Chapter Seven
Matt lived in a small suburb, one where a few lots were still empty, waiting to be sold. His house was small and he lived alone. This was the first time I visited his place and I was curious what it would look like on the inside.
Jaxon parked the car and we made our way up the pathway for the front door. He stopped halfway to the door. “Hang on a minute, I want to check out something before we go in.” He typed on his phone a few minutes and then said, “Thanks for waiting, I’m ready now. Let me do the talking. I’m a stranger and he will resist telling me anything. Then you can ask some questions and hopefully he will answer. Kind of like good cop, bad cop.”
I stood a few steps in front of him. “Are you serious? That really works?”
“Yeah, it works most of the time. Most people want to tell their story, they just need a nudge sometimes to get it out of them.”
I laughed. “Matt is not most people. I have debated whether he is even human.”
The front door of the house flew open, revealing Matt in sweats and a T-shirt emblazoned with a crossed knife and fork and the words ‘Go Cry in the Walk-In’ underneath. He yelled at us, “Why are you encroaching on my sidewalk? What do you want? I’ve had a bad day and I’m in no mood for visitors.”
I said, “We know. We were just at the glass blowing shop and heard. We came over to see how you are doing.”
He grunted. “Since when do you care about me?”
I held my hand out reflexively, palm up. “Now now. A woman died in a restaurant where you run the kitchen. Mike and Jessica are my best friends, and I'm worried about you.”
Matt stared at us for a few seconds. “Who is he?”
“A friend of mine. He's a private investigator and helping us.”
Matt threw his hands in the air. “Helping us with what? Seems this a police matter and all we can do is let them do their job.”
“I talked to the detective this morning and he said they need help figuring what happened. No one saw anything suspicious and the police are searching for clues.”
Matt’s voice got louder. “I know that better than you. They trashed my kitchen today!” Matt paused, and scratched his belly.
Jaxon used the moment to lean a little closer to me, and whispered, “What happened to good cop, bad cop?”
I shushed Jaxon and Matt replied, “Come on in. Like everyone else, I’m wondering how sesame oil got into my food. It should have been impossible. And it seems that the police think I might have put it there. You got five minutes, and if I sense you can’t help me, our conversation ends.”
Jaxon said, “Thank you,” and we headed up the last half of the front walk.
Inside, we found an austere decor, maybe a better word is functional. The walls still wore the bland contractor off-white paint used to sell new homes. The dining room held a small, bare table with two chairs. The living room contained a recliner, side table, and a milk crate with a small TV perched on top, plus a lone floor lamp. Next, to the recliner I spotted a pile of cook books and magazines. The kitchen, however, looked crammed. Pots hung from a ceiling mounted rack and electronic appliances littered the counter tops. It was the reverse of my house. I crammed too much furniture into most rooms but my kitchen was a little on the empty side, the lone appliances on my counter tops being a coffee maker and electric kettle for making tea.
Matt pointed to the dining table. “We can talk over there. I only have two chairs, but I’ll stand.”
Jaxon smiled. “I can stand. I sit in my car all day, I’ll be fine.”
Matt glared at Jaxon like he was insulted. “Suit yourself.”
I took one chair and Matt sat in the other. Matt’s thick black hair was usually combed perfectly, but not this evening. Hair hung down his forehead and few strands on top of his head flew wild in the air. His eyes drooped and he slumped in his chair. Then Matt said, “I work so hard to get things right. I train lumps of clay to make food worth eating. And this is what happens? It’s not going to help my reputation. Or the restaurant.”
Jaxon asked, “Did you get any sleep last night?”
“What kind of question is that? Of course not. This is all so confusing. The police think we got sesame oil into a salad by accident. But I know we don’t ever have the stuff in the kitchen.”
I asked, “What if someone else brought it in. Maybe sneaked it in.”
“I still would know. I taste everything and make sure the food is right before the guests are served.”
