TASTE OF MEXICO

By

Dianne Harman

(Chef Dani Rosetti Cozy Mystery Series – Book 13)

Copyright © 2023 Dianne Harman

www.dianneharman.com

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form without written permission except for the use of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

Paperback ISBN: 9798858871811

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To all of my readers who share my love of food. This one is for you!

To all of the people who made this book possible, thank you!

To you, my readers, who give me a reason to write, thank you!

And to Tom, for always being there, thank you!

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Table of Contents

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

EPILOGUE

RECIPES

ABOUT DIANNE

PROLOGUE

“What do you think of the salad?” Jackie asked.

“It’s perfect. Very in keeping with a Mexican restaurant. You can’t get much more Mexican than beans, avocados, corn, tomatoes, and cilantro. And the dressing was excellent,” Stephanie said.

“Agreed, but I can’t get past these sopapillas with honey. They’re fabulous! And judging from the number of people passing by our table, the restaurant certainly has made a name for itself,” Jackie said.

Just then the waiter appeared with their entreés. “Enjoy, and if you need anything, please ask for me, Jorge.”

While Stephanie was surreptitiously taking a picture of the carne guisada for her review, Jackie was oohing and aahing over her osso bucco. “Best I’ve ever had. I don’t think I’ll ever order veal osso bucco again.”

“I’m sure the animal lovers of the world will be happy about that. They’re totally opposed to the way the calves are raised and have lobbied to get the sale of veal banned, but so far, their efforts have been to no avail. The people who make money from selling veal made sure of that. And I could never review a veal dish because our readership would be up in arms. After all, California and the coastal area is still pretty hippy-dippy in some ways.”

Stephanie dipped her fork in her carne guisada, prepared for what she’d heard would be a sublime experience. Instead, her face turned red, and tears coursed down her cheeks as she guzzled her glass of water, then grabbed Jackie’s and guzzled it.

Jackie just stared at her. She realized Stephanie wasn’t having a medical emergency, but it was pretty obvious that the stew had been too highly spiced for her. She waited until she saw Stephanie take a deep breath and then she asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I have no idea. This carne guisada is the most highly spiced thing I’ve ever eaten. I can’t believe people are raving about this dish. It’s simply inedible. I’m going to get the waiter and see if he can tell me something about it.”

Stephanie motioned to Jorge as he walked by their table. Jorge stopped and said, “How can I help you?”

“Jorge, you told us that the carne guisada is the restaurant’s signature dish, and I’ve heard that from other people as well, but mine is so hot it’s inedible. Has anyone else told you that?” she asked.

“No, ma’am. It’s spicy, yes, but people always tell me that the blending of the spices is what makes the dish so fantastic. I take it you don’t like it?”

“Jorge, it’s so hot I was never able to form an opinion, but in its present form, no, I definitely did not like it. I hated it. It’s simply inedible.”

“I’m so sorry. I’ll take it back to the kitchen and get you something else. What would you like?”

“I don’t have time, Jorge. I have a dental appointment. Do you notice anything different about the dish? Does it look like it usually does?”

“Yes, ma’am, and I personally saw Chef plate the dish. He handed it to me, and I brought it to you. No one else has touched it. Perhaps your palate is not up to spicy dishes today?” Jorge asked in a concerned manner.

Seriously? Stephanie thought. That’s the best you can come up with? To blame this one on me? I have a stomach of iron and have been known to eat some of the hottest chilis on the Scoville chili ratings list. No, the problem is definitely not with me.

“No, my palate is fine. If you could just bring us the bill. Here’s my credit card.”

“Certainly. I’ll be back in a moment.”

As soon as he was gone, Jackie leaned over and said, “Do you think something else is going on?”

“No. You heard Jorge say he saw the chef plate it. My bet is that the chef had a little too much tequila last night and mismeasured the hot spices or got distracted and forgot he’d already put them in. Whatever the reason, it’s inexcusable and my review will definitely make note of that.”

Stephanie signed the bill that the waiter brought and then took pictures of the interior of the restaurant to add to the ones of the food she’d previously taken.

Jackie and Stephanie walked through the busy bar area and out the front door. When they were standing on the sidewalk, Stephanie said, “I’m so sorry that you had to experience that restaurant. I’m in shock that it’s so highly regarded. Anyway, thanks for joining me. I really do need to get to the dentist. Talk to you later,” she said, hugging Jackie.

“As a matter of fact, Steph, my osso bucco was excellent. You might want to give this restaurant another try.”

“Are you familiar with the saying, ‘when pigs fly?’” Stephanie asked.

“Yes, but what does that have to do with a Mexican restaurant?”

“Because that’s how long it will be until I ever darken the doors of this restaurant again!” Stephanie said as she turned around and walked toward her car, giving Jackie a small wave. Jackie was glad that she hadn’t mentioned that Stephanie’s nose was so red from the spices she might want to see if Santa could use her for his reindeer team.

CHAPTER 1

Dani Rosetti heard her phone ringing and couldn’t remember where she’d left it. She figured it was probably in the kitchen or in her office, so she hurried down the hall, hoping she could find it before the ringing ended.

She saw it on her desk and grabbed it just in time. “This is Dani Rosetti,” she said.

“Miss Rosetti, this is Leticia Burns. I’m sure you’ve heard of my husband, Raymond Burns.”

What a weird way to start out a telephone conversation, Dani thought. I wonder where this is going?

“As a matter of fact, I don’t think I have,” Dani answered.

“Impossible,” the voice on the other end of the line said. “He’s only been written up as the most successful hedge fund manager in history. I’m sure if you saw his picture, you’d recognize him,” Leticia said.

“I probably would, but I’m not very knowledgeable about hedge funds and things like that. My world pretty much revolves around food and my family,” Dani said.

“Well, you probably should broaden your scope,” Leticia sniffed. “But I didn’t call you to talk about Raymond. I just wanted you to know who I am.”

As a matter of fact, Leticia, I’m getting a very good idea of who you are, Dani thought.

“What can I do for you, Leticia?”

“I don’t really know if you can do anything for me. My husband is planning a dinner party at our home here in Newport Beach. We live on the golf course at Big Canyon Country Club, actually it’s the largest home on the golf course, and I’m calling several chefs about catering the dinner. You were recommended by a friend of mine who watched some of your television shows.”

“Please thank the person for me,” Dani said. “How many people would be at the dinner?”

“My husband is the president of the Men’s Club at Big Canyon Country Club. He’s hosting a golf tournament at the club and the dinner party would follow it. Traditionally the golf dinners are held at the Big Canyon Country Club, but our home is so spectacular he wanted to hold the dinner here.

“We can easily seat fifty on our patio which is where Raymond would like to have the dinner. Since our home is such a showplace, I mean everyone who comes here thinks that, he wants to have a cocktail party in the family and living rooms prior to going outside to dinner.”

“I see,” Dani said. “So you would want appetizers for your cocktail party as well as a sit-down dinner for fifty. Is that correct?”

“Yes. We would provide wine. We have a wine cellar, actually it’s quite an extensive wine cellar that takes up the whole basement area. It’s stocked annually by a Wine Master Raymond hired. We probably have the best wines of any private home in the United States. It costs a great deal to maintain, but money is not an object for us.”

“And when would this event be?”

“It will be held on Sunday, the 27th of September,” Leticia said. “I have called several caterers, as I mentioned, and I would want you to come to my home here in Newport Beach, so I can interview you in person. I’ll be doing the same with the others I’m talking to.

“I want you to come here next week, preferably on Wednesday, because my schedule is totally booked other than that day. You know how it is. Hair, nails, facials, my personal trainer, all the things one has to do these days, but it works. Everyone says I look better now than I did ten years ago,” she said in a simpering tone of voice.

This may be the most self-centered egotistical person I’ve ever talked to. I’m not sure I want anything to do with her, much less cater an event for her, Dani thought.

“Mrs. Burns, let me talk to my sous-chef regarding this event and see if it works with his schedule. I’ll call you back and let you know if I can come next Wednesday.”

“Why do you have to talk to him? I wouldn’t be hiring him. I’d be hiring you. This is inexcusable. I expect you at my home next Wednesday at 1:00 in the afternoon. Here’s the address,” she said as she gave it to Dani.

“And I will call you after I talk to him to confirm the appointment,” Dani said.

As soon as she’d said the words, the line went dead on the other end, and Dani realized that Leticia Burns had hung up on her. She looked at the phone in her hand and shook her head.

There is no way I can work with that woman, she thought as she pressed Arthur’s numbers into her phone.

Please be there, Arthur, she thought. I have to unload on someone, and you’re part of this catering company, so it’s going to be you.

“Good afternoon, Dani. Are you just calling to tell me how wonderful life is and how happy you are that I’m your sous-chef, or is it for some other reason?” Arthur said.

“Arthur, you will not believe the telephone conversation I just had with a woman. Maybe you’ve heard of her husband, Raymond Burns. She seemed to think I should have known who he is.”

“As a matter-of-fact I just happened to read an article about him in the Financial News newspaper. I subscribe to it to make sure my financial adviser is telling me the truth about things. From what I’ve read, I gather her husband is like the guru of the hedge fund business. Why?”

“I’ll get to that in a minute. So he’s the real deal?”

“From what I’ve seen, he’s very, very well known in financial circles and has made quite a name for himself as being one of the most successful advisers in the hedge fund world,” Arthur said. “And this isn’t the first time I’ve read an article about him. He’s in the financial sections of papers quite often.”

“Well, if his wife was truthful about how important he is, she was probably also telling the truth about how fabulous their home is, how their wine collection is one of the best in a private collection in the United States, and how her time is completely taken up keeping herself looking good.”

“Dani, snarkiness does not become you. As a matter of fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard you be sarcastic. What did this woman say that set you off?” Arthur asked.

Dani spent the next ten minutes relating her recent conversation with Leticia Burns. When she finished she said, “Now do you understand my snarky comments?”

Arthur was quiet for several moments and then he said, “Dani, step back from this and try to take your emotions out of it. You need to think what’s best for VIP Catering. I played golf once with a friend who lived in Big Canyon. The homes on the golf course are some of the most expensive in the United States.

“If they can afford to live there, and the people who will be coming to this dinner are in the same financial tier that they are, you could be looking at a very important source of business.

“In other words, these people probably don’t cook for themselves, and they cater all their personal and business events. All of them would be potential clients. Don’t turn your back on this opportunity just because you didn’t like her.”

“Arthur, I think you’re missing the point. It wasn’t that I didn’t like her. I couldn’t stand her. I think she was the most despicable person it’s ever been my misfortune to have a conversation with.”

“Yes, and where is it written that you’re going to be in love with all of your clients? I don’t think that’s how business works. I have a lot of clients I personally don’t like, but that doesn’t mean my company won’t do a good job for them.”

Dani knew he was referring to his international private investigation firm. Whenever they did a catering job and people found out that Arthur was a private investigator they were befuddled. It was hard for them to wrap their minds around the fact that Arthur had been in a secret elite Marine Corps group, was now the head of a private investigating firm, and was also Dani’s sous-chef.

Even Dani was surprised that the man who had been hired as her bodyguard at the television studio where she filmed her Emmy award winning cooking shows had a passion for cooking.

When a crazed fan had tried to kill Dani and Arthur had saved her life, Dani made the decision to quit television and start a catering company. Knowing of Arthur’s love of cooking she’d asked him to join her as her sous-chef. He’d readily accepted.

What made their relationship even more interesting was that Dani’s brother had unexpectedly died, leaving his daughter in Dani’s care, a niece Dani didn’t even know she had. Fast forward a few years and Dani and Arthur are now the platonic co-parents of Anna, a very precocious thirteen-year-old. They adopted her even though theirs was a great friendship, but not a romantic relationship.

 “I’m hearing that you think I should go down to Newport Beach next Wednesday and meet with her,” Dani said in a quiet voice.

“Yes, Dani, I do. I’d fly you down there in your plane, but I have to be in court as an expert witness next Wednesday and Thursday and Friday are jammed. You’ve mentioned from time to time that you have a friend who lives in Newport Beach. I believe you went to the Cordon Bleu with her.

“You’ve told me she’s asked you to stay with her several times. Why don’t you go down there, stay for a few days, see this Leticia woman, and then make a decision?” Arthur said.

“You really think it would be that good for business?”

“No, I don’t think it would be that good, I know it would be that good.”

Dani sighed. “Alright, you’ve convinced me, but with one caveat.”

“And that would be what?”

“If I still can’t stand the woman after I meet with her, I’m not going to cater for her. Simple as that. I don’t need the money, and I sure don’t need the hassle.”

“Fair enough. Do you want me to take Anna while you’re gone?” Arthur asked.

“No. I’ll just have Briana and Matt stay in my house, instead of theirs. That way it won’t disrupt Anna or Killer,” she said referring to Anna’s nanny and Anna’s big police-trained mastiff dog which Arthur had gotten for them.

“Okay, but tell Briana that other than my time in court I’ll be available if she needs anything. Also tell her that I’ll probably stop by a couple of times just to make sure everything is okay at your place.”

“Thanks, Arthur. I’m going to end this call. I need to call Letitia Burns and my friend, Stephanie Watson.

“Good luck and let me know what happens with both of them.”

CHAPTER 2

Dani took a deep breath and called Letitia Burns.

“Burns residence, this is Elena. May I help you?” the woman who answered the phone said with a distinct Latina accent.

“Yes, Elena. My name is Dani Rosetti, and Mrs. Burns asked me to call her regarding my meeting with her next Wednesday.”

“Just one moment,” Lucia said as she put the call on hold.

“This is Leticia Burns,” Dani heard a moment later.

“Mrs. Burns, I will be able to meet with you at your home next Wednesday at 2:00. Would you like me to bring some ideas for a menu or did you have something in mind?”

“I will give you strict instructions regarding what I want served. I will even give you recipes for the dishes, and I won’t want you to deviate from them at all. I have had many, many events catered, and I know exactly what guests want,” Leticia said.

“It’s been my experience that caterers always want to show off what fabulous cooks they are, and the food ends up looking like it’s ready for a photo shoot, but it tastes lousy. The caterer I hire must agree to prepare the food to my specifications.

Insufferable, simply insufferable, Dani thought.

“I can agree to that. I’ll see you Wednesday.”

“Fine. I’ll leave your name at the gate. Oh, one other thing. I have a highly developed sense of smell. Actually several perfume companies have approached me about working for them, but of course, that’s out of the question. I’m far too busy with my life to even consider working. Anyway, don’t wear any perfume when you come here. Far too many of them assault my senses.”

With that, she ended the call. Dani simply looked at the phone in her hand and thought about how much she wished she’d never listened to Arthur. She also thought that Wednesday might turn out to be one of the worst days in her life.

*****

“I don’t believe it,” Stephanie Weston said as she answered the phone. “A call from the Emmy winning chef herself, none other than Dani Rosetti. And to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”

“Cute, Stephanie, cute,” Dani said.

“Seriously, Dani, I’ve only called you a gazillion times and asked you to come down here to Newport Beach and spend some time with me. It’s not like Santa Barbara is all that far away.”

“I know, Stephanie, I know. I kept meaning to, but one thing after another has happened in the past few years, including becoming a mother.”

“You’re kidding!” Stephanie said. “When we were at the Cordon Bleu together that year you vowed that you would never get married. What happened?”

“I kept my promise.”

“From that I take it you had an oopsy,” Stephanie said.

“No, I had a brother who died at a relatively young age and in his trust had named me as the guardian of a niece I didn’t even know I had. My sous-chef and I have since adopted her. There’s such a thing as a platonic adoption, and that’s what we’re doing since we’re strictly friends,” Dani said.

“I’m having a little problem processing what you’re telling me. I’ve never heard of anything like that,” Stephanie said.

“I gather it’s not done a lot. Anyway, I’m coming to Newport Beach, and I’ll tell you all about it and everything else that’s going on in my life when we get together. Do you have a hotel you can recommend?”

“Are you crazy? I’ve only asked you to stay with me every time I’ve called, so there is absolutely no way you’re going to a hotel. I’ve got a big house with plenty of room for you. When are you coming and why?’’

