Part 15 (2/2)
”I could slice your head clean off with this tray.”
”Sorry.” He looked directly into her eyes. ”I heard from Megan. My uncle picked her up at JFK. She'll stay at his apartment for a few days.”
”Good.”
”Did you find out anything?”
Rebecca was about to speak when a large hand grabbed her left b.u.t.t cheek. Before she could turn around and clock the guy, she realized it was Bobby.
”This is not your table, b.o.o.bsicles. What are you doing over here?”
”I'm sorry,” said Gabby. ”It's my fault. I motioned for her to come over. She's just so d.a.m.n hot. I wanted to give her this.” Gabby took out a fifty-dollar bill and stuffed it under Rebecca's thong strap.
”Thank you.” She offered a forced smile.
”Well, I agree. She is a very s.e.xy woman. But you must observe the house rules. You can only interact with your a.s.signed waitress.”
”That's fine. Cotton Candy's smoking hot too.” He grinned. ”I just got a little greedy.”
”It's understandable, Sir, but-”
”-I know. No problem.”
”We appreciate your cooperation,” said Bobby. He finally released Rebecca's b.u.t.t.
She walked away.
”Have a nice evening, Sir,” said Bobby.
Bobby should have recognized Gabby from the night before. Not from the way he was dressed, of course, but from the sound of his voice, or his mannerism. Something. But he didn't. Gabby was feeling very proud of his newfound acting skills.
Cotton Candy delivered his beer.
”Thanks, Babe.”
”You're welcome, Sir. Your dinner will be ready soon.”
A familiar voice caught Gabby's attention. He diverted his eyes to the middle of the restaurant. It was Wiley. And he was sober.
Gabby watched Bobby walk over to Wiley's table. The conversation looked serious. Bobby put his big, fat hand on Wiley's shoulder, and appeared to be lecturing him. Wiley pushed Bobby's hand away and jumped to his feet, knocking over his chair. He stormed out of the restaurant.
Gabby wished he could have heard what they were saying. Last night, Wiley had told Rebecca that he would soon be the owner of Cafe Nue.
Yet Joey Ketrousie had told them that he was now the owner. Was that the cause of the conflict between Wiley and Bobby? Or did it have to do with one or both of the murders? He couldn't wait to tell Rebecca what he'd seen.
CHAPTER 23 - Tuesday, 7:00 p.m.
As Rebecca walked into the dressing room to take her break, two large-breasted women walked past her without saying a word. Darcy was sitting at her dressing table, finis.h.i.+ng up a sandwich. ”Hey, Darcy. How's it going?”
”Fine. How about you? How are your tips?”
”Not bad.” Rebecca sat down at her dresser. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and quickly looked away.
”Did you bring something to eat?”
”No. I didn't even think about it.”
”I did the same thing my first night. I was so nervous that I forgot to bring food.” Darcy reached into her cooler and took out another sandwich. ”Here, you can have this one. It's tuna.”
”Oh, no, Darcy. I'm not going to eat your dinner. I'll get a bag of chips out of the machine.”
”Look. I'm full. So, you might as well eat it, or it's just gonna go to waste.”
”But you might get hungry later. It's a long night.”
”No, I never do. Got to stay thin if I want good tips.”
Rebecca eyed her body. ”Well, whatever you're doing-it's working.”
Darcy giggled. ”Thanks.”
”You've been so helpful to me on my first night. I really appreciate it, Darcy.”
”You're welcome.” She smiled warmly. ”Well, it's time for me to get back in there and make some more money. I'm saving up to buy a house.” She stood up.
”Wow. Okay. See you later.”
Rebecca tore into the sandwich like a wild animal. Either it was the best tuna sandwich ever made or she was starving to death.
As she gobbled down the last of it, she stood up, hurried to the doorway, and peeped out into the hall. It was clear. She casually but quietly slipped down to Joey's office. The door was closed. She listened for a moment, but heard nothing.
After knocking lightly and hearing no response, she peeked inside. The office was empty.
Checking the hallway again, she rushed into the office and closed the door. She knew Joey could come at any second. What reason would she give for being in his office?
She sat down at his desk, quickly surveying it for anything of interest. Near the phone was a notepad with the message: CC 214-209-5555. She knew it wasn't Carly Cinaway's phone number.
Rebecca unzipped her tip bag and took out a twenty-dollar bill. In tiny numbers, she wrote 2142095555 on the edge of the bill and put it back in the little bag.
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