Deviled!: Lake Erie Mysteries Book 2 (7 page)

A
s we walked
the short distance from the hotel complex to the amusement park entrance, the topics of murder and malicious clowns almost prevented me from appreciating our surroundings. The smell of popcorn and cotton candy from the vendors stationed on every corner tantalized my olfactory nerves and tickled my taste buds, and there were plenty of interesting people doing plenty of interesting things to keep our minds occupied until we reached the Sky Chair, the ride that reminded me of a ski lift and traversed the entire length of the park. Even with plenty of stimulation for all five senses, it was my sixth sense that was currently occupying all my attention. My need for self-preservation kept getting in the way of enjoying my present environment.

“June, what are we going to do about those clowns? Who are they, and how did Bob know them? Do you think they work somewhere in the resort?”

June was chewing on her lower lip. “That’s as good a guess as any. Why do they think we can ‘learn the plan’ and ‘ditch the proof?’ What proof? And what are we supposed to do with it?”

“That’s exactly what I’d like to know. Do you think we should tell Detective Reed? Maybe she can track down the clown from the theater. He must have taken the film with him, even if he’s not the one responsible for making it.”

“I’m pretty sure Gabriel will share the details with the authorities. His brother was a big part of the video message, and they’ll want to figure out if it has anything to do with Bob’s murder. No doubt Reed and the gang will be back to question us again, probably in the middle of our next session.”

“Is it just me, or did Gabriel seem more upset about Eddie Sneed being absent than us being targeted by demented clowns? My head is spinning like the Tilt-a-Whirl.”

June didn’t answer me. I guessed it was because she had a soft spot for Gabriel.

“What if Eddie was the mystery clown?” I ventured.

“I don’t know. I think he was taller than Sneed. Plus, Eddie probably wouldn’t have been able to resist stopping to chat. We’re almost at the Sky Chair. One thing we can figure out right now is where we should eat dinner.”

“How about The Cheesecake Factory? Their food is good, they serve drinks, and of course there’s the cheesecake.” June didn’t offer a single objection to my suggestion.

The main dining and pub section of the park was two blocks long. The restaurants ranged widely in price and scope, from dogs and fries to miso salmon and mushroom risotto. The Cheesecake Factory was a new addition to the strip; therefore, it was located at the end of the street, right where the Sky Chair let us off.

In the last few years, there had been many additions and improvements to the already amazing island getaway. It must be difficult for the DeVille’s to stay ahead of the family entertainment game with all the new and exciting resorts and indoor water parks popping up like weeds and competing for a share of the tourist pie.

We were seated by a cheery hostess in a yellow dress who asked if we would like to see the wine list. “Yes!” times two was what she heard in response to her silly question. We ordered drinks without delay, and she scurried off to do our bidding.

We sipped our wine, and although I was starting to relax, I still couldn’t shake the feeling that we hadn’t seen the worst. Like it or not, a chain of events we had no control over had been set into motion. We still had a lot of thinking to do, but for the time being, I would concentrate on the menu and what I would order for dinner.

When I looked up from the menu, June was peering over my shoulder in the direction of the kitchen. “This resort is a lot smaller than I thought it was,” she said, her eyebrows scrunched together and her lips all bunched up.

“Why would you say that? This place is huge.”

“Then why do we keep seeing the same people everywhere we go? I mean, really, how many jobs can that Sasha chick have?”

“What?” I nearly pulled an
Exorcist
move trying to follow June’s gaze. The restaurant was busy, so it took me several seconds to zero in on her. There she was, wearing the same sunny dress as our hostess and the rest of the waitresses, so it was clear she was an employee of the restaurant. At the moment, she was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, her profile silhouetted by the bright lights of the workspace behind her. Her eyes were downcast and her hands were empty, arms straight at her sides. It was obvious she was being spoken to by an authority figure. Truth be told, it was evident she being reprimanded or scolded. Or threatened? The person dominating the conversation was just beyond the doorway, out of sight. After thirty seconds more, Sasha was nudged from the doorway toward the dining room full of seated patrons, and right behind her strode Gabriel DeVille.
Gabriel?
First we find this girl running from the DeVille penthouse crying. Next, she shows up at the magic show in the middle of my failed magic act with an unordered cocktail for June. Then she appears at our hotel room with spa passes neither of us ordered. Oh, I almost forgot, she was mingling with the zombies at lunch this afternoon. And now she was heading straight for our table.

