Page 30 of Bubbles at the Beach House Hotel

CHAPTER TEN

We all leaned forwardto listen to what the newscaster had to say.

“If anyone has any information on this John Doe, please call this phone number. He was found on the grounds of Hialeah Park outside the casino with no identification on him,” announced the newscaster.

“Quick, write the number down,” said Heather as Caro raced into the kitchen for paper and pen.

When the newscaster repeated the number, Caro said, “I got it.”

Amy collapsed on the couch. Jane took a seat next to her.

“What’s going on?” Rhonda said. She looked from me to Amy and back to me.

“This is a man I saw at the hotel. He said he was looking for his wife. I explained to him that I couldn’t give out any information on our guests. Bernie offered to walk him out, but he left on his own.”

“And that’s who I thought I saw the day of the luncheon,” said Jane.

“Dan was here?” Amy said.

“Yes, I had no idea who he was,” I said. “Even so, I couldn’t let him know you were here. As I told him, we must protect our guests.”

Amy covered her face with her hands and took several deep breaths. When she lifted her face, her eyes were filled with tears. “I missed part of the report. Is he dead?”

“I think so,” said Heather. “When you’re ready, we’ll call the number. Or if you prefer to do it alone, you certainly can.”

Amy shook her head. “No, I want you all with me. You’ve supported me for years, and I need you now.” She glanced at Rhonda and me. “You, too.”

We formed a circle around Amy as Heather punched in the number on Amy’s phone and handed it to her.

I listened with the others as Amy explained to the person at the other end of the call that she knew the person shown on television. After telling her story and answering more questions, she listened and then said. “Okay, I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

Amy ended the call and faced us. “They don’t have any reason to believe it was a homicide. Drugs may have been involved.” Her voice caught. “He was dead when someone found him lying on the ground. Someone may have taken his wallet, but there are no signs of struggle.”

“I’m so sorry,” I said, as Amy’s friends, Rhonda, and I hugged her.

“How far away is this place?” Amy said. “I need to go to him. I’ll see that he gets a proper burial. I must do that.” She got to her feet. “I need to tell Nick.”

She left the room.

“How far is Hