Free Murder in the Pearl District (Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Series Book 5) by Dianne Harman Page A

well for Sophie and Nico. Hope it continues.
    It was impossible to miss
Chef DuBois and his party. The table was surrounded by people greeting him. As
she got closer to it, she overheard a conversation at a nearby table. “I
understand he’s going to replace Donatella DeLuca. The television station is going
to change the name of the show from Dining with Donatella to Dining with
DuBois. They’ll probably just delete the name Donatella on the promotional
material and insert DuBois. They can even keep the D. Makes it real easy,” the
man said, laughing.
    Could he be right? The
station, Mitch’s station, is going to hire Chef DuBois to replace Donatella?
And so fast? Oh no. It looks like the person who said that might be right.
That’s Mitch Ramos from the television station sitting at the table with the
chef.
    “Hello, Mitch. It’s nice
to see you again,” Kelly said. He looked up, clearly shocked to see her. Mitch
stood up from his chair and shook her hand. “It’s been a very emotional day for
me. When Chef Dubois asked me to join him for dinner, I thought it might take
my mind off of everything that’s happened today,” he said in a voice tinged
with sadness.
    I’ll bet. Sure didn’t seem
to stop you from filling that vacancy for the cooking show. Bet Donatella
wouldn’t have been too happy about that decision.
    “Pierre,” he said, turning
to the chef as the people he had been talking to returned to their table, “I’d
like to introduce you to Kelly Reynolds. She’s the woman who catered the dinner
for Donatella last night.”
    The fat pock-marked
florid-faced chef with the scraggly goatee took Kelly’s hand in his and brought
it to his lips. “In my country this is how we greet a beautiful woman. It’s a
pleasure to meet you,” he said insincerely. He turned to the other four people
at the table, “Gentlemen, I’d like you to meet Kelly Reynolds.” They stood and
shook her hand.
    “I don’t want to keep you
from your dinners, but I wanted to welcome you to Mangia! Mangia! I’m sure
Mitch has eaten here many times, but if the rest of you haven’t, you’re in for
a treat. And it will be even more of a treat when we change to our new and
exciting menu tomorrow.”
    “Why is the menu being
changed?” Mitch asked. “I know Donatella wanted it to stay as it always has
been.”
    “The new owner, Sophie
Marchant, and her sous chef, felt it was a bit out of touch with what people
want in a modern Italian restaurant. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
    “Well, no matter what you
do to this tired and dated restaurant, I’m sure it won’t affect the popularity
of my restaurant, Le Toque. As a matter of fact, after my show airs next week,
I definitely will be the owner of the most popular restaurant in the Pearl
District, if not all of Portland, and who knows, maybe even the West Coast,”
Chef DuBois said in a pompous and arrogant manner. “Donatella was behind the
times when it came to her cooking. It was too bad about her being murdered, but
I’m glad Mitch called me as soon as he found out and offered me the opportunity
to host the show.”
    Mitch called him
immediately after he found out that Donatella had been murdered? So much for
grieving over the loss of your steady girlfriend who was about to become the
star of your new TV show. Maybe his ex-wife was right. Maybe Donatella was only
a way for him to hold onto his failing television station, and now that she’s gone,
he’s hoping that Chef DuBois will be his new ticket to success. I don’t think I
like this man. No, Mitch, I don’t think I’m liking you at all. Something about
you just isn’t right.
    “Mrs. Reynolds, I hope you
won’t think I’m being rude, but my lawyer and my financial adviser need to talk
to Mitch and work out the details of my new television show. I hope you’ll
watch it. I promise you it will be the best cooking show on the air. People
love me and my food,” the obnoxious chef said.
    “It’s