I happily began to rearrange the front shelf, putting up a ‘back in stock soon’ sign. But I sniffed the air. French perfume. I spun around. Bianca cleared her throat.
“So I heard about this famous book that we were selling.” The expression on her face was mixed with annoyance and surprise. But it was mostly disappointment. And almost like she was embarrassed for me. It all seemed such a shame. When Bianca and I had first met, we’d gotten along like long lost best friends, and I was excited to meet a long-lost family member who was so similar to me. Well, maybe that was the problem—we were far too similar.
“It was a good business decision. They sold out in hours.”
“And how much of that profit is going directly to you, the author?”
Well. Hmm. To be honest, I’d already assumed that 100% of it was going to me. But she was right, as the retailer, Fabled Books had to take a cut. It wasn’t just my shop any longer.
“Thirty percent goes right back to the shop,” I said quickly, trying to soothe her. She couldn’t argue about that. We’d sold more books in the past two days than we had sold in the two weeks leading up to it.
Hmm, that was strange. Bianca never wore t-shirts. But there was something colorful and cotton going on underneath her jacket that day. She pulled off her blazer and revealed the slogan across her chest. “Kill Sharkey.”
I just stood there, open-mouthed at her audacity.
“I figured I ought to come back early,” she said. “Because it seems like this town needs some sense drummed into it. Sentimentally is threatening to take over. That shark needs to die. Someone needs to stand up for sense here.”
Uh-oh. Alyson was not going to be pleased when she found out about this.
I stared out into the tide that was going out. Time to pick sides.
“I miss it,” Alyson said as she stared into the ocean. She took her flipflop off and dipped the end of her big toe into the water. Even though I knew—logically—that there was very little chance of a shark coming right up to shore, I still told her to pull her foot out. We weren’t even supposed to be there. It was early morning, just after dawn, and the only people around were early morning joggers along the pier. So far, we hadn’t been spotted.
“What would it mean if you had to give it up?” I asked. “For good?”
She just shook her head. “I will never give it up. I’m not scared. I would go out there right now if I could.”
I glanced over my shoulder. Technically, no one could stop her. I mean, there might be consequences and she might be in trouble, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t do it. But I was glad she wasn’t. I was opening my mind to the possibility that Alyson was right and Meg had been killed by a human. But I was going to need some actual evidence before I actually dipped my toes into the ocean again.
She showed me a spot on the sand. “This is where it happened. Well, this is where Meg’s body ‘washed up’,” Alyson said, putting the words in air quotes.
I hadn’t told her anything yet about Bianca’s anti-Save Sharkey campaign. But it wouldn’t be long before Alyson found out as Bianca had already been down to the journal for an interview. They were on opposing sides. Soon to be mortal enemies. At least Bianca had no designs to get into politics. That would really be the final straw.
“What do you remember seeing?” I asked Alyson. Her crazy theories were one thing, I knew she’d leaped to a dozen conclusions already, but I was more interested in what she had actually observed on that day.
She shrugged and looked a little dejected. “Because J was with me, I was really just focused on getting her out of the way as soon as possible at the time.”
“Do you remember anyone unusual hanging around?”
Alyson paused and thought about it. “There were so many people.”
Uh-oh. Someone else suddenly appeared on the beach. I dragged her away from shore and behind a rock so that we were hidden.
I recognized the man who was walking along the edge of the water. The only one brave enough to do so. Or the only one stupid enough. “Shoot. Alyson, that is Alex Higgles…”
“Who?” she asked, then frowned. “Oh my goodness. Claire. He looks familiar to me.”
“How so? How do you know him?”
“I saw him down here on the day that Meg was found… I remember his ridiculous hair.”
He really did have ridiculous hair. Not just curly, but constantly messy, like it had never been brushed. It stuck up half a foot from his head. I could see why he had never been used on camera. You know, maybe if he tamed that mane, he stood a chance of actually getting on TV.
We remained hidden, partly because we weren’t supposed to be on the beach and partly so that we could see what Alex was up to without him seeing us.
Alyson was getting way too worked up and excited. I was just thinking she’d better keep her voice down if we didn’t want to have our cover blown. Alex stopped walking and stared at the sand. “That is the exact spot where Meg was found!” He leaned down and dug into the sand, gently at first, but then he started to go at it with both hands, like a dog digging for a bone. No idea that we were there in the shadows, watching, lurking.
I gulped.
Maybe, just maybe, he was the only one brave enough to be there because he was the only person who knew that Meg wasn’t attacked by a shark.
But there were doubts in my mind.
I frowned while we watched him. “Alex is the one who told me that Meg couldn’t swim though, Alyson. If he is the killer, it would be in his favor to have people think that the shark did it.”
“The killer always returns to the scene of the murder,” Alyson stated. “Didn’t you write that in your book?”
“You remember that?” I asked, a little pleased. I’d be getting another box of stock later that day, another fifty books to put up for sale.
But we had to remember that Alex was a member of the press just like Meg had been. And as Alyson had pointed out, just like this newspaper editor, Rachael, was.
