“She should be on the pageant circuit. I’m sure she’d be Ms. Florida by now.”
“Ms. Florida?” I asked. The pageant world was a mystery to me. Although when I was little, my grandma and I had curled up on the couch together with a big bowl of popcorn to watch them. We always wanted Miss Illinois to win.
“It’s a pageant for women twenty-six and above. Ivy was runner-up for Miss Emerald Cove.”
“That’s not surprising.”
“But lately she’s had job and boyfriend woes.” She actually turned up her nose. “Ivy is too good for a cowboy. But we all make choices in life that we have to live with. And Ivy is making hers.”
I made a sympathetic noise. The boyfriend was trouble and what girl needed that? But unless the boyfriend was the murderer, we were getting off the track I wanted us to stay on.
“Oh, dear. That on top of your poor husband. How are you doing?”
She looked up from her nails, which she’d been admiring. Shark’s-blood red with a dash of sparkle nail polish, and filed to dangerous-looking points. Considering the damage they looked like they could do, I hoped I hadn’t laid it on too thick. Fortunately, I really was interested in her. For all I knew, she killed Elwell and did it behind the Sea Glass to set up Vivi.
I’d have to see what I could dig up about the two of them. Vivi was a bit older than Gloria. Some of that sincere interest must have shown in my face because she didn’t get up and leave or shut up.
“The problem is, there are too many suspects,” Gloria said. “You can’t be as successful as Elwell and not make a few enemies along the way.”
I widened my eyes as an expression of sympathy, but kept my mouth shut.
“I believe it is one of those heritage,” she used finger quotes when she said heritage, “business owners who want to keep running this town. They think they are better than anyone who might have grown up inland.”
I guessed that was where Gloria grew up and it went along with what Leah had said.
“They think we’re all hillbillies. And don’t like it when people rise above them.”
Another interesting layer of dynamics at play. Maybe one that could have contributed to Elwell’s death. “That’s just unfair.”
“And their ancestors certainly didn’t have a problem with the moonshine my ancestors made that kept all of them in business. That glass-bottom boat wasn’t always carting tourists around, you know. Probably still isn’t.”
I sat back in surprise. At last, something more concrete.
Gloria looked at her very expensive diamond-encrusted watch. “I’ve got to go get my babies.”
“Take care of yourself,” I said, meaning every word.
“Thank you for listening to me. Some days it seems like no one does.”
I glanced down at my own watch. Oh no.
CHAPTER 30
I was late for work. Although no one had ever really given me a schedule. I always arrived no later than ten thirty, which gave me time to do the prep work. I slammed out of the coffee shop, ran to my car, and sped over to the Sea Glass. I raced, as fast as I could on heels, from the parking lot to the Sea Glass. On the way, I passed a startled-looking Rhett. He did a double take as I went past.
“Looking good, Chloe. As always,” Rhett called out as I entered the back of the bar.
Joaquín also looked twice before recognizing me.
“For a moment, I thought Vivi had hired some hot new mamacita and had given you the boot.” He fake-fanned himself.
“Ha. Ha. Such a disappointment to be stuck with me.” I started cutting lemons and limes like I did every day. When I had a chance, I’d change into the regular clothes I’d brought with me. I was counting on the fact that if Gloria came back to the Sea Glass—which I doubted she would—I would look different enough that she wouldn’t recognize me. She probably wasn’t interested in the people serving her anyway.
“I like your hair like that,” Joaquín said as he inventoried the liquor lining the back shelves. “And those shoes.”
I turned a heel back and forth so we could both admire them. “I like them too, but an hour working in these things and you’d have to call an ambulance.”
“What were you up to this morning to be all dressed up like that?”
“Trying to save Vivi.”
“And did you?” Joaquín asked.
“Maybe I’m one step closer.” I hoped I was anyway. The problem was, I didn’t know who to ask about all the questions Gloria had raised for me. Or how to follow a glass-bottom boat when it was off duty. However, maybe a first step would be seeing if the boat did indeed go out at night.
