Kee Patterbee - Hannah Starvling 02 - The Gourmet Who Kept Diamonds in the Kitchen (3 page)

“
Not a word, Gran,” Hannah said, never looking at her grandmother.

“
Spoilsport.”

****

Four hours later, the Starvlings all met in the hall to make their way to the lobby. Gran changed into a cool pink and blue floral print blouse, blue knee pants and sandals. Papa Jay wore his usual jeans, white canvas sneakers and loud, yellow Hawaiian print cotton shirt.

“
Oh, that hideous old thing,” Gran commented. “We’re supposed to be going to dinner. You make us look like tourists.”

“
We are tourists.”

“
It’s okay. I spoke to Janine. We’re going casual.”

Gran sighed and rolled her eyes. Still, taking in her granddaughter made her smile. Dressed in a light blue sundress with yellow daisies imprinted, she almost glowed.  The outfit hung
perfectly, making her slim legs and tall, thin frame look even longer. Set against her blonde hair, Hannah was an eye turner.

Everyone stepped off the elevator and made their way to the lobby. Janine was already there. The woman stared at her phone with a look of impatience. Elias was nowhere in sight.
Hannah glanced at the large clock on the wall. It read 5:38.
Late. That’s unlike him
, Hannah noted to herself.

They approached
Janine and exchanged greetings. The woman dressed in a beige, sky blue, and black cap sleeve color-block dress with beige flats.

“
Wow, look at you. Topping seven months and you are still rocking the stylish.”

Janine smiled.
“Aren’t you sweet? To be honest, I feel like a turkey in a basting bag.” She paused and put her hand on her belly. “Wanna feel?” she asked.

Hannah
and Gran both nodded and complied. After a second, Hannah grinned and pulled her hand back. “He… She… is not happy,” she responded.

Janine smiled and gave a big grin.
“I’ll let you in on a secret. I got two in here. Hope y’all don’t mind, but I haven’t told Elias. I was waiting. The doctor let it slip right before we came. We didn’t want to know anything, but well, what can you do? Anyway, tonight seems good enough. I figured it might be nice if y’all got to see Elias’ face when I tell ‘em.”

“
Oh, congratulations,” Gran exclaimed.

Hannah looked around.
“Where is he, anyway?”

“
Oh, he forgot something he wanted to give you. Not sure what. Went back to get it. Should be right down.”

Hannah, Gran, Papa Jay, and Janine took seats in the lobby while waiting for Elias. They chatted until Janine looked at a clock on the wall.
“What is keeping that man?” she said. “I’ll give him a call.” As she fumbled around her purse, Hannah saw Ducky walk into the lobby area. He made a beeline straight to the concierge desk. She noticed the disturbed, anxious look on his face. She watched as he leaned in and whispered. All she could make out from his lip movements was, ‘fell.’ In turn, the concierge's face went pale and he disappeared into a door behind registration. Moments later, both the concierge and a woman that Hannah took to be management appeared and talked with Ducky. He pointed to the other side of the lobby and then dropped his pointing hand downward in a gesture. The motion caught Hannah’s eye and she made a quick assessment:
disturbed employees. Fall. Someone fell.
It was at that moment, when the sound of a siren hit Hannah’s ears.

“
He’s not answering,” Janine said, holding up her cell, “he must be on his way down.”

Down
, thought Hannah. She glanced in the direction that Ducky pointed before glancing over to the elevator, and then considered the placement of her room. She was in 3108. She remembered that Janine told her they were, by coincidence, in the room above. 4108.
Same side
. The siren got louder as it passed in front of the lobby doors. Hannah listened as the sound subsided, but was still loud and remained so. In the distance, she could hear another two approaching sirens.

“Goodness,” said Gran, “wonder what all that is about.” Hannah rose to her feet. “Try Elias again, please,” she said, pointing to Janine’s phone but looking straight ahead. After another try, the young woman shook her head. Hannah glanced over to Papa Jay and Gran. Gran’s eyes shot to where the sound appeared to be emanating. The elder Starvling turned to Janine and said, “So dear, how did you an Elias meet?”

