Murder in the Pearl District (Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Series Book 5) (9 page)

Hank continued to stare out the
window at the never-ending line of people walking by his shop. Finally, after
several minutes he turned towards Kelly and said, “I do the menus for all of
the restaurants in the district and know all of the people in the local restaurant
business. Are you aware of the long-standing feud between Chef DuBois and
Donatella?”

“I didn’t know there was a
feud,” Kelly said. “I heard that he wanted to have a television cooking show
and was not happy when Donatella was chosen instead of him.”

“That’s just the tip of
the iceberg when it comes to the reasons for the feud. It goes quite a ways
back. As fate would have it, they both opened their restaurants here in the
Pearl District about the same time. Donatella opened a high-end Italian restaurant,
Mangia! Mangia!, and Chef DuBois opened a high-end French restaurant, Le Toque.
He told people he was French and had trained extensively as a French chef,
although I have some doubts about that.”

“I don’t understand what
you mean. He is the owner of Le Toque, correct?”

“Yes, but that’s not what
I’m referring to. Mind you, I have nothing to base this on, but I’ve often
wondered if he really is French. I spent a year backpacking around Europe after
I finished college. I didn’t know what I was going to do with my life. A lot of
young people were doing the same thing at the time, and it appealed to me.
Anyway, I fell in love with France and the French people. I have a very good
ear for languages, and soon I was speaking French like I’d been born there and
lived there all my life. I’ve heard Chef DuBois speak French, and I’ve noticed
that the accents he puts on certain words are completely wrong. I’ve often
wondered if he learned French from some computer online course, like the
Rosetta Stone, or some such thing. I know that sounds really farfetched, but
something doesn’t ring true with him.”

“I don’t know if you’re
right about that, but my built-in smarmy detector or woman’s intuition or
whatever you want to call it, went on high alert when I met him for the first
time last night. I thought the way he made a big show of kissing my hand was a
little over the top, but then again I’ve never been around a French chef.”

“The restaurant people
don’t like him. One day he sent one of his kitchen staff over to my shop to
pick up some new menus I’d prepared for Le Toque. The young man and I got to
talking about what it’s like to work in a kitchen of a busy high-end restaurant
like Le Toque. He said something that has always stayed with me. He told me
Chef DuBois was so angry when one of the vegetable deliverymen brought the
wrong order he threatened him with his chef’s knife. The young man went on to
tell me that while the chef was all smiles to customers, he was always yelling
at the staff and had a horrible temper. The staff was terrified of him.”

“I hate to hear something
like that. I consider the people who work in my coffee shop to be my friends.”

“I think acting superior
to others and not treating them with respect says more about the person who’s
in charge than the people who are being yelled at,” Hank said. “Kind of like
when you see a mother keep hitting her kid in the supermarket. It’s the mother
who can’t keep her temper in check. The kid is just being a kid.”

“I couldn’t agree more,
but back to Donatella and Chef DuBois.”

“Sorry, I got a little
sidetracked. Chef DuBois always wanted to be the top chef in the Pearl
District, but there was one chef who was just as important as he was, if not
more so, Donatella DeLuca. She had developed quite a following from the
cookbooks she’d written and the various charities she supported. She might have
been more likeable than Chef DuBois, but in her own way she was just as
ruthless. She too wanted to be known as the top chef in the Pearl District, and
Chef DuBois was a constant thorn in her side. The two of them acted like
spoiled little brats at times, even going as far as hiring the other’s kitchen
or wait staffs. It was pretty ridiculous. One time Donatella tried to get me to
tip her off if Chef DuBois was going to change his menu, and if so, what he had
added or deleted. She even offered me $500 if I’d give her advance notice of
any menu changes he was planning. I told her that would be unethical and turned
her down.”

“Surely this district is
big enough to support two high-end restaurants. I find this jockeying back and
forth to see who could be number one ridiculous.”

“So do I, but here’s the
final thing about Donatella you ought to know. I don’t think Donatella was
really in love with Mitch. I think she seduced him, and he fell for it. He left
his wife and got divorced shortly after meeting Donatella and, although I have
nothing to base it on, I’d bet she did it so she could get her own television
show. That would assure her of being the reigning top chef in the Pearl
District. I’ve also heard that Mitch was having financial problems at the
television station. He may have divorced his wife for Donatella, but the main
reason may have been that he needed Donatella to star in a television show and
make him financially healthy.”