“I’ll be there next Wednesday for an appointment with a woman regarding a possible catering job, and I thought I’d stay there for a little R and R for a few days. I haven’t updated my wardrobe for a while, so I decided to see what damage I could do at South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island. Those two shopping areas are far better than anything we have up here in Santa Barbara,” Dani said.

“Who are you meeting with? Maybe it’s someone I know,” Stephanie said.

“Her name is Leticia Burns, and she lives in Big Canyon. Evidently her home is on the golf course there.”

Stephanie was quiet for several moments, and then she said, “My condolences. She’s a real piece of work.”

“I take it you know her and you’re not a fan,” Dani said.

“I’ve been to her home several times for catered events dealing with the country club. I think you know that I write a restaurant review column for a local magazine, and so I’m often invited to events that have to do with food.

“Actually, I went to a restaurant yesterday that was so horrible I wrote about it for this week’s edition, and I’m sure the owner will not be happy. But back to Leticia Burns. That woman is simply a piece of work.

“I’ve never met anyone who had such a high opinion of herself, her home, and everything else having to do with her. The only reason she’s tolerated at Big Canyon is because so many of the members have accounts with her husband, and he’s made them a lot of money.”

“Yes, I understand that he’s some big mucky-muck in hedge fund finance, a subject of which I know nothing,” Dani said. “To be honest, your opinion of her certainly coincides with the two telephone conversations I’ve had with her.

“I really didn’t even want to meet with her, but my sous-chef convinced me that the guests at the event could be potential clients. Leticia insisted that I go to her home for a personal interview. I’ve never had a client insist on that before. I think the only reason I finally agreed to it was that it would give me a chance to go to Newport Beach and see you.”

“In that case, I’m glad she called you,” Stephanie said. “The only thing I have next week is a restaurant I need to review and then I need to write it up. Other than that, I’m wide open, and I can always be tempted to do a little retail therapy. You have my address. Do you want to come here before your meeting with Leticia or afterward?”

“I want to get the meeting over with. Since it’s at 2:00 in the afternoon, I can leave here about 10:30 and avoid the early morning LA traffic. I’ll be at your house around 3:00 and Stephanie, I really am looking forward to seeing you and catching up.”

“Me too. See you Wednesday.”

*****

“Just reporting in, Arthur,” Dani said when he answered her call. “I’ll be staying with Stephanie, and I told Mrs. Burns that I’d be at her home at 2:00 next Wednesday.”

“I’m glad. I think it was a good decision. How did the phone call go to the potential client?”

“Just about as I expected. She will give me recipes for what she wants me to fix, and I am not to deviate from them one iota. The odious woman said that all caterers want to do is create food that looks like it should be in a photo shoot, and they don’t care at all how it tastes.”

“She sounds like a lovely individual,” Arthur said sarcastically.

“That’s not the half of it. I was told specifically not to wear any perfume because her sense of smell is so highly developed that perfume companies want her to work for them,” Dani said.

“Let me guess. She’s afraid you’ll wear something that will offend her delicate nose.”

“Yeah. I’m really tempted to go online and see if I can find that horrific scent, Musk, that was so popular years ago, and wear it to our meeting. I remember having lunch with a friend who was wearing it back then, and it was so offensive, I asked her to go to the restroom and try to wash it off.”

“Dani! That is so unlike you.”

“Trust me, Arthur, it was that bad. And by the way, my friend Stephanie was familiar with Letitia Burns. She’s been to her home several times and said, to use her words, ‘She’s a real piece of work’ which makes me feel that I’m not alone.”

“Do me a favor and text me or call me after your meeting. I wish I could be a little fly on the wall and be there.”

“If I were you, I’d consider myself lucky that I didn’t have to attend this meeting. I think you’re going to owe me big time with this one,” Dani said.

“Well, look at it this way. You’ll get to spend some time with an old friend and just do fun things like eat at fabulous restaurants and go shopping in one of the most beautiful beach cities in the world.

“Who knows? You might even meet some multimillionaire who has an enormous yacht and has just sailed here from some exotic place. Should be a great R & R trip for you. I’m envious.”

“Somehow, I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Dani said.

Later, Dani would wonder if she had a subconscious premonition, because the upcoming trip to Newport Beach turned out to be far different from what she thought it would be.

CHAPTER 3

“Briana, Anna, would you come into my study for a moment?” Dani said as she heard them coming into the house after Briana had picked Anna up at school. A moment later they walked into her study.

Dani walked over to Anna and lightly kissed her on the cheek. “How was school, today?” she asked.

“I got an A+ on that essay I wrote about Renaissance architecture. It sure didn’t hurt that we went to Florence and saw so much of it,” Anna said as she sat down in one of the chairs. Killer, her dog, had heard her come into the house and he put his head on her knees, his way of begging for an ear scratch.

“Glad it worked out for you. Briana, Anna, I have to go to Newport Beach next Wednesday, and I’ll be gone the rest of the week and probably the weekend.”

“Am I going with you?” Anna asked excitedly. “I loved it when we went there.”

“Not this time, honey. This is a business trip, and then I’m going to stay with a friend of mine from the Cordon Bleu Cooking School. We were in school together in Paris for a year and then went different ways. She’s asked me a number of times to come to her home and stay with her so we could catch up, but the timing never worked for me.

“I really do want to catch up with her, and I’m also going to spend a little time shopping. You and Briana always go shopping when we go different places for my catering jobs, but I never get to go with you. I’m always too busy cooking for whatever event it is we’re doing.”

“Are you going to go to Fashion Island?” Anna asked.

“I’m planning to, yes. I take it you have good memories of it,” Dani said.

“The best. Not only was the shopping great, but I remember standing at the top where you can see the Pacific Ocean in front of you. It was a clear day and I remember we could even see Catalina Island. The woman who was standing next to me told me it was pretty rare for a day to be clear enough to see it.”

“I remember that,” Briana said. “It was beautiful. When we left I thought what that view must be like for people from the Midwest or countries that are landlocked. It really was one of the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen.”

“Well, when I’m there I’ll think of both of you. Briana, I would like for you and Matt to stay in this house with Anna. I know you have an extra bedroom in your house and there would be room for Anna, but then we’d have to upend Killer as well. I think this would just be easier. Any problems with that?”

“Of course not,” Briana replied.

“Thanks. I’ve talked to Arthur, and he said he’d stop by a couple of times to make sure everything was okay, and knowing him, he’ll probably grill Matt every morning when he gets to work to make sure.”

Briana and Matt, her husband, lived in the guest house Dani had on her property. Ironically, Matt was Arthur’s right-hand man and the second most important person in Arthur’s private investigation firm. He’d been single for many years but when Briana became Anna’s nanny and they met, it was love at first sight for both of them.

Dani had often thought how strange life is. If her brother hadn’t died and put Anna in her care, she never would have needed a nanny. Arthur had recommended her since she was the sister of one of the men who worked for him, and Matt probably never would have met her.

However, when Matt came to dinner one night with Arthur, he and Briana met, and it was only a few months later that they were married. And all because of Anna coming to live with Dani. A lot of lives had been changed because of her, and Dani was convinced they were all for the better.

“What kind of a catering thing are you going to do, and will we go with you when you do it?” Anna asked.

“If I take the job, and if I’m asked to do it, it would be a cocktail and dinner party at a home on the Big Canyon golf course in Newport Beach.”

“That’s pretty swanky. The other day the golf channel was showing some tournament at the golf course and the homes on it were super big. The guy who was announcing it said that some of the most expensive homes in California were on that course. Are you excited to do it?” Anna asked.

“Not really. The client, if I should get the job and if I should accept it, seems to be very difficult. She insisted on meeting me and told me to come to her home next Wednesday.”

“Seriously? I’ve never heard about someone wanting you to do that. I thought because you were an Emmy award-winning chef people were standing in line to have you cater for them, if they could afford you. Would she pay you a lot to do it?”

“Probably, but as you know, I inherited a lot of money recently, so that’s not really all that important to me. What is important is that this person sounds like she’d be very difficult to work with, and I’m not sure it would be worth the hassle.”

“Well, now I’m curious. Can you tell us about her?” Briana asked.

“Do you want me to start with the perfume or the photo shoot?” Dani asked.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Anna said.

“Okay, I’ll give you the quick version of her and if I sound, as Arthur puts it, snarky, it’s probably because that’s how I feel.”

“Wow, I’ve never heard you sound snarky. I can just tell that this is going to be good,” Anna said with a grin as she sat back and crossed her arms. “You can start dishing any time.”

“Well…”

CHAPTER 4

Dani left Santa Barbara at 10:30 in the morning and other than a few glitches going through Los Angeles, got to Newport Beach at noon. The drive had been a lot faster than she’d thought, even with the glitches, and she decided to have a cup of coffee before her meeting with Leticia Burns.

She sat on the patio of the coffee shop and looked at the people around her. The parking lot was filled with luxury cars, and the people she saw certainly looked like they belonged to them.

She’d heard that Newport Beach was right up there with Beverly Hills and Palm Springs as having the most plastic surgeons. Judging from the perfect noses, the unlined faces, and the plumped-up lips, that was probably true. It was people-watching at its best.

Dani looked at her watch and realized it was time to go to her appointment with Leticia Burns, something she was dreading. Given the vitriolic tongue of the woman, she didn’t want to be late, knowing she’d be severely berated if she was.

She got in her car, plugged the address into her GPS, and a few minutes later gave her name to the guard at the gate. She continued driving on the winding streets and then she saw a residence that looked like a slightly smaller version of the Bruno Castle in Florence, Italy, where she’d been a few months earlier.

Dani parked her car, took a deep breath, picked up her purse and her briefcase, and walked to the front door. As she was walking up to it, the phrase “beard the lion in his den” came to mind. She remembered it had something to do with going to a person’s home turf to confront them and she felt that for this occasion, the saying should be “beard the lioness in her den.”

Just as she was raising her hand to knock, the door was opened by Leticia Burns. Her first words were, “You are two minutes late. I expect promptness from the people who work for me. Don’t let it happen again. I assume you spent last night at the Ritz Carlton in Dana Point so you would be here on time.”

And good afternoon to you, too, Dani thought.

“No, as a matter of fact, I left Santa Barbara this morning. I’m going to be staying with my good friend, Stephanie Weston. You may know of her. She writes the restaurant reviews for Beach Cities Magazine. And I’m sorry, the traffic was rather heavy on the west side,” Dani said glibly, mentally thinking that this was a justified white lie.

“Well, you’re here now. Let me give you a tour of the rooms where the cocktail party and dinner will be held. Feel free to look around as I know how overwhelming it can be when someone comes here for the first time. Follow me,” Leticia said as she walked down a hall toward the rooms she’d mentioned.

Dani looked around and her reaction was that it was overwhelming all right, just like Leticia. It was as if she’d hired a decorator who decided that if a little was good, the more she could get into a room would be even better, and that’s exactly what the decorator had done.

Every room was stuffed with furniture, paintings, and decorative objects. Each object, by itself, would have been adequate, but there was so much that it was like being in an antique warehouse that had been stuffed to the rafters, each piece ready to go on display. Sadly, although what she saw was good, and she assumed very expensive, instead of being attractive it was a disgusting show of opulence.

Leticia walked into a very large room that was just as full of things as the other rooms Dani had seen and said, “The cocktail party will take place in this room and the room through the archway over there, the living room. I have to allow for the cocktail party to last for an hour and a half because I know people will want to look at all of the beautiful things we have in these two rooms.”

“Your home is quite amazing,” Dani said truthfully.

“Yes, I know. When we decided to move to Big Canyon, we tore down the house that was here and built this house to resemble a castle we’d seen several times on trips we’d taken to Italy. There’s nothing like it in the area.”

I’m sure there’s not, Dani thought. Who in their right mind would want to build an Italian style castle in Southern California where all of the other houses were of Spanish or Mediterranean style, red tile roof prevailing?

“When we have cocktail parties, we set up the wines on the bar at the far end of the room. Of course our bartender will pour them, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

“What do you have in mind for the appetizers?” Dani asked.

Leticia opened the folder she had in her hand and said, “I have printed up exactly what I want served for the cocktail party and the dinner. I don’t want you to steal my recipes, so I’ll give you the recipes themselves the day before the party, the day that you’ll start prepping.

“I’ve also made an appetizer for you to taste today so you’ll have an idea of what we’ll be having. It’s a caviar and paté appetizer I made up myself. Everyone who has it tells me it’s the best appetizer they’ve ever had. It’s over there on the bar. Help yourself to one.”

Dani walked over to the bar and looked at the small plate that had a cracker covered with a creamy paté and topped with a generous portion of caviar. She picked it up and put it in her mouth.

It took every bit of fortitude she had not to spit it out. All she could think was that this had to be the worst thing she’d ever tasted. She had no idea what had been done to the paté to make it so disgusting, but she knew she could never have her name attached to an event where something like this was served.

“I’m sure you’re overwhelmed by the taste. I don’t mean to insult you, but you don’t look like the type of person who has ever had Beluga caviar that costs $7,000 for a tin,” Leticia said condescendingly.

“It really is amazing,” Dani said, feeling that had to be the understatement of the year.

“Good, now that you’ve experienced how good my dishes are, you can understand why I insist that my recipes be followed to the letter. Now, I want to take you into the kitchen and then we’ll go to the patio where the dinner will be served. And in case you were wondering, I will be in the kitchen with you the day before the event and the day of the event to make sure you know what you’re doing.”

Dani walked into the kitchen and simply stared. Almost every square inch of counter space was filled with things having to do with food and cooking. However, instead of one pepper mill, there were five, all different and the same was true of the food processor, the electric mixer, and on and on. She decided that Leticia must have bought every new thing having to do with cooking that came on the market.

“As a chef, I’m sure this is like a treasure trove to you. I have an account at Sur La Table which is close by, and they send me new things as they get them. I rather think that I have one of the most up-to-date kitchens in the world. I’m sure cooking in this kitchen would be one of the best experiences you’ll ever have,” Leticia said.

It would be an experience, alright, but one I’m not going to have. There is no way I’m taking this job. I’d probably be arrested for murdering her and that wouldn’t be fair to Anna, Dani thought.

“And the last part of this little tour is our magnificent patio area, and of course, the Olympic-sized swimming pool. Raymond always wished he’d tried out for the Olympics, so I had an Olympic-sized pool built just for him. It’s the largest one in Big Canyon and the envy of everyone.

“It’s fitting that we live on the golf course because we’ve donated more money than anyone else to the renovation of the golf shop. Plus, we also paid for new carts for the club, which are the finest ones made,” Leticia said as they walked through the kitchen door onto the patio.

The patio was no better than the rest of the house. The colors, the amount of furniture, and the need to fill the space with just stuff, overwhelmed the senses. The only saving grace was the simple greenery of the golf course which was visible beyond the pool.

Dani wondered how many golfers had looked at the castle from their golf carts and snickered. She thought that the Burns must be the laughingstocks of the Big Canyon Country Club.

“Fortunately our landscapers did such a wonderful job that we’re not even aware that we have neighbors on both sides of our house, because we can’t see them. And it’s a very good thing we can’t.”

Dani decided she better say something, so she asked, “Why is that?”

“Well, I don’t like to gossip, but what happened was so disgusting it made us never want to see Jim Sedgwick again. And that goes double for the woman who was his wife. Best thing he ever did was get rid of her.

“Fortunately Jim isn’t active in the Men’s Club at the country club, so he won’t be coming to our house for the dinner, not that I’d want him to, anyway,” she sniffed.

“His ex-wife, Dodie, was a real beauty. She was about thirty years younger than he was and played tennis all the time at the club. When Jim married her, he insisted on a premarital contract and it’s a good thing he did. It specified that if he and Dodie were married for five years she would be entitled to half his estate.

“If a divorce was started prior to that, the only things she would get would be what she had come into the marriage with, which as I understand it, was nothing but the clothes on her back.

“Anyway, Jim must have suspected something because he hired a private investigator to spy on her. Turned out she was having an affair with her tennis coach, who was a woman. Jim had his attorney draw up the divorce papers and she was served the day before their five-year marriage mark, which meant she got nothing.