Jaxon flinched as a memory flashed. “That is what Oliver Reid said. That chef’s taste everything.”
Matt stared at Jaxon. “So you know Oliver. He is a good chef. Shame what Holly did to him. I think it was all an act for her to get attention, but it hurt Oliver’s career.”
I asked, “You’re not mad at Holly for what she did?”
Matt chuckled, “Of course I am. Dip wads like her make life for chefs harder than it already is. Life as a chef is demanding. The competition is fierce and turning a profit is hard. So to have someone like her get on a high horse and chastise a good chef doesn’t make it easier. But I didn’t do it if that is what you are fumbling for, Raine.”
“No, I didn’t mean to accuse you. I am curious about how an oil that you don’t use gets into the salad of one of your diners, though.”
Jaxon interrupted. “You would be the first suspect if I was the police, if we are being honest.”
I held my breath.
Matt studied Jaxon, then said, “I pegged you for a wise guy. I was wrong. You’re a stupid wise guy.”
Jaxon laughed. “Thanks for compliment. And I was just being direct...honest with you.”
Matt continued the glare at Jaxon. “So I told you I didn’t do it, pretty boy. Who would be your next suspect?”
Jaxon shot back. “We don’t have any suspects right now. Just people of interest. But after you, Oliver Reid is of interest.”
“I told you he didn’t do it either. So who else.”
“Gabriel Dubois, any lovers jilted by Holly, and rivals to The Gilded Nickle.”
Matt huffed. “So, pretty boy has done a little home work.”
Jaxon replied, “My name is Jaxon. Please feel free to use it.”
“Okay, Jack, what rival business is of interest.”
“The name is Jaxon, with an ‘X,’ if you don’t mind. And I was hoping you could tell me that. I don’t know the inner workings of your business like you do.”
“Listen, Jack weed, seems you’re not as smart as you think. So you’re saying you need me.”
Jaxon shrugged, “If that’s the way you want to look at it, fine. Can you tell me if there is another business competitor, or person, that would want to hurt The Gilded Nickle?”
“Only one, Lavender. But they’re out of business. They were our only competition in town, and went under not long after we opened.”
My mouth moved before my brain engaged. “I remember them. It was kind of weird mix of food styles.”
Matt laughed. “You can say that again. And it is why they went under. Places like that think they will draw lots of people if they offer some of this, and a little of that, but it just confuses your cooks and complicates the ingredients you have to keep on hand.”
I continued, “So are the owners still here in Sinking Springs?”
Matt chuckled. “Well, yeah. They own The Gilded Nickle.”
Jaxon gasped. “What? You mean they owned both restaurants?”
“Are you deaf. Yes.”
“Why would you create competition for your own business?”
Matt shifted in his chair. “When you want to transition over to a better business. I wouldn’t work at Lavender, but they knew I could run a kitchen better than anyone around. So with all the other problems Lavender had, they decided to open The Gilded Nickle. Once it was up and running, with me at the helm, they shut down Lavender.”
Jaxon chuckled. “So the rival business theory is a bust. I am guessing the owners are
happy with their decision, since The Gilded Nickle is a big hit and getting national attention.”
Matt puffed his chest out slightly. “They are more than happy. There was a rumor floating around that they were exploring another Gilded Nickle in Cleveland. But this little episode may change all of that.”
Jaxon sighed. “So, we are down to jilted lovers, rival food critics, and a food show contestant. But Oliver Reid didn’t do this, I’m almost sure of it. And of course, it could have just been an accident.”
“Alright Jack, I’ve had enough. I wish there was something on this table I could throw at you. Time for you to leave.”
Jaxon shrugged. “What? What did I say?”
“It did not come from my kitchen. It was no restaurant accident.”
Jaxon insisted, “Accidents can happen in other ways, though. It didn’t have to be you or your employees.”
Matt sat up straight for the first time. “Holy crap, the stupid wise guy may have hit on something!”
I stuttered a bit while collecting my thoughts, then said “How is that possible?”
