understand.”

“Then,
perhaps you could enlighten us,” Rial said.

“The
older one… Godfrey.  He was more than an employee.  He was a friend of the
family.”  He turned to me.  “Your mother’s side of the family.  He knew her
personally… he knew the family.  How could he do such a thing?  How could he
betray us like that?  He was like family, and I trusted him.”

“So
did my uncles.”

We
all turned to the source of the voice.

Just
inside the double doors of the sitting room stood Errol King with Leopold Lee
at this side.

Chapter 8

“
A
nd who would you be?” Daniel said as he stood.

“I’m
Errol King,” he said, taking a confident step toward the detective.  “Rial’s
brother.”

“
The
Errol King,” Darlene said as she lost all professionalism and gawked at the
famed chef.  “Now this is a treat.  You are positively
magnifique
.  So
handsome and suave, and good in the kitchen, too.”

Errol
smiled politely, but the crease in his brow hinted at his lack of enthusiasm
for her fawning.  “This is Leopold Lee,” he said.  “He’s the only grandson and
sole heir to the Lee Group Holdings Company.”

“I’ve
heard of it,” Darlene said, her eyes still filled with stars.  “A billion
dollar company.”

Errol
nodded.

“A
multinational conglomerate that includes various food companies, a number of
high end restaurants and I read recently about holdings in oil, technology and
media.”

“And
hospitality,” Leo threw in with a grin.

“All
that, and you still manage to have a successful movie career on top of it all. 
How do you do it?”  She put her hand to his forearm as if to confirm the
reality of his presence.  “I’ve seen many of your films… good action movies
with a touch of humor and a hint of romance… the perfect balance.”

“Thank
you.”

“And
you’re even more handsome in person.”  She turned to Daniel.  “
Mais, ce
n’est pas possible
.”

Annoyed,
Daniel came forward to greet the men.  “Please forgive my partner’s momentarily
lapse in professional conduct.  It’s not every day we meet such well known
personalities.”  He bowed slightly.  “Gentlemen.”

The
message was clear enough, and Darlene finally resumed an air of
professionalism.

“How
is your family involved in all this?” Daniel said to Leo.

“Three
years ago,” Darlene said.  “The Asian ring of this group dug its claws into Lee
Group Holdings.”  Raising an indignant brow as Daniel shot a surprised glance
at her, she added, “I do my homework.”

“Then
you already know how many millions we’ve lost because of them,”  Leo said.

“I
don’t have the exact figures, but, yes.  I’m aware of the exceedingly high
number.  It’s a wonder you have anything left to inherit.”

“There’s
significantly less than there was when my grandfather was alive, and while I
don’t necessarily need the money per se, it nonetheless galls me to see my
grandfather’s hard work get swept away by these demons.”

“We’ve
got a stronghold on the French ring,” Daniel said, turning to me.  “Thanks to
you and your father.  I’m sorry it had to be in such an unpleasant manner, but
at least we’ve got them now.”

I
nodded.  “If my discomfort for a day or two was what it took to get those men
behind bars, than it will have been well worth it.”

“Horace,
Constantine and Godfrey are being interrogated as we speak.  One of them is
bound to break soon.  Maybe then we’ll have a handle on what’s going on in
Asia.”

“Maybe
you could come downtown with us.  There are a few questions I’d like to ask
you,” Darlene said.

Leo
glanced at Errol, then at his watch.  “I’m flying back to Hong Kong tonight.” 
He patted Errol on the shoulder.  “Errol’s been giving me a few pointers.  You
see, I’m opening a new restaurant in Hong Kong; Lee Oyster House.  I’ve yet to
take over Lee Group Holdings, at least not on an official level, but I am
looking forward to getting this restaurant up and running.”

“You’ve
got some pretty big shoes to fill,” Errol said with an amicable grin.

