donât bother me any; Iâm sure not going to be intimidated by a PI. When I refused to answer, he said his employer could make life on Lake Minnetonka impossible for me. I threw him out. Iâve been waiting for someone to knock on my door with bad news ever since. I thought that someone might be you.â
âNo.â
Mary Pat shrugged her shoulders as if she were willing to take my word for itâfor now.
âThen you have nothing to do with the Chevy Impala in the back row of the parking lot,â she said.
âWhat Impala?â
She tilted her head at the window, and I took a look.
âSee it?â she asked.
âYeah.â
âInside is a man who has been watching my restaurant all day. Yesterday there was a different man in a Sentra.â
âA red Sentra?â
âHow did you know?â
âFor what itâs worth, Mary Pat, I donât think theyâre interested in you or your restaurant. I think theyâre waiting for Navarre.â
âWhy?â
âThe PI. Did he tell you why he was looking for him?â
âNo.â
âDid you get his name?â
âNo. Thatâs one reason why I threw him out. He was acting all big and emphatic, but he wouldnât tell me who he was or whom he was working for.â
âYouâre only guessing that Mr. Muehlenhaus sent him.â
âDo you think Iâm wrong?â
âNo, I think itâs a pretty good guess. Although ⦠Iâve had dealings with Mr. Muehlenhaus in the past. Heâs usually more subtle than this.â
âIf you say so.â
âWhat is your relationship with Navarre?â
âJuan Carlos is an investor. He lent the restaurant a sizable amount of money, for which he now receives a percentage of the profits until principal and interest are paid.â
âI donât understand.â
âItâs simple. I was undercapitalized. The business was failing. The infusion of money allowed me to enlarge the patio, expand the pier, improve my menu, and provide my clientele with the kind of service it demanded. Truth be told, I was fortunate that Juan Carlos came along when he did. Itâs like I said, thoughâhe is not an owner. Nor is he involved in the day-to-day operation of the restaurant.â
âWhat I meant was, why did he invest in Casa del Lago? Did you advertise for investors?â
Mary Pat spoke carefully, weighing each word on her tongue like a politicianâor someone else with plenty of secrets.
âWhat I was told,â she said, âJuan Carlos began looking for business opportunities immediately after he settled on Lake Minnetonka. A banker suggested that I might be interested in a silent partner. Juan Carlos turned out to be less silent than I would have preferred. Other than that, I have no complaints.â
âWhen was the last time you saw him?â
âLast Thursday during the dinner rush. Dinner and lunch is when he usually comes by. Juan Carlos will walk through the restaurant, hang out on the patio, meet and greet customers. Heâs very good at making friends. Sometimes heâll pick up a tab. Itâs never on the house, though. He always pays it out of his own pocket. He likes to be seen here. He likes to play the patrón. I donât mind too much because the customers seem to love the guy. Seatings are higher than ever. So are check averages. I was surprised when he didnât show up Friday and Saturday.â
That started me thinking devious thoughts about the criminal behavior of unscrupulous characters. I zoned out for a few moments, forgetting completely that Mary Pat was sitting in the booth with me. She called me back.
âHey,â she said.
âSorry. I was just ⦠How much did Navarre invest in your restaurant?â
âI donât see how thatâs any of your business, McKenzie.â
âYouâre right, youâre right ⦠I was
Learning to Kill: Stories