Matt spoke, faster than usual. “People bring condiments into restaurants all the time. Someone could have brought their own sesame oil.”
“Open sesame. I get it now.” The bad pun just slipped out of me.
Jaxon chuckled and glanced at me, playfully scolding me with his eyes. “Now you understand why the detective made his rounds with all the diners so quick. At this point, it is clear to me the police are very interested in everyone who ate there that night. Everyone is a potential suspect.”
“So, how do we get a list of the people who were there?” I spoke before thinking it through.
Jaxon chuckled. “Well, Matt might be able to help us with that.”
“NO! No, no no.” Matt shook his head in a rapid manner. “No way. The police threatened to arrest me today. I can’t push my luck.”
Jaxon continued, “I bet you could make that list from memory. Couldn’t you?”
Matt folded his arms over his chest. “What’s in it for me?”
“How about proving The Gilded Nickle, and you, had nothing to do with this. Reputation is everything in your business.” Jaxon leaned slightly forward and raised his eyebrows when done talking.
Matt settled down and chuckled. “The stupid wise guy strikes again. You know more about the food service industry than I gave you credit for.”
I blinked a few times. “Great, so we have the list of diners. Then how do we get a list of Holly’s past boyfriends?”
Jaxon snorted. “Leave that to me. I have some ideas.”
I sighed. “This doesn’t involve the gray area does it?”
Jaxon shrugged. “Maybe.”
I tilted my head to one side. “We should talk about that before you do something to get us into trouble.” I pleaded with my eyes as well as my words.
Jaxon smiled. “Trust me. This is what I do for a living.”
Matt roared in laughter. “Are you for real. I’m guessing that if this is what you do for a living, you eat ramen noodles a lot.”
Jaxon’s smile disappeared. “I know that you owe back taxes on this home. And that you had some, let’s say, run ins with the law before you became a chef.”
Matt stood and slapped the tabletop with his hand. “Did you do a background check up on me? Who do you think you are?”
Jaxon remained calm, and still, then stared back with a smirk. “I’m a private investigator. Like I said, this is what I do. And if I could find all that out with my phone standing on your sidewalk, imagine what I could find out with a little more time. Now if you would be so kind, can we get the list of people who ate there last night?” He took out his notebook and pen and waited for the information from Matt.
Chapter Eight
The tarts jumped in the toaster, and the springs popping was the official starting gun for a new day. Yesterday flew by, and the information we obtained generated many questions and loose ends to investigate. It was frustrating. I marveled at how Jaxon did this every day, and found a new respect for his work.
After showering, I picked a clean pair of jeans and a favorite off-white blouse with a small amount of lace accents. The outfit was comfy without appearing void of fashion. I wanted to look presentable. Jaxon and I had numerous people to talk with today.
Last night, after making our preliminary rounds, we agreed to meet at the tea room first thing this morning. So I headed over early to see how the place was doing without me. Grandma Rose’s sister Mabel agreed to help her while I was absent investigating the incident with Jaxon. Arriving in the tea room at about nine o’clock, Daisy rushed to greet me.
Grandma raised her voice so I could hear her from behind the counter. “Well, don’t you look pretty. Are you sure you’re really investigating this thing? Or do you just want to spend time with Jaxon?”
I winced. “Really? Is that what you think?”
She chuckled. “Sweetie, I held you on the day you were born. Helped raise you. I know you better than you know yourself sometimes. It’s no surprise to me that you can’t let this murder thing go, worrying that you missed some sort of detail. You’ve always been curious. And Lord knows you hate thinking you made a mistake or missed something. I know you won’t stop until you're sure you did everything you can to help the police.”
Great Aunt Mabel added, “And if you can spend time with a decent looking man who owns his own business, that’s not so bad either.” Aunt Mabel and Grandma both snickered.
