Heat Vol. 5 (Heat: Master Chefs #5) Read online

“Those devils,” Eugene shouted as he shot up.

  Startled, I looked up at him. I’d never seen him so angry.

  “How could they do that to me?”

  “Monsieur Cooke, these are professional criminals.”

  “No. No. You don’t understand. These weren’t just people I picked off the street. I knew them. I knew them well, in fact. Oh, well, maybe not that Horace fellow, but Constantine and Godfrey.” Running his hand over his thinning hair, he shook his head. “I just can’t believe they’re part of a criminal ring. I’d have lunch with them on a regular basis. I invited them into my home.” He turned to me. “Remember that Christmas when they stopped over to bring you gifts?”

  I smiled, but shook my head. “Sorry, I don’t really remember.”

  “Oh, no matter. I remember. They were like family.” His face a frightful shade of red, he gripped the back of the sofa.

  “Dad,” I said as I rushed up to him. “Are you all right? Please sit down. You can’t let this upset you like that.”

  Waving me away, he collected himself. “You don’t understand.”

  “Then, perhaps you could enlighten us,” Rial said.

  “The older one… Godfrey. He was more than an employee. He was a friend of the family.” He turned to me. “Your mother’s side of the family. He knew her personally… he knew the family. How could he do such a thing? How could he betray us like that? He was like family, and I trusted him.”

  “So did my uncles.”

  We all turned to the source of the voice.

  Just inside the double doors of the sitting room stood Errol King with Leopold Lee at this side.

  Chapter 8

  “And who would you be?” Daniel said as he stood.

  “I’m Errol King,” he said, taking a confident step toward the detective. “Rial’s brother.”

  “The Errol King,” Darlene said as she lost all professionalism and gawked at the famed chef. “Now this is a treat. You are positively magnifique. So handsome and suave, and good in the kitchen, too.”

  Errol smiled politely, but the crease in his brow hinted at his lack of enthusiasm for her fawning. “This is Leopold Lee,” he said. “He’s the only grandson and sole heir to the Lee Group Holdings Company.”

  “I’ve heard of it,” Darlene said, her eyes still filled with stars. “A billion dollar company.”

  Errol nodded.

  “A multinational conglomerate that includes various food companies, a number of high end restaurants and I read recently about holdings in oil, technology and media.”

  “And hospitality,” Leo threw in with a grin.

  “All that, and you still manage to have a successful movie career on top of it all. How do you do it?” She put her hand to his forearm as if to confirm the reality of his presence. “I’ve seen many of your films… good action movies with a touch of humor and a hint of romance… the perfect balance.”

  “Thank you.”

  “And you’re even more handsome in person.” She turned to Daniel. “Mais, ce n’est pas possible.”

  Annoyed, Daniel came forward to greet the men. “Please forgive my partner’s momentarily lapse in professional conduct. It’s not every day we meet such well known personalities.” He bowed slightly. “Gentlemen.”

  The message was clear enough, and Darlene finally resumed an air of professionalism.

  “How is your family involved in all this?” Daniel said to Leo.

  “Three years ago,” Darlene said. “The Asian ring of this group dug its claws into Lee Group Holdings.” Raising an indignant brow as Daniel shot a surprised glance at her, she added, “I do my homework.”

  “Then you already know how many millions we’ve lost because of them,” Leo said.

  “I don’t have the exact figures, but, yes. I’m aware of the exceedingly high number. It’s a wonder you have anything left to inherit.”

  “There’s significantly less than there was when my grandfather was alive, and while I don’t necessarily need the money per se, it nonetheless galls me to see my grandfather’s hard work get swept away by these demons.”

  “We’ve got a stronghold on the French ring,” Daniel said, turning to me. “Thanks to you and your father. I’m sorry it had to be in such an unpleasant manner, but at least we’ve got them now.”

  I nodded. “If my discomfort for a day or two was what it took to get those men behind bars, than it will have been well worth it.”

