The Billionaire Chef

by Kee Patterbee

  Hannah moved to protest, but Hymn cocked his head to one side and glared. She blew out a frustrated breath and handed him his crutches. She shook her head and kissed him on the cheek.

  “Stubborn.”

  “Look who’s talking,” he responded.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Reaching the lobby, Hannah again was not surprised to find Ducky.

  “You driving?”

  “I can be. Give me a moment.” Ducky disappeared behind the registration area to talk with the manager on duty. Small. Bespeckled. Thinning salt and pepper hair. 50s. Bow tie and pinstriped suit. Looks out of place. As Ducky talked with the man, he tugged at his collar. Nervous. He gave a quick glance to Hannah and company before nodding to Ducky. For the sleuth, he seemed oddly complacent with the forceful body language of his employee. It was as if Ducky were in charge of the conversation. The manager turned to the desk, retrieved some keys from underneath, and handed them over. Ducky patted him on the arm and nodded once before heading back over to the group. Smiling, he said, “The shuttle is on a run. We’re taking the VIP car. I’ll be back in just a moment. If you don’t mind, meet me up front as usual.” With a smile, he exited the front and disappeared out of sight.

  “Give me just a second,” Hannah said as she headed for the registration desk. Hymn and Gran waited as she spoke with the manager. Hymn observed to Gran her granddaughter used a great deal of charm to get her way.

  “That smile opens a lot of doors. She gets that from you?”

  Gran grinned. “The trick is from me. The smile is from her mother.”

  A few seconds later, Hannah returned and gestured for them to follow to the front. Along the way, she explained.

  “Ducky’s been working here for about three months. The manager didn’t want to give many details, but just my asking made him nervous.”

  “And that’s important, how?” Hymn inquired.

  “I like him, I do, but don’t you get the feeling that something is off with him?”

  Gran agreed. “It does seem odd that he can get his way to do what he wants. The manager seemed unnerved by him.”

  Hymn glanced toward an approaching vehicle. “I agree, but he didn’t seem threatened, just reluctantly cooperative.”

  Seeing Ducky driving the car, Hannah gave a wave. “A conversation for later. He’s here.”

  Ducky pulled a long, large black limo into the loading area. The doorman came and opened the door for them all. Soon, they were off to the pier.

  “Same place as before,” Hannah informed him. “Lukas Grimm’s yacht. Do you know which one it is?”

  “Not exactly, but I can make a pretty good guess. There’s a fifty footer called the Die dunkle Dame.”

  “The Dark Lady,” Hymn chimed in.

  “Exactly. Grimm. Dark. I’m not sure, but I’d be willing to bet that’s it.”

  Hannah’s mind kicked into inquiry mode. Fifty Footer. The name. For someone who professed not to know boats, you spend a lot of time around them. She peered over to Hymn. “You know German.”

  “Some. My grandparents were German, so I picked up a little here and there. Spent some time there in the service. Sometimes it pays off,” he answered with a smile.

  Hannah returned to the driver. “And you?”

  “Can’t you tell? My parents were German too.”

  Everyone laughed. Hannah used the levity to refocusing the conversation. She asked about Grimm. Per usual, he declined much knowledge, but professed a lot.

  “He’s been meeting with various individuals at the festival. Word is he’s looking for new investment opportunities. I suppose that is why he met with Ms. Doyle. With her chain struggling, I’d imagine he’s eyeing it for takeover and restructuring.”

  “I didn’t know they knew each other.”

  “I guess so. Seems to be a little more than just business if that’s not too rude to say. They’ve been spending a lot of time together.”

  “Did they ever meet with Elias Babel?”

  Ducky affirmed. “A few days ago. They met in the lobby for a bit and then I took them all up town to Brattain’s on Main for lunch.”

  Gran interjected. “Did they talk about anything along the way?”

  Ducky shrugged. “Just this and that about the festival.”

  The car turned into the parking lot area. Ducky exited and pointed to a sleek, midnight blue hulled craft.

