Lizas secrets a cape cod.., p.19
Liza's Secrets: A Cape Cod Thriller, page 19
Liza stopped her pep talk when a middle-aged man wearing navy shorts with whales embroidered on them came near. He was walking a small fluffy dog and gave her a sideways glance as he passed. Was she talking too loudly? He should judge. The dog looked like a dust mop. What kind of man went out in public with such ridiculous shorts and a stupid-looking dog?
Maybe she should take Licorice for a stroll on the beach. The thought of her cantankerous old black cat on a leash made her giggle, remembering when Sam tried to convince Licorice to go for a walk. Her son was no older than seven. She helped him put a small harness around the cat’s body and they drove to a mall. After the cat sat down and refused to move, a security guard showed up, and not so kindly, demanded that they remove the cat and leave immediately.
After fifteen minutes of hard walking, Liza sat on the sand and gazed at the ocean. Life always seemed so peaceful near the water. She would return to Jeff’s place and sort out their relationship. He was a good friend. Maybe she was expecting too much from him. The phone rang as she contemplated what to do.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Liza, it’s Bonnie.”
She wondered what she wanted. She just saw her. “Hi, Bonnie. What’s up? Miss me already?”
“More than you can imagine. Remember Sherry, the girl who waited on you?”
“You mean the girl who looked like Barbie and made no eye contact?”
Bonnie chuckled. “Yes, she’s the one. Well, she announced she was feeling sick and took off in the middle of the shift. All hell’s breaking out here. My next server isn’t due for two hours. I tried calling her to see if she’d come in early, but her cell’s off. I know this is a long shot, but are you still in the area?”
Liza wanted to lie and say she had returned to Chatham, but she owed Bonnie so much, and this was a chance to repay her. “You’re lucky. I’m down the road, walking along the beach. I can come in for a few hours, but I need to get back in time for my afternoon shift at the store.”
“No problem. You’ll be out by lunch. I really appreciate it.”
“Hey, what are friends for? I’ll be right over.” She dusted the sand off her pants and slid into the driver’s seat. Her serious talk with Jeff would have to wait until later.
Chapter 39
Barry
Barry woke to the racket of splashing, giggling children in the pool outside his cabin. He groaned, turned onto his right side, grimaced at the stained and peeling wallpaper above the dresser, and muttered, “Where am I? What a toilet. This place is roasting, and it stinks.” Barry untangled his legs from the damp sheets, sat on the mattress, and continued complaining, “What happened to the air conditioning? It must have shut off when I was sleeping. It better get fixed now or I want my money back.”
Looking at the bedside clock, he swore, “Damn, it’s almost noon.” He tried to stand, but fell back on the pillow. It was too early for him to function. Didn’t this eyesore have muffins and coffee in the morning? At least that was what the guy who took his money said last night.
A mom yelled from outside his window, “If you do that again, I’ll kill you!” He heard shrieking children in the background.
Barry mumbled, “Don’t worry kids, I’m gonna kill all of you.” His remark made him snicker, and he felt better.
A sharp smack and a loud yelp replaced the laughter and raucousness. Barry dragged himself out of bed and went to the cabin door, shouting, “Shut up all of you or else!” It became uncannily silent. “Now that’s more like it.” He grinned.
Barry pulled on his jeans, grabbed his shirt from the floor, and whined, “I’m hungry. Where can I get a bite to eat around this dump?” Stumbling into the bright sunlight, he squinted as he tried to get his bearings. Crap. It was too bright. Another sunny day. The sky looked like a postcard for a perfect vacation on Cape Cod. What a joke, especially when people drove here from Cincinnati and wound up sleeping in this dump. Their only views were cars crawling down Route 28.
The locked office made him furious. He pounded on the manager’s cabin door. “Open up. My air conditioner’s broken and my cabin’s a hellhole. I want it fixed NOW. Anyway, you’re supposed to have coffee and muffins in the morning. I’m hungry.” No answer.
