The way Jack’s cheeks puckered told me it took everything he had not to laugh. Despite his earlier meltdown, he was having a good time. It was nice to see. “We found out some disturbing things about Clark,” he offered when he regained control of his facial muscles. “It seems he was a suspect in a murder when he was in high school. The girl in question was last seen with him and then disappeared. Her body was found later in a body of water flush with alligators.”
Sarah’s mouth dropped open. “Seriously? Talk about Colonel Chompers, huh?”
“She wasn’t gnawed on,” I supplied. “Her body was intact.”
“We think he might’ve gotten the idea to dispose of a body in predator-infested waters at that point,” Jack volunteered. “Just because it didn’t work the first time doesn’t mean it wouldn’t work a second. He’s older now, smarter. He might’ve even seen the sharks in the water earlier in the day and that triggered the idea.”
“We don’t know if she was dead or alive when she hit the water, right?” Lily queried.
“No, but I don’t know that it matters,” Jack replied. “I think it’s pretty obvious that Shayne didn’t throw herself off the end of the pier. Everyone says she was a rampant narcissist. Narcissists don’t commit suicide.”
“She would never kill herself,” Lily agreed. “It wouldn’t even enter her mind other than as a device to make her enemies feel bad. But she certainly would fake a suicide attempt.”
Jack tilted his head to the side, considering. “Like take some pills and then call the hospital herself?”
“More like claim she was going to commit suicide and then make up a lie about her husband finding her before she could follow through, thus saving her at the last second and giving her a new lease on life.”
“What about the water?” I asked. “Do you think she would be stupid enough to get in the water after dark? I mean ... the shark net was supposed to be intact. She might’ve thought the area was clear of sharks. She could’ve been carrying out a public suicide attempt to garner sympathy and it backfired on her.”
“I hate to say it, but that’s a possibility,” Jack said.
“Definitely,” Lily agreed. “She was capable of doing it. I don’t know that she would go that route, though. That’s something she would have trouble controlling. She’s much more the fake overdose sort.”
“Well ... .” I tapped on my bottom lip, turning to look over my shoulder when I felt someone move in behind me.
“Hello, all.” Millie shoved me so I was practically on Jack’s lap as she yanked over a chair and joined us without invitation. “I wondered where you guys went.”
“Welcome to the party,” I muttered, massaging the hip she jolted.
Jack’s eyes twinkled as he rubbed his hand over my back, clearly unbothered by the fact that I was pressed up against him. He was done hiding our relationship. Of course, there was always the possibility that he needed the tactile contact, too. He’d had something of a rough day.
“This is Millie,” I offered by way of introduction.
Lily and Sarah introduced themselves. Millie was friendly enough, although clearly distracted. Once the pleasantries were out of the way, she launched in her news.
“So, I just got off the phone with James Sanderson,” she started.
Lily widened her eyes. “You know James Sanderson?”
“Millie knows everybody,” Jack answered, smirking. “She’s a real people person.”
“I am nothing of the sort,” Millie countered. “My ex-husband was friends with him. I knew him well enough to call. He was interested when I told him where I was.”
“I’ll bet,” I said. “Did you tell him Leslie Downs was here?”
“I did and he has nothing nice to say about that loon.”
“Oh, I’m practically salivating,” Lily said.
Sarah bobbed her head. “The only thing that would make this moment better is pimento cheese.”
Millie snickered. “Oh, you’re that girl. I’ve heard all about you.”
“Should I be worried?”
“No. Charlie is worried the pimento cheese is code for something sexual. I tried to tell her it’s a southern thing, but she won’t believe me.”
I was mortified, my cheeks hotter than lava, when Sarah pinned me with a look. “I didn’t say it was code for something sexual,” I said finally.
“Oh, you’re kind of weird, huh?” Sarah didn’t appear bothered. “It’s fine. I would totally hit on you if I rolled that way.” She patted my knee under the table and I felt Jack’s shoulders shaking with silent laughter as he snuggled close to me. “Go on with your story, Millie. I want to hear all about Leslie the loon.”
