Chaos in California

by Lucy Quinn

  “Wow,” Evie said. “That sure is some coincidence. According to this, Nadine was his third wife to die. Hers is the only one ruled as murder, though.”

  “And Roland is supposedly holed up overseas,” Windy said. “Interesting.”

  Dora notice a link at the bottom to another man with the last name Mitchem and reached over Evie to tap it. The image of a guy Dora guessed to be in his thirties popped up. He was wearing a pink polo shirt, sporting a tan and a flawless hairdo, and he had a bikini-clad woman hanging on each of his arms. “Jared Mitchem, spotted on a luxurious yacht hanging with the honeys in Clamshell Cove,” she said as she read it. “Roland’s son?”

  “Looks like it,” Evie said, which was confirmed as Dora read more. “And it just so happens he was here right about the time of Kyle’s death.”

  Dora looked at Windy. “Can you help us with dates of Kyle’s activities from when he first arrived? I think it would be a good idea for us to go over his timeline and compare it to what we can find out about the Mitchem family.”

  “We can compare the diary to what we find online, too,” Evie said.

  “Of course.” Windy frowned at Dora. “I have to say, you girls are pretty good at this. You’re the kind of women I like in my world.”

  Dora smiled, flattered but not the least bit tempted to join Windy’s world of hiding in plain sight. She and Evie had plans that involved the men in their lives and eventually getting back to living like regular people.

  Evie took care of making their intentions clear. “We’re only good because we have no choice. Investigative work is not what I’d want to do long term. I don’t know about Dora, but I can’t wait to get back to some meaningless job for a paycheck and a reason to go out for margaritas.”

  Dora chuckled as she recalled the way Evie used to find a reason for margarita night as often as possible. “Number crunching and joining you for whatever margarita night you call that week sounds good to me.”

  “Margaritas?” Windy made a dismissive face. “Pshaw, in my day it was Manhattans.”

  Dora didn’t doubt for a minute that Windy could toss down a few drinks of nearly straight whiskey and be fine. That woman was definitely made of strong stock.

  And I suppose Evie and I are too, Dora thought when she considered what they’d been through. They’d experienced an accidental murder, evaded Marco, the guy who started their crazy journey, along with the mob and a crooked cop, only to run into more trouble in New Orleans when they raced after the package they’d stuffed the flash drive into. The flash drive contained valuable information that could clear Dora’s name, but a whole new set of problems had awaited them when they arrived in the Big Easy. But somehow, they’d managed to solve two murders and escape the danger that landed them in Clamshell Cove smack dab in the middle of yet another murder investigation.

  “Dinner is ready,” Simon announced as he plated their meals, and Dora got up to get her food. She grabbed Windy’s too as their hostess topped off their wine glasses and Garret walked into the kitchen to join them. He grabbed another bottle of wine from the fridge, and the five of them sat down to the meal.

  Dora gazed at the flaky, moist, grilled sea bass topped with a mango pico de gallo, with a side of mushroom risotto and asparagus. The combined scents were heavenly and made her mouth water as she waited for everyone to be ready to eat.

  Even Sunshine got a little plate of fish and veggies to eat, but she didn’t wait to scarf hers down, and Dora chuckled at how ravenous the dog appeared to be.

  “Sunshine! Manners,” Evie chided, but it didn’t slow the pup down.

  Windy said, “Poor thing. Your trip must have taken a lot out of her.”

  “Oh, my word,” Evie exclaimed after her first bite of dinner. “Simon, this is amazing. You could run a famous restaurant.”

  Dora had to agree as the flavors of the fish dish exploded in her mouth.

  Simon winked at Evie, making her giggle. “Who says I haven’t?”

  Dora wondered if he was teasing or if he too was there running from something. She put the thought aside though, because Garret had launched into a story about the pigs, and she knew in a moment Evie was going to hop into the fray with a tall tale about their Bigfoot adventure. It was clear they were in for a night of entertainment.