“So essentially you’re
saying you think there’s a good chance Mitch and Donatella used each other for
financial gain, and it was a loveless relationship.”

“When you put it like
that, yes. Donatella was certainly capable of it. I don’t know Mitch all that
well, but I’d bet I’m right. I know Chef DuBois really wanted a television show
of his own, and he was terribly angry when he found out Mitch decided to have
Donatella star in it instead of him. Don’t forget there are a few others who
disliked her enough to murder her. I’ve done a lot of work for Elena Wright,
much like what I’ve done for Sophie such as printing menus or invitations for
their dinner parties. She never forgave Donatella for the scallop incident. I’m
sure you heard about that.”

“Yes, although it seemed
pretty innocent to me.”

“Not to Elena. She blamed
Donatella for taking away the one thing she prided herself on being – queen of
the dinner parties. Actually, that incident and Elena’s response to it made her
a laughingstock in the district. Everyone heard about it, and to my knowledge,
she never forgave Donatella.”

“So, in your opinion, both
Chef DuBois and Elena would each have had a motive to kill Donatella.”

“Yes. There were even
rumors that Donatella wanted to discredit Elena because of her reputation as
the foremost dinner hostess in the district. Donatella not only wanted to have
the best restaurant in the district, but she wanted to be the top food person
in all respects. I’ve heard some people say she took a deliberate gamble that
someone from the Midwest who had never had scallops might have a food allergy
to them, and that’s why she served scallops. Seems a bit far-fetched to me, but
who knows? Things aren’t always what they look like on the surface.”

“Wow! You’ve given me a
lot to think about. Hank, bear with me, but I’d like to take this conversation
in a whole different direction if you’ll indulge me for a moment. It seems to
me you and Sophie have an awfully lot in common, such as your love of France,
art, and food. I may be overstepping my bounds, but have you ever thought of
seeing her socially as a woman rather than simply providing printing services
for her?”

He was quiet for what
seemed like an eternity to Kelly, and then he began to slowly speak. Choosing
his words carefully he said, “I met Sophie when she was married. They
entertained a lot, and I did the menus for their dinner parties. I never liked
her husband. I was happy when they got divorced, and she renovated the
warehouse building and moved closer to my shop. She’s a wonderful woman, and
we’ve had some great conversations about art and food. I never told her I’d
spent some time in France.”

“Why?”

“She was married to a very
rich man. I’m not a rich man. She worked in a fashion house. I was backpacking
around Europe. We’re from different worlds. I’ve never approached her about
being anything other than a customer, because I don’t think I could stand to be
rebuffed by her. I suppose I’d rather continue to get a few crumbs rather than
risk trying to see if I could get a full loaf of bread. What prompted you to
ask about Sophie and me?”

“I don’t know. I do know
she’s rather lonely, and I just have a sense that perhaps you might care for
her. For whatever its worth, she does speak very highly of you. You know, Hank,
when we get to be our age sometimes it’s important to take risks, because we
don’t have a lot of time to wait for things to happen. I think if you asked
Sophie to dinner or coffee or whatever, she would be receptive. Why don’t you
try it?”

“Do you really think a
wealthy, sophisticated, and yes, classy woman like her would ever be interested
in a short, grey-haired print shop owner? Get serious!”

“A man who speaks French
fluently, is knowledgeable about art, and a man who knows everyone in the
restaurant world in the Pearl District? Yes, I think she’d be very interested.
I believe you have much more in common with each other than you may realize. I
hope when I get back to Cedar Bay I get a call from Sophie telling me she’s
going to be sharing a fabulous bottle of wine with you.”

“Tell you what, Kelly. If
that happens, I’ll call you! And thanks for the suggestion. I need to think
about it.”

“It’s time for me to go. I
have a murder to solve and a dog and husband to get back to in Cedar Bay. I
really appreciate your stepping up to the plate and telling me about the things
we just discussed. Thanks for your honesty. See you later. Rebel, come.”

