Kee Patterbee - Hannah Starvling 02 - The Gourmet Who Kept Diamonds in the Kitchen (10 page)

“
She is. I’ll fill you in tonight if we make it. Later in any case. But for now, you need to act natural around her.”

Vera and Louie agreed just as Madeline reentered the room. As she sat in one of the chairs inside, Madeline said,
“All right, ladies, how are we going to play this and what are our rules of engagement?”

Hannah and Vera gave each other a smile before taking seats of their own.

Louie took a seat to the side and pulled out his cell phone, setting it up to record. “Ignore me, ladies. I’m just here to play witness.”

Chapter 8

It was around 1:30 PM when Hannah, along with Vera and Madeline, wrapped up. As was the custom at this particular festival, the winners of the competition were not revealed until the last day of the event. All three women would be present at the awards ceremony. Hannah and Vera elected Madeline as spokesperson for the group. She would handle any interviews between now and then. This particular arrangement well suited Hannah. It freed her from long talks with media writers and journalists, as well as general attendees from the public sphere. Instead of answering inane questions, she could instead spend her time in a more efficient manner. Questions such as, “what does al dente mean” or “why is spaghetti a type of pasta and not a dish unto itself?” Vera, though, had lost much of the shyness she exhibited when Hannah first met her, but still was not comfortable in the limelight. She too, was more than willing to let the outward going Madeline step into the role at hand. Both women watched Madeline from the floor. She talked with those who gathered around to question about the tasting phase of the competitions. Among them was Louie.

“
I don’t care for her,” Vera said, her guarded French accent showing through. “She’s too…” Vera paused to search for a word, which Hannah provided.

“
Fake.”

“
Yes.”

“
I agree.” Hannah looked over at her friend. “I’m hungry. Want to get something?”

Vera glanced to Hannah and gave an odd smile.
“You just tasted fifty different dishes.”

Hannah shrugged.
“Tasted, not swallowed. Now I’m hungry.”

Vera shook her head and laughed.
“Thank you, but no. I’ve got to call the studio and make sure everything is good for tonight’s show.” She smiled and said, “A producer’s work is never done, it seems. By the way, Jazlyn wanted me to say hi for her.”

The mention of Jazlyn Karas made Hannah smile. Like Vera, she too was a suspect during her aunt
’s, Vera’s mother Julia’s, death. Like Vera, Hannah cleared her, and in the end, made her a friend as well. “How is she doing? I caught the show several times. She does an amazing job.”

“
Jazlyn is good in front of the cameras. Before the show airs though…” Vera made a gesture as if her head exploded. Dropping her hands back to her side, she added, “She’s nervous, but you are correct. She does a good job, and you’ll be happy to know, she’s changed quite a bit. She’s been seeing a young man for three months now. And only him.”

“
Wow, sounds serious.” Hannah noticed the gleam on Vera’s face and considered it. “What about you with your big old grin?”

“
Always a detective. Do you remember Malcolm?”

Hannah
’s face lit up. “The security guard? The cute one?” She reached out and gave Vera a gentle bump on the arm. “Congratulations. I told you he liked you.” She glanced back towards Louie. “And what does Dad have to say about it?”

“
They get along. Both like sports. Both like food. You know, they’re guys.”

“
Is he going to…?”

“
It’s too soon to say, but he told me he loves me, which is so good, because I feel the same.”  Vera looked over to Hannah. “You’ll get to meet him again tonight. He came with us. He’s out fishing today. I think he gets enough of this kind of thing back home.”

The glow on Vera
’s face warmed Hannah’s heart. Her friend’s care for her love was obvious. She wondered if when she talked about Hym, if it showed on her face in the same manner.

Hannah reached over and hugged her friend. When she let her go, she heard someone call her name.

“Hannah! Hannah, over here!”

