Chapter 18
We headed up to Swashbucklers. It was one of the many pirate-themed restaurants on the island.
Decorated to look like an old galleon, the interior was adorned with rat lines, fake cannons, and oil paintings of pirate ships.
Cute girls pranced around in skimpy pirate costumes.
A statue of a peg-legged pirate greeted all who entered.
I flashed my badge to the hostess.
The cute brunette stiffened.
I motioned to Kara. "She was in for lunch two days ago. Do you have a record of that transaction? Can you tell me who her server was?"
Kara scanned the restaurant.
"Um, I can check with my manager. Perhaps he can go through the tickets for that day. Would you like me to get him for you?”
I nodded.
"There,” Kara said, pointing.
"Never mind," I said to the hostess.
“Oh, that’s Selene.”
I thanked her, and we marched across the restaurant, weaving around booths and through tables.
"Excuse me," I said, flashing my badge as Selene darted by with a tray of food.
She looked at me with quizzical eyes.
"I need to have a few words with you after you serve the entrées." I pointed to an empty booth nearby. "We'll be right over there.”
Selene continued on, and we ambled to the booth and slid across the bench seats. We weren’t there long before another waitress stopped by and asked if we needed menus.
"Why not?" Jack said with a smile.
The cheery waitress replied, "I'll be right back.”
She spun around and darted away.
Selene joined us a few moments later with concerned eyes. “What’s going on?”
“Have a seat,” I said. “It won’t take long.”
I motioned to the empty space next to JD. He smiled.
Selene slid into the booth, her eyes flicking between us.
"Do you remember Kara?” I asked.
Selene squinted at her. "You were in here the other day, weren't you? Lunch.”
Kara nodded.
"You served her meal, did you not?”
Selena shrugged. “It was either me or one of the runners.”
I asked Kara if she remembered what she ate.
"The buccaneer burger.”
"That's right. No mayo.”
Kara nodded.
"Did you see anyone tamper with her food?" I asked.
Selena’s eyes widened. "No. What happened? Did you get sick?” She frowned.
"You could say.”
Selene cringed. "I'm sorry.” She glanced around to make sure no one was listening, then leaned in and said in a hushed voice, "To tell you the truth, sometimes they keep food past the expiration date around here.
You didn't hear that from me. You’re not the first person who's gotten food poisoning.”
"Good to know," JD said.
"It's a little more than food poisoning," I said.
"What do you mean?" Selene asked.
"Did anybody approach you about tampering with her food?”
Her brow lifted with surprise. "No.” She paused. "You think somebody messed with her food on purpose?”
I shrugged. "You mentioned other people had gotten sick. Has anyone else reported an illness in the last two days?”
"No. Not that I know about. The last time somebody got food poisoning was a few months ago.”
I asked Selene for her last name, and she volunteered it. I sent the information to Isabella and asked her to run a background check.
Selene surveyed Kara. "You don't look so hot. Are you okay?"
"Not really.”
Kara looked weak and feverish.
"Maybe you should sit this out," I suggested to her.
"No. I'm not sitting anything out.”
"You don't have the flu or anything, do you?" Selene asked with a twisted face.
Kara shook her head. "No."
"Good. I can't afford the downtime. I can barely pay rent as it is.”
"Who else has access to the food besides the cooks?”
"Just the waitstaff, runners, and the manager. I guess the busboys.”
After what we learned about the food, we decided not to eat.
Isabella texted me back a moment later.