“She was served at Jim’s house next door to us. I was home that day and even as big as our house is and as far away as Jim’s house is, I heard her screaming at him for hours that day. Then she left and no one ever saw her again,” Leticia said.

“That would be an uncomfortable situation,” Dani said.

“You have no idea. I mean everyone knew that we lived next to them, so every time we went to the club for several months, that’s all people talked about. Finally Raymond got so tired of it he started telling people he didn’t want to discuss it anymore, and believe me, all of the people, mainly Raymond’s clients, got the message, and that was the end of that.”

“Given that situation, I think it’s probably a good thing you have good landscapers,” Dani said.

“Yes, they’re the best that money can buy. Everyone who comes to our home comments on how beautiful our landscaping is.”

“I would agree,” Dani said. “It really is lovely.”

“Well, we didn’t have much choice. We have a homeowner’s association that has to approve all of the landscaping plans of the homes. We really had little say in it. It’s a good thing they don’t have that group for inside one’s home. I doubt if they know anything about how expensive things should be shown in a home. I’m sure they’ve never seen one quite this magnificent.”

“Probably not,” Dani said honestly. “Well, I don’t want to take up any more of your time. I know how busy you are. You have my email address and if you have any questions for me, feel free to get in touch with me.”

As they were walking to the front door, Leticia said, “Aren’t you going to tell me how much you want this job?”

“No, I have a waiting list of clients who want me to cater for them.”

“They’re probably impressed that you’re a television celebrity chef although I think those shows are tawdry. I’ve only watched a couple of them, and I never saw them prepare anything like the appetizer I served you. Their dishes were very common, but that’s not unexpected. I’m sure none of them have ever traveled in the circles I have, so how would they know about fine things like Beluga caviar?”

When they got to the door Dani said, “Thank you for the tour.”

She opened the door and started to walk out when Leticia said, “I really don’t think we can work together. I don’t like your attitude, so don’t bother to try and get the job. I really don’t think you’d be up to my vision of the event. Good day.”

“I think you’re right, Leticia. Good day.”

No, Leticia, I’m not up to your vision of the event, because it’s a nightmare, and one I won’t be sharing with you.

She got in her car, set the GPS for Stephanie’s address, and hoped that she had good wine chilling in the refrigerator, because right now Dani felt she deserved a glass!

CHAPTER 5

Dani pulled into the driveway of Stephanie’s home, took her suitcase out of the trunk, and started to walk up to the door when she heard Stephanie’s voice, “Dani, after all these years I’m so glad you’re here.”

She ran down the steps of her home and hugged Dani. Then she pushed her away and said, “The life of a celebrity chef seems to have treated you well, because you look as good as you did the last time we met, over ten years ago.”

“And may I return the compliment? Obviously you’re enjoying the life of a restaurant critic, but I was sorry to hear about your divorce,” Dani said.

“Come on in and we can catch up on our lives, but I doubt that the neighbors are all that interested in them. How did your meeting go?” Stephanie asked as she closed the door.

“About like I could have predicted it would. We were simply not on the same wavelength and fortunately, she spotted it too. Actually, I’ve never been so glad not to get a catering job, because I probably would have ended up killing her. She is truly insufferable, and that house of hers.”

“I know. It’s so over-the-top that it’s the joke of Newport Beach, although she thinks it is quite a showplace. And you ought to taste the food she serves. Absolutely horrible. Obviously she could have benefited from you doing the catering for her.”

“Let me ask you a question. Did she ever serve you an appetizer with paté and Beluga caviar when you were at an event at her house?”

“Yes, and it’s the most hideous thing I’ve ever tasted. I was just glad I didn’t have to write a review of the event I went to where it was served. It’s utterly ghastly, and I’m not the only one who thinks so. It was evident from the way people had trouble getting it down. She had a maid passing them around, and I noticed that no one took a second one. Now, why don’t you follow me upstairs, and I’ll show you your room.”

As Dani walked up the stairs and down the hall she felt like she could breathe again. Stephanie’s home was tastefully decorated and very warm and inviting, as opposed to the house, or castle, that she’d just come from.

Stephanie walked into a bedroom and said, “This is the guest bedroom. The door over there leads to a bathroom, and I’ve stocked it with some essentials in case you forgot anything. Why don’t you take a few minutes to get comfortable and I’ll pour us a glass of wine to go with the guacamole I made.”

“Sounds good. The only thing I really need to do is use the bathroom and text my sous-chef to let him know what happened at the meeting. I’ll be down in a couple of minutes.”

Dani took her phone out of her purse and texted Arthur. No go. She didn’t like me any more than I liked her. Most revolting home I’ve ever been in. If a decorator did it, they should be shot. And she had me sample one of the recipes she wanted me to fix. Thought I was going to toss my cookies. See you in a few days.

After texting Arthur, she went downstairs and saw Stephanie sitting on the porch, waving to her. She walked out to it and Stephanie said, “It’s such a beautiful afternoon I thought we’d sit here, have a little prosecco, and catch up.”

Dani sat down, took a long sip of the prosecco and said with a laugh, “I never would have thought of guacamole and prosecco being served together, but it’s wonderful, even if you are mixing up your countries.”

“I know. I recently had it served to me at a restaurant, and I thought it was sheer genius. Do you want me to start or do you want to go first?”

“Go ahead. I need to clear my head from that awful meeting, so I’d love to just listen to you and look at the view of the Pacific Ocean. I love my place in Santa Barbara, but a view like this is incredible.”

“Agreed. Okay, I’ll start.” Stephanie spent several minutes recapping her past and then asked Dani to do the same, which she did.

“Do you have any restaurants you have to review this week?” Dani asked. “I’d be happy to go with you if you do.”

“No, I had the worst dish I’ve ever had at a restaurant I reviewed yesterday, and I’m still trying to get over it. I wrote a scathing review that may come back to bite me, but they deserved it.”

“I know you only do pretty high-end restaurants. Is it one I would have heard of?” Dani asked.

“I don’t know. The name of it is Taste of Mexico. It’s a Michelin rated restaurant and there are only a couple of them in our county, so you may have heard of it.”

“Are you kidding? That was one of the restaurants I wanted to eat at while I was down here. It’s gotten rave reviews. I want to hear everything about it from the time you walked in. Don’t leave anything out,” Dani said.

“Seriously, you want to hear about all of it?” Stephanie asked.

“Absolutely, and if you’re going to get some blowback from it, maybe that’s why I’m here, to help you.”

Stephanie was quiet for a few moments and then she said, “This is kind of embarrassing, Dani, but I’ve always wanted to write a book. I was so frustrated by my experience at the restaurant that after I finished the review, I wrote about the experience as if it were in a book. I’d like to read it to you and see what you think.”

“I’d love it. I’m certainly in no position to give you advice about writing a novel, but I can tell you honestly what I think,” Dani said.

“I’d appreciate it. Let me go to my study and get it. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Dani sat and looked out at the ocean, feeling grateful that the interview was over, and she wouldn’t be catering Leticia Burns’ event. She knew it was the right decision on all levels, particularly for her mental health. And fortunately she didn’t have to take jobs just for the money.

“I’m back. You’re the first person I’ve ever told about my desire to write, and depending on what you say about my writing, you may be the last!” Stephanie said with a laugh.

“Anyone who writes for one of the most successful magazines in California is probably a good candidate for writing a best-selling novel,” Dani said.

“Well, for better or worse, here goes,” Stephanie said as she put on her reading glasses and picked up the pages she’d printed.

CHAPTER 6

Stephanie Weston pulled open one of the heavy carved wooden front doors of the Taste of Mexico Restaurant and walked in looking for her friend, Jackie Montoya. A moment later the motion of a woman waving caught her attention. She smiled at the hostess who had followed her and said, “I see my friend over there.”

When she got to the table, Stephanie said, “How did you know it was me? I thought I did a pretty good job today with this disguise.”

“Steph, I’d know you anywhere. Just because you’re wearing a wig and you’ve put on some kind of a nose-changing product, that doesn’t mean you can disguise the basic you. But not to worry, I’m sure I’m the only one who would know it was you.”

“That’s good to hear. And my eyes? I figured since the wig was red, I should go for the whole Irish thing and have green eyes, compliments of contact lens.”

“When did you start wearing contact lens?” Jackie asked. “I know you use reading glasses these days, like most people our age, but I didn’t realize your vision was bad enough that you had to start wearing contacts.”

“It’s part of the disguise. I had a friend of mine who’s an optometrist sell me several colors so when I’m doing a restaurant review, the owners or managers won’t know it’s me.”

“Well, whatever you’ve done, it looks good. And if you wore that wig all the time, think of the money you could save by not having your hair highlighted, although I do prefer the Steph I know, the one with the more mature pixie haircut,” Jackie said.

“Thanks, but did you have to use the word ‘mature’? I’ve gotten to really hate it. Makes me feel old and past my use by date.”

“Fact of life, Steph. We’re getting there, and we might as well deal with it.”

“That I’m aware of, and I know my body is different than it was twenty years ago, but I prefer to think of aging like a really good bottle of wine. The older we are, the better we get, just like the wine does.”

“I like your way of thinking. This place is really crowded, but I don’t see anyone I know. I would think as popular as it is, someone I know would be here. How about you?” Jackie asked.

Stephanie looked around, confident that no one would recognize her in her disguise, but she, too, didn’t see anyone she knew. It was just the usual Newport Beach wealthy crowd. As she continued to scan the room, she noticed a woman at a nearby table who seemed to be looking at her. Stephanie never would have caught the look, but in the crowd of well-dressed women, she definitely stuck out.

There was something about her hair that seemed off, like maybe she, too, was wearing a wig, but she just hadn’t secured it very well. The woman turned away from Stephanie and as she did, Stephanie noticed a patch of grey at her temple, where her black wig had come loose.

She felt sorry for the woman and thought about going over to her table and telling her about it, and then she decided that would probably embarrass the woman more than help her.

She was starting to comment on it when Jackie said, “I see our waiter approaching. Are you ordering something you’ve heard about or just something from the menu that appeals to you?” Jackie asked.

“A little of both. I understand that the carne guisada is terrific here, a real favorite. I’ll probably have that.”

“I overheard that, ma’am,” the waiter said, “and I know you won’t be disappointed. It’s our signature dish. While you’re looking over the menu and deciding what you’d like to order to go with it, may I bring you something to drink?”

“What would you recommend?” Stephanie asked.

“We have a lovely vin rosé that’s a little more robust than most, so it pairs beautifully with that dish,” the waiter said.

“In that case, we’d each like a glass,” Stephanie said.

“I’ll be back with your wine in just a moment,” he said as he turned and walked away from the table.

“Okay, I’m the dumb one here. What is carne guisada?” Jackie asked.

Stephanie laughed and said, “Actually, it’s just beef stew, but from what I understand, this restaurant takes it to a new level. And really, I think the best food is just that - a twist on an old favorite. I’m looking forward to this one.”

“Well, if you are, then I definitely am, too. When is your restaurant review due?”

“I have to email it to the editor tonight. They’re on a tight schedule because the weekly magazine goes to print tomorrow.”

“I have to hand it to you, Steph. After your divorce from Brian, you’ve made a whole new life for yourself. I know the divorce was amicable and probably unpreventable once you had that major disagreement about taking the family to Paris to live with him when he got that promotion.”

“Yes, that was not the best time of my life, but I just couldn’t uproot Mandy and Ryan when they were in high school. I wasn’t willing to do that, and Brian wasn’t willing to turn down the promotion, and I understood that.

“I knew when I told him the family wasn’t going with him to France that it would probably result in our becoming divorced, and knowing that Brian was a man who needed to have a woman with him, I also knew it wouldn’t take him long.”

“And it didn’t, but he seems to be a pretty good provider for you and a pretty good dad to Mandy and Ryan,” Jackie said.

“Yes, and for that I’m very lucky. With the settlement he gave me, along with the proceeds from the sale of the house we owned, I’m able to lead a pretty good life,” Stephanie said with a smile. “I know I’m far luckier than most women who get divorced.”

“That you are. I see the waiter coming with our drinks. I’m going to pass on the beef stew and have the beef osso bucco. Osso bucco is my all-time favorite dish, and I rarely find it on the menu. Is there anything else you think we should order?”

“Yes, sopapillas are always a good gauge of a Mexican restaurant. So many restaurants make them more like beignets, but sopapillas should be much lighter and fluffier.”

“Sounds good. Let’s share an order of those and how about sharing a salad?” Jackie asked.

“I’d like that. I’ll let the waiter decide which one he thinks is best and ask him to split it for us.”

“That’s as far as I got in writing the experience down. Here’s the rest of what happened,” Stephanie said.

CHAPTER 7

Stephanie drove up MacArthur Boulevard and made a right turn into the homes that were referred to as the “Port Homes” in Newport Beach. They were very desirable, not only for their view of the Pacific Ocean, but also because Fashion Island, one of the largest and most prestigious shopping malls in the world, was on the other side of MacArthur Boulevard.

She pulled into her driveway and pressed the automatic door opener. She parked, closed the garage door, and braced herself for the welcome she was about to receive from Tank, her beloved German shepherd.

When she and Brian had separated, and she’d purchased the Port Street home, he was worried about her living alone and had bought Tank for her. A financial client of his had casually mentioned that he was moving his family to Dubai and was going to have to find a home for his German shepherd which was a fully trained guard dog.

Brian had immediately offered to buy him and presented Tank to Stephanie the next day. Since Stephanie’s mother had been allergic to dogs, Stephanie always worried that her children might have inherited that trait, so the children never had a dog when they were growing up, and she was thrilled with Brian’s gift. Now she couldn’t imagine being without Tank. Although she didn’t say it to her children, she felt Tank was every bit as much one of her children as they were.

As she expected, when she walked to the door that led from the garage to the house, she heard a snuffling sound coming from behind the door and when she opened it, Tank was waiting for her. He’d been trained to sit and not jump on people, but his entire body was quivering with joy at seeing Stephanie.

She petted him for a moment and then said, “Good watchdog, Tank. Let’s get you a treat.” The words “watchdog” and “treat” he knew well, and he ran over to the kitchen counter where the dog treats were kept in the large yellow cookie jar with a big bone painted in brown on the side of it.

Stephanie knew it was ridiculous to pay the kind of money she had for the dog cookie jar, but she justified it as buying a gift for one of her children.

Tank carefully took the offered treat and followed Stephanie into her study. She listened to her phone messages, and then erased them, none being important enough to save.

She decided to see if the mail had something more interesting in it than the messages she’d just listened to. Tank followed her out the door as she walked to the mailbox which was located at the curb. She reached her hand into the box and heard a voice say, “Stop right there. Stealing someone’s mail is illegal. I’m calling the police.”

Stephanie turned around and saw Jake, the retired police chief who was now a private investigator, standing behind her, his gun drawn.

“Whoa, Jake, it’s me, Stephanie, your next-door neighbor. Put the gun down.”

“Stephanie, I didn’t recognize you. All I saw was a redhead reaching into your mailbox. Sorry. By the way, what’s up with the red hair?”

He put his gun back in his holster and Stephanie said, “Before I answer, I might inquire as to why you’re wearing your gun. I thought you gave that up when you retired from the police force.”

“Yes and no. When I’m on a case and it looks like it might get dicey, I wear one, and I just returned from some investigative work. You’ve probably never seen me with it before. And I must say that you look good with red hair. A new look for you?”

Stephanie laughed and pulled the red wig off. “Actually, this was a big part of my disguise. I was scoping out a restaurant that I’m going to write a review of. You may have heard of Taste of Mexico. It’s getting rave reviews, but not by me.”

“I’ve not only heard of it, but I also ate there a couple of nights ago,” the ex-police chief said. Stephanie was surprised that so far none of the Newport Beach divorcees, of whom there were many, had snagged the man in front of her. Anyone who was checking off boxes of desirable assets in a man would find he fit all of them.

Single, check, she thought as he spoke. Wealthy, check. Even though he was retired, Stephanie knew that he’d inherited a lot of family money. Attractive, check, and so on.

“What did you think of it?” she asked.

“I thought it was one of the best restaurants I’ve ever eaten at, and definitely deserved the Michelin star it recently got. I’m getting the feeling that you weren’t all that enamored by it.”