Kelly left Hank’s Print Shop in a
hurry, realizing she was just going to make it back to the restaurant in time
for her appointment with Dirk, the private investigator who had done some work
for Donatella. She opened the door and saw a thin man wearing a dark blue suit
that had seen too many trips to the cleaners with a grey fedora plopped on the
back of his head seated in the reception area. Carlotta smiled at her and said,
“Mrs. Reynolds, Mr. Lewis is here to see you, and your husband would like you
to call him when you have time.”

“Thanks, Carlotta.” She
turned to the man and extended her hand. “Hello, Mr. Lewis, I’m Kelly Reynolds.
It’s nice to meet you. Let’s go back to my office where we can talk. Please
follow me.”

He stood up and doffed his
hat towards Carlotta. “Nice talkin’ to ya’ doll. Remember, ya’ need anything,
jes’ call me. Ya’ got my card.” He followed Rebel and Kelly down the hall to
her office.

“Please have a seat, Mr.
Lewis. May I get you some coffee or water?”

“Nah, but I see ya’ got a
fully stocked bar out front. I’d take a jack black.”

“Certainly, but I don’t
know what that is.”

“Fer’ someone runnin’ a
restaurant ya’ don’t know much. It’s Jack Daniels with dark rum and coke. Goes
down real easy.”

Kelly called the bar.
“Would you please bring me a Jack Daniels with dark rum and coke? I have a
guest who would like one.”

“Sure, Mrs. Reynolds. We
call it a jack black.”

“Thanks,” she said,
feeling like an idiot and from the look Dirk Lewis was giving her, it was
obvious he was thinking the same thing.

He opened up the battered
briefcase he carried, took out some papers, and handed them to her. “Here’s the
report I gave Donatella. You can read it, or I can tell you the guts of it.”

She stood up and answered
the knock on the door. “Thank you, Jimmy,” she said to the young waiter. She
handed Dirk the jack black. “Why don’t you tell me what you found out? I can
read the report later when I have a little more time.”

“Thanks, doll. It’s
half-past thirsty time. Need a little somethin’ to wet my whistle, and jack
black always does a good job. Okay, I investigated two men for Donatella. That
food critic from the Portland Gazette and the chef from Le Toque.”

“I’ve met both of them,”
Kelly said.

“Then ya’ ain’t gonna be
too surprised at what I’m gonna tell you.”

“That remains to be seen.
Let’s get started.”

“I’m gonna start with the
food critic, guy who goes by the name of Bill Hossam. Dude was born David Smith
in Garden City, Kansas. Seems he was hot to get outta Kansas, like who wouldn’t
be, so he attends, and I use the word loosely, the Cordon Bleu in New York.
You’ll notice I said ‘attends.’ Dude was expelled from the school for
plagiarizin’ recipes. Evidently he was takin’ a class that required the
students to come up with original recipes in a bunch of different categories.
Some other dude in his class discovered a Garden City church cookbook in his
desk with a number of recipes circled in red. Turns out he used those recipes
and claimed they were original recipes made up by him.”

“What a disgusting
individual. I sensed there was something about him. Can’t say I’m all that
surprised,” Kelly said.

“That’s not all, doll.
Dude left New York and went to Chicago and opened a restaurant. This part’s a
little hazy, but it seems there mighta’ been some sorta’ Mafia connection, but
I couldn’t nail it. Did find out there were a number of silent partners in his
restaurant. Dude made the mistake of embezzlin’ funds from them. Looks like he
hotfooted it outta there, changed his name, and convinced a couple of small
papers in Oregon to hire him as their food critic. Dude had a gift for food writin’
and eventually was hired by the big kahuna here in Oregon, the Portland
Gazette.”

“So am I to understand you
told Donatella all of this?”

“Ya’ got that right. Met
with her and gave her the goods on him. It’s all in that there little ol’
report. Other dude I investigated for Ms. Donatella was Chef DuBois. Now if he
ain’t jes’ a real piece of work.”

“What do you mean?”

