Chefs, Ceremonies and Crimes

by Cindy Bell

  “I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting company,” she said shyly as she stepped away from the door so that he could move inside. His eyes lingered on her for a moment longer than was courteous.

  “I didn't mean to just pop in,” he said with a grim frown. “I just can't get this case out of my head. I thought maybe we could pick each other’s brains about it.”

  “I'd love to do that,” Wendy nodded. “Let me just go change.”

  “Why?” he asked as he met her eyes. “You look beautiful.”

  Wendy blushed and lowered her eyes. She was sure that he was just being nice.

  “I'll feel better if I do,” she shrugged mildly. “Besides, I thought maybe we could take a walk together on the beach. Maybe, it will help get the mental juices flowing. It always works for me.”

  “Maybe,” Brian agreed, though he looked skeptical.

  “Help yourself to some coffee,” Wendy called out as she headed into her room. As soon as she closed the door she felt as if she was going to swoon. She smiled to herself as she threw on some decent clothes and then ran a comb through her hair. If Brian could call her beautiful first thing in the morning, then he was either blind or the most amazing man she had ever met.

  Again, she found herself questioning whether she was feeling more than Brian could ever feel in return, but there wasn't time to dwell on it. She had to get to the bottom of what had happened to Vic. She also had to make sure that Laura's wedding was perfect. When she walked back out of the bedroom, Brian was studying some of the samples and pictures she had laid out on her desk for Laura's wedding.

  “I had no idea so much thought went into a ceremony,” he said mildly as Wendy walked into the room.

  “Well, it is an important day,” she smiled. He glanced up at her and their eyes met for a brief moment. Wendy felt her heart lift when she saw the corners of his lips tugging upward in a whimsical smile.

  “Ready for that walk?” he asked.

  “I find it's a great way to clear my mind,” Wendy explained as she led him out of the condo.

  “It always gives me a fresh perspective.”

  “I think we could use that with this case,” he said as he tugged his shoes off.

  “I think so, too,” Wendy said stubbornly as she removed her sandals as well. “Because Mark is not guilty.”

  “I don't know if I'd say that,” Brian said just as stubbornly. Wendy shot him a glare of impatience and they both fell into an awkward silence.

  Wendy walked quietly beside Brian as the waves rushed up onto the golden sand. His shoes were hanging from the fingers of his right hand, while his left hand drifted beside hers, almost as if he was pretending to hold it.

  “I hope you don't think I'm doubting you,” he said solemnly, disrupting the rush of the water with his voice. “I just don't want you to get too far ahead of yourself in your belief that Mark is innocent.”

  “I'm not,” she replied as she looked out over the water. “I just don't think it makes sense. If Mark really killed Vic because he wanted a promotion or something silly like that, why would he leave his cookbook and knife behind to point directly at him?”

  “Well, some people don't think things through,” Brian pointed out with a frown.

  “Maybe not, but Mark is no fool. His father is a judge,” she explained. “He's grown up around the justice system. He had to know what the consequences of his actions would be. Why risk that over El Cielo? I’m sure there were plenty of other restaurants he could have gone to that would have given him a head chef position.”

  “I don't know,” Brian admitted. “It doesn't really add up. Unless you look at it from the perspective of a crime of passion. In that case, Mark was in an argument with Vic. He was angry. He wasn't thinking clearly, and he stabbed him to death with his knife.”

  Wendy was silent for a few moments. She did know that when passion was involved it meant reason went out the window. But she still doubted that Mark was capable of such violence.

  “A crime of passion, over what? A recipe book? A messy kitchen?” she shook her head slightly. “I just don't see how that could elevate to a crime of passion. Besides, I overheard the way he was talking about the murder weapon, he loved that knife,” Wendy pointed out. “Why would he risk damaging it by stabbing Vic?”

  “You're still trying to see him as being in a reasonable state,” Brian explained. “He wasn't thinking, he was just angry, he saw red, and he wanted Vic dead.”