“No. I was served the worst entrée I’ve ever had in my life,” Stephanie said. “It was so overly spiced it took two full glasses of water for me to even be able to talk after I had a bite.”

“Does that account for your red nose?” Jake asked as he reached out and lightly touched it.

“Yes. Really, it was inedible, and now I’m going in and write my review, which I’m sure will not be well received by Taste of Mexico,” Stephanie said as she took her mail out of the mailbox.

“I’m sure you’re right. By the way, I’ve never noticed your green eyes before. Looks great. Guess it’s the way the sun is shining on them,” Jake said.

“Sorry to disappoint you, Jake, but they, too, were part of my disguise. And as scathing as I think my review is going to be, I think it’s a good thing I did go there in disguise. I’m sure the waiter will remember me, because I called him on the dish, and he kind of said that it was just me, which really infuriated me.”

“Stephanie, I’ve read every review of yours in Beach Cities Magazine. However, if you’re going to dis Taste of Mexico, I might have to write a letter to the editor disagreeing with you. And by the way, if you do write that article, you’re going to make some powerful enemies. Taste of Mexico is owned by a man who also owns three other Michelin restaurants, and he has some powerful backers and money behind him. You might want to reconsider and just let it go.”

“No, people need to know that even a Michelin restaurant can have an off day or off entrée. My personal feeling is that if a restaurant has a Michelin star, they’re not allowed the luxury of ever having an off day or off entrée. Good seeing you, Jake. I’m off to write my review,” Stephanie said.

“Well, if you ever need the services of a good private investigator or a bodyguard, I’m available.”

“Don’t hold your breath,” she said with a laugh as she motioned for Tank to follow her.

Jake watched her walk back to her house with a hunch that she’d be needing his services, and he’d be ready. The thought pleased him, because he’d been looking for a way to get to know Stephanie Weston better.

CHAPTER 8

“Okay, Tank. I’ve got my jeans on, and I’m ready to get down and dirty with this restaurant review,” Stephanie said as she headed for the study and her computer.

For the next three hours she wrote it, giving the restaurant credit for its location, interior design, and professional staff. Then she began to put her zingers in. First was about the restaurant’s signature dish being similar to what would be served to a pig in a pigsty. Then she wrote that she doubted even the pigs would be able to eat something that highly seasoned.

Next was about the waiter and how he’d insinuated that something was wrong with her palate rather than the dish. She wrote in all caps: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CUSTOMER ALWAYS BEING RIGHT? OBVIOUSLY THIS WAITER NEVER HEARD OF THE CONCEPT.

The last zinger dealt with the check. She wrote that the waiter had offered to bring her another dish, but she had told him she had an appointment and asked for the check. What she hadn’t mentioned to Jackie was how shocked she’d been to see that she was being charged for the inedible dish.

The final words in her review, once again in all caps, were TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY THE CHARGE FOR THE DISH WAS ON THE BILL. ANY RESTAURANT WORTHY OF A MICHELIN STAR WOULD NOT HAVE CHARGED A CUSTOMER FOR A DISH THEY HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT. SO MUCH FOR BEING A CLASSY RESTAURANT.

Stephanie reread what she’d written and stood by everything she’d said, then decided she’d take the part about the bill, which she’d capitalized, and change it to regular letters.

She did a word check on it for spelling and grammar and sent it off to Molly, the editor of Beach Cities Magazine. She sat back, satisfied that she’d done the right thing, and certain that her readers would want to know about the meal that she considered to have been an utter disaster.

*****

“Wow, that’s some story, and if you ever decide you don’t want to be a restaurant reviewer anymore, you definitely need to try your hand at a novel. I felt like I was in my car listening to an audiobook,” Dani said.

CHAPTER 9

The next two days were a whirlwind of shopping, eating lunch and dinner at well-known restaurants, and catching up on the years since Stephanie and Dani had last seen each other.

On Saturday, after Stephanie had finished doing her morning routine of watering the orchids on her patio and in her greenroom, feeding Tank, and she and Dani had read the Los Angeles Times and the Daily Register, she said, “Dani, I haven’t taken Tank, to the dog park in a long time. I think he needs some exercise. Want to join us?”

Tank let out a big woof and began running around in circles, all of which Stephanie took as an enthusiastic yes.

“Yes, as I mentioned to you, my sous-chef, Arthur, gave me and my daughter, Anna, a big police-trained mastiff. We take him to the dog park a lot. I love to watch the interaction of the dogs. I can be ready in just a few minutes.”

“Me, too. I want to see if Mandy, my daughter, can meet us for lunch. You’ve never met her, and I’d like you to. Plus, I haven’t seen her for a several weeks, and I want to catch up with her.”

A moment later Stephanie heard Mandy’s voice. “Hi Mom, I was just thinking about you.”

“Hope they were good thoughts,” Stephanie said with a laugh.

“Of course. I’ll bet you’re calling to ask to meet me for lunch and the answer is an enthusiastic yes.”

“Great. Got anywhere special in mind?”

“Why don’t I bring lunch to your house? It’s a beautiful day. Since I’m allergic to Tank, we can sit on the patio and talk. Plus by not going to a restaurant you won’t have to worry that someone might know you.”

“Sounds good. My friend Dani Rosetti is staying with me for a few days, and I’d like you to meet her, so I’ll take you up on that. Dani and I’ve been eating nonstop at restaurants, so eating here would be a nice change.

“Since I had a horrible experience the other day at Taste of Mexico, which is supposed to be flawless, and I wrote a scathing review of it, it might be better for me to stay away from restaurants when it’s published. Some of the owners might not be too thrilled to see me in their restaurant. I know others have had good experiences at that restaurant, but mine sure wasn’t.”

“I definitely want to hear all about it. I have a couple of errands I need to run, so is 12:30 okay with you?” Mandy asked. “And can I bring Lola to play with Tank?”

“Yes, to both. Actually, Tank just heard the name Lola when you said it. I have the phone on speaker and at the moment, he’s turning circles. I think he’s in love with your little Maltipoo. Dani and I are taking him to the dog park. See you later,” Stephanie said as she ended the call.

“Dani, let me get Tank’s leash and then I’ll be ready to go. I know he doesn’t need it, but it’s a rule that all dogs have to have one on when they enter the dog park, then the owners can take them off.”

*****

“There you go, big guy,” Stephanie said as she unhooked Tank’s leash and he ran to join the group of dogs that were chasing one another. “Dani, I prefer this dog park to other ones because it has a play area for big dogs which is separate from the one for small dogs. I’ve been to dog parks that only had one play area, and the sight of little dogs being totally intimidated always made me sad. I felt like it was similar to bullying, which sure seems to be the hot button in the media right now.

“There’s a couple of seats left on that bench over there. We can sit there and read our magazines while Tank enjoys his new friends.”

Dani sat down and opened the magazine she’d carried into the park. She began to read it while Stephanie took the copy of Coastal Life Magazine out of her tote bag. She flipped it open to the review a competitor of hers had written about a restaurant Stephanie had yet to eat at. Stephanie had never met Bettina Woods, the reviewer, but she’d been rather unimpressed by her reviews.

Stephanie felt the current review was a house job, that the manager or owner had told Bettina what he or she would like to see in the article, and Bettina had complied. Stephanie felt it lacked a personal touch.

She was just starting to reread it to see if she’d missed anything when she heard the woman next to her say, “I see that you’re reading Coastal Life Magazine. Have you ever read Beach Cities Magazine? I think it’s so much better than what you’re reading.”

Dani looked over at her and smiled. Stephanie turned to her and said, “Yes, I do read Beach Cities Magazine, and I’d have to agree with you, but I want to make sure I don’t miss anything.”

“Yes, that makes perfect sense, but be careful and don’t blindly follow the restaurant reviews in Coastal Life. I don’t know the woman who writes the reviews, but she must be getting a kickback from the owners. She’s never said a bad thing about any of them.

“I’ve eaten at a number of them she’s reviewed,” the woman continued, “but I’m not sure she ever has. Her reviews are almost canned, and her experience at a particular restaurant and my experience of the same restaurant seem to be diametrically opposed. I’m thinking of calling the editor and telling her that.”

“I’ve thought the same,” Stephanie said and then she couldn’t help herself. I’m only human, she thought. “What do you think about the restaurant reviews in Beach Cities?”

“They’re excellent. Whoever writes them has obviously eaten at the places she reviews. I’ve totally agreed with every one she’s written. Well actually, I thought the last one she wrote, the one on Taste of Mexico which I read earlier today, was quite unlike her. It had a meanness to it I’ve never encountered from her reviews before. I’ve eaten at Taste of Mexico and felt it definitely deserved its Michelin star. As a matter of fact, I called the editor of the magazine and complained about the article,” the woman said.

Dani glanced at Stephanie to see how she was going to react to that statement.

Stephanie hesitated and wanting to continue with her anonymity said, “I haven’t read it yet, but I’m sure the editor appreciated the call. I’ve found that management always likes to know how the public feels about what’s written in their newspaper or magazine.

“It’s been nice talking to you, but it’s time for us to leave. My daughter is bringing lunch to my house, and I haven’t seen her for a couple of weeks. Hope to see you here again,” Stephanie said as she stood up, followed by Dani, and called to Tank who grudgingly came over to her, sorry to have to leave his new friends.

“Well, that was interesting,” Dani said.

“Yes, and we’re going to the nearest drugstore and get a copy of Beach Cities Magazine.

CHAPTER 10

Stephanie and Dani pulled into her driveway just as Mandy was parking her car in front of Stephanie’s house. Mandy waved as Stephanie pulled into her garage, then walked into her house and opened the front door to let Mandy in.

“Good morning, sweetheart, it’s so good to see you. I’ve missed you. I want you to meet my good friend, Dani Rosetti,” she said as Mandy walked in.

“I’m so excited to meet you. I think I’ve watched all of your television shows. I knew you were a friend of my mom’s, but I never thought I’d get a chance to meet you.

“And Mom, I’ve missed you, but I’ve got to ask you what’s up with your review in Beach Cities Magazine, the one on Taste of Mexico?”

“What do you mean?” Stephanie asked.

“I went to the coffee shop that’s near my condo this morning after we spoke on the phone, and everyone was talking about your review. I guess the magazine came out this morning. People were really surprised by your review of Taste of Mexico.

“They couldn’t understand why you would give it such a bad review when a number of them had eaten at the restaurant and thought it was wonderful,” Mandy said as she petted Tank who had raced over to greet Lola and now sat in front of her, clearly expecting some attention.

“I fully stand behind that review,” Stephanie said. “I simply wrote what happened during my meal at Taste of Mexico. It really was lousy.”

“I’m surprised your editor printed it. Obviously, I picked up the magazine and read the article after hearing about it from the people in the coffee shop. What surprised me was that Taste of Mexico had a full-page ad in it. I’ll bet they’re regretting that expenditure.”

“I sent Molly, she’s the editor of the magazine, my review several days ago, and she never said anything to me about it. She hasn’t called, so I’m assuming it’s okay with her.”

“If I were her, I wouldn’t be very happy about it. I can’t believe the restaurant will be doing any more advertising with Beach Cities Magazine and from what you’ve told me, advertising pays yours and everyone else’s salary. I’m surprised she hasn’t at least called you about it,” Mandy said.

“Nope, you can look at my phone. No messages from her.”

“Mom, hand me your phone. It must have been accidentally turned off. Bet when I turn it on there will be a message from her,” Mandy said as she pressed a button to activate the phone. “Yep, she’s not only called, she’s called what looks like about twenty times. Better get back to her.”

“That doesn’t sound good. I’ll go in my study and call her. That way you won’t have to listen to her screaming at me. Dani, why don’t you help Mandy plate the sandwiches and go out on the patio while I listen to Molly berate me about the review,” Stephanie said, laughing.

A few minutes later Stephanie walked out to the patio, and she was definitely not laughing now. “I’m going to have to take a rain check for lunch, guys. Dani, Mandy, go ahead and eat without me. Molly demanded, didn’t ask, demanded that I come to her office immediately.”

“That doesn’t sound good. Dani and I will have lunch and then I’ll probably take off. We can do this another time. Mom, call me after you meet with her. I’ll be thinking good thoughts.”

“Thanks. From the tone of Molly’s voice, I think I’m going to need them. Dani, make yourself comfortable while I’m gone and Tank will be fine in the house if you want to leave.”

“Not a problem. We’ll just spend some time bonding. We’ll be here to provide some tender loving care when you’re finished with Molly,” Dani said.

“Mom, just out of curiosity, does the magazine pay you much?” Mandy asked.

“I wouldn’t consider it much, but it more than pays for my groceries and a few other things. Talk to you later,” Stephanie said as she walked out the door.

*****

She parked in front of the Beach Cities Magazine office, which was in an industrial complex off of Pacific Coast Highway. Since it was Saturday, the other offices were closed, and Molly’s was the only car in the parking lot.

Stephanie got out of her red BMW convertible, a birthday gift from Brian several years ago, took a deep breath and opened the office door. Molly heard the door open and said, “I’m in my office, Stephanie.”

She walked down the hall and went into it. Molly was sitting at her desk, the magazine open to Stephanie’s review. Molly looked up at her and angrily said, “What were you thinking? What made you do this?”

“Do what?” Stephanie asked as she sat down on one of the chairs on the other side of the desk.

“How can you even ask that? I’m talking about the review you did on Taste of Mexico. Did it not occur to you that they advertise every month in this magazine? And did it ever occur to you that Diego Maselli, who I’m sure you know is the owner of Taste of Mexico and three of the other best restaurants along the coast, advertises those four restaurants in this magazine every week as well.

“Do the math, Stephanie. Every week four pages of this magazine are ads for his restaurants. If you want to look at it in dollars and cents, it pays both of our salaries and keeps the doors open. With your review, you’ve effectively wiped out all the goodwill I’ve developed with him over the last couple of years. What do you have to say for yourself?”

Molly’s hands were tightly clenched, and it was obvious she was trying to keep her composure. She stared at Stephanie and said, “I want an answer and I want it now.”

Stephanie took a deep breath and then said, “Molly, I stand by my review. The dish was the worst thing I’ve ever eaten, and that restaurant does not deserve a Michelin star. Restaurants of that caliber are not allowed to have off days. Simple as that.”

Molly took a deep breath and said, “Diego Maselli wants to meet with both of us tomorrow. He probably intends to pull his ads, and I wouldn’t blame him. Meet me here at 10:30 tomorrow morning, and we’ll drive to Taste of Mexico together.”

“Alright,” Stephanie said. “Does this mean I’m fired?”

“I haven’t come to that decision yet. It depends on what happens tomorrow, but if I were you, I’d try to think of some way to backpedal on your review. If you can do that, maybe he’ll give us another chance.”

“Molly, I just remembered something. I’ve reviewed his other three restaurants, and they were all rave reviews. That should count for something.”

Molly steepled her hands and said, “Hmm. Good point. Do you know when you did those reviews?”

“I can find out. I have all of the Beach City Magazines from the time I became the restaurant reviewer. I’ll pull them out this afternoon and make copies of the review. Hopefully, that will help.”

“Don’t make copies. They never look as good as the originals. Bring the magazines with you tomorrow,” Molly said.

“I keep a spreadsheet of each restaurant review such as the date, what I ate, etcetera, so I should be able to find them fairly easily,” Stephanie said.

“Good. That might help. If you think of anything else that can help us, let me know, otherwise I’ll see you tomorrow. And Stephanie, I’m sorry this happened. Your column is the best one in my magazine. I would hate to see you go.”

“I understand, Molly, and I sincerely wish I’d never reviewed that restaurant. But my integrity is also at stake here. The carne guisada was probably the worst thing I’ve ever eaten.” She stood up and walked over to the door, then she turned around.

“Molly, I have a feeling something is really off about this. I know food, and I’m a very good reviewer. When a dish that everyone raves about is one that I think is absolutely horrible, it doesn’t make sense. I think I’ll talk to my next-door neighbor, Jake. He’s a private investigator. Maybe he’ll have some thoughts about it.

