“I’ll take a beer if you’ve got it, but I can only have one. I have an active investigation going, and that means I’m on call.”
“I’ll join you in that one beer,” Ross told Mike. Then he turned to Hannah. “Do you need me to run out for more beer?”
“No, I’ve got a twelve-pack in the refrigerator from the last dinner party. Cold Spring Export, if that’s okay.”
“My favorite,” Mike said, which Hannah already knew.
“Fine with me,” Ross agreed, heading for the kitchen. “Sit down, Hannah. I’ll get the beer and pour you a glass of wine. You probably need to relax after the day you’ve had.”
Hannah was about to tell Ross that she was relaxed, now that he was here, but she thought better of it. Perhaps it wouldn’t be right to say that in front of Mike. Instead, she gave Ross a smile and said, “Thank you. That would be nice.”
“Your guy is a real champ,” Mike said, after Ross had left the living room. “Did you notice that big backpack he was wearing?”
“Yes. But why does that backpack make him a champ?”
“Because he’s letting me watch all the footage they shot in New York and here in Lake Eden.”
“So you can get a good grasp on the personality of the victim and how he interacted with everyone in the competition?”
Mike gave her a thumbs-up. “I knew you’d catch on right away. Do you mind if we watch it right here, Hannah?”
“I don’t mind at all!” Hannah said quickly, since that gave her the opportunity to watch it, too.
“I figured that three pairs of eyes would be better than two.”
“How about four pairs of eyes?” Hannah asked.
Mike raised his eyebrows. “You mean . . . Moishe?”
“No.” Hannah laughed. “I mean Michelle. She’s here, but she just went in to take a quick shower.”
Mike looked thoughtful. “Maybe I should call Lonnie and tell him to get over here. We could all watch together.”
“Sure. Lonnie’s always welcome.” Hannah gave a little laugh. “And since we seem to be having a footage-watching party, maybe you should call Norman, too.”
“Great idea! I’ll do that right away. Norman can stop at Bertanelli’s on his way out here and pick up more pizza. P.K. is only bringing two. And Lonnie can stop at the Quick Stop and get some other snacks we can eat while we’re watching.”
Ross came back into the living room just in time to hear Mike’s comment. “Do you want me to call P.K.? He might have some insights about Chef Duquesne. He was with me when I did all the interviews and he can tell you if he noticed anything unusual last night.”
“How many people does that make?” Ross asked Hannah.
“You, me, Mike, Michelle, P.K., Lonnie, and Norman. That’s seven . . . unless we count Moishe.”
“I’d better go out to the car and get my flat screen monitor and my laptop. My flat screen is twice the size of your television set. I can rig it to play on all three screens, and then everyone will have a good view of one screen or another.”
Mike jumped up. “Great idea. I’ll help you carry things.”
Hannah sat next to Ross on the couch, her steno notebook open in her lap and her pen in her hand.
“You’re taking notes?” Ross asked her.
“Of course she is,” Mike responded before Hannah could open her mouth. “Not only did Michelle find the victim, Chef Duquesne was actually nice to Hannah in the competition. That means she feels honor-bound to solve his murder.”
Hannah locked eyes with Mike. Instead of the glare she expected, he looked amused. “You’re right,” Hannah said, giving him a little nod of acknowledgment. “I’ll be happy to share my notes with you, if you want me to.”
This comment earned a frown from Mike. “Thanks, but I’m taking my own notes. Since we’re watching the same footage, I doubt that you’ll catch anything that I miss. I’m used to analyzing evidence like this. You’re not.”
“Very true. You’re the expert and I’m not.” Hannah gave him a sweet and what she hoped was guileless smile.
“Knock it off, you two,” Ross said, tightening his arm around Hannah’s shoulders. “This isn’t a competition. It’s a murder investigation, and all that matters is that someone catches Chef Duquesne’s killer.”
“You’re right,” Mike said, surprising Hannah. “Sorry, Hannah. I didn’t mean to get testy with you. Of course I’d like to go over your notes with you.”
Hannah just smiled. Perhaps Mike’s sudden change of heart had something to do with Ross’s intervention, but she highly doubted that was the case. He’d probably realized that she might spot something he’d miss because she was familiar with the other contestants, their assistants, and the judges. And he wanted to know exactly what clues she might discover because of that knowledge. The Food Channel Dessert Chef Competition wasn’t the only competition she had entered. Mike regarded her as his rival in the race to solve Chef Alain Duquesne’s murder case.