Fry Another Day

by J. J. Cook

  Shut Up and Eat’s prize for winning second place in the Birmingham challenge was a new deep fryer. Bobbie and her daughter graciously thanked everyone.

  Patrick was grinning. “Okay, folks! We have our finalists in the Sweet Magnolia Food Truck Race. Girls, will you light up the board?”

  The electronic board had to be prodded a little, but it finally came up with the names of the two finalists.

  “Biscuit Bowl is on top!” Ollie yelled and did fist pumps in the air.

  “That’s right!” Patrick pointed at him. “The Biscuit Bowl from Mobile, Alabama, is number one. And since Shut Up and Eat from Charleston, South Carolina, wore their bikinis, they are our runner-up. Sorry about that, Grinch’s Ganache and Stick It Here. Let’s give them a round of applause for jumping back into the race even though they ended up losing.”

  We all applauded. Some of the men clapped Dante on the back and shook hands with him. He didn’t seem to be a good loser like the others had tried to be, letting his disappointment and anger show.

  “Only two teams left.” Patrick faced the TV camera, his voice dramatic. He might have been announcing the end of the world with the serious expression on his face. “Shut Up and Eat will go head-to-head with Mobile’s own Biscuit Bowl right in their home port. The prizes are bigger, and so are tomorrow’s final challenges. Don’t miss a moment of the Sweet Magnolia Food Truck Race finale!”

  As soon as he’d finished speaking, the assistants began taking everything apart. The trucks would move on, and the race would continue with the Biscuit Bowl in the lead.

  “You know, I almost think we might win this race,” I said to Chef Art.

  “Zoe, we are gonna win tomorrow. Just you wait and see.”

  Everything in the Biscuit Bowl was tied down or locked up, and we were ready to go. Everyone took their turns in the cool-down tent dressing room to change out of their bikinis. What a relief!

  Miguel didn’t want to leave Birmingham without making sure Tina was all right. I didn’t want to leave without him. We decided to go to the hospital.

  “If it’s all the same to you, Zoe,” Uncle Saul said, “I’d just as soon go on home and check on Alabaster—and a certain wildlife officer I’ve missed. I can drive the food truck and take Crème Brûlée with me, if that would make it easier. This will give me a chance to think about what we should serve tomorrow for our race-winning biscuit bowls, too. It’s gotta be something amazing since we’re gonna be home. Text or call me if you have any ideas.”

  That was fine with me. I gave him, and Crème Brûlée, a kiss.

  “You be a good boy,” I said to my sometimes-wayward cat. “You don’t want Alabaster to eat you!”

  He turned up his nose and ignored me, obviously disgusted with the whole affair. I rubbed his tummy, and he pushed at me with his soft paws.

  “It’s going to be good to be home,” I told him as I strapped him into the truck seat. “I’ll make you something really special for dinner after the race.”

  He wasn’t impressed. Uncle Saul got into the food truck. I waved to him as he drove away from Birmingham.

  Delia winked as I got into the front seat of Miguel’s car with him. She and Ollie were in the backseat. I didn’t know if Tina would be leaving Birmingham with us or not. If she was, she was going to have to sit in the back with Ollie and Delia. I was seriously tired of her falling all over Miguel. Where did she actually live anyway? Maybe she could go there, or to Florida with her mother.

  – – – – – – –

  We got to the hospital. Miguel went to see if Tina had been admitted. Ollie went with him. Delia and I went to the floor where Helms was recovering.

  “It’s nice of you to go and see this woman, even though she and her partner have been a pain in the butt,” Delia said when we were in the elevator.

  “She’s been all right. She’s just doing her job. I feel bad that she had something important to tell me after she was shot and I couldn’t understand her. I hope she and Marsh can figure it all out.”

  “Like I said,” Delia drawled, “mighty nice.”