“A good friend of mine whom you may know from her television shows, Dani Rosetti, is visiting me. I’m going to ask her to go to Taste of Mexico and order the dish. I’d like her take on it.”

“I think that’s a very good idea, and of course I’m familiar with her. I would like to hear what she thinks of the dish. Maybe she could go before our meeting tomorrow.”

As Stephanie was walking out to her car, the phone rang on Molly’s desk.

That’s strange, Molly thought. Who would call a magazine’s business office on a Saturday?

She answered and said, “Beach Cities Magazine. This is Molly, the editor. How may I help you?”

“This is Bettina Woods. I write restaurant reviews for Coastal Life Magazine, and after that horrible review Stephanie Weston wrote in your magazine, I thought you might be looking for a new reviewer. I would very much like to interview for the position. Guess that red wig she wore kept the restaurant from knowing who she was.”

Molly held the phone away from her ear, not believing what Bettina had just said. How very callous, she thought. The magazine just came out this morning. This reminds me of some vulture swooping in when there’s a new dead animal available, in this case the demise of a restaurant column.

But then again, Molly thought pragmatically, if I have to let Stephanie go, I am going to need a new reviewer, so I probably should at least talk to her.

“Yes, Bettina, I would very much like to talk to you. When is a good time for you?”

“Are you available say around 12:30 tomorrow?”

As interesting as this is getting, yes, I definitely will make time to be available, Molly thought. Wonder what’s up with the red wig. I know Stephanie often tries to go unnoticed by wearing wigs and things. Maybe she wore a red wig when she was at the restaurant, but how would Bettina know that?

“Yes, that would be fine. There’s a little coffee shop, Lucille’s, that’s about two blocks east of Taste of Mexico. Let’s meet there at 12:30.”

“Great, see you then,” Bettina said.

Molly looked at her watch and realized she was going to be late for her hair appointment with Deirdre at The Salon. She quickly called the salon and advised them she was on her way and apologized for being a few minutes late.

*****

As soon as Stephanie got in her car she called Dani on her cell phone.

“Hi Stephanie, how did it go?” Dani asked, having seen Stephanie’s name on her monitor.

“Horrible. I’ll tell you all about it later. I have a huge favor to ask of you.”

“Happy to help if I can. What would you like me to do?” Dani asked.

“I’d like you to go to Taste of Mexico, order the carne guisada, and tell me what you think of it. I’d really value your opinion.”

“Sure. I think I’ll go early. If they mass produce it, it should be fresher then.”

“Thanks, Dani. I’ll be back at the house in a little while. If you’re not there when I get back, I’ll see you after you go to the restaurant. It’s in Fashion Island, which as you know from when we were there yesterday, is really close to my house. You can pull up the address on your phone and then plug it into your GPS. It’s really easy to get to.”

CHAPTER 11

Molly thanked the parking gods as she found a space directly behind the salon. She hurried out of her Lexus, pressed the fob to lock it, and rushed inside. The first thing she saw was Deirdre drinking a cup of coffee and reading Beach Cities Magazine while she was waiting for Molly at her station.

“Deirdre, I am so sorry. I was in a meeting, and then I had a phone call just as I was getting ready to leave. I apologize. I know how busy you are, and I certainly hope my being late won’t throw you off your schedule today.”

“Actually, it isn’t a problem. One of my weekly customers just called and cancelled. Bettina said she had an important meeting tomorrow and had to cancel her standing appointment to prepare for it. Sit down and let’s get started.”

Molly sat down and said, “The Bettina you mentioned wouldn’t happen to be Bettina Woods, would it?”

“Sure would. We all laugh in here about me cornering the market on restaurant reviews,” Deirdre said as she began to apply the blond product to Molly’s hair. Molly always told people she was a natural blond, but by that she meant it was a natural thing for her go to her hairdresser once a month to maintain that natural blond look.

“Well, you’re my hairdresser and Bettina’s. Who else comes to you from the restaurant review world?” Molly asked.

“The restaurant reviewer in your magazine, Stephanie Weston. And by the way, I have to tell you that I thought the review she did of Taste of Mexico was awful. I just read it while I was waiting for you and that seemed so unlike her.”

“Yes, I’ve talked to her about it, and she told me that the entrée she ordered was inedible and that there was no excuse for a restaurant that had been awarded a Michelin star to have a bad day in the kitchen, if that’s what it was.”

“I don’t know. I had the carne guisada dish at the restaurant, and it was the best thing I’ve ever had. A client gave me a gift card to go there for Christmas, and my boyfriend and I did. I’ll bet you’re going to get a lot of calls about that review,” Deirdre said.

“I already have,” Molly said. “As a matter of fact, Stephanie and I are meeting with the owner of the restaurant tomorrow.”

“Small world. His sister is a client of mine, and I’m sure she’ll have something to say about the review at her next appointment. Okay, you’re good for a while. The product just needs to do its thing to keep you looking beautiful. I’ll be back to check you when it’s time.”

Molly took her phone out of her purse and began to make notes on it regarding the upcoming meetings with the owner of Taste of Mexico and Bettina Woods. She continued to make notes while she waited the allotted time for Deirdre to work her magic.

*****

As she was driving home from the Beach Cities Magazine office, for the first time Stephanie wondered if she’d made a mistake in her assessment of the carne guisada, but quickly refuted the thought because she knew the taste she’d taken of the dish had been the hottest thing she’d ever tasted. And even if her thought process had been off, her body certainly hadn’t been. It had responded immediately to the dish.

Stephanie turned into her driveway, a grim look on her face, intent on finding the reviews she’d written in Beach Cities Magazine of Diego Maselli’s other three restaurants. As she’d told Molly, she was sure she’d given them all rave reviews. She hoped that would be enough to diffuse the situation.

From her runny eyes to red nose, her body had fully agreed with what she’d thought. Quite simply, the dish was a disaster, but where did the disaster come from? That was something she was quite sure Diego Maselli was going to question and want to know.

If there was a problem in his kitchen or restaurant, as restaurant savvy as he was, she was sure he’d want to get to the bottom of it. Hopefully that’s why he wanted to meet with her. Maybe there was a chance she could keep her job. In any event, she knew she needed to spend some serious time thinking about it.

CHAPTER 12

When Stephanie got home she saw that Dani’s car was gone and she sincerely hoped Dani could find out something that could help her when she went to Taste of Mexico. She went into her house, spent some time assuring Tank that he was a good dog and giving him his expected treat, then she walked into her office. For the next hour she listened to her voicemails and read emails, each of which essentially told her she’d been way off base in her review of Taste of Mexico.

Already having some doubts about her review and wondering if something else had been going on, the messages just solidified in her mind that somewhere in the restaurant a mistake had been made. She knew she had to find out what happened if she was going to be able to salvage her reputation as a leading restaurant reviewer.

Stephanie pulled up the spreadsheet on her reviews and found the dates she’d reviewed the Maselli restaurants. Then she got the three magazines with her reviews in them from her bookcase and carefully read them. When she was finished, she sat back, satisfied that when Diego Maselli read the reviews she would give him, he would have to agree with her assessment that something had happened, and it hadn’t happened on her end. And she assumed that he’d probably read the reviews when the magazines had originally been published.

She decided to ask Dani to accompany her to the meeting. She figured that Diego would recognize the name, even if he didn’t recognize Dani, as that of the Emmy award winning chef. Stephanie hoped that, because Dani was her friend and staying with her, it would lend some credibility to her position as a reviewer. At this point, she’d use whatever means she could to avoid what appeared to be a looming disaster.

By now it was early evening and Stephanie decided she could definitely justify a glass of wine after the day she’d had. As she started for the kitchen, she heard a knock on her front door. She walked over to it and peered out the peephole. It was Jake, her next-door neighbor.

She opened the door and said, “Hi, neighbor. What brings you over my way?”

Jake walked in, took a long look at her, and said, “I was concerned about you. I waved to you when you pulled into your driveway, but you didn’t acknowledge me and from the scowl on your face, I figured you weren’t having a very good day. I also noticed that there was a strange car in your driveway and wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I’m not having a very good day, and you can say that again. Actually you can say that several times. I was just on my way into the kitchen to drown my sorrows in wine. Care to join me? And the car you saw belongs to a friend of mine who’s staying with me for a few days. You might know the name, Chef Dani Rosetti.”

“I sure do. I’ve spent a lot of time watching her shows. She’s the one who inspired me to start cooking after my divorce. She made it look really easy. Any chance I could meet her?” Jake asked.

“As a matter of fact, she should be back here any time. You can meet her then.”

“Great, and I definitely will join you in a glass of wine. Anything for a lady in distress,” Jake said with a grin. “Want to tell me about it now or wait until we’ve had a couple of glasses of wine?”

“Let me at least get the wine bottle open first,” Stephanie said as she struggled with the cork.

“Here, let me. Getting corks out of wine bottles is one of my specialities.”

“Who knew? I’m sure you’re much in demand because of that,” Stephanie said with a grin.

He poured wine into the two glasses Stephanie had taken out of the cupboard and said, “Where do you want to go for this cathartic talk?”

“I think the patio is calling me. It’s been a gorgeous day here on the coast. Might as well enjoy it. We might even be able to catch a glimpse of the ocean, and that’s always something to celebrate. Bet a lot of people who have never had a chance to see it would gladly change places with us. And in the mood I’m in at the moment, I probably wouldn’t mind changing places with them.”

When they were seated on the patio and had taken a couple of sips of wine, Jake said, “No time like the present. Might as well tell me the reason for the scowl.”

Stephanie told him what had happened from the time she’d met Jackie for lunch a few days earlier at Taste of Mexico to her recent meeting with Molly, and ended by going into her study and returning with the reviews she’d written of Diego Maselli’s restaurants.

“Read these and tell me what you think, Jake,” she said as she handed him the three magazines.

After a few minutes he said, “Where’s the recent review of Taste of Mexico? I’d like to see it as well.”

She handed him the Beach Cities Magazine with the review in it. He was quiet while he read it and then he said, “These three read like they’re written by the same person. The one on Taste of Mexico gives the feeling it was written by someone entirely different. Did you really write all four of these?”

“Yes, I did. In all honesty, Jake, I’m beginning to wonder if there was a problem at the restaurant, like something internal is going on there. I know people are saying my review was nasty and mean-spirited, and that’s probably the nicest thing anyone has said about it.

“Even so, I stand behind my experience at the restaurant. The bite of carne guisada I had was so hot I literally had to drink two glasses of water after only one bite. You can check with my friend Jackie. My reaction was completely spontaneous, and what reason would I have to fake something like that?

“I’ve never met Diego Maselli, the owner of the restaurant, and I have nothing against him. I would have absolutely no reason to write a review like that if I hadn’t experienced it.”

“You’re making a strong case for yourself, Stephanie. I agree with what you’re saying. It sounds like the dish came out that way because of an error on the restaurant’s part.”

“Hold the thought, Jake. I heard a knock at the front door and it’s probably Dani. I’ll be right back.”

She returned a few minutes later and said, “Jake, I’d like you to meet my friend, Dani Rosetti. Dani, this is my next-door neighbor, Jake.”

Jake stood up and said, “Chef, I’d like to personally thank you for saving my life after my divorce.”

“Always happy to hear that I saved someone’s life,” Dani said. “May I ask what I did to deserve that accolade?”

“You taught me how to cook. I probably would have starved to death if it hadn’t been for you,” Jake said.

“Glad I could be of help.”

“Dani, Jake and I are having a glass of wine to help me drown my sorrows. If you want to join us, the glasses and wine are on the kitchen counter. But first tell me how it went at Taste of Mexico.”

“Stephanie, I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the dish was superb. There is not one thing about it that I could complain about. I’ve been thinking about it from the first bite to now and I wonder if something else is at play here,” Dani said.

“That’s what I think, too, but the problem is how do I convince Diego Maselli of that and save my job? Plus, since a number of people have let me know in an email or phone message that they don’t agree with my review, I now have a problem with being believable and credible,” Stephanie said.

“Don’t say anything I need to hear. I’ll be back in a minute. I’ll join you in a glass of wine,” Dani said as she left the room.

When she came back, Stephanie said. “If so many people have gone to Taste of Mexico and thought it was delicious, and many even had the dish I had, and they found nothing wrong with it, it is beginning to look like it’s me. Dani, even you said Taste of Mexico was great and so did Jake. I wonder if people will even bother to read my reviews in the future. There’s no question that the review and the response to it have definitely hurt my reputation.”

“I’d have to agree with you, Stephani…” Jake said.

His comment was interrupted by Stephanie’s cell phone ringing. She looked down and saw that it was Molly.

“It’s Molly, the owner of the magazine, so I better take the call. Maybe she found out that the staff was in revolt that day or something,” Stephanie said.

“Good evening, Molly. I hope you’re calling to tell me that this whole thing has been a huge mistake and that Diego Maselli found out that someone on his staff knew it was me and decided to lace my dish with the hottest pepper on the Scoville scale.”

“Wish it were so, Stephanie, but no such luck. I’m calling because I had an interesting conversation with Dierdre today, you know, the hairdresser at The Salon.”

“Molly, I’m going to put you on speakerphone. I have a couple of people here who have some thoughts about this review fiasco. I’d like them to hear what you have to say.”

Stephanie changed the setting on the phone and then said, “Of course I know her, and I know that you go to her, too. We often talk about Beach Cities Magazine. She’s a real fan of it,” Stephanie said.

“Well, guess who else goes to her?” Molly asked.

“I have no clue. My brain is dead from the events of the day. Surprise me. Who?”

“Your fellow reviewer, Bettina Woods,” Molly said.

Stephanie was quiet for a few moments and then said, “That’s interesting. What do you make of it?”

“I have some thoughts about it, but let me tell you something else. After you left my office today, and actually just as I was leaving, the phone at the office rang, which is really odd on a Saturday. Thinking it might be Diego Maselli canceling our meeting tomorrow, I answered it.”

“Let me guess. It was Bettina Woods asking for my job,” Stephanie said.

“You’re not too far off. She asked if she could meet with me, saying that she had read the review in the magazine today, and thought I might be looking for a new restaurant reviewer. We set up a meeting for tomorrow following our meeting with Diego Maselli.”

“Curious. I bet she wants to talk to you about my job.”

“Probably, but here’s the reason I’m calling. During our conversation, she said something about you that really got my attention.

“And that would be what?” Stephanie asked.

“She said, and I quote, ‘Guess that red wig she wore kept the restaurant staff from knowing who she was’.” Obviously she was talking about you. Did you wear a red wig when you went to the restaurant?”

“I did. I went in disguise. I had a red wig and even wore tinted green contacts. That’s really weird she’d say that. Wonder how she knew?”

“I have no idea. How good was your disguise?”

“Probably so-so. Jackie, the friend I met for lunch who I’ve known forever, waved to me as soon as I walked into the restaurant. However, when I got home, I went out to get the mail and my next-door neighbor, Jake, the private investigator I’ve mentioned, was there. By the way, he’s one of the people who is here listening to our conversation.

“Anyway, he walked up behind me when I stuck my hand in the mailbox and said something like what I was doing was a crime. When I turned around, he had a gun in his hand. He told me he hadn’t recognized me with the red hair.”

Jake grinned remembering their exchange at the mailbox.

“Here’s what I’m wondering, and I’ve been thinking about this ever since I left The Salon. You mentioned you talked to Deirdre about the magazine, right?” Molly asked.

“Yes, just like I said earlier.”

“Stephanie, have you ever worn the red wig before?”

“No, I bought it the day before I went to Taste of Mexico.”

“In that case, how could Bettina possibly know that you’d worn a red wig to Taste of Mexico?” Molly asked.

“I have no idea. Jackie and Jake were the only ones who knew, and neither of them would have any reason to discuss it with Bettina. If Bettina knew I was wearing a red wig when I went there, she must have been there as well. Wow. But how would she have recognized me?” Stephanie asked.

“Probably the same way Jackie did. She may have really researched you and figured you wore wigs to the restaurants you were reviewing. I saw something on television on some crime show where the mystery was solved with a software program that puts a person in all kinds of different clothing, hairstyles, wigs, etcetera, to help the police find their suspect.”