“Dude’s about as French as
the Chinaman that owns that little hole-in-the-wall laundry down the street. He
was born Lenny Jones in some backwater town in Georgia. Family was poor as
church mice. He quit school when he was ten and started workin’ in restaurants
to put some food on the table. Had a whole mess of rug rat brothers and sisters
he had to help feed. Word is he stole as much food as he prepared. He bounced
from one place to another. Got to give him some credit though, dude had some
smarts. Took a bunch of on-line French courses and decided to reinvent himself
as some fancy schmancy Frenchie. A few months later he’s callin’ himself Pierre
DuBois and speakin’ French. Gets himself a job at some French restaurant in
Atlanta.

“Guess the dames liked
him, cuz he was able to marry three rich broads. Too bad one always died before
he married the next one. He helped himself plenty to the money these rich dames
gave him. Dude got enuf’ bucks he was able to come out here to Portland and
open his restaurant, Le Toque. Name seems a little silly to me. I was curious
what it meant, so I looked it up on-line. It means the tall white hat the chef
wears. Dude has some nerve considerin’ he never even went to chef school. ‘Bout
as mucha’ chef as I am,” he said as he tossed back the last of his black jack
and set the empty glass on Kelly’s desk with a flourish. She ignored his
obvious effort to try and cadge another free drink from her.

“Someone else told me they
didn’t think he was French because when he pronounced certain French words he
put the accent in the wrong place,” Kelly said. “That sort of goes with what
you just told me. He’s a totally fake Frenchman. Right?”

“Absolutely, and it really
ain’t no surprise given what I found out about him. So the dude’s got this
fancy French restaurant, and he’s tellin’ everyone he should have a television
program like some of the other chefs. Donatella had a gut sense there was somethin’
off with the guy, so she hired me to check him out, and my investigation proved
just how right she was.”

“Dirk, do you think she
went to either of these men and told them what she knew about them?”

“Don’t know for sure,
doll, but I’ll tell you this. Lady liked to have people think of her as the
queen bee of the Pearl District, but jes’ between you and me don’t think she
was better than either one of the two phonies described in my report. I think
she had a dark side to her that her friends and the public never knew about.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Had a meetin’ with her
last week and tol’ her all this stuff. All of a sudden it seemed like she
completely forgot I was in the room cuz she kinda starts talkin’ to herself and
says somethin’ like ‘Okay boys, I’m getting both the show and the rave review
or else the world is gonna know all about you two.’ Then she got real quiet,
thanked me, and handed me a check fer’ my services. Last I saw of her.”

“I’m getting the feeling
you didn’t like her very much.”

“Think she’d been eatin’
at the same table as them ‘ol boys had. Maybe even drank the Kool-Aid if ya’
know what I mean. Ya’ know the old sayin’ about ‘honor among thieves.’ Dead
wrong in this case. None of these three thieves had an ounce of honor in ‘em,
her included.”

“Wow! It’s rather apparent
you don’t think much of her.”

“Ya’ can take that to the
bank.”

“This may seem like a
strange question, Dirk, but I’m curious why she hired you and not some
investigator from a blue chip Portland firm. After all, the way you dress,
talk, and even drink on the job doesn’t really promote your downtown image.”

“Doll, whatever Donatella
was, she was smart. I was recommended to her by someone I’d done some work for.
She understood when ya’ talk like the people on the street and ya’ look like
the people on the street, ya’ get a lot more information from the people on the
street than ya’ would if ya’ told them ya’ went to Oregon University Law School
and graduated at the top of your class. People tend to not trust those types.”

“Are you telling me you’re
a law school graduate?”

“Ain’t many people know
it, but that I am, doll, that I am. Even got me a license to practice law, but
I like what I’m doin’, plus I make more money doin’ this than I would
practicin’ law.” He uncrossed his long legs and stood up. “Time to get back to
the salt mine. Thanks for the jack black and if ya’ ever need a private eye,
I’m ‘Dirk the Jerk, the One with a Gun.’ Har har!” He handed her his business
card and gave her a mock half-salute as he walked out of the office. She sat in
her chair for several minutes, stunned at what he had told her about Hossam and
DuBois, but even more stunned to learn who Dirk really was.

Sitting there, her
thoughts turned to what Dirk had said about Donatella.
I wonder if Dirk’s
impression of Donatella is correct. Was she really a scheming, conniving
business woman who would stop at nothing, including blackmail, to keep her
restaurant in the top spot in the district?