Page 50 of The Summer Request
“You’ll still get plenty of exercise,” Michelle mumbled under her breath.
“I don’t want to coast along the whole time.”
Lisa watched helplessly as they shot barbs back and forth. It was a classic argument. Both people knew they were right, so naturally, they got nowhere except on each other’s nerves.
The bickering continued during their walk to town. It was just under a mile, and Val seamlessly transitioned to arguing for her requirements of an acceptable hike.
“Ideally no hills, because then – ”
“No hills!” Michelle stopped dead in her tracks, turning around. “You can’t get any views if you’re afraid of walking up a hill!”
Lisa kept out of it. As much as she’d dreaded walking, her hips were starting to loosen and feel better. The sun was shining. Birds were singing. It was a marvelous day.
They reached town, and it was so adorable it almost hurt. Even Val and Michelle’s war was silenced as they skirted the sidewalks, joining the other bunches of tourists who were passing the cute little shops and restaurants.
They popped inside the shops one by one as their interests were piqued. Lisa got lobster claw bottle openers for the kids. Michelle bought a map of the carriage roads from a hiking shop. Val swooned over paintings in an art gallery, finally settling on buying herself a small, coin-sized carving of a sailboat.
At the center of town, there was a large green space and a fountain flanked by flowers. They asked a woman to take their picture there, just the three of them, smiling in front of the fountain.
They walked on, pulled by the charms of the restaurants and beer gardens. People were sitting outside, laughing and enjoying a well-earned beer after obviously muddy hikes. There were dogs, too, wagging their tails, mouths open in the heat, relaxing on the restaurant patios next to their owners.
No wonder Michelle had changed into her best hiking gear. She fit right in. Even Lisa, in her more touristy getup, managed to blend in. For the first time, it was Val who was out of place in her pleather pants and tight white button down.
They stopped in for a bite to eat at a café, opting for a table outside.
“All right, what’s our plan to find Sam?” Val asked.
Lisa closed her eyes and sat back. The weather was so perfect, and the mood was much more relaxed than the other places they’d visited. She didn’t feel the pressure to have fun. She was already having fun.
“I thought you had a plan,” Michelle said.
Val shook her head. “Not really. Maybe we can find a phone book?”
“A phone book?” Michelle repeated. “That’s your brilliant idea? Just look up every Beverly in the area and say ‘Hey, did you happen to threaten Lou Emerald?’”
“What if Sam doesn’t live here and was only here on vacation?” Lisa mused.
The thought had been nagging her ever since they’d found out about the email. The blank stares she received in return made her realize no one else had thought of this.
“I don’t know.” Val drummed her nails on the table. “Why don’t we just email him and say…hi?”
“You think ‘hi’ is going to do it?” Michelle dropped her menu to the table with a flop. “What if he doesn’t use that email anymore? What if it was just for blackmail?”
Lisa bit her lip. “She might be right. Why would he use his regular email to commit a crime?”
Val released an exasperated sigh, soliciting looks from the table next to them. “Then what are we supposed to do? We can’t get the medical examiner’s report, we can’t find Sam, and Lou certainly isn’t going to talk. We’re stuck.”
She lunged into her purse and pulled out a package of Tic Tacs, struggling with the top for a moment before forcefully throwing it at the table.
“Okay,” Lisa said slowly, reaching for the Tic Tacs. “I didn’t know you were so upset. We’ll figure it out.”
“I’m not so sure, Lisa.” Val put her sunglasses on and looked away. “If you haven’t noticed, things haven’t gone very well for us recently.”
Michelle giggled, and Lisa shot her a look.
Luckily, Val didn’t get angrier. She just slumped down in her chair.
Poor Val. Lisa popped the Tic Tacs open and handed them back to her. “We will figure it out. Maybe not by the end of this trip, but eventually. I’m sure of it.”
