Page 46 of Watch Me Burn

“Yes, to establish that this terrible couple never dined with us. They accused us of food poisoning as well,” she explained.

“They should’ve won and milked this terrible shithole for all it’s worth,” I mumbled under my breath.

Stephanie’s sharp ears caught that. “Excuse me?”

Masking my irritation, I put on a forced smile. “I was asking if we could review the restaurant footage as well.” It wasn’t the time for confrontation; we needed her on our side. There would be time to vent my frustrations later.

After a brief standoffish gaze, Stephanie rose from her chair, gesturing at it. “Feel free to dig in. There’s another seat for your . . . partner. Sift through it for hours or days if you wish. But I’ve got work to do.”

And with that, she made her exit.

Ethan, sensing my distress, pulled up a chair beside me. “All right, let’s do this,” he said, determination evident in his voice.

I nodded and stole a quick kiss from him. “Yes, sir!”

Chapter 20

Ethan

“Anna! ANNA!” I shouted while eagerly tapping her shoulder. I was just about to slide off the security room table when a familiar face appeared on the video tape we were watching.

Supposed to be watching, actually. Our eyes had gone red from staring at a gazillion video tapes from noon to dark. Since there was only a tiny slit to reference as a window in this room, we’d barely noticed how much time had passed in our search.

“Huh?” Anna slurred. Her voice was groggy, adding a sexy hoarseness to the way she spoke.

I jabbed my finger at the bright monitor. It played a recording that covered the antechamber of Seaside Inn’s Bar and Grill, where you could order from the checkered bar that looked exactly as it did today.

Anna’s face slowly lit up. “That’s my dad!” she said while gaping at the man who approached the front counter. He was wearing a pink polo shirt and had his hand on the small of a dark-haired woman’s back. A bit intimate, if you asked me, but we couldn’t tell who she was from the angle.

“Crap, this video is blurry as hell,” I hissed as I fumbled with the monitor’s controls. With a little bit of playing around, I was able to adjust the screen’s projection to zoom in on where Anna’s father and the woman stood.

“It’s my dad. 100% that’s him,” Anna stated in shock. “He has the same polo my dad would always wear, and even his capris are belted in that sideways fashion he always thought would become hip.”

A fleeting urge to smile seeing the old man in such high spirits passed through me, but the oddity of the scene quickly quashed it.

“Who’s the girl?” Anna’s voice was taut with tension and worry. She leaned toward the monitor, trying to decipher the scene. The waiter’s camaraderie with her dad was evident, but the girl’s face was obscured by her voluminous black hair, complete with a retro fringe. Her relaxed style hinted she was pretty casual about the whole affair.

“You know,” I started hesitantly, “it seems like your dad might have invited her. He’s in khakis in some random restaurant miles away from home, and she’s not exactly dolled up herself. Gives off the vibe of some informal getaway. What I don’t understand is the reason.”

Anna gnawed on her lip, eyes never leaving the screen. As the footage continued, her dad and the unidentified girl moved toward the dining section. But just as the waiter led the way, John covertly slid his hand around the girl’s waist, pulling her close.

Anna recoiled. “What the actual fuck?” The intimacy was startlingly inappropriate, especially given the age difference. It all appeared calculated, covert. I silently hoped, for all the world’s worth, that the girl was at least of age.

“We shouldn’t jump to conclusions,” I cautioned. “Let’s watch the rest.”

A clearer view, especially one capturing their interactions at the bar, might offer insights into the nature of their relationship. Was it platonic or something deeper, maybe illegal? The snippet we’d just seen was far too ambiguous.

Anna stood up from her chair, eyeing the area around her as if it was closing in on her. “I . . . need a break.”

“You fellas done?” Out of nowhere, David burst the door open and peeped inside.

I glanced between the monitor and the man’s wrinkled forehead.

“Uh, can we get a few more minutes? We just need to wrap this up.”

David gave his man a quick glimpse. “All righty, but I’ll need you guys to leave in fifteen. The night shift starts soon, and I need to leave.”

Without another word, he closed the door and left us to our investigation.

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