Chefs, Ceremonies and Crimes

by Cindy Bell

“Why is it that I have to be here?” Kyle was asking Laura impatiently. “I already tested out the audio where we are holding the ceremony. I really don't need to do any of that here.”

  “Trust me, if Wendy says you need to be somewhere, then you have to be there,” Laura said with confidence. It both bolstered Wendy's ego and broke her heart to hear those words. She knew that Laura deserved so much better than what was about to happen.

  “Hello,” she called out to the two of them. They both turned to look at Wendy at the same time. If Kyle had any clue about her suspicions he didn't show it in his expression.

  “We're here,” Kyle said with a slight frown. “But I can't stay long.”

  “I can't believe that you've pulled all of this together so quickly,” Laura said with a smile of relief.

  “It's your big day, Laura,” Wendy smiled. “I know how important it is to you. It's a special moment, that no one should use for their own personal gain,” she added as she looked sternly at Kyle.

  “What do you mean, Wendy?” Laura asked curiously.

  “I just mean that if someone were to be part of your ceremony I would hope that they are there because of how much they care about you, and want to be part of the celebration of your marriage.”

  “I think that's true,” Laura nodded, though her smile had faded into a confused frown. “That's why I've asked only my closest friends to be part of it.”

  “Oh? Have you known Kyle long?” Wendy asked with a slight nod in his direction. Kyle had walked off with his cell phone pressed to his ear.

  “Actually no,” Laura laughed. “Kyle coming along right when we needed him was a big surprise.”

  “What do you mean a big surprise?” Wendy asked.

  “Well, I was looking for someone to perform the wedding. I had a few ideas but the scheduling was conflicting, and then luckily Jules, the head waitress at El Cielo, mentioned that someone named Kyle had called her asking to be added to the list of celebrants that are willing to perform ceremonies at El Cielo as he was planning on visiting the area for a while. She said he sent through some great testimonials. I really couldn’t believe my luck.”

  “You didn't find it strange that he was so willing to do the wedding?” Wendy asked, her eyes narrowing.

  “No, it seemed to be a win-win situation. Why is there something about it that I should be concerned about?” she searched Wendy's eyes.

  “I don't know,” Wendy replied with honesty. “The important thing is that the wedding is all set. We have everything confirmed. Won't this place be perfect for the reception?” she asked.

  “It looks like it will work,” Laura nodded. “I don't know how people will feel about having to change locations, but we will make it work.”

  “It will be fine,” Wendy promised her, though her gaze had wandered back to Kyle who was walking towards them.

  “I need to get going,” he said firmly. “What exactly do you need from me?”

  “Nothing,” Wendy replied as she locked eyes with him. “I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I was hoping you'd have some suggestions for the transition between the ceremony and the reception.”

  “Ah well, I'm sure anything will work. I'll come up with something,” he nodded.

  “You know, Kyle, I'd love to have the chance to get to know you better,” Wendy said boldly. “Do you think we could meet later?”

  “Oh, uh,” Kyle glanced from Wendy to Laura and back to Wendy again. “You mean to discuss the wedding?”

  “No,” Wendy said firmly. “Just to get to know you. I know it's a little forward of me, but since you'll only be in town for a short time, I was hoping that you might agree.”

  Kyle continued to study her. He looked skeptical. Wendy offered what she hoped was her most endearing smile.

  “All right,” he nodded a little. “I'd like that. Laura would you mind giving Wendy my number? I really do have to go.”

  “Of course,” Laura said with a small smile. When Kyle walked away, Laura turned back to Wendy. “Now, I see why you wanted to know so much about Kyle. Here I thought you were involved with that PI, but I guess I was wrong,” she giggled nervously. “I think it's wonderful that my wedding might cause a love connection.”

  “Yes, a love connection indeed,” Wendy replied, her voice even and each word calculated. She was going to find out all she needed to know from Kyle even if it meant being alone with a murderer to do so.

