Page 126 of Death of a Grill Master

If Baird had a second revolver, and that was the one that had killed Hank, then the matches to Doug’s gun weren’t relevant. Chase’s print on the bullets, Doug’s on the gun itself. None of that mattered if it wasn’t the murder weapon. The only indisputable fact was that it had been fired once. That didn’t mean the bullet ended up lodged in Hank Desmond’s chest.

Could Kylie have planned to kill Hank and talked Chase into helping, only for Chase to get blackout drunk and ruin it? Maybe Kylie took the gun from Doug’s party and planned to use it later—but never got the chance. Maybe Chase had it and panicked. Maybe the gun went off accidentally. Either way, it ended up in the ice chest. But not because Baird put it there.

She stood slowly, heart racing.

There was still a thread dangling. And it led straight back to that ice chest—and to the truth Baird refused to tell.

Outside, the air was crisp, the sky pale blue with a bite of fall on the wind. Leroy would need his sweater soon.

Hayley pulled out her phone and dialed Mona.

“I think we’ve still got one more mystery to solve.”

Island Food & Spirits

By

Hayley Powell

When I first started my job as office manager at the Island Times, I thought it would be a lovely idea to invite my boss, Sal, and his wife, Rosana, over for a get-to-know-you barbecue.

I was a little nervous about the whole thing, so for moral support (and strategic flattery), I also invited my BFFs, Mona and Liddy. Their job was simple: casually drop a few compliments about my cooking so Sal wouldn’t regret giving me the Food & Cocktails column.

After some light detective work, I learned that Sal was a huge fan of grilled steak kabobs. Perfect. I spent the afternoon chopping, slicing, dicing, cubing, and marinating like a woman auditioning for Top Chef: Bar Harbor Edition.

By the time everyone arrived, the yard smelled amazing, the cocktails were flowing, and I was feeling cautiously optimistic. I mixed up a round of Sea Breezes, handed them out, and while we were nibbling on prosciutto-stuffed figs, Mona decided it was time for her performance review of my cooking.

She took one bite, shouted my name loud enough to startle the seagulls, then turned to Sal with a mouthful of fig and announced it was the best thing she’d ever eaten. I nearly died. But Sal laughed, said he agreed, and added that if my main course was even half as good, he had no regrets about me writing the column. I could finally breathe again.

While everyone sipped their drinks and listened to Rosana tell a hilarious story about their first camping trip (“Never trust a raccoon with your cooler,” she warned), I pulled the kabobs off the grill, covered them with foil, and set them proudly in the center of the picnic table to rest.

When it was time to eat, I told Sal I’d heard a little rumor that steak kabobs were his favorite. His eyes lit up. I made a dramatic show of whisking away the foil—and then froze.

The platter was empty.

For a moment, nobody moved. Then, from the bushes, my dog, Leroy, emerged, looking blissfully content, with not one but two kabob skewers dangling from his mouth. He trotted right up to Sal, tail wagging, and dropped them at his feet like a proud hunter presenting his kill.

I was mortified. Everyone else burst out laughing. Sal, wiping tears from his eyes, said. “How about that? Headline: Employee’s Dog Steals Show—and Dinner—at Barbecue!”

I chased Leroy around the yard trying to salvage what was left of dinner, while Sal good-naturedly assured me he was perfectly happy with a couple of hot dogs instead. Thankfully, he meant it—and to this day, whenever Sal stops by the office, he brings Leroy a beefy treat. They’ve been best buds ever since.

I definitely earned a Sea Breeze that day.

SEA BREEZE

INGREDIENTS

1½ ounces vodka

2 ounces pink grapefruit juice

1 ounce cranberry juice

Lime wedge (optional)

Add the vodka and grapefruit juice to a cocktail glass over ice. Top with the cranberry juice, and garnish with the lime wedge if you’re feeling fancy.

Stir, sip, and enjoy.