On the Chopping Block (A Callie's Kitchen Mystery Book 1)

by Jenny Kales

  “Don’t worry about it.” Callie answered. What did Johan want now? “You’re under a lot of strain,” she said in a soothing tone, hoping to keep him mollified.

  Uneasily, she eyed the countertops in Drew’s state of the art stainless steel kitchen. As usual, a knife block rested in one corner. The chef grunted as he shifted his considerably bulky torso. Reaching again with one of his long arms, he felt along the top of the cabinet, searching blindly for an item he had presumably hidden there.

  Finally, he found what he was looking for and thrust it at Callie. “Drew left this at the restaurant and I was going to try to sell it to recoup some of my pay. Since I don’t like that detective, I’m giving it to you. You never know, it might help. Anyway, I wouldn’t trust this Sands guy if I were you.”

  Callie refrained from telling the chef that what he was doing was illegal when she saw the item he casually passed to her with his callused hand.

  Twelve

  Holding the unexpected gift tightly to her chest, Callie smiled and nodded to Chef Johan as she slowly backed away from him. “Thanks,” she said over her shoulder as she headed out to the dining room and went to join the detective who was placing his phone in his jacket pocket. He gave her a reprimanding look that made his hazel eyes crinkle up at the corners and motioned her outside.

  “What the bloody hell were you doing alone with that guy? He could be very dangerous.” Sands waited until they were a several feet away from the building before speaking. Callie was surprised to see that Sands looked a bit shaken. “I’d prefer not to have to Taser any suspects today, thank you very much.”

  “I didn’t mean any harm. Anyway, I thought I was the one you suspected.”

  Sands raised his eyebrows. “True. But as I told you before, everyone is a suspect until further notice.”

  “I’m trying to help, not that you seem to think so,” Callie insisted. “For example, look what I have for you.” She proffered the iPad to Detective Sands. “I think this belonged to Drew. The Chef gave it to me just now.”

  “What?” Sands’ eyes blazed. “Just now?”

  “Yes. And he said he’s been selling things off from Drew’s restaurant to recoup his pay. He claims that Drew hadn’t paid him for two months.”

  “Oh, he’s been selling off Drew’s goods has he?” Sands fumed. “I’ve got to go back and talk to him. But I need to trust you to leave and not come back. I mean it. I don’t want to see you snooping around anymore. Searching for a spare key? Nice try. You don’t fool me for a minute. Understand?”

  “Yes,” Callie said. “But I gave you some valuable evidence. So I can’t be all bad.”

  “That remains to be seen,” Sands said gruffly. “Now I’ve got to talk to that Chef and you’ve got to walk away from here. Got it?”

  “You bet,” Callie answered. Sands gave her one last stern look and then turned back towards the bistro. Johan was outside, locking up and muttering to himself.

  “I’d like another word, please,” Callie overheard Sands say, as he approached Johan.

  “Well that’s just great!” Johan cried. Callie scurried down the street and didn’t look back.

  Garden Street was buzzing with the usual amount of tourists and local shoppers. It all looked so normal, as if Drew hadn’t been murdered and Callie wasn’t a suspect. If only.

  Just then, an eerie feeling of being watched prickled the back of Callie’s neck. She told herself not to be so spooked. Her sudden chill was no doubt due to a brisk breeze blowing through Crystal Bay, letting everyone know that summer was officially on its way to becoming a distant memory.

  As Callie headed back to work to pick up her car, she passed Minette’s Chocolates, still with its “Going Out of Business” sign. Jeff was inside, alone, diligently polishing display cases. He didn’t notice her.

  Callie realized that she’d forgotten to tell Sands about the Kitty note in Drew’s book. If she was going display a cooperative attitude, she’d have to let him know about that right away. Put it on the to-do list with everything else.

  * * *

  Despite the tragic events of the last few days, the tone at home was lively that evening. As it had so many times before, the combination of George, Viv, Olivia and Koukla warmed up the room. Callie found that she could hardly hear herself think in the din created by George telling stories about the Olympia and filling drink orders, Viv exclaiming with Olivia over her granddaughter’s latest school exploits and Koukla barking at a neighbor’s Great Dane who was taking his nightly walk past her home.