“Well, she’s been warned three times about breaking the terms of her restraining order,” Millie said, glancing around to make sure we weren’t garnering interest from the crazy chick in question. “She showed up at Sanderson’s old penthouse. But he’d moved, and they were very careful when buying property. They did it through a corporation he created just for that purpose.”
“Wow. That’s dedication,” Lily mused. “Did she get arrested when she tried to get to the old penthouse?”
“Yes, and she was warned by the same judge who signed the restraining order. He told her if she did it again she would be in big trouble.”
“Let me guess,” Sarah drawled. “She did it again.”
“She went back to the fishing cabin,” Millie supplied. “He didn’t want to sell it because it had been in his family for eighty years, but he’d upgraded the security considerably. There are cameras all over that property. They caught Leslie trespassing no fewer than three times.”
“And the judge didn’t lock her up for that?” Jack was incredulous. “I’m sorry, but what’s it going to take? Does she have to kill him to make an impression?”
“Apparently she’s got a zero-tolerance edict hanging over her head,” Millie explained. “If she shows up anywhere near him again she’s going to jail for three years. No ifs, ands or buts.”
“I guess I’ll believe that when I see it,” Jack muttered, dragging a restless hand through his hair. “Did Sanderson say anything about his proposed partnership with Shayne Rivers?”
Millie nodded. “He said it’s a load of crap. She did contact his agent, but was shot down before she even got her opening spiel out. James does not want to deal with another author, no matter who it is, playing in his pool. She was told it wasn’t going to happen, so if she was spreading something else it was a lie.”
“I told you.” Sarah looked triumphant. “I told you that’s what she was doing. There was no way he would’ve agreed to a co-writing arrangement with her. She never wrote a mystery or thriller in her life. That was all a way to drive Leslie around the bend.”
“To what end?” I asked, legitimately curious. “Even Shayne must have realized it was dangerous to push Leslie too far. Why would she want to light that particular fuse?”
“Maybe she wanted to light it and send her in another direction,” Jack suggested. “Perhaps she wanted to get Leslie going, make her believe she was talking to Sanderson, and then agree to back down if Leslie did something for her.”
Now we were getting somewhere. “Like go after Clark,” I surmised.
“That’s a good guess,” Jack said, “but she had so many enemies it’s possible that she wanted Leslie to take out someone else. I’m willing to bet that Shayne hadn’t made it far enough into her plan to turn Leslie. She was still in the agitating phase.”
“I believe that.” I told him about my run-in with Leslie earlier. “She hated Shayne.”
“Is it possible she hated her enough to kill her?”
I answered without hesitation. “Definitely.”
BECAUSE HE WASN’T IN THE MOOD to spend time with Chris and Laura — especially the latter — Jack suggested we return to the satellite resort restaurant for a private dinner.
I readily agreed, and this time we spent some time perusing the gift shop a
s we waited for a table to open.
“I’ve always liked ocean-themed stuff,” I mused as I tapped a set of octopus wind chimes. “I think it’s neat, and I always like the colors.”
Jack watched me shop, amused. “Do you want those? I’ll buy them for you.”
“Thanks, but my apartment is on the ground floor and if I put them outside they’d be stolen within twenty-four hours.”
His smile slipped. “You live on the ground floor? I didn’t know that.”
“You picked me up for our date.”
“I know, but ... you came out the lobby door. I had no idea you were on the ground floor. You can’t stay there.”
“I’m perfectly safe. I’ve been there for months.”
“Well, you’re not staying.” Jack was firm. “If I have to talk to your landlord myself, I will. You need to move to the second floor at the least. Maybe you should move to a different neighborhood. Your building isn’t exactly what I would call modern.”
