English Trifle

by Josi S. Kilpack

  “Who checked out the kitchen yesterday?” she asked Breanna when she couldn’t silence her thoughts any longer. The first batch of crumpets were cooking, but the book had said it took six or seven minutes for them to get bubbly and dry around the edges so they could be turned over. So far they weren’t bubbling at all.

  “Checked out the kitchen?” Breanna asked, turning off the sink and facing her mother.

  “Remember? Austin paired everyone off and sent them to check out the house—looking for John Henry. Who was sent to the kitchen?”

  “Um, I don’t remember,” Breanna said, smoothing her hair behind her ear.

  “And how did the murderer get him down here?” Sadie continued. “We were in the dish room until we went back up to the sitting room. They would have had to pass us, right?”

  “I thought we weren’t going to talk about this anymore,” Breanna said.

  Sadie pointed toward the empty place where the security guard had been. “No one will overhear us,” she assured her daughter. “So we’re perfectly alright so long as we keep our voices down.”

  Breanna considered that for a moment before giving in. “Maybe the person who moved the body isn’t the same person who killed him,” she said.

  Sadie was confused. “What does that have to do with the fact that no one passed us on their way to the cooler?”

  “You said the murderer would have brought John Henry down here and I’m just pointing out that you’re jumping to the conclusion that only the murderer would move the body.”

  “Why would anyone else move it?” Sadie asked, confused by Breanna’s point. The tops of the crumpets were completely dry, with only a few holes on the top of each one. They didn’t look right and she scowled in discouragement.

  Breanna let out a frustrated breath just as a broad-shouldered investigator came around the corner. He looked at a small notebook he held in his hand, then looked up at the two of them, glancing from Breanna to Sadie before letting his eyes stay on Sadie’s face. “Mrs. Hoffmiller?” he asked.

  Sadie nodded carefully. A gurney with a big black plastic bag passed behind him on its way to the exterior door, pushed by two men in navy blue uniforms. Sadie swallowed. John Henry was in that bag, which she supposed was better than him being behind boxes in the vegetable pantry, but not by much. When the gurney moved out of sight, she met the inspector’s eyes again.

  “I’d like to have a few words with you, if that would be all right?” he asked.

  “Of course,” Sadie said. She took one step toward him before remembering the crumpets and looking back at the griddle.

  “I’ll take care of these,” Breanna said, heading toward the stove. “You tell the inspector what you know.”

  Sadie hesitated. She’d already invested a lot into this morning’s crumpets and didn’t like the idea of handing over the responsibility to someone else—even if they weren’t turning out. However, she didn’t imagine the inspector would understand if she tried to beg off the interview for crumpets. There was really little choice in the matter. “Read about how to cook them in the book,” she said. “They’re tricky.”

  “Of course,” Breanna replied, heading toward the cookbook. She looked at Sadie who was still standing there watching, and then raised her eyebrows, reminding Sadie that the inspector was waiting for her.

  Sadie turned quickly and smiled. “Where would you like us to go?”

  “I think the staff dining area would work fine,” he said.

  Sadie nodded and followed him through the doorway. It didn’t seem like a very private place to have such a private discussion, especially when the men who had wheeled out the gurney came back through the exterior door and passed not ten feet from where she and the inspector sat. It was raining, again.

  “Mrs. Hoffmiller,” the inspector said, taking Sadie’s attention away from the weather and centering it precisely upon his shoulders. He extended his hand across the table. Sadie took it and gave it a firm shake, pleased to notice that he returned it just as firmly. He wasn’t a large man, though he certainly looked that way compared to Inspector Dilree. He was likely in his early forties and for a moment Sadie imagined planting a plaid cap on his head and a pipe in his mouth. He’d make a wonderful Sherlock Holmes. She wondered if the police department ever held costume parties for Halloween.

  “My name is Inspector Kent,” he said as he withdrew his hand and opened a file on the top of the table. “I reviewed your statement given to Inspector Dilree yesterday and would like to hear your account of what took place this morning.”

