What you do outside of work is your business. But don’t involve the resort, or my son.”
I could only stare as he brushed past me. I staggered the last few feet to my desk. Sitting in the chair where that man had just been made my skin crawl, but I didn’t trust myself to stay upright without help.
I sat staring at the door. Had my boss’s boss really just threatened me? Shut up or lose your job? Maybe Jay and his father had a lot more in common than appearances would lead one to believe.
A sharp pain cramped my stomach. One thing at a time. I needed food.
The bag of pork rinds sat on my desk, open and half empty. No wonder Mr. Preppard had a potbelly. I picked up the bag with two fingers and dropped it in the trash.
Fortunately he hadn’t touched the granola bar. I washed it down with the half cup of cold coffee left over from that morning.
My stomach still grumbled, but my nerves slowly settled. I leaned back and debated the next step. I was in a lot of trouble, no matter what I did. If I told the truth, the police might not believe me, especially if Jay refused to back my story. I’d have at least two enemies at the resort, Jay and his father. Assuming I managed to keep my job, they could make my life difficult.
Despite what I’d told Jay, I knew my life wasn’t so bad that it couldn’t get a lot worse. This was the only place in town I wanted to work, the only place that paid well and had a good chance for advancement. If I lost my job among nasty rumors, I’d have trouble getting any job in town. For myself, I wouldn’t mind moving away. But I didn’t want to abandon Ricky.
If I told the truth, I could lose my job. If I didn’t, the police might uncover the truth anyway, and I might face criminal charges. Either choice could ruin my life. I had to make the choice I could live with.
Someone rapped on my open door. I looked up and the tall police officer smiled. “Ms. Needham, are you ready for us?”
I guess there comes a time in every life where you have to make a choice, to back down or take a stand. I straightened my back. “I’m ready.”
And I told them everything.
Chapter 11
By the time they left, I felt like a crepe paper streamer that got dragged around on the bottom of someone’s shoe at the end of a wedding. They had seemed to believe me, though the officer scolded me about how important it was for them to know everything, in order to investigate properly. Well, now they knew everything I knew. We’d gone over it at least three times. I forced myself to explain, as clearly as I could remember, exactly what Jay had said. No more protecting him. I mentioned the golf ball, but I didn’t make too big a deal of it. The tall officer said they’d take a look around the bench, but I doubted anything would come of it.
I leaned back, eyes closed, until Eslinda and Nascha bustled into my office. I managed to lift my head and tried to focus.
Eslinda hurried forward. “Are you all right?”
I blinked at her, trying to make sense of the question.
She leaned down and gave me a quick hug. “You poor girl! You’ve had an awful couple of days, haven’t you?” As always, she smelled of cucumbers and mint. Since I’d never seen her eat either of those things, I assumed she used some kind of lotion or shampoo with the scent. I found it oddly comforting.
I rubbed my hands over my face, worrying only vaguely that I was smearing the makeup I’d taken such pains to apply that morning. “It hasn’t been great.”
“Yesterday must have been terrible,” Eslinda said. “And to have to go through it all over again today!” She pressed a hand to her large chest. “I tell you, I got nervous talking to the police, and I didn’t have anything to do with it. Oh! I didn’t mean that you had anything to do with it, except by the most unfortunate accident.”
I looked from her to Nascha, who hadn’t yet spoken, but who gave me a sympathetic smile. I pushed myself a little straighter in
I could only stare as he brushed past me. I staggered the last few feet to my desk. Sitting in the chair where that man had just been made my skin crawl, but I didn’t trust myself to stay upright without help.
I sat staring at the door. Had my boss’s boss really just threatened me? Shut up or lose your job? Maybe Jay and his father had a lot more in common than appearances would lead one to believe.
A sharp pain cramped my stomach. One thing at a time. I needed food.
The bag of pork rinds sat on my desk, open and half empty. No wonder Mr. Preppard had a potbelly. I picked up the bag with two fingers and dropped it in the trash.
Fortunately he hadn’t touched the granola bar. I washed it down with the half cup of cold coffee left over from that morning.
My stomach still grumbled, but my nerves slowly settled. I leaned back and debated the next step. I was in a lot of trouble, no matter what I did. If I told the truth, the police might not believe me, especially if Jay refused to back my story. I’d have at least two enemies at the resort, Jay and his father. Assuming I managed to keep my job, they could make my life difficult.
Despite what I’d told Jay, I knew my life wasn’t so bad that it couldn’t get a lot worse. This was the only place in town I wanted to work, the only place that paid well and had a good chance for advancement. If I lost my job among nasty rumors, I’d have trouble getting any job in town. For myself, I wouldn’t mind moving away. But I didn’t want to abandon Ricky.
If I told the truth, I could lose my job. If I didn’t, the police might uncover the truth anyway, and I might face criminal charges. Either choice could ruin my life. I had to make the choice I could live with.
Someone rapped on my open door. I looked up and the tall police officer smiled. “Ms. Needham, are you ready for us?”
I guess there comes a time in every life where you have to make a choice, to back down or take a stand. I straightened my back. “I’m ready.”
And I told them everything.
Chapter 11
By the time they left, I felt like a crepe paper streamer that got dragged around on the bottom of someone’s shoe at the end of a wedding. They had seemed to believe me, though the officer scolded me about how important it was for them to know everything, in order to investigate properly. Well, now they knew everything I knew. We’d gone over it at least three times. I forced myself to explain, as clearly as I could remember, exactly what Jay had said. No more protecting him. I mentioned the golf ball, but I didn’t make too big a deal of it. The tall officer said they’d take a look around the bench, but I doubted anything would come of it.
I leaned back, eyes closed, until Eslinda and Nascha bustled into my office. I managed to lift my head and tried to focus.
Eslinda hurried forward. “Are you all right?”
I blinked at her, trying to make sense of the question.
She leaned down and gave me a quick hug. “You poor girl! You’ve had an awful couple of days, haven’t you?” As always, she smelled of cucumbers and mint. Since I’d never seen her eat either of those things, I assumed she used some kind of lotion or shampoo with the scent. I found it oddly comforting.
I rubbed my hands over my face, worrying only vaguely that I was smearing the makeup I’d taken such pains to apply that morning. “It hasn’t been great.”
“Yesterday must have been terrible,” Eslinda said. “And to have to go through it all over again today!” She pressed a hand to her large chest. “I tell you, I got nervous talking to the police, and I didn’t have anything to do with it. Oh! I didn’t mean that you had anything to do with it, except by the most unfortunate accident.”
I looked from her to Nascha, who hadn’t yet spoken, but who gave me a sympathetic smile. I pushed myself a little straighter in
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