“My
grandfather may have been only five foot three, but he was a huge man in the
boardroom,” Leo explained to all of us.  “He could command that boardroom like
a general commands an army.  Everything was thought out; strategies,
contingencies and risk.  Back in the day, he could tell you the name of the man
who assembled radios at the plant, or the woman who packed VCRs into boxes in
the shipping department, or the gentleman who cleaned out the bathrooms in his
office buildings.  He knew every aspect of every company under the Lee
umbrella.”

I
smiled at the obvious pride the man had for his grandfather.

“I
doubt I will ever be as great as he was, but I’m willing to try, after all, he
did spend his last years preparing me for this eventuality.”

“And
you’ll live up to his expectations,” Errol said.  “I have no doubt about that.”

“Well,
we’ll see, won’t we?”

“And
of course, you do have your movie career.  I do hope you won’t give that up,”
Darlene said.

“No. 
I love making movies too much to give it up.”

“And
we love watching you.”

Daniel
glared at her.

“
Mais,
quoi
?”

My
father suddenly stood and walked up to them.  “This is all good and well, but
when do you think you’ll be able to get to the bottom of this?  I’ve lost years
of my life, a life that should have been spent here at this very chateau… and
my daughter… she lost her childhood… she almost lost her sanity.  It’s
wonderful to see her bounce back and get such a strong hold on her life, but
the fact remains; those men stole her childhood away from her.  There’s no
getting it back, but I do want them to pay… in every way.”

“We’ll
do everything we can to get them behind bars.”

“Not
just that.  What about the millions they embezzled?  What about all the money? 
I lost my home, my business, my livelihood.”

“I
agree with…” Leopold looked at my father.

“Eugene,”
he said extending his hand to him.  “Eugene Cooke.”

“I
agree with Eugene.  There must be some way of recuperating some of that money.”

 
“I feel for you, son,” my dad said.  “It’s heartbreaking to put so much hard
work into building something only to have it snatched away by people who simply
don’t deserve it.”

“Chances
are the money’s long gone…” Daniel started.

“I’m
not going to just sit by and watch my grandfather’s hard work be destroyed and
forgotten.  People today still look up to the Lee name with admiration and
respect.  That’s because, on the surface, all seems well.  Every division of
our holdings is doing superb.  But with the tens of millions that have
disappeared over the past years… It adds up, and the strain is starting to
show.  If we can’t get some of that money back, we’re going to have to shut
down plants, to close up shops and to lay off hundreds of people who rely on
us.”

Errol
gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.  “That’s not going to happen. 
We’re going to make this restaurant a success and then… the sky’s the limit.”

“You?”
I said, approaching the men.  “Are you going, too?”

“That’s
the other reason I dropped in to see you.  I wanted to pass the reins on to
you, Lilly.”

“Really? 
I… I…” Stammering like an idiot, I could feel my face break out into a silly
grin that, no doubt, spread from ear to ear.

“I
don’t know how long I’ll be gone, but I want you to run Errol King Foods.”

“Errol,
I…”

“You’re
the best food scientist I know, and you’ve got a good head on your shoulders. 
During my absence, consider yourself interim president.”

“President?”

“I
can’t think of a better person.”

“I…
I don’t know what to say.”

Rial
came to his brother’s side and looked at him then at me.

“Just
say ‘yes’,” they said in unison.

Chapter 9

“
W
ell,” my father said after everyone had left. 
“I guess I’d better be heading back into town.  I’ve got a little hotel room
down by the museum.”

“Don’t
be silly, Dad.  You’ll come stay with me.”  I hooked my arm into his and turned
to Rial.  “I’ll go have a nice quiet dinner with my father and see you in the
morning.”

Rial
gave me a sweet pec on the nose and waved me away.  “Have a good time.”

Feeling
lighter than I had in a long while, I led my father out to my sporty new car
and soon we were driving down memory lane.  My father had a memory attached to
virtually every stretch of land between the chateau and Paris.  I smiled as he
reminisced.

“So
many great memories… this place.  France; such a great country.”

“And
we’ll build new memories, Dad.  Better ones.”

