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“This is my Daddy’s restaurant. I’m always here. Well, at mealtimes, anyway.”
“I mean what are you doing here right now?”
“Looking for you, silly. I need you to come with me right away and convince Tara not to leave town. Did you see Wade in the bar? Or is his name Wayne? Whatever it is, I told the manager to give him anything he wants, on the house.”
“I thought we were out of the running for Battle of the Beach Eats.”
“Until it’s formally announced that they’re picking Catfish Cove over us, then hope is still alive. You don’t think I’m going to let something as trivial as a dead body in The Bistro parking lot stop me, do you?”
The couple sitting at the next table turn to look at us. They begin to whisper.
“Keep your voice down,” I hiss. “And it was the dumpster, not the parking lot.”
“Whatever!” She pulls at my arm trying to get me to leave.
“But I haven’t finished my shrimp and scallop omelet yet.”
“Is food all you can think about right now?”
Mike clears his throat. “Maybe we should try this some other time?” he says to me.
“Good idea,” says Brittany.
Mike mumbles an awkward goodbye and leaves some cash on the table before heading out.
“Do you know how rude that was?”
She blinks back a tear. “I’m sorry. I just can’t lose this opportunity with the Cooking Channel. The Chamber of Commerce is depending on me.”
I sigh. Brittany is right. We can’t afford to let an opportunity like this slip away.
“What exactly do you want me to do?”
“I want you to apologize to Tara.”
“Apologize? What for? I didn’t do anything.”
“Lucy, the dead body was found in your restaurant dumpster. Those horrible state CSI people harassed Tara then stole the film from Wade’s camera. Maybe technically it wasn’t your fault, but…” She shrugs.
“Okay, okay, I’ll talk to Tara, although I have no idea what I’m going to say to her or how it might help.”
The server comes by to see if we need anything. “Oh, Miss. Kelly, I didn’t know you were here. Can I get you something?”
“No need, Phil,” Brittany says with a brilliant smile. “Will you please put the tab on the family account?” She points to the cash Mike left on the table. “You can keep that as a tip.”
“Thanks!”
I’m about to ask the server to box up my uneaten omelet but before I can do that Brittany begins snapping off orders again. “Let’s go. We don’t have a second to waste.” She notices Paco at my feet. “Oh! Hello, baby!” Paco wags his tail furiously in response.
Clearly, Brittany isn’t going to leave me alone until I do exactly what she says. “I need to go to the bathroom first. Meet you up front.”
Brittany leaves to get her car from the valet. Since I can’t very well take Paco inside the restaurant, we head toward the outdoor bathroom area. There’s only one stall and it’s unisex. I hope there isn’t a line. I go around the side of the building, but Paco lunges ahead of me causing me to drop his leash.
“Paco! What are you doing?”
I spy him running toward the sandy area behind the restaurant. I hope he isn’t chasing a seagull or some poor helpless turtle. This part of the beach isn’t dog-friendly. The last thing I need on my plate right now is a ticket, so I chase after him, but I’m not used to running in wedge heels. After a few wobbly steps, I stop to take off my shoes. When I look up, he’s gone.
What in the world?
