by Rose Pressey
She paused with her hand on the door knob. Oh, no. And to think I’d thought this nightmare was over. She turned to face me. Please don’t let her come back over.
She turned and walked out the door without another word. Thank goodness Abby was gone. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could bite my tongue. I was afraid I was going to get arrested.
As soon as the door shut Dorothy jumped up. “I don’t know how you put up with her, Maggie.”
“I suppose I want Jake to think that I’m okay with his partner.”
“He has to know that she’s not nice.” Dorothy rushed to the window to take a look outside.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“I just want to make sure she’s really out of here. You never know, she could be sneaking around somewhere, trying to listen to what we say.”
“Well, all she would hear is about how much we don’t like her.”
“I think that’s probably pretty evident.”
“It is hard to pretend, right?” I said.
“I still think you should talk to Jake about her.”
“And what would I say? It’s not like he can get rid of her and ask for a different partner. Is she still out there?” I asked, walking over to the window.
Dorothy and I had our faces smashed against the glass.
“Thank goodness. I think she’s gone.”
Chapter 12
After that unsuccessful trip to the races yesterday, I had to wait until Brett arrived at work for Gator World so that I could speak with him. According to the other employee at Gator World I’d spoken to, Brett wasn’t due at work until tomorrow. In the meantime, I had another plan. I’d found out that Skye’s friend was a waiter at a local restaurant. Paying him a visit seemed like a good idea.
Dorothy and I arrived at South Beach. We drove up and down the road several times looking for a parking spot. It didn’t help that Dorothy called out that she had found one a couple times, only for it to be a false alarm.
I pulled the car along the curb and cut the engine. After climbing out from behind the wheel I met Dorothy on the sidewalk. For a Tuesday early afternoon it was crowded. People walked up and down the sidewalk past the restaurants. Loud music poured out from each establishment. Just across the road was the beach. Not a single cloud filled the endless blue sky. The hot sun beat down against the pavement. A warm breeze carried from the water and drifted the summer sea air scent across my face. Tall palm trees lined the streets.
Dorothy and I felt a bit lost as we walked along the sidewalk. Everyone else seemed to know exactly where they were going. However, we looked like confused tourists.
“What is this place we’re looking for called?” Dorothy yelled over the loud salsa music.
I pulled out the piece of paper I’d tucked into my shorts pocket and read it. “Beach Casa.”
We kept our pace, passing by people who’d decided to chitchat while standing on the sidewalk.
“There it is, right there.” I pointed.
A neon sign showed the restaurant’s name. Salsa music spilled out onto the street from the restaurant.
“Are we having lunch? I’m starving.” Dorothy walked straight toward the restaurant’s entrance.
“I don’t know if we have time for that,” I called out as she headed for the place without paying attention to what I’d said.
Along the road I’d noticed several old cars parked, I supposed to add to the art deco vibe. The turquoise car parked in front of Beach Casa had a ‘Do Not Touch’ sign on the window. I supposed a lot of people were curious and wanted to touch the beauty. I caught up with Dorothy, who was already in the restaurant and being escorted toward a table by the host. The place seemed more like a nightclub than a place to eat. It looked as if I wouldn’t get anywhere with this investigation until I got Dorothy food. I followed her to the table and sat down. She already had a menu in front of her face.
“Water, please,” I told the waiter who was waiting for my drink order.
A minute later he returned and we placed our food order. I scanned the restaurant, but didn’t see the man I was looking for.
“I don’t think this is going to get us anywhere,” I said.
“It will get us un-hungry,” Dorothy said.
Our waiter brought the plates and I hurried to finish my lunch.
“Don’t eat so fast. It will cause indigestion,” Dorothy said as she slowly placed the fork into her mouth.
This was driving me crazy. I would just have to leave her at the table. The waiter came back over with our check.
“Is there anything else I can get you?” he asked.
“As a matter of fact, I was wondering if the owner is here?” I asked.
He frowned. “Is everything okay with the food?”
“Oh, yes, it was delicious,” I said.
“Delicious,” Dorothy said with sour cream dripping from her mouth.
“I just need to ask him some questions about the restaurant.”
The man stared at me for a moment, but ultimately nodded. “Sure, I’ll get him for you.”
He walked away and I handed Dorothy the napkin.
Dorothy dabbed at her mouth. “Now aren’t you happy that we ate first?”
“I’ll be happy when I talk with this man,” I said.
I spotted a man in a white shirt, red tie, and black pants. He was looking right at us.
“That must be him,” I whispered.
He walked over to our table. “Good afternoon, what can I help you with?”
I came right out with my questions. I had other things to get to so I couldn’t wait. “Does Kevan Willoughby work here?”
His bushy eyebrows pinched together. “Actually, I’m not sure if he does.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“He didn’t show up for work today,” he said.
“Can you have him give me a call if he does show up?” I handed the man my card.
His eyes widened when he read the card. “Sure thing. Is he in some kind of trouble?”
“No, not that I know of,” I said as I stood from the table.
The man nodded and watched as Dorothy and I walked away.
