There was only a brief pause before Cam echoed, “Amen.”
“Thanks for joining in.” She unwrapped her sandwich and grinned. “You remembered the pickles!”
“How could I forget?” He cocked a brow. “I still remember how upset you were when I’d forgotten them in the past.”
She flushed. “Sorry about that. Silly to have been upset over something so insignificant in the big scheme of things.”
He shrugged. “Yeah, we were so young. Back then, our biggest concern was wondering if we’d have to put our rescue skills to use. And who was going to find a way to sneak beer into the bonfire party after work. Now...” He let his voice trail off.
Now, Cam was a suspect in two brutal murders. She reached over to touch his hand. “Let’s eat, then see what we can find out about Dan.”
He nodded and took a big bite of his meatball sub. She did the same with her turkey sandwich. As they ate, she turned in her seat to scan the restaurant. After running into Jackson, Beverly, and then seeing Dan on the boat, she figured they’d see other classmates sooner or later.
“Hey, is that Marcie Jones?” She frowned as she spied a woman about her age sitting at a table with three kids. The kids were school age, the oldest being about ten or so. Evie shouldn’t have been surprised that so many of their classmates were married with kids.
If she hadn’t stumbled across Shawn’s infidelity, she might have married him and had a kid or two as well. Not that her marriage to Shawn would have lasted.
“Looks like it.” He watched her for a moment. “Do you want to try talking to her?”
She hesitated, wondering how much Marcie would say in front of the kids. Then she shrugged. “Can’t hurt.” She set her half-eaten sandwich down and stood to approach her former classmate.
“Hi, Marcie, how are you?” She forced a smile as Marcie glanced up at her.
“Oh, hi, Evie. I heard you were staying in town.” Marcie waved at her three kids. “I’d like you to meet Joey, Livvy, and Stevie.”
“Nice to meet you.” Evie looked at each of the three kids, then back at Marcie. “You have a lovely family.”
“Thanks. You remember Rick Thomas? We all had chemistry together. He and I started dating a year after graduation, then got married a year later.”
She did remember Rick; he had often joined them for their bonfires. Nice guy who didn’t cause any trouble. She was a little surprised Rick and Marcie had gotten married so young, but that often happened in small towns. “Congrats. I’m happy for you both.”
“Thanks. Rick works up at the hospital as a security guard.” Marcie eyed her kids. “He picked up some extra shifts, so I’m doing my best to keep the kids entertained. Honestly, school can’t start soon enough for me.”
Marcie didn’t ask her to sit, so Evie decided to make this quick. “Have you heard about Skye’s remains being found?”
“I did, yes. It’s awful, isn’t it?” Marcie’s expression was filled with concern. “And right after that, we heard Jasmine went missing. This is the stuff that happens in big cities, not in our idyllic small town.”
Considering Rick was a hospital security guard, she shouldn’t have been surprised by Marcie’s comment. “Oh, how did Rick hear about Jasmine’s disappearance?”
“He knew Jasmine, of course, but he didn’t hear about it until the notice went through earlier today.” Marcia sighed and shook her head. “It’s terrible. We’re all hoping she’s found very soon.”
Evie had no intention of mentioning the dead body they’d found. The news would skip along the town grapevine soon enough. And while there was no reason to suspect Rick of any wrongdoing, Rick had known both dead women, Skye and Jasmine.
“Mom, Livvy’s kicking me,” Stevie complained.
“Am not,” Livvy protested.
“Knock it off, both of you.” Marcie’s voice was stern but reflected a hint of exhaustion. “Finish your sandwiches.”
“Well, I’d better finish my lunch too.” Evie took a step backward. “It was nice seeing you, Marcie.”
“Take care, Evie.” Marcie scowled as Stevie started to cry. “Knock it off, Livvy.”
Leaving Marcie to her kids, Evie quickly returned to the booth. Cam was nearly finished with his meatball sub. “Learn anything?”
“Marcie’s married to Rick Thomas who happens to work at the medical center as a security guard.” She picked up her sandwich and took a bite. After a moment, she added, “I can’t help thinking he knew Jasmine and Skye. He could be more of a suspect than Dan Johnson.”
“Except for the fact that he’s married with three kids,” Cam said dryly. “Although you’re right, his working at the hospital is interesting.”