  “That’s her. Do you need any help to get aboard, Mr. Miles?”

  Hymn declined and Ducky made his goodbyes. “Call me when you get ready to return. I’ll come.” With that, he got into the vehicle and exited the lot.

  Making their way down to the pier, Hannah scoped out the area. Escape routes. Opposition operatives. Suspicious activities and characters. She agreed to the pier because it was open air, public, and familiar. If something went down, she could pursue the suspect on foot. Water surrounded three sides of the location. One route led to the escape. Unless he likes taking a swim, she affirmed to herself in a smug manner. The location also offered security. If she, Gran, or Hymn needed help, all they need do was cry out.

  They spotted Grimm moving about. Seeing them, he waved and gave his glowing white, toothy smile. As he moved about, Hannah tried to make some judgments based on his gait and present expression. Calm. Collected. Confident. It all seemed to stem from something other than a massive ego built upon extraordinary looks and wealth. She encountered this before. It was a combination of things, military among them. Law enforcement, she determined. He was telling the truth. Questions flooded her mind. She remembered Lukas saying he once worked as an investigator for the Swiss military. Now, she wondered if it were possible they still did. The black market for truffles is international, she posed to herself. Could he still be working for them undercover? What does Elias have to do with this? Was he working with him? Or against? What does he want with me? Is he attempting to get to Elias through me? Does he think I had something to do with the fall? Or know something? It then occurred to her that there existed a flip side to her inferences. He may have worked as an investigator, but became corrupt. Is it possible he’s responsible for Elias’ accident? Thinking of the man’s physicality, she determined that Lukas held the capacity to do so.

  “Too many questions,” she mumbled to herself, before putting a halt to the considerations. She regrouped herself, deciding she would set it aside for the time being.

  Grimm lowered a walkway, allowing all on board. He greeted each of them with a firm handshake. As he looked back toward the lot and around to the other anchored craft, he said, “I hope you don’t mind a trip on the lake. I feel it would be better for all.”

  Though everyone agreed, Hannah was at first hesitant. The agreement was to meet on board, not go for a lake stroll. Her inner fears stirred. The water offered opportunities she did not care to think about. One hard lesson learned years earlier always kept her on her toes. Situations that seem safe are not always so, echoed through her head. Though curious about what Grimm had to say, she remained vigilant and cautious.

  Hannah gave the yacht the once over. “Nice. Whatever you do must pay well.”

  “It pays enough,” Lukas said as he stepped up to the cockpit and started the engine. Once away from the pier, he put the craft to full throttle and pulled away from the shoreline. Hannah removed her top hat and held on tight. She glanced over at Lukas and observed once more.

  He steered one handed, sunglasses resting on the edge of his nose. He is casually dressed in a light blue button down and khakis spoke more about the pursuit of fun than business. Still, she was willing to ride the situation out if it got her any closer to finding out what was going on with Elias. Considering it all, Hannah wondered how much use he would be to her.

  Having gone a distance onto the lake, Lukas tried to engage his guests in some light conversation. He was playing the “get to know me game,” which annoyed Hannah more than it intrigued. Everyone listened to his banter with a pleasant smile, as he drove toward
some undisclosed location. Tired of the ‘Story of Lukas Grimm’ as she deemed it, Hannah could not hold her tongue a minute more. “Mr. Grimm, why am I here?”

  All of a sudden, Lukas turned the engine off and let the yacht coast along. It all happened so quickly, Hannah was at a loss for words. As the ship slowed, Grimm turned to his guests. His face was serious and his eyes widened ever so slightly. He leaned back against the ship’s wheel.

  “I need to know everything you know.”

  “About?” Hannah asked.

  “I don’t have time for games, Ms. Starvling.”

  Hymn leaned forward. He put his arm around Hannah and urged her to move closer. With his other hand, he took hold of Gran’s hand and did the same. Hannah knew he was in full protective mode due to the intensity of Grimm’s voice. Though his leg remained in a brace, she was sure he would act if necessary. While it made her feel safe and proud of her love, it sent a tinge of fear along her spine.