  Chapter Eight

  After going over the final details of the wedding for the hundredth time, Wendy finally texted Kyle. She invited him to meet her at the pier. He replied and agreed, causing a shiver of fear and excitement to course through Wendy. She returned to the condo to get prepared for the meeting. She dialed Brian's number again. Once more it went straight to voicemail. She was sure that she had the right number. But she still didn't leave a message. As she paced back and forth in her condo she wondered how she was going to get Brian to believe her hunch. Her suspicions were clear to her, but he might doubt her.

  Wendy frowned as she glanced at her watch. With Laura's wedding looming and her main suspect being the celebrant of that wedding, Wendy had a real problem. If she was wrong and she accused Kyle, it might ruin Laura's already difficult celebration. She couldn't imagine what that would do to Laura. But if she was right and she allowed the wedding to go ahead, then Laura would always remember being married by a murderer, and she might never be able to look back at her wedding with fondness.

  She sighed as she glanced at her phone again. No texts, and no calls. She was getting frustrated and impatient. She knew where Kyle was staying, she knew his phone number. She didn't really have to wait for Brian. Even if she did she would have to explain things and coerce him into agreeing with her before she could even begin to plan how to get Kyle to confess to his crime. Because she was sure that would be what it would take in order to get Mark out of jail. Without Kyle's confession it would be very difficult to prove that he was responsible for Vic's murder.

  “Enough,” Wendy stated to the empty living room. “I can do this. I don't need to wait for anyone's help.”

  As she began planning her encounter with Kyle she tried to think of the safest way to confront him about the suspicions she had. The location was important of course, and the pier would be ideal. There would be other people around, but they would be busy with their own activities so it would be private enough for her to question Kyle. Feeling confident she texted the place she intended to meet Kyle to Brian in case he ever decided to answer his phone. She couldn't help but wonder if it was because he was with that beautiful woman she had seen him with. She knew that nothing had been established between them, but it still broke her heart to think of him in the arms of another woman.

  There wasn't room in her mind right now for heartbreak, too, she had to find out the truth about Kyle. She left her purse and just tucked her wallet and keys into her pocket. She pulled on a pair of comfortable flip flops to match her khaki shorts and sleeveless, blue top. No matter how casually she dressed she knew that this was no casual meeting. She was going to be face to face with the man she believed killed Vic Kail. Yet, she still didn't fully understand why.

  ***

  As Wendy drove towards the pier she kept checking her phone for any contact from Brian. Not receiving any she growled under her breath. Every time she started to believe that there was something real between them, she would be knocked right back into reality. Brian was being kind to her, as a friend. She was sure that he was not looking for anything more from her. She was just terrible at reading signals.

  The pier was bustling with activity as she expected it to be. Kyle had agreed to meet her by the hot dog stand on the north side so that they could share a quick bite. Wendy knew it was one of the most well-lit areas of the pier and also had small tables that they could sit down at to eat and talk privately. As she parked her car and fed the meter her heart began to pound harder. She was about to meet with a man she was certain was a killer. She felt a little u
neasy, but also a little excited. She wanted to get revenge for Vic, for Javier, and most of all for Laura who would never be the same after all of this. She might feel a little more secure if Brian would pick up his phone.

  “Wendy!” Kyle called out from the edge of the wooden slats that made up a ramp that led up to the pier.

  “Glad you could make it,” she said as she walked up to him. He had such a charming smile.

  “I am, too,” he said with warmth. “I have to be honest, I was surprised when you invited me out, but I'm glad that you did. Sometimes, I blow through towns so quickly I forget to stop and actually get to know the people that I run across.”

  “Looks like we'll have plenty of opportunity to do that,” Wendy smiled as they walked across the pier. “So, please tell me something about your travels. What is your favorite place to visit?”

  “I'd say anywhere under the water,” he laughed. “I can't pick just one place. It's more like the environment. I love being around coral reefs, exploring the truest artwork of nature.”

  “That sounds amazing,” Wendy encouraged him to continue with a slight nod.