“No, but I can afford it.” I moved around the display I’d been looking at and focused on a shelf of colorful shot glasses. “It’s not exactly easy to find an affordable apartment close to the office. It took me two full weeks, and when it came down to it there was only one that fit my needs. I have to eat Ramen noodles five days a week just to afford it.”
Jack was so quiet I assumed I’d lost him. When I turned I found him staring at me with a serious expression on his face that made me nervous. “What?”
“Are you saying that you don’t make enough to survive on?”
“I’m surviving.”
“How close are you to being homeless?”
Oh, geez. I realized after the fact that I definitely shouldn’t have brought that up. He wasn’t going to let it go. “I’m fine, Jack. This job is a dream come true. It’s just ... the area is a little expensive. If I have to get a second job, I will. Don’t worry about it. It’s not the end of the world.”
“What second job will you get that allows you to travel with us for weeks at a time?”
That was a good question. “Maybe I’ll see if I can be one of those internet assistants Lily and Sarah use. They might know someone who needs help. I could do that job anywhere.”
“That’s not as bad as what I thought you were going to say,” Jack admitted. “Still, if the company isn’t paying you enough I can talk to Myron.”
“No.” I vehemently shook my head. “That’s not what I want. I agreed to my salary for six months. I can make it.”
Jack didn’t look convinced, but he let it go. “Fine. We’ll talk about it when we get home.” He turned his attention to the table in front of him. On it, a basket full of what looked to be huge shark teeth was on display. “Look at this.” He grabbed one of the teeth and held it up. “It’s a Megalodon tooth.”
I frowned. He was mocking me. “That’s not a real tooth.” I snagged it from him, yelping in surprise when he swooped in and gave me a quick kiss. It was his version of an apology. I’m ashamed to say, I melted a bit. He had a certain effect on me I couldn’t always explain.
“It’s marble,” Jack said when he was done kissing me. “It’s supposed to be a decoration for shark enthusiasts. Maybe I should buy one for Chris. If he has a replica he might give up on the real thing.”
“I don’t think anything will make him give up on the real thing.” I flipped the tooth over and ran my fingers over the edge. It was sharp. “Hmm.”
“What?” Jack poked my side. “Do you want it?”
“You seem obsessed with buying me a gift. I don’t need anything. It’s just ... this is the size of a Megalodon tooth.”
“I noticed.”
“The wounds on Shayne’s body were too big to be made by a normal-sized shark.”
Jack understood where I was going and grabbed the tooth, holding it up in the light. “You don’t think ... ?”
“I don’t know. It’s a possibility, right?”
“Someone would’ve had to buy it here, in the satellite resort.”
“Some of the writers are staying here because it was cheaper,” I supplied. “I heard a few of them talking about it. They were complaining about the walk between resorts.”
“Which means someone could’ve bought this and tried to frame a shark for murder.”
“That would be my guess.”
Jack grabbed my hand and dragged me toward the checkout counter, the tooth clutched tightly against his chest. “Come on. I’m buying this and then taking some dimensions and sending them to Hannah. I want to know what she thinks.”
“What about dinner?”
“We’ll multitask.” He slowed his pace. “As a Megalodon is my witness, you’re not eating Ramen noodles again.”
“I kind of like them.”
“Never again.”
“Yes, sir.”
His smile was back. “That’s better ... and kind of hot.”
Twenty-Seven
We ate a quick, not even remotely close to romantic, dinner. The discovery of the marble Megalodon tooth was enough to tip things in an interesting direction, and apparently even Chris opted to listen when Jack called Hannah.
“I’m taking a photo,” Jack announced, grabbing my phone. “It will come from Charlie so I can keep my line open. I’ll message both of you.” He was video chatting with both of them. “What do you want me to put next to it for scale?”
“Do you have a ruler?” Hannah asked.
Jack rolled his eyes. “We’re on the beach. There are no rulers.”