“Molly, that’s downright creepy. That means she’s pretty much been stalking me. Maybe not in person, but probably digitally.”

“I think that’s a distinct possibility. I also think she’s probably very, very jealous of your reputation as a restaurant reviewer.”

“Wait a minute, Molly. Let’s say that she did recognize me, red wig and all. However, that doesn’t explain why she would be at the restaurant on that particular day unless she was stalking me. Maybe she parks near my house every day and waits for me to go to a restaurant.”

“I think that’s a little farfetched, Stephanie. Besides, sometimes you go to restaurants that you review in the evenings. No, I doubt that she or anyone else is watching you around the clock. I think I have a better explanation of what probably happened,” Molly said.

“I’m all ears, shoot.”

“I’m wondering if you said something, probably very innocently, to Deirdre when you were there for an appointment with her or maybe when you were there getting your nails done. Something about going to Taste of Mexico on a certain day.”

Stephanie was quiet, seemingly deep in thought, and then she said, “I may have said something, but I honestly can’t remember doing it.”

“Well, if you did, and then just in the normal course of conversation Bettina said something about you to either Dierdre or the nail person, and they told her that you were going to review Taste of Mexico. That could be how she found out,” Molly said.

“And I’m also wondering how long Bettina has been a client of Dierdre’s and if she goes to the same nail person you do. If so, she may have been plotting to do something to ruin your reputation for a long time.”

“What do you mean by doing something?” Stephanie asked.

“This is just something I thought up. If she was at Taste of Mexico when you were there, and from what we’re piecing together, it seems she was, then maybe she paid one of the servers or a friend in the kitchen to lace your dish with something,” Molly said.

“Wow, that’s frightening. I’m glad Jake is here. Now I’m getting spooked about being in my home.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that, not with Tank there. I’ll let you get back to him and whoever else is there, and I’m glad Jake’s there. As a private investigator, he might have some insight into it.”

“I’ll talk to him. Thanks for calling. See you tomorrow.”

CHAPTER 13

“Excuse me,” Dani said. “I left my purse in the kitchen, and I can hear the tone on my phone indicating that I have a text. I’ll be right back.”

When she returned she looked at Stephanie and said, “You won’t believe this. I just got a text from Leticia. Let me read it to you. She says, “I am so glad I decided not to hire you. I just read a review in the Beach Cities Magazine by your friend, Stephanie Weston. She obviously doesn’t know what she’s talking about and since she’s your friend, based on talking to you at our meeting and seeing your lukewarm reception of my famous paté and caviar appetizer, it’s apparent you don’t know what good food is when you eat it either.”

“Who wrote that?” Jake asked.

“A potential client that Dani couldn’t stand, and it seems the feeling was mutual. Actually, that was the reason Dani drove down here to Newport Beach. She had an appointment with the woman.

“At the end of their meeting, she told Dani she wouldn’t be able to work with her, and Dani was delighted not to get the job. I know her and she gives the saying ‘a piece of work’ a whole new meaning,” Stephanie said.

“Dani, based on that text alone, I’d think you’d be very happy you didn’t get the job,” Jake said.

“Trust me, Jake, I am. Stephanie, what did you make of your conversation with Molly?”

“I have no idea what to make of it,” Stephanie said as she took a sip of wine.

“Want to process it by yourself or would you like some input by Dani and me?” Jake asked.

“I’d like your thoughts because I’m really at a loss as to what’s going on. Do I need to be afraid of this woman?”

Jake brought the bottle of wine and poured some more wine into their glasses and said, “From the way the conversation went, I think Molly is really in your corner, and that’s good.”

“I agree, Jake. She seems like she has Stephanie’s best interests at heart,” Dani said.

“I hope so, but what about this Bettina Woods? Doesn’t it sound to you that if all this is true, she’s going to an awful lot of trouble to make me look bad?” Stephanie said.

“If it is true, and at this point that’s not a given, then yes, she’s going to a lot of trouble to make you look bad. What concerns me more is what could have happened to you when you took that bite. If you’d shoveled in a huge bite, like a lot of people do, you could have had a serious medical emergency,” Jake said.

“Do you think she’s unhinged and might try to do something else to me?” Stephanie asked.

“I have no idea. What do you know about her?” Jake asked.

“Nothing, other than that she’s a restaurant reviewer for Coastal Life Magazine.”

“Have you ever met her? Have you ever seen a picture of her?” Jake asked.

“I haven’t met her, and as far as seeing a picture of her, there’s one at the top of each of her columns, so yes, I’ve seen a picture of her. That’s pretty standard practice when people write columns for magazines, just like what you see in the newspapers.”

“Have you ever done any research on her, like looking on Facebook or other social media sites?”

“No, I never had any reason to,” Stephanie said.

“Stephanie, I have some people at my disposal who look into things like this. I often use them in my cases. Let me do a little digging and see what I can find out. I’ll leave now and get back to you later,” Jake said.

Jake picked up his glass, drank the little wine that was left in it and stood up. “I’ll give you a call or come over a little later. You have my number. If you have any concerns for your safety, call me immediately and keep Tank with you. I honestly don’t think you’re in danger, but let’s err on the safe side.”

“Thanks for your help, Jake. I really appreciate it. I’ve never had anything like this happen to me.”

“Not even with your divorce? Usually those are the times when we private investigators get involved,” Jake said, holding the door open.

“No, Brian and I had one of the cleanest divorces around, and we’re actually quite good friends. He’s remarried, and he’s told me he thinks I should be as well. And before you say anything, it’s not because of alimony, because I waived that. I got a settlement from him, and it was very fair.”

“You’re luckier than most of the divorce cases I deal with. Stephanie, if I’m able to be of help to you, would you consider going out to dinner with me, and no, not as a restaurant reviewer, but as someone I’d like to get to know better,” Jake said, looking a little nervous.

Interesting, Stephanie thought, a big ex-police chief and now a private investigator nervous about whether I would go out with him.

“I’ve been waiting for a few months to hear that,” Stephanie said with a smirk. “Done deal, and as a matter of fact, even if you’re not any help to me, I’d like to go to dinner with you.”

He just looked at her and smiled as he walked away.

“Sounds like your next-door neighbor may become a little more than that to you,” Dani said with a grin. “I guess this would be the silver lining in the Taste of Mexico situation.”

“Wouldn’t that be something? I liked him from the moment I met him, but I didn’t want to be the one to take the first step. Quite frankly, I’m glad he has.”

“Me too. I really liked him. Stephanie, I think I’ve mentioned that my sous-chef is the head of an international private investigation firm. He’s very, very good at this kind of thing. Would you like me to call him and see what he would advise?”

“Not at this point. I think it would indicate to Jake that I didn’t trust his judgement and that could be a real deal-breaker if this relationship is going to go anywhere,” Stephanie said. “Let’s see what he comes up with.”

“Your call, but the offer stands and maybe Jake would like a second opinion.”

“As I said, maybe later. I need to show him that I trust his judgment and asking him to talk to your guy would sure indicate that I had some doubts,” Stephanie said.

“I’m thinking of it more like getting a second medical opinion when someone says you need surgery,” Dani said.

“Let’s see what he comes up with, Dani. I appreciate the option and may have to call on your guy, but I sure hope not.”

“I don’t blame you. The sooner you can get some resolution on this situation, the better,” Dani said.

“Amen to that,” Stephanie said. “With that let’s watch a little television until we hear from Jake. I need something to take my mind off of this.”

“I couldn’t agree more. Sometimes there’s nothing better than mindless television surfing to keep us from our thoughts. Let’s see what idiocy we can come up with to take our minds off of it.”

CHAPTER 14

As soon as Jake got back to his house he went into his study and began making phone calls. The first was to one of his best researchers, Lainie Gibb.

“Lainie, it’s Jake. Got time to do a rush job for me?”

“Absolutely. I’m just sitting here debating whether I should take a hot bath or make brownies on a Saturday night since no eligible man has seen fit to request my company for the evening.”

“That bad, huh?”

“Yeah, Jake, that bad. So give me something that will take my mind away from the fact that I’m still single at age thirty-seven,” Lainie said with a laugh.

“Sorry. Anyway here’s what I’d like you to do in the next hour or so. I’m sending you a picture of a woman named Bettina Woods. I want you to do a thorough social media check for me as well as using that new software I recently bought for you that changes people’s looks with wigs, different hair colors, eye colors, etcetera. Send me everything you find that’s applicable. Is that doable for you?”

“I’ll start as soon as I get Bettina’s picture. Does she go by other names, aliases, or anything else I should know about her?”

“Not that I know of, and thanks for giving up your Saturday night for me, Lainie.”

“No, it’s I who thank you for giving me something to do on a Saturday night,” she said with a laugh.

*****

The next call Jake made was to Diego Maselli.

“Good evening, Diego, this is Jake Peters. Sorry to call you on a Saturday night, but a situation has come up that involves your restaurant.”

“No problem, Jake. After the millions you saved me when you provided proof that my wife was having an affair, you can call me anytime,” Diego said.

“I can’t claim all the savings. You were the one who had the foresight to have your attorney put the paragraph in your prenup that if there was ever proof that your wife was having an affair, you would divorce her and she would walk away from the marriage with her clothes, her jewelry, and her car. That’s not quite the legal way it was worded, but you know what I mean.”

“Let’s just say I got out of that marriage for a fraction of what it could have cost me, thanks to you and my attorney. Now, what can I do for you, Jake?”

“I’m sure you’re familiar with the review of Taste of Mexico that was recently in the Beach Cities Magazine.”

“Unfortunately, that review has resulted in hundreds of phone calls to my restaurant. Yes, I’m very familiar with it, and as a matter of fact, I’ve requested a meeting tomorrow morning with the editor of the magazine as well as the reviewer,” Diego said angrily.

As if to punctuate his anger, Jake heard the sound of a pencil being snapped in half on the other end of the line.

“The only saving grace here is that with the exception of one phone call, they were all in support of my restaurant and felt that the reviewer overreacted to what possibly was a mistake or a problem in the kitchen. I suppose we’ll never know,” Diego said.

“And the one phone call?” Jake said.

“The one phone call was to cancel a reservation. A man said that he always followed Ms. Weston’s reviews, and if she said she was served something inedible, he was sure it was,” Diego said.

“I’m developing a theory here, Diego. Please, hear me out. I think the reviewer probably was served something inedible, but I don’t think it came from your kitchen.”

“Didn’t come from my kitchen? Of course it came from my kitchen. What are you talking about?”

“Stephanie Weston is my neighbor, and I know her fairly well. She’s very distraught over this situation, and I think with good reason. Just listen to me for a few minutes.”

Jake told Diego everything Stephanie had told him earlier and his suspicion that someone had tainted her dish with chili powder from a chili that was very high on the Scoville scale which rated the heat of chili peppers.

He told Diego what he was having his researcher do as they spoke and then he said, “Diego, would it be possible for you to give me the names of all the employees who were working at Taste of Mexico for the luncheon shift on the date Stephanie was there, and if so, how soon could I get it?”

“How soon do you need it?” Diego asked.

“Like now.”

“You’re in luck because I’m at my office and all of my restaurant managers send me weekly reports on the staff, such as when they worked, how many hours, etc. I happened to get last week’s report from Taste of Mexico this morning. Do you want me to send it to your email?”

“Yes, but I just want the name of each staff member who was working the luncheon shift on that day.”

“No problem. I’m sending it now. What are you looking for?”

“I want to have my researcher check and see if any of the staff has had problems, such as arrests or anything else. I also want to see if any of them have a tie to Bettina Woods.” Jake said.

Diego was quiet for a few minutes and then he said, “Jake, my managers are under strict orders from me that they run a background check on every person they hire. One thing they look for is anything that would indicate they’ve run afoul of the law with things like arrests, prison records, even non-payment of alimony or child support. If they have, they’re not employed. I can vouch for all of them.”

Jake could tell he’d hit a nerve, so he said, “Diego, I’m sure none of them do have prior problems with the law, but since somewhere down the line my name may be involved in this, I want to double check that fact. We all make mistakes. I just want to make sure that none of your managers made a mistake.”

“If one of my employees did have a past problem with the law, what would that have to do with the bad review of my restaurant? I really don’t see where this is going,” Diego said.

“Let me tell you what I’m thinking. I want the names to doublecheck that none of them had a motive for lacing the dish. If they never were in legal trouble, that indicates to me that they probably wouldn’t be open to someone hiring them to do that.

“If they have no relationship with Bettina Woods, that tells me that none of your employees had anything to do with it. That leaves me with the fact that someone else at the restaurant must have done it. Since Bettina mentioned to Molly, the editor, that Stephanie had worn a red wig when she was at your restaurant, that indicates to me Bettina saw Stephanie when she was at the restaurant.

“Continuing this line of thought, Bettina certainly had a motive to make Stephanie look bad and that motive could very possibly be jealousy. If Bettina was jealous of Stephanie’s reputation, and she knew from following Stephanie’s reviews how honest they always were, she would have known that if Stephanie had a bad experience at Taste of Mexico, she would write about it. I think your restaurant was an innocent bystander that happened to be the one that Bettina chose because the timing was right.

“Bettina knew that the editor, Molly, would receive a lot of flak from it and probably from you as well, and then she’d be in a perfect position to take over Stephanie’s column in Beach Cities Magazine.”

“And continuing on with your theory, you think she was the one who laced Stephanie’s entrée,” Diego said.

“I do. She’d have knowledge of the Scoville scale, and there are a couple of high-end grocery stores here in Newport Beach that usually have a couple of very hot peppers for sale. I think she watched the dishes come out of the kitchen, and I’d bet she’d arranged to go to the bathroom and pass by Stephanie’s table when the table was being served.

“When the waiter was serving the woman Stephanie was with, his back would have been turned away from the serving tray, and she could have surreptitiously added the hot peppers to it.”

“Let me play devil’s advocate for a moment, Jake. How would she know what Stephanie had ordered?” Diego asked.

“I would imagine she had a table close enough to Stephanie’s that she could hear what she was ordering. If not, she simply could have asked the waiter and used a ploy of something like ‘I recognize that woman over there and she always orders the best things. What did she order today?’ Really, it would be quite easy for someone to do.”

Diego was quiet for several moments and then he said, “Jake, I’m becoming a believer, but how do you ever prove something like that?”

“Leave that part to me. I have my people working on it.”

“Is there something else I can do? I really would like Stephanie to either write a retraction or write a new review of Taste of Mexico, but I have no idea how I can get that done,” Diego said.

“I have some thoughts on that. I just got the information I wanted from my researcher, and I need to talk to Stephanie about it. Will you be available at this number in an hour or so?” Jake asked.

“Yes, feel free to call me whenever. I would like to get some resolution of this before I meet with Stephanie and Molly tomorrow.”

“I’ll get back to you, and Diego, thanks for all your help. And by the way, I know that a woman named Dani Rosetti will also be attending the meeting. She’s a friend of Stephanie’s.”

“Are you talking about the Emmy award-winning chef?”

“Yes, evidently Dani and Stephanie studied at the Cordon Bleu together. Actually, Stephanie asked her to go to Taste of Mexico and get the carne guisada and give Stephanie her thoughts on it. She went there tonight for an early dinner and came back to the house, raving about the dish. That was the final proof for Stephanie that she had been targeted and something had been put in the dish.

“Jake, like I said when we began this conversation, what you did for me allowed me to get out of a difficult marriage practically for free. I’ll do whatever I can to help. Talk to you later.”

*****

The last call Jake made was to another one of his researchers, Blaine.

“Good evening, Blaine, I’m sorry to bother you on a Saturday evening, but I’m hoping you can help me.”

“You’re in luck. I was all set for a night out on the town, but the lady I was going with just cancelled. Evidently her babysitter became sick, and she tried to find a replacement, but wasn’t able to. At least I’m hoping that’s what happened and that she didn’t just ditch me.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t you, Blaine. I’ve got something I need done like right now. I’m sending a list of names to you. These are all people who work at the Taste of Mexico restaurant.”

“Yeah, I just read the review of it in Beach Cities Magazine. That reviewer was brutal. I’ve eaten there, and I totally disagree with her review. I even had the same thing she had, and I didn’t have a problem with it,” Blaine said.