  The elevator chimed and we got off. I started toward the nurses’ station to ask about Helms. There was no sign of Marsh or anyone else waiting to see her. I supposed Marsh had to work even though she was hurt, and her family probably hadn’t arrived yet.

  “I’d like to see Detective Macey Helms, please.”

  “Are you a member of the family?” the nurse asked me.

  “No, but I was with her when she was brought in.”

  Dark eyes in a chocolate brown face narrowed. “She isn’t allowed visitors right now, except family. Sorry.”

  I opened my mouth to argue the point, and an alarm went off. People started running past me.

  One of them was Detective Marsh. “Someone tried to get into Helms’s room,” he yelled. “I think he wanted to finish what he started.”

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  “How is that possible in a hospital?” I yelled after him. “Where’s security?”

  “We should get out of here.” Delia glanced nervously around us. “It could be dangerous, Zoe.”

  “No! We have to find out what happened. Didn’t they have a police officer protecting her?”

  The nurse at the desk heaved herself out of the chair. “We don’t need anyone to protect our patients. We have the best security in the world.”

  “It sounds like it,” I muttered before following Marsh.

  “I’m going to find Miguel and Ollie,” Delia said. “Watch your back, Zoe.”

  I walked quickly down the hall, looking for Marsh. Everyone else was running down the hall toward the exit.

  The door to one room was open. I saw Marsh standing in there and went in to see what he was doing.

  “Zoe.” He glanced at me and then back at his partner. “Macey’s safe, thank goodness. I’d like to know what she found out that made her a target.”

  “Me, too.”

  “You couldn’t understand anything that she was trying to tell you after she was shot?”

  “She only said that she had information about what had happened. It had to be important. She almost died trying to get to me.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know why she didn’t call me. I don’t even know where she was when she was shot. The police couldn’t find a crime scene.”

  “I don’t know. What happened up here?”

  “I had to go to the bathroom. Someone walked in, pretty as you please, and cut the lines to her IV while I was gone. A nurse saw it and started screaming. Everything went crazy after that.”

  “Did the nurse see the person who did it?”

  “I don’t know, Zoe. I stayed right here next to Macey.” He scratched his head. “The last few days have been like a circus. I don’t know what’s going on—except that a good friend of mine is dead and someone tried to kill Macey. How that goes together is anyone’s guess.”

  I went over and held Macey’s hand. It was cool to the touch. She didn’t move. They’d already replaced her IV lines. She was lucky the nurse came in when she did.

  “Now what?” I asked Marsh.

  “The Birmingham police said they’ll keep an eye on her—at least until her family can have her moved back to Charlotte. I’m going to head back home, too. The chief says he’s sending someone else out with ‘fresh eyes’ to take a look, whatever that means.”

  “But they’ll lose all your experience with the case.”

  He shrugged. “We haven’t been doing all that well with it. Frankly, I’m ready to call it a day.”

  I studied Macey’s face, willing her to open her eyes and tell us what she’d found. It didn’t happen, and the doctor and two nurses came in to shoo us both out.

  “Well, I’m going on to Mobile,” I said to Marsh in the hall. “Please let me know what happens. I’d like t
o see Helms when she wakes up.”

  “I will. Thanks, Zoe.”

  As I turned to walk away, he said, “You know, at first I thought it was you. McSwain died right after he talked to you. You were involved with the race. It seemed possible.”

  “I guess you changed your mind.”

  “About you,” he agreed. “Not about Miguel Alexander and his girlfriend. I’d expect a call from the police in Mobile when you get there.”

  That was thrilling news—nothing like having to deal with police in four different states. I wasn’t expecting that as part of the food truck race.

  I found Miguel with Ollie and Delia. Tina had been treated and released. She’d been waiting at the front of the hospital, trusting that Miguel would come and get her.

  We bundled back into the Mercedes. Tina tried to call shotgun. I edged her out. I try to be a nice person, but that wasn’t going to happen. She sat beside Ollie and Delia with great reluctance. I could tell it wasn’t going to be a fun trip home. At least Mobile wasn’t far away.

