“Is it because I’m gay?”
“Don’t be cute.”
“We can say I was inquiring for Max. He’d probably like a lap dance.”
“How did you find Roger?” Calvin asked. “The boyfriend?”
“Don’t you remember me telling you everything can be found online these days? Max calls it Face-stalking.”
Calvin didn’t look any happier. His jaw was clenched again, and the muscles in his neck tensed. I realized the expression was stress. A lot of it.
“Cal?” I asked. “Are you okay?”
He didn’t answer.
Quinn strode across the room and nodded at Calvin as she reached us. “Gracie Madison works here. Answers phones, fills in dancing when one of the other girls calls out. She says Ricky attacked her and she doesn’t know where Mr. White Knight came from, only that he saved her from being beaten with a hammer.”
I nodded and looked back at Calvin. “I did do that. That part is true.”
Quinn looked down at me and raised an eyebrow. “Anyway. Cupcake over there said she saw Meredith Brown get into a truck with a guy on Wednesday, about an hour or so before she was murdered at the museum.”
Calvin immediately moved to go speak with Gracie. When I stood up, he put a firm hand on my shoulder and pushed me back into the seat. “Not you. Stay.”
“I’m not a dog.”
“Dogs take better direction.” He left me and walked to her table.
“Aren’t you two precious,” Quinn said.
I frowned and turned toward the other table. Calvin towered over Gracie, looking down at her as she spoke with her hands. She was still scared and nervous and was talking fast, but I was able to pick up parts of her side of the conversation.
“A big guy. Fat.”
“No. No, I don’t think so.”
“Like construction, I guess.”
“Well… no, but I noticed on the truck it said North. Northsomething.”
“CALVIN! WAIT,listen,” I insisted, grabbing his jacket sleeve and holding him back.
The police closed Ricky’s for what I imagined was the foreseeable future and were wrapping the scene up as Calvin made to leave.
“I’m driving you to your father’s,” Calvin answered.
“Wait,” I said again, more firmly. “For Christ’s sake!”
Calvin frowned and looked down at me. “Sebastian. I’m pissed. I can’t believe you—”
“I know who Gracie saw,” I whispered harshly.
“You have my undivided attention,” Quinn butted in. She lightly smacked Calvin’s chest when he began to protest.
“I’m certain whoever is behind this is someone who knows me. It has to be. It’s been so personal. But she claims to have seen a big guy driving a construction truck that had North on the side?” I couldn’t believe I was going to say this. “The Emporium’s landlord. Luther North. He owns a small construction company called North’s Buildings and Repairs. And yes, he’s a rather overweight gent.”
No matter how sly you can be, the silliest mistake will always be your undoing. Luther drove the damn truck advertising his name for the world to see. He picked Meredith up, brought her to the museum, and killed her. He had access to my shop, he knew where I lived….
“AndI proved the case,” I said to Calvin. “I’m owed a mermaid.”