“But they worked for two separate mediums,” I pointed out. Really just playing devil’s advocate. But Meg and Alex worked for the local tv news station and Rachael worked for the Eden Bay Journal. As far as we knew, there was no link between the two.
“We don’t know just how deep this conspiracy goes,” Alyson whispered.
Oh, boy.
13
Claire
Two heads were always better than one in the detective game. But Alyson needed to be at home with her family away from the public glare. J was getting too overexposed and cranky, and family time was needed.
And Alyson still didn’t know about Bianca. Better to keep the two of them separated for the time being.
Besides, I didn’t mind being a solo star, so I was going to put on my solo detective hat for a while and take on this case singlehandedly. I was going to crack this thing wide open and expose the seedy heart of Eden Bay’s corrupt media underbelly. Or at least, I was going to do some research.
This time, I didn’t even ask permission. And I certainly wasn’t going to ask for forgiveness.
I was admiring myself in the mirror of the bookshop. Fresh from the hairdresser. Looking glam and chic. Probably too dressy for where I was going, but there was no harm in looking my best no matter what I was doing.
“What are you up to?” Bianca asked curiously
“I’m— Erm.”
Should I tell her?
When we had first met, Bianca had been excited—more like thrilled—that I was an amateur detective who was in the middle of solving a case. She’d even wanted to dive right in and help out. But that was then, and this was now… She didn’t even like the murder mystery that I had written. So why would she want to get involved with a real life one?
Maybe she could be some use.
I cautiously told Bianca about Alyson’s suspicions—that Meg wasn’t killed by the shark but by a killer—and watched Bianca’s eyes grow progressively wider and wider. “She thinks there
might be a conspiracy.”
Bianca nodded quietly, and it was hard for me to get a grip on what she was thinking. “Especially if all the members of the press are involved…”
Hang on. Bianca wasn’t actually getting on board, was she? She was still wearing her garish “Kill Sharkey” t-shirt—quite proudly in fact.
“But this doesn’t help your campaign,” I said, confused. “If Meg was killed by a human, that means that the shark was innocent and the nets will come down.” We—well, Alyson—was so close to getting them taken down. She just needed a little more proof.
“Hmm.” Bianca stood up and leaned against the counter and nodded again. She was giving this careful consideration. “Well, I would rather know the truth. I may be in charge of Kill Sharkey, but I am not a total monster. And I only want the shark killed if he’s actually guilty.”
I narrowed my eyes. I wasn’t sure I totally bought that. Just a few days ago, Bianca had been talking about sharks like they were an evil scourge on Eden Bay and the oceans should be emptied of them. She said she was never going back in the water again. Not that I’d ever seen her anywhere near water. I had a feeling that she wanted all sharks killed and gone whether they were ‘guilty’ or not.
It was hard for me to know whether I could really trust Bianca. The book club had come and gone, and she had never read East of Eden. In fact, on the evening of the book club, she was supposed to watch the front till for me and in the end, she’d been so busy filing her nails that a customer had given up, put the book they’d wanted to purchase back on the shelf, and walked out.
Well, she was getting another shot at helping. Because this time, I was on my own without Alyson. And I needed the backup. We’d be better off just shutting up shop and losing an hour’s takings rather than have Bianca sitting there filling her nails and making us lose customers because she was too self-involved.
I straightened up. “Well, how do I look?” I asked, spinning around. “Do I look like a news caster?”
Bianca actually looked quite impressed. “Yep. You’ve nailed that dead-eyed look and your hair looks like a helmet. Quite impressive. Good work.”
Er, thank you. I think.
Or maybe not.
The studio lights were lit like they were preparing for a live broadcast. This was it—my time to shine. Er, right, my time to investigate. Eye on the prize, Claire, eye on the prize.
“Interesting shirt,” Alex said and for the first time since I’d met him, he actually seemed animated as he met Bianca for the first time and she batted her eyes at him. But he really did seem intrigued by the slogan she had plastered across her chest. Hmm… Yes… Of course he was. A little too pleased that people wanted the shark dead. Fit his agenda. But Bianca kinda pulled her blazer over the top and he was forced to turn his attention to me temporarily. He handed me a form to fill in.
“You know, you ought to try out for the job as well,” Alex said to Bianca, who shrugged and giggled a little bit.
“Oh, don’t flatter me or I will blush,” she said, playfully swatting at him.
Oh, no way. That wasn’t part of the plan. I mean, I wasn’t ACTUALLY trying out for the news caster job, not for real, but that didn’t mean I wanted Bianca coming in and taking my fake job that I didn’t even want!
I tried to regain focus and filled in the form, then checked my hair again in the mirror. This was my ‘official’ audition. Well, you know what I mean. Officially unofficial. I was told to stand on an X on the floor and that I would be reading a news announcement. The station’s plan was to replace Meg with someone who could not read only the weather but the full news report. To cut costs.
Alex, standing behind a camera, counted me in and told me that the cameras were running. “But this is only a test, right?” I asked, my heart suddenly racing.
“Well, yeah, but we have to be able to watch it back to see how you did,” he said in a ‘duh’ tone of voice while Bianca kind of rolled her eyes and giggled like she of course knew that was how these things worked. Silly Claire.
