examiner.
Savannah looked stricken by the lackadaisical attitude of the techs.
“It’s okay,” I murmured, slipping my arm around her. I could feel her shaking.
“But they’ll take him away,” she whispered.
“Right. And they’ll find out exactly how he died and maybe figure out who did it.
That’s a good thing. So just relax, okay?”
Easy for me to say. I’d forgotten all about Baxter being taken off to be autopsied.
I shuddered at the thought.
Fleischman, the female cop, jogged over to lead the gurney guys to the kitchen. Within
seconds they all disappeared around the corner.
Savannah stared at the front door for a full minute before Jaglom coughed tactfully.
“Can we continue?”
“Yes,” I said firmly.
Savannah nodded, took a deep breath, and began again. It took her a while to get back
up to speed, but as she spoke about Baxter and her chef friends, she grew more animated
and began to sound like her regular self.
The inspector took lots of notes and asked questions intermittently. He made Savannah
repeat a few more things, assuring herthat he just wanted to write the words down exactly as she related them.
He seemed to believe her. If that wasn’t true, then he was definitely better at playing
the good cop than his partner was. And as soon as that thought crossed my mind, I
worried that Inspector Lee might show up suddenly to play the bad cop. I glanced across
the room to check up on her and saw her deeply involved in an intense conversation
with Derek. Good. I hoped he would keep her busy until it was time to go.
Some time passed before the assistant ME and her tech guys reappeared with their gurney.
This time, though, they had a passenger, Baxter, zipped up inside a black body bag.
The guys negotiated the tables and chairs expertly and rolled out the door as quickly
as they had come in.
As silence fell, Derek approached the table. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”
“Nope.” Jaglom closed his notepad and shoved it back into his pocket. “I think that’s
it for now.”
Savannah seemed surprised. “Are you sure?”
He pursed his lips. “I won’t beat around the bush, Ms. Wainwright. You’re a person
of interest in this investigation, so I’ll advise you not to leave town for the time
being.”
Savannah looked alarmed. “But I don’t live in town. I live in Sonoma.”
“She owns a restaurant in Dharma,” Derek explained. “We always know where to find
her.”
I flashed him a grateful smile.
“I’m there all the time,” Savannah added.
Jaglom glanced at all three of us before he nodded, then took his notepad out again
and jotted down the name of the restaurant and several phone numbers.
“Please call me there anytime. I want to help.” Savannah looked at me. “Can we go
home now?”
“If it’s okay with the inspector.” I glanced at Jaglom.
He nodded. “You’re both free to go for now.”
“Then let’s go.” I shook hands with Inspector Jaglom. “Thank you so much.”
He seemed to recognize that I was thanking him for being considerate to my sister,
and he returned a gentlemanly salute. I just prayed that his amiability stemmed from
his belief that Savannah was truly innocent.
Chapter Six
The female in almost every instance is preferable to the male, and peculiarly so in
the Peacock, which, while superbly plumaged, is tough and stringy when chewed.
—
The Cookbook of Obedience Green
Just as we were gathering our belongings to leave for the night, Savannah’s chef friends
trudged into the restaurant, herded by two cops. Every one of the chefs looked like
the walking dead. They’d obviously been roused out of a sound sleep.
I would have had more sympathy for them if I hadn’t been stuck here for the past few
hours myself.
Colette saw Savannah first and ran to hug her. “I can’t believe he’s dead.” She sobbed
quietly on Savannah’s shoulder.
“I know,” Savannah said, sniffling.
Savannah looked stricken by the lackadaisical attitude of the techs.
“It’s okay,” I murmured, slipping my arm around her. I could feel her shaking.
“But they’ll take him away,” she whispered.
“Right. And they’ll find out exactly how he died and maybe figure out who did it.
That’s a good thing. So just relax, okay?”
Easy for me to say. I’d forgotten all about Baxter being taken off to be autopsied.
I shuddered at the thought.
Fleischman, the female cop, jogged over to lead the gurney guys to the kitchen. Within
seconds they all disappeared around the corner.
Savannah stared at the front door for a full minute before Jaglom coughed tactfully.
“Can we continue?”
“Yes,” I said firmly.
Savannah nodded, took a deep breath, and began again. It took her a while to get back
up to speed, but as she spoke about Baxter and her chef friends, she grew more animated
and began to sound like her regular self.
The inspector took lots of notes and asked questions intermittently. He made Savannah
repeat a few more things, assuring herthat he just wanted to write the words down exactly as she related them.
He seemed to believe her. If that wasn’t true, then he was definitely better at playing
the good cop than his partner was. And as soon as that thought crossed my mind, I
worried that Inspector Lee might show up suddenly to play the bad cop. I glanced across
the room to check up on her and saw her deeply involved in an intense conversation
with Derek. Good. I hoped he would keep her busy until it was time to go.
Some time passed before the assistant ME and her tech guys reappeared with their gurney.
This time, though, they had a passenger, Baxter, zipped up inside a black body bag.
The guys negotiated the tables and chairs expertly and rolled out the door as quickly
as they had come in.
As silence fell, Derek approached the table. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”
“Nope.” Jaglom closed his notepad and shoved it back into his pocket. “I think that’s
it for now.”
Savannah seemed surprised. “Are you sure?”
He pursed his lips. “I won’t beat around the bush, Ms. Wainwright. You’re a person
of interest in this investigation, so I’ll advise you not to leave town for the time
being.”
Savannah looked alarmed. “But I don’t live in town. I live in Sonoma.”
“She owns a restaurant in Dharma,” Derek explained. “We always know where to find
her.”
I flashed him a grateful smile.
“I’m there all the time,” Savannah added.
Jaglom glanced at all three of us before he nodded, then took his notepad out again
and jotted down the name of the restaurant and several phone numbers.
“Please call me there anytime. I want to help.” Savannah looked at me. “Can we go
home now?”
“If it’s okay with the inspector.” I glanced at Jaglom.
He nodded. “You’re both free to go for now.”
“Then let’s go.” I shook hands with Inspector Jaglom. “Thank you so much.”
He seemed to recognize that I was thanking him for being considerate to my sister,
and he returned a gentlemanly salute. I just prayed that his amiability stemmed from
his belief that Savannah was truly innocent.
Chapter Six
The female in almost every instance is preferable to the male, and peculiarly so in
the Peacock, which, while superbly plumaged, is tough and stringy when chewed.
—
The Cookbook of Obedience Green
Just as we were gathering our belongings to leave for the night, Savannah’s chef friends
trudged into the restaurant, herded by two cops. Every one of the chefs looked like
the walking dead. They’d obviously been roused out of a sound sleep.
I would have had more sympathy for them if I hadn’t been stuck here for the past few
hours myself.
Colette saw Savannah first and ran to hug her. “I can’t believe he’s dead.” She sobbed
quietly on Savannah’s shoulder.
“I know,” Savannah said, sniffling.
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