  “Horace, Constantine and Godfrey are being interrogated as we speak. One of them is bound to break soon. Maybe then we’ll have a handle on what’s going on in Asia.”

  “Maybe you could come downtown with us. There are a few questions I’d like to ask you,” Darlene said.

  Leo glanced at Errol, then at his watch. “I’m flying back to Hong Kong tonight.” He patted Errol on the shoulder. “Errol’s been giving me a few pointers. You see, I’m opening a new restaurant in Hong Kong; Lee Oyster House. I’ve yet to take over Lee Group Holdings, at least not on an official level, but I am looking forward to getting this restaurant up and running.”

  “You’ve got some pretty big shoes to fill,” Errol said with an amicable grin.

  “My grandfather may have been only five foot three, but he was a huge man in the boardroom,” Leo explained to all of us. “He could command that boardroom like a general commands an army. Everything was thought out; strategies, contingencies and risk. Back in the day, he could tell you the name of the man who assembled radios at the plant, or the woman who packed VCRs into boxes in the shipping department, or the gentleman who cleaned out the bathrooms in his office buildings. He knew every aspect of every company under the Lee umbrella.”

  I smiled at the obvious pride the man had for his grandfather.

  “I doubt I will ever be as great as he was, but I’m willing to try, after all, he did spend his last years preparing me for this eventuality.”

  “And you’ll live up to his expectations,” Errol said. “I have no doubt about that.”

  “Well, we’ll see, won’t we?”

  “And of course, you do have your movie career. I do hope you won’t give that up,” Darlene said.

  “No. I love making movies too much to give it up.”

  “And we love watching you.”

  Daniel glared at her.

  “Mais, quoi?”

  My father suddenly stood and walked up to them. “This is all good and well, but when do you think you’ll be able to get to the bottom of this? I’ve lost years of my life, a life that should have been spent here at this very chateau… and my daughter… she lost her childhood… she almost lost her sanity. It’s wonderful to see her bounce back and get such a strong hold on her life, but the fact remains; those men stole her childhood away from her. There’s no getting it back, but I do want them to pay… in every way.”

  “We’ll do everything we can to get them behind bars.”

  “Not just that. What about the millions they embezzled? What about all the money? I lost my home, my business, my livelihood.”

  “I agree with…” Leopold looked at my father.

  “Eugene,” he said extending his hand to him. “Eugene Cooke.”

  “I agree with Eugene. There must be some way of recuperating some of that money.”

  “I feel for you, son,” my dad said. “It’s heartbreaking to put so much hard work into building something only to have it snatched away by people who simply don’t deserve it.”

  “Chances are the money’s long gone…” Daniel started.

  “I’m not going to just sit by and watch my grandfather’s hard work be destroyed and forgotten. People today still look up to the Lee name with admiration and respect. That’s because, on the surface, all seems well. Every division of our holdings is doing superb. But with the tens of millions that have disappeared over the past years… It adds up, and the strain is starting to show. If we can’t get some of that money back, we’re going to have to shut down plants, to close up shops and to la
y off hundreds of people who rely on us.”

  Errol gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. “That’s not going to happen. We’re going to make this restaurant a success and then… the sky’s the limit.”

  “You?” I said, approaching the men. “Are you going, too?”

  “That’s the other reason I dropped in to see you. I wanted to pass the reins on to you, Lilly.”

  “Really? I… I…” Stammering like an idiot, I could feel my face break out into a silly grin that, no doubt, spread from ear to ear.

  “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, but I want you to run Errol King Foods.”

  “Errol, I…”

  “You’re the best food scientist I know, and you’ve got a good head on your shoulders. During my absence, consider yourself interim president.”

  “President?”

  “I can’t think of a better person.”

  “I… I don’t know what to say.”

  Rial came to his brother’s side and looked at him then at me.

  “Just say ‘yes’,” they said in unison.

  Chapter 9

  “Well,” my father said after everyone had left. “I guess I’d better be heading back into town. I’ve got a little hotel room down by the museum.”

