18
DANIELA
“Dangerous?”Chef asks.“I mean, he’s a little eccentric, but dangerous?”
“You knew he was dangerous,” Vinnie says, “or you wouldn’t have come here in the middle of the night to tell us about him as soon as you made the connection.”
“But I…” Chef shakes his head.“You’re right, of course.Gwen didn’t like him at all.But she’s just a kid, and I didn’t think… Oh, hell.I don’t know what I was thinking.He and I have known each other for years.I just can’t believe…”
“Chef,” I say, “How long was Gordon here?”
He rubs his chin.“He arrived right before Valentine’s Day.I remember because I was planning a chocolate lesson for my advanced students, and he teased me about using Belgian instead of Ecuadorian.”
My heart squeezes.“And when did he leave?”
“A little over a week ago.I drove him to the airport myself.Two days before Gwen’s sleepover.”
Raven exhales a sharp breath.“Right.You said he was gone before the sleepover.So before Belinda disappeared.”
Chef nods.“Yes.Gwen wanted to wait until he was gone to have friends over.She said…” He pauses, looking sheepish.“She said he gave her the creeps.I told her she was being silly.He’s a chef, not a?—”
He stops.
I finish for him.“Not a monster?”
Chef swallows.“I didn’t mean?—”
“I know what you meant.”My voice is steadier than I feel.“She’s smart, your daughter.She trusted her instincts.Good thing she did.”
Because I didn’t.
I wasn’t much older than Gwen when I started trading favors for lessons.Hands for guidance.Body for validation.I told myself it was different, that he saw potential in me.That he was giving me a chance.
He wasn’t.He was grooming me.The same way my father did, only with cooking lessons and kinder words.
The air feels too thin.I excuse myself quickly before I break down right there in front of everyone.
“He was here,” I whisper finally.“In the same state.Staying in that house while tormenting me with his little gifts.”
Chef drops his jaw.“What?My God…”
“It’s a long story,” I tell him, “but you were right to see a connection.”I turn to Vinnie.“The timing lines up exactly.He was in town over Valentine’s Day, left before the sleepover, and the card showed up at my door that same week.Who else would do that?”
Vinnie’s jaw ticks.“And the roses with the barbed wire?”
“The DNA from the dead guy on the registry.Chef could have…” I drop my head into my hands.
“Those chocolates you had me analyze?”Chef Charleston says.“You think Gordon Brown sent them?”
I nod.“Only one was Colombian.You said so yourself.It was a message.He wanted me toknowit was him.That’s how he works.How he’s always worked.Subtle enough to make you question your sanity, but close enough to smell your fear.”
Vinnie curls his hands into fists.“I’ll look into it.If he’s behind Belinda’s disappearance, I’ll find proof.”
“Please,” Chef says.“You’ve got to believe me.I never knew he was… I mean… I assume he…”
I sniffle.“Without going into too much detail, suffice it to say he taught me to cook.”I gulp.“In exchange for…”
Chef goes pale.“Oh my God… And he stayed in my home.With my child.He’s been visiting for years.”
