Shared Obsession Chapter 177
"That's Sandra," Maddy says examining the police artist's sketch. "She and her husband are in every Saturday."
"How do they manage that?" Castle asks. "I've been trying to get a table for Kate and me since your first review in The Ledger and I've always been told there weren't any available."
"Sorry about that, Mr. Castle. We actually had a list before we opened," Maddy explains. "Most of the people on it are investors. As far as I know, you're not one of them."
Castle scowls. "I'll have to have a little talk with my business manager."
"Well, nobody's getting a table until we reopen. Becks, when do you think we can do that?" Maddy inquires.
"When all the lab results come back and I'm sure I won't need any more evidence from your kitchen – or when we get a confession from Wolf's killer," Kate replies. "But before we can get one, we have to catch him – or her – first. So what can you tell me about Sandra? Do you know her last name?"
"No, but the information should be in the reservation book."
"You said she and her husband are here every Saturday," Castle recalls. "Domingo hinted that she might have had a romantic relationship with Wolf."
Maddy shrugs. "Wolf had a lot of romantic relationships. As long as they didn't interfere with his work, I didn't think it was any of my business."
"It looks like this one might have been – big time," Castle notes.
Maddy's shoulders slump. "Yeah."
"Are you holding up all right, Maddy?" Kate asks.
"I'm still reeling. Wolf was a friend, but like it or not, I have no time to grieve. I have to interview replacement chefs. I still haven't found a customer slip for that cake Wolf was making, and I have a charity event tonight at Rocco DiSpirito's. If I don't show up, people will think Wolf's death means the death of Q3. Hey, maybe you two should come with me. A cop and a best-selling author, Rocco will love it. And Becks, you and I can catch up on old times."
"Sounds like fun," Castle says, "especially the part where I get to hear what Kate's old times were like."
"And I still want to hear how you two got together," Maddy reminds them.
Kate crosses her arms in front of her. "We have a lot of work to do on the case."
"We'll still have time for you to grill Sandra," Castle points out. "That might even solve the case. And even if it doesn't, staring at the murder board won't make lab results come back any faster. You can use a break, Kate. It might be a while until you get another one. And Rocco puts on an impressive spread."
"Actually, tonight it's a tasting menu, with wine pairings," Maddy says.
"All the better!" Castle declares. "Kate, you can set your sense of adventure free on a cornucopia of cutting-edge culinary experiences."
"All right," Kate concedes, "as long as we find Sandra and finish the interview in time."
Maddy pushes up from their table in the deserted dining room. "I'll check the reservation book right now."
A well-preserved blonde in a designer dress sits across from Kate and Castle in the box. "What was the exact nature of your relationship with Wolf?" Kate inquires.
The tip of Sandra Meyer's tongue circles her lips. "Food turns me on. Not as a sex toy, but the sensual act of cooking. And when I saw Wolf on Kitchen Wars, how passionate he was with his ingredients, I fell in lust. When I heard Madison Queller snagged Wolf for Q3, I made sure my husband and I did what it took to be the first ones through the door. And when Wolf came by to check on our meal, I slipped him my number."
"Do you always have sex in a restaurant?" Castle asks, wondering if a Sandra-type foodie could fit into one of his books.
Sandra presses a hand to her considerable endowments. "Well, Wolf did his best work in the kitchen."
"And your husband never suspected?" Kate asks.
Shaking her head, the blond rolls her eyes. "When he's not working nights in the ER he's conked out on sleeping pills. I could shoot porn in my living room and he'd have no idea. "Wait! Are you going to tell my husband?" she questions as Kate and Castle exchange looks.
Kate leans across the table. "Sandra, you're the primary suspect in a murder. Your husband is the least of your worries."
"So what happened that night, Sandra?" Castle presses. "Did the sex turn deadly?"
Sandra gives an unladylike snort. "Sex? There was no sex! Two weeks ago Wolf called me out of the blue to tell me we were through."
"Two weeks," Castle repeats.
"I tried calling him, but he wouldn't call me back," Sandra continues.
"That must have pissed you off," Castle suggests.
"It pissed me off not to know why. So I went to the restaurant last night to make him tell me."
"And what did Wolf do?" Kate queries.
"He tried to console me over popcorn soup. Great soup, but he didn't even give me the thrill of watching him cook it. His line chef left right after I showed up. He must have prepared it. Wolf just reheated what was left in the pot. Then he told me he was done screwing around, that it was time to grow up, turn over a new damn leaf."
"And that made you even angrier," Kate assumes.
"Sure, but I didn't kill him."
"Mrs. Meyers, you cheat on your husband on a regular basis. Why should we believe you?" Kate demands.
"Ask the doorman at my building. I was back at one-thirty. I left the restaurant at one-fifteen and Wolf was alive."
"Well, that backs up Domingo's story and accounts for the DNA," Castle notes to Kate as LT escorts Sandra out. "But I'm surprised you're not holding her."
"We don't have any evidence that she did anything except eat soup. And she admitted to that. What we need is a time of death from Perlmutter. He said he'd let me know when Wolf's thawed out enough to get anything precise, but it probably won't be until tomorrow."
"Which gives us plenty of time to go with Maddy to Rocco DiSpirito's tonight. Come on, Kate. It beats pacing the floor waiting on lab results and worrying about the trial. And Rocco's black truffle risotto is without equal."
"All right, Castle. We can go out with Maddy. But I want to make sure the boys are on top of all the alibis, including hers."
"Of course you do." He checks his watch. "Even with that, we should have plenty of time to shower and change. And in the shower, we could, um…."
"Castle, if we do that, we'll never make it to the risotto."
"Point taken."
When Kate and Castle arrive at the DiSpirito event, Maddy is already seated at a table with a glass of wine and her first tasting plate. "I was afraid you wouldn't make it."
"Kate wanted to make sure we had all our ducks in a row to get the evidence for Wolf's murder before she was willing to leave the precinct," Castle explains. "And then she checked again after we changed."
"Same old Becks. When she went after something back in our high school days, she was always all in."
"Like with her bike?" Castle asks.
"Like with poetry."
Castle's eyebrows jump. "Poetry?"
"Uh-huh," Maddy continues. "She and her boyfriend senior year went to every poetry slam there was. They even skipped the prom for one."
Castle props his chin on his elbows. "Tell me more."
"Can we get some food?" Kate interrupts, "I'm starving."
Castle's grin almost splits his face. "A starving poet. I love it!"
