Chapter Twenty-Four
“You’re back?” Jane stared at Emily but didn’t acknowledge Sarah’s presence. “I didn’t expect you to be here this afternoon.”
“When you’re innocent, the police make it a practice not to detain you.”
Jacob, who had started in their direction from his end of the booth, stopped. Jane cleared her throat but refocused her attention on the food she was preparing. Emily snatched a napkin from Jane’s table and dabbed her face as she slipped into her own part of the booth.
Emily threw the napkin into the nearby trash can and removed her jacket. She stowed it under her table. “I wonder where Grace is.”
Sarah glanced up and down the Southwind booth. Although Jane and Jacob had samples ready for the next wave of tasters, there were only a few cold samples remaining at Emily’s station. “Grace was here earlier. She had both of your tables covered with tasting cups. From the looks of what’s left, your food was a big hit during the lunch hour. Maybe she’s in the back room checking the employee’s table.”
“I don’t know.” Emily threw out the remaining samples. She wiped the plastic tablecloths and put out small plates with new tastes from a quiche Grace had left warming in the oven. As she moved her well-filled bowl of red chips to a more prominent position, she checked her watch and frowned. “We’ll wait a little while to heat anything else up. I’m sure Grace will be back for the next rush, but, in case she’s not, let me show you what to do if you have to handle things while I’m doing the demonstration.”
“Sure.” Sarah stared at her sister. “Em, are you certain you’re okay? You look flushed and you’re sweating.”
“I just told you, it’s warm in here.”
“Not that warm. And you were freezing at my apartment.” Sarah touched her sister’s forehead, but Emily squirmed away. She sat on a folding chair in front of Sarah.
Jane leaned over from her side of the booth and said loudly, “Emily, are you sure you’re not sick? You know you shouldn’t handle food if you’re ill. Grace went to the nurse’s station a little while ago because she was feeling sick to her stomach. She started by sweating, too. You were working together. Maybe you’ve both got a bug.”
“I’m fine, but thanks for your concern.”
Sarah watched a person who held one of the plates from Emily’s station eye it and put it back down. The person continued to where Jacob was handing out tastes of his Super Duper Seven Layer Salad. After a swallow, she left a red chip in the basket in front of Jacob.
Once the taster moved away, Sarah motioned to Jacob. He put down his serving ladle and came over to where she was sitting. “Did Grace really go to the nurse’s station?”
“Yes. She thought she ate something bad because suddenly she started having stomach cramps.”
“Maybe Jane’s right about Grace having a bug.”
Jacob flicked a crumb off the table separating his station from Emily’s. “I don’t think so. Grace is the type who scares germs away.”
They both laughed.
“By the way, Sarah, Grace wanted me to tell you she ran over to the store and picked up the items you might need. She also whipped up a few samples, just in case. Everything is in the refrigerator near the stage.”
Emily, still seated, but listening, interrupted. “I don’t understand.”
Sarah raised her shoulders and put her hands somewhere between an “I give up” and “Just stay put” position as she watched her sister grimace and wipe her forehead with the back of her arm. “You remember me checking with you the other night about what things you needed for today’s demonstration?”
Emily nodded and tilted her head in Sarah’s direction as if that would make it easier to catch the rush of words Sarah mumbled. “Well, Grace and I weren’t sure if you’d make it back or be stuck at the police station. To be safe, Grace offered to pick up the few things in case I had to do a funny food demonstration. Apparently, she also whipped up a few samples of my recipe.”
“Grace or I could have done a real demonstration if you hadn’t gotten back.” Jacob flicked his finger at another crumb. He put his head back down, but not before Sarah glimpsed his features were settled into a pout. He grabbed a sponge and vigorously rubbed the tablecloth.
“Of course you could have done it perfectly.” Emily’s stomach rumbled. She pressed her hand against it. “I was only kidding when I told Sarah she’d have to do a funny presentation, Jacob. I wouldn’t have had her take my place.”
Jacob looked up again, his boyish good looks restored. “Well, none of us thought you were kidding, did we, Sarah?”
Sarah shook her head.
Jacob leaned forward. “Before Grace went to the nurse’s station,” he whispered, “she told me she didn’t have time for lunch so she ate a few of Jane’s brownies. When her stomach started hurting, she wondered if they were Ex-Lax brownies.”
“That would be a mean trick to play,” Emily said, “but we all ate the brownies and nobody else is sick.”
Sarah stared at Emily. “Are you sure of that? I was too nervous to eat a brownie when I first got here. When I finally considered having one, I decided to save my calories and take out the garbage instead.”
“I didn’t eat one, either. I had so many ingredients to taste in my dish that I wasn’t hungry.” Jacob started to add something but noted two people approaching his serving station. “Need to get back to work.” He flashed a showman’s smile at Sarah.
Emily stood, her hand resting on her stomach. “I’m going to check on Grace.”
“And maybe,” Sarah suggested, “have the nurse examine you, too?”