“That’s what makes me think something else is going on. Anyway, check these names to see if any of them has had problems with the law. I want to know if they’ve ever been arrested, served time, anything at all. It can even be something like petty shoplifting. If they’re not squeaky clean, I want to know about it.”

“Consider it done, Boss. I just got the list, and it’s not that big. I’ll send my report to you within the hour.”

“Great. By the way, have you ever met my researcher, Lainie?”

“No, don’t think I’ve had the pleasure.”

“I think you’d like her. When I get finished with this case, I’ll set up a luncheon for us. The two of you have a lot in common. Thanks, Blaine.”

CHAPTER 15

Jake printed the information that Lainie and Blaine sent him, put it in a file folder, then went next door to Stephanie’s home. He rang the doorbell, and a few moments later she opened the door.

“That was fast, Jake. Because it was so fast, does that mean you didn’t find out anything?”

“No, as a matter of fact I found out a lot. Let’s go into your dining room so I can spread these papers out. Ask Dani to come in because I’d like to know what she thinks. And yes, thank you, I will take a glass of wine,” he said with a grin.

“Coming up. I’ll be with you in a minute.”

“Wow, you really did get a lot done in a short time,” Stephanie said, accompanied by Dani, as she walked into the room and saw him begin to put things on the table.

“I’m very fortunate to have some researchers who will drop whatever they’re doing when I call and need information. I felt kind of guilty dumping this on them on a Saturday night, but fortunately for me neither one of them had plans for the evening, however I’m going to make sure that changes,” Jake said.

“What are you talking about? I’m lost,” Stephanie said.

“I found out tonight that one of my researchers, Lainie, has no man in her life. And I found that the other researcher I used tonight, Blaine, had his date for the evening cancel on him. She had a babysitting problem. I think it’s time they met one another. They’re about the same age and pretty much in the same business. Sounds like a natural to me. I’m going to take them out to lunch so they can meet each other,” Jake said with a pleased look on his face.

“Hope that works out, and if it does, I’m sure it would make you feel good, but let me give you some advice. Don’t get your hopes up,” Dani said.

“Why not?” Jake asked.

“I’ve tried to do something like that twice, and neither one worked out. What I thought would be great chemistry was not what either one of them thought was great chemistry. I just don’t want you to be disappointed if it doesn’t work out.”

“Well, I’ll give it a shot and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. Now let’s get started on what my researchers sent me, and I have a confession to make.”

“What’s that?” Stephanie asked.

“I never disclose the names of my clients for ethical reasons, but in this case I’m going to have to. I handled a case for Diego Maselli, and he’s pretty indebted to me. I called him and told him some of my thoughts about your review and what you were served at Taste of Mexico. He’s wondering the same thing I am which is that someone had to lace your entrée, and it had to have been done in the restaurant.

“He sent me the names of the people who were working the luncheon shift at the restaurant on the day you went there. Blaine did a check on all of them and not one has ever had any type of problem with the law.”

“Why would that be important, Jake?” Stephanie asked.

“If someone had a problem in the past, it would be a red flag to me that they might be amenable to being bribed to put a foreign substance in your dish.”

“Okay, that makes sense,” she said.

“I also had him research if any of them were relatives or had any known ties to Bettina Woods, but none of the staff did. I would bet that whatever was put in Stephanie’s entrée was probably some type of hot pepper. It could have been dried peppers or the seeds from them, but since the seeds are smaller and would be harder to see, I’m assuming it was the seeds,” Jake said.

He turned to Stephanie and said, “If you noticed them, you probably would have thought it was part of the dish, kind of like a garnish.”

“Yes, I would have, and no, I don’t recall noticing the seeds. From what you’re telling me, I’m getting the sense that whoever put them in it wasn’t anyone associated with the restaurant,” Stephanie said.

“That’s my belief, and Diego’s as well,” Jake said.

“So where does that leave us?” she asked.

“Give me just a minute,” Jake said as he spread out fifteen pieces of paper, all of them of the same woman, but each photograph depicted her in various hair colors and styles, eye colors, etc.

“Okay, Stephanie, I’m convinced Bettina Woods is the one who put whatever it was in your dish. I also think she used manzano pepper seeds, because they’re the only pepper with black seeds, and they would probably go unnoticed.”

“I’ve tasted those peppers before and they’re hot, but not like what I had at the restaurant,” Stephanie said.

“When you had them before, how much of a taste of them did you have?” Jake asked.

“Probably only a bite or so of the pepper.”

“Do you agree with me that the seeds of a pepper are always hotter than the pepper itself?”

“Absolutely. That’s why I wear latex gloves when I’m cleaning peppers. Those seeds can be killers,” Stephanie said.

“Agreed. And if say a teaspoon of the seeds had been added to your dish and you happened to take a bite from that particular area of the dish, that would give you the all-consuming fiery taste. If you’d taken it from another part of the dish it might not have been as hot, and you probably would have written a glowing review of the dish. Do you understand what I’m trying to say, although I’m not doing it all that well?”

“Yes, Jake, and I think it’s a total possibility. If my bite of the dish was primarily the seeds with a little something else, it would result in the fiery feeling that I felt in my throat and would sure account for the two glass of water I had to drink immediately.”

“Okay, let me take this a step further. Assuming that someone added the pepper seeds to your dish, and that someone was not an employee, it would have to have been a guest at the restaurant,” Jake said.

“And you’re thinking it was Bettina Woods, right?” Stephanie asked.

“I’m almost sure it’s her, but the problem is putting her where she had access to your entrée. That’s why I had my researcher use some software to put her in a number of different disguises. These are primarily ones that she could have done without any help.

“I’ve ruled out that she got professional help for a disguise for her because, based on a little research I did, she lives pretty much from paycheck to paycheck, and that’s not much. The only evidence I could find for her income was her column in Coastal Life Magazine

“Alright, this all makes sense. Since I know what her face looks like, I’m assuming you want me to look at all of these photographs and see if any of them resemble anyone I saw at the restaurant that day.

“But before we start, I just remembered a woman I did notice at the restaurant. She was sitting somewhat near where Jackie and I were, and I became aware that she was looking at me. When I looked at her, I noticed that she must have been wearing a wig, because evidently it had slipped, and there was a patch of grey hair showing at her temple.”

“That’s a good notice, Stephanie. I just might have to hire you for surveillance one of these days,” Jake said with a laugh. “Now I want you to examine each one of these photographs and see if the woman you saw at the restaurant resembles any of them.”

Dani watched Stephanie walk around the table, carefully examining each photograph. When Stephanie was finished, she picked up one of them and handed it to Jake.

“This is the woman I saw. I’m sure of it. If the wig that’s on her in the photograph slid a little, it’s perfectly feasible that there would be grey hair underneath it. I’m absolutely certain, Jake.”

“Good,” he said as he took the photograph from her and picked up the others. “I think you’re both excused for the night. I need to make a couple of phone calls, and I’ll probably see you at Taste of Mexico tomorrow.”

“Why are you going there?” Stephanie asked.

“I want to talk to the staff as well as Diego. You mentioned you were meeting him there tomorrow. Figure someone who’s there better be on your side and watching your back for you.”

“Jake, thank you for doing so much in such a short period of time. I’m feeling better about this whole thing. I also have a feeling I’m probably going to have to write another review of that restaurant if Molly will still even have me,” Stephanie said.

“I wouldn’t worry about that. You’re the best restaurant reviewer in this area, and I’m sure she knows it. Plus you have a loyal following and editors don’t like to lose columnists who do. And since I’ve been somewhat successful in helping you, I think that definitely qualifies for a dinner date.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

“Let’s get this thing out of the way and then we’ll discuss when and where. Okay with you?”

“Yes,” Stephanie said. “I don’t think my mind would completely be on our dinner date if this thing is still hanging over my head.”

“Get some sleep. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a big day for you,” Jake said as he gently cupped her chin. “See you tomorrow. Good night, Dani. Make sure she gets some sleep.”

“I will. It’s been a long day and we both could use a good night’s sleep,” she said.

A few minutes later Jake was sitting at the desk in his office, feet up on it, and pressing Diego’s number on his cell phone.

“Diego, it’s Jake. First of all, I had a complete background check done, and all of the employee’s names you sent me are squeaky clean. No skirmishes with the law and no relationships with Bettina Woods. Now I have a question for you?”

“That’s good news, Jake. What’s the question?”

“You’re familiar with manzano peppers, aren’t you?” Jake asked.

“Yes, although we don’t use them in any of our recipes. If you inadvertently get some seeds into a dish, they’ll ruin it. With the seeds being black, they’re hard to see, so a couple could easily slip into one, which is why I prefer to use peppers with white seeds. They’re very visible so they can easily be retrieved from a dish.”

“And if someone wanted to ruin a dish, it would be pretty easy to do by putting manzano seeds into it, right?”

“Absolutely, and the person who had eaten them would be so thirsty they’d probably drink every glass of water on their table.” Diego was quite for a few moments and then he said, “Whoa, wait a minute, Jake. Are you telling me that you think someone put manzano pepper seeds in the reviewer’s dish?” Diego asked.

“I do.”

“And following along what I think must be your line of reasoning, since it doesn’t seem to have been one of my employees, you think it was probably that other reviewer, Bettina Woods.”

“I do.”

“Can you prove it?” Diego asked.

“I certainly hope so. Is it possible for you to have the staff that was there at lunchtime on the day Stephanie ate at your restaurant come in tomorrow morning about 10:00 to talk to me? I’ll just keep them a couple of minutes.”

“Yes, our people are the highest paid in the Southern California restaurant industry, so they’ll do about anything I ask. I can assure you that all of them will be there.”

“Secondly, is it possible for you to have an entrée of carne guisada ready to be served at about 11:30 tomorrow?”

“Yes, I can see to that,” Diego said.

“And lastly, I need to sit in on the meeting you’re going to have with the editor of Beach Cities Magazine and Stephanie, the reviewer. Would that be okay?”

“Yes, if you feel it’s necessary.”

“I do, and I think by this time at noon tomorrow you will be promised either a complete rescission of the review or a new one will be written for Beach Cities Magazine.”

Diego took a deep breath and said, “Whoever originally told me about you deserves a gift card for dinner at the restaurant. It looks like this is going to be the second time you’ve saved me a ton of money.”

“Reserve judgment until noon tomorrow, but I’m pretty sure the outcome will be good. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

“I wish. I have more work to do here, but after this call it will be with a lighter heart.”

“Don’t you have a new bride to get home to? I thought you were getting married,” Jake said.

“No, I called it off. I began to see some signs that Penny was going to be just like the wife I had that you saved me from, so I ended it. For now I’m just a lonesome bachelor working on a Saturday night.”

“When this is over, I’ll introduce you to someone who might be able to help that feeling. Actually, I have a better idea.”

“And that would be?”

“I noticed that Dani Rosetti wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, and she’s very attractive. Plus you’d have the added bonus of being somewhat in the same industry.”

“Thanks for looking out for me. I’ll check her out tomorrow. It certainly promises to be a very interesting morning,” Diego said. “Plus, I need all the help I can get. As much as I work, I don’t get out much, as you can tell. See you in the morning.”

Although this case has been about helping Stephanie, Jake thought, I think I just might be able to help Diego. If Dani doesn’t work out, there’s always Lainie. Either way, some manzano seeds might just be the best thing that ever happened to Diego!

CHAPTER 16

The following morning, Jake put his notes together and went to the Taste of Mexico to meet with Diego and his staff. The restaurant wasn’t open for business yet, but he was let in by a hostess who said that Diego and the staff were in the conference room. She pointed down a hall and said, “It’s the second door on the left.”

Jake knocked on the door and then opened it. Diego and ten of his employees were milling around in the room, talking, and helping themselves to coffee and sweet rolls which had been put on a side credenza for them.

“Come in, Jake. These are all the people who were here during the luncheon service on the day that Stephanie had lunch here. Our valet is even here because he does go into the kitchen on occasion to eat. Why don’t you start doing whatever you need to do, so these people can get back to their Sundays,” Diego said.

“Good morning. I’m Jake Peters, a private investigator. As you have probably heard, a local restaurant reviewer recently wrote a scathing review of Taste of Mexico in the Beach Cities Magazine based primarily on the entrée of carne guisada she ordered.

“First of all, I’d like to know if any of you saw anything being added to that dish after it was plated. I know it’s probably very difficult for you to remember one dish among the hundreds that are served here every day, but anything you can tell me might be of help.”

They were all quiet and then a man said, “My name is Jorge, and I’m the one who served the food to the reviewer. It was very busy here that day and there were a lot of people, but I didn’t see anything put in the dish.”

“Thank you. Do any of you have anything to add to that?”

There were whispers of no and then Jake said, “I’m going to put a number of photographs of a woman in different disguises on the table. I want to know if any of you recognize her. Give me a minute to spread them out.”

A few minutes later he said, “Please walk around the table and take your time looking at the photographs. If you think you saw this woman during the luncheon service, please let me know.”

After about five minutes, one of the waiters said, “My name is Ramon, and this woman was at one of my tables that day. I recognize her.” He pointed to a photograph of Bettina wearing a black wig in a chin length hairdo.

That very well could be the woman Stephanie saw who was wearing a wig that had slipped and showed some of her grey hair, Jake thought.

“Are you sure?” Jake asked.

“Yes, and here’s why. When I served her I noticed that she must be wearing a wig because it had evidently slipped from the side of her face, and I could see her grey hair underneath it.”

Bingo, Jake thought.

“Ramon, where would her table have been in relation to the reviewer’s table?” Jake asked.

“About two tables away, but there’s a pretty direct line of sight from one table to the other one.”

“Excellent,” Jake said. He picked up the rest of the photographs and left the one of Bettina in a black wig on the table. “I’d like for all of you to take a long look at this photograph. I’m hoping it will jar a memory. Please tell me if it does.”

There was quiet in the room as the employees took turns standing in front of the photograph and then Jake heard someone click their fingers. He looked at the woman who had and said, “Did the photograph jar your memory?”

“Yes. I’d completely forgotten about it, but I was at the hostess stand and we were jammed. It was really busy. When a couple requested a window table, I looked into the dining room and saw a woman who I believe to be this woman passing by a table.

“I saw her hand open, and she put something on one of the dishes. I thought maybe she was playing a prank on a friend and had put salt or sugar on the dish. You know, like a joke. I turned back to the couple and made a mental note to say something about it to Jorge later on, but it was so busy that I never had time to do it, and then I forgot about it.”

“Do you have any idea what she put on the dish?” Jake asked.

“None. It was a split-second view, and when I looked in the dining room a few minutes later, the woman was gone.”

“Ramon, do you remember if the woman ate all of her meal or anything about her paying and leaving quickly?”

He thought for several minutes and then Ramon said, “Yes, now that I think about it, something strange did happen. I went over to her table to see if everything was to her satisfaction, and she was gone. She’d left enough money on the table to pay for her meal. I took the money, made up a bill, and put the money with the bill. She’d left several dollars more than her bill came out to, so I assumed that was a tip for me.”

“Thank you. Does anyone else have anything to add?”

No one spoke up, so after a moment or so, Jake said, “Thank you all very much for coming in this morning. I really appreciate it, and I believe the case has been solved. Now we need to work out the details. Again, thanks for coming in, and Diego, unless you have something to add, I think these people are free to enjoy the rest of their Sunday.”

“Thanks, guys. Take off. I really appreciate you doing this,” Diego said as the people hurried out of the room.

When everyone was gone, Jake looked at his watch and said, “We have a few minutes before Molly, Stephanie, and Dani will be here. Let me tell you what I think we should do.”

Jake spent several moments explaining his plan to Diego and when he was finished, Diego said, “Sounds good to me. I’m going to let you take the lead after the introductions are made. I’ll go out and tell the receptionist to escort the ladies in here and see how chef is coming along with the carne guisada.”

CHAPTER 17

“Hi Stephanie, Dani, and you must be Molly O’Hara, the editor of Beach Cities Magazine,” Jake said as the three women arrived at the Taste of Mexico restaurant. “Molly, I assume you’ve met Diego Maselli. Stephanie, Dani, I’d like you to meet Diego Maselli.”