“What do you think happened to Kevan?” Dorothy asked.
“I don’t know, but I’ll have to find out.”
Someone grabbed my arm. I whipped it away.
Our waiter held his hands up.
“I left a tip,” I said.
“No, it’s not that. You’re looking for Kevan?”
“That’s right,” I said with curiosity.
The waiter pointed. “He’s right there.”
I followed his pointed finger. “The dark-haired man walking away?”
“Yeah, that’s him.” The waiter looked around, as if he knew he shouldn’t be telling me this.
The manager had lied to me? Kevan was here all along? That meant Kevan didn’t want to speak with me.
“Thanks,” I said.
Dorothy and I rushed out onto the sidewalk. I would confront Kevan right now. Before I had a chance to even take two more steps the gunfire rang out. Kevan had a gun. Was he firing at us? Looking behind me, I spotted a tall man running away, although I didn’t know if he was running just because Kevan had a gun or if he was the intended target. I grabbed Dorothy and pulled her with me. We landed on that shiny old car, the one with the ‘Do Not Touch’ sign on the window. Everything happened so fast.
“We have to get out of here,” I said breathlessly.
“I could be wrong, but it seems as if the gunman is aiming at us on purpose,” Dorothy said.
“That’s a safe assumption,” I said.
I had my gun, but I didn’t want to shoot with so many people around. Was I afraid of my aim? Maybe. He had to be stopped though before someone was killed. I just wanted to be in the safety of my car and get out of here. At the very least maybe we could duck into one of these restaurants and get away from this madman.
Another shot rang out. Peo
ple screamed as they ran for their lives. It looked as if we wouldn’t have a chance to run for our lives. Nevertheless, Dorothy and I had to take our chances. We couldn’t just stay there and take a bullet. Speaking of bullets, several had already hit that beautiful car that we were currently using as our shield. As the gunman moved closer to us, I grabbed the gun from my purse. I had no choice but to fire back. As soon as Kevan saw me aim at him he turned and ran away. I released a deep breath. My hand shook as I lowered the gun. Sirens sounded and within seconds the place was covered with police.
After I made a statement, police allowed me to walk to my car. I’d never loved this Ford so much. I practically melted into the seat when I slid behind the wheel. All the courage had drained from my body, leaving me like a cooked noodle. It came as no surprise when I spotted Jake in my rearview mirror. What had taken him so long? He had that professional look on his face, a cross between a scowl and as if he was trying to remember something. He walked directly up to the car and leaned down to the driver’s side window. He stared at me for a moment. I knew what he was thinking. He’d asked me to stay out of trouble. I shifted in the seat. My body tingled knowing that he was watching me. Why wasn’t he speaking?
“It wasn’t my fault,” I said, still staring straight ahead.
“Do you want to tell me what happened?” he asked in his sexy voice.
Yes, I couldn’t help but notice his deep drawl when he spoke. I should be worried about more important things right now. I thought it was pretty obvious what had happened.
“When we came out of the restaurant Kevan started shooting. Did you find him?” I asked.
“We’re still looking for him.”
“He’s still on the loose?” Dorothy asked around the mint in her mouth.
She’d already pulled out her knitting needles and was working on the pot holder she’d promised to make for me.
“You’ve never seen this man before today?” Jake asked.
“Never,” I said, glancing over at Jake’s handsome face.
“Why were you here?”
“We were having a lovely lunch.” Dorothy batted her lashes at him.
I’d have to buy Dorothy a gift for that quick-thinking little fib. Technically, it wasn’t a lie. We did have lunch. I knew by the lifted eyebrow that Jake wasn’t buying it.
“So is it okay if we leave now? Dorothy has had a long day and she needs her rest.”
“I feel fine,” she said. I gave her a look and she said, “Actually, now that I think about it I do feel tired. I need a nap.” She faked a yawn.
Jake studied us again for a moment. Did he think those blue eyes would be able to break me? Well, maybe they would. No, no. I wouldn’t give in to his charm.
“Okay, you can leave, but I’ll call you later.” That was more of a warning than a pleasantry.
I tried not to smile when he said that, but I was unsuccessful. A cute little grin slid across his face too.
“See you later, Jake.” Dorothy waved as I turned the ignition and pulled the car onto the road.
“Good thinking back there.” I steered the car away into the other lane.
“Hey, what do you think I hang around for? It’s because you need me,” Dorothy said.
I made a right turn at the light. “Thanks. Though you almost messed up when you said you weren’t tired.”
“No comment,” Dorothy said.
Chapter 13
There was another name on my suspect list. Someone also connected with Skye. Dorothy and I arrived at the surf shop where Kenneth Bailey worked. I parked the car a bit of a distance away and turned off the ignition. We stared at the shop. I knew Dorothy was probably thinking the same thing as me. How were we going to talk to this guy and get the information that we needed? I couldn’t just come out and ask him if he was the murderer. A question like that would likely get a lie in response and not the truth. Even being interrogated by the police wouldn’t get someone to admit that… usually.
“So what’s the plan, Maggie?” Dorothy asked.