“And go!”
Oh, this was all too much. As soon as I knew the cameras were rolling for real, I completely froze up. It suddenly felt unbearably hot in the studio, and my throat was dry. I wanted to ask for a glass of water, but I didn’t want to appear weak. And the camera was rolling.
I readjusted and looked into the lens while the news article on the autocue came up. Alex shouted at me that I needed to actually read it.
“Er, right, yes, getting to that.” I refocused.
The autocue was racing far too fast and I struggled to keep up with it, missing every third line. The report coming out jumbled and disjointed. By the end, I was breathless and red-faced and starting to feel like I might throw up. I leaned forward and tried to catch my breath.
“Maybe you should stick to writing,” Alex said, and I saw Bianca try not to giggle as she turned away to hide her face. “They need more reporters down at the Journal.”
Bianca wiped the smug grin off her face and pushed her hair off her face. “Where do I stand? It’s the X, right?”
Alex winked at her. “You’re a pro already.”
Wow. So, Bianca was really going to actually audition. I stood back with my arms crossed and watched her saunter over to the spot and stare straight into the camera. Her slow, cool manner and demeanor actually worked in her favor. She wasn’t overwhelmed by the racing words and she managed to get through the whole report without missing a word. Even describing the gruesome death count with an expression that managed to be both slightly empathic yet cold and reserved.
I glanced over at Alex. He looked impressed. But I wondered if he had any actual hiring power here. The station must have been fairly bare-boned if the researcher was in charge of hiring and auditions. I tilted my head and studied him. Strong jaw. He’d be an okay-looking guy if he actually tamed that mop of hair on his head. Or maybe some women actually liked it. Wasn’t my cup of espresso.
I received a text and looked at my phone.
“So, what are you up to?” Matt was asking. He followed it up with another text straight afterward. “Want to hang out?”
“Hmm, maybe later tonight,” I shot back as a quick reply. A little bit noncommittal, but I would definitely consider it. Seeing as our views on the shark issue were starting to converge maybe we’d actually have more to talk about this time. Then again, with my contrarian attitude, Matt going too hard on the “Save Sharkey” angle could actually sway me back to the other side.
He took a few minutes to reply. “Hopefully I’ll hear from you then.”
I put the phone away and concentrated on what Alex was doing. He seemed to be making notes. He kept looking up at me and then jotting something else down. Well, that was it. I wasn’t going to just stand back silently and let someone else judge me. I decided to saunter up to him with confidence while Bianca had her mic taken off by an assistant.
“Have you had many people audition for the position?” I asked Alex, waving at the pits of my shirt, hoping that I didn’t have sweat stains there. Geez. Definitely not the first impression I wanted to make.
“Of course. Everyone wants to be on TV.” He shot me a side glance. “Everyone thinks they have the talent for it.”
I wanted to say, I do have the talent for it, the autocue was just running too fast.
Bianca was grinning as she walked back to us like she was the cat who got the cream, and I just knew they were going to give her a callback. She was the kind of woman where everything just went right, like a dream, things just fell into her lap without her even trying. I used to be that kind of girl. The Golden Child. What had gone so terribly wrong?
“Were you and Meg close?” I asked Alex, trying to salvage something from my humiliation. It felt like the entire afternoon was slipping away from me. I’d only come to audition so that I could drill Alex, and now I was losing my opportunity to do even that. I was going to leave the studio with nothing but my broken pride at that rate.
Alex tore his eyes away from Bianca for a moment to roll his eyes at me.
“Meg and I were…” But then he stopped talking as soon as Bianca walked over. Great. Some amazing backup she was turning out to be. Instead she was outshining me, stealing my fake job and now preventing me from even getting the info that I had come there for.
“You and Meg were what?” I asked him, trying to get him to answer me again. I sounded far too desperate. Not my style. I composed myself. You got more flies with honey. “I know you’re an important guy around here, Alex. I don’t mean to take up too much of your time. It’s just that I am also a bit of a researcher. I think it’s a very valuable skill…”
He looked up and nodded. “It is.”
I shrugged. “And so I can’t help my curiosity. As soon as I found out that Meg couldn’t swim, I was intrigued. The facts didn’t seem to add up.”
His face turned dark. “I know,” he gulped. “It was like Meg was being punished…”
“What do you mean punished?” The desperation had returned to my voice, and he shut down again.
I gave up. Time to get out of there while I still had a little bit of dignity. I saw him slip his number to Bianca. Surely he didn’t think he actually stood a chance with her? But I watched her slide it into her pocket, not throwing it away, at least not just yet.
“I think Alyson might be right…” My voice was low as we walked away from the studio. Now that I’d sold the Porsche, I had to walk everywhere. Well, that wasn’t quite true. I still took a cab about twice a day to save myself from having to walk more than five minutes. “Something fishy is going on with the press. Alex Higgins was hiding something.”
Bianca shrugged. She glanced back over her shoulder. “I thought Alex was a nice guy. Even kind of cute in an unusual way.”
Maybe her standards were slipping now that she was spending time in Eden Bay.
Hang Ten Australian Cozy Mystery Boxed Set Page 68