Barry left the office and went out to the pool area. A heavy woman was reading a romance novel while her two kids played in the water. Barry looked at her bulging thighs peeking out of her red two-piece suit. Yuck. She needed a reality check before she went outside and showed the world that body. He could add some real spice to her life. Big ladies always knew good places to eat. Maybe she would direct him to a restaurant with fantastic breakfasts.
He smiled brightly at her. “Hi, I’m Barry. I’m in the next cabin over there.”
She answered warily, “I’m Suzanne. How are you? My husband, Ben, is still sleeping, so I thought I’d take the kids outside. I hope they didn’t wake you.” She did not look at all apologetic, and she returned to her book.
It shocked Barry that she had a husband. There was no accounting for taste. “So, you know any good places to eat around here? The guy last night promised coffee and muffins, but the office is closed, and I’m starved.”
Suzanne looked up at him with an annoyed expression. “Try the Lobster Roll restaurant down 28. It’s pretty good and they have lots of choices. I’m not sure you can still get breakfast. Maybe lunch.” She looked pointedly at her watch.
“Thanks.” Barry rushed off to get to his car. He was not getting anywhere with this broad. Besides, it was only noon. Of course, they had breakfast. He would deal with the motel manager later. Why did he pay in advance for two nights? Only thoughts of parties on the beach prevented him from grabbing his gear and leaving today.
Chapter 40
Liza got into her car, finger-brushed her hair, and applied make-up in a rush. Bonnie was by the door greeting customers and looking flustered. Instead of an orderly line like before, there were crowds of people clamoring for tables. Calling out names for seating from a handwritten list, Bonnie was pouring coffee and trying to look hospitable. She grabbed Liza’s hand. “Thanks so much. I need somebody who knows how to wait on tables.”
“No problem, but don’t forget that I have to be out of here by noon. I’ll need time to get back to Chatham and change before I work my shift at the store.”
Bonnie smiled. “Lori will be in by twelve. She’s a local college student who takes classes at night. She promised to rush over as soon as her car was back from the garage. It’s been a total screw-up kind of day.”
“I’m not exactly dressed for the job.”
Bonnie grabbed an apron off the coat rack. “You can wear this. People are so hungry; you could bring food to them with your clothes on inside out and they wouldn’t notice.”
Liza took orders and brought breakfast out to the patrons. One couple tried to take their frustrations out on her. “We’ve been here fifteen minutes and haven’t even ordered. If we knew it was going to take this long, we would’ve gone somewhere else.”
They were indistinguishable from the more recent customers at the store. Liza smiled sweetly. “So, what’ll you have? Sorry for the delay.” After the summer crowd appeared at work, she discovered quickly never to give an excuse. This was something she also remembered from living with Barry. She now understood why kitchen staff got angry when an irate customer returned a meal. Liza was more than tempted to spill coffee on them, but refrained. This was going to be a long two-hour shift.
By eleven, the crowd was dispersing, and they were catching up in the kitchen. She was into the rhythm of taking orders, serving, and cleaning. It felt good to help a friend. The tips were not bad either, and she could always use the extra cash.
At twelve-fifteen, her replacement finally arrived. She was short and dark-haired, wearing a black skirt and a white blouse. Her features were full, and she had heavy eyebrows and straight white teeth.
The young server, exuding confidence, impressed Liza. The woman stuck out her hand and looked Liza in the eye. “Hi, I’m Lori. You must be Liza. Thanks for filling in until I got here. I had a flat tire last night and needed to have it fixed before work.”
“You just missed the craziness. I waited on angry customers who demanded to eat instantly, and people who decided they did not like the way we cooked their eggs. Others wanted to return their food to the kitchen for something else. We were so backed up in the kitchen, we even ran out of bagels.”
“Wow. That’s worse than last weekend. I thought it was wild on Sunday morning. The Cape just gets busier every year.”
“Speaking of busy. I need to get back to Chatham. I’m working the afternoon-evening shift at Chatham Summer tonight.”
Lori appraised her. “You work there? Isn’t it stuffy with fashions for little old ladies?”
Liza laughed, hoping Lori thought she was cool. “No, it’s got clothes for all ages, although it leans toward an older clientele.”
“Yeah, the pink and green ladies,” she replied and added, “But not you.”
