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Before they left, they gathered the tenants who were home in the courtyard. Max explained that the building was under new management and every apartment would be updated without raising anyone’s rent. If anyone wanted to leave, they could, but preference would always be given to seniors on limited incomes if space was available.
Many of the tenants were above fifty, but there were still many more in their twenties and thirties. It was a good mix of people and, hopefully, a good mix of neighbors for the new complex.
Max and Ghost barely spoke as they drove back down I-10 toward Belle Fleur. Neither of them could stop smiling, feeling pride for what they’d done today. When they were outside the city, headed home, they finally looked at one another, grinning. With a fist bump, Ghost nodded his head.
“Fuck yeah, that’s what I’ve been craving.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Gabe watched as the chefs accepted the crates of vegetables and other produce. The fish and meat had been delivered earlier and were now being prepped for the evening menu. It seemed everyone was busy, and everyone had a job in the kitchen.
A table was reserved for Nine, Erin, Ghost, and Grace for seven o’clock. No one seemed to be too concerned about the crates as they were set on the shelves in the pantry area, making Gabe realize that when busy, anyone could tamper with the food.
Otto watched as the young woman, Casey, began prepping her area. She was lovely, in a girl-next-door kind of way, but he was also fairly certain she was hiding something. It was the way she would raise her eyes when Islip walked in, following his movements around the kitchen. It wasn’t the look of lust or desire. It was something else.
“You got something, Otto?” asked Gabe.
“I’m not sure. I don’t think so. The girl, Casey, she just seems to be paying a lot of attention to Islip.”
“Could be a celebrity crush kind of thing. We can keep an eye on her. What about the deliveries? Anything unusual today?”
“Nothing so far,” said Luc. “I guess we’ll see soon enough. Place is starting to buzz. Let’s get to work.”
Learning the inner workings of a five-star restaurant kitchen was not something on Luc, Gabe, or Otto’s bucket list. But they were damn sure getting a crash course in it and determined to do it right. The last thing they wanted to do was cause any more damage to the restaurant or its reputation.
Things had to move and move quickly. Everyone had a role. Everyone had something to do, and if they weren’t timing it perfectly, part of the dish would go out cold or too hot.
“Nine and Ghost are out front,” said Otto.
Luc and Gabe nodded, knowing that if anything was wrong, they would let them know. It definitely didn’t take long. Their heads popped up as the two men walked into the kitchen with their plates.
“Hey, I’m sorry, sirs, but you can’t be back here,” said Talbot.
“It’s alright,” said Islip. “Gentlemen, is there a problem with your meal.”
“Yes,” nodded Nine in a low, soft voice. “I thought we’d do this back here instead of out there. It seems you’ve got a maggot problem.”
“Maggots?” gasped Islip. Nine pulled back the silver dome on his plate, tiny white maggots crawling all over his steak. Casey nearly puked in her trash bin, the others in the kitchen gagging as well. Maggots were the death of a restaurant.
“This didn’t happen during cooking, chef. This happened when someone plated the dish and brought it to me.”
Islip searched the faces of those around him, almost lost as to what to do. Casey, seeing his despair and uncertainty, finally stepped forward.
“Who brought the food out?” she asked the waitstaff standing at the counter.
“I-I did,” said one of the men. He was probably late thirties, lean, neatly groomed, and definitely in shock. “I just picked it up from the counter. I swear. I didn’t do anything to it.”
“You have a serious problem, Mr. Islip,” said Ghost. “If an inspector were to get that, you’d be shut down.”
“I’m well aware,” he said quietly. “Thank you for letting me know in a discreet manner. Everyone. Before the food is delivered, please lift the cover and check the food. We cannot allow this to continue. Talbot? Will you please check the inside of all the domes and make sure they’re cleaned a second time? Marks? Can you please inspect the grill to be sure we’re not getting anything from that source?”
“Now, do you see the need for cameras?” asked Ghost quietly. Islip nodded.
“Yes,” he said calmly. “Tomorrow is Monday. We’re closed on Mondays. Can your team be here and do it then so we don’t have any disruption?”
“We’ll make sure of it,” said Nine. He smiled at Islip, hoping to relieve some of the tension and stress. “If we could get a replacement steak, that would be awesome.” Islip nodded, smiling at him.
“Of course. I’ll cook it myself.” He turned, heading to the refrigerated cooler to retrieve a new steak. He stood in the middle of the huge metal box for a few moments, just watching his breath fog the air. Someone was trying to destroy him. He’d racked his brain trying to figure out who would have such a vendetta against him.