* * *
It was midnight, and I was sleepy. I was dressed all in black in my best imitation of what Ann Williams wore. I lay on my stomach on the front deck of Boone’s boat with a pair of binoculars close by. If only they were night vision. Maybe my wakeboarding pal, Hunter, could get some for me. Although he’d want to know why I wanted them. If I was going to start a career in espionage, maybe ordering from Amazon would be a better idea.
The glass-bottom boat was docked on the other side of the marina. Far enough away that it was hard to see, especially in the dark, when clouds blocked the light from the moon. It was good cover for me, though. Birds had gone to roost—if that’s what birds actually did at night. Boats were in their slips, and most people seemed to be asleep. I heard the occasional laugh or ice clinking in glasses. It reminded me again of how noises carried on water and how quiet I had to be.
Every time I heard a boat start up, I grabbed the binoculars and scanned the water. Two fishing boats had left, but the glass-bottom boat had stayed put so far. I was tired. Surveillance was indeed boring. Just like every real-life private investigator I’d ever read about said it was. I should have brought a book to read. But that was impractical. If I read an e-book, the glow would give me away. If I read a regular book, I’d need some kind of light, which would also expose me.
At least it wasn’t cold out here. I’d taken the tarp off the boat so I didn’t have to sweat under it. Although, any time the slightest breeze hit, I shivered a little. Another engine rumbled to life. I grabbed the binoculars in time to watch the glass-bottom boat back out and head down the marina. Just as I’d suspected. Thank you, Gloria. I hadn’t seen anything on their schedule about midnight tours on cloudy nights. But boats made enough noise that any regular trips—or irregular ones, for that matter—would be one of those secrets everyone knew about.
How was I going to follow the glass-bottom boat without being spotted? Boone’s boat rocked just then, and not from the wake of the glass-bottom boat. The back dipped and the front rose. Someone must have come on board. I flipped onto my back and saw a shape silhouetted in the weak light from the marina lights. I sat up.
What had I been thinking? There was a murderer on the loose, not to mention I’d been chased, sideswiped, and almost turned into a crispy critter. I might as well have “idiot” stamped on my forehead. I could track the person’s progress toward me by the way the boat rocked. How the silhouette moved. They took a slow step forward and I scooted forward, closer to the front of the boat, where the two benches met in a deep V. It was like we were playing the world’s slowest game of keep-away.
How did anyone know where I was? I edged closer to the front of the boat. Not that there was anywhere to hide now. I could always go overboard if need be. In the summer, the water was like a warm bath, and I was an excellent swimmer thanks to all the lessons my parents made me take. As long as I managed not to hit my head on the boat or dock if I had to jump, I could just swim away.
The shadow came around the console. I stood up, ready to jump if I needed to.
“What are you doing out here?”
Rhett. I plopped back down onto the deck, exhaling a huge breath. Grateful it was him and not the boogeyman. “Stargazing.” We both looked up at the cloudy sky. Drat. That excuse didn’t hold up. “I heard there was a meteor shower tonight and was hoping the clo
uds would clear.” That sounded good. “How did you know I was here?”
Rhett came and sat beside me. “Honey, you stand out like a tick on snow.”
I looked down at Boone’s shiny white boat and my dark clothes. Next time I’d have to find an outfit that blended in better. And I probably should be worried that I was thinking there would be a next time.
“Plus the tarp was off and your car’s in the parking lot.”
With all that, it didn’t take a genius to figure out where I was. Next time I’d take more precautions. And there I was again with the “next time.” I glanced over my shoulder toward the glass-bottom boat, but I couldn’t see it any longer. The slight chug of the motor made it sound like it was going north toward the bay, not south toward the Gulf.
“I see you have binoculars. Better to see the meteors with?”
I didn’t think I had Rhett fooled for a minute. He’d probably seen me with the binoculars focused on the glass-bottom boat. “Of course.” I yawned. Whether he bought it or no, this was my cover story and I was sticking to it. “Boone always told me how magical the stars were out here.”
“And you didn’t think about just walking out the door of the cabin and sitting out there?” Rhett must have been a great lawyer.