  “Oh, yes it's fascinating,” he smiled at that and his eyes grew distant. “There is something so amazing about being under the water. It's like being disconnected from the world, and reunited with an amazing universe of color and creatures.”

  “Sounds wonderful,” Wendy smiled. She struggled to keep her eyes from narrowing and her stomach from twisting. She needed to play the part, at least for the moment. “Do you find it difficult to be connected with the surface world?” she asked, hoping to get him to reveal a little more of himself.

  “It's not difficult exactly,” Kyle replied coolly. “Just disappointing.”

  “That's an interesting perspective,” Wendy said quietly. A silence formed between them, billowing the longer it lasted.

  “Hot dog?” Kyle asked as he walked up to the stand.

  “Yes, I think I'll have one with mustard,” Wendy replied as she stepped up beside him, relieved to have something to break the silence. As Kyle ordered both of their hot dogs and pulled out his wallet to pay for it, Wendy realized that he might just be considering this a date. She hadn't really thought about that before. It always took her by surprise if a man showed interest in her.

  “Thank you,” she said shyly as he handed her a hot dog and a drink to go with it. “Let's sit over here,” she suggested and nodded her head towards an isolated table.

  “Perfect,” he agreed and followed after her. Wendy couldn't deny that Kyle was handsome. She hadn't really paid much attention to it before as she simply wasn't interested, but now that she looked at him in the glow of the pier lights she could easily see how he could be charming and attractive. If he wasn't a killer, of course. “I'm so glad you called,” Kyle said warmly. His nature made it seem impossible for him to be guilty, but Wendy knew better. Some very deceitful people come in beautiful packages.

  “Me, too,” she said calmly as she looked into his eyes. “After everything that's happened, I just wanted someone to talk to.”

  “Well, I'm here,” he smiled. “Although, I'd rather talk about much more pleasant things.”

  “I understand, stumbling across a brilliant chef dead in his own kitchen, isn't pleasant,” Wendy nodded and took a bite of her hot dog. She pretended not to be watching how he reacted to her words. She noticed a flicker of a grimace cross his face.

  “The only positive thing about it is that they have already found the killer. At least Vic's family will get some justice,” his eyes darkened at those words. Wendy thought the term justice was an interesting choice considering what she suspected about Kyle.

  “Well,” Wendy sat back in her chair and crossed her legs. “I guess I'm just not so sure about that. You know.”

  “I don't know,” he replied his eyes narrowing slightly. “Do you know something I don't?”

  “It's not so much that I know,” Wendy took another bite of her hot dog, she wanted him to sweat a little over what she might know. “It's more like, I suspect.”

  “Suspect what?” Kyle laughed as he sat back in his chair. He left his hot dog untouched. “What is there to think about? The knife and the cookbook both had his name, didn't they?”

  Wendy felt her heart sink. She had been suspecting him, but now she knew for certain. She tried to disguise the fear that rose within her by lowering her eyes and nervously taking another bite of her hot dog. His words hung in the air between them. “I mean, that's what I heard.”

  “Heard from whom?” Wendy asked, still trying to act as casually as possible.

  “Oh, you know, people talk,” he shrugged and finally remembered that he had a hot dog to eat. He took a half-hearted bite of it, while keeping his eyes focused right on Wendy.

  “Sure, especially about something like this,” Wendy agreed as she glanced out over the water.

  “It's a beautiful night,” Kyle said quietly. “What do you say we take a walk along the pier?”

  Wendy glanced over at him apprehensively. She didn't want to take a walk with him. She wanted to get as far away from him as possible, but she knew that without a confession all of her efforts weren't going to make any difference.

  “Sure,” she smiled and finished the last bite of her hot dog. While Kyle polished off his, Wendy sipped at her soda. She didn't need more fizz in her belly considering it was already twisted in knots over her certainty that Kyle was the killer. The police wouldn't have released that kind of information to him. She had never told Laura about it either, so there was no chance that he would have found out through her or anyone else in the wedding party. It was yet another confirmation that only the killer would know what evidence was planted to frame Mark. As she wiped her mouth with a napkin and gathered the garbage from her hot dog, she could feel Kyle's eyes on her. The only thing she didn't know was whether he knew, she knew. That made things even riskier.