  “You want to know what we know, tell us why you need to know.”

  Lukas pulled one eye down and curled the corner of his lip on the same side. He assessed Hymn, as the lawman returned the same. The air between the two went frigid.

  “Let’s start again. Can I get anyone something to drink? A beer, perhaps?”

  Never taking her eyes off Lukas, Hannah responded, “Water, no ice.”

  “None needed,” Lukas issued in a low tone. Looking to everyone else, Gran declined. Hymn agreed to a beer. Lukas disappeared into the interior of the ship.

  Hymn glanced over to the ladies. “I don’t plan on drinking it, but the bottle might come in handy,” he said with a smirk.

  Gran motioned to Hannah. “I like him. He thinks ahead.” She leaned back over to Hymn. “Speaking of thinking ahead. I’m not getting any younger and would like to see a few great-grand babies before I go.”

  Hannah rolled her eyes. “Gran. Seriously. Now?”

  “No time like the present. You never know what’s going to happen.”

  Lukas returned with the water and two beers. Handing one to Hymn, he said, “Swiss imported beer.” He held his out, and he and Hymn clinked them together. He turned his attention back to Hannah.

  “I have checked into your backgrounds. And I am satisfied that --”

  Hannah sat up straight and interrupted. “You checked into our background? Who the hell are you?” she exclaimed in an audible, irate voice.

  Lukas motioned her down. “Please, let me explain. Trust me. There’s a reason.”

  Settling down, Hannah crossed her arms. In a lowered register, she spewed, “I’m not the trusting kind.”

  “Can’t say I am either,” Hymn expressed.

  “I can see that. I’m not so trusting myself. That’s why I checked you out,” he stated as he scanned the area. “Look, I have things you need to know.”

  Hannah’s face tightened as she considered the man before her. She could not yet draw a bead on him. Something about his voice made her play along for the moment. Again, he scanned the area.

  “This has the appearance of a casual business meeting. I conduct meetings here all the time. All we need to do is keep the appearance up for a while. We won’t be long and I’ll have you back.”

  He smiled, looked around, and then faced the river. “I should not be telling you this, but I am not one big on rules.” He readjusted his sunglasses. “I am working undercover. Elias is part of the operation. Initially, we were onto a ring of food smugglers.”

  Hannah raised her eyes to look at him. She could not decide if he was telling the truth, or if this was some elaborate hoax, a ruse to get a handle on what she knew. She decided to push against him and see what came of it.

  “A spy for Swiss military, I presume. Seems kind of big for that kind of operation. What does this food smuggling involve? State secrets hidden on the back of mushroom recipe cards? Nuclear weapon plans laser etched into white truffles. Oh, wait, world domination via controlling the black truffle trade? Right? How is Blowfeld these days, by the way?” Hannah gave a scurrilous look. “Tell you what, Mr. Bond, how about some credentials?”

  Lukas gave her a sharp, frustrated, stare. Watching, Hannah knew she struck a nerve. Hates when not believed. Used to people accepting him at his word, she added to his profile.

  “You expect me to carry credentials?” He gave the area the once over.

  “Sure, why not? Show me a badge, ID, secret decoder ring, or laser etching pen, anything that says spy, instead of rich man playing a game.”

  “I checked into you. All of you.”

  Gran laughed. “Hello, internet, and you don’t have to check that hard. I’m seventy-five and even I can tippy tap the keys enough to find out about people. You’ll have to do better than that.”

  Lukas sat stunned, and speechless. After what seemed to be an infinite amount of time, he offered, “Then check me out as well, because with your alleged skills, I am sure it will be easy to confirm.” He paused and added, “But do it with discretion, because this case is fragile. They are already in a panic, thus the Elias situation.”

  Hannah considered his response. Thanks to Cate, she already knew he was former Swiss military, but confirming he was undercover was impossible. This meant one of two things. First, he was betting on her accepting his claim outright because he offered it up free. Or, second, he expected her to try, fail, and assume he was telling the truth. In any case, I can’t prove him right or wrong, she noted with frustration.

