Page 47 of Secrets at Seaside
“No, of course not,” Bella answered. “We wouldn’t let anyone near your house.”
“I’m sure it’s a mistake,” Jenna said.
Amy couldn’t say a word, because despite her one big fourteen-year lie, she really wasn’t good at hiding the truth, and she was sure that if something inside was awry, it had everything to do with a certain mouthy blonde whom she adored.
They followed Theresa into her modestly furnished and tidy house. Theresa lived in the full-sized house that had belonged to the original owner of all of Seaside before the land was subdivided and the cottages were built. They followed the officer into the living room. The room was a good size, with a brown couch, white coffee table, and a peach-colored armchair. Off to the right was a small dining room with a round table and six wooden chairs. The walls were painted beige, except in the kitchen, which was just beyond the living room and fully outfitted in white. The officer picked up a framed photograph and studied it. He cleared his throat and walked across the room to another framed photo, which he also picked up and studied.
“Oh my gosh,” Jenna mumbled and reached for Amy’s hand. She squeezed so hard Amy had to stifle a yelp.
Amy looked at Bella, who had a wide grin on her lips, and was staring at a framed picture of Bradley Cooper hanging above the end table. Amy snapped her jaw closed to stifle a gasp.Holy cow.
“Ma’am?” The officer turned the two frames toward Theresa, who apparently hadn’t noticed anything out of place. Both frames held pictures of Bradley Cooper with hearts drawn on them in red ink. “Would you care to explain these?”
Theresa shot a heated stare at Bella.
“Theresa, I never knew you were such a fan,” Bella said with a straight face.
“I’m not.” Theresa took the frames from him and glared at Bella. “I don’t have any idea how these got in here.”
The cop arched a brow and raised his eyes to the photograph of the celebrity hanging on the wall. “And that one?”
“Tsk!What is this? I did not…Bella?”
Bella held her hands up. “Wow. This is kind of creepy.”
“These are not my photographs,” Theresa insisted.
The cop flashed a barely there smile to Bella that Amy would have missed had she not been watching everyone so closely.
The officer walked over to Theresa’s desk, where her laptop lay closed. “May I open this?”
“Yes, of course. You’ll see that this is some kind of a mistake,” Theresa huffed.
The officer lifted the lid of her laptop and Bradley Cooper’s picture appeared as the screen saver.
“Ma’am, I’m afraid this evidence speaks for itself. I’m going to issue you a warning, but if you don’t refrain from contacting Mr. Cooper, we’ll be forced to take further action.”
“But I didn’t do this.” Theresa let out an exasperated breath.
“The evidence proves otherwise,” the officer said.
Theresa’s eyes narrowed. If looks could maim, Bella would be laid flat.
“I…I have to run.” Amy headed for the door with Jenna right behind her.
They held hands as they ran across the quad to Amy’s cottage.
“Whoa!” Jenna collapsed into a deck chair. “Bella went above and beyond her normal prankster game this time. Theresa is going to get her back so bad!”
Bella joined them a few minutes later with a satisfied smirk. “That was to get her back for ruining my Thong Thursday prank.”
Amy covered her face with her hands. “All I wanted to do was talk about what to do about Tony and the job with Duke, and now I’m an accessory to a prank that she’ll probably get you arrested for. Forget Australia. We’ll all end up cuffed in the Wellfleet Police Barracks.”
“Tony will bail you out.”
Amy banged her forehead on the table. “Australia’s looking pretty good right now.”
“HEY, THAT WAS cool of you to set that stuff up for us last night. Thanks, man.” Tony gave Evan a friendly pat on the back. They’d surfed for several hours, then hung out on the beach for the afternoon, talking. Now they were back at Seaside, getting their gear out of Tony’s car.
