“In a few months, I will have my culinary degree. I will be a chef. Mr. Tracy...he didn’t care about that. He didn’t listen to me. All he cared about was looking young and going to the clubs. He wanted to dance and fuck all night with the young guys and act like he was one of them again. I...I got him the Ecstasy so he could go to the clubs and do his thing and leave me alone.”
Shane asked gently, “Did you get it from Tab?”
“Yes.” He dipped his head and shook it, “I would sell it to Mr. Tracy and then give his money to Tab. I...I didn’t like doing it but, but It made Mr. Tracy hap...happy and he left me alone to run the restaurant.”
“But you really didn’t run the restaurant did you Mr. Rojas? You ran just the kitchen and only that under the direction of Mr. Tracy; isn’t that what you told me?”
“Well yes, but...”
“You also told me that you didn’t like the fact that Mr. Tracy didn’t respect your culinary school background, correct?”
“Uh yes. I...he.”
“He what Manny? He didn’t consider you a chef? You called yourself a chef earlier but you’re not one yet are you?”
“No.”
“So you resented Mr. Tracy for not treating you as something that you really weren’t yet anyway because he had no culinary degree himself, didn’t you?”
Rojas nodded.
“If you don’t mind my asking, Manny,” I was trying to keep a softer tone now, “what was your vision for the restaurant?” He looked directly at me and visibly brightened when he heard my question.
“I wanted Ben to look toward the future – past the office breakfast and lunch crowds. I thought we could be a full service, fine dining establishment...a nice little bistro even.”
Time to reel him in! “In downtown Zanesville?” I tried to sound very skeptical.
“Yes. There is a lot...a lot of potential for that but Ben didn’t understand that. He, he didn’t care. He wanted his nights free on the weekends and sometimes during the week to party and to have a good time.”
“Why do you think there’s so much potential for a fine dining restaurant in downtown Zanesville?”
Rojas looked startled. His eyes darted back and forth between me and Shane. He answered slowly, “Because everyone knows there are plans to develop a concert and theatre district down there.”
“Do they? Did Ben Tracy know?”
“Of course he knew. That’s why I kept trying to get him to expand our hours, our offerings...”
“So here’s what I think happened: You saw the potential there but Ben Tracy wouldn’t budge and do what you wanted him to do so you and Tab came up with a plan to get rid of him and take over the place for yourselves, correct?”
“No. That’s not what happened!”
“Then what did? Explain why Tab is also trying to take Liberty Tracy out of the picture if that isn’t true?”
Rojas shot upright in his chair. His eyes were wild as he came to the realization that he was nailed. After more than a minute of us staring hard at him, he said, “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I want to talk to Tab.”
“I just have a couple of more questions Manny and then we’ll be done.”
“Yes Sheriff?” Rojas loosened up like he thought that meant that he would be free to go. He seemed to forget that he’d been placed under arrest and read his rights.
“Did you know that Ben Tracy had a heart condition that he took medication for?”
“No...no.”
He’s lying! “How about this; can you tell me when Tab began seeing Mrs. Tracy?”
“I don’t know why that’s important...”
“Humor me, please.”
“A couple of months ago, I guess.”
My thinking was that the arsenic laced ecstasy was taking longer to work than the two men had thought it would and they were trying to get into the Tracy home to tamper with Ben’s medication as well.
“One more thing, if I might?”
He nodded.
“Why did you tell me Ryan McClarnan might have killed Ben?”
“Mr. Tracy once told me that he and Mrs. Tracy went to college with him, that they all ran around in the same crowd. When Ryan would come into the restaurant they would argue about old times and about politics and stuff. I, I just thought...I don’t know...”
I acted like I was satisfied with his answer. I got up and started walking toward the door like I was going to leave the room. Like it was an afterthought, I asked over my shoulder, “Hey, where do you think the arsenic and the DMT came from?”
He was a fool and he played right into my ruse, “I don’t know. Sticks probably got them.”
I really did leave after that. I had an arraignment to stop, search warrants to request and more charges to file.