  All I could think about was Helms, and the information she may have almost died twice for. What did McSwain’s and Alex’s deaths have in common? How did they relate to Reggie’s death?

  “It had to be the same person that Alex was talking to on the phone that first day behind his RV.”

  I realized that I’d spoken out loud. Everyone in the car was immediately quiet. I had no idea if there was a conversation that I’d interrupted.

  “What did you say?” Ollie asked.

  “I was thinking that McSwain was killed in Charlotte because he went to talk to Alex about the phone call I’d overheard. The man who was talking to Alex was the killer.”

  Delia sighed and closed her compact mirror. “What does that even mean, Zoe?”

  “It means that what Zoe overheard got McSwain killed,” Miguel clarified.

  “But you said you didn’t really overhear anything that made sense,” Ollie added.

  “Well, it was a little disjointed. I was sure that Alex was talking about being responsible for what had happened to Reggie. He sounded like there was more to come.”

  “The more-to-come part came true,” Ollie said. “But I don’t think Alex was standing there planning his own death.”

  “I’m sure he wasn’t. But what if all the disruptions in the race were meant to cover up Alex’s death?” I looked at Miguel. “This whole thing has been a setup from the beginning.”

  I reminded everyone how the police had somehow been tipped off about Tina and Miguel. “She gave him money to defend her against Alex, who wanted to take everything from her.”

  “Which I didn’t ask for,” Miguel reminded Tina. “And I don’t plan to keep. It was only supposed to be filing fees.”

  “You’ve always been so good to me,” Tina declared. “I knew you would help me if I asked. Alex had a really good attorney, and I was too emotional to fight him. You were one of the best courtroom lawyers in our class.”

  “Wow,” Ollie said. “I knew he was good when he got me off of that burglary charge.”

  “Thanks,” Miguel said. “But what’s your point, Zoe? How is that related to Alex being killed?”

  “Okay.” I got ready to explain. “Alex, and the man he was talking to that first day, were planning to kill Tina. They were going to use all the mayhem from the race, and Reggie’s death, to disguise her murder.”

  “He knew I was there.” Tina nodded. “It’s possible he was just tired of fighting and knew I’d eventually win.”

  “When McSwain confronted Alex, his partner—probably a paid killer—was there and realized that McSwain was a liability. How could they do what they wanted with him hanging around waiting for something to happen?”

  “Let’s say that happened,” Miguel said. “How did Alex end up being the one who was killed instead of Tina?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe they had a disagreement. Maybe the killer wanted more money. There was some mention of money in the RV before Alex was killed.”

  “Why would the killer still be coming after me?” Tina asked in a whiny voice.

  “I don’t know that, either. It seems like it would have been over with Alex’s death.”

  “Maybe it was for the honor.” Ollie glanced at us. “You know, he wanted to finish the job so people didn’t think he couldn’t pull it off.”

  “I’ve never known a professional killer,” Delia said. “Is that how they are?”

  Ollie cleared his throat and sat back against the seat, his head almost touching the ceiling. “I don’t know. I’m just guessing. It’s not like I know any professional killers—at least not right now.”

  “I shouldn’t go to Mobile.” Tina started crying again. “I’m probably doing exactly what the killer wants me to do. Let me out here, Miguel. I’ll walk to the nearest bus stop.”

  “We’re only a few minutes outside the city,” he reasoned. “I’ll take you somewhere safe. At least talk to the police in Mobile first. We might still be able to sort this whole thing out.”

  Tina sat forward and pressed herself against his shoulder—again. “You always know the right thing to do.”

  I gave Delia a disgusted look that she returned. Ollie laughed out loud before he clamped a big hand over his mouth.

  “It’s going to be fine,” Miguel told Tina. “It’s all going to work out.”

  “That may or may not be true,” I muttered under my breath.

  Miguel managed a quick smile at me. “What did you say, Zoe?”

