by Liv Bennett
I nod too quickly. “Yes.”
“Why did you say yes and no? Was there something else that made you suspicious?”
Still not completely out of shock, I face him with a frown. “I forgot what I was going to say.” I can’t exactly come clean about my suspicions about him or share details about my discoveries without putting my investigation or myself in danger.
“If I were you, I’d track down the names of the first responders and get their notes. When the person who calls 9-1-1 reports the reason for the call as a suicide, the officers tend to treat the case as a suicide and miss a ton of clues in the process.”
“What if the officer who supposedly conducted the investigation doesn’t exist?” I mumble, fearful of sharing too much. As trusting as I want to feel toward him, what if he’s behind Ruby’s suicide?
He almost misses a red light and floors the brakes at the last second, both of us thrown forward with the sudden stop. “Is that true?”
I exhale a sigh of frustration. “Yeah, Officer Murphy. He doesn’t exist. Neither does Ruby’s police report. I talked to the sheriff himself. They don’t have any information about my sister’s death in their system.”
“Are you serious? That’s proof of foul play on its own. Forget your work, we need to get back to the police department and push them to look into it.”
The light turns green, and he puts on his left blinker as he drives off.
“Wait, what are you doing? I can’t slack on work now. I’ll go back to the police department tomorrow morning.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I am. I need the job.” It won’t make much difference if I figure out who was behind Ruby’s death today or tomorrow, but my bank account will suffer majorly if I miss another day of work.
Ch 21
Lena’s Show
We make it to the restaurant a little before one. Max doesn’t show any hint of anger at my tardiness—how can he, when I show up with his own boss? However, Lena lashes out without any fear or hesitance. “Why didn’t you call in advance? That’s irresponsible of you. We depend on your punctuality. If you can’t manage to be on time, you have no right to be here.”
“Lena,” Austin says with a warning tone through his clenched teeth. “She had a family emergency. It wasn’t deliberate.”
“Deliberate or not, what would we do if we had a full house?”
He throws a hand up in the air toward the tables. “Well, we don’t, do we?” he chides, his voice turning the heads of the only two guests we have toward us.
“We did an hour ago. She wouldn’t know because she wasn’t around to help.” Hands on her hips, Lena storms back to the bar to grab free complimentary drinks for the guests to apologize for the disturbance.
Ducking my head, I take my place at the front desk, while Austin settles in a booth close to me with Max. Erin sends me a hesitant wave of her hand on her way to the kitchen.
My eyes look for Fran, and I sigh in relief when I locate her coming out of the restrooms. She hurries toward me and gives me a warm hug. She says with a low voice, “I got worried when I didn’t see you at opening today.”
“Just had a strange morning. My parents showed up in my room unannounced, and Austin was there. We weren’t doing anything, but they weren’t pleased at the sight is all I can say.”
Erin sneaks in, wiping her hands on her apron before giving me a sideways hug. “That sounds rough.”
I shrug. “Yeah, they kicked me out, although the room was already paid for, for two more nights.”
Fran flinches. “Oh, dear, do you have a place to stay? You can crash at my place on the couch for a few nights.”
“Thanks for the offer. I wouldn’t want to get you in trouble with your landlord. I don’t know what I’ll do. Maybe I’ll stay at Austin’s until I figure something out.” Turning to Erin, I nudge her lightly on her elbow. “Did you arrive home safely? I was worried about you. You were clearly drunk.”
“Oh, I see now. You guys drank last night. Is that the real reason why you were late?” Lena asks suddenly through the tables, her voice purposefully loud.
Austin’s sharp glare gives Lena the answer she needs, and she makes a sudden turn toward the kitchen. I can’t for the life of me understand where she gets the confidence to scold her colleagues when the two bosses have nothing to complain about.
The front door opens with new customers, and both Erin and Fran walk back to the tables. A couple in their sixties walks in. While I pull out the menus, I realize there’s a third patron, and it’s my coach from the gym.