  “Certainly,” Sadie said with a nod. “Where would you like me to begin?”

  Inspector Kent inclined his head and gave her a small smile. “Wherever you like,” he said. “This is your interview. If I need more information, I’ll ask for it.” He pulled a small recorder from his pocket. “Is it all right if I record this?”

  “Of course,” she said, feeling far more comfortable with him than she’d felt with Dilree. She decided to start with the very beginning—waking up this morning. But a few minutes into the recounting, she remembered the discussion with Mrs. Land she’d had yesterday, so she went back to that. In addition to the tape recorder, Inspector Kent also took notes.

  She finally finished and waited for the inspector to stop scribbling, noticing that she could smell the breakfast casseroles in the kitchen. She hoped Breanna was keeping an eye on them.

  “Lord Melcalfe was the only other person you saw in the kitchen this morning?” the inspector asked.

  “Yes,” Sadie said. “Manny walked me down, but I didn’t see anyone else.”

  “And this staff member who ran out yesterday, do you know her last name?”

  Sadie shook her head. “No, just Lacy.”

  “Well, I’m sure Grant would have that information,” the inspector said. He scanned his notes, then looked up at her. “Is there anything else?” he asked.

  Sadie scrunched her face and tried to think hard about everything she’d said. She wanted to be as forthcoming as possible, to tell him every detail. She was opening her mouth to tell him that was all when she remembered the argument she’d learned about between Liam and John Henry. She should tell Inspector Kent—she knew she should—and yet she worried that it would take their interest away from Austin, who she felt deserved their scrutiny more than Liam did. After a few seconds she determined not to dilute the implication she’d made toward Austin. “That’s everything I can think of,” she said, hoping he hadn’t read her hesitation.

  “Very good, then,” Kent said as he stood, shaking her hand a second time. “I have some other interviews to conduct. If I need to ask you any more questions, I assume that would be acceptable?”

  “Of course,” Sadie said. “I’m happy to help.”

  She was on her way out of the staff dining room when she had a thought and turned back to the inspector who was sliding the tape recorder back into his pocket. “I was hoping to go into town later today; we need some groceries. Would that be okay?”

  The inspector hesitated. “Actually,” he said. “We would prefer that everyone stay at the estate until we conclude our investigation of the crime scene.”

  Sadie hadn’t thought of that, but wished she had. “I see,” she said. “And how long will that be?”

  “I would guess it will take most of today,” the inspector said. “I know it’s an inconvenience. We’ll let you know when you’re cleared to leave.”

  Sadie couldn’t help but smile and just hoped the inspector didn’t misinterpret it. “That’s fine,” she said. “I just wanted to be sure I understood.”

  She headed back into the kitchen quite pleased. There was still the possibility that the answers she wanted wouldn’t be discovered at all—she knew that happened sometimes—but she was encouraged by the fact that there was no way Liam or Austin could have her and Breanna shipped out. At least not yet. She was committed to using the time she had as wisely as possible.

  d

 
Salt Lake City, Utah

  ®

  Chapter 27

  ~

  Charlotte helped serve breakfast, and each time she entered the room Sadie considered talking to her, trying to see if she would help fill in the blanks Mrs. Land and Austin had left behind. But each time she tried, Grant’s lecture from the night before would come to mind and Sadie knew she’d feel horrible if Charlotte was sent away like Mrs. Land or, worse, fired. And then she’d think of how Charlotte had confided in Austin about Liam and John Henry’s argument; she’d hate to have Charlotte take whatever they talked about back to Austin. Therefore, she just smiled and thanked the young girl each time she went about another task.

  Sadie had pulled the last of the breakfast casseroles from the oven when she looked up to find Austin standing in the doorway with his arms folded across his chest. His sudden arrival startled her, though she tried to hide it as best she could. He glared at her, and she glared right back before determining to ignore him completely. Breanna was speaking to the inspector in the staff dining room.

