“Because ... because you and Hannah are professionals,” Laura sputtered. “Besides that, you’re the boss. There are separate rules for you.”
“My uncle said the same. He was annoyed, by the way, at being woken with such an inconsequential issue. For the record, he’s lifted the fraternization rule from our group. It’s still in place for the rest of the company, but given the way we travel and the inordinate amount of time we’re forced to spend together, he thought that we should have different rules.”
Laura’s lips turned down. “What do you mean?”
“Fraternization is now fine as long as it doesn’t infringe on our performance as a group,” Chris replied, his eyes hard as he stared down Laura. “The final decision is now up to me if someone is going to get in trouble for fraternization, which I don’t see happening.”
“So ... they just get away with it?”
“Yes.” Chris was firm. “You, however, will be facing an inquiry at the main office when we return. I didn’t ask for it — so don’t attack me — but it seems Millie and Uncle Myron had a chat this morning. She was angry and had a few things to talk to him about.”
“They’re divorced.” Laura glanced around the table as if looking for backup. Finding none, she doubled down on her resolve. “Why would Millie get involved?”
“I think we all know the answer to that,” Chris replied. “She’s still on the phone with him now. She had some interesting ideas for your performance review.”
Laura’s face went slack. “You can’t punish me for this.”
“I’m not in charge of any of that. If you’re upset, take it up with Uncle Myron. He’ll be personally looking over your review.”
I risked a glance at Jack and found him watching the scene with smug satisfaction. “Did you know it would go down this way?” I whispered.
He shook his head. “No, but I knew it would be all right.” He slipped his arm around my back and met Chris’s even gaze. “We won’t shirk our duties.”
“I know.” Chris smiled at me. “I think it’s kind of cute.”
“It’s new,” Jack corrected. “We don’t know where it’s going yet. I promise that it won’t infringe on our duties. We’re dedicated to our jobs.”
“If I had any doubts about that you wouldn’t be here. As for you, Laura, I’d start thinking long and hard about how you’re going to explain your actions to Uncle Myron. He does not like being bothered with trivialities.”
Laura’s eyes were filled with fury when they locked with mine. She was in trouble, but she was nowhere near done with me. I could read that with absolute clarity.
Ah, well. That was a problem for another day. I opened the menu with more zest than I felt only minutes before. “I’m thinking pancakes this morning. I worked up an appetite last night.”
Jack chuckled at Laura’s scowl. “Sounds good. I’m famished. Pancakes all around.”
Twenty-One
Laura made a big show of stalking into the lobby, standing on the other side of the restaurant window and talking on her phone. When she first started the conversation she was all smiles, as if she were about to win some big award. Within seconds of carrying out her conversation, that smile was gone. By the end, she was yelling, and whoever she was talking with appeared to be yelling back.
“What are you guys looking at?” Millie asked, appearing at the table.
“How did you get here without us noticing?” I glanced around, confused. “Are you a ninja or something? We’ve been watching the front door.”
“I came in through the side door,” Millie replied, her gaze traveling to Laura. “What is she doing?”
“Auditioning for her role as the Devil in Rosemary’s Baby?” Jack replied dryly.
Millie’s eyebrows migrated higher on her forehead. “Someone’s in a mood.”
“I am in a mood,” Jack agreed, his temper coming out to play. “I don’t understand why she can’t simply be a decent person. She always takes it to a level where it’s impossible to tolerate her.”
“You’re looking at it the wrong way,” Millie said as she took the open chair to my left. “Laura believes the way to get ahead in life is to push others behind her. She doesn’t understand that not everybody is in the same line.”
“Oh, that was almost poetic,” Jack drawled. “I still can’t stand her.”
“Well, none of us can stand her.” Millie was blasé. “She’s a terrible person. However, one look tells you all you need to know in this particular situation. She’s not getting her way. Trust me. I talked to Myron. He wasn’t happy with the early-morning call. He’s handling the situation.”
I was curious if he was handling the situation because of Millie and Bernard or Chris and Hannah. My money was on Chris and Hannah. I’d yet to see Myron and Millie interact for more than five minutes at a time — Jack swore up and down that longer interaction elicited fears of the end of the world — but they’d been polite and cordial during those instances. In fact, Myron seemed rather fond of Millie, as if he wasn’t quite over her. I kept that observation to myself.
“So ... what are we doing otherwise?” I asked. I wanted to get the group back on track rather than dwell on Laura. If we spent all our time thinking about Laura, the conversation would ultimately turn to Jack and me. The relationship was too new for that.
“We’re having breakfast,” Jack replied. “I believe it was you who ordered that huge mound of pancakes.”
“I’m talking about work. What are we doing for work after this?”
“Hannah and I are going out on the cutter again,” Chris announced, causing Jack’s head to snap in his direction. “We’ve set up a special consultation with Jim Bedford. He was the man we talked to briefly after Charlie’s accident. We’re heading back out with him.”
Jack was flabbergasted. “Why am I only just hearing about this?”
“Because I’m your boss and I made the decision,” Chris replied blandly. “I believe I’m allowed to schedule my own day.”
