“That’s just it. I got absolutely no impression at all. They didn’t say anything and they didn’t do anything. They just stared up at the numbers as the elevator passed the floors until we stopped at the lobby and we all got off.”
“Do you think they recognized you as part of our team in the competition?”
“I don’t know. I wasn’t dressed up or anything. And I wasn’t carrying anything that might have let them know that I was your assistant, like an apron or a tote bag with our logo on it. I was just in my usual jeans and sweatshirt and I could have been anybody staying at the hotel.”
Hannah flipped the page and jotted it down on a fresh page. “It could mean nothing. Perhaps Helene Stone just went up to his floor to ask him if he wanted to have breakfast with her.”
“I don’t think so. They didn’t come into the restaurant while we were there.”
“Okay. Maybe it wasn’t breakfast. They could have had other business to discuss.”
“That’s possible, I guess. Do you want to hear what else I discovered while I was watching the tapes?”
“Of course I do.”
“One of the cameras panned the audience and caught Mayor Bascomb looking very upset. It was when Chef Duquesne said Gloria Berkeley’s cakes were ordinary.”
“I saw that. Mayor Bascomb looked very perturbed. It made me wonder whether our esteemed city leader had been at it again.”
Michelle shrugged. “Could be. I wouldn’t put it past him. He’s the type of husband that Stephanie can keep in line for a while, but the monetary pain of appeasing her with a new wardrobe and expensive jewelry fade into oblivion when he meets someone new and exciting.”
“Nicely put!” Hannah thought about it for a moment. “I wonder if Gloria really is someone new. They hooked up pretty fast, considering that she was only here for two days. He might have known Gloria before she came here to Lake Eden for the competition.”
“I guess that’s possible. Judging from his past escapades, Gloria’s exactly the type of woman he likes.”
Hannah chuckled. “You mean a gorgeous blonde?”
“Exactly.”
“And this one is also sneaky and underhanded,” Hannah added.
“Exactly. Now all we have to do is figure out if we’re right.”
“That’s easy,” Michelle said with a smile. “We’ll ask Mother and Andrea. They might not know how, but I bet they could find out. Andrea’s got contacts and she’s an expert at getting people to talk. And Mother can dig for dirt better than anyone else we know.”
“That’s not exactly a compliment,” Hannah told her.
“Yes it is, but only if you want the whole truth.”
“What else do you have?” Hannah asked her.
“Not much. The footage only gave me two new clues, but one of them may be important because of what our waitress said about Gloria and Mayor Bascomb. Do you remember when Rodney mentioned that Chef Duquesne tried to pick Gloria up in the bar of the hotel in New York?”
“Yes.” Hannah thought about the ramifications of that for a moment. “I think I know where you’re going. You’re wondering if Gloria mentioned it to Mayor Bascomb. And that’s the reason he looked so upset in the footage we saw.”
“That’s right. We already know that Mayor Bascomb doesn’t like someone else zeroing in on any woman he wants for himself.”
“Let’s take a break on that note, Michelle, and eat before our breakfast gets any colder,” Hannah said, diving into her omelet. Michelle agreed, and for several minutes, the only sounds heard were small sighs of pure delight.
“This omelet is really good,” Hannah commented after several bites. “I love the way the cheese melted all the way through and the bacon is nice and crispy.”
“Mine is great too,” Michelle agreed. “Be careful that you don’t fill up on your omelet, though.”
“Why? I didn’t order anything else.”
“I know you didn’t, but you’ve still got a lot more to eat.”
Hannah was puzzled. “What are you talking about, Michelle?”
“You just signed two autographs and posed for pictures with the waitresses. And you said that since you weren’t a real celebrity, no one was going to ask you to pose for photos or sign autographs. That means I get to make you eat your words!”
Hannah laughed. “Can I at least have dessert first? They’ve got really great Chocolate Coffee Cake here.”
“Okay, if I can have some.” Michelle waved at their waitress. “But once we finish dessert and more coffee, you have to eat every consonant and vowel, and maybe even the punctuation.”
“Okay, as long as it’s not semicolons. I really don’t like colons and semicolons.”
“No colons, no semicolons,” Michelle promised.
“Then it’s a deal,” Hannah agreed. “I just hope my words taste as good as the Chocolate Coffee Cake we’re going to have first.”
CHOCOLATE COFFEE CAKE
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position
The Cake Batter:
1 cup salted butter, softened (2 sticks, 8 ounces ? pound)
1 and ? cups white (granulated) sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 and ? teaspoons baking powder
6 eggs