Chapter 3

“I’ll be right back,” Hannah announced as she headed for the lobby door. When she made it out of Janine and her grandparent’s sight, she ran toward the corner of the hotel’s main building. As she rounded to the crossing street up the way, she made out a large crowd of individuals gathered around something. She wanted to close her eyes and pray that her instinct read the situation wrong. As she darted toward the group, she glanced up and counted four floors. The glass door to the balcony stood open.
No
, she said to herself. At that moment, she found herself wrong.

Elias lay on top of the vehicle, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He appeared dead.
A paramedic crouched on the roof of the vehicle checking his eyes. A second man stood below. Several firemen stood ready as two police officers tried to maintain the crowd’s distance.

The shock of the scene sent Hannah reeling back. She
took in the sounds of hysteria from the crowd.  For a brief second, everything overwhelmed her, as if she might faint. She shook the sensation off before pushing her way through toward the man who lay on the roof of the car. As she reached forward, she cried out, “Elias!” A police officer attempted to grab her, but Hannah made a quick move and slid past him. Elias groaned and she almost breathed a sigh of relief to find him still alive. As she reached up to take his hand, the officer caught her and dragged her backwards. Eyes half open, Elias looked straight at her. He said a single word, “Dahlia,” before he fell unconscious.

“
Miss, I need you to stay back. Let the paramedics do their work,” the officer said as he released her. Hannah looked into his face and blinked before nodding. He turned and called out, “Everyone. Back. Now.”

Hannah felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to
find Ducky staring at her. “You okay, Ms. Starvling?” The lights, noise, shock, all again led to a lightheaded sensation for Hannah. Her knees went weak and she almost collapsed when Ducky stepped up. “Careful, I got you,” he said, catching her as she staggered forward. He led her over to the curb and sat her down.

“
You good?” he asked.

Hannah shook her head in an attempt to clear
herself of the lightheadedness.  “I’ll be alright in a minute.” To herself, she added,
keep yourself together. Stay focused.

Ducky drew his face in and asked.
“Weren’t you with his wife a while ago? I saw them earlier.”

Hannah confirmed with a nod.
“She and my grandparents need a way to the hospital. They’re in the lobby. Can you arrange that?”

Ducky agreed.
“I can. What about you?”

“
I’ll get there soon enough.” As Ducky turned to head back up the street, Hannah called out, “Make sure she doesn’t see this.”

Ducky affirmed,
and then sprinted away, back toward the corner.

Hannah took out her cell and dialed.
“Gran, it’s him. He’s alive, but she doesn’t need to see this, not in her condition. So, take her to the hospital. I’m sure the concierge has an idea which one they will take him to.” She looked up in time to watch the paramedic on top of the car stabilize Elias’ neck. A fireman stood balanced beside him on the roof holding an IV bag, as a second fireman stood by with a backboard. Another paramedic pulled a stretcher alongside the vehicle. “Ducky’s on his way. He’ll take you. I’ll be along after,” she added before clicking off.

Hannah sat watching from the curb, a slight bit away from the majority of the crow
d. Several people snapped photos of the scene and Elias, whom paramedics worked on. She frowned in disbelief, and rose to step forward, but the officer who halted her intervened. He approached the interlopers and ordered them back. Several verbal protests came forth.

Watching the display, she drifted into investigative mode. She considered possible explanations for Elias
’ balcony plunge. Three possibilities, she logged. Accident. Suicide. Murder attempt. All left a distaste in her mouth. The sound of sirens and the ambulance pulling away from the scene interrupted her considerations. So deep in her thoughts, Hannah missed the paramedics loading Elias for transport.

Hannah stood up, eyes following the vehicle
speeding away. She wanted to rule out suicide.
Not in his nature. Too much to live for
, she consoled herself. Nevertheless, as usual, her logic and training caught up to her.
Consider all possibilities
, she chided herself.
Every angle. Painful or not
. From this point on, Hannah invested herself in full investigative mode.

The police officer who grabbed her earlier walked up to Hannah. She made her usual mental list. First, she took in the
officer’s nameplate, which read Bland. She turned to the officer, and assessed him. 
Mid to late thirties. African American. Medium build. Average looks
.
Almost bald
. He began questioning her.

“
Miss, you knew the victim?”

“
Hannah. Hannah Starvling. Yes.”

“
His name?”

“
Elias Babel.” As Bland wrote down notes, she added, “Where will they take him?” she asked.

