Marsh Madness by Jana DeLeon

Author:Jana DeLeon [DeLeon, Jana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: J&R Publishing

Chapter Fifteen

I hurried over the police tape and pulled the door shut and whispered, “Not a word about the earring. I was never in there.”

I yanked off the gloves and shoved them in my pocket as Ida Belle, Gertie, and I headed for our rooms to hide. But we were too late. I heard the footsteps coming up the stairs and glanced back just as Bryce came into view. He locked in on Corndog and Petunia and then looked our way, frowning.

“Sorry, Bryce,” Petunia said. “We were just about to start pulling linens and didn’t hear you come in.”

“Don’t touch the linens in that room,” he said. “I’ll take them with me. You can get them back when all this is wrapped up.”

“I doubt I’ll want them at this point, but that’s fine. Can we clean in there yet?”

“Hey, you!” he yelled just as we reached our room doors.

I knew he was talking to us. So here was the dilemma. Did we turn around and risk him recognizing us? Or did we continue into our rooms and pretend we didn’t know he was talking to us? I had a feeling that if we chose option number two, he’d just come bang on our doors, so I turned.

“Are you speaking to us?” I asked as Ida Belle and Gertie turned as well.

“Yeah,” he said as he finished huffing up the stairs and gave Corndog and Petunia a critical eye. “I thought you said no one else was staying here.”

“They just arrived yesterday,” Corndog said. “You didn’t say anything about not renting the other rooms. This one is still closed off, just like you said to do.”

He put his hands on his hips, clearly frustrated. “I shouldn’t have to tell you not to rent any more rooms when you just had someone die here. And that goes double when, as far as I can tell, you’re on the hook for it.”

Corndog paled and Bryce waved at me. “I’m Sheriff Benoit and I’d like a word with you.”

“Here we go,” Ida Belle mumbled.

I started toward him, and he studied me as I approached. At first, his expression was one of complete annoyance, then it shifted to disbelief, and by the time I stood in front of him, outright anger.

“You,” he said. “I know exactly who you are, and you’ve got no business in my parish.”

“Really? I wasn’t aware that taking a couple of vacation days was restricted to certain parishes. You’ll have to point out that law to me.”

He clenched his jaw. “You think I’m going to believe that you’re here for a vacation? Don’t even bother trying that one on me, sweetheart. I know exactly what you’re up to.”

“Don’t ever call me sweetheart. And what is it exactly that you think I’m doing?”

“You’re here to insert your nose in official police business. Well, I’m not your boy toy so it’s not going to fly here.” He looked me up and down and smiled. “Unless you want to give me a spin. Then maybe we can talk.

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