Murder in the Pearl District (Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Series Book 5) by Dianne Harman Page A
Authors: Dianne Harman
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telling
me, I’ll publish the review I was planning to prior to the untimely death of
Mrs. DeLuca.”
“Thank you, Mr. Hossam. I
appreciate your courtesy, and I’m sure Mrs. Marchant will too. Buon appetito ,”
she said as she walked away from his table, trying to look as if nothing had
happened.
Sophie took one look at
Kelly when she entered the kitchen and said, “ Chérie , it was that bad?”
“That is the most
repulsive man I think I’ve ever met. He was hoping the restaurant would fail,
and then his review would be justified.”
“When is he going to
publish it?” Nico asked.
“I don’t know. I bought a
little time. His main complaint seems to be that the dishes served here are
like the dishes that were served in Italian restaurants fifty years ago. He
said there was nothing new or innovative on the menu.” She turned to Sophie. “I
didn’t know what else to say, so I told him the new owner and the sous chef
were making plans to introduce a fantastic new menu. I asked him if he would
hold off publishing his review until he’d had a chance to try the new menu. He
said he would come back in a week and try it. I’m sorry, Sophie, that was the
best I could do. I was afraid that with Donatella’s death and a bad review, it
would mean the end of the restaurant.”
“Nico, now we don’t have a
choice. How soon can you have those new dishes of yours ready to be served to
the diners?”
“I’ve tested all of them
several times. I’ll tell the staff they’ll be on the menu tomorrow and instruct
them as to what they should say when the diners ask about them. We’ll need to
get temporary paper menus printed up by tomorrow and if the dishes are well
received, get new regular menus printed. I’ll make a list of what I’ll need.”
“Give me the names of the
dishes and their descriptions. I’ll go down the street to Hank’s Print Shop.
I’ve had him print paper menus for me when I’ve entertained. He’s a very
interesting individual, but he’ll get it done and on time,” Sophie said.
“I’ll have them to you in
half an hour. We’ll have the wait staff give the diners a paper menu along with
the regular menus. This is going to work. Thanks for believing in me, Sophie,”
he said, grinning as he wrote out the new menu items as fast as he could.
“Nico. Make it legible.
Hank will have to be able to read your writing in order to typeset it.”
“Will do,” he muttered,
totally engrossed in creating his new menu.
“Kelly, let’s go to the
office,” Sophie said. “I want to talk to you while Nico writes out the items to
be included in the new menu.”
A few minutes later they
sat in the restaurant’s office, trying to absorb everything that had happened
in the last few hours. “Kelly, do you really think I can do this?” Sophie
asked.
“Absolutely. I think
you’re lucky to have Nico. If you can get a good restaurant review, that would
be fabulous. You don’t have a choice. I know Donatella didn’t want to change
the menu, but if you don’t, you could be looking at the restaurant closing
before you even have a chance to see what it can do.”
“I just hope I’m not, how
do you say it? Something about being in the water and drowning?”
“That’s not quite the way
the saying goes. I think you’re trying to say ‘in over your head,’ but I’m sure
you’ll rise to the occasion and not drown. I think we could both use a cup of
coffee. Just sit for a minute, and I’ll go get us some.”
As she walked into the dining
room area she saw a red-haired woman sitting at the bar speaking angrily in a
loud voice and gesturing in a threatening manner at the tall bartender.
CHAPTER 11
Kelly walked to the far end of the
bar and motioned to the bartender that she wanted to speak with him. He said
something to the woman seated at the bar and walked over to where Kelly was
standing.
“What’s going on?” she
asked.
“I just told that woman I
wouldn’t serve her another
me, I’ll publish the review I was planning to prior to the untimely death of
Mrs. DeLuca.”
“Thank you, Mr. Hossam. I
appreciate your courtesy, and I’m sure Mrs. Marchant will too. Buon appetito ,”
she said as she walked away from his table, trying to look as if nothing had
happened.
Sophie took one look at
Kelly when she entered the kitchen and said, “ Chérie , it was that bad?”
“That is the most
repulsive man I think I’ve ever met. He was hoping the restaurant would fail,
and then his review would be justified.”
“When is he going to
publish it?” Nico asked.
“I don’t know. I bought a
little time. His main complaint seems to be that the dishes served here are
like the dishes that were served in Italian restaurants fifty years ago. He
said there was nothing new or innovative on the menu.” She turned to Sophie. “I
didn’t know what else to say, so I told him the new owner and the sous chef
were making plans to introduce a fantastic new menu. I asked him if he would
hold off publishing his review until he’d had a chance to try the new menu. He
said he would come back in a week and try it. I’m sorry, Sophie, that was the
best I could do. I was afraid that with Donatella’s death and a bad review, it
would mean the end of the restaurant.”
“Nico, now we don’t have a
choice. How soon can you have those new dishes of yours ready to be served to
the diners?”
“I’ve tested all of them
several times. I’ll tell the staff they’ll be on the menu tomorrow and instruct
them as to what they should say when the diners ask about them. We’ll need to
get temporary paper menus printed up by tomorrow and if the dishes are well
received, get new regular menus printed. I’ll make a list of what I’ll need.”
“Give me the names of the
dishes and their descriptions. I’ll go down the street to Hank’s Print Shop.
I’ve had him print paper menus for me when I’ve entertained. He’s a very
interesting individual, but he’ll get it done and on time,” Sophie said.
“I’ll have them to you in
half an hour. We’ll have the wait staff give the diners a paper menu along with
the regular menus. This is going to work. Thanks for believing in me, Sophie,”
he said, grinning as he wrote out the new menu items as fast as he could.
“Nico. Make it legible.
Hank will have to be able to read your writing in order to typeset it.”
“Will do,” he muttered,
totally engrossed in creating his new menu.
“Kelly, let’s go to the
office,” Sophie said. “I want to talk to you while Nico writes out the items to
be included in the new menu.”
A few minutes later they
sat in the restaurant’s office, trying to absorb everything that had happened
in the last few hours. “Kelly, do you really think I can do this?” Sophie
asked.
“Absolutely. I think
you’re lucky to have Nico. If you can get a good restaurant review, that would
be fabulous. You don’t have a choice. I know Donatella didn’t want to change
the menu, but if you don’t, you could be looking at the restaurant closing
before you even have a chance to see what it can do.”
“I just hope I’m not, how
do you say it? Something about being in the water and drowning?”
“That’s not quite the way
the saying goes. I think you’re trying to say ‘in over your head,’ but I’m sure
you’ll rise to the occasion and not drown. I think we could both use a cup of
coffee. Just sit for a minute, and I’ll go get us some.”
As she walked into the dining
room area she saw a red-haired woman sitting at the bar speaking angrily in a
loud voice and gesturing in a threatening manner at the tall bartender.
CHAPTER 11
Kelly walked to the far end of the
bar and motioned to the bartender that she wanted to speak with him. He said
something to the woman seated at the bar and walked over to where Kelly was
standing.
“What’s going on?” she
asked.
“I just told that woman I
wouldn’t serve her another
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