“And I believe I haven’t signed off on that trip,” Jack countered, refusing to back down. “As head of security, I get to lodge an opinion on activities ... and I’m not a fan of that one.”
“I’m still the boss.” Chris was firm. “You don’t believe we’re dealing with a Megalodon.”
“No sane person believes we have a Megalodon out there hunting,” Jack argued.
“Well, if there’s no Megalodon, you have absolutely no reason to believe I’m in any danger on the boat.” Chris was smug as he folded his arms across his chest and met Jack’s annoyed gaze. “Isn’t that right?”
“I can see where you would think that,” Jack supplied. “The thing is, I didn’t believe we were dealing with a Megalodon a few days ago and Charlie almost died while out on the water. Do you see where I’m going with this?”
Chris’s smile slipped. “I have no intention of getting in the water.”
“I don’t believe Charlie did either.”
“Charlie is right here,” I reminded them, waving in case I’d suddenly turned invisible without my knowledge. “I fell in because of Laura. I’m sure Chris will be fine as long as she’s not there.”
“You can come with us if you want,” Chris offered.
The way Jack’s body tensed told me he would absolutely lose his head if I agreed to that. “Thank you for the offer, but I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not a boat person.” I thought back to the way my stomach constantly somersaulted during the previous trip. “Apparently I’m prone to seasickness.”
Jack immediately calmed. “I thought you weren’t admitting you were sick.”
“Yeah, well, Laura wouldn’t have so easily been able to knock me over the edge if I hadn’t been off my game. I don’t want to head out on the cutter again. I much prefer drawing the Megalodon into shore so I can see it from the pier.”
“Oh, geez.” Jack slapped his hand to his forehead. “This is seriously the stupidest assignment we’ve ever been on.”
“I think you’re exaggerating.” Chris leaned back in his chair. “I find this assignment exhilarating. We’re on the beach, at a beautiful resort and we’re looking for an animal that’s supposed to be extinct. What’s more exciting than that?”
“I don’t even know how to respond to that,” Jack muttered, shaking his head.
Chris ignored the security guru’s pouty reaction and fixed me with a bright smile. If he was annoyed by the turn of events, worried that Jack and I would fall off the rails and disrupt the natural chemistry of the group, he didn’t show it. “What do you have planned for the day?”
“Oh, well ... .” I shifted, uncertain. I hadn’t gotten that far. Jack and I were still playing cuddle monsters in bed when our morning was upended.
“Bernard and I are spending the morning on the pier,” Jack announced, taking me by surprise. “The shark net they put in the other day was temporary. I heard the maintenance crew talking. They had to order a permanent one. That’s going up today.”
“How do you know that?” I asked.
“I keep my ear to the ground. We’re going to watch the installation. And, before anyone asks, we’re not watching because we think a Megalodon is going to show up. We’re watching because I have questions about that net — and how it managed to get destroyed in the manner we saw the first day we arrived. The people who can answer those questions will be on site today.”
“That’s a good idea,” Chris enthused. “Make sure they give you measurements from the destroyed net so we know how big the Megalodon is.”
There are times I think Chris is earnest to a fault, that he could never say anything that isn’t true. There are other times I’m convinced he’s a master at trolling people. This was one of those times. The look on Jack’s face was absolutely priceless.
“I can guarantee the word ‘Megalodon’ isn’t going to escape my lips,” he said. “I will ask about their theories on the other net, but I’m not risking being thrown in the nuthouse for questioning them about an extinct prehistoric shark.”
“Fine.” Chris airily gestured with his hand to wave off Jack’s attitude. “I’ll track down the workers when we get back and ask them myself. I don’t need you to do it for me.”
“That’s great.” Jack rolled his eyes until they landed on me. “What are you going to do?”
That was a good question. “I’m going to see if I can track down information on Clark and Shayne,” I said finally, making up my mind. “There has to be a way to figure out what happened between them, even if their involvement was more than a decade back.”
“Don’t go anywhere that you’re isolated,” Jack warned. “If Clark is the bad guy, he won’t hesitate to go after you to keep you quiet.”
“I have no intention of going anywhere with Clark.” I internally shuddered at the thought. “Trust me. He’s the last person I want to spend time with.”
“DO YOU WANT SOME COFFEE?”
Despite my best intentions, I ended up in the lobby alone with Clark between conference classes. He was almost decent when he didn’t have an audience, and he threw me for a loop when he offered to buy a beverage for me.
“Um ... green tea is fine,” I said finally, taking a long look around the empty lobby, hoping to find at least one other stray body for reassurance. I came up empty.
My plan was to track down Lily and Sarah so they could answer additional questions about Clark and Shayne. If there was anything worth knowing, they would have the inside track. Unfortunately, by the time we’d finished breakfast they were departing for classes. That left me alone in the lobby.
The first time it happened I was fine with it because it allowed me to start Googling the formerly romantic pair. I managed to find out that they both graduated from a Louisiana high school, neither with high grades, and Shayne was the winter homecoming queen. Unfortunately, the school didn’t have old yearbooks online, so I couldn’t search through photos and piece together a history of the couple. I could, however, pull the name of the class president because the website had a list of each individual who had filled that position.
