Julie Hyzy - Eggsecutive Orders

Sounds came through the receiver that made me believe Tom was scratching his face. “So what am I supposed to do?”

“For one, you can appreciate that I’m keeping you updated on all this, just like you asked me to,” I said with a little snap. “I’m not getting involved, but as information comes to me I’m sharing it with you. I think that’s fair.”

He didn’t comment.

“I’m going to take a look at this DVD,” I said. “I’ll have Bucky and Cyan take a look at it, too. If we see anything weird, I’ll tell you immediately.”

“Ollie,” Tom said gently, “if anyone in that kitchen had intended to kill Carl Minkus, don’t you think they would have made sure to do it off-camera?”

Frustration worked its way into my voice. “What am I supposed to do? Just sit on my hands until that medical examiner finally gets off his duff and tells the world it wasn’t my fault? This is my career we’re talking about.”

“I know,” he said. “And you know I can’t share information with you. What I can tell you is that we’re working around the clock to get this thing settled. The best advice I can give you right now is to find something to keep you busy. To take your mind off of the problems.”

I blew a raspberry into the phone.

“I understand this isn’t easy. Use this time off as a gift. You’ve got your mother and grandmother there keeping you company. I suggest you enjoy your time with them.”

When we hung up, Nana’s mouth twisted sideways. “Who hasn’t seen what?” she asked.

Hoping my mom was still busy in the bathroom for a few more minutes, I opened the page to Liss’s article and turned it to face Nana. I let her read a little bit before explaining, “Mom sent in a comment to his website yesterday. I don’t think she realized what a Pandora’s box she would open.”

Nana put a finger on the paper to hold her spot. “What does Tom say about this?”

“He wants me to ignore it. Pretend it doesn’t exist.”

Nana kept reading.

I stood and began pacing the small kitchen, thinking about how Bucky’s space was so much more the sort of kitchen I should have at home. Quick pang of jealousy. Why was it that when things were bad, suddenly everything seemed negative? Why did my tiny kitchen bother me today? It had never bothered me before. But I’d never been served up on a silver platter before, the way Liss was doing-with my mother’s help. “How can I ignore that when he’s clearly skewering me? I mean, this is personal!”

“What’s personal?” Mom asked, as she came into the kitchen. Her hair was still wet, but she was dressed and made up.

Nana answered before I could. “That damn medical examiner.”

She gave me a look that warned me not to contradict.

“Why?” Mom asked, making her way around the table to read over Nana’s shoulder. “Did he say something more in the paper today?”

As unflappably as anything, Nana turned the page before Mom could see Liss’s article. “No, there’s nothing in here today about that. We were just talking about Ollie not getting back into the kitchen yet.”

Mom gave me a funny look when she noticed the coffee hadn’t changed. “I thought you were going to make fresh.”

I apologized. “I wound up talking with Tom for quite a while. Sorry. I’ll make some now.”

She waved me away. “Don’t worry about it.”

Nana and I shared a conspiratorial look. She pushed herself up from the table, and tucked the newspaper under her arm. “I guess I’ll get in the bathroom next.”

Mom pointed. “I haven’t read that yet.”

Nana unfolded the paper, and dropped a few sections back onto the table. “Here’s the weather, the fun stuff…” She rattled off a few more. “You’re lucky I feel generous today,” she said with a wink. “Usually if you snooze, you lose.”

My mom rolled her eyes good-naturedly, and didn’t seem to notice at all that Nana had tucked the front-page section back under her arm.

I did a few morning chores, checked my e-mail, then called Bucky and Cyan.

Mom and Nana were at the kitchen table looking ready to go, when I approached them with an idea. “How about you two come with me to Bucky’s place?”

At their confused, expectant looks, I explained.

“First of all, I really wanted you to meet my team, and although this isn’t the most optimal of circumstances, I think it could work.”

“You’ve got a funny glimmer in your eye,” Nana said.

I pointed to her. “That’s because I want to put you both to work. Bucky, Cyan, and I are convinced that Paul Vasquez-he’s our chief usher and in charge of just about everything at the White House-will eventually tell us that the Egg Roll is back on. I want to get started on boiling eggs.”

“Should you do that?” Mom asked. “Until the medical examiner-”

“This isn’t that CSI TV show. It may be months until we get a definitive answer.” I shuddered at that thought. “I just have to do something. I mean, if the Egg Roll is canceled then we’re stuck with a roomful of eggs. I get that. But what if they decide that the event will go on after all? What if they decide that on Sunday afternoon? Then what? We’ll never get enough eggs boiled in that amount of time.”

Nana said. “I’m up for it.”

Mom nodded. “Me, too.”

“Good. Bucky’s expecting us there later this morning. If we work all afternoon, we can still quit in time to come back here and change before going to Minkus’s wake tonight.” The idea of going in there by myself was unpleasant at best. And if my family was with me, I figured I could make a polite and fairly quick exit after paying my respects. “You are both planning to come with me, aren’t you?”

My mom’s face went red. “Of course. I wouldn’t want you going alone.”

Nana laughed at her. “And you wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to pay your respects to-or should I say flirt with-Kap, would you?”

Darn. I’d forgotten about him.

“At a wake?” my mom asked with a touch of indignance. “I wouldn’t do anything like that.”

I could have kicked myself for forgetting about Kap. “I can go alone.”

“No,” Mom said, too quickly. “We wouldn’t want you to have to face those Minkuses on your own, honey.”

I swallowed my reply.

CYAN PULLED ME TO THE SIDE MOMENTS AFTER we’d arrived at Bucky’s. “Did you see this place?” she asked gesturing around the rooms with her eyes. “It’s gorgeous. I don’t know what I expected, but it sure wasn’t this.”

Bucky was still near the front door, hanging up coats, making small talk with my family.

“I know what you mean. I was here the other day for the first time-which is why I knew his place was perfect for our project. But”-I ran my hand along the living room sofa again-“purple suede?”

“Is he married?”

We were still talking in whispers. “I asked. He said, ‘Not yet.’”

“Lots of work ahead of us today,” Bucky said, clapping his hands together. He seemed unnaturally cheerful, and completely at ease with the four of us just hanging out at his house. “Let’s get started.”

Again, he was dressed in shorts, with an apron over. He ushered us all into the back of the house and his expansive kitchen. Mom and Nana exclaimed delight when they stepped into the bright, professionally appointed space. Cyan’s mouth dropped and she turned in a slow circle, taking it all in. “Wow,” she said. “If they ever decide to renovate the White House kitchen, I think you should design it.”

Bucky glanced at me quickly-almost as though he was fearful that I would take Cyan’s comment as a slam against me. “Yeah,” I agreed. “Bucky, if they ever give us the money to redesign the kitchen, you’re the man. I can’t imagine anyone doing it better.”