“My um… well, my mom used to make the cookies. The tradition didn’t end when she passed. I just took over the role of cookie maker. I can make some delicious chocolate chip cookies.”
“It’s true,” Ezra said with a smile. “I’ve tried one. They are delicious.”
“Chocolate chip cookies, huh?” Clara asked, as she remembered sneaking down for lunch and seeing a few chocolate chip cookies left out. She’d stolen one and it was one of the best she ever had. Nathaniel nodded. “I think I might’ve tried one myself, and it was delicious. You’re quite talented in the kitchen.”
“Thanks,” Nathaniel blushed. “It’s my passion. Cooking means the world to me, and since my parents loved it too, it connects me to them in a way.”
“That’s wonderful, and it sounds like those are really great memories,” Clara admitted. She started to understand why Ezra was so protective of Nathaniel. There was a genuine warmth and openness about him that made him easy to like. “I used to love hiking with my brother when I was growing up. There’s something about nature that brings people together in the best way.”
“Definitely,” Nathaniel agreed. “I trust people more once I can go on a hike with them. Being outside and working through a challenge like that allows guards to slip down a bit, I think. You get a better sense of who the other person truly is. Maybe I can show you guys a trail sometime.”
“We’d love that,” Clara said. If he wasn’t a killer, of course. She hoped he wasn’t. Though she was far from trusting him. She still suspected he was at least not being fully honest about why he was there. She still suspected that he was hoping they’d fail. Even if he didn’t have plans to kill them, certainly he’d try to sabotage them in some way.
Yet despite her persistent suspicions, after that it was easier for conversation to flow between the three. That first bite of bread was an indicator of great things to come as incredible dishes followed, full of layered flavors and perfect textures. Ezra’s menu boasted unique dishes, mixed with homestyle favorites, fancier fare, and a few dishes from the Victorian era.
It was difficult to pull from different sources and create a menu that didn’t seem mismatched, that had a clear purpose, but they managed to do so flawlessly. Ezra and Nathaniel had put a lot of thought and work into it, so it didn’t seem chaotic. For the most part, the dishes fit together and those that didn’t were struck off the menu. Overall, there were few changes to be made. Everyone was pleased with their work.
“I don’t think I could eat another bite,” Clara said, looking at the array of dishes still left. She had tried each one, but there were still so many leftovers. No one would be complaining about that though.
“We’ll be eating good for some time,” Ezra said.
“Do tell me you’ll take some home too,” Clara said as she looked over at Nathaniel.
“I’d love to,” Nathaniel replied. “Leftovers are my favorite. Especially when they’re this good.”
“You certainly deserve it,” Ezra said. “I love what we have so far, and I couldn’t have done it without you. I really appreciate your help. Let’s discuss all this a bit further, figure out what works, what doesn’t, think over any changes. Then we’ll pack it up and you can decide what you want.”
“I’ll leave you guys to it then,” Clara said, standing. She knew what came next and she wanted no part of it.
They all had enjoyed their meal together, and Clara and Ezra were both sad to see it end. Neither of them was happy about what had to follow. But Ezra couldn’t avoid it forever. He needed to get answers. This needed to be taken care of.
Ezra hugged and kissed his wife, then Clara took off. Ezra sat back down facing Nathaniel. He still wasn’t quite sure how to broach the impossible topic, but he had to try.
35
Ezra thought about discussing the menu changes first, simply because he wanted to avoid the more unpleasant topic, and he was excited to delve into ideas about the menu. His passion lay in cooking and he genuinely liked working with Nathaniel. He wanted him to be part of finishing up this menu. He hoped the conversation would go well so he could continue working with Nathaniel.
However, there was that possibility that the conversation wouldn’t go well. There was a chance that Nathaniel would get angry and leave. There was a chance that he’d respond in a way that was so suspicious, that Ezra would have to fire him on the spot. He didn’t want to ask Nathaniel to work with him before doing so. He didn’t want to take advantage of his help if he was going to quit or be fired right after.
They had already done the cooking, of course. But Ezra had allowed that because he suspected it would be fun for Nathaniel, and it seemed like it was. Besides, who would want to miss out on a meal like that? It was Ezra’s way of trying to do something nice before bringing up something awful.
He still didn’t know how to bring up something so awful. He had thought about it a lot ever since he decided it was a conversation they needed to have, and he still hadn’t come up with a good way to broach the topic. There simply was no delicate, nice way to ask someone if their father committed murder. There’s no good way to question someone’s intentions, especially if you’re worried their intentions could be deadly.
“I wanted to talk to you before we
