| |
I walked over to the police station to see Echo. This time, Fred didn't even pretend to give me a hard time about visiting one of their prisoners. It was becoming par for the course. With a bored look, he buzzed me in, I dropped the cinnamon rolls on his desk, and he walked me over to the holding cell.
"You know, this probably wouldn't have happened if Stan wasn't up for that promotion," he said, rattling around with his keys. "It is just that he can get so focused, he has a tough time seeing maybe the case isn't open and shut."
I observed Fred with just a twinge of curiosity. Could this be disloyalty? Could it be that he was starting to see the light?
As he put the key into the door, he shook his head. "I can't believe he took the ghost cookie."
Well, maybe less, "seen the light" and more "bitter revenge."
"Thanks, Fred," I said, patting him on his bony back. He gave me a sheepish, twitchy smile under his mustache.
I walked into the white, cinderblock room. It smelled of bleach and disinfectant. There was the dull hum of the overhead florescent lights. Echo was lying in the old holding cell on a cot, one leg crossed over the other. He was still wearing his black pants and black shirt, but they had taken away his heavy boots and replaced them with fuzzy socks. There were dark circles under his eyes, which added to his Goth aesthetic, no makeup required. Bored, he deigned to cast his eyes over at me.
"Hey!" I said, trying to open up the conversation. "How are you doing?"
"I can't believe I'm stuck in this backwater island," he replied with disgust. He ran his fingers through his dyed black hair, just adding to the bed head situation.
"I promise we will get this all cleared up and you'll be walking out a free man." I watched him carefully. "You are innocent, right?"
He sat up, insulted. "Of course I am innocent. I wouldn't go sabotaging my own tour! Much less kill the family members of my employer!" Frustrated, he banged his fist on the plastic of the mattress.
"Yeah, we figured that was kind of the case." I walked closer to the bars. "Listen, they can't hold you for longer than 72-hours, and there isn't any sort of evidence to indict you. You'll be out soon."
"I never should have taken this stupid job..." he said, his face twisting with misery. "Someone is out to get me and I can hardly wait to get out of here to find out who."
"I was thinking the same thing," I said. "Who do you think tried to frame you?"
"You mean aside from Tango, trying to steal all my business and customers?" he replied, like I was an idiot for even asking.
"I mean, anyone beside that?"
"No," he said. "I don't have an enemy in the world, aside from that guy."
I held my tongue that maybe he wasn't as well liked as he thought himself to be.
"Well, if you can think of anything, let me know," I finally said diplomatically.
"I guess the one positive is that it saves me some money on ferry rides." He shook his head. "You guys really should have more housing options than the Grand Hotel and those cottages."
"Well, they seem to serve their purpose well enough—" I started to point out.
But Echo was just getting riled up. He cut me off with his rant. "I mean, here's this perfect little island. You could be making a killing with the tourist trade, and yet, you stick to this old timey feel? And that rattrap of a hotel? You guys need a chain hotel or something."
Now, I knew that he was angry and stuff, but this was such an odd tangent for the conversation to take. It was some of the same stuff Madison had been parroting whenever she wanted Nate to reconsider selling the island.
Echo continued. "I mean, that cannery was literally falling down around our ears. It should be bulldozed. Or at least refurbished as work lofts or something. This whole island could really use an update."
"We're trying the best we can," I said cautiously, confused by where all of his ramblings were going. "It's why we hired you."
"Well, you shouldn't have," he snapped, lying back on his bed. "There's nothing I can do to save this island. You guys need a real estate developer and a bulldozer."
Suddenly, the door opened and Fred ducked his head inside. "Visiting hours are over. Gonna have to ask you to leave, Paige."
"Good," said Echo, refusing to look at me. "I don't want anything to do with you or Johnny or Nate or anyone else in your crazy family. Working for you has ruined my life."
"Sorry that you feel that way," I replied.
He just rolled over on his side to ignore me even louder.
"Well," I replied, backing away, "great seeing you. I'll be back tomorrow in case you need anything."
"All I need is for you to leave me alone."