Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94686 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94686 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
I raised my hand in the air like I was in school and too confused to come up with a reasonable answer. “Why would someone put worms in cheese?”
“Oh, put your stupid hand down.” Jazz grabbed my plate and slid it over to her. That was also a thing she always did. During our childhood, she ate so much of what I wouldn’t eat, she’d widened into a house. Sherman loved her being big. It kept her in the house and away from boys. She would just study, munch, talk to Gabe as he cooked for her, eat the result, and then return to her books.
“And they’re not worms, they’re maggots.” Jazz formed her lips into a proud smile.
Bile rose in my throat. “You’ve reached a new low, Jazz.”
“You’re missing out.” She shrugged.
“Don’t worry, Troy. I’ll have Ada cook us up some eggs and bacon.” Chase signaled for the bigger of the two cooks to come over, and then spoke Italian.
“Could you have Ada make me some too?” Viv scooted her plate over to Jazz. A few of the worms jumped off and hit the white tablecloth. She shrieked and edged away. “Okay. I didn’t know they could launch themselves.”
“You all are barbarians.” Jazz munched.
“Why would they put maggots in this?” Viv asked.
“Okay so I’m not an aficionado on this or anything. I’ve just seen a lot of episodes on Food Network where people have tried it. So this town in Italy—”
“Sardinia,” Chase offered.
“Yes. Sardinia.” She glowed.
They’re so annoying to be around, sometimes.
“So when they make the cheese, they put a bunch of larvae into it. This goes well past fermentation. The larvae’s eating breaks down the cheese’s fat, making the cheese super soft and liquid-y.”
“I loved the cheese, but not with maggots in it.” Viv fanned herself like she was hot. “And if they live in there then that means we’re eating maggot poop too, so that’s a big no for me.”
“Sardinians believe that the cheese is dangerous to eat when the maggots have died in it,” Chase said. “I know this because when I spotted the delivery and opened the container, I was not happy to see them in there. Ada and I had a heated discussion. Here I thought that I’d been shipped a ruined container. Then Ada reminded me that it was casu marzu, a dish that my mother loved too. She always had some when we vacationed here.”
“So your mom was a foodie?” Jazz asked.
Chase took his time as if thinking about it. “I guess you could say so. Now that I think about it, Mom had a love for exotic foods. She’d definitely made my father cringe at the table many times.”
“Ada was here when you were a kid?”
Something about the way Chase’s face hardened made me need to know the answer. It was a regular question, but he formed his lips into an angry line and sipped his wine. “She was here for a while, but let’s talk about something else. I think we should all go to Rome.”
Viv exchanged an odd glance with me. I had no idea what it meant. When we were together, our bodies were in tune. Her thoughts were easy to read, her body even more. Now I had no idea what she was trying to say.
“Do you think it’s safe to go to Rome?” There was no denying the excitement on Jazz’s face. I bet unique dishes floated in her mind.
“I have a new security team. Some were ex-SEALs, others did independent contractors for specific wars,” Chase said.
“Don’t you think that’s a bit much?” Jazz twisted her lips to the side.
“It’s barely enough in my book. I can’t let anything happen to you.” Chase turned to me. “Are you going, Troy?”
Viv and me in Rome?
“No way.” I shook my head.
Viv let out a loud sigh.
“Plus, I have some more footage to check out. I also need a favor from you.” I ignored the annoyed daggers that Viv’s eyes shot at me. “I would like Wendy’s bottles and glasses checked.”
“What do you mean?” Chase sat more upright in his chair.
“I’ve spotted Lucy sniffing Wendy’s glasses several times after the third girl died. Do you know why?”
“No,” Chase said.
“That’s what I want to know.”
“But is it relevant?” he asked.
“Do you have anything better?”
“No. I’ll have it done and the results sent to you by the end of the date.”
“I have another question.” I checked the stove. Ada cracked two eggs and dropped the yolk and whites into the heated oil. Hells, yes. There we go. I centered my attention on Chase. “Every girl who died in your arrangement had the same buddy. Each time Dawn bothered them, they would call this person up and talk. However, the way the footage is set up, I can’t tell who’s talking to whom in that same moment. The scenes are cut into short videos that jump back sometimes and shoot foreword.”