“I bore easily.”
“I’ll have to keep that in mind.”
Was that another sexual innuendo? He was so close. So hot. It was too dark to see his expression, but I leaned toward him for a moment until I came to my senses. “Doesn’t look like the clouds are going to dissipate, so I’ll just get going. Have a good evening.” I sat on the edge of the boat, swung my legs over the side, and dropped to the dock. “Will you snap the tarp back into place when you leave?”
Rhett stood on the boat with his hands on his hips as I walked off. Enough thinking about Rhett. I’d have to come up with a plan to track the glass-bottom boat some other night. Kayak? Paddleboard? Both were probably too slow. Boone’s boat? Too obvious. But a Jet Ski? That just might work. Or I could just ask Leah why the boat went out so late.
Just as I was about to unlock my car, another idea hit me. I reversed course, hoping to find some answers about who killed Elwell.
CHAPTER 31
Two Bobs was the newest bar on the strip of buildings that ran behind the marina. I hadn’t run into Rhett as I backtracked and passed Boone’s boat. Well, I guessed he wasn’t following me, which was a relief. I think. Two Bobs was closest to the inlet that led from the marina to the Gulf. According to Joaquín, it had opened about six months ago after the owner had torn down an old concrete building. Its replacement was shiny and new. As I walked toward it, I could see people dancing on the rooftop deck, which was decorated with pretty twinkling lights.
Unlike the Sea Glass, there were entrances from the marina and the Gulf side. They also had a couple of reserved slips on the marina where boats could dock. I wondered if the Sea Glass could be reconfigured so people could come through the back too. Then I reconsidered. Some of the regulars already came in that way. More people tramping through the small kitchen didn’t seem wise. It made me think of
Elwell. How easy it would have been for someone to grab a channel knife out of the kitchen and stab Elwell with it. We really needed to start keeping that back door locked.
I arrived at Two Bobs around twelve forty. It had decks on the front and back of the bar. The one facing the marina was packed. I walked up the two steps and went into the bar. It was sleek, with an industrial feel. Nothing beachy about it, except for the crowds of sunburned people and the fruity drinks. The bar was along the east side and had those frozen drink machines Vivi abhorred.
But the place was hopping and had a fun vibe. It was hard to argue with that. I worked my way through the crowd and walked out to the Gulf side. That deck was packed too. There was a row of barstools—fifties throwbacks in chrome with bright-red vinyl seats—that faced the Gulf. A ledge in front of them, so patrons could set down their drinks. A smattering of small tables filled the rest of the space. Every stool had a butt on it, and the tables were full too. I wondered if the Sea Glass stayed open later if it would attract these kinds of crowds too.
I went back inside and skirted around the crowd to a staircase that went up to the rooftop deck. The banister and balusters were shiny chrome too. As I climbed, the layout started revealing itself. Small, round tables sat at the outer edge of a dance floor. Music was piped through speakers. I could only see people’s feet from this position. I spotted two sets of cowboy boots at one of the tables, and it scared the bejesus out of me.
I stopped and let some people go around me while I figured out what to do. Certainly the two men from the Crow’s Nest weren’t the only people wearing cowboy boots around here. I went up another step. With the two sets of cowboy boots was a wedge-heeled sandal with a beautifully manicured foot. I couldn’t see beyond the ankle in my current position, but the ankle had a flag tattoo—red border, yellow rectangle, green rectangle, and a small starburst in the middle. Ann Williams. I flattened myself against the wall because I didn’t want the cowboys to spot me, if they were the ones from the Crow’s Nest. My curiosity got the better of me. I crept up two more steps for a better view.
Ann spotted me right away. So much for being stealthy. She leaned into the cowboys, but directed their attention to the other side of the bar. It was the two men from the Crow’s Nest. I hurried back down the steps. What was Ann Williams doing with them? It didn’t seem like it would be anything good. And why did she have them look the other way? So they wouldn’t see me, or so I wouldn’t recognize them?