Without looking up, Bland responded.
“Islands Memorial. They may transport him inland, depends on the seriousness of his condition.”

“
I’ve informed his wife, and I have someone taking her to the hospital. She’ll be there when you’re ready to question her.” Hannah pushed her fingers through her hair and looked around. “I need a taxi.”

The officer glanced up.
“Thank you.” He studied her face for a second. “You’re calm,” he noted.

“
Not my first rodeo,” Hannah replied. She took in Bland’s questioning face, and attempted to explain further. “Former FBI. Part of the training.”

Bland nodded and looked around.

Bland looked up and scratched his forehead. “Your relationship to the victim?”

“
A friend.”

“A friend?” Bland questioned.

Hannah looked into the officer
’s eyes. In a clear and emphatic voice, she said, “Just a friend. We’re both working the festival. His wife and I were in the lobby with my grandparents when this happened. They’re with her now, and I need to get to the hospital.”

“
Well, a few more questions, okay?”

Hannah agreed.

“Did you get here before or after the event happened?”

“
After. Again, I was in the lobby with his wife and my grandparents when I heard the commotion.”

Bland eyed Hannah.
“And this made you want to investigate, why?”

“
I put two and two together. Did anyone else see anything?”

Bland indicated no.

Not surprising
, she admitted.
It’s four stories up, so most people wouldn’t have been looking
.

The officer turned back to his notes.
“Did you notice anything unusual about his behavior?”

“
We never got together. His wife met us in the lobby for dinner, at least we planned to, but I can tell you this. It would surprise me if this turned out to be a suicide attempt.”

“
Why’s that?”

“
Because he’s a friend. He has too much to live for.” Hannah gathered herself, clearing her throat before continuing. “His wife is six and a half months pregnant. He’s successful, rich and happy.”

“
Not to sound cold, but that rules out nothing. People jump for all kinds of reasons, even those who seem to have everything.”

“
True enough,” Hannah conceded. She pointed up toward Elias and Janine’s room. Bland followed her path. “But consider the position he landed in and the fact that his room is on the fourth floor.” She played out the fall with her hands. “I’d say he went over head first. The height of the railing alone suggests the improbability that he went over without some help.”

Officer Bland tapped his pencil against his chin.
“Given, of course, that it wasn’t a suicide, and he ran toward the balcony.”

Hannah first
wiggled her nose and upper lip before she continued. “He would need to be pretty determined to do so. Most suicides pause before they act. To open the door first,” she again pointed to the balcony, “after that, to get a running start? Doesn’t gel. That leaves one possibility.”

Bland stared up for a moment, clamping down on the pencil eraser as he did so.
“Huh, what’s his room number?”

“
4108,” Hannah responded, dragging her fingers through her hair. “Listen. I understand you have questions, because so do I, but I need to get to the hospital. Can I stop by the station later or something? I need to get a taxi.”

“
Of course. Tell you what,” he signaled for a young officer to come, “I’m going to wrap this up. How about I send someone to take you to the hospital. You can answer any follow-ups once you find out about your friend. How’s that sound?” The young officer stepped over to speak with Bland.

Late twenties. Thin. Average looks. Red hair. Green eyes. Medium height.
Hannah scanned the nameplate on his uniform.
Brandon.

Bland order
ed the young officer to transport Hannah to the hospital. She thanked him and got into the police car indicated.

While the two
officers held a quick meeting, Hannah scanned the crowd, trying to remember the faces. Her training taught her that faces reveal acknowledgment. Not only did they sometimes return, sometimes they never left. Instead, they lingered to enjoy the chaos of their work. As she glanced around the crowd, she searched for what she considered to be a mental confession. She mumbled to herself, “One of you knows something. Show yourself.”

Frustrated and upset, Hannah considered giving up, when someone stepped up near the police car. Everyone around held looks of concern, intrigue, and curiosity. His face show
ed something different. He seemed to take in the whole scene, but showed no signs of urgency about leaving. When she made eye contact with him, the expression in his eyes startled her. Intense anger reflected by way of a stern, menacing look. His eyes glared and his lips curled in. Everything about him screamed of tension and disdain. She cataloged his physical appearance in quick order.
Late twenties. African American. Handsome. Large eyes. Appear chocolate brown. Head shaven. Medium height. Slight frame.