“Hello. My name is Sasha, and I will be taking care of you this evening. I see you have your drinks. Are you ready to order?” She finished her scripted greeting and looked up. Her round eyes grew even rounder, and then she dropped her order pad. As she bent down to retrieve it, June gave me a laser-beam stare that bore into my brain. Neither of us spoke, but I knew exactly what her mind was relaying to mine.
Did you see her face? She has a black eye. A real black eye
. My mind acknowledged that I did.

Upright again and composed, she apologized for being clumsy and asked for the second time in her soft accent if we would like to place an order. Suddenly, I wasn’t feeling hungry but didn’t want the scene to get any more awkward than it already was, so I scanned the menu and made up my mind.

“I’ll have a Caesar salad. June, do you want to split a Godiva chocolate cheesecake?”

“Sure, sounds good. I’ll have the same salad. And another glass of wine, please.”

“Make that two,” I added.

I was impressed by how Sasha regained her composure. “Very good, ladies. I’ll put that right in.”

 As soon as she walked away, Gabriel, who had been mingling with the other dinner guests, made a beeline for our table.
Oh brother
. So far the Drama Divas Convention was living up to its name. I was pretty sure it had been Gabriel berating Sasha just moments ago, but here was June, batting her long eyelashes and running her fingers through her spiky blond hair.

“Good evening, ladies! I’m so glad you chose this place for your meal. Do you mind if I join you?”

“Please, sit down,” June said without hesitation. More eyelash batting.

The three of us spent the next hour socializing. Gabriel sipped on a glass of pinot noir while we worked on our salad and cheesecake. I tried to keep myself occupied and act like I didn’t notice, while June and Gabriel talked to each other like they were the only two people in the place. I couldn’t help but wonder how Gabriel managed to get there before us. He must have a private car or taxi or something to zip around in as he surveys his kingdom. Over the course of the meal, as I moved lettuce and croutons around on my plate and downed more than my share of the cheesecake, I learned some interesting facts about Gabriel and the DeVille family. The DeVilles, as I had discovered, owned the entire Devil’s Island Resort, including the five-star hotel and conference center, the restaurants and spa, the amusement park, and the marina. I had also learned that Damien and his wife, Angelina, managed the hotel and hospitality end of the business. And then there was the recently departed Roberto, aka Bob, whom we had known for years as the crude and irritating marina manager. What was news to me was that Gabriel currently lived in Chicago and was an active member of the theater scene there. He was involved with four different independent theater houses and was visiting the family property in Ohio this coming weekend to scout fresh talent for two of his soon-to-be-released off-Broadway productions. He was the person who had orchestrated the entire three-day workshop we were attending and brought in all the presenters and performers. Having put together my own small-scale seminars for the college drama department, I could appreciate what a huge undertaking his project really was. On the other hand, I didn’t pay much attention to what June was saying. I had heard most of it before, and the majority of it was even true.

“Well, thank you, ladies, for the enjoyable conversation this evening. I hope this was your first stop, because there’s still plenty of time for you to enjoy the park’s attractions, even if you’re planning to attend tonight’s theater presentation. The park doesn’t close until midnight on the weekends.” With a final flirtatious grin aimed in June’s direction, he was gone. He hadn’t even mentioned the incident in the theater.

O
ur waitress had been noticeably absent
the whole time Gabriel was sitting with us, but as soon as he left, she appeared at our table with two more glasses of wine. “Is there anything else I can get for you? Your bill has been taken care of, so take your time and enjoy.”