“Just come back here,” Chris suggested. He seemed downcast. The knowledge that Jack had found a way to explain the Megalodon bite marks was almost too much for him to bear. “I want to see it in person, make sure it’s actually as durable as you say it is.”
Jack could’ve gloated. I thought maybe he wanted to because he seemed smug when we were checking out with the tooth. He managed to rein in his surlier impulses, though, and remain pleasant as he met Chris’s gaze. “We’re trying to find Clark Savage. He has to be around here, unless he checked out. I’m going to check with the front desk to be sure. Maybe I can get into his room.”
“The hotel staff won’t simply let you in his room,” Chris argued.
Jack slid me a sidelong look. “Well, I might have a way around that. I can’t guarantee anything. We need to look for Clark. This might be our last chance to find him.”
“If he’s the guilty party, shouldn’t you leave apprehending him to the police?” Hannah asked.
Jack shrugged, noncommittal. “Maybe. The thing is, I’d like to talk to him. He’s our prime suspect, but that doesn’t mean he’s definitely the guilty party. The evidence points toward him, but it’s all circumstantial. Anyone could’ve bought a shark tooth.”
Jack decided to place the call behind the satellite resort. From our spot on the beach, I could make out several people sitting at the tiki bar. I pointed to let him know I planned to head in that direction, but he grabbed my wrist before I could escape.
“Hold on, Chris.” He ordered our boss to stop complaining and focused on me. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“A few of the writers are at the tiki bar. I thought I might check with them to see if they’ve seen Clark.”
Jack didn’t look convinced. “We only think Clark is the killer,” he reminded me. “We don’t know that it’s true. I think you’d be better off sticking with me.”
“It’s like four people ... and you’ll be able to see me the entire time.”
Jack flicked his eyes to the spot over my shoulder. “I know, but ... you should stay here.”
“Jack is head of security, Charlie,” Chris noted. “Do what he says.”
That sounded like the last thing I wanted to do. “It’s, like, a hundred feet away. He’ll be able to see me the entire time. It will also cut down on the number of people we need to question once you’re done sending tooth measurements to Hannah.”
“That is true,” Hannah noted. “She’s bein
g efficient, not reckless.”
I wanted to crow, but managed to swallow the impulse. “I’m being efficient, Jack. How often do I get to say that?”
Jack scowled, but I knew I’d won by the way his shoulders sloped. “Fine.” He released my arm. “Don’t wander off. And don’t tip our hand. Let them know we found the murder weapon. In fact, say it was discovered at a gift shop of all places, but don’t say what it is or where we found it. I want them to sweat if it’s one of them.”
“I thought you were leaning toward Clark.”
“I am, but I don’t want to rule out the others.”
“Fair enough.”
I left Jack to measure his tooth and talk science with Hannah — seriously, could there be a more boring conversation? — and cut through the beach cabanas as I headed toward the tiki bar. The one at the satellite property was smaller than the one at the main resort, but the location was pleasant, and not nearly as loud as the bigger one.
“Can I have a rum runner?” I asked as I sat at the bar. I wanted to look as if I was merely hanging out.
“Sure.” The bartender, who wore a name tag that read “Summer,” flashed me a quick smile as she started mixing my drink. “Are you enjoying your stay at Gulf Winds Lodge?”
She probably had to ask that, customer service and all, so I nodded. “I am. We’re having a great time. In fact, we just ate at the cool restaurant inside with the huge aquarium wall.”
“Ah, yes, the food there is amazing. What did you have?”
“Scallops.”
“Very good.”
I risked a nervous glance toward my left, at the place where J.D. sat drinking and talking with someone I didn’t recognize. Christine sat on a lounger behind him, those ever-present knitting needles clicking at a fantastic rate, Their fight from earlier appeared to have lingered, because they weren’t speaking to one another.
“You still haven’t seen Clark, have you?” I asked.
J.D., clearly annoyed at being interrupted, shook his head. “No. Why are you so obsessed with Clark?”
The Megalodon Mix-Up Page 25