  She smiled, because even though staying in Clamshell Cove was not an option, she was happy to be a part of Windy’s eclectic family for a little while. She looked at the woman, who was gazing at her with concern, and Dora mouthed, “Thank you.”

  Windy’s expression softened. She lifted her wine glass and nodded in a silent, You’re welcome.

  17

  The tailgate of the farm truck thudded loudly as Evie shut it, and she thumped her hand on the side of the pickup in a signal to let Garret know he could drive off with the empty slop buckets. She and Dora had just finished their chores, and it was time to return to the cabin to clean up and set out on an investigative mission.

  She looked over at Dora, who was holding a chicken and whispering sweet nothings to it. It made her smile. “Farm life suits you, Dor.”

  Her friend chuckled. “I’ve grown to love these birds. I might even do the backyard chicken thing when this is all over.”

  Evie pictured her bestie wearing a floppy hat and overalls as she tended her chickens. “You could have a garden too. Maybe herbs Luke could use in his restaurant.”

  Dora tilted her head in consideration, and a slow smile formed on her face. The my-guy’s-so-dreamy kind. “I like that fantasy.” She set the bird down and began to walk with Evie toward their cabin.

  They were going into town to see what they could dig up about Jared Mitchem’s visit to Clamshell Cove. Windy had blown up a picture of the guy and printed it off for the girls to use, and Evie was considering what the best approach would be in questioning the townspeople. Should she use the sister-looking-for-her-brother or the jilted-girlfriend angle? Evie decided it was likely a situation that required her to make the call based on the individual. Good thing she’d studied acting. She’d been using those skills a lot lately. In fact, she’d been honing them, and when she thought about it, she figured it might make sense to get back into acting once Dora and she had been cleared of all wrongdoing.

  The door of the cabin creaked as Dora opened it, and they stepped inside. Dora asked, “What are you smiling about?”

  “While you’re playing farm girl when this is over, I think I’m going to get into acting again.”

  “That’s a great idea, Evie.” Dora removed her muck boots and left them on the rubber matt by the door. “Just think, you and Trace could both be famous. I can see you walking down the red carpet now.”

  Evie chuckled. “Not a bad fantasy. Can I win an award too?”

  “A big, heavy, gold bald guy for your mantel.”

  “Perfect,” Evie said as she moved toward the bathroom to shower first. She missed Trace a lot, and her heart ached thinking about the boyfriend she’d had to leave behind. With all that had been going on, she’d barely talked to him, and she was desperate to give him a call and catch up. It had been far too long since she’d heard his voice.

  Less than an hour later, the two women were freshly showered, in the bus, and headed toward town. They’d decided to leave Sunshine in Windy’s care since the pair had been spotted napping together after Dora and Evie finished their chores. Dora drove, and they parked on the street near a wine shop. The downtown district of Clamshell Cove was about two blocks total, and they decided to be methodical about their approach and go door to door for questioning. The wine store was their first stop.

  Once they got out of the bus, Evie led the way. “Let me do the talking. But feel free to jump in if I need help.”

  Dora chuckled. “Just do me a favor and don’t offer me up for any jobs without my permission. Got it?”

  Evie gave her friend a sheepish smile. She did feel bad about the massage parlor incident. “Deal.”

  Dora and she entered a crow
ded, but cozy space that had floor to ceiling wine racks nearly overflowing with bottles. Evie was tempted to take the time to browse around, but she knew she shouldn’t. She had a job to do and studied the older man behind the counter to assess the situation. He had a kind face, broad shoulders, and a slight paunch that made her think he used to have the time to work out but was likely a father with a full-time job now. She paused to take a deep breath and get into the character she felt was right for the situation before she walked up to the counter.

  As she gazed into the man’s face, she blinked a few times to gather tears. “Sir,” she said in a soft voice, and then she gulped as if she was trying not to break into sobs. Evie laid the picture of Jared Mitchem on the countertop. “I was wondering if you’d seen this—my brother.” She inhaled an exaggerated shaky breath. “He went miss—” She grabbed Dora’s arm as if she needed to steady herself. “He had an accident and is suffering from amnesia.” She let out a hiccup. “Somehow he left the hospital and is lost. I haven’t heard from him in over a week. And—”

  Dora interrupted Evie and put her arm around her shoulders, holding tighter than necessary. “Anything you could tell us would be very helpful.”