  “Don’t be silly, Dad. You’ll come stay with me.” I hooked my arm into his and turned to Rial. “I’ll go have a nice quiet dinner with my father and see you in the morning.”

  Rial gave me a sweet pec on the nose and waved me away. “Have a good time.”

  Feeling lighter than I had in a long while, I led my father out to my sporty new car and soon we were driving down memory lane. My father had a memory attached to virtually every stretch of land between the chateau and Paris. I smiled as he reminisced.

  “So many great memories… this place. France; such a great country.”

  “And we’ll build new memories, Dad. Better ones.”

  He laughed. “I sure do admire your optimism.”

  “What’s not to be optimistic about? You’ve discovered that your best friend didn’t steal from you, you’ve reunited with your lovely and sweet daughter, and your future son-in-law bought the chateau you so loved and cherished.”

  “Future son-in-law, heh?”

  “Well…?” Maybe I was getting ahead of myself a bit. “Oh, look, Dad.” I pointed to the little chapel he used to bring me to. “Do you remember?”

  “Of course I do. I used to tell you it was a tiny church built just for you.”

  “And I used to believe you, too. I can’t imagine I was ever that gullible.”

  “Well, I think it’s just your nature. You trust in people. At the convent, I once got you to believe a stick of cinnamon could keep spiders away.”

  “Oh, yes,” I said with a laugh. “I’d forgotten about that. I used to be so afraid of the spiders that occasionally came into my room.”

  “And I told you that a stick of cinnamon in your bed would keep them away.”

  I laughed. “Well, it worked. They never did come into my bed.”

  He joined in my laughter and I suddenly felt like a child again, laughing and talking to my father while all was good with the world.

  “You were always there – those years at the convent – and I didn’t know it,” I said softly. “How could I not have known it was you?”

  Grinning, he rubbed his hand down his gaunt cheek and over his pointed chin. “You knew a young and exuberant man, a young father who had the energy to run with his little girl, to catch her and toss her high into the air. How could you know this tired old man who can barely walk was your father?”

  I pulled the car up to my building and shrugged. “Either way, old or young, tired or strong, I’m glad you stayed close to me all those years. When this is all over, I’m going to mentally pass through those years with a fine tooth comb and bring up all the memories I have of you, only now it won’t be the kindly old gardener. It’ll be my dad.”

  He leaned over to give me a hug and a pat on the cheek. “Now, I’m starving. Let’s see what we can eat.”

  I hopped out of the car and led him to my door. “I’ll try to whip up something good, but I have to admit, I haven’t been to the grocery store in a while and my cupboards may be bare.” Truth was, Rial had already started emptying my place out.

  “I’m sure you’ll come up with something.”

  Opening the door, I quickly realized Bobby had saved me the trouble. The scent of fine herbs welcomed us and beckoned us to the dining room.

  “Oh, Mr. Cooke. Perfect. I think I may have made a bit too much,” Bobby said as he emerged from the kitchen. Beaming, he came to me and pulled me into a great hug, his lips planted firmly to my cheek. “I didn’t know where you’d run off to. I was starting to worry.”

  “No need to worry. I’m here now.” Flustered, I wiggled out of his arms. Embarrassed by the great show of affection, and right there in front of my father, I stammered a moment before finally saying, “And I see I needn’t have worried about you. No one would ever know you’d been injured.”

  “Hey, I’m young and strong. I recover fast.”

  “And you work fast, too. I mean, just look at this table.”

  A large platter of pasta topped with grilled vegetables sat in the middle of the table with crispy, buttery French bread to one side, and what looked like chicken filets in a rich tomato sauce on the other.

  “And you think you might have made a bit too much?” I said. “Bobby, there’s enough here to feed an army.”

  “I guess I got a little carried away. Well, you’ll have something for lunch tomorrow. Hope you guys are hungry.”

  “Hungry?” Eugene said. “Now, let me tell you something. After I sit down and get my fill, there won’t be much left of this.”

