Page 8 of The Beachside Cafe
They walked away from the doors so Jaymee never found out what he was talking about. The kitchen was nearly destroyed. She stopped as soon as she stepped into the room, her eyes wide, her jaw slack.
The graffiti on the outside was repeated in here. She was stunned, blinking in disbelief.
“Jaymee.” She heard Cameron’s voice and turned in his direction. He was staring at her. “You okay?”
She shook her head, feeling faint. “I… can’t believe this. Why would someone destroy my appliances? What was the meaning of ripping off the refrigerator and freezer doors? What is this all about?”
Jaymee was beginning to understand why Cheyenne had reacted the way she did to the outside. She swept her eyes from one side of the room to the other, shaking her head. “I just can’t believe this. My husband goes missing, my café is broken into and vandalized… what more-”
“Don’t say that!” Cameron barked, interrupting her. He held one finger up in the air, almost like a warning. “Don’t jinx yourself.”
Jaymee was a little amused, which relieved her panic. “I just can’t believe this is happening, Cameron.” She remembered that her daughter needed water and went to the doorless fridge to get one of the still-cold water bottles.
“This didn’t happen long ago,” Cameron said. “The detectives said someone was walking their dog and heard the commotion. Called 911. If they’d been here just a bit sooner, they would have caught them.”
Jaymee nodded, hurrying to the door to take the water out to Cheyenne. Cameron followed behind her.
“It’s getting really late, Jaymee,” Cameron said. “There’s nothing we can do here. Why don’t I take you home, you get some rest and we’ll meet in the morning to talk about all this. Sound good?”
Jaymee nodded, too stunned by everything that was happening to really comprehend what he was saying. He took her arm and made her look directly at him.
“Pull yourself together, Jaymee. We’re going to figure this out. This isn’t the end. Everything is going to be all right.”
He looked down at Cheyenne, who was also staring at him as she took the bottle from her mother. “That goes for you, too. Stay calm. We’re going to figure this out together.”
SIX
Jaymee sat at the table closest to the water, watching the waves crash softly as the low tide came in. People lined the shore, families out enjoying the sunshine, couples making memories, dogs and children playing in the sand. It gave Jaymee a sense of melancholy, remembering when Cheyenne had been young and the trips she’d taken the girl on.
Doug hadn’t been around much as Cheyenne grew up. He was busy building his investment company. Until she was about ten years old, he rarely showed up more than necessary. But the moment his company became a steady, stable source of income, with enough clients for him to handle, he began branching out, hiring people to take over parts of the business so he didn’t have to do it all himself anymore. He became a “consultant” of sorts to his own company.
It was at her tenth birthday that Doug vowed to Cheyenne he would always be in her life, there for her when she needed him and that whenever she had a problem, she was to seek him out. Jaymee was impressed with her husband that day. He’d made his daughter feel like a princess, like he loved her more than anything, and that hadn’t changed since.
There was no question that Doug loved his daughter. He gave her more attention than he’d given Jaymee over all the years they’d spent together.
Jaymee couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that he still hadn’t shown up and no one had called. He wasn’t being held for ransom apparently. What good would killing him do, though? The only motive for that could be revenge. If it was a random killing, like a robbery or mugging, the police would have found out about it and told her.
But that wasn’t the case. The police knew nothing, the hospitals knew nothing, the airports, his colleagues, their friends… no one knew anything.
A heavy feeling of sadness came over her. She crossed her arms over her chest and denied the tears that wanted to fall.
She turned her thoughts to the little café on the same boardwalk hers was on. Saltwater Café was down a few blocks though. She wanted to be on the boardwalk but not close enough to her business to be thinking about it more than she already was.
They’d agreed to meet at 7. Glancing at her watch told Jaymee he was a few minutes late. Nothing to worry about. He was a man with his own business to attend to. She couldn’t expect him to drop everything and come to her rescue.
She looked into the café, impressed with the ambiance and the service she’d been given. It was fashioned after the 50’s complete with paper hats, Coke on tap, and a signature float that was to die for. She almost expected to be served by someone on skates.
It was comfortable and fun, not the kind of style she wanted for her own café but the same friendly, welcoming feeling. She hoped she’d attract more than just fish lovers.
“Jaymee,” Cameron said her name as he slid into the chair opposite hers.
“Morning, Cameron,” Jaymee responded.
“How are you doing today?” he asked, leaning forward and looking her directly in the eyes. She blinked at him.
“I’m… here.”
He nodded, sitting back. “I already told the waitress to bring me some tea. Did you order yet?”