  Evie knew the man was more than primed to help, but she couldn’t resist pouring on a little more. “It’s—” She gave what she thought was a believable gasp of pain and clutched at her chest. “Our mother. She’s ill. And well, if she doesn’t—” Evie covered her mouth and made her body shake as if she was holding on to her last thread of composure.

  “Of course,” the man said with compassion in his expression. “I’m happy to help.” The paper rustled as he picked it up and studied it. “I’m sorry.” He shrugged. “The guy looks vaguely familiar, but Charlotte, the girl who works for me, might be who you want to talk to.”

  “Oh,” Evie said. “When will she be in?”

  “Later this afternoon,” he said. “Around two.”

  “Thanks,” Dora replied quickly as she grabbed Evie’s arm and tugged her outside as if the place was on fire. Once they were on the sidewalk she asked, “What the heck, Evie? That was way over the top, even for you. I’m pretty sure he would have looked at the picture with a simple request.”

  “But was it good? Because remember I said I wanted to get back into acting? I was practicing. Do you think my cry was convincing enough? Do you think he believed me?”

  Dora shook her head. “Sure. If we were in a soap opera.”

  “Huh?” Evie wasn’t so sure Dora got it. That was good work she’d just done in there. “Crying like you mean it is hard, Dor. You do realize acting requires you exaggerate your body language, right?”

  “I do. But—” Dora let out a sigh. “Never mind. Just tone it down a bit so we don’t draw more attention to ourselves than necessary.”

  “Fine.” Evie’s pride was a little bruised over Dora’s disapproval, and she said, “You do the talking at the next one.”

  “I will,” Dora said with a testy tone of her own, and they entered a tea shop. Dora was all business, and they left in under a minute without any information on Jared. After they hit up a book shop and the fish market, Evie was disappointed. Nobody in any of those places of business had seen Jared. “Jeez, this is beginning to look like a dead end,” she said.

  “It is, isn’t it? But we haven’t gone to any place I imagine a guy like Jared would go. Well, except the wine shop. We need to remember to go back there later to talk to someone named Charlotte.”

  Evie let out a yawn. “I’m bored. Can we liven this up a little?”

  Dora must have been bored too because she said, “Sure. You can take the next one and do it any way you want.”

  Evie smiled. “Watch this.” She pushed her way into a surf shop with the picture in her hand and walked up to the register with a confident swagger. She slapped Jared’s image down on the counter and spoke with a southern accent to the girl. “Y’all better tell me where my deadbeat husband is. His last child support check bounced higher than a pigtail ball, and I know he likely spent his last dime in a place like this.” She glanced around with her nose turned up as if the shop smelled of dirty gym socks. “Well?” she asked when a young guy looked at her. “You hiding him in a dressing room or somethin’?”

  “I… what… No, ma’am,” the kid stammered.

  “Ma’am?” Evie rolled her eyes to the ceiling, reveling in how much fun it was to play this character. “Do I look like I’m old enough to be your momma?”

  “No,” the guy said, slowly backing away.

  This is too much fun, Evie thought. “Where do you think you’re going? Look at this here picture.” She poked it for emphasis. “And tell me if you’ve seen the man.”

  “Right.” The kid rushed over and took a look at it. His face paled and his mouth opened and closed a few times like a fish gasping for air before he said, “Maybe?”

  Evie realized the kid could actually have information and she’d better take it easy on him now, so she poured on the sugar. “Well, darlin’, now we’re getting somewhere. Where do you think you saw him?”

  “I saw him,” the girl behind the counter said. Evie turned her attention to the blonde who looked to be in her early twenties. “He really bounced your child support check?”

  “Yep.”

  “Scumbag.” She let out a huff of disgust. “He came in here a couple weeks ago, flashing his platinum card around to impress the two women he was with. Bought them bikinis and a couple pair of board shorts for himself.”