  “Nothing. Just thinking ahead to the last part of the race.” I smiled brightly at him.

  He smiled back, not a clue.

  “We better start figuring this out before the killer finishes his job and gets rid of Tina,” Ollie said. “Once he’s gone, the police probably won’t be able to find him.”

  Tina made a slightly strangled cry.

  “If there is a killer on Tina’s trail,” Delia added, “he probably won’t stop until she’s dead. Bless her heart.”

  I smiled but kept my thoughts to myself.

  It was wonderful when we finally rolled into Mobile. I love my hometown, and I was looking forward to clean clothes and staying in my own place, such as it was. Whoever it was that said, “Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home,” had to know circumstances like mine.

  Delia was staying with me since she had to give up her apartment after she’d lost her job. Ollie was still living at the homeless shelter two doors down. What I could pay either one of them wasn’t enough to have their own places. I hoped it would get better soon, but there were no guarantees.

  Miguel pulled the Mercedes smoothly into the rutted and overgrown parking lot for the old shopping center where my diner was located. He got out as we did. Tina stayed in the car.

  “Back where we started from,” he said with a smile.

  “Almost. A little better off, I think.” I couldn’t resist putting my arms around him and giving him a big kiss. I knew Tina was watching from the car. That wasn’t the only reason I did it, but it was one of them.

  “That part is a lot better.” His arms were around me. “What are you doing for dinner tonight?”

  I sighed. “I still have to go to the race dinner and see what we have to do tomorrow.”

  “Yeah. That’s right. I’d almost forgotten. Where are they having the dinner?”

  “At Chef Art’s mansion, Woodlands. He invited everyone to stay there, too. You know how he likes to show off his place.”

  “I’ll be there. Six P.M.?”

  “Yep. You could pick me up, if you don’t mind. Uncle Saul has the Biscuit Bowl. I’m not sure when he’s going to be back.”

  “I’d like that. I can’t wait to see what they want you to do for the finale. Whatever it is, it probably won’t be as good as seeing you in that red bi
kini.”

  I smiled, and he kissed me again.

  “Hey, can I get a ride, too?” Ollie yelled from across the parking lot.

  “Me, too.” Delia was waiting for me to open the door to the old diner.

  “He’s got big ears,” I told Miguel.

  “I heard that,” Ollie shouted.

  “I’ll see you tonight.” Miguel laughed.

  I kissed him again, with one eye on Tina’s face. “I can’t wait.”

  – – – – – – –

  It was good to be home. The diner was a little decrepit, but it was mine. I could still look at it and see all my big dreams coming true. Someday, I planned to be as famous as Chef Art. People would come from all over the world to eat my food. The dream kept me going. If I won the fifty-thousand-dollar grand prize for the race, I’d be a step closer to that dream.

  “If you win the money,” Delia asked, painting her toenails, “will you still run the food truck?”

  “I don’t know. I suppose it would all depend on whether or not that’s enough to remodel everything here—and still have money to live on until the customers come to find me.”

  I wasn’t crazy, despite what my mother, some friends, and my ex-boyfriend thought. Word of mouth for a good meal was essential, but so was having an advertising budget and being able to buy more food. I knew restaurants closed more frequently than any other small business. I’d worked at a bank for years. I was aware of the odds.

  Still, most people didn’t think I’d come this far. When I’d given up that other life of watching food shows on TV and started making real food for real people, I’d been determined to reach my goal. The food truck had already played a big part in my plan. Even with the fifty thousand dollars—only half of which would be left after taxes—I’d still have a long way to go.

  We were sitting on the stools by the remodeled bar, next to the cooking area in the diner. The four booths were like traps when you sat on them. They sank down so low under the tables—it was almost impossible to get up. We were relaxing and talking about the last few days as I worked on my shopping list for the next day. I hadn’t heard from Uncle Saul yet, but I knew the basics of what would be needed for the last day.