Dying on Edisto by C. Hope Clark

Author:C. Hope Clark
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BelleBooks, Inc.
Published: 2021-04-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Callie

REACHING THE restaurant area, Callie expected to find it vacant due to the tourist exodus. Instead it teemed with guests. Each and every table filled.

Jackie and Tito scurried between tables and the kitchen, Riley’s same frustration clear in their expressions. Grabbing Tito’s arm the third time he ran by, Callie asked, “What’s going on?”

He glanced at Jackie, expecting to be scolded for the sidebar. “Mr. Shaw announced meals were free to keep guests from bailing. Rose called in sick, and we can’t get the night people to come in after the news started spreading.” He tried to turn and bolt.

Callie wouldn’t release him. “Where’s your boss? Mr. Shaw.”

He shrugged and tore off when Jackie called from the kitchen.

Callie scouted the dining area, not finding Slade, Largo, or Roberts. Movement outside attracted her to a window, but instead of Drummond carrying on like before, a dolled-up reporter and her cameraman performed, him filming her while walking backwards—guests giving them almost a parade-route greeting and hoping to be seen in the background on the six o’clock news.

And still no sign of Sweet. So she called him. Took four calls for him to pick up.

“Callie?” he answered, winded.

“Meet me in your office,” she said, a little frustrated at the man.

He spoke to someone else with him at the same time.

“Sweet! I said, ‘Meet me in your office.’” Guests at the nearest two tables cut irritated glances at her.

“Busy,” he said. “Doing my best to keep the guests from leaving.”

He’d last seen her in uniform, and he wouldn’t want a cop flaunting around the premises, so she used the hollow threat. “Yeah, but I need to talk to you. Now. And I don’t think you want a uniform yanking you aside in public.”

He answered someone’s concern then put his mouth back to the phone. “Give me fifteen.”

With those fifteen minutes to spare, Callie returned to the kitchen and walked in without invitation. Three cooks struggled to feed two dozen guests cramming the dining room, so they had no time to shoo her out. After five minutes of opening doors and analyzing prep areas, she tucked herself to the side of the kitchen and did a search on her phone. Not only did it all just seem like green stuff to her, but there were different kinds of hemlock. Damn. Her limited expertise wouldn’t recognize squat.

Jackie whirled in and helped throw the last of two plates together, as adept as any of the cooks. Callie instinctively hunted for pimiento cheese on the plates before spotting scrambled eggs and parsley, remembering this was breakfast. Hell, didn’t Slade say it resembled parsley?

“We really don’t have time for you today,” said the waitress as she whisked the two plates around Callie and out of the kitchen.

Callie exited and headed toward the lobby, making for Sweet’s office around the corner, and bumped into a woman.

“Oh,” Slade said. “Sorry. It’s a madhouse around here.” She gave the chief’s civilian garb a once-over. “Didn’t recognize you at all. Good cover.”

Callie

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.