  “That low-down, no-good horse’s behind!” Evie cried out.

  Dora stifled a snort of laughter and asked, “Can you tell us what day that was?”

  The girl shook her head. “Not sure. It can get pretty crazy in here on weekends, which is when I usually work.”

  “Can you remember anything else about him?” Dora asked.

  Evie growled out, “We know all we need to know about that swamp rat.”

  Dora ignored her and asked the girl, “Did he talk about where they might be going?”

  Her brow knit. “He asked where I liked to surf, acting as if he was going to go there. But he’s not a surfer, is he?”

  “Not unless you’re talking about surfing the internet looking for ways to spend my money,” Evie groused.

  “Oh, wait,” the girl said. “I told him about a competition that was happening last weekend, so I think it was the weekend before that when he was here.” She scrunched up her face in thought. “Can’t remember the day, though. But does that help?”

  “It does,” Dora said. “We appreciate the information. Thanks.”

  Evie chimed in, “Yes. Thank you.”

  “Sure thing. He sounds like a real jerk. If he comes in, do you want me to call you?”

  “That would be great,” Evie said, and she relayed their number to the girl who put it in her phone under the name Daisy.

  Once Dora and Evie were outside, Evie held up her hand for a high five. “Yes! We finally got something.”

  Dora chuckled as they walked across the street to hit the next establishment. “That we did. You were something else in there.”

  “Yeah? Believable, right?”

  “Yes. You sold the angry-ex very well.”

  “Good. Because I gotta say, the worked-up Southern woman could be my thing. You know? Like if I were going to be typecast in something.”

  “I bet you could do angry Florida girl well, too. Especially if you channeled us during happy hour at Clara’s during the height of tourist season.”

  Evie laughed. Clara’s was a seaside bar that was one of their favorites. And most nights they had no trouble ordering drinks at the bar. But during tourist season the place was packed, and it was every woman and man for themselves. Evie had been known to hand off her earrings and purse to Dora to jump into the madness for a couple of lemon drop martinis.

  She hooked her arm into Dora’s. “Isn’t this more fun? Letting me be me and all that?”

  “Of course it
is. I’m sorry I tried to tone you down earlier.”

  “No worries. I may have gone a little overboard with the wine guy. I’ll do better at reading the room from now on.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Dora said as they stopped in front of a trinket shop. “What’s your character going to be in here?”

  “Hmm,” Evie said as she peered through the window to see who might be manning the shop. She spied a woman about their age. “Scorned woman again. This time Jared is my husband who ran out on me when he found out I was pregnant. Remember Lisa at Fuegos?”

  “Was she the cocktail waitress who lost it on her husband when she caught him making out in the ladies’ room with someone else?”

  “Yes! That’s exactly the character I’m going for.”

  “Excellent,” Dora said. “But don’t punch a mirror. I heard she got over twenty stitches because of that.”

  “Ouch. Got it. Stay away from glass.”

  “And you probably shouldn’t throw things either. We don’t have a lot of money to pay for damaged goods.”

  “Dor,” Evie gave her friend a stern look. “You’re starting to stifle me here. Sometimes you’ve got to give an artist free rein.”

  Dora held up a hand. “Sorry.” She reached for the door to open it. “Just trying to keep the destruction to a minimum.”

  Evie nodded her agreement and took a deep breath as she dug deep and found the kind of anger she’d seen Lisa display. She pictured the joy of finding out she was pregnant and then the disappointment of her spouse taking off once he learned the news. She blew her breath out slowly and walked inside.

  “Good afternoon,” the pretty blond clerk said, flashing them a cheery smile. Her nametag read Fiona. “Are you enjoying your stay in Clamshell Cove?”

  “No, actually, I’m not,” Evie blurted out.

  “Oh. I’m sorry to hear that,” Fiona said, eyeing them warily. “Was there a problem with some of our merchandise? I could—”

  Dora held up a hand, stopping her from making the wrong assumption. “It’s not that. She’s looking for her deadbeat husband.”