  “I don't know,” Wendy sighed. “I guess I just don't see how someone could become that blind.”

  “Passion has two sides,” Brian pointed out. “The same passion that drives someone to love madly can drive someone to kill.”

  Wendy stopped walking and turned to look at Brian. “You can't be serious. That is not the same thing.”

  “I am,” he said firmly and looked back at her with an expression of honesty. “You can't feel that way about a person, without being a little crazy.”

  Wendy bit into her bottom lip. She was a little offended by his words and felt herself distancing herself from him.

  “I suppose some could see it that way,” she said casually as she kicked a shell across the sand.

  “What I mean is, hate can be just as passionate as love,” he explained softly. When she looked up at him he was staring back into her eyes. She was startled by the softness of his gaze.

  “But could Mark really have felt so much hatred for Vic over a kitchen spat?” Wendy questioned. “It wasn't as if they were lovers, or they had a lover in common.”

  “Well, we don't know that for sure, yet,” Brian pointed out as he began to walk along the beach once more. “We'll have to see what connections turn up between the two men. Mark is certainly declaring his innocence. I'm not a fan of anyone doing jail time over a crime that they didn't commit, but there are plenty of criminals that claim vehemently to be innocent. That doesn't make it so,” he sighed and as if it was natural draped an arm around Wendy's shoulders. “I just hope it didn't cause too much trouble for you, having to plan all of this at the last minute.”

  “I thrive under pressure,” Wendy smiled and winked at Brian.

  “Is that so?” he asked and turned towards her. He stepped so close that his breath mingled with her own. He searched her eyes intently, as if he was looking for some signal. Wendy was so shocked by his sudden focused attention that she became flustered. She turned her head away from Brian, despite the fact that all she wanted to do was kiss him, she found it impossible to continue to look into his eyes. Brian laughed softly and hooked his arm through Wendy's. Wendy instantly regretted her shyness. As the waves raced back away from the shore she found her chances of romance retreating right along with them.

  ***

  After Brian walked Wendy back to the condo, his cell phone began to ring.

  “Excuse me a moment, Wendy,” he said as she sat down at her desk. He stepped back out of the condo. She wondered what could be so important that he had to talk to someone privately, but she did her best to let that thought go. With him nearly kissing her on the beach she was feeling more confident about the bond that they shared.

  “I'm sorry, Wendy, but it looks like I'm going to have to go,” he frowned as he met her eyes. “Do you think we could do this again some time?” he asked hopefully.

  “Of course, I would enjoy that,” Wendy replied. The truth was she was fairly disappointed, and very curious. “Is it something about the case?”

  “Something personal,” he frowned and shook his head. “I'll get in touch with you later, okay?”

  “Okay,” Wendy said quietly and watched him leave. She couldn't help but wonder whether that something personal had a name.

  ***

  Although Wendy wished that she could have achieved more clarity with Brian, she had a lot to get done. Luckily, Wendy had managed to secure Sofia’s Restaurant for the reception but she needed a new venue for the ceremony because Sofia’s already had a booking in the afternoon and due to time constr
aints they wouldn’t be able to have the ceremony and be ready for the reception.

  As Wendy headed out on her mission to find a new location for the ceremony, her mind was brimming with the details that were important to Laura. Finding a new location was going to be a mission because it was such late notice and all of her usual choices were already booked. Wendy had a list of five potential locations for the wedding. Each one looked fantastic in the pictures, but she knew that didn't mean they would look the same in reality.

  Wendy frowned as she pulled the car to a stop in front of the first location. It had looked much better in the picture on its website. The quaint wedding garden was overgrown to the point that Laura would have to be okay with a jungle theme if she was to get married there. Wendy didn't bother to park. She pulled back out of the driveway and headed to the next location.