  “You’re relieved of your kitchen duties,” Austin said bluntly as she put the final ceramic dish on the butcher-block table. Charlotte had already taken half a dozen of them upstairs to set on the buffet, which also held Sadie’s crumpets, a variety of fruit and cheese Sadie had found in the refrigerator, and tea brewed by Grant—apparently tea was the responsibility of the butler. Thank goodness. Sadie had no idea how to go about it since the tea was loose-leaf.

  “I have breakfast to clean up and lunch to get started,” Sadie said in an impassive tone, refusing to let him know how much he bothered her.

  “You are not the cook,” Austin said. “And you are to leave immediately.”

  Sadie let out a breath and turned to face him. “We can’t leave,” she said arrogantly. “The inspector said we have to stay until they have finished their investigation, so although I completely understand why you would love for us to disappear, we aren’t going anywhere.” She held herself back from tacking on a “So there.”

  Austin’s jaw tightened and his eyes narrowed, which only served to make Sadie feel victorious. “I didn’t mean leave the estate,” he said, a slight hiss to his words since he didn’t seem to part his teeth much when he spoke. “I meant, leave the kitchen.”

  “Like it or not, you need a cook,” she said. “You have three maids and their hands are full. I suppose you could keep ordering in, but without a single kitchen worker who knows how to prepare, warm, and serve the plates—you’ll all be eating out of Styrofoam.”

  “Well, like it or not,” he said, copying her own words, “I have a cook, a real cook, on her way to Southgate. She will be working in the kitchen until it’s time for the staff to leave.”

  Sadie was stunned. “You found a cook? On New Year’s Eve?”

  Austin nodded, obviously thrilled by Sadie’s disappointment. “Just for a few hours. She’s bringing some things in from town and will take care of lunch. You may now go to your room and work on that needlepoint.”

  He quit the room while Sadie fired silent curses at his retreating back. She had no intention of leaving in the middle of the meal preparation, and turned back to the breakfast casseroles. Because staff ate after the family was served their meal, Sadie moved the casseroles to the warming oven and set about putting out the other items. Mrs. Land had given the impression that the staff didn’t necessarily eat the same thing the family did, but that didn’t make much sense to Sadie so she’d worked on setting out the same meal for them as had been set out upstairs. She was in the process of arranging the pineapple—from a can, unfortunately—with the grapes and cantaloupe she’d found in the fridge, when Austin’s voice startled her for a second time.

  “I told you to leave,” he said from behind her.

  She spun around, knocking the tray in the process, which required her to steady it before she could return his glare. “And I am not done with breakfast yet,” she nearly yelled. “When I’m finished, I’ll leave.”

  “You’ll leave now,” Austin said.

  “I will not,” Sadie returned.

  “Mom?”

  Sadie was thrown off guard by Breanna’s voice, and looked over her shoulder. Breanna and Inspector Kent stood there watching them.

  “What’s going on?” Breanna asked, looking between the two of them.

  Austin and Sadie were both quiet for a few seconds, then Austin spoke, his tone completely professional. “We have a cook coming in to prepare the kitchen for the weekend and take care of the rest of the day’s meals. I have asked Mrs. Hoffmiller to please return upstairs since she is, after all, a guest.”

  Sadie hated how reasonable he sounded. “And I’m not done with breakfast,” she said. “I would like to finish it.”

  “I thought Charlotte took breakfast upstairs already,” Breanna countered.

  “Well, yes, she took up the family breakfast, but the staff still has to eat.”

  “And they can take care of that themselves,” Austin added. He looked at Sadie, his face soft, a slight smile on his lips. “We so appreciate all your efforts in our behalf, Mrs. Hoffmiller, but it is no longer necessary for you to shoulder this burden.”

  “Is this cook you’ve hired aware of what’s transpired here?” the inspector asked.

  Austin answered with an easy nod, “Yes, she is. She’s a former cook here at Southgate, so she’s someone we can trust. I told her she would likely need to speak with you when she arrived.”