  “Assuming I buy that you work undercover for whom ever. The Swiss government. Military. CIA. MI-6. Or U.N.C.L.E. What can you tell us.”

  Lukas grew serious. “That I work with Elias. That he’s a friend. Like you, I want to know who did this.”

  “You said initially,” Hymn interrupted. “Why?”

  Hannah studied his face as considerations washed about her mind. There was an intensity that made her want to believe him. However, all he offered thus far was unprovable claims. He could be an undercover agent, a con artist, a killer or all of the above, she pondered.

  The possibilities troubled Hannah. It was rare when she found herself unsure. Now, she was awash with an unpleasant gnawing, nagging feeling of uncertainty that left her shaken. Unsteady ground was not familiar to her. Finding her footing was paramount if she was to find some a resolution.

  Coming back to Lukas, Hannah heard him say, “To begin, he was helping us bust up a black market. Part of it revolves around all types of foods. This festival presents us with a large influx of international companies sending in vendors. Each has to go through a vetting process. Customs handles these types of operations, but we are onto something much deeper, broader, and bigger.”

  Hannah took in a breath and puffed her cheeks as she let it out. “So, I take it this is what got Elias thrown from a window. Any ideas who attacked him?”

  “Nothing concrete, but I do have some leads. A few of the heavy are hitters in the area. Ruffians for hire.”

  “Are the local police in on this?”

  Lukas half chuckled. “From what I’ve gathered, some are and some are not. Gresham is a border town on the water, a divider for nations.” Lukas pointed out across the water. “Sure, that’s a great country, but it has its criminals just like here in this country. Like anywhere in the world. And it is a nice, clean small town. Does that not strike you as odd?”

  The idea having been on Hannah’s mind before, she found herself nodding in response.

  “Regardless, I know that in general, they would not have the resources either way. Or the experience if they were to look into it. Parking tickets and drunk tourists are more their speed. Deep detective work, not so much.”

  Hannah took in everything Lukas was saying. It all sounded right. He was convincing, for sure. Still, she remained skeptical.

  “Can you tell me what you told them about Elias?” Lukas asked in a sudden stop.

  “Nothing that they couldn’t find out for themselves by contacting the festival organizers. He�
�s a chef. We trained together in Paris. Truffles are his forte. Married, wealthy, and soon to be a father. that’s about it.”

  About the next bit of information, Hannah considered withholding it. Elias’ mushrooms were missing. The knowledge of their whereabouts played a paramount part in her investigation. She planned on making her way to the storage facility soon. For now, she chose to dangle a carrot in front of Lukas and see if he would try to grab it.

  “I do know his mushrooms are missing.” She watched as he suppressed a hard frown.

  “That explains a lot.” Lukas stared off into the distance for a moment before he spewed, “Damn it.” He slammed his fist into the railing. Reacting to his own action, he pulled his hand back and dropped it to his side. He gave a forced smile and added, “I guess we know what they were after.”

  Hannah looked surprised. “His private stock? I know they’re worth a lot.”

  Lukas sat up and stiffened. “More than you can imagine.”

  Hannah noted the change in his voice and body language. Anger. Frustration. Concern, she added to her mental list of the man. Something stirred the pot as Gran would say. Her gut instinct told her it involved something more than the value of Elias’ fungi. Now, she questioned his response. Is he angry because someone hurt Elias? Or is he angry because they got away with the truffles? Did someone beat him to the punch? Serious questions, Hannah thought. I need serious answers. You spin a good story, Mr. Grimm. But is any of it true?

  “You still haven’t answered my question,” Hymn once again tossed in. “Why initially? That implies something changed.”

  “It did,” Luka said in a forbidding voice. He waved his hand as he shook his head. “It started out about the illegal food trade. It was a matter of contention between Canadian and Swiss governments, but along the way, it evolved into something more. It is no longer just about the illegal food trade. It’s about diamonds. Real diamonds. Uncut blood diamonds.”

  Chapter Eighteen