“Hey, Robert,” I greet him with a cheerful voice, welcoming the distraction of a familiar face.
He beams as he comes forward toward the hostess desk. “Nice to see you again!”
“Yeah, great to see you too. Table for three?”
He glances around. “Booth, please.”
I check the computer to locate a booth from Fran’s area and lead them to the one behind Austin’s. “So, how’s everything going?” I ask on the way.
“Great. Have my folks with me. They ate here the last time they were in town and wanted to come back. According to my dad, this is the best pizza place he’s ever eaten at.”
“Thank you.” I smile at Robert’s father and catch a glimpse of Austin’s grinning face. Either he heard Robert’s compliment, or it’s his usual grin whenever our eyes meet. I’d like to think it’s the latter.
Robert briefly introduces me to his parents as one of his regulars at the gym before Fran takes over and helps them with their questions about the menu. More customers arrive, two women with four kids between them, then an elderly couple, and a mother-daughter duo.
Lena has been busy organizing the bar until a group of well-dressed men in their thirties walk in. She quickly shows up next to me to ask me to assign them to one of her tables. I do, having no interest in arguing with her. She can have all the male patrons she wants, for all I care.
She takes over my hosting duties and walks them to their table with excessive swaying of her hips beneath her denim short-shorts. One of the men nudges the other in the ribs to point out the spectacle.
Lena is in her element while going over the menu with them, laughing at their jokes, sneaking in details about her single status, her bad luck with men, her preference for certain local bars.
While watching her, I miss Robert walking toward the front desk. His sudden appearance before me startles me. “Oh, hey, everything all right? Did you need anything?”
Hands in the pocket of his jeans, he shrugs casually. “No, we’re good. I just wanted to ask if you had any plans for tonight. A new brewery is opening on Baseline. I thought you might want to go with me and try their beer.”
“Oh, tonight? Uh…”
My eyes flick to Austin who’s quickly on his feet and walking toward me. He comes around the desk and puts his arm around my shoulder, claiming me as his with the worst caveman style ever. I blush in sheer embarrassment.
“Hey, Robert. What’s up, man?” Austin offers his free hand, his tone casual as if he’s not bothered by Robert’s invitation.
Robert takes his hand for a firm shake. “Sorry, man. I didn’t know she was with you. Is she the reason why you came back to the gym?” Robert chuckles without the slightest trace of awkwardness and runs his fingers through his brown hair. His eyes turn pointedly toward the bar where Lena is practicing her ritual of mesmerizing the male patrons with her special cocktail shake. More than the cocktail bottle, it’s her hips and boobs she’s shaking.
Robert rubs his chin, his eyebrows rising in happy surprise. “Now I see why my father wanted to come back here so badly.”
I look up at Austin to see he’s staring at Lena as well. Getting caught red-handed, he quickly averts his gaze back to Robert. The wave of jealousy erupts in my chest like a stream of hot lava, and I step away from his hold and untie the scarf from around my neck, dropping it on the chair behind me. I can feel my nipples popping up from the cold
without the snuggly warmth of the scarf.
When Robert manages to tear his gaze away from Lena, his eyes fall on my chest then immediately up to my face. “All right, I’d better get back to my lunch.” He can’t help it. His eyes stray again to my chest before he heads for his booth.
Austin lands his hand on my hip, his long fingers reaching down on my buttocks. It’s such an intimate place to touch, sensuous yet still acceptable in public, reserved only for someone special. My attention immediately reverts to Austin. He leans into me, lowering his face close to my ear, his breath tickling my neck. “Come with me.”
When I glance at him, he motions his head toward the hall behind us, his eyes shimmering with lust and a hint of fury. He’s not enjoying being on the jealous side one bit. Good!
I frown, shaking my head. “I need to stay here. New guests may come in at any moment.”
His fingers dig into my skin, his voice thick with insistence. “It’ll just be a minute.”
Without a bra or anything else to support my breasts, they bounce up and down as I follow Austin into the hall. The anger in his eyes borders on madness when he notices their wild jiggling.