He
laughed.  “I sure do admire your optimism.”

“What’s
not to be optimistic about?  You’ve discovered that your best friend didn’t
steal from you, you’ve reunited with your lovely and sweet daughter, and your
future son-in-law bought the chateau you so loved and cherished.”

“Future
son-in-law, heh?”

“Well…?” 
Maybe I was getting ahead of myself a bit.  “Oh, look, Dad.”  I pointed to the
little chapel he used to bring me to.  “Do you remember?”

“Of
course I do.  I used to tell you it was a tiny church built just for you.”

“And
I used to believe you, too.  I can’t imagine I was ever that gullible.”

“Well,
I think it’s just your nature.  You trust in people.  At the convent, I once
got you to believe a stick of cinnamon could keep spiders away.”

“Oh,
yes,” I said with a laugh.  “I’d forgotten about that.  I used to be so afraid
of the spiders that occasionally came into my room.”

“And
I told you that a stick of cinnamon in your bed would keep them away.”

I
laughed.  “Well, it worked.  They never did come into my bed.”

He
joined in my laughter and I suddenly felt like a child again, laughing and
talking to my father while all was good with the world.

“You
were always there – those years at the convent – and I didn’t know it,” I said
softly.  “How could I not have known it was you?”

Grinning,
he rubbed his hand down his gaunt cheek and over his pointed chin.  “You knew a
young and exuberant man, a young father who had the energy to run with his
little girl, to catch her and toss her high into the air.  How could you know
this tired old man who can barely walk was your father?”

I
pulled the car up to my building and shrugged.  “Either way, old or young,
tired or strong, I’m glad you stayed close to me all those years.  When this is
all over, I’m going to mentally pass through those years with a fine tooth comb
and bring up all the memories I have of you, only now it won’t be the kindly
old gardener.  It’ll be my dad.”

He
leaned over to give me a hug and a pat on the cheek.  “Now, I’m starving. 
Let’s see what we can eat.”

I
hopped out of the car and led him to my door.  “I’ll try to whip up something
good, but I have to admit, I haven’t been to the grocery store in a while and
my cupboards may be bare.”  Truth was, Rial had already started emptying my
place out.

“I’m
sure you’ll come up with something.”

Opening
the door, I quickly realized Bobby had saved me the trouble.  The scent of fine
herbs welcomed us and beckoned us to the dining room.

“Oh,
Mr. Cooke.  Perfect.  I think I may have made a bit too much,” Bobby said as he
emerged from the kitchen.  Beaming, he came to me and pulled me into a great
hug, his lips planted firmly to my cheek.  “I didn’t know where you’d run off
to.  I was starting to worry.”

“No
need to worry.  I’m here now.”  Flustered, I wiggled out of his arms. 
Embarrassed by the great show of affection, and right there in front of my
father, I stammered a moment before finally saying, “And I see I needn’t have
worried about you.  No one would ever know you’d been injured.”

“Hey,
I’m young and strong.  I recover fast.”

“And
you work fast, too.  I mean, just look at this table.”

A
large platter of pasta topped with grilled vegetables sat in the middle of the
table with crispy, buttery French bread to one side, and what looked like
chicken filets in a rich tomato sauce on the other.

“And
you think you might have made a bit too much?” I said.  “Bobby, there’s enough
here to feed an army.”

“I
guess I got a little carried away.  Well, you’ll have something for lunch
tomorrow.  Hope you guys are hungry.”

“Hungry?”
Eugene said.  “Now, let me tell you something.  After I sit down and get my
fill, there won’t be much left of this.”

He
sat at one of the place settings and I sat at the other, while Bobby hurried to
bring a third for himself.  Beaming with joy and pride, he looked at me.  “Do
you want to say grace?”

A
sense of warmth and home filled me.  “Yes.”  I reached for their hands.  “Oh,
heavenly Father, there is so much to be thankful for on this special night as I
dine with a very special friend and the father I love so much.  Please bless
this meal and let us have an enjoyable evening together.”