I spent the next twenty minutes tracking down Augusta Benson. She married and changed her last name, but returned to her maiden name upon getting divorced. Ultimately, she was right back in her hometown and it wasn’t hard to track her down. She thought I was a telemarketer when I called and hung up. I decided to wait a few minutes before calling again, but she didn’t bother picking up the second time. I left a message, but I wasn’t holding out hope that she’d call back.
By this time, the authors had finished their first classes of the day and were enjoying their break. It was too late to ask Lily and Sarah my questions before they disappeared inside the conference rooms a second time. I wasn’t alone once the lobby emptied this go-around. Clark remained with me ... and I was unbelievably uncomfortable with the turn of events.
“Thanks.” I forced a smile as he delivered the iced tea I’d requested. “Um ... what do I owe you?”
“Don’t worry about it.” He sat across from me at the table. “I’m a successful author. I believe I can afford a five-dollar tea for my new friend.”
There was something about the words that set me on edge. “Um ... .”
“Oh, I love your face.” Clark slapped his knee and gave in to raucous laughter. “You have an expressive face. Most authors would love writing about your face.”
“Is that a compliment?” I really wasn’t sure.
“It’s not an insult.”
And that wasn’t really an answer, I mused. He was good at deflection. When he wanted attention, he knew how to garner it. He was fine being lewd and crude. In fact, if I had to guess, he probably got off on the power. Most women weren’t comfortable with the things he said and walked away rather than continue listening. He took that as a win.
Well, I had news for him; I wasn’t most women and I had no intention of walking away.
Of course, that didn’t mean I was comfortable. Jack would be absolutely furious when he found out I spent alone time with one of our chief suspects.
“How did you get into writing prepper fiction?” I asked, changing the subject. “That sounds like a fascinating genre.”
“Oh, it is.” Clark turned serious. “I’ve always been interested in writing about the end of the world. I think preparing my readers is important. My knowledge will help them, and I’m all about helping people.”
Everything I’d seen from him since arriving seemed to prove that statement wrong. “Are you married?”
“Are you interested?” He winked and made my stomach roll.
“I don’t think I could live the prepper lifestyle.” I opted for honesty. “I don’t mind camping one or two nights — although it’s not my favorite activity — but living the prepper life is probably out of my wheelhouse.”
“It’s not for the weak,” he agreed.
Wait ... did he just call me weak? “I don’t think it’s about being weak or strong,” I hedged, biting back my temper. “I simply prefer food that doesn’t taste like cardboard.”
“When the end of the world comes you won’t care what your food tastes like. You’ll only care about survival, the fact that the zombies aren’t eating you and your neighbor isn’t trying to steal your virtue along with a pantry full of canned goods.”
Good grief. This guy was more ridiculous than Chris’s Megalodon theory. “Well ... at least you know how you’re going to approach the situation. That’s what’s important, right?”
“Oh, I’ll definitely be prepared.” Clark’s grin was lazy as he leaned back in his chair and sipped his coffee. There was something predatory about his expression ... and I didn’t like it. “You’re with that group investigating the death of that paranormal fantasy author, right?”
Hmm. He didn’t refer to her by name. He’d either already distanced himself from the girl he knew or he wanted me to believe they were barely acquaintances. I was leaning toward the latter. “Kind of,” I re
plied. “I’m with the Legacy Foundation. We investigate unexplained deaths.” That wasn’t exactly true. It wasn’t totally a lie either. Explaining what we really did often incurred laughter ... and in extreme cases, fear.
“We’re here because there’s a question about the shark activity,” I continued. “Hey, maybe you can help us.” I made up my mind on the spot. Clark and I were alone in the lobby, but that didn’t mean I was vulnerable. There were hundreds of people only a few feet away behind closed doors. If I screamed, help would come. That meant I could push him, and I was dying to see his reaction.
“You think I can help you?” Clark’s expression turned doubtful. “I don’t know much about sharks, but I’ll try.”
“Oh, I’m not talking about sharks.” I made a dismissive wave. “I’m talking about the fact that you went to high school with Elsie May Haymark.” I decided to use her real name because I wanted him to understand that I was serious and not operating in the dark. “You guys used to date, right?”
I kept my tone casual because I wanted to appear as if the questions were standard and the situation entirely ordinary.
The look on Clark’s face told me he felt otherwise.
“Excuse me?” His eyes flashed with something I couldn’t quite identify. “What are you talking about?”
“You and Elsie May Haymark went to high school together,” I repeated, refusing to back down. “My understanding is you dated. That must have made attending the same conferences throughout the year pretty stressful. Did you ever meet her kids? I hear she has five of them.”
Clark worked his jaw, temper lurking in the depths of his brown eyes. Finally, when he spoke, it was to issue a denial. That didn’t exactly surprise me. “I have no idea what you’re saying.”
I decided to lay it out for him as if he were twelve. “Elsie May Haymark is Shayne Rivers. You went to high school with Elsie, dated her even, and then fought with her on the internet in public forums. The thing I’m curious about is, did you fight because she refused to mold herself into the model you wanted for a partner or did you adopt that mantra after she became the primary breadwinner in her family?”
The Megalodon Mix-Up Page 20