He pulls me into the men’s restroom and closes the door. His hands on my hips, his body against mine, he pins me against the door. His eyes narrow down on my chest. “I can see your nipples from up here. I bet Robert could, too.”
“I bet you could see Lena’s ass, too.”
“I didn’t look at her ass. Fuck! I don’t look at her that way.” He says sharply, his eyes glaring, the muscles on his neck popping.
His anger is passing on to me, heating my core with a hot flush of lust. “You fucked her, didn’t you?”
His hand, balled up in a fist, comes up over my head and punches against the door. “I told you it’s in the past. Why do you want to know?”
“So you did it? You slept with her.” Even though I knew it as well as I knew my own name, the realization still makes my jaw drop.
Something flashes in his eyes, something sinister and frightening. He smiles, not because he’s enjoying the moment but to inflict pain. “Yes, I fucked her. I fucked her good. I fucked her pussy. I fucked her in the ass. I fucked her mouth. She couldn’t get enough of my cock. Is that what you want to hear?”
My skin recoils with the images of Austin and Lena in his bed flooding my mind. Austin kissing Lena in his bed, caressing her cheeks, pushing her legs apart… My hands start shaking. Lena on her knees with Austin’s erection in her mouth, him moaning with pure pleasure.
The walls are closing in on me, the air feeling heavy in my lungs. My hands start shaking. I place my hands on his chest and push him away. “Fuck you. I hate you.”
I fling open the door and storm back out to my place at the front desk. My body is convulsing with a wave of pure rage. Despite my anger, I wrap the scarf around my neck and inhale a deep breath of air to calm myself.
Austin returns to his booth where Max is waiting with his head buried in a pile of papers in front of him. I make it a point not to look their way until Austin stands, picking up his laptop, sliding it underneath his arm.
His eyes flash with fury when he directs them to me on his way to the front desk. “I’ll pick you up at closing time.”
I look the other way, the emotional storm inside me still wild and furious.
Lena’s provocative laughter reaches me from the table of guests she’s entertaining. My eyes fall on her hand that’s gliding ever so casually over one of the guests’ shoulder. Then something drops on the floor, and she bends down from the hips, showcasing her toned legs and full buttocks to her eager audience. Even Robert and his dad from the other side of the restaurant can’t stop themselves from staring.
I picture Austin approaching her from behind while she’s in that position. He’d put his big hands on her buttocks and rub his erection along the crack of her ass. I close my eyes to chase away the disturbing image. She’s getting too much into my head. I need my focus back on my job and Ruby’s death instead of some slut. It won’t happen unless I put some distance between Austin and me.
Next time Erin stops by the front desk, I signal her to come closer. “Hey, can I crash at your place for a couple of days?”
Her ears turn red, and she bites her bottom lip. “I’m sorry. I wish I could help you. My roommate has her two sisters over. We’re full-house for a month.”
My shoulders drop. “Oh, all right. I’ll figure out something.”
“I thought you were staying at Austin’s. What happened?”
“I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do. I think he and I need some space from each other.”
“Why don’t you check out Airbnb? There must be rooms available for as low as thirty dollars a night.”
Thirty dollars a night could easily deplete my bank account in a matter of days without my father’s money. I nod, feigning a smile. “I’ll look into it. Thanks.”
“All right. I’ll ask around for you. I think it’d be best if you stayed away from Austin.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah. He’s your boss. If things go south between you and him, you may end up losing your job.”
“I know. It’s stupid. In my defense, I didn’t know his father owned the restaurant when I first met him.”
“Whenever it’s about boys, our IQs lose several points.” She laughs and pats my shoulder just as Robert lifts his hand to ask for the check. Since Fran isn’t around, Erin takes his tab to him and busies herself around his booth while waiting for him to produce his credit card.
I notice Robert’s dad producing a twenty-dollar bill and slipping it over Robert’s credit card as a tip. I scan around the room for Fran. Too bad she’s not here to collect the tip. Erin may lie about the amount and just give her a few dollars.