“Given my review, I’m not sure Mr. Maselli would like to meet me,” Stephanie said as she put out her hand.

“On the contrary, Ms. Weston. I believe we’ve found out a few things about the carne guisada fiasco. Chef Dani, I’m honored to meet you. I consider myself to be one of your biggest fans. Please be seated, and I’ll let Jake take over from here. Feel free to get some coffee or a sweet roll.”

Diego got up to get more coffee and Stephanie helped herself to a cup as well. Diego smiled at her and in that moment, she knew everything was going to be okay. She didn’t know how, but she trusted that it would.

When they were seated, Jake said, “Molly, let me fill you in on a little background. Stephanie and Dani, you know most of it, but not what’s happened in the last few minutes.” He proceeded to tell them everything he’d discovered and ended with his conversation with the two waiters and the hostess.

“As you can probably tell from what I’ve just told you, I am convinced without a shadow of doubt that Bettina Woods put something in the carne guisada that was served to Stephanie and caused her to write her review.

“Two of the restaurant employees have identified her in one of the photographs I had my researcher make. One of whom even corroborated Stephanie’s notice that the woman we believe to be Bettina was wearing a wig because a little grey hair showed at her temple, as if the wig had slipped.”

“Jake, Diego, I’m glad you found all of this out, but where does that leave us?” Molly asked.

“Jake, let me answer that,” Diego said. “It is apparent to Jake and me that something was added to Stephanie’s entrée, making it so hot that the dish became inedible. That was why she understandably wrote the bad review.”

He turned to Stephanie and said, “I wish that you had called it to the manager’s attention. That way, we could have gotten to the bottom of it without having to go through the hassle of a bad review.”

“If it’s any consolation, Diego, I really regret the review. I will say in my defense that I was under the gun to write the review because the magazine was about to go to print. However, if I had to do it over, I would definitely have contacted the manager and told him about the dish.

“Maybe he would have been able to identify what had been added to the dish. Unfortunately, now we’ll never know. Believe me, I sincerely wish I could revisit that day and that dish,” Stephanie said.

“I think that’s one wish of yours that’s going to be granted. Diego has arranged for his chef to serve you the carne guisada entrée, and it should be here momentarily. He’d like you to take a couple of bites of it, and if you feel it’s good, write a revision of your review, and you can even tell them you had to hire a private investigator to solve the case. That should make your review all the more interesting,” Jake said.

“And to sweeten the pot, Molly, I will keep my present ads in your magazine and since I’ve just completed the purchase of two additional restaurants, I’ll take out two more pages of advertising,” Diego said.

“Thank you so much, Diego,” Molly said. Then she turned to Stephanie and said in a stern tone of voice, “You will like the dish, Stephanie.”

They all laughed as the door opened and a chef came in behind a serving cart with the carne guisada entrée on it. Diego pointed to Stephanie and a waiter who had followed the chef put a place setting in front of Stephanie and then put the entrée on it.

Oh lord, Stephanie thought, please let me like this dish. Please, please, please.

Dani was thinking the same thing, willing Stephanie to like the dish.

Stephanie put her fork in the dish and brought it up to her mouth. It was so quiet in the room, if someone had dropped a pin it would have sounded like a bomb had gone off.

Stephanie swallowed, looked at all of them and said, “This may be the best thing I’ve ever eaten. You’ll have to excuse me while I finish it,” which Stephanie did as they watched.

When she was finished, she looked at Molly and said, “Molly, I need to go write a new review of Taste of Mexico. I’ll have it to you by late this afternoon. That should be plenty of time for this week’s magazine.”

She turned toward Diego and said, “Diego, I think you’ll be pleased with the review I’m going to write. Now if you’ll excuse me, Dani and I are going to leave. Molly, it’s a good thing we brought two cars. See you later,” she said as she waved and left the room.

“Molly, Stephanie told me that you have a meeting with Bettina at 12:30 today. I’d like to be there and talk to Bettina,” Jake said.

“Fine by me, but what are you going to say to her?”

“The truth. That we have it on good authority she put something in a dish that was served to Stephanie Weston at Taste of Mexico that resulted in Stephanie writing a bad review of the restaurant. I’m also going to tell her that she has been identified by three people, so we know she was the one who did it.”

“What if she denies it?” Molly asked.

“I’m going to tell her that both you and the owner of Taste of Mexico are prepared to sue her since her action resulted in both of you losing customers. I’m also going to tell her she won’t be sued if she agrees to stay completely away from Stephanie. If she doesn’t agree to those terms, I’m prepared to get a court order to that effect, because if Stephanie had ingested the whole entrée, she could have suffered some serious health problems, possibly life-threatening.”

“I’m going to tell her that she will never work at my magazine,” Molly said. “And if there is any sign that she is doing anything that would impact Stephanie’s column, I will personally call every magazine and newspaper in the area and essentially blackball her. And that’s not so far off the mark. When those of us in the industry discover a potential problem with an employee, it’s common practice to alert the others, so they won’t hire the person.”

“Diego, I think that’s everything,” Jake said. “Your restaurant will be completely exonerated, and Stephanie’s reputation will remain untarnished. Molly, I think it’s time for us to go meet with Bettina and get this over with.”

 Diego stood up and walked over to Jake with his hand out. “Once again, I can’t thank you enough,” he said.

When Molly and Jake were on their way to the coffee shop, she looked at him and said, “What’s up with the once again Diego mentioned? Have you worked for Diego before?”

“Yes. He had a little something that I needed to help him with.” Jake didn’t mention that the little something was several million dollars that Jake had saved him.

*****

Several hours after Jake had gotten back to his house after the meeting with Bettina, his cell phone rang.

“It’s Diego. Wondering how the meeting with Bettina went.”

“Actually, it went well. We got everything we wanted and more. When we told Bettina we knew what she had done, that we had people who could identify her and had seen her put something in Stephanie’s entrée, Bettina broke.

“She started to cry and said she wished she’d never done it, but she was so tired of everyone liking Stephanie’s reviews more than hers that she had to do something. She went on to say that her sister had called her a couple of days ago and said that the paper in the town where she lived in Montana was looking for a columnist, and she could probably get a job there. Plus, her sister has a small house on her property where Bettina could live.

“She told us that she was going to move to Montana because she just couldn’t afford to live here. Another reason she wanted to make Stephanie look bad was so Bettina could get her job, assuming that it paid more than hers did. Bottom line is that it looks like she’ll be leaving, and we’ll never have to deal with her again,” Jake said.

“Good riddance. On to something else. You mentioned that you live next door to Stephanie. Mind giving me her phone number?” Diego asked.

Jake was quiet for a moment and then he said, “Any special reason?”

“Well, I thought I’d see if she’d like to go to dinner. I didn’t notice a wedding ring on her finger when she was here, so I thought I’d give it a try.”

“Actually, I’d prefer it if you didn’t do that,” Jake said. “She and I are having dinner next week, however, I do have someone that I think you should meet. Let’s do lunch at Taste of Mexico next week, and I’ll ask her along.”

Diego was quiet for a few moments and then he said, “I’m sorry to hear that, but happy for you. Would you do me a favor?”

“If I can.”

“You can. If your dinner with Stephanie doesn’t work out, would you let me know?”

“Sure. In the meantime let’s plan on having lunch next Wednesday. I’m bringing a woman I know well, Lainie, and I think you’ll like her. And you might keep Dani Rosetti in mind. She’s not married, and I think she’s gorgeous.”

“Well, that’s not a bad idea. Tell you what, let me meet this Lainie, and depending on how that goes, I might ask you to get Dani’s phone number for me from Stephanie. So far you’re batting one thousand percent for me. Let’s see if you can keep that batting average.”

“Fair enough,” Jake said.

EPILOGUE

“Dani, I can’t tell you how happy I am that you came here. I’m thrilled we had a chance to catch up and do all kinds of fun things. I’m also glad you came when you did. Quite frankly, I’m not sure I could have gone through that Taste of Mexico debacle by myself. And judging from the way Diego kept looking at you, you might have been one reason it ended as well as it did,” Stephanie said as she walked Dani out to her car.

“I think it works both ways. If I didn’t know that you thought Leticia Burns was a piece of work, I might have begun to wonder if it was me. But even Jake confirmed that based on me reading the text I got from her to you both.

“As for Diego, I liked him, and I thought he treated you very well. I wouldn’t mind seeing him again, if that should work out,” Dani said.

“I’ll let Jake know. It seems he talks to him periodically and maybe Diego will have some reason to be up in the Santa Barbara area,” Stephanie said.

“Speaking of Jake, those ribs he smoked last night were one of the best things I’ve ever had. I’d love to serve them at an event, but the logistics of having a smoker and the time it takes to do it properly wouldn’t work in my line of business. He did give me the recipe so I might just try to do them in the oven at my house. Of course it wouldn’t have the smoked flavor, but I bet it would be good,” Dani said.

“I’ll tell him that. Evidently he was at kind of loose ends when he got divorced and he heard about some guy who taught classes on smoking food. Think his name was Harry something or other. I can get it from Jake. Anyway, he took a class from him and got totally hooked. He even bought a huge smoker and it’s in his back yard. Hopefully, if it works out with him, I may be eating a lot more meat that’s been smoked!”

“For your sake, I hope it does, too. I liked him. Well, it’s time for me to go. If I wait any longer I’ll get caught up in some massive Los Angeles traffic jam, and that is definitely not on my list of favorite things to do.”

“Just promise me one thing, Dani.”

“If I can, of course. What is it?”

“Let’s never again let this much time go by without getting together. Plus, now that you have this new daughter, you may want some advice from someone who’s been a mother for a long time. The advice lady will always be in for you.”

“Thanks, Stephanie, and I promise.” Dani hugged her, gave Tank a pat, and got in her car. As she pulled out of her driveway, she saw Jake wave as he walked over to Stephanie and Dani smiled, thinking this was a good thing.

And Diego? Even though Dani didn’t get the catering job, not that she’d really wanted it, she thought the trip had been successful on a number of levels.

RECIPES

BARBECUE RIBS, ST. LOUIS STYLE

Ingredients:

2 slabs pork spareribs

5 tbsp. yellow mustard

8 tbsp. BBQ dry rub (Whatever your favorite is works fine.)

¼ cup butter, chilled and cut into pats

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup apple juice (Best to apply it with a sprayer.)

1 ½ cup St. Louis style BBQ sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. With bones facing up, using a paper towel, pull off the membrane and discard. Trim off bones on each end that are too small. Trim off the flap of meat on the backside as well as any excess fat.

Rub the backside with mustard and BBQ dry rub. Flip the ribs and repeat on the meat side. Let rest 15 minutes.

Place the ribs on an aluminum covered baking sheet and bake for 3 hours. A few minutes before the 3 hours is up, cut two long sheets of aluminum foil to wrap around the ribs. Top the foil with 4-5 pats of butter, 1-2 tbsp. brown sugar, a liberal drizzle of honey and 2 tbsp. apple juice, applied with a sprayer if available.

Remove the ribs from the oven and place meat side down on the butter mixture. To the bone side of the ribs add 4-5 more pats of butter, 1-2 tbsp. brown sugar and a drizzle of honey. Wrap ribs tightly, crimping the ends. Place foil wrapped ribs back in oven for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, remove ribs from oven, unwrap from foil, brush generously with BBQ sauce on both sides and place back in over, meat side up for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, remove ribs from oven, let rest for a few minutes, then slice and serve. Enjoy!

NOTE: This is a recipe from smoke master Henry Soo, adapted for cooking in an oven. You can cook the ribs in a smoker if you have one. Just follow the recipe and exchange the word “oven” for “smoker.”

CARNE GUISADA

Ingredients:

¼ cup olive oil 

3 pounds stew meat, cut into small bite-size pieces

1 large onion, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 large Roma tomatoes, diced

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. ground cumin

1½ tsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1 cube beef bouillon

3 tbsp. all-purpose flour

3 1/2 cups beef broth 

2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

Serve with warm tortillas

Directions:

Place 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the stew meat and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside. You might have to do this in batches, as you don't want to overcrowd the meat in the pan. If doing in batches, only add 1 tablespoon of oil at a time.

Cook the veggies. Drizzle the remaining olive oil into the skillet. Add the onion and bell pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes until the onion becomes translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until aromatic. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 1 minute.

Add the spices. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder. Stir well. Add tomato paste and crumble up the beef bouillon cube, stir, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir well while cooking for 1 to 2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste. Add a cup of the beef broth and mix well. The mixture should start to thicken from the flour.

Add the beef back to the skillet and 2 cups of beef broth, stir until combined. Cover and cook over low heat for 1½ or more hours until the meat falls apart, stirring occasionally. Add more beef broth if gravy is too thick.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with cilantro and serve with warm tortillas. Enjoy!

*****

LEAVE A REVIEW

I’d really appreciate it if you would take a few minutes and leave a review for Taste of Mexico.

Just go to the link below. Thank you so much! It means a lot to me ~ Dianne

Link: https://mybook.to/TOMEX

*****

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ABOUT DIANNE

I live in Huntington Beach, California, with my husband, Tom, a former California State Senator, and my boxer dog, Kelly. My passions are cooking, reading, and dogs, so whenever I have a little free time, I am either in the kitchen, playing with Kelly in the back yard, or curled up with the latest book I'm reading.

Her other books are available below:

Amazon: Blue Coyote Motel

Amazon: Coyote in Provence

Amazon: Cornered Coyote

Amazon: Coyote Series

Amazon: Kelly’s Koffee Shop

Amazon: Murder at Jade Cove

Amazon: White Cloud Retreat

Amazon: Marriage and Murder

Amazon: Murder in Cottage #6

Amazon: Murder in the Pearl District

Amazon: Murder and Brandy Boy

Amazon: Murder in Calico Gold

Amazon: The Death Card

Amazon: Murder at The Cooking School

Amazon: Murder & The Monkey Band

Amazon: Murder at The Bed & Breakfast

Amazon: Murder at The Secret Cave

Amazon: Murder in Cuba

Amazon: The Blue Butterfly

Amazon: Trouble at the Kennel

Amazon: Murdered by Words

Amazon: Murdered by Country Music

Amazon: Murder at the Big T Lodge

Amazon: Murdered in Argentina

Amazon: Murder on the East Coast

Amazon: Murder at the Clinic

Amazon: Murder at the Polo Club

Amazon: Alexis

Amazon: Trouble at the Animal Shelter

Amazon: Murder in Calistoga

Amazon: Murder on Bainbridge Island

Amazon: Murder & The Movie Star

Amazon: Murder in Whistler

Amazon: Murdered by Plastic Surgery

Amazon: Murder in Seattle

Amazon: Murder after Midnight

Amazon: Murder in San Francisco

Amazon: Murder at Le Bijou Bistro

Amazon: Murder at the Courthouse

Amazon: Murder at the Gallery

Amazon: Murder at the Waterfront

Amazon: Murder at the Gearhart

Amazon: Murdered by Superstition

Amazon: Red Zero 1

Amazon: Red Zero 2

Amazon: Red Zero 3

Amazon: The Professor’s Predicament

Amazon: Murder at the Church

Amazon: Murdered by Prejudice

Amazon: Missing in Cottonwood Springs

Amazon: Holly and the Coat Mystery

Amazon: Holly and the Food Pantry

Amazon: Holly and the Missing Dog

Amazon: Holly and the Oracle

Amazon: Holly and the Ruined Party

Amazon: The Other Witch

Amazon: A Matter of Deception

Amazon: A Matter of Extinction

Amazon: The Deepest Dark

Amazon: Murder in Kauai

Amazon: Murder in Portland

Amazon: Murder on Jupiter Island

Amazon: Murder in Savannah

Amazon: A Murderous Opening

Amazon: Too Good to Be True

Amazon: Voices from the Past

Amazon: The Backseat Mystery

Amazon: The Confession

Amazon: The Puppet Master

Amazon: Murdered Underground

Amazon: Murder at Home

Amazon: Murder in Cabin 3

Amazon: A Sparkling Deceit

Amazon: The Nosey Neighbor

Amazon: Taste of Mexico

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