The four of them dug into their meals and didn’t say much the first few minutes other than to compliment the food. By silent agreement, Marla and Rex didn’t mention their investigation, and Kitty picked up on that same vibe. After a bit, though, there was mainly silence.
Hub was the first to break it. “I’m really not the crazed lunatic you witnessed in the kitchen. Back me up there, Kitty,” he said to his hostess.
“That is true,” she replied. “For a few fleeting seconds, I didn’t recognize you. You simply took over, which wasn’t all that unusual”—she smiled back at him—“but not when it concerns baking. That kitchen persona was new.”
“Kitchen persona? I like that. The thing is, I was hired for my present position because of my great promotional skills. And that’s worked well for me. But my boss recently dropped a hint that for me to move up the ladder, he’d expect to see me demonstrating my culinary side. I guess I sort of mentioned that in my interview with him a million years ago. I forgot all about it. He didn’t.”
“What exactly is your culinary side?” Marla asked, recalling a few occasions long ago when she’d augmented her own credentials when auditioning for a part. Not smart. Most had come back to bite her in the behind.
“Prairie Harvest Flour was originally family-owned. Although it went public long ago, family members are still on the board. They take great pride in the large variety of baking goods that result from their product. I, uh, embellished my resume just a tad in order to enhance my chance of getting hired.”
“And now the white lie has come home to haunt you?” Rex said, maintaining a straight face.
“He believes I’m a world-class baker and expects me to show him my stuff in the near future. That’s why I’ve been so involved in this pie-baking contest and why I’ve been so interested in your pie-baking skills, Kitty.”
Kitty set her half-eaten burrito back on her plate, her chin jutting out. “That’s why you’ve been seeing me?”
He reached across and patted her hand. “Not the only reason. You’re quite an interesting woman, Kitty Lovejoy. Not to mention being attractive and funny. But it hasn’t hurt that you’ve told me you could bake a pretty good pie.”
Kitty began to laugh so hard she had to cover her mouth with her hand. “Oh, Hub, you poor mistaken dummy.”
Her changed attitude startled him. “Huh?”
Marla and Rex observed this exchange, trying hard not to burst out laughing themselves, but this was Kitty’s show. They waited for her to explain.
“You’re not the only one trying to impress someone else with your baking skills. I haven’t baked a pie since I was working for a Girl Scout badge as a preteen. Marla’s the pie baker in our family. And it was Marla and Rex who made the apple pie you raved about last night.”
Hub sought out Marla and Rex. “Is that true?”
“It was a group effort,” Rex replied. “Kitty handled the filling.”
Hub took a moment to absorb this twist. “You did this just to impress me?” he asked Kitty.
She glanced at Marla. Surely she wasn’t seeking her advice? No, Kitty could hold her own, and she knew it. This was more a silent apology for dragging them into this situation. “You find that hard to believe? You’re not just an attractive man, Hub. You’re fun to be with. And … several years younger than me.” She let him make what he would of that last statement.
Marla studied what was left of the burrito on her plate, resisting the urge to gaze at her sister. She hadn’t believed Kitty had spoken the obvious out loud. Pretty smart of her. Throw down the gauntlet for Hub. It was up to him how to respond.
She tried to think of a plausible way she and Rex could get out of there and avoid this private scene, but nothing came to mind.
Hub came to their rescue. “Bet you two had no idea what you signed on for when you agreed to help Kitty with her pie making.”
“I get the feeling we’re not quite done yet,” Rex said, man to man.
That was news. What had she missed, or was this a guy thing?
“You’re sharp, man,” Hub said to Rex. “I, uh, need your help. Based on what Kitty just said, from all of you.”
Now Hub wanted to learn the ins and outs of pie baking? “Okay? Why don’t you tell us how we can help,” she said.
He leaned forward and folded his hands on the table. “I need to provide my boss with evidence of my baking skills when he’s in town. I can’t just present him with pies and cakes. He’ll want to see me make them. Teach me, please.”
Rex spoke before Marla could. “Sorry, man, but Marla and I are tied up in another matter at the moment which takes precedence over your career aspirations. You’ll have to learn what you can from Kitty.”
“Me?” Kitty replied, sounding clueless. Then she must have realized what a powerful position that put her in as far as her continuing relationship with Hub Sherman. “Uh, well, of course I’m at your service, Hub. But pie making isn’t a skill you acquire overnight. We can use my kitchen or yours, but this will require at least three sessions. Do you have the time?”
Hub leaned over and put an arm around her shoulders. “I’ll make time. But do you? I don’t want to keep you from the rest of your life.”
Marla listened, fascinated by this mating dance. At least that’s what it was with Kitty. Her mind wasn’t made up about Hub yet.
“I’ll have to rearrange a few things, but I think that’s possible. I want to do whatever I can to help you impress your boss. Marla and Rex can give me pointers when they’re not off investigating the murder.”
Hub swiveled his head their direction. “Murder? You guys are cops?”
Marla shot Kitty the evil eye, but the ship had already sailed. She suspected Kitty had done it on purpose, to make herself look good in his eyes. Like teaching him how to bake wasn’t enough.
Rex handled this one. “I’m a former cop. Marla and I are consulting with the police on a homicide. That’s all we can say. I’m sure you understand.”
