A Clean Kill

'The chef recommends the shrimp wonton and tea-smoked quail with ginger-mango glaze, baby vegetables, and Singapore noodles for the lady and the taquitos and pork loin chipotle for the gentleman.'

April arched a delicate eyebrow at the fusion menu that was not listed on the printed one, but Mike put his menu down and said, 'Why not?'

Jose melted away to the kitchen.

Forty minutes later, after they'd eaten the tiny spicy taquitos, the shrimp wontons as light as any April had eaten, the exquisite boneless quail, and the tender smoky pork, she had to admit she was impressed, the nontraditional presentation notwithstanding. Mike insisted on paying the bill and they followed the server into the kitchen.

They found Wayne in a narrow stainless steel alley as hot as any God-fearing sinner's reckoning of Hell. He had a bottle of wine in one hand, and perspiration dripped down the side of his face as he watched an equally drenched grill chef juggle steaks, chops, and thick fish fillets on a spitting gas grill. Wayne was wearing a short- sleeved. white chef's jacket, printed chef's baggies with an ocean of fish swimming on them, a baseball hat with the same fish on it, and clogs on his bare feet.

'How did you like the quail?' he asked, backing out of the cramped space to talk to them.

'Delicious,' April said. 'Marinated and tea-smoked first, then seared on the grill, right?'

He nodded. 'You know your stuff.'

'Tea-smoked is my favorite,' she said. 'Is that a regular special?'

'Of course not. I heard you were coming.'

They followed him into a small office, where he closed the door and plugged a fat cigar in his mouth. Then, remembering his manners, he passed the box over and offered Mike one. 'Ever had a really good cigar?'

Mike took the box, studied the illegal Havanas. He even lowered his head to sniff at them. 'I quit a while back,' he said as he closed the box and returned it without taking one.

'Que lastima,' Wayne said with a strong American accent.

'You speak Spanish,' Mike remarked.

'A little French, German, Italian. You have to be able to converse with the gorillas working the pits.'

Nice, first he fed the Mexican policeman a Mexican-style dinner; then he called his people gorillas. Mike smiled without any warmth.

'So what can I do for you? I know you didn't come for the food.'

'Oh, you never know. We might want to do a party here sometime,' Mike said genially.

'Anytime. I'll cook myself. How's that for a promise?' Wayne lit the cigar and blew smoke into the air, remarkably poised for a guy who'd lost his wife that morning.

April wondered about his having kept the restaurant open. What kind of message was that? A stack of industry magazines covered the seat of the chair nearest to her. She placed it on the floor and took a seat. Mike remained standing.

'Thank you for cooking for us. A very subtle menu,' April said. 'We're here because we need your help to find the person who killed your wife,' she said.

He nodded. 'Of course. Anything I can do. I told you that this morning.'

'One thing you told me is that you have girlfriends,' April said slowly.

Irritation ticked over his face. 'Oh, don't make

too much of that. Maddy and I had an open marriage. It didn't affect our feelings for each other.' He brushed the infidelity off.

'Somebody took exception,' April remarked.

'Well, don't look at me. I wasn't the last one with her.' He sounded like a little boy.

'What do you mean?' Mike joined the conversation.

'Let's just say she had an arrangement with her trainer. I'm sure' you know that by now.'

'Did it bother you?' he asked.

'Why should it?' Wayne said impatiently. 'I paid the bills, didn't I?'

April's sinuses began to object to the cigar smoke. She sniffed to hold back a sneeze. 'Let's go over the events of the morning one more time.'

He blew more smoke and picked up a wineglass that was sitting on his desk, half filled with a red. 'It's all very clear in my mind. Maddy slept late. I always get up early to be with the boys.'

'How early?' Mike interjected as Wayne sipped from his glass, swirled the wine in his mouth, then swallowed.

'Five thirty.'

'Is that the time they get up?'

'No. I pick up my e-mails, answer my mail. We have breakfast at seven,' he said easily.

'Who cooks, you?'

'Remy does the cooking there.'

'What did she make this morning?'

'She wanted to give the boys a treat.' He smiled. 'She's not a bad little cook. She made fresh sausages, crepes, raspberry jam. Hot chocolate.'

'Very nice. The three of you ate it—' 'No, four of us.'

'Your wife joined you, then.'

'Well, she did when we were finished. She came in at seven forty and had a little temper fit because the baby got jam on his napkin. I told her it wasn't a big deal, and she erupted. She just got so mad. I'm sorry about it now.'

'Then what happened?'

'Oh, Remy got the boys cleaned up and we took them to school.'

'Your wife didn't come with you?'

'You know she didn't. If she'd come with us, she'd still be alive.'

'What about her relationship with Remy?'

'She was jealous. Maddy didn't cook, so she felt having a home chef was unnecessary. But food is an important part of my life. I want to teach the boys the pleasure of eating. Meals at home in the kitchen. The family together.' He lifted the palms of his hands to emphasize the point. The gesture said it all.

'What time did you drop the boys off?'

'A few minutes before eight.'

'Then what did you do?'

'We went to the restaurant. It was a delivery day. I don't miss that.'

'Who delivers on Mondays?'

'Dairy, produce, meat. I look at the stuff to make sure it's top-of-the-line. I count the boxes. It takes hours, but anybody who doesn't do it gets ripped off. When I get an alcohol delivery, believe me, I count every bottle.'

'Great. That helps a lot. We'll need your lists— who delivered, what you got,' Mike said.

'To show that I was here when she died.'

Mike nodded. 'We also need the names of your girlfriends, and all the people who knew the code to the garage door. And everybody who saw Remy at the restaurant, and what time she left.'

'Yeah, sure. Anything else?'

'I'd like to talk to your executive chef before we go,' Mike said. He was the one who gave Wayne his alibi.

Twenty-one

At nine o'clock Alison's two girls were in bed. Larry King Live to worry about Roxie sleeping on her jacket. Alison talked back to the TV as she patted the dogs, furious because her husband was late, Derek wouldn't return her calls, and Larry King had yet to call her. She picked up the phone to give Derek one last chance to show some caring, and this time he answered.

'What do you want, Alison?' His voice was weary and sad.

of my life. Why didn't you call me?' she demanded.