Erin is quick to grab the tab, with a wide, grateful grin, and ring up his order herself on the cash register. I try nonchalantly to follow where the twenty dollars will end up. A piece of paper slips out of the tab and lands on the floor. Just one word is scribbled on it. Tonight.
I stop myself at the last second before picking it up and glance over at Robert, who must have written the note. He’s staring out the window, not giving away a clue about who the note was meant for. When Erin notices the note, she stoops to pick it up, glancing at it with a frown then turning to Robert. The note ends up in the trash bin behind the front desk. So much for Robert’s attempt to take a girl out to a new brewery tonight.
When Fran comes out of the kitchen with boxes for Robert, Erin hands Fran the full tip, making me feel guilty for my earlier suspicion of her.
The afternoon drags by without any clients. I stare longingly at the pedestrians outside walking by the restaurant, enjoying the unusually warm weekend weather.
While Erin brings our late lunch to our usual table by the window, Lena collects her phone and purse, heading out. “I’ll be back in an hour,” she calls out before leaving.
“Is that normal that she leaves without asking Max first?” I ask Erin.
“I’m sure she asked. Besides, there’re no tables to serve right now.” Erin sprinkles parmesan on her pasta and offers me some. Fran joins us, we finish up quickly, and get the tables ready for the busy night ahead.
Lena returns in an hour as she promised, her hair looking messier, her lips lacking their usual crimson gloss.
Fran nudges my elbow to call my attention to Lena’s hurried steps to the restroom. “Something must be up with her.” She wiggles her eyebrows with intent when Lena comes out with her hair fixed and her makeup fresh.
“What?” Lena hisses at us, baring her teeth.
I roll my eyes and look the other way.
Being a Saturday night, patrons come in groups of three or more, and I take over serving a few tables while tending the front desk. The busy shift ends with an extra hundred and fifty dollars in my purse, making me consider giving Airbnb serious consideration.
After the last guest leaves, Max appro
aches me with a hesitant glance, leaving a comfortable distance between us. My stomach churns at having his attention on me even though we’re standing at the front desk, not hiding in his office.
His eyes remain strictly on my face, when he asks me to come back to work tomorrow, although it should be my day off. I could really use the extra money, so I accept quickly.
Fran’s long and loud yawn as she walks out of the changing room beside Erin ends my conversation with Max, and he hurries back into his office. Both girls are bundled up in thick coats, scarves, and hats, reminding me of my flimsy dress and my scarf as my only clothing.
“Are you taking the bus back home?” I hear Erin ask Fran.
“Yeah, it should arrive in twenty minutes?” Fran says.
“Let me give you a ride. I’m going that way anyway,” Erin offers and stops at the bar, approaching Lena, who just then shoots me a glare. She’s still furious about my tardiness this afternoon. I turn my gaze away in an instant.
Fran places her purse before me on the front desk to put on her gloves. “Are you gonna be all right for tonight?”
“Yeah, don’t worry about me,” I lie, not wanting to get her into trouble with her landlord.
“You know where to find me.” She struggles to close her mouth as another yawn hits her and then heads out with Erin and Lena.
As soon as they leave, I realize in a panic that my only chance for a roof over my head tonight is Austin. Although it’s five after eleven, my time to leave, he hasn’t shown up yet as he promised.
The night crew arrives for cleaning up, and I slide my purse under my arm, cross my arms over my chest, and reluctantly walk to the door. Instead of wrecking my head over Austin’s past with Lena, I should have been planning where I’d spend the night.
Cold wind blows as soon as I step out of the restaurant. I consider going back in. I’d rather help the night crew clean the entire place than wander aimlessly in the dark, windy night. I don’t even have a phone to book a last-minute room at Airbnb.
What the fuck was I thinking? Why didn’t I plan something ahead of time instead of relying solely on a man who might have something to do with Ruby’s death?