  Callie couldn’t help but wonder what was on the iPad she’d given to the detective. Would he find information that would clear her…or further implicate her? Unpleasant waves of anxiety washed over her. When she’d called to invite them to dinner, she’d told George and Viv about the seizure of her knives and her cell phone, so at least she didn’t have to break that news to them this evening.

  Still, there was a precarious family peace at hand. George had been wild until she’d told him that Samantha was doing what she could to help. Viv was kindly sympathetic but a worried crease had permanently developed above her nose. Callie swallowed the lump in her throat and put on smile for Olivia.

  “Dinner’s ready!” Callie called from the kitchen.

  The group assembled at the table amidst a lot of laughing and joking that helped ease Callie’s heart. Koukla sat patiently by her bowl, situated by the back door of the kitchen. She knew that Callie or most likely, George, would put some tasty scraps there if she gave them puppy dog eyes.

  The food looked good and smelled even better. Greek chicken stew really hit the spot tonight. Swimming in a light but rich tomato sauce with the barest hint of cinnamon and bay leaf, it was Olivia’s favorite dish and one that Callie’s customers clamored for. The idea of adding cinnamon – something most of Callie’s clientele thought suitable only for sweet dishes – was a little odd for some of her customers. However, once they took a bite, Callie’s clients were hooked. Thinking of her once-bustling food business wasn’t going to help her stay cheerful tonight. She decided to put her business woes out of her mind, at least for the duration of the meal.

  Callie passed pita bread around the table and dug into her food. As soon as she began to eat, she realized that the aching pit inside her stomach wasn’t just anxiety and fear – apparently it was hunger, too. The food was making her feel better.

  Callie sipped the white wine that George had brought with him – piney, clean-tasting retsina that went well with the hearty meal. Viv stuck to her white zinfandel, which she drank nightly, under doctor’s orders, of course.

  George smiled across the table at Callie as Olivia told him an elaborate story about one of her friends at school, complete with dramatic hand gestures. Callie decided that this was as good a time as any to let her daughter know that Hugh would be taking her to visit him for a while.

  “Olivia, how would you like to stay with Dad this week?” Callie took another sip of wine and waited.

  Her daughter ripped off a piece of pita bread and stuck it into her mouth. “What about school?” she said.

  “No talking with your mouth full,” Callie admonished, but with a smile. “You’d miss one day. I’ll talk to your teachers. Your dad wants to take you out on his boat for a mini vacation while the weather is still nice.”

  George frowned. He wasn’t one for shirking responsibilities – work or school – but Callie shook her head at him ever so slightly. She waited until Olivia was intent on more bread and then mouthed “Drew” to her father. His forehead slowly unwrinkled as he lost his stern expression. Now, he nodded at his daughter, looking sad.

  “Well, I like to go out on the boat. I always miss something important, though, even when I don’t think there’s anything special going on! Like the time we went to Chicago and I missed the author who came to school with a dog. ”

  Callie tried not to show her exasperation. Olivia had talked about the dog who came to school for over a week. “I k
now you hate to miss any action, sweetheart, but Dad and I agreed that a break might be nice for you. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time.”

  Viv chimed in. “When I was in school, I would have loved to play hooky in the early fall. It’s my favorite time of year, still warm, with the leaves just beginning to turn.”

  Olivia’s eyes sparkled at her mother. “Grandma is right. Fall is my favorite time, too. Tell Dad I’ll go.”

  Callie beamed at her wise grandmother. “Then it’s settled. Why don’t you call Dad after dinner and tell him to pick you up tomorrow after school. You can stay through the weekend.”

  Olivia speared some more chicken with her fork and dunked it in sauce. “Do you think he might take me up to Madison, too?”

  “Ask him. I’m sure he will if he can.” Whew. Once Olivia warmed to a subject, she really warmed to it.

  The rest of the meal passed peacefully, at least outwardly. Koukla finally got her wish when George mixed some un-sauced chicken in with her kibble and then gave her a bite of pita bread. Callie had never known a dog that liked pita bread before Koukla.