“No, I’m not the pink and green type.” Hanging the apron back on the coat rack, Liza prepared to leave. She gave Bonnie a quick hug as she headed out the door.
Bonnie touched her arm. “Now come back and see me real soon. I want to make this up to you.”
“Stop that nonsense. I’m always happy to help. Wow, I’m late. I’ve got to go. See you again.”
Liza hurried out the door and jumped into the Forester. She was desperate to get home as fast as possible. Traffic was so bad it could take over an hour to get to Chatham. Endless traffic inched down Route 28. As Liza glanced at a black Mercedes waiting to turn into the parking lot, she shuddered, remembering Barry’s black Mercedes. Thank God he was in New Jersey.
Chapter 41
Barry
Anger and hunger did not improve Barry’s mood. His patience worn, he wanted to get even with everyone. The traffic made it almost impossible to pull into the crowded lane to make a left turn into the parking lot of the Lobster Roll. Since he was allergic to lobster, he wondered why he was here. The fat lady better be right about the food being decent. He needed breakfast before he died from starvation. He cut off another car and slammed on the brakes. Hand gesturing, he yelled, “Get out of the way!” Where did that guy learn to drive?
While waiting for a clearing in the traffic so he could turn into the restaurant’s parking lot, Barry admired a blonde lady getting into a gray Forrester. She wore cargo pants and a pink Chatham tee. The woman was not too fat, and not too skinny. He liked her nicely put together look, with her almost too-tight shirt. Barry could not get a good look at her face, but he felt like he had seen her before. What was with the cargo pants? He liked his ladies in tight jeans. Funny, she reminded him of Franny before she let herself get fat. He sat upright. His heart pounded, and he grinned. Could it be Franny, here on Cape Cod? He swiveled to get a better look at her face, but her back was toward him, and the car was heading out. Who was she? He snapped a picture of her license plate as she exited and stared at her disappearing car. If it was Franny, he had hit the jackpot. What a lucky day. He could not wait to catch up to her. He would make sure she was dead for good. Barry clapped his hands in anticipation.
Barry went into the restaurant and greeted the hostess, an ample-bodied blonde woman. Her expression was taut, and she barely looked at him. Not too friendly. Barry tried to make pleasant conversation. “Hey, you got any breakfast food left? I’m starving.”
She looked up with fleeting disapproval and then a quick, recovering smile. “No, but you can get an egg sandwich and hand-cut fries. We go to the lunch menu in the afternoon.”
“You gotta be kidding. Back in Jersey, we can get breakfast all day at joints like this.”
She smiled thinly. “Well, guess you’re not at the Jersey Shore today, but we have great food.”
He sat at the counter. A petite, black-haired girl wearing a nametag came over to take his order. He read it aloud and said, “Hi, Lori. I’ll have black coffee. No milk or sugar. Got it? Hmm, and I’ll have the fried egg sandwich. Is it any good?”
She smiled at him. “Everything’s great. You should try the chowder, it has real…”
He cut her off. “Maybe I’ll eat lunch here tomorrow. Now, I just want coffee and eggs. Is that too hard to understand?”
“Sure, I’ll be right back with your coffee.”
He ogled as she leaned over the coffeemaker. She was young and sweet. Just the way he liked them. “By the way, I just saw a hot blonde in a Chatham tee shirt leaving the restaurant. Do you know her? I think I used to work with her and can’t remember her name.”
Lori put his coffee down and it sloshed on the counter. She bent down to get a cleaning cloth and her skirt rode up. “Sorry about that.”
“No problem.” He enjoyed the view of her skirt hiked up almost to her panties. What else could he spill? Back to identifying Franny. “So,” he tried again. “Do you know that lady who just left?”
“Not really. She used to work here, and Bonnie asked her to fill in because my car was in the garage.”
The server’s chatter exasperated Barry. Couldn’t she shut up with all this talk about her stupid car? This broad was dumber than Franny’s cat. He tried to be patient and make small talk. “Oh, did your car get fixed? It’s hard to find talented mechanics these days.”
She smiled. “Just a flat. I must’ve run over a beer bottle, but it’s all set.”
