Page 16 of The Beachside Cafe
Jaymee stared at what he had in his hand. “It can’t be,” she murmured.
“But it is.”
It was another vial, identical to the one she’d found under her husband’s dresser.
ELEVEN
The mystery of the vial was still on Jaymee’s mind that evening as she prepared dinner. She’d invited Cameron over so they could discuss it and she was anxious for him to arrive.
Cheyenne wanted to talk to him, too. She had questions of her own, she said, and she hoped Cameron would be able to provide some kind of answer.
When they were all seated around the table, Cameron was the first one to bring up the situation they were in, even though the women were both anxious to talk about it.
“So that vial,” he said, “the one I got off Mike today. It’s a real mystery to me. I’m gonna give it to Alex and see if it’s the same solution but with the bottles being virtually identical I’d say it probably came from the same batch.”
“You’re right,” Jaymee agreed, nodding. “And that means Doug was involved in something sinister or he was the victim of someone sinister. We don’t even know if he’s still alive.”
“What did the police tell you when you filed the report? I bet they thought it was awful convenient you were already at the police station, huh?”
Jaymee gave him a half-hearted grin. “Yeah, I doubt any of them noticed or cared.”
Cameron looked amused.
“Anyway, they took my missing person report and told me they would keep an eye out. I don’t think they’re going to send a search party for a 40-year-old investment broker.”
“Well, they should,” Cheyenne put in, sounding disgusted. “I can’t believe they aren’t going to take it seriously. It makes me so mad.”
“They have a lot of work on their hands, dear,” Jaymee said, comfortingly. “Things that are a lot worse overall than Doug being missing. But that’s okay because we’re going to find him ourselves, isn’t that right, Cameron?” She looked to him for comfort and assurance along with her daughter.
He nodded. “That’s right. I’m a P.I., Cheyenne, in case your mom didn’t tell you. I have a good relationship with the guys on the police force so I’ll just be the police for you. How’s that sound? All right with you?”
Cheyenne nodded, a grin on her face. “Yes, that’s fine. Thank you, Cameron. It’s so nice that you’re doing this for us.”
“I’m glad I could help.”
“Tell me, Cameron,” Jaymee asked, taking a sip of her drink. “What happened with those brothers? Did they ever confess?”
“They did, as a matter of fact.” Even Jaymee could hear the surprise in his voice. “They confessed to them all but there’s one problem.”
Jaymee raised her eyebrows. “They wouldn’t tell you why, would they?”
Cameron gazed at her, pressed his lips together. “Nope. Not a peep who they were working for, if anyone, why they did it, why they only chose cafés on the oceanside, nothing. They just said, yeah, we did it. Practically at the same time, too.” He shook his head.
“For now we’ve got a partial resolution, then,” Cheyenne said.
Cameron smiled. “Yes. And I’ll take that for now. But knowing that Mike had the same vial, that darn vial, I just keep coming back to it. There’s got to be something we’re missing.”
“We haven’t had a lot of time to really analyze the evidence. We still have plenty of work to do,” Jaymee said. “And I figure in a case like this, anything could happen. Doug might walk in the door any minute.”
Cameron widened his eyes. “Lord, I hope not. I don’t know how he’d feel about me being here dining with you.”
“He wouldn’t care after he found out who you are,” Cheyenne said confidently. “He doesn’t think about things romantically. He would assume business before pleasure any day of the week.”
Cameron slid his eyes to Jaymee as if for confirmation, which she gave him. “She’s right. He’s just not a very attentive man.”
“You’re confident he didn’t just leave, right?” Cameron asked.
“Yeah,” Jaymee and Cheyenne said the word at the same time. They looked at each other and then back at Cameron.
