Turning into the meat aisle, Dani checked the weight of a roast. She was scheduled to cook for Trent and Chelsea Karnes the next evening and planned to make them beef tenderloin with port sauce.
They hadn’t called to cancel her services as their personal chef, so either they hadn’t heard that Mikeloff thought she murdered Regina or they didn’t care. Either possibility worked for Dani.
Maybe the Karneses would have some insight on Regina’s life. They were friends of her parents and were supposed to be keeping an eye on her while Mr. and Mrs. Bourne were on their trip, which, considering Regina’s age, was a little odd. But then again, for some girls, twenty-one would be too old to depend on parental assistance, but Regina hadn’t struck Dani as a young woman who was really used to handling things on her own. Getting her own way, yes. Shouldering the responsibility of those choices, not so much.
Who would Regina lean on when her parents were on vacation? Chelsea Karnes didn’t seem like the maternal type, but Regina would never confide in her housekeeper. The spoiled young woman was way too class conscious to give her servant that kind of power over her.
Even so, Dani needed to talk to Mrs. Carnet, who doubtlessly knew more about her employer’s personal life than Regina had ever realized. The trick would be getting the housekeeper to share that information with a relative stranger—someone who was high on the police’s suspect list and had little to offer in return.
Heading toward the checkout lane, Dani tried to figure out a way to approach Mrs. Carnet. Nearly two hundred bucks later, loading her van full of groceries, Dani still had no idea how to gain the housekeeper’s trust.
Tucking that problem away for another time, Dani climbed behind the wheel and drove out of the grocery store’s parking lot. Turning onto the street, she tensed at the sound of a siren.
The fear of Mikeloff returning to arrest her was never far from her thoughts, and when an ambulance passed going in the opposite direction, she blew out a relieved breath. If this all didn’t end soon, she would end up with a heart attack.
As tempting as it was to wallow in her troubles, Dani focused on the positive news. Ivy had texted that Laz accepted the invitation to dinner.
Of course now that he was coming, Dani had to come up with a way to make him spill his guts. If it weren’t for her “no alcohol” decree for her boarders, she’d consider getting him drunk. On the other hand, at the luau, Laz had grown quieter and quieter as he tossed back Jell-O shots. So even if she were willing to break her rule, booze wasn’t the answer. She’d have to loosen his tongue some other way.
Dinner was at six, which left Dani just under three hours to cook and come up with an interrogation plan. How would she ask a grieving fiancé why someone would want to kill his beloved wife-to-be? Or worse yet, if he had been the one to wield the syringe.
Which reminded her, when Dani had agreed to share info with Frannie Ryan, the budding journalist had promised to get ahold of the autopsy results once they were final. Knowing the location of the injection might help zero in on possible suspects. After all, a causal acquaintance could probably get to one of Regina’s limbs, but a more intimate site would point the finger of blame in a completely different direction.
After arriving home, checking her business voicemail for any inquiries regarding future bookings, and putting away her purchases, Dani spent the rest of the afternoon preparing a potato-and-leek gratin and chicken Kiev. She usually cooked much simpler fare for the girls, but she wanted to impress Laz. Besides, it was a good practice run of the menu she was making for a sorority alumnae dinner in a couple of weeks.
She was pleasantly surprised when Laz arrived on time. He was dressed in crisply pressed khakis and a blue button-down shirt.
As Dani ushered him inside, she said, “I just want you to know how sorry I am for your loss.” She saw a flicker of sadness in the young man’s eyes, but he blinked and it was gone. Leading him into the kitchen, Dani continued, “Although it isn’t the same, I lost my mother at a young age, and I can understand some of what you might be going through.”
“Thank you for your kind words.” Laz cleared his throat, then seemed to push away any lingering emotion. “I appreciate your thoughtfulness.”
After handing Ivy her necklace, he presented Dani with a lovely bouquet of pink lilies and white daises. A woodsy fragrance drifted toward her and she sniffed appreciatively, identifying the scent as Dior Sauvage, a pricey fragrance that was her father’s favorite aftershave.
While Dani put the flowers in a vase, Ivy showed Laz to the kitchen table and took the seat next to him. Starr and Tippi slid into the chairs on the opposite side and Dani served the food.
As they ate, she was shocked at how different Laz was when he wasn’t drunk. Sober, he was charming. At the party, he’d been sullen and aloof, ignoring his friends and fiancée, as well as anyone else who tried to speak to him.
“This is delicious,” Laz commented, holding out his plate for a second helping of the gratin. “What spice is it that I taste?”
“Cumin and garlic.” Dani smiled at him as she slid a slice onto his dish. “I’m glad you like it. My guess is that most college guys prefer their potatoes baked or fried.” She tilted her head pretending concern. “I was worried that you might not like my cooking since you didn’t eat at the SummerPalooza bash.”
“I have to apologize for my behavior that night.” Laz fidgeted with his napkin, smoothing it in his lap. “I’d learned something upsetting and instead of handling it like an adult, I drank too much.”