* * *
While keeping a close eye on the staircase, I squeezed into a small space at the bar and ordered a frozen margarita. It came straight from the machine into a plastic cup. I gave the bartender, a weary-looking girl, a good tip, which earned me a thank-you and a smile. I tasted the margarita. It was way too sweet and fairly strong. Look at me, a couple of weeks working in a bar and suddenly I was an expert, or at the very least a margarita snob.
I must have made a face because the bartender laughed. She leaned over to me. “If you want a good margarita, go to the Sea Glass down the beach.”
My eyes widened in surprise.
“Bad thing is, they’re closed right now, so you’re stuck with that.” She pointed at my drink.
“I heard there was a murder down there.”
“Yeah, Elwell Pugh. It’s crazy.”
“Is he the guy who wore that armadillo shell as a hat?” I asked. That’s what I’d come here to find out.
“He never did in here. But I heard about him wearing it around town. Kind of nuts, right?”
Nuts or a strategy. “Did he come in a lot?” I asked.
“Depends on your definition of a lot.” She lifted a shoulder at me as she left to help another patron.
* * *
Monday morning, I parked my car and walked around the far side of the harbor to where the glass-bottom boat sat. Leah wasn’t around, but a wizened man hunched on a stool in the booth. He looked familiar, but I hadn’t ever seen him in the bar. Probably a good thing, because I might have to lie. I finally realized he was in the brochure about the glass-bottom boat. He was Leah’s grandfather.
“Mornin’,” the man said cheerfully, drawing out the word to “m-ore-nin.” He was as tan as a light roast coffee bean. “What can I do for ya?”
He had the same bright-blue eyes as Leah. “I’m interested in a nighttime tour. Do you do anything like that?” I knew the brochure made no mention of such a tour.
“How late at night?” he asked, leaning forward and giving me a squint eye.
“Say around midnight?” I might as well go for it.
He leaned back, putting some distance between us. An assessing look entered his eyes, and I felt like I was losing him.
“I thought it would be fun for my boyfriend and me to do a late-night tour. A moonlight tour. A midnight tour sounds romantic to me. He’s fascinated with the wildlife here,
but doesn’t like to be out in the sun.”
“Kind of an odd place to vacation if you don’t like to be out in the sun.”
“Tell me about it. But he agreed to come here for me. I swear, I must have been a sun worshipper in a previous life.” I leaned in. “I want to do something nice for him in return.” I summoned up the sincere look I used on kids at the library.
“Well, I might be able to work something out for you. Name’s Oscar.”
He pulled out a pipe and started chewing on the stem. All he needed was a rakish hat and huge forearms and he’d be Popeye’s older brother. I had a feeling Leah had no idea people could arrange a late-night tour.
“You meet me here at midnight and we’ll see what we can do.”
“Great,” I said. Now all I had to do was drum up a boyfriend the old man wouldn’t recognize.
CHAPTER 32
Midnight came slower than Christmas morning for a five-year-old. I’d called my wakeboarding friend Hunter and told him I had an extra ticket I didn’t want to go to waste. Hunter couldn’t make it, but sent Mark, one of the guys who’d gone wakeboarding with us. I met him in the lot by the Sea Glass as we’d arranged earlier in the day.
“Hi, Mark,” I said when he got out of his car.
“So, a late-night glass-bottom boat tour, huh?” Mark was tall, with a large Adam’s apple and a deep voice. His hair was military-precision short. “How are we going to see anything in the dark?”
“I’m not sure. It just sounded like fun.” Now for the awkward part. “Would you, uh, mind acting like you’re my boyfriend? It’s the only way I could arrange the tour.”
Mark grinned. “I think I can handle that.” He slung an arm loosely around my shoulder. “Let’s go, babycakes.”
Ugh. I reminded myself this was to help Vivi. “Okay.”
Minutes later, just before midnight, we stood in front of the kiosk. It was as dark as the inside of a coal mine. Drat. Had Oscar forgotten? A whistle sounded from the direction of the glass-bottom boat, and we headed over.
From Beer to Eternity Page 18