June hesitated for a second as Sasha placed the drinks in front of us. “We didn’t order these. Oh what the heck. I’m sure they’re from Gabriel.” She still had that moon-eyed look on her face, but she wasn’t about to refuse a free glass of good wine. For that matter, neither was I.

“So now what? I sure hope you don’t feel like riding any roller coasters, because this time I refuse.”

June gave me a look. “Seriously, Francie?”

“Geez. Now you sound like Hamm. Let’s take the scenic boat ride back to the hotel. The last time I was on that ride was about ten years ago with Hamm and the twins. It was fun, but I’m sure the whole thing has changed over the years. I think there were pirates and skeletons back then. I’m betting we’ll see zombies this time. In any case, it might be a good place to unwind and regroup after this crazy day.”

“That’s fine, as long as there aren’t any clowns. I’ll take the undead over the unfunny any day.”

The floating attraction was nearly full by the time we made it to the front of the line just before its scheduled departure time. We were able to get the last two side-by-side seats by the portside railing and settled in just before the boat pulled away from its mooring. The pilot performed a running commentary of the sights as we meandered up the river. “Look to your left, and you will see the site of the park’s newest ride, the Daredevil. It’s the tallest and fastest coaster in the world. It was built just last year as one of the many new and exciting additions to the park.” Everyone on the boat craned their necks in unison. We looked like a line of synchronized lemurs.

“And on your right you will see the cottage where the marina manager makes his home.” Our guide stopped short when he realized what he had said. Obviously, he was reciting from a memorized script, and rather than making matters worse, he just let it go. People around us began whispering and pointing toward the attractive rustic home. Apparently word was already getting out about the recent crime, and just in case any of the passengers hadn’t notice the guide’s slip-up, a long, yellow streamer of crime scene tape waved in the evening breeze. At least no one was pointing at us in accusation.

“Look, June! Did you see him?”

“Who? Where?”

There was a light on in Bob’s house, and I swore I saw Eddie Sneed in the window. Who else wore a garish Hawaiian shirt and a pet squirrel on his head? He walked past the window again and turned on another lamp in what looked to be the living room.

June stuck her head over the side of the boat. “I see him. You’re right. No doubt in my mind that it’s Eddie. Lend me your phone and I’ll try to get a photo. I left mine on its charger back in the room.”

By the time I located my phone among all the other important stuff in my bottomless bag, we were too far up the river to get anything usable.

“Now what do you think that was all about? He’s been gone since before lunch and shows up now? What business does he have in Bob’s house?”

“Whatever it is, it can’t be good.” Before I could continue my train of thought, I looked down at my phone screen which had lit up while I was still holding it. Hammond’s smiling face stared back at me.

“Are you there? Francie?”

“Oh, hi, Hamm.” I held the phone up to my ear. I must have dialed him up while digging through my purse a minute ago, but he didn’t need to know the call was unintentional.

“Are you girls having fun? I can just imagine the stories you’ll have when we see you on the Fourth.”

“Nothing too exciting happening over here, just the usual seminar stuff.” I crossed my fingers and toes and checked my pants to make sure they weren’t on fire.

“Well, Jack and I had a great day on the course, an excellent dinner, and now we’re just about to have a drink and smoke a cigar.”

“I’ll let you go then, honey. I think my reception is cutting out. Talk soon. Love you!”

June was staring at me. “Did you just lie to your husband? You never lie to your husband.”

“That’s why I had to hang up. I realized I didn’t want to draw him into this sordid mess unless I had a solid reason to do so. You were right before. He sounded like they were both having a great time. Why spoil their weekend?”

As promised, the boat ride ended at the side entrance to the hotel. On our way back to our room, we passed the theater where
Much Ado About Nothing
was resuming after its intermission. I peeked in the theater, thinking it might be fun to catch the final act, but then all I could see in my mind was that disturbing series of film clips I was trying so hard to forget and the equally strange sight of the out-of-place clown. Suddenly, I no longer had any desire to watch a Shakespeare performance; in fact, I couldn’t wait to get into the hotel room and bolt the door.