  “Very good,” Inspector Kent said. “I’m finished with the dining room and will conduct the remainder of my interviews upstairs. I’ve posted an officer here to preserve the crime scene until we are finished with it.”

  “Good,” Austin said. “We can all go upstairs, then.”

  Sadie was thoroughly miffed. “I’d still like to see that the staff gets their breakfast.”

  “Not to worry,” Austin said in his kind, Lord-of-the-Manor voice. “Charlotte will be down shortly to oversee it and the cook will be arriving momentarily.”

  With three sets of eyes watching her, and no further argument coming to mind, Sadie felt she had no choice but to give in—no matter how badly it burned to do so.

  “Fine,” she said, untying her apron. She hung it on the hook she’d retrieved it from a couple hours earlier and headed out of the kitchen behind Breanna and the inspector.

  “Is that your jacket?” Austin asked, nodding toward her Colorado State University jacket hanging next to the aprons. Sadie had hoped no one would notice it was still there from last night. Even though she was offended to be kicked out of the kitchen, she realized that having Austin bring in a former employee could possibly give her access to even more information. But not unless she had an excuse to visit the kitchen again. So much for that idea. She picked up the jacket, avoiding Austin’s eyes so that she wouldn’t see the triumph in them.

  “Is there anything else?” Austin asked from where he stood in the kitchen, turning so as to watch her every move. “Mrs. Kinsley is rather territorial about her kitchen.”

  Pompous, arrogant, patronizing nitwit, Sadie thought to herself as she shot another glare at Austin and then began putting her arms in the sleeves of her jacket. Austin gave her a smug smile before turning toward the door. Breanna and the inspector pushed through the swinging doors ten feet before Sadie reached them. She was adjusting her shoulders into her jacket when she realized the right side of her jacket felt heavier than the left side. Not recalling if she’d put anything in her jacket pockets recently, she reached her hand into the pocket and wrapped her fingers around what felt like a set of keys.

  “Keys?” she muttered to herself as she pulled them from her pocket. Why on earth would she have keys in her pocket? She’d left her car keys at the Park ’n Fly by the Denver Airport so they would change her oil while she was gone. She opened her palm, looking at the ring of keys in her hand. She’d never seen them before.

  “Mom?”

  Sadie looked up, closing
her hand on the keys and lowering her arm. “What?” she asked, realizing she’d stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

  “Are you coming?” Breanna said, standing five steps above her. The inspector stood at the top of the stairs, his hand on the knob of the open door Austin must have already passed through.

  “Oh, yes,” Sadie said, casually putting both hands into her pockets as she started up the stairs. Where had the keys come from? What were they for? A thrill of adventure exploded in her chest. Someone was trying to help her. Someone recognized her pursuit for justice and, though for whatever reason they couldn’t find it themselves, they wanted to help her find the answers.

  Who had given them to her?

  Austin had pointed out her jacket on the wall, but the last thing he would give Sadie was a set of keys—unless, of course, he was trying to get her in trouble somehow.

  Once in the foyer, the three of them rounded the Christmas tree to find Austin already gone and Grant standing at the base of the stairs. Sadie wondered if he’d been adequately chewed out for being unavailable during the more dramatic moments of the last couple of days and was now overcompensating. She walked toward the stairs, deep in thought about the significance of the keys now in her possession.

  “Aren’t you going to eat breakfast with me?” Breanna asked. The inspector was talking to another officer outside of the sitting room door.

  Sadie turned around to look at her daughter. “Oh, well, I—”

  “You worked so hard on those crumpets,” Breanna said, looking at her mother with a slightly pleading look on her face. It wasn’t the crumpets Breanna was interested in, Sadie realized, but the fact that she didn’t want to eat alone.

  “I am looking forward to those crumpets,” Sadie said, fingering the keys before removing her hand. She could wait ten minutes before she examined the mystery keys more thoroughly.