  After everyone had eaten their fill of stew and bread and Olivia had eaten half a dozen kourabiethes, Olivia and Viv cleared the table while George ran water in the kitchen sink for the dishes. It was wonderful to have a nice, normal family evening for a change, especially when they cleaned up after themselves so readily.

  Callie checked her mobile phone for the time: 8:00. She had some time before Samantha arrived and she wished she could have some time alone before her friend arrived, to collect her thoughts as much as anything else. As much as she appreciated having the clean-up done by others, Callie decided to boot everybody out of the kitchen. All she wanted to do was lie motionless on the sofa for 10 minutes.

  “Are you sure we can’t finish for you, darling?” Viv asked.

  “No, Grandma. Thanks, though. I’ll probably leave this until a little bit later. Sam’s coming over soon and I just want a few minutes alone. Sorry. I’m just feeling really overtired.”

  “Of course you are, after all you’ve been through! And besides, you work too hard.” Viv shook her finger at her granddaughter. “No sense burning the candle at both ends.”

  Callie shrugged. “I won’t. I don’t think I have much wick left to burn!”

  After making Viv promise she wouldn’t do any more cleaning, Callie went looking for George, who was cooing over Koukla in the living room. “Dad, thanks for coming over. I’m going to rest for a minute before Samantha gets here and then I’ll put Olivia to bed. I’m exhausted.”

  George straightened up and put both of his hands on his daughter’s shoulders. “Are you sure you shouldn’t stay with Samantha or me, just for a while? You might be worried about your own daughter, but you are my daughter and I’m worried about you!”

  “I’ll be fine. Really. But thank you, Dad.” George meant well but he fussed around her like a mother hen. That is, when he wasn’t offering what she called “lectures,” but which he felt were simply normal conversations. In any case, she didn’t want to put him in harm’s way. Sam was a dear friend, but Callie couldn’t imagine living with her for even a few days. Their schedules were completely at odds and besides, Callie felt like she needed the comfort of her own home around her.

  “Just remember, hrisi mou, I’ll be watching you.” George’s eyebrows furrowed into a thick line over his nose as he frowned at his daughter.

  “I know, Dad. I know.” Possibly George’s sentiments weren’t as comforting as he had intended.

  Thirteen

  Finally, with much fanfare, Callie had seen everyone out the door. She’d even handed a container of rice pudding to George, despite his protests. She loved rice pudding as much as her dad but after Jane’s unkind remarks about her weight at Bodies by the Bay the other day, Callie had no appetite for dessert.

  As soon as she’d locked the door behind her and called up to Olivia who yelled back that she was out of the shower and in her room, Callie staggered to the sofa and fell onto it. Her head swam with fatigue and tears filled the corners of her eyes.

  Though she tried very hard to prevent it, Callie’s thoughts turned to the iPad. Who knew what secrets it contained – if any? And why was Chef Johan so quick to unload it? Had he looked at it first? He could have been spooked by what he’d seen there. Not a comforting thought.

  Even worse, what if Johan was the killer and he’d taken it from the crime scene? But if that were the case, why would he give it to Callie? Her heart pounding at this possibility, she realized that while the chef might not be a genius, he probably wasn’t too stupid to do that.

  So much for resting. Callie decided to check on Olivia.

  Her daughter was in her room, combing out her long wet hair with her eyes glued to a book. Kissing her daughter on the top of the head, Callie heard the doorbell ring. She walked tiredly down the stairs and peered through the small window at the top of her door.

  Instead of Samantha’s well-groomed, expertly coiffed personage waiting on her doorstep, it was Detective Sands who stood there, wearing casual clothes instead of his usual suit. He looked different, younger. Callie felt her muscles tense in alarm. What was he doing here?

  For a second, Callie considered ducking down and pretending that she wasn’t at home. Unfortunately, Sands had seen her peering through the small window at the top of her door. He gave her a jaunty wave and Callie had no choice but to let him in.

  “Hello, Detective,” Callie said trying to suppress her worried thoughts. “I’m surprised to see you.” She stepped aside to let him in the house.

