From this moment forward, there was nothing between Thaddeus Gilbert and me but a debt to settle.
Mrs. Gilbert Sr. snatched up the agreement and clutched it to her chest like a trophy.
"What's the rush?" I rolled up my sleeves and headed for the kitchen. "Let me cook one last meal. For old times' sake. A peaceful parting."
Thaddeus frowned, ready to refuse, but then glanced at his watch and changed his mind. "Make it quick. Paulette's coming for dinner. I don't want her seeing you here."
I stepped into the kitchen and shut the door behind me.
The sound of their laughter cut off like a switch.
I unwrapped the fresh pork belly and the blocks of lard I'd bought earlier.
This farewell dinner would be anything but bland.
Thaddeus's favorite dishes, every single one of them, now served a different purpose entirely. Braised pork belly, glistening in a ruby-red glaze of caramelized sugar, swimming in rendered fat and heavy sauce. Deep-fried pork intestines, deliberately left pungent, fried until the outside shattered and the inside stayed tender. And a whole pot of lard-crackle tofu soup, rich enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Every dish loaded with fat, protein, and sugar.