  “Here let me get that,” he said and took the garbage from her hands. When he did she noticed the faint wounds on his hands yet again. She strongly suspected that they were cuts sustained during the attack. This left little room for doubt in her mind that he was the murderer. She stood up from the table as he returned and they walked along the pier. At first it was a casual stroll, but the further along the pier they walked the less people surrounded them. Wendy began to feel uneasy again. She decided to engage Kyle in some friendly banter so that he wouldn't be suspicious.

  “So, after Laura's wedding will you be heading back south?” she asked. “Back to the water you love so much?”

  “Maybe,” he smiled a little. “Maybe not. I like to leave things wide open. It makes for a much more interesting life.”

  “I bet you do,” Wendy replied with a small smile. “Do you serve at weddings often?”

  “Not particularly. I thought it was a good opportunity seen as I was visiting the area,” he said quietly. They were nearing the end of the pier, a desolate area that had once housed a bait and tackle shop, which was now boarded up.

  “Maybe we should go back,” Wendy said with a shrug. “Not much to see down here.”

  “Oh, but we'll have a chance to talk, alone,” Kyle pointed out and a heat that she could not define grew in his eyes. It did not seem terribly romantic.

  “I'm getting tired,” Wendy said calmly and started to turn back to the more populated area of the pier.

  “Why don't you just say it?” Kyle asked from a few steps behind her. The cold tone of his voice made Wendy cringe. She paused where she stood.

  “Say what?” she asked with fear evident in her voice.

  “You're not interested in me,” he said as he crossed the last few steps towards her. “So, that makes me wonder, why did you invite me out here, Wendy?”

  Wendy started walking towards the lights of the hot dog stand. Kyle caught her arm with a firm grip. “Are you going to answer me, Wendy?” he asked grimly. “What's going on in that head of yours?”

  “Kyle, you'
re scaring me,” Wendy said as she looked up into his eyes. She was still trying to play ignorant of his murderous nature.

  “What reason could you have to be scared of me, Wendy?” he asked, his voice thick with threat rather than curiosity.

  “Kyle, let me go,” Wendy said quickly, her heart racing.

  “You brought me here under false pretenses, didn't you?” Kyle asked his grip tightening on her arm to the point that she could feel bruises beginning to form. “You tried to lure me in, to confuse and manipulate me, and now you think I'm going to let you go?”

  “Kyle, why are you acting like this?” Wendy asked innocently.

  “You know very well why. Luckily, you're the only one who knows,” he smiled slowly. “Let's find somewhere more private to talk, shall we?”

  “I don't think so,” Wendy said gruffly and tried to free her arm from his grasp.

  “Wendy, if you scream, things are going to be far worse,” he warned. Wendy didn't give him a chance to show her how much worse they could get. Instead she stomped her foot hard on the top of his shoe. Kyle gasped out with surprise, making it clear that he was not expecting a fight. His hand left her arm in order to clench in pain. Wendy bolted the moment she felt freedom. She was so panicked that she didn't make it far. She knew there was too much distance between herself and the well-lit areas to get anyone's attention.

  Kyle would overpower her before she even had much of a chance to run. So, instead she ducked into the abandoned building. She hoped that it would be dark enough that she could slip out through the other side before he noticed. She could hear his footsteps swiftly approaching from behind her even as she tried to find a way out of the building. She ran towards the back, trying to disguise the sound of her own footsteps while not slowing down. It was nearly impossible considering the amount of debris and garbage on the floor. She could hear him pounding closer.

  Wendy had to get out of the building. She could see the back door in the dim lighting and felt a sense of relief. But when she drew close to it, that relief shifted into something different, panic. Wendy realized that there was no way out. The back door had a deadbolt with a key lock. The windows were too high and small to access. She had fled into a trap. Kyle was rapidly approaching from behind her. She had no chance to even think of a new plan.