Luka still hasn’t shown up, and I don’t hear footsteps upstairs or anywhere else in the house, so I assume I have a few more minutes to myself and sneak down the hall and into the kitchen. I grab the garlic powder, salt, pepper, and dried parsley and hustle back to the dining room. It is best to season a dish prior to cooking, but since that isn’t an option, I sprinkle a bit of each powder over the top of the casserole and use my clean knife to work it into the layer of melted cheese on top. Then, to hide my handiwork, I grab the block of fresh parmesan and begin grating it over top.
The deep voice startles me, and I drop the block of parmesan cheese into the center of the casserole. Noodles and sauce splash over the side of the dish and onto the white tablecloth.
“Again, with the sneaki
