challenging.
“Okay, okay.” I can tell from the way Nico is gripping the arms of his chair that he wants to swivel. “I’m just really getting into this.”
“Getting into it is good,” Lloyd tells him, “but jumping to conclusions—not so much.”
Next up is a middle-aged guy wearing a chef ’s hat. He has a craggy face and a long thin nose. From the information at the bottom of the screen, we learn that this is Leo Tessier, head chef at the university cafeteria. Leo Tessier has a thick handlebar moustache and a small neat beard. Like Mrs. Lu, he begins by denying he had anything to do with the vandalism. Unlike Mrs. Lu, he does not look at the camera when he speaks.
“See how he’s not making eye contact?” Nathaniel says. “That’s suspicious!”
“Nathaniel!” Lloyd says sharply. “What did Samantha and I just say about jumping to conclusions before you collect and analyze your evidence?”
Leo Tessier speaks with a French-from-France accent. “Eet ees true,” he says, twirling one end of his moustache (I don’t say anything about that, though it strikes me as slightly fake and suspicious), “that it was not my dream to be head chef at a cafeteria.” His head drops a little when he admits this. “I always thought I would be head chef at a great restaurant ”—he switches to French to say the word restaurant— “a Michelin three-star restaurant . That was my life’s ambition. But it does not mean I do not cook like a great French-trained chef. The students adore my rôti de boeuf , my roast beef, and on Fridays, my sole amandine never fails to sell out.
“My only complaint is that I work too much—all the time, nonstop. If I had a day off during the week, I would have time to apply for a better job.” Chef Tessier closes his eyes as if he is imagining himself preparing rôti de boeuf and sole amandine in one of those three-star restaurants . When he opens his eyes again, he looks sad, and I notice the baggy skin under his eyes. “Zee smell in zee cafeteria. Epouvantable! Awful! We will have to close the cafeteria for at least three days to air it out. Perhaps four.”
If anyone else thinks the chef did it, they are not saying. I guess we all figure it is better to keep our hunches to ourselves than get lectured by Samantha and Lloyd.
Our next suspect is Amelia Lester, the assistant chef. The first thing I notice is that her hair is the same color as Samantha’s—only Amelia has dreadlocks. Her blouse has puffed sleeves—it looks like it probably came from a vintage shop. Amelia does not mention the vandalism. Instead, she starts talking about her boss. “Leo Tessier is not a bad person,” she says, “but when it comes to food, he is living in the past. He pays no attention to trends or to the environment. If you ask me, it’s irresponsible.” I can hear Stacey going, “Hmm” in the background. “People,” Amelia continues, “especially young people, want more vegetarian options these days—and it’s not only a matter of taste. They want to eat sustainably and responsibly. If I ever get to be head chef at this cafeteria, the first thing I’m going to do is take his rôti de boeuf and sole amandine off the menu and replace them with soybean burgers and lentil loaf. That’s what people want, and that’s what our planet needs!”
Stacey claps.
“Why are you clapping?” Nico asks. “This whole thing is fake.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Stacey tells him. “Besides, even if it is, it’s very inspiring!”
There is still one more potential suspect on the video. This one is a young guy around Lloyd and Samantha’s age. He is wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt and a black beret like Che’s. The bottom of the screen says Jonah Cartwright, student . “I don’t know why anyone would think I vandalized the cafeteria,” he says, shrugging his shoulders. “I have way too much schoolwork to do something dumb like that. But I want to be up front with you: it is
“Okay, okay.” I can tell from the way Nico is gripping the arms of his chair that he wants to swivel. “I’m just really getting into this.”
“Getting into it is good,” Lloyd tells him, “but jumping to conclusions—not so much.”
Next up is a middle-aged guy wearing a chef ’s hat. He has a craggy face and a long thin nose. From the information at the bottom of the screen, we learn that this is Leo Tessier, head chef at the university cafeteria. Leo Tessier has a thick handlebar moustache and a small neat beard. Like Mrs. Lu, he begins by denying he had anything to do with the vandalism. Unlike Mrs. Lu, he does not look at the camera when he speaks.
“See how he’s not making eye contact?” Nathaniel says. “That’s suspicious!”
“Nathaniel!” Lloyd says sharply. “What did Samantha and I just say about jumping to conclusions before you collect and analyze your evidence?”
Leo Tessier speaks with a French-from-France accent. “Eet ees true,” he says, twirling one end of his moustache (I don’t say anything about that, though it strikes me as slightly fake and suspicious), “that it was not my dream to be head chef at a cafeteria.” His head drops a little when he admits this. “I always thought I would be head chef at a great restaurant ”—he switches to French to say the word restaurant— “a Michelin three-star restaurant . That was my life’s ambition. But it does not mean I do not cook like a great French-trained chef. The students adore my rôti de boeuf , my roast beef, and on Fridays, my sole amandine never fails to sell out.
“My only complaint is that I work too much—all the time, nonstop. If I had a day off during the week, I would have time to apply for a better job.” Chef Tessier closes his eyes as if he is imagining himself preparing rôti de boeuf and sole amandine in one of those three-star restaurants . When he opens his eyes again, he looks sad, and I notice the baggy skin under his eyes. “Zee smell in zee cafeteria. Epouvantable! Awful! We will have to close the cafeteria for at least three days to air it out. Perhaps four.”
If anyone else thinks the chef did it, they are not saying. I guess we all figure it is better to keep our hunches to ourselves than get lectured by Samantha and Lloyd.
Our next suspect is Amelia Lester, the assistant chef. The first thing I notice is that her hair is the same color as Samantha’s—only Amelia has dreadlocks. Her blouse has puffed sleeves—it looks like it probably came from a vintage shop. Amelia does not mention the vandalism. Instead, she starts talking about her boss. “Leo Tessier is not a bad person,” she says, “but when it comes to food, he is living in the past. He pays no attention to trends or to the environment. If you ask me, it’s irresponsible.” I can hear Stacey going, “Hmm” in the background. “People,” Amelia continues, “especially young people, want more vegetarian options these days—and it’s not only a matter of taste. They want to eat sustainably and responsibly. If I ever get to be head chef at this cafeteria, the first thing I’m going to do is take his rôti de boeuf and sole amandine off the menu and replace them with soybean burgers and lentil loaf. That’s what people want, and that’s what our planet needs!”
Stacey claps.
“Why are you clapping?” Nico asks. “This whole thing is fake.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Stacey tells him. “Besides, even if it is, it’s very inspiring!”
There is still one more potential suspect on the video. This one is a young guy around Lloyd and Samantha’s age. He is wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt and a black beret like Che’s. The bottom of the screen says Jonah Cartwright, student . “I don’t know why anyone would think I vandalized the cafeteria,” he says, shrugging his shoulders. “I have way too much schoolwork to do something dumb like that. But I want to be up front with you: it is
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