Around three, my cell phone rang. I looked at the number that showed in the little window; I had dialed it just that morning, so I knew very well who was calling. I let the voice mail answer, and kept on truckin' down the road.
I was getting very excited about my mini-vacation. A couple of days on the beach would do me a world of good, plus take me away from town while interest in Nicole's murder was so high. Normally I'm very responsible, because Great Bods is my baby, but just this once I thought circumstances warranted that I take a break. Probably I should have posted a sign on the front door at Great Bods, though, telling my members when we might reopen. Oh, my God, I hadn't given a thought to my employees! I should have personally called each of them.
Angry at myself, I called Siana. "I can't believe I did this," I said as soon as she answered the phone. "I didn't call everyone and tell them when I expected to reopen Great Bods."
The great thing about Siana is, growing up with me, she learned to read between the lines and fill in the gaps. She immediately knew I wasn't talking about the members because there were so many of them that calling each and every one would take, like, until Great Bods actually reopened, so obviously I was talking about my employees.
"Do you have a list of their numbers at your place?" she asked.
"There's a printed list folded in my address book, in the top left drawer of my desk. If you'll get it, I'll call you back when I get settled and can write all the numbers down."
"Don't bother with that; I'll call them. Since I'm right here and the calls are local, that makes more sense than using your cell phone minutes. I'll also have Lynn update the voice mail message."
"I owe you. Be thinking about what you'd like to have." I love that girl; it's great having a sister like her. I was calling her at work, and she could easily have said she was tied up and she'd get to it as soon as she could, but it might be tomorrow. Not Siana, though; she handled everything thrown at her as if she had all the time in the world. You'll notice I don't say that about Jenni, who still thinks she's privileged. Besides, I have not forgotten that I caught her willingly kissing my husband. I don't bring it up and for the most part get along with her, but it's always there in the back of my mind.
"Don't make open-ended promises like that; I might ask for something more than borrowing your best dress. By the way, someone is looking for you, and he sounds angry. Want to guess his name? Hint: he's a police lieutenant."
I was flabbergasted, not that he was looking for me and that he was angry, but that he had called Siana. I'd told him during one of our dates that I had two sisters, but I'm certain I didn't tell him their names or anything about them. On the other hand, it was silly to be surprised: he was a cop; he knew how to find out things about people.
"Wow. He didn't give you any grief, did he?"
"No, he was very controlled. He did say something about betting that I was your lawyer. What was that about?"
"I have a list of grievances against him. I told him I was taking the list to my lawyer."
Siana chuckled. "What would those grievances be?"
"Oh, things like manhandling me, kidnapping me, snotty attitude. He took my list away from me, so I have to write another one. I'll add to it as time goes along, I'm sure."
She was outright laughing now. "I bet he loved the 'snotty attitude' item. Uh-are you going to need me for real? Are you in any trouble?"
"I don't think so. He told me not to leave town, but I'm not a suspect, so I don't think he can do that, can he?"
"If you're not a suspect, why did he say that?"
"I think he's decided he's interested again. Then again, maybe he was just getting back at me because I pretended not to recognize him. I had him going for a while."
"Then it's probably both. He's interested, and he's getting back at you. Plus he's making certain you stay where he can get to you."
"I don't think it worked," I said as I cruised down Highway 74 toward Wilmington.
Chapter Seven
I could have gone to the Outer Banks, but I figured I'd have a better chance of getting a room along the southern coast. Heck, I could always keep going south until I reached Myrtle Beach, if necessary. I wasn't looking for entertainment, though, just a place where I could relax for a couple of days until things cooled down at home.
I rolled into Wilmington around six P.M., and worked my way through the city toward Wrightsville Beach. As soon as I saw the Atlantic, Tiffany-my inner beach bunny, remember?-sighed in contentment. She is so easy.
I lucked out and found a cozy little beach cottage at the first place I stopped; the family that had rented it had just canceled. Wasn't that great? I'd rather have a cottage than a motel room any day, because of the privacy. It was the most darling place, a little blue clapboard bungalow with a screened porch and fire pit on the left side. It was just three rooms, sort of; the front half of the house was a tiny kitchen and eating area, which was open to the living room. The back half of the house was a nice bedroom and bath, and whoever had decorated the bedroom had me in mind, because the bed was wreathed in mosquito netting. I love little touches like that, froufrou feminine things.
While I was unpacking, my cell phone rang again. It was the third time Wyatt's number had shown up on Caller ID, and once again I let the call go to voice mail. The phone kept beeping at me, to tell me there were messages, but I hadn't retrieved any of them yet. I figured if I didn't know what he was saying, I wasn't technically defying him, right? He might be threatening me with arrest or something, in which case I would only be upset if I knew about it, so I was better off not listening to his messages.