“Amen.”

The
men dove into their plates and I doubt my father even tasted the various herbs
and spices Bobby had so lovingly sprinkled over the pasta, he ate so fast.  But
by the time he’d finished his plate, he let out a great sigh of satisfaction
and pushed his plate away.

“I
knew you worked in a restaurant, but I didn’t think you could cook like that,”
he said.

“I’m
glad you liked it, Mr. Cooke.”

“Oh,
you can stop with the ‘Mr. Cooke,’ now.  Call me Eugene.”

“Thank
you, Eugene.”

“This
really was delicious, Bobby.”

“I’ve
been looking forward to cooking for you again.  Of course, I didn’t expect it
to be in such circumstances, but… well, I did the best I could.”

“I
don’t know how you did it.  I was just telling my father how bare my cupboards
were.  I think you’ve just made a liar out of me.”

“I
liked the challenge… a few vegetables here, some pasta there, some bread, and
hey… there you go.”

“And
here I go,” Eugene said as he stood.  “If you kids don’t mind, I think I’ll go
lie down for a little while.”

“Of
course, Dad.  You can take my room.”

“No. 
No.”  He headed to the living room.  “I’ll watch a bit of television and doze
off for a bit here.  You kids go on chatting and catching up.”

Bobby
turned to me.  “A nice evening stroll would be nice, don’t you think?”

“Yeah,”
Eugene called from the living room.  “Go for a nice walk.  I’ll clear up here.”

“You
lie down and relax.  I’ll take care of the kitchen when I get back.”

“Oh,
stop your fussing,” my father said as he flicked on the television and started
going from one channel to the next.  “Can’t you see the boy’s got something
important to talk to you about?”

I
glanced at Bobby who seemed anxious to get going.

“Oh,
all right.”  I reached for my jacket, but didn’t have time to even get one
sleeve on that Bobby was pulling me out the door.  “Good night, Dad.”

“Have
fun, kids.”

Once
outside, I pulled Bobby to a stop.  “Hey, let me catch my breath.  I just ate a
five course meal, remember?”

“Sorry. 
I’m just a little bit eager to have you to myself.  I thought we could grab a
cup of coffee or something.”

“Sounds
good.  I know a little place just around the corner.”

“Everything’s
been so hectic since I got here… seeing you, bringing you your dad, that
disastrous dinner at Errol’s… and now, finally…”

“A
moment of peace,” I said.

We
strolled in silence before he said, “I’ve really missed you, you know.”

I
turned to the door of the café, happy for the diversion.  “Here we are. 
Sometimes I can smell the coffee clear to my place.”

We
didn’t take a table, but headed straight to the counter to order two coffees.
Bobby fidgeted as we waited and his nervous tension was contagious.  By the
time the coffee arrived, I was all thumbs as I tried to get some change out of
my coat pocket.

“I’ll
get that,” Bobby said as he paid for the coffee.

“Thanks.”

“How
‘bout we take this outside.  It’s such a nice evening.”

“Sure. 
There are a few tables out on the terrace.  If you get the right one, you have
great view of the Eiffel Tower.” 

He
nodded and I led him to the terrace.

“This
is perfect.”  He sat facing the iconic tower.  “You must really love it out
here, don’t you?”

“The
best city on earth.  Look at that view.  I don’t get tired of seeing it.”

“Hey,
you forget you're talking to a New Yorker here.  I mean, we have the Empires
State Building and the Statue of Liberty.”

“Courtesy
of…,” I said with a smile.

“Yeah,
I know… France.”

I
laughed.  He was so adorable.  I’d almost forgotten how adorable and charming
he could be… and those clear blue eyes.  I’d forgotten the passion that lay
behind them, behind their intensity, behind their playfulness.  “Bobby,” I
whispered, remembering the good times we’d had.