I continued to stare at the building because I had no answer for her at the moment. So I just stared. That was when the sign on the front caught my attention and the idea just popped on like a lightbulb going off.
“You see that sign on the front there?” I pointed.
Dorothy shoved her hand into her pocketbook and fished around for her reading glasses.
I waved my hand. “No need to do that. I’ll tell you what it says.”
Dorothy continued to look for the glasses.
“The sign is for surfing lessons. That’s a perfect idea.”
She stopped looking and cast a glance at me. “What are you talking about?”
“I can take the lessons and have a reason to be here at the shop, and hopefully be able to get more information.”
“You know, that idea sounds good probably in your head, but when it’s all actually playing out, it probably won’t turn out well.”
“Oh, don’t be so negative, Dorothy,” I said, grabbing my bag and taking the keys from the ignition. “We’ll see what the details are and we’ll go from there.”
She grabbed up her big bag and met me at the front of the car. “Okay, if you say so, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Dorothy and I walked into the shop. There were surfboards lining the walls, swimsuits on racks, and other bodysuits. The other paraphernalia around, I had no idea what it was even for. A man with a gray ponytail and a closely trimmed beard stood behind the counter. I guessed his height at about six foot two with a large build. He had a deep tan, obviously from hours spent in the sun surfing the waves. A small sign on the wall behind him read, “Roland Bailey, owner.” He must be related to Kenneth. Maybe his father?
“May I help you?” the man asked in a scratchy voice.
“Are you the owner?”
He stared at my face. “Yes.”
“I’d like to sign up for surfing lessons.” I pointed at the sign on the wall. “Is Kenneth Bailey the instructor? I heard he’s good.”
Roland’s expression eased. “He’s the best.”
I had expected perhaps for Roland to give me a strange look for even asking about lessons, but he hadn’t flinched. All he did was reach behind the counter, pull out some forms, and stretch his large hand toward me.
“You’ll need to sign this in case, you know, you die or something. It just says you can’t sue us,” Roland said.
Dorothy laughed. I stared at him for a moment before taking the pen. If that was his way of discouraging me from doing this then it wouldn’t work. I could still sue him, right? For the injury part. Obviously not if I died.
“I’d like to sign up for the classes too,” Dorothy said.
My hand froze as I was signing my signature. I looked over at her. “Are you kidding? You can’t be serious.”
She frowned. “What makes you think I can’t do it?”
Oh, no, I didn’t want to get into this argument. “Nothing, nothing at all. It’s just that, you know, maybe you wouldn’t want to mess up your hair.”
“Give me the form,” she said.
Roland chuckled and reached under the counter to get more forms for Dorothy. She thought this wouldn’t end well for me? Oh, boy, I couldn’t wait to see her try this. Maybe she would give up before she even got in the water. That was my hope. I finished filling out the forms and so did Dorothy. We handed them back to the guy.
“All right, well, you’re going to need some suits. You can rent them or buy them. Whatever you prefer.”
“I think I’ll just go with renting,” I said. “You know, until I know if I like it.”
Yeah, right, like I was ever going to surf again after this.
“The rentals are right over there. You can pick out your size. If you’d like, we have a class starting in ten minutes. You could do this today.”
“Sure, why not. We might as well get it over with,” I said.
He frowned as if that wasn’t the right thing t
o say.
“I mean, yes, I’m looking forward to it.” I smiled.
Dorothy and I went over to the racks to look at the suits.
“What size do you think is a twelve?” Dorothy asked.
“I have no idea how that translates to bodysuits. It’s all rubber. We might as well wear a tire.”
“I don’t know if you’ll be able to find one that stays on those chicken legs of yours,” she said. “Bless your heart.”
Leave it to Dorothy to insult me in the most pleasant way possible.
I sifted through the suits until I came to one that I thought would fit. I suppose it was this or nothing. Dorothy had already stepped into one of the curtained off spaces. I went into the one next to her.
“How’s it going in there, Dorothy?” I called out.
"This is worse than putting on a girdle.” She seemed out of breath already.
I’d never worn a girdle, but I had suffered through Spanx, so I figured it was about the same thing. Thank goodness there was a chair in the space. I sat down and pulled on the legs. Okay, this was going to take a lot more tugging. As I yanked on one of the legs my hand slipped and smacked me right in the face.
“Ouch,” I said.
“What’s going on in there?” Dorothy pulled the curtain back and peered in.
"Just beating myself up,” I said.
My eyes widened. Dorothy had the suit up halfway on her body. She was wearing her bra on the top half.
She pulled at the crouch area. “I can’t get this thing up to save my life.”
The crouch was at her knees.
“Let me get mine on and I’ll help you with yours,” I said. “I’ll help you and you can help me.”
“Deal.”
After standing I jumped up and down while Dorothy pulled on the suit.
“Time out,” I said breathlessly.
At least I had the lower half on my body. Next, I pulled on the upper part.
“This is more cardio than I’ve done in a long time,” I said.
“Let me zip you up.” Dorothy motioned over me to turn around.