  “I’m not here on an official visit, don’t worry,” Sands said. He gave her what appeared to be a genuine-looking smile. Callie noticed that his front tooth was slightly and somewhat charmingly crooked.

  “Oh.” Callie was taken aback. “Just so you know, my attorney is due here any minute so if you have any questions for me, maybe we should wait for her. I don’t know if I should really be talking to you on my own anymore.” She peeked behind him, hoping that Sam was striding up the walkway but no such luck.

  “I understand your concerns. Might we sit down? I’ll explain why I’m here.”

  Callie nodded and stepped back, allowing Sands into her living room. “Have a seat,” she said, gesturing. “Like I said, I do have a friend on her way over and it’s an early day for me tomorrow.” Trying to reel customers back in, that is. But she didn’t share that thought.

  “Of course.” Sands waited before Callie was seated before he sank into her sofa. She chose a nearby chair and tried not to fidget. If he noticed her edginess, he didn’t comment on it.

  Koukla ran from the kitchen and jumped around the floor near the new visitor’s feet. “A Yorkie!” Sands noted cheerfully and patted Koukla’s head. She wagged her tail and then jumped up next to him on the couch looking for more love. Callie just shook her head. Sands continued to pet Koukla while he spoke.

  “Callie, I don’t know if you heard, but there has been another murder attempt. Lucille from the bank was attacked. I believe you know her.”

  Callie exhaled. So, this wasn’t going to be about her knives. “Yes, Lucille is a client of mine. I’m very happy to hear that she will recover.”

  “Yes. Do you know anything about this attack?”

  “No. Just what I’ve overheard.”

  “I understand you are a member at Bodies by the Bay.”

  “Well, I guess you could call me that. I hardly ever go there.” Exhaustion overtook Callie and she blurted out. “You can’t think I had anything to do with this, Detective? Lucille is practically the only client I have left.”

  “Ah,” Sands said, crossing one leg over the other. “Well, just so long as you don’t continue snooping around, I want to thank you for the information on Johan and for the iPad he gave to you.”

  This was so unexpected that for a minute, Callie couldn’t say anything. She didn’t trust Sands, though in other circumstances she would prob
ably have liked him.

  “You’re welcome,” Callie replied. “Any news on that? Or my knives? Or my phone?”

  “I can’t discuss the investigation with you. I can only tell you that it’s proceeding.” Sands leaned forward. “I also want to suggest that you be careful, especially because you do have a young daughter.”

  “Well,” Callie said, and stopped. What did that mean? That he thought she was endangering her daughter with her criminal ways, or that he was not sure if she might be involved anymore? Was that why he showed up at her home? Or did he do that just to unsettle her? She wished she’d paid more attention to Samantha’s stories of crime and police procedure.

  “I almost forgot,” Callie said, determined not to hold anything back. “I found a note when I was at the bistro today. It was inside a cookbook and it said “To Drew: With Love from Kitty.” I don’t have it – I must have left it at the bistro. I would have told you about it then, but Johan giving me Drew’s iPad threw me. And before you ask, I have no idea who “Kitty” is.”

  “How interesting,” Sands replied. “Kitty.” He made a note. “Could it have been another girlfriend? No offense.”

  “It could have been,” Callie admitted. She felt her face grow warm at the possible betrayal. “I just don’t know.”

  Sands stared at her a moment. “OK, another question. How well do you know Lucille?”

  “Not terribly well. She’s a good customer. Most people really like Lucille. Still, it’s fairly well known that she can be something of a gossip.”

  “So it’s possible she may have been sharing some information that could have gotten her into trouble?”

  “At this point, I’m willing to believe that,” Callie answered. “And before you ask, I had nothing to do with this. I wasn’t anywhere near the fitness center at that time – ask anyone.”

  “I plan to,” Sands replied. Wonderful.

  The doorbell chimed.

  “Excuse me,” Callie said, nearly leaping from her chair in her enthusiasm. She collected herself in time to prevent her body from breaking into a full sprint, and opened the door with a queenly grace that was purely for show. Callie couldn’t put her finger on it, but the detective definitely seemed different tonight than he had at the police station. More relaxed, a bit nicer, but still, almost unbearably observant and alert. It put her on her guard.