“You
probably think I was able to so cavalierly leave you and just move on with my
life, but…”  He snorted.  “I thought I could, too. But… it hasn’t been easy. I
think of you all the time.”  Chuckling, he grabbed a lock of my hair and held it
up.  “It seems every girl in New York has your hair, your walk, your style. 
Then they turn around and… well, it’s not you.  It’s never you, and I feel my
heart break all over again.  A while back I started to contemplate coming back
here, if only for a weekend, a day… even just a moment so I could tell you to
your face just how much I love you and want you in my life.  I actually had my
finger hovering over the ‘enter’ button, ready to buy a ticket for a flight
out, but…  Well, my mom needs me and I couldn’t just bail out on her.”

“That’s
very admirable of you, Bobby.  I’m sure your mom really appreciates your help.”

He
nodded.  “When I found your dad, I knew I had to come out.  I’m not sure if I
was using that as an excuse, or what, but…  Well, you're here with me now.”

“I’m
glad you came, Bobby.  I’m really happy to see you and of course, I want to
thank you for finding my dad.  I’ll forever be grateful for that.”

“I
was happy to do it… happy to see you with him again.  I feel like I found a
part of your childhood.”

“That’s
exactly what you found.”  We smiled at one another and quietly sipped our
coffees.

“When
we last saw each other… I,” he finally said.  “I knew we weren’t on the best of
terms.  We’d gotten into a routine, in a rut.  I guess I was to blame for
that.  I mean… look at you.  You're well on your way to such big things, such
success, what with your line of foods, and here I am, a culinary student who’s
helping his mom out at the family restaurant.  Your life is so full and
exciting… for crying out loud, you're famous and you're already at the top of
your field while I’m floundering as little more than a short order cook.”

“Short
order cook?  Bobby, you’re more than that, and you know it.  And you're not
floundering.  I heard you're making a good name for yourself in New York.  It
may not show now, but I’m sure your good reputation will open hundreds of
doors.  Just wait and see.  Just because you have another path to follow than
mine, doesn’t make it any less important or great.  It might take you a little
longer – after all, I had Errol’s help getting me started, if not who knows
where I’d be – but you’ll get there… wherever it is you want to go.”

“Wherever
it is, I want it to be with you.”

I
had no idea what to say to him in reply and remained silent.

He
shrugged.  “That’s right.  I forgot.  You met up with your past.  How can I
compete with the history you have with that guy?  I’m just some punk kid from
Brooklyn, while he’s… well, I don’t know what he does exactly, but I’m sure
it’s grand.  I mean, just the designer duds he had on the other night.  Man,
I’m just a chump next to him.  How can I ask you to give all that up, to give
all this up?”  He swept his arm around us.  “Paris… your whole life is here
while mine is back there.  I mean, I have to help my mom, and believe me, it
really keeps me busy.  I barely have a moment to myself… although I did find
the time to look for your father.  I thought it was the least I could do, and
I’m glad I did.  I mean, just the look on your face when you saw him was worth
everything… everything.”

“Bobby,
you're rambling.  What are you trying to say?”

He
sipped his coffee, his eyes dark and contemplative.

“I
have so little to offer you.  I don’t have a grand chateau, and I don’t have
millions, and I don’t have a brother with connections in the food industry.  I
have none of that.”

“Bobby.”

Setting
his coffee down, he cupped my cheeks, his deep blue eyes boring through me and
bringing me back to the first day I met him.  I knew I still had love in my
heart for him. 

“I
want you back.”

He
was so blunt, he caught me off guard and I just stared at him while his hands
dropped to clasp my hands.

“I
love you, Lilly and I want you to come back to New York with me.”

“Bobby,
I have…”  Our lives were so incompatible… on two different journeys, and an
ocean apart.  He had to know that.  “My work, my friends… everything.”  And I
still had so much to learn about who I was.  I wasn’t ready to leave that
behind.  “Errol just made me responsible for Errol King Foods while he’s on a
business trip in Hong Kong.  And surely there’ll be a trial soon, and I have to
be there, either to testify, or at least be present.  I want to be there when
those men are found guilty and when they’re sentenced.”