  As she drove she went over in her mind the way the ceremony would play out. Laura and her husband-to-be had chosen to have a celebrant marry them. It was becoming more popular. He was willing to work with whatever Laura and her husband wanted. Wendy had not met him yet as he was just visiting the area. The next location was a tiny space that would require trimming down some of the more lavish requests that Laura had made, but Wendy thought it was worth a look. It was a renovated bed and breakfast right in the middle of town. It was one of the oldest buildings in the area, so that would give it the ambience that Laura was looking for even if it didn't provide the amount of space she had hoped for.

  When Wendy parked the car along the street in order to walk up to the bed and breakfast she noticed something surprising. Brian's car was parked along the street as well. He hadn't said anything about going into town, but of course, he didn't have to give her any explanations as to where he was or wasn’t going.

  Wendy kept her eyes peeled as she walked towards the bed and breakfast. She was hoping to catch sight of Brian and maybe convince him to join her for a late lunch. As she paused outside the door of the bed and breakfast, she swept her gaze once more over the thin crowd of people that were coming and going down the sidewalk. Only when she turned her head in the direction of the small shops across the street did she catch sight of Brian. As soon as she did she wished she hadn't. He was with a young and very blonde woman who had a figure that Wendy wouldn't be able to get without at least minor plastic surgery.

  As Wendy watched, Brian put his hand lightly on the back of the woman's blouse. Wendy felt a strange heat rise within her that reminded her that she was human. She was jealous. She crept a little closer as Brian held open the door to the store for the woman and then watched as the two stepped inside. She had never seen the woman before but that didn't surprise her, the people of Oceanside came and went as they pleased and there were always quite a few tourists.

  She couldn't help but wonder what he was doing with her. Was he shopping with her? Was this his girlfriend? Did he possibly have a wife despite his views on marriage? She had never even asked him if he was single, she didn't want to seem too presumptuous about how he might feel about her. But now that she thought about it, she was sure he wasn't married. Not with the way he spoke of marriage. He had even said once that he preferred to avoid it.

  Still he seemed to be very close to the woman when he walked back out of the store, she had his arm looped through his. She laughed happily and kissed his cheek before taking a small, white bag from him. Of course Wendy had no idea what was inside the bag, but the entire exchange made her feel very tiny. She had been imagining a romance between herself and Brian for so long that she had never even considered that he might already be taken.

  Wendy forced herself to go inside the bed and breakfast. She couldn't let anything, not even her own jealousy distract her from the matter at hand.

  Laura needed her to be on the top of her game right now, and that meant ignoring the fact that Brian was out with another woman. The moment that she stepped into the bed and breakfast she knew that it wasn't going to work. The narrow stairs would never allow a grand entrance. The walls were lined with western brick-a-brack that of course could be taken down, but she couldn't change the wall paper at the last minute. She didn't even bother speaking to the owner. It was not a bad place, but certainly not the place she needed. When she stepped back out she was hoping that she would spot Brian again, but there was no sign of him.

  When Wendy walked back to her car she noticed that his was gone. Her stomach churned as she wondered if the woman was gone with him. She was still feeling out of sorts when she arrived at the next location. It was a spacious auditorium that was used for small concerts and events. It was not a first choice for her, but she thought when she laid eyes on it she might be able to come up with something. As she walked inside and looked from the stage all the way to the back of the auditorium, the possibilities began to multiply in her mind. Sure it looked like a huge empty space that would be impossible to fill, but it could also be a blank slate that she could build from the bottom up to create an identical environment to what she and Laura had first planned.

  Wendy met with the manager of the building to discuss a few details and made a tentative agreement with him to use the space. She would have to let Laura see it to be certain, but she was sure she could do something amazing with the space. When she left she was feeling a little more cheerful but that cheer soon faded as she recalled seeing Brian with the other woman. When she arrived back at the condo she called Laura to go over the details of the location.

  “An auditorium?” Laura said hesitantly.

  “I've tentatively reserved it. I was hoping that you might be able to come take a look at it tomorrow morning,” Wendy explained.