Leon Baker showed up in the tea room every now and then. But seeing him today made sense. He has a crush on Aunt Mabel so it was no accident he visited The Monkey’s Eyebrow on a day she was working. He rubbed his bald head and said, “My many years on this planet have taught me to not meddle or comment on other people’s love interests. But Mabel is wrong, I think Raine likes hanging out with that handyman, Andrew. All the ladies talk about him wearing those snug T-shirts on warm days.”
Mabel grinned. “Andrew does have the body for a snug shirt.”
I pinched my lips. “Can we please change the subject?”
Grandma waved me off. “Don’t be so sensitive. We’re just having a little fun with you.”
“Well, please, no more talk of my boyfriends. Especially when Jaxon is here. He is due in a few minutes.”
Grandma wiped some tea cups and stored them. “So what’s your plan today?”
“I don’t know, that is why we agreed to meet here this morning. Review where we are at and make plans from there. But I think we need to talk to everyone who ate there that night.”
Leon said, “So you're poking around into that awful accident?”
“Kind of. I was there and must have seen something. Jaxon knows what to look for and how to find things out. He is helping me.”
“So who did it?” Leon locked eyes with me.
“We don’t know yet. And it could have been an accident, not a murder.”
Grandma put down her towel. “We were talking about that. If it was an accident, how could she be the only one to get that oil in her salad? Wouldn’t other people have noticed the sesame oil in their salads, too?”
I paused to let that comment sink in. “You would think so. But I don’t know of anyone else that said they tasted sesame in their salad. We have the list of diners and I will ask about that. You have a good point.”
Grandma twinkled. “Glad to help, dear.”
Daisy walked over and stood in front of me. She then did an abbreviated dance to get my attention. “Of course, Daisy. How can we ever leave you out?” I took her hands in mine and we danced a few steps together.
Grandma admired our foot work. “Daisy loves you. She usually wants the men to pay attention to her, but when you aren’t around, she misses you.”
The front door opened and Jaxon entered. “Ah, you started the party without me!”
I stopped dancing and let go of Daisy’s hands. “We were just letting off some steam.”
“Well, get the fun out of your system, we have work to do today.”
I pointed to a table, and we sat. “You sound serious. Did you find something.”
Jaxon took out his phone, and after flipping through a few files, he laid the phone on the table so I could see the screen. “See this guy here? He was Holly’s last boyfriend. I called him last night and he told me a few things. He said that Holly didn’t date much before him because she was so busy with her work. But he did say she was pretty demanding and could be difficult at times.”
“So what are you saying? Is he a suspect?”
“Maybe. But he was working when it happened, five hundred miles away, with dozens of witnesses.”
“How did you get his name?”
“I checked Holly’s Instagram account, and sure enough, there’s a picture of her at a Hawaiian luau with him. Today’s social media sites can identify the people in the pics, then I just had to look up his phone number.”
“You did all that from your phone?”
“Well, I have a laptop, too. But yeah, most of it from the phone.”
“What’s this guys’ name?”
“Ross Sanders.”
“So Ross Sanders, Gabriel Dubois, a diner or employee, and who else?”
“I still don’t want to rule out a rival business, or supplier, or other people who could benefit from a bad review.”
“Why? Matt explained that angle away.”
“From his perspective, yes. But he works there and there are other possibilities. We need to double check on it.”
“Okay.”
“And I want you to tell me what you saw again. One more time. After all, that is the purpose of all this, to see if you forgot or overlooked something. With the new information we have, some detail may seem more important now.”
So I went through the ill fated dinner one more time, then I sighed. “There was nothing I can remember that seemed unusual.”
Jaxon smiled at me. “Keep running it through your head, especially as we learn new hings. It might make a seemingly unimportant detail significant.”
“So what’s next?”
“Well, Gabriel Dubois and Ross Sanders were both a long way from The Gilded Nickle when it happened, with witnesses. But they could have hired someone or had an accomplice. Scanning the list of diners, there are ten people who are from out of town.”
A Tiny Bite of Murder Page 5
