That could have been. And Im not trying to say that I know how he died. For that matter, maybe he did die of a heart attack. If someone forced him to intake a whole bottle of peppermint, I can well believe it caused an impossible shock to his heart. Im not a doctor. Just a chef. And Im telling yousomeone handled my peppermint in a way that couldnt have been an accident. Someone used the entire bottle. Someone, not me, didnt put the lid back on. And if Fiske had been the one to think he wanted it, who touched it, then swallowed that amount, theres no way in the universe hed have been physically capable of putting it back in the cupboard and closing the door and leaving the galley all tidy. Hed have been frantic to stop the burning in his mouth and throat.
Okay. I hear you. I got it. But who knows that stuff about peppermint?
She thought about that, answered slowly, I have no idea. I mean, Id think it would be common knowledge from someone like me, a chef, a cook, someone who knows foods. But otherwisewell, I cant imagine why youd know it. Or any other normal person. I guess Id assume a scientist-type might, just because theyd get the chemistry part of it.
Unfortunately, all his men had that background-that is, everyone but him. His mind kept replaying the men, the dignified Arthur, the Ivy-League boys with their arrogance and outward devotion to their jobs and the cancer cause.
I just cant figure out the why. If there was a murder, it was logically to cover up the theft. Only theres no sane reason for the theft. He socked a fist into the other hand. If greed were the motivation, Id get it. Power, Id get it. But neither of those make sense. The man was already going to get money-big money-when the medicine hit the market. He was already going to be part of the massive credit, the satisfaction, for finding a cure for this uniquely destructive cancer. So why steal it? Why try selling it elsewhere, where the instant the sale came to light, the thief would be identified? None of it makes any sense.
Harm?
What?
Sit down. Calm down.
Nobody told him to sit down and calm down. Ever.
He sat down. Calmed down.
Youre taking me seriously, she said quietly, as if she were still having trouble believing it.
Of course. Why wouldnt I?
Because its not going to sound credible to anyone. Death by peppermint? You know it sounds silly.
Yeah, it does. In fact, it sounds so downright ridiculous that I cant imagine why the two of us arent laughing our heads off.
He watched her take in a massive breath. The way she looked at him. He couldnt read it, but there was something there. Something both warm and wary, as if hed done something that mattered to her.
You know, she said quietly, I didnt expect to like you. Its awkward.
Your liking another human being is awkward?
You joke. But you feel it, too. Were going to have to watch it, she said gently. Watch what?
Your liking another human being is awkward?
You joke. But you feel it, too. Were going to have to watch it, she said gently. Watch what?
Harm. Dont be obtuse. Theres something really, really weird happening here.
Youre telling me? Murder, theft-
Those are justproblems. The weird thing I mean is between you and me. She leaned over, close enough to kiss him. He thought she was going to. Her lips parted. Her eyes seemed to darken. She was so close he could smell her sweet skin, feel her warm breath, see her impossibly soft lips. Dont you tempt me, Connolly. I cant possibly belong in your life. You cant possibly imagine me in yours. So you just quit it.
My God, the woman was batty. She told him she was going up to talk to the captain and left. Harm was willing to admit he was feeling on the batty side himself. His key financial guy murdered? He needed to head upstairs, radio Juneau, somehow ask for the pathologist to make sure they examined Fiskes throat and esophagus without sounding like a nutcase. This whole mess just kept getting worse.
And Cate was somehow He didnt know what she was doing. Implying they were a pair in some way. Implying they were in this together somehow. Implying they had some kind of kindred spirit, man-woman, serious connection going on.
Implying he knew it.
The real helluva a thing washe did know it. Not that hed admit it to her. Hell, he wasnt remotely ready to admit it to himself.
Cate jumped when she heard a footstep behind herbut it was just Ivan, popping in the galley for a raid on the first-aid kit. Connollys up in the pilothouse, calling in authorities again. I dont know whether this is turning into the trip from hell or a hell of an interesting cruise. But Im taking an ibuprofen while Im deciding.
He shook a couple pills from the container. Cate handed him a cup of water. I was hoping to catch you alone for a minute or two.
Honey, Ive been trying to catch you alone since I hired you on.
For once, Cate wasnt annoyed by his flirting. At least it was normal, and right now, anything normal had an incredible appeal. I just think I should tell you something, Ivan.
Oh, good. Anything of an intimate or personal nature would be preferable. Ivan set the cup back on the counter after hed downed the pills, shot her a lascivious grin.