  He sat at one of the place settings and I sat at the other, while Bobby hurried to bring a third for himself. Beaming with joy and pride, he looked at me. “Do you want to say grace?”

  A sense of warmth and home filled me. “Yes.” I reached for their hands. “Oh, heavenly Father, there is so much to be thankful for on this special night as I dine with a very special friend and the father I love so much. Please bless this meal and let us have an enjoyable evening together.”

  “Amen.”

  The men dove into their plates and I doubt my father even tasted the various herbs and spices Bobby had so lovingly sprinkled over the pasta, he ate so fast. But by the time he’d finished his plate, he let out a great sigh of satisfaction and pushed his plate away.

  “I knew you worked in a restaurant, but I didn’t think you could cook like that,” he said.

  “I’m glad you liked it, Mr. Cooke.”

  “Oh, you can stop with the ‘Mr. Cooke,’ now. Call me Eugene.”

  “Thank you, Eugene.”

  “This really was delicious, Bobby.”

  “I’ve been looking forward to cooking for you again. Of course, I didn’t expect it to be in such circumstances, but… well, I did the best I could.”

  “I don’t know how you did it. I was just telling my father how bare my cupboards were. I think you’ve just made a liar out of me.”

  “I liked the challenge… a few vegetables here, some pasta there, some bread, and hey… there you go.”

  “And here I go,” Eugene said as he stood. “If you kids don’t mind, I think I’ll go lie down for a little while.”

  “Of course, Dad. You can take my room.”

  “No. No.” He headed to the living room. “I’ll watch a bit of television and doze off for a bit here. You kids go on chatting and catching up.”

  Bobby turned to me. “A nice evening stroll would be nice, don’t you think?”

  “Yeah,” Eugene called from the living room. “Go for a nice walk. I’ll clear up here.”

  “You lie down and relax. I’ll take care of the kitchen when I get back.”

  “Oh, stop your fussing,” my father said as he flicked on the television and started going from one channel
to the next. “Can’t you see the boy’s got something important to talk to you about?”

  I glanced at Bobby who seemed anxious to get going.

  “Oh, all right.” I reached for my jacket, but didn’t have time to even get one sleeve on that Bobby was pulling me out the door. “Good night, Dad.”

  “Have fun, kids.”

  Once outside, I pulled Bobby to a stop. “Hey, let me catch my breath. I just ate a five course meal, remember?”

  “Sorry. I’m just a little bit eager to have you to myself. I thought we could grab a cup of coffee or something.”

  “Sounds good. I know a little place just around the corner.”

  “Everything’s been so hectic since I got here… seeing you, bringing you your dad, that disastrous dinner at Errol’s… and now, finally…”

  “A moment of peace,” I said.

  We strolled in silence before he said, “I’ve really missed you, you know.”

  I turned to the door of the café, happy for the diversion. “Here we are. Sometimes I can smell the coffee clear to my place.”

  We didn’t take a table, but headed straight to the counter to order two coffees. Bobby fidgeted as we waited and his nervous tension was contagious. By the time the coffee arrived, I was all thumbs as I tried to get some change out of my coat pocket.

  “I’ll get that,” Bobby said as he paid for the coffee.

  “Thanks.”

  “How ‘bout we take this outside. It’s such a nice evening.”

  “Sure. There are a few tables out on the terrace. If you get the right one, you have great view of the Eiffel Tower.”

  He nodded and I led him to the terrace.

  “This is perfect.” He sat facing the iconic tower. “You must really love it out here, don’t you?”

  “The best city on earth. Look at that view. I don’t get tired of seeing it.”

  “Hey, you forget you're talking to a New Yorker here. I mean, we have the Empires State Building and the Statue of Liberty.”

  “Courtesy of…,” I said with a smile.

  “Yeah, I know… France.”

  I laughed. He was so adorable. I’d almost forgotten how adorable and charming he could be… and those clear blue eyes. I’d forgotten the passion that lay behind them, behind their intensity, behind their playfulness. “Bobby,” I whispered, remembering the good times we’d had.