Chapter 14 Eve #2
“What?” Eve looked at her in shock. “No.” She shook her head firmly. “We’re not breaking and entering anywhere.”
“Not even to find some clues?” Lila tried to sweeten the crime.
“Ah-ha!” Brian stated triumphantly. “You are trying to find something.”
“You did that on purpose,” Eve accused a smug-looking Lila. “I was going to loop him in anyway.”
“But I do want to get into that house,” Lila pushed. “And William’s house.” She turned to Brian. “Have you been into William’s house?”
Brian nodded. “Yeah. I’ve been into every house in Circle Pond.”
“Of course you have,” Eve said with a smile. “I hope legally and invited, though.”
Brian laughed good-naturedly. “Yes. It was just William’s brother’s house that I broke into and got into big, big trouble for.” He glanced from Eve to Lila. “So what are we investigating?”
“We’re trying to find out if this is where my mother grew up,” Lila told him. She glanced at the photo. “But I think we’ve just established she did thanks to this photo.”
“Now we need to find out why she can’t remember she grew up here and why...” Eve started.
“People are so adamantly trying to cover the fact up,” Brian guessed.
“Exactly,” Lila said. “My mother doesn’t remember her childhood here. She didn’t even remember ever being in Florida.”
“That’s weird,” Brian said, frowning. “And intriguing.” He sat back. “So where do we start?”
“We’re going back to the historical society,” Lila told him. “Want to tag along?”
“I’m off the whole day,” Brian said, his smile widening. “So, yeah, if you don’t mind?”
“Not at all,” Eve told him. “Are you sure you can get us into the records room?”
“Yup.” Brian nodded. “Just in case we run into problems…” He patted his backpack. “I brought my grandfather’s skeleton keys. They get into all the cool places like that.”
Eve sighed and sat back. This was going to be tough, trying to keep two highly intelligent teens who were now completely engrossed in this mystery from committing crimes. She feared Brian’s grandparents would most definitely hold her accountable should their kids end up in juvenile detention.
Ten minutes later, they’d finished eating.
Brian and Lila stood as Eve signed the bill, charging it to her room, then her phone rang. It was the hospital.
She stood and quickly turned her back to answer, looking out the window as she listened to her assistant ask about a patient file location.
“Check the blue binder on my desk,” Eve said. “Third drawer down on the right.”
As she spoke, she felt the table knock against her thigh.
Eve turned to see a waitress she hadn’t seen before stumbling backward from their table. Lila’s and Brian’s phones went flying onto the floor, along with all of Brian’s photos, which scattered across the tiles.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” the waitress said, her voice breathless. “Goodness.” She bent and clumsily gathered everything that had fallen, including Lila’s and Brian’s phones. “I... oh gosh, I hope they’re not broken.”
“Erika, is it?” Brian said, giving her a stiff smile. “You have to be more careful and watch where you’re going. You could badly hurt someone.”
“I’m sorry,” Erika said, her eyes wide and apologetic. “I was trying to remember who ordered what at the tables...”
“I understand,” Brian told her, “but there’s nothing wrong with using your notepad. That’s what it’s for.”
Erika nodded, gathered the last of the photos, and handed them back to Brian before disappearing toward the kitchen.
Eve heard the exchange in the background as she finished her call, told her assistant where to find what she was looking for, and hung up.
Her brow furrowed as she watched Erika walk off. “Who is she?”
“One of the new staff members who started here yesterday,” Brian told them. “Isabella needed more help here for the sudden spike in guests. She hired a few new staff members. Erika was one of them.”
Something about the young woman seemed off, Eve noted. But she shook it off. It was probably just first-day nerves. Things were probably awkward for her.
As they got to the dining room door, Preston walked in.
“Good morning,” he greeted them with a pleasant smile.
They greeted him back.
“Going exploring?” Preston asked.
“We are,” Eve answered, and because the man made her decidedly uncomfortable for reasons she couldn’t name, she ended the conversation quickly. “Enjoy your breakfast.”
“Enjoy your day out,” Preston told them, tipping an imaginary hat before turning and walking into the dining room.
From the corner of her eye, Eve saw Erika rush to seat him.
“Oh geez,” Brian hissed under his breath, noticing the same thing Eve had. “Maybe I should go and tell Erika not to serve Mr. Langford. That’s all we need, her messing up in front of one of Mrs. Christmas’s good friends and regulars to the Inn.”
Eve looked back again. “She needs to learn, Brian.” She ushered the teens out, stifling the little hint of satisfaction she felt, hoping Erika might drop a pot of coffee in Preston’s lap. Then she admonished herself. The man had done nothing to her except make her uncomfortable.
“He deserves to be pulled down a peg or two,” Lila voiced what Eve hadn’t wanted to say out loud. “The man is quite... smug, and he has this air of superiority. You know...”
“Like looking down his nose at you?” Brian added, then looked contrite. “Shoot. Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
“It’s the truth,” Lila said as they stepped out into the sun.
Julie and William were walking toward the front door, their faces lighting when they saw Eve, Lila, and Brian.
“Good morning,” they greeted warmly.
“Good morning,” Eve, Lila, and Brian chorused back.
“So what are you ladies up to today?” Julie asked.
“Two ladies and a gentleman,” Lila corrected with a grin. “Brian has offered to be our guide today and take us to the non-tourist spots.”
Wow. Lila really knew how to twist a story, doing so in a way that was totally convincing. If Eve didn’t know what was going on, she wouldn’t have sensed that Lila was lying at all.
“Oh, how good of you, Brian,” William said, his smile genuine. “Do take them to Dempsey’s near the waterfront for some great fish at lunch time.”
“Okay,” Brian said. He, on the other hand, was a little more skittish.
It was obvious that Brian didn’t like to deceive anyone.
That was both a good thing and a bad thing.
Eve decided. Good in that she knew he was honest, but bad because now she worried if he’d be able to withstand scrutiny.
She gave herself a mental shake. Good grief, Eve.
This is just looking into Mia’s life, not some covert spy operation thwarted in danger.
They said their goodbyes and headed toward the parking lot.
As Eve slid into the driver’s seat, she glanced back at the Inn one last time and frowned.
Preston stood at the dining room window, his figure framed by the glass, watching them.
Their eyes met for just a second before he turned away, disappearing back into the room.
Her skin prickled at the look in his eyes, then she shook it off. She was being completely ridiculous. All this mystery and investigation was getting to her. Preston was probably staring out at the sea, and they got in his way. It was a lovely winter’s day, after all.
She turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot, Brian and Lila chatting animatedly.
But as she drove away, Eve couldn’t shake the feeling that they were about to go down a treacherous rabbit hole. One that they were already partway down with no turning back.