He returned her smile and tried again. “So, what was her name? The lady who used to work here.”
Lori turned to pour coffee for a woman on his left. She glanced back. “I just met her today. I think her name is Liza. Ask Bonnie. She knows her.” She tossed her hair toward the blonde at the front of the restaurant.
Getting information out of these people was difficult, and he did not have all day. Was everyone on Cape Cod so stupid? Barry ate quickly, wiped his face with the back of his hand, and stood to get his wallet out to pay. He had just enough cash for the meal and would have to get to an ATM soon. He found an extra dollar shoved deep in his pocket. It would have to be enough for the tip. Too bad it was so little, but the chick was lucky to get anything. Approaching the door, Barry smiled and tried to engage the hostess again. “Great food you have here.”
“Yes, we’re known for our chowder.”
The food was good. He might just come back tomorrow and have a bowl of their famous chowder. Barry continued, “When I came in. I thought I saw a woman I knew from work but couldn’t remember her name. Lori said she used to work here.”
Bonnie narrowed her eyes and looked at him closely. “What did you say your name was?” she asked guardedly.
Barry thought fast. “Sam. Sam Johnson.” Not too bad for a spur-of-the-moment reply.
“I’m sorry, Mister Johnson. I don’t give out employee information.”
He put on his sales agent’s face. “Oh, that’s okay. I’m sure she’d want to see me again. We worked on a big deal together and I wanted to take her out while I’m here.”
Bonnie examined him and gave a small smile. “Well then, I’m sure you’ll be able to find out more about her through your mutual work friends. Have a nice day.”
Barry went out to his car. He was in a rage. Confidential employee information? This was a crappy food joint, not a bank. “Don’t sweat it,” he said aloud. He had a first name and a license plate number. He would find her. Sitting in the front seat, he remembered the Harwich realtor, who said she saw Frannie on the Cape. Didn’t the lady say the woman she recognized called herself Liza? He had a brilliant idea, reached for his cell, and called a New Jersey number. It picked up after three rings. Barry smiled. “Hey, Sal. How are you doing? It’s Barry.”
Sal sounded like he had just woken up. “Barry? What’d you want this early on a Saturday?”
“I gotta speak with your cop brother, Brian. I need a little help. Remember when I paid you back last month and told you I needed a little more time to get the rest of the dough?”
Sal replied, “You said you’d get it real soon.”
“I need a small favor and then I’ll pay back everything I owe you, plus interest. All Brian has to do is run a plate for me. It’ll take him five minutes.”
“What are you talking about? Where are you?”
“You know Franny’s been missing for a few months. I’ve been going out of my mind trying to find her. Well, I’m on Cape Cod and am pretty sure I spotted her hanging around. I’m sure Brian can get her address. Franny’s got great life insurance that’s worth a bundle of money. Once she’s out of the way, we’ll all be rich.”
This got his attention. Sal sounded more awake. “Wait, a sec. I need to get a pen and paper. Give me the plate number and make of the car. I’ll ask Brian to do this. He’d never speak to you.”
Barry felt his heart race. He was closing in and this could be his big payoff. “Call me right back. It’s a gray Subaru and has Mass plates….”
Chapter 42
The drive back to Chatham was excruciating. It was what the year-rounders called changeover day. Renters moved in, filling the road with families in cars with beach chairs and bikes on roof racks. To amuse herself, Liza counted the cars towing boats. Five so far. They slowed traffic even more when they tried to make left-hand turns and did not have room to maneuver on the narrow streets. Although incongruent, Liza was nostalgic for the times she went on summer vacations when Sam was a child. Wiping a tear, she recalled the time they rented a cottage on a beach in New Jersey. Sam loved the sand and built amazing sandcastles. Unfortunately, she also remembered how angry Barry got when the summer traffic was bad. He hated vacations. Barry had spent most of the week complaining that he was missing big business deals and was giving up a week to make everyone else happy. He refused to go out for meals because he thought it was a waste of money. Liza wound up cooking and cleaning the entire week. It never was much of a break for her, but watching Sam digging in the sand and running through the waves made it all worthwhile.