“Sure, man. Wow, I had no idea the two of you were into that stuff. I thought you were a TV star, Marla.”
“I am, but my former role as a PI seems to have put me in good stead with the locals, including the police. We’ve been giving Kitty pointers on our breaks.”
“Impressive. Wait. This homicide you’ve been investigating? That wouldn’t be Eloise Wallace, would it?”
Marla and Rex sat forward simultaneously. “It might be,” Rex said before Marla confirmed it. “Why do you ask?”
“I’ve been so busy with this pie-baking contest, I hadn’t paid much attention to it, but I knew her. I’ve done business with her company. In fact, she’s the one who suggested the pie event.”
“I thought that was your brainchild,” Kitty said.
“The idea of Prairie Harvest Flour sponsoring some type of event that highlighted the product was, but like I told you, baking has never been my forte. So I went to her for ideas. It probably seems to you that a contest built around pie baking was a no-brainer, but until she suggested it to me, I couldn’t see the light.”
“When did you see her last?” Rex asked, slipping into interview mode. Marla couldn’t blame him. They’d stumbled onto a veritable witness who knew their victim from a different perspective.
Hub rubbed his cheek. “Let me think. We met a couple months ago to discuss my ideas for my event, but now that I recall it, I saw her briefly just two weeks ago at the kickoff party. That’s where I met you, Kitty.”
“Did you meet her at that party?” Marla asked Kitty. Surely she would’ve said something, wouldn’t she?
“I don’t think so. I would have told you guys if I had.”
Marla nodded, softening her tone. “Thanks. Just asking.”
“What can you tell us about her, Hub?” Rex asked.
Hub sat back. “I get the feeling what has been a friendly dinner discussion just changed to a police interview.”
Rex smiled back at him. “Yeah, I guess it does seem that way. We’ve been so focused interviewing the people she was with just prior to her death, we got excited to find someone outside that group who could give us a different viewpoint.”
“I can’t really help you there,” Hub replied. “I only saw her a few times when we discussed the pie thing. That was all business. We met less than thirty minutes each time. She was friendly but not overly.” He paused as if trying to remember more.
“What aren’t you telling us, Hub?” Marla asked, picking up on his hesitation.
“I don’t want to come across as an egotist if I tell you,” he said.
“We’re past that point,” Kitty threw in. She left interpretation of her remark open.
“During the first ten minutes of my meeting with her, Eloise was sizing me up. Reading my eyes, my expressions, my body language. We were both promoters; it’s what we do when assessing a client. Apparently that brief analysis told her I might be more amenable to the suggestions of a younger staffer, a younger female staffer. Did I say ‘suggestions’? In plainer language, I meant someone who trades business favors for sex. Which I’m not! And it still rankles that she saw me like that, because I don’t recall giving any indication I was one of those. If she hadn’t already given me some great advice, I would’ve sought help elsewhere.
“Anyway, she called in her assistant and introduced us, at which point she turned my project over to her, saying outright she thought the young woman could meet my needs better than her. She even arched an eyebrow as she said it, just in case I’d missed her subtext. Then she even proposed the two of us discuss things over dinner that night.”
“What was the name of this assistant?” Rex asked.
“Chloe,” Hub said immediately. “I remember because it was distinctive, plus she gave me her card before I left.”
“Did I understand you to infer Eloise was ready to prostitute this young woman?” Rex asked.
“You cut right to the chase, don’t you?” Hub replied. “Yes, that’s what she attempted. I thanked her for the offer but declined in no uncertain terms. I said I wanted to deal directly with her. She got the message and didn’t push further. I don’t do business that way.” That last part was intended for Kitty.
Marla wanted to hear more. “Tell us more about Chloe. How did she react to her boss’s offer?”
“For one so young and seemingly innocent, she was also smooth. As soon as Eloise assigned her to my project, she acted like that was the best of ideas and smiled invitingly. Except …”
Marla couldn’t wait for him to finish. “Except what?”
He scratched his head. “Give me a moment. There was something off about that scene.” He massaged the back of his neck. Thought some more. “It happened so quickly, I almost missed it. She gave Eloise this look. She was standing sideways to me, which was why I wasn’t sure I’d actually seen it. Not exactly an eye roll, but her eyes narrowed and hardened. But it was gone in a flash. Next, she swiveled to face me, all smiles. Like she lived to meet my needs.”
“Do you remember anything else?” Rex asked.
Hub shook his head. “Nothing more comes to mind. Was any of that helpful?”
“It could be. We can’t say much more at this point.”
“I didn’t consider myself her friend, but she did help me see my way through this project. She didn’t deserve to die, so I wish you both well with your investigation.”
“Thanks,” Rex said. “If you think of anything else, give me a call.” He pulled one of his cards out of his pants pocket. Then he morphed into Mr. Charm. “Marla and I will give Kitty as much time as we can spare to get you ready for your boss.”
Rex’s return to dinner companion didn’t seem to faze Hub, who turned to Kitty. “Let me know what ingredients and equipment you need and I’ll order it delivered here, if you don’t mind.”
Kitty took a moment to snap back to reality. “Uh, sure, Hub. I’ll put the list together tonight. We can start tomorrow or the day after. Just let me know.”