Kee Patterbee - Hannah Starvling 01 - The Chef at the Water's Edge Read Online Free PDF Page A

Hannah asked.
    “Well, she was just Julianna Durbin, a country girl from Bucks County back then, and she...”
    Hannah glanced over at Buster and Cate. Louie’s historical knowledge engrossed both of them. She could hear the passion in his voice as he chronicled the start of Julia’s career. It continued all the way to the day he heard about her death. By the time he concluded, he was trying to hide the tears in his eyes.
    “I was just devastated when I got the news. The thoughts of never seeing her again except in my dreams set off a depression that has affected me to this day.
    Hannah put her hand on his forearm. “I’m sorry. I understand that spending the next few days immersed in her life will be painful.”
    He smiled through his sadness. “It isn’t about me. It’s about her.”
    Hannah considered the look on Louie’s face as one of complete devotion. For this man, who was in love with a dead woman, Julia Karas was kindness personified. As she pondered the situation, she wondered about the potential harm or good this case might cause. Could she win either way? If she confirmed her death was no accident, it would open an investigation that would keep this man’s emotions raw for years to come. If she found out that it was an accident, would he be able to grieve and then move through the process back into life again? Such questions weighed heavy on the amateur investigator long after they had retired for the evening.
    ***
    The next morning, Hannah woke with a start as Louie yelled up the stairs, “Rise and shine!” She rolled out of bed, made her way over to the door and cracked it. Hearing it open, Louie turned and looked to see a woman who was not yet awake. Her hair shot in a multitude of directions. Her face screamed of weariness. Her eyes spoke more of the living dead than ‘I’ll be there in just a moment’.
    “Sorry to wake you. But I’m supposed to be working the pre-event setups in an hour and traffic will be murder.”
    Hannah yawned. “Coffee?”
    At that moment, both Buster and Cate exited their rooms and headed down the hall toward Louie. Seeing Hannah, Buster called out, “Big guy! Didn’t I warn you last night about feeding the bear?”
    Cate nudged Buster into the wall. “Oww,” he exclaimed in a loud voice to emphasize his fake injury. She then took Louie by the arm and led him toward the stairs as she tossed out to Hannah, “On the landing when you are ready.” Hannah nodded and closed the door.
    Looking over to Cate, Louie asked, “Not a morning person I take it?”
    “Not in any fashion,” Cate said. “Remind me later to show you my scars.”
    Just under fifteen minutes later, Hannah made her way down the staircase. Dressed in casual business attire like Cate, Louie commented, “Nice.” He ushered her toward the front door, where Buster stood waiting with a cup of coffee just for her. Taking it from him, she drew it to her nose as she took a breath. She then proceeded to start her day with a sip. “Liiiiifffffeeee.”
    Her reaction made Louie chuckle before asking, “Do you have everything you need? It’s going to be a long day, but we can always relax in the media RV if need be.”
    “I think we’re good,” Hannah assured him, looking to Cate, who nodded in agreement.
    “I understand that small towns aren’t used to this kind of activity. So where are most of the venues going to be?” Cate asked.
    As she stepped through the door, followed by Hannah, both women paused to take in a large RV sitting in the driveway. A large Food Critic logo stood out on the side of the vehicle. “Wow,” both uttered in unison. Louie continued as if it were an ordinary vehicle and urged them to enter as he answered the question.
    “Karas, Inc. owns a good part of this town now. Asa began buying everything a while back. He has spent a fortune on Zebulon. To answer your question, there will be the usual stuff throughout the city. Booths, hawkers, and such. The larger events will be