An Appetite For Murder by Lynda Wilcox

Author:Lynda Wilcox
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Food and wine, British whodunit, Female sleuth, Humorous, Restaurants, Amateur sleuth
Publisher: Lynda Wilcox
Published: 2018-09-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

As I got into the lift to descend I was joined by the Gourmet’s wine expert.

“Hello again.” His hand hovered over the button for the ground floor. “Going down, I take it?”

“Yes, please.”

He pressed the button firmly and smiled. “Here again, eh? Any nearer to catching our villain?”

There was a taunting note to his voice that I did not approve of.

“I’m afraid not. Mr Carmichael’s murderer remains at large.”

For all I knew he was standing right in front of me. I suppressed a shiver at the thought. Trapped in a lift with a homicidal maniac is not my idea of a good time — it’s the stuff of nightmares.

“Well, I’m just going for a spot of lunch. Care to join me?”

Why not? I didn’t trust him — after my sparring match with Collett I didn’t trust anybody who worked for the magazine — but I might learn something useful. However, lunch would be on my terms. I wasn’t taking any risks.

“Sure. Fancy the ABC? It does excellent lunches, with or without wine.”

“Sounds good. I’ve been several times. The next door restaurant is excellent. Frankly, I think it’s the best in town.”

I might be wary, but Renault had just gone up a soupçon in my estimation. “Yes, it’s my favourite.”

He gave me an appraising glance. “You’re quite the gourmet yourself, aren’t you, Miss Long?”

“No, no, not at all. I just enjoy my food.”

The lift doors parted and we stepped out into the foyer filled with people. He took my elbow and steered me through the crush.

“Always like this come half past twelve. They really ought to co-ordinate their lunchtimes in this building.”

“Where would be the fun in that?”

He laughed. “Yes, thank goodness I don’t have to do it every day.”

It didn’t take long to reach the wine bar and I looked for a table opposite the counter where Val could keep an eye on me. I certainly wasn’t going to sit in the more private booths to the rear. Adam Renault was not unattractive, but I was a married woman, and saw this lunch date as merely part of my investigation.

I took off my jacket, hung it over the back of the chair, and made a point of going to greet Val.

“Business.” I whispered into his left ear and, “suspect,” into his right, as we touched cheeks.

He nodded his understanding. “Be careful, ma chérie.”

I returned to the table and Renault’s regard.

“Is it too much of a cliché to ask if you come here often?” His voice and his eyes held laughter.

“Oh, Valentino and I go way back.”

His eyes swivelled to the bar. “Valentino, eh? No wonder all the women I bring here find him so attractive. I stopped coming here for that reason. When your date can’t drag her attention away from the barman, it does rather bruise the ego.”

“All the women, Mr Renault?”

He grinned. “All two of them, and one of them was my mother. Besides, I'm a married man and no Lothario, or Bluebeard, Miss Long. Your virtue is safe with me.

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