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It seems like half the Whispering Bay police department is here. Including Travis.
Billings and the suits arrive, pretending to be part of the state’s super-elite CSI team and it’s a repeat of the other day all over again, only thank goodness this time it’s not happening at my café. Now there’s yellow tape all around The Harbor House too. I do my best to answer all of their questions. The way Agent Billings glares at me, you’d think I’m a suspect here.
The paramedics satisfy themselves that Brittany doesn’t need to go to the hospital so now it’s the police and the FBI’s turn to question her.
I find Travis alone for a second and take the opportunity to see if I can get any info from him. “Have they identified the guy in the stall yet?”
“Where’s your date?”
“Does that mean you aren’t going to tell me?” I ask in a mockingly sweet voice. “Remember, I’m supposed to be helping the Bureau here.” Then to answer his question. “My date left early.”
“How early?”
“About fifteen minutes before Paco and I found the body.”
“So he missed all the action, huh? We still need to question him.” He hands me that irritating notebook he writes everything down in. “His name and number, please.”
“Are you going to tell me who that is in the bathroom? I already know it’s not some random customer.”
“Take a guess.”
“He doesn’t have that clean-cut FBI look about him, so I’d say he was another hitman on his way to kill Joey. Only El Tigre got to him first.”
“I’d say that was a pretty good guess.” Travis gets called away by one of the suits. “We’ll talk later.”
I’m about to call my parents to reassure them I’m okay (lesson learned the other day) when I spot Brittany. She looks dazed. Her eyes are puffy and her cheeks are wet. Her mascara, however, still looks perfect. Go, Brittany!
“Are you okay?”
She nods woodenly. “How about you?”
“I’m okay too.”
“Oh, Lucy! It was so horrible! I don’t think I’m ever going to get over this.”
And because I can’t help myself, I hug her.
“I’ll probably have to go to counseling,” she says, sniffling.
“Yes, of course. Counseling sounds like a wonderful idea. Very beneficial.”
“And—” Brittany’s cell phone rings. “Hold that thought.” She pulls her phone out. “Yes? Oh! Tara! How are you? What? No…no, Tara, I beg you! This is all going to blow over. Yes, of course, I promise. Whispering Bay is still the wholesome beach town you’re looking for. We might not be America’s safest city anymore, but we’re definitely America’s most interesting one!” She gives a weak little laugh. There’s a pause. “I see. Yes, I understand.” She clicks off.
“I’m sorry, Brittany. You tried your best. No one can blame you for any of—”
“Sorry for what?” she snaps.
“I take it that Tara has already heard about this most recent dead body?”
“Wade probably couldn’t wait to call her,” she fumes. “I should cut off his bar tab.”
“Does that mean we’re definitely out of the running for Battle of the Beach Eats?”
“The network wants to make a decision by the end of the week. If we can keep any more dead bodies from surfacing then maybe we can reclaim our image. It’s a slim chance, but it’s still a chance.”
“How exactly are we supposed to keep more dead bodies from surfacing?”
“I don’t know, Lucy,” she says sarcastically. “Maybe you can stop being an enabler and make sure that Zeke Grant and the rest of his crew actually do their job instead of hanging around The Bistro all day eating muffins?”