She ignored it. I think Fiske died from peppermint.
Huh?
She expected the comical expression on his face. Still, she showed him the vial of peppermint, how it had been left, all the things shed told Harm. Only Ivan responded by cocking his hands on his hips and letting out a good belly laugh.
Cate, you doofus, we all had tons of your peppermint cookies the first night out-
You dont understand. This isnt peppermint, as in the dose that goes into candy or cookies or baking. Its the whole- But abruptly she stopped talking when she saw Yale leaning in the doorway.
I apologize. I didnt want to interrupt a serious conversation. But I was up on deck. Hans came out of the pilothouse, asked if Id mind seeing if you were in the galley, said to tell you there was salmon. Yale gave a boyish shrug, as if to say he knew the message didnt make sense.
Apparently, it did to Ivan, though. Cate heard the boat engine suddenly slow, then the boat changed direction and circled, then stopped. Ivan turned to her with an exuberant grin. So therell be a delay before reaching Baranof Springs, my gorgeous, adorable chef, for a spot of fishing. Is there a prayer you could alter the dinner menu to do a little something with fresh salmon?
Murders and mayhem and poison by peppermint aside, Cate gave him the rhetorical answer. Is the Pope Catholic? Is a rabbi Jewish? You get me fresh salmon, Ill give you nectar.
Attagirl.
Because she was too distracted to duck, the captain managed to squeeze her behind before she could elbow him away. Yale scratched his whiskery chin, looking as innocent as a child. Did I accidentally sabotage a private conversation?
No, not at all, she said, but she was rattled times ten. She hadnt expected Ivan to take her seriously, to believe her. But she still wished no one had overheard. There was enough worry and suspicion floating around the boat without someone being in a position to add fuel to itnot even counting that Yale was one of the three who could have been the thief-and murderer.
A shiver chased up her spine. Cate, her sisters always said, was the fearless one. Nothing shook her. Nothing made her back down. She always raced ahead as if she had nothing to lose.
But that was the thing. All her life, shed really never felt she did have anything to lose.
But Harm did. And out of the blue, she seemed hopelessly connected to a man who should have been, and by any definition still was, a relative stranger. And risk suddenly had a different flavor. The flavor of fear.
Four hours later she heard the men laughing in the dining room. Dont get near Cate. You should see that knife shes got.
I dont need knives to make you men behave, Cate called out and then showed up in the doorway with the first platter. She was still wearing her old Kmart jacket with the tear, the same frayed sweatshirt underneath, while the guys had just pushed off their fancy-dancy rain outfits. Rain hadnt stopped any of them from fishing, though, not once the first salmon was reeled in.
Under the salmon is an Agrodolce sauce, boys. Nothing to scare you, trust me. True fresh salmon-Alaskan salmon-didnt need any fancying up, but she couldnt resist the bed of Agrodolce sauce to pretty it up. The salmon itself just had the slightest sprinkling of butchers salt and fresh pepper. She carted the individual platters to each man. For the extras, she added a plate of Georgian cheese bread, a bowl of zucchini ribbons-just barely sprinkled with tarragon-and then plain old baked potatoes.
For over twenty minutes, there wasnt a word. She glanced at Harm now and then. He glanced right back. She hadnt regained any sense of safety since that morning, but damnation. Watching the guys fish-it had all been so normal. Yelling at each other, screaming when they got a fighter on the line, Ivan netting their loot, her laying claim to the booty for dinner. And now. The way they gobbled up the food like children raised in caves, hooking their arms around their plates as if fearful of interlopers, shoveling it down, making orgasmic sounds right at the table.
After a while, she just cupped her chin in a hand and watched. Killers? How can any of them possibly be killers?
This isnt really salmon, Arthur said at one point. I dont care for fish, to tell you the truth.
Alaskan fish arent like anything you get in the Lower 48, Ivan explained.
Its the cold waters. Cold and clean.
Nah. Its Cate. Everything she touches is justto die for.
Her fork clattered to the table. Everyone looked at her, clearly expecting her to make a perky comment. In a blink, she realized thats how this was going to have to be. Her making smart remarks, taking care not to look at Harm, keeping up a sassy conversation with them all. Acting like normal, because if she did otherwise, the thief/killer could be alerted. Its justshe wasnt used to lying.
Shed never been able to tolerate liars or lying, in fact.
You want to know the truth, she responded to Arthurs compliment, I didnt think this particular meal was up to par. If you guysll bring me more fresh salmon, I promise Ill give you a dinner youll never forget.