Page 1 of The Beachside Cafe 6
ONE
Jaymee Mason gazed at the fish tank, her eyes searching for the newest additions. She would always be partial to the very first fish she bought – her own Clownfish, who, despite his similarity to Nemo, had both fins.
Jaymee smiled at her thoughts when the little fish swam right past her as if to say, “Here I am!”
She was standing in the middle of Saltwater Café, which she owned and operated on a sunny beach in Grand Bay, California. She glanced around as she left the tank behind and went out on the veranda. It was 2:30 in the afternoon on a Thursday, which was just after lunch and there weren’t a lot of customers inside or out on the deck.
She smiled at a couple as she walked past them to go to the railing that surrounded the veranda. When she looked out over it, she was filled with awe at the beauty she saw. It was the same awe she’d felt since she had first found the location.
“Jaymee?”
A man’s voice behind her made her turn. She instantly recognized Bob Palmer, one of the men Doug had contacted about the café. One of the only two precious things her deceased ex-husband had given Jaymee was the Saltwater Café. He hadn’t had anything to do with its development. He’d only written checks.
The other good thing that had come from her marriage to the man, who turned out to be a criminal involved with a very shady company called Intersectional Dynamics Laboratory, was their daughter, Cheyenne. At one time the only bright light in her father’s eye, now she was by her mother’s side through thick and thin.
“Bob,” Jaymee said, taking a step closer to the man, who had a huge smile on his face. “How are you?” She held out her hand and he shook it energetically.
“It’s so good to see you, Jaymee. The café has done so well. I haven’t looked at your books but I’ll bet they are exploding with black ink.”
Jaymee laughed. “We’re doing well, thank you. My partner and I collaborate, and it seems we both have had nothing but good ideas so far.”
Bob looked around. “How is Doug? I haven’t seen him since we worked together securing this location for you.”
Jaymee blanched, not wanting to talk about Doug. Her heart had grown cold after she found out he was blackmailing people and what they’d discovered about IDL, the company he had worked for. She couldn’t help giving the man an astonished look.
His dark eyebrows shot up. “What have I said? Uh oh. Are you two not together anymore?”
Jaymee saw his eyes flick down to her left hand. That wouldn’t help him. She was wearing her engagement ring to Cameron Smith, the private investigator who helped her solve Doug’s mysterious disappearance. She held up her hand so he knew she was aware he was looking at it.
“Doug is dead. He was caught in a big scandal months ago. You don’t know about it?”
Bob’s face went pale and the look of surprise assured Jaymee he didn’t know anything about Doug’s death. She wasn’t about to relay the details – how one of his blackmail victims, a ruthless woman named Amanda Dinklage, killed him with one of the chemical substances she and others were creating in the labs at IDL and inflicting on human guinea pigs.
“He’s been gone for almost five months,” Jaymee said. “It’s a very long story. I’m surprised you didn’t see it in the Grand Bay Times.”
“I haven’t been in California since last year when I was helping you find a location out here. I only visited as it was. I’m sorry to hear of his passing. How is your daughter? I know he was so proud of her. He talked about her all the time.”
Jaymee’s heart squeezed with sorrow. Her daughter had been a daddy’s girl, that was for sure. “Yes, they were very close. She’s dealing with it the best she can. She’s out on her own now and has a very nice boyfriend. A scientist. Very smart.” She smiled, tapping her temple with one finger.
Bob looked like he wasn’t quite sure what else to say. Jaymee was amused at his expression. It looked like he desperately wanted to run away as fast as he could. She was sure he was regretting stopping to talk to her.
“So how long will you be here in California this time?”
Bob looked relieved. His shoulders relaxed a bit and he spoke quickly, “Oh, well, I’m on a flight out of here in a couple days. I just had some business to take care of.”
“Looking at locations?” Jaymee asked. “Not bringing me competition, are you?”
Bob laughed softly. She was glad he was feeling more comfortable. She didn’t want to talk about the situation any more than he wanted to hear about it.
“Well, I don’t really have any control over…”
He stopped when Jaymee threw her head back out and let out a laugh. “I’m teasing you, Bob. Stay and have a drink?”
“I’d like that very much,” Bob smiled at her and she noticed how incredibly straight and white his teeth were. They went back inside the café together and walked to the bar with Jaymee in the lead, weaving around the tables, where there were only a few customers.
She slid onto one of the bar stools and signaled to Carmine, her bartender. He came over and smiled at her. “What can I get you, boss?”
Jaymee laughed. Carmine had been one of Doug’s blackmail victims who had turned out to be on the right side of the law instead. When Jaymee realized what had happened to him, going so far as to saving his life, she offered him not only a job but a new place to live.