  “Sure, I can do that,” Laura agreed. “I trust you, Wendy, if you see something in this place, I'm sure it will be perfect.”

  As Wendy hung up she wished that she could feel the same way. She felt uneasy. She was uneasy about Mark being in jail when she really thought that he was innocent. She was uneasy about the location she had chosen, and hoped that Laura would see the potential in it that she did. Most of all, although she didn't want to admit it, she was uneasy about seeing Brian with that woman. To take her mind off it she focused her thoughts on exactly how she would decorate the interior of the auditorium. It was the best location for the best price that she was going to find this late in the game.

  Then Wendy contacted the vendors to make sure that there would be no conflict with any of them. As she was hanging up the phone with the last vendor, it began ringing in her hand. She glanced down to see that it was Brian calling. For a moment she hesitated to answer it. She wasn't sure what she would say. Finally, just before the call would be sent to voicemail she picked it up.

  “Hello?” she asked nervously.

  “Can I bring you some pizza?” Brian asked. His playful tone and exuberant attitude made Wendy relax almost immediately. It reminded her that Brian was her friend first despite any confusion of romantic feelings.

  “Do you come with it?” Wendy teased with a short, shy laugh.

  “Absolutely,” she could hear the smile in his voice. “Hot and cheesy, as always.”

  “Cheesy for sure,” Wendy mumbled with a giggle. “Come by any time, I'm home.”

  “Great, see you soon,” he replied before hanging up the phone.

  Chapter Five

  Wendy freshened up and then straightened up the papers she had spread out across her desk. When she heard the doorbell ring she walked over and opened the door. Brian was standing on the other side with a pizza and a smile.

  “Did you order this, ma'am?” he asked with a light wink as he stepped inside. Now, that Wendy was seeing him in person, it reminded her of seeing him with that woman earlier in the day.

  “Hi,” she said lamely and closed the door behind him.

  “You okay, Wendy?” he asked as he caught her eye.

  “Just working out the kinks of the wedding,” Wendy explained. He studied her for a long moment.

  “Did you find a place?” he asked.
>
  “I think so,” Wendy nodded and gestured to the table as she was sure his hands were getting burned by the hot box.

  “Something you said made me curious,” Brian explained as he set the pizza down on the dining room table.

  “Oh?” Wendy looked up at him inquiringly as she retrieved some paper plates for them to use.

  “You mentioned that Mark's father was a judge,” he said and opened up the pizza box. “Here, take the first slice,” he said as he stepped back to allow her room to get to the pizza. Wendy smiled a little and selected a slice. Brian was such a gentleman in small ways. She noticed each little way he showed it.

  “He is, at least that's what Javier said,” Wendy nodded as she set the pizza on her plate. Brian pulled out her chair for her and waited until she was sitting before he got his own slice of pizza. When he sat down next to her, his arm brushed slightly along hers. She had to close her eyes for a moment to hide the impact that casual touch had on her.

  “Well, I started thinking about that. It does seem pretty strange that Mark would commit such a crime and leave so much evidence behind. Then I started to consider, what if that evidence was left there intentionally,” he took a bite of his pizza.

  “Why would Mark leave the evidence intentionally?” Wendy asked as she handed him a can of soda. “Oh wait, you mean someone else might have left the evidence to make it look like Mark was guilty? Someone framed him?” her eyes widened at the thought.

  “It sounds outlandish I know,” he shrugged and leaned back in his chair. “But so does Mark leaving his own knife and cookbook laying right beside the man he had just murdered.”

  “That's true,” Wendy nodded and narrowed her eyes. “But who would want to frame Mark? I mean, he has a modest income, rents his apartment, and doesn't even own his car. I don't think someone is trying to blackmail him.”

  “Not him, no,” Brian said and snatched up a napkin. “But his father on the other hand, could be a target. I looked into his record and he is known for being particularly harsh.”