CHAPTER 11

An hour later, I stood behind the bar in the Sea Glass. Tempting as an afternoon with Rip was, I felt obligated to be here. I’d already had the “why are you here” and “go home” conversation with Vivi and Joaquín. Although at best, their attempts were half-hearted. They knew me well enough by now to know I wouldn’t listen. Besides, I was more likely to pick up information in here than by sitting home stewing. This place could be a hotbed of gossip at times. Mostly on days that have a d in them.

The heritage business owners were gathered at a table often reserved for them. They were Vivi’s oldest friends, and their family businesses dated back to at least the fifties, if not earlier. Vivi went and sat next to Wade. I’d noticed a change in Vivi lately; she seemed more affectionate around Wade, and I hoped they were finally going to be together. Wade was obviously in love with Vivi. I’d noticed that right away when I’d moved here ten months ago. Vivi had always seemed fond of him, and he was her confidant, but this was new. Wade put his arm around Vivi, and she didn’t pull away. That made me smile.

I went over to take orders. When I had first arrived last June, this group had been highly suspicious of me. I couldn’t blame them. I’d lied to all of them, but once I helped find the real killer when Vivi had been accused of murdering a customer, things had thawed between all of us.

“What can I get you, Ralph?”

“Sweet tea.” Ralph Harrison had a deep voice and a short Afro, and owned the Redneck Rollercoaster, which was really a trolley that took tourists around the area from beaches to bars and back. He also worked as a volunteer firefighter with Rip and was married to his high-school sweetheart, Delores. She owned the local diner and was a 911 dispatcher.

I gave him a look, because Delores had him on a strict diet limiting his sugar.

“Don’t start with me,” he said. “It’s bad enough that Delores is always hounding me about what I’m eating; I don’t need you to pile on.”

I laughed. “Feeling guilty, are we?”

He narrowed his eyes at me and then smiled. “How are you? That seems more important.”

“I’m fine.” But Ralph’s question made all the others at the table turn to me, eyebrows up, interested looks on their faces. Last June, it would have been sheer curiosity, but now it was concern for me.

“We heard you were drugged,” Edith Hickle said. She owned the Glass Bottom Boat with her father and daughter.

“Possibly drugged. Honestly, it was probably the alcohol.” That was way more comforting to think of.

“We heard you found a dead body this morning,” Fred Russo said. “Who was it?”

Fred owned Russo’s Market, a fabulous small grocery store that always struggled to make ends meet against the big chains. I shopped there whenever I could.

“I can’t say. Deputy Biffle’s orders.” They all knew and mostly respected Biffle. I hoped that would make them quit asking questions.

“I heard it was one of the ringers they brought in for the barback competition,” Fred said.

Everyone looked at me expectantly.

I used my neutral librarian face on them. Of course, they’d somehow heard. Telegraph, telephone, tele-a-heritage-business-owner. “I still can’t say anything. And why did none of you warn me that Vivi and Joaquín were cooking up a plan to get me to represent the Sea Glass in the barback competition?”

They all started babbling reasons, including they had no idea, Vivi swore them to secrecy, and they’d been too busy to pay attention. At least I got them off the topic of the body.

I laughed. “No more excuses, but you are all on my naughty list. What can I get you to drink?” I took their orders, made the rounds of the bar, and took the orders up to Joaquín. I didn’t manage to pick up any gossip. I might as well have stayed at home with Rip and let him distract me.

“Did you just fan yourself?” Joaquín asked.

Oh, brother. That was embarrassing. I was supposed to be pouring beers and filling the orders for wine. Joaquín did the more complex drinks, even though I was getting better at making them after months of practice.

“Maybe?” I said.

“Thinking about Rip?” Joaquín asked, giving me a little nudge with his hip. Joaquín had been a professional dancer in Los Angeles before he moved back here and started his fishing business and working at the bar for Vivi. He still danced his way through the day, and our female customers loved it. In fact, a line of them were sitting at the bar admiring him as we spoke. Not that it would do any good. Joaquín was happily married to Michael.

“You know me too well.”

“Have you heard anything about the body?” I lowered my voice so no one could hear the question as I put beers, wine, Ralph’s sweet tea, and a couple of cocktails on the tray.

“I heard it was Enrique.”

If Joaquín knew, everyone else must, too. Why had the heritage business owners given me such a hard time?

“Was it?” he asked.

“I can’t say.”

“Blink twice if yes?”

I smiled at that. Deputy Biffle hadn’t covered blinking, and I knew I could trust Joaquín. I blinked twice. Then I took the drinks and distributed them. When I returned to the bar, Joaquín was polishing glasses. I joined him.

“Do you know anything else about you-know-who?” I asked.

“Funny you should ask that question. Last night, Michael and I decided to go have a drink at Two Bobs.”