Chapter 6
"By the state of decomp, she’s been in the water a day or so," I said.
"She probably left her phone behind. Perhaps she was abducted from her dorm room or somewhere nearby. The battery probably died on Saturday."
It was a reasonable theory.
"Also, there are plenty of calls and texts between Gabby and Joshua Morris.
They don't fit the pattern of a usual teacher-student relationship.
I think it's safe to say your information about their affair is probably accurate.
Their phones appear together quite often—in his office, around town, on occasion at the Seven Seas. "
"Good to know," I replied.
"I’ll snoop around the university database and see what I can find out about Austin."
I thanked her for the information, and she said she'd be in touch.
We headed back to the marina, pulled into the lot, and parked in a reserved spot by the dock. We strolled into Diver Down and took a seat at the bar. Teagan dealt out drinks to ornery regulars. In a tank top and cutoff shorts, she was always a delightful sight.
Harlan sat at the end of the bar, sipping a longneck.
With a cheery smile, Teagan asked, "What can I get for you, boys?"
"I think you know," Jack said with a grin.
"Indeed, I do." Teagan grabbed a bottle of Wild Fury whiskey, twirled it around, and poured two glasses. The ice popped and crackled as the amber liquid coated the cubes. She slid the drinks across the counter.
JD lifted his glass to toast. "To making it through another day."
It was something you could never take for granted in our line of work. We clinked and sipped the fine beverage.
"I heard about that girl who washed ashore on the beach," Teagan said. "Any leads?"
I shook my head.
“You got a vibe on this?”
She frowned and shook her head. Teagan’s supposed psychic powers came and went.
JD and I perused the menus. He ordered the blackened mahi, and I went with the stone crab claws. We chowed down and kicked around theories about the cases. I called Brenda and asked her if she had a time of death yet.
“I haven’t nailed it down yet, but a rough estimate is sometime late Friday.”
I caught her up to speed on the investigation so far. She said she’d be in touch when she had something definitive.
After a few drinks, we called it an early night and returned to the Avventura. I took Buddy out for a walk before settling in for bed. The little Jack Russell had plenty of energy to burn off.
My phone buzzed bright and early the next morning. I reached a sleepy hand to the nightstand, grabbed the phone, and swiped the screen. Brenda's voice crackled through the speaker. "I think I may have a motive for you in the Gabby Templeton case."
I peeled open sleepy eyes and scratched out, "Do tell.”
"Gabby was about six weeks pregnant from what I can tell, give or take."
I cringed. "That might be enough for Joshua to want to get rid of her."
"I'll leave you to figure out the details, but that's where I'd start."
I thanked her for the information, ended the call, then pulled myself out of bed. After going through my morning routine, I stumbled down to the galley, threw on a pot of coffee, and started grilling breakfast.
Bacon sizzled in the pan. I cracked eggs and fried them up.
Jack stumbled into the galley a few minutes later with his long blond hair looking like a rat’s nest. We dished our plates and sat on the sky deck, enjoying the morning sun as it cast long rays across the marina. Gulls hung on the breeze, and boats swayed in their slips. It was a beautiful morning.
I caught him up to speed about Gabby.
After we ate, we pulled ourselves together and headed back to campus. I figured a stop by the sorority was in order.
Jack pulled to the curb at 715 University Boulevard. The stunning Georgian mansion housed some of the most desirable beauties on campus. There were worse places to conduct an investigation.
We hopped out, strolled the walkway to the front porch, and I banged on the door.
There was no reply, so I banged again.
Eventually, a bubbly voice filtered through. "Who is it?"
"Coconut County Sheriff's Department. We have a few questions."
A gorgeous blonde pulled open the door, and her eyes flicked between the two of us. "Is somebody in trouble?"
With a tank top, hot pants, and a mischievous look, I’m sure she had plenty of opportunity for trouble.
"No. I'm afraid I’ve got some bad news.”
Concern tightened her face.
“One of your pledges is deceased.”
“Potential new member,” she corrected in a snooty voice. “That’s what we call them now.”
“Did you know Gabby Templeton?”