Looking down the
room, she saw her grandparents waving to her from the back. Several hours passed since they all were together, and she waved them forward. When they reached the two women, Hannah made introductions and Vera extended the invitation to dinner to them as well. The elder Starvling agreed. Afterward, Vera made her goodbyes and headed over to talk with her father, before exiting the floor.

“
How’d your judging go, Sweetness?” Papa Jay inquired. Scanning her over, he added, “You look plumb tuckered out. You ain’t had spit for sleep.”

“
I’m just hungry, that’s all. I could use something to eat.”

Gran put her hands on her hips and gave her granddaughter a sharp look.
“You’re going to get as big as Buster someday if you don’t watch yourself. Didn’t you just eat like a hundred dishes? We were going to watch, but Old Grumpus here got caught up tasting all the fish dishes three rooms down.”

“
Didn’t get to them all. Just about thirty or so.” He crossed his arms and frowned. “Only about ten were worth keeping down. I’m telling you right here and now, Sweetness, peaches and fish is a combination from the nether regions of Satan’s derriere.”

Gran rolled her eyes.
“How would you know what that’s like?”

“
Cause I’ve lived with you for an eternity.”

“
Oh, hush you.” The elder woman reached out and smacked Papa Jay’s arm before pulling him in for a quick smooch kiss. “You taste fishy.”

“
That’s cause I’m an old sea scallywag. A Navy man, through and through,” he said with a grin and a wink to Hannah, which caused her to smile.

“
Anyway, Mr. and Mrs. Flirty, I judged fifty or so, but it was only a taste. Otherwise, my belly would be full. So I’m hungry.”

Papa Jay
thumbed toward the door. “Well, let me go get that man of yours if he’s roused. I’ll be back down in a jiffy.”

“
I’ll get him, Papa Jay,” Hannah insisted.

The elder Starvling refused.
“Nope, I got it, Sweetness. You’ve been workin’ all day. I’ll get him. ‘Sides, there’s a fella we ran across who wants to talk to you. Your Gran’s all hot and bothered to give him the once over again, so she can take you to him.”

“
Oh, shush you. Stop being jealous,” Gran said, pawing at the air with one hand. “You’re just jealous because he’s nice and handsome and rich…”

“
And pushy and annoying,” Papa Jay added.

“
Humph,” offered Gran, as she linked her arm with her granddaughter’s and guided her toward the rear of the room. Hannah peered over at her grandmother and studied her as they exited into the hall and toward the stated room.

“
What are you up to?” Hannah asked with noted suspicion in her voice.

“
Nothing. The man is annoying, but I like to tease your grandpa is all. But this man did seem eager to meet you and I promised an introduction. So as long as we have a moment, what can it hurt?”

“
You’re not trying to set me up are you? Cause you’ve met Hym and…”

“
Heavens no, dear.” The snoop gave her granddaughter a smile. “I know who you are marrying. Now, I just have to get something other than food in that tummy of yours.”

Hannah squeezed her grandmother
’s arm. “Patience, Gran, one step at a time.”

“
I’m seventy four, dear. Patience and time are no longer my friends.”

The two c
ame to the room and entered as Gran continued to explain to Papa Jay and her encounter with the man.

“
Anyway, he read your friend’s article about you. What’s his name?”

“
Louie Woolridge. You’ll meet him on-board tonight, if you and Papa Jay are up for it.”

“
Of course, sounds romantic.” She grinned. “You think they have any empty cabins aboard?”

“
You’re incorrigible.” Hannah redirected the conversation back on course. “Why is this guy so hot to meet me?”

Gran shook her head.
“You’ll have to ask him yourself.”

Before
Hannah could respond, Gran called out, “Lukas!” She began waving at a man who stood talking to several women. He returned the same. Not wanting to seem rude, Hannah gave an unenthusiastic wave. As they approached the man, Hannah charted him out.
Mid to late forties. Crystalline blue eyes. Well kempt blond hair. Charming smile. Handsome. Fit. Expensive clothes. Well dressed.
Going over her mental breakdown of the man, she remembered encountering him the first day she arrived.
Checked into the hotel just before us
, she noted.
Drove high priced sports car
. 

The man then sized Hannah up and offered a hand
to her. Gran made introductions. “Hannah, Mr. Lukas Grimm. Lukas, this is my granddaughter, Hannah Starvling.”

“
Pleasure to meet you,” Lukas said as they shook hands. “I was hoping to find you here. Perhaps you could join me for coffee, where we could talk?”

Accent. European. Central. Germanic. German? Austrian? Swiss
? Strong handshake. Determined. Confident,
Hannah calculated.

There was an eagerness
in his voice, as if he were anticipating something. Hannah admitted to herself that he was beautiful. As a bonus, he smelled good. So much so, she almost shook her head to clear it.
Like vanilla and musk
. She knew about the rumor that such scents affects people, in particular women. Glancing over the man, Hannah analyzed everything. The obvious attention he put into picking out his clothes. The shine of his shoes. How he groomed himself, and his choice of cologne, all told her volumes about the man. Lukas Grim was an urban hunter. Confident and ego driven, he chose every detail of his life. Controlled every aspect of his world.
I wonder what you are hunting for today
, Hannah pondered. Were she not otherwise taken with Hym, there might have been a superficial interest. Still, as stunning as he was, Hym floated back into her head when she looked at Lukas.

“
Any other time I’d love to ---”

Lukas interrupted. “I understand it’s rather sudden.” Taking a moment to study Hannah, he smiled again. “Let me explain. My intention is business.”  He then turned to Gran. “When I met this lovely lady and her husband, they said the most wonderful things about their granddaughter.” He looked at Gran through a toothy smile, “When they mentioned your name, I thought to myself, it must be fate. As it turns out, I was hoping to meet with you. So it is all, how do you American’s say, fortuitous?”

“Fortuitous,” Hannah repeated in a stoic manner.

He produced another broad smile.
“Usually, I approach things more professionally, but seeing you now, well, how could I resist not extending an invitation to someone called Sweetness?”

Hannah
mustered up a charming, but serious smile. “It sounds wonderful, but I doubt I’ll be able to make it today. Unfortunately, I already have other plans. I have a friend who was in an accident yesterday and I must go see him. I’m afraid I can’t take you up on your invitation. Some other time, perhaps?”

“
Accident? I see. Is he okay?”

Hannah
’s mind clicked into gear. 
He said is ‘he okay,’
she thought.
He knew Elias to be a male
, she considered. She also noted that he stiffened a bit at the word ‘accident’.
He didn’t ask what happened. Only if HE were OKAY.
Knowledge or assumption
.  He did listen in on their conversation.  Now, she wondered if the man’s interests lay with her or was he somehow connected to it all? She decided to bait him with details.

“
He’s alive, but he took a nasty fall from a window in this hotel. I’m not sure whether it was accidental… or deliberate… but I plan on finding out.”

“
Yes, I believe I heard something about that. I overheard a young man talking when I arrived. That is a shame,” Lukas commented.

“
Yes, it is.”

Lukas nodded toward the elder Starvling.
“Your grandparents say that when you want to find out something, you never stop until you get answers.”

Gran looked at him with a big smile. Hannah could already tell that she too caught onto his reference mistake. She was asking the same question. How did he know that the friend was a
man?

Lukas interrupted Hannah
’s thoughts. “But do not worry. They did not reveal too many of your secrets.”

Hannah gave another charming smile.
“Oh, what did they reveal?”

“
Well, if it is not too improper to say, you are a former United States law enforcement officer who became a chef. Now, you are a detective of sorts. You are…” He tapped his chin with his index finger. “How did he put it? Tenacious with a ‘T’. Yes, I think that is how your grandfather put it. And that you do not give up without a fight.” He thought for a second more before adding, “Oh, and you are available.” 

“
I am not a practicing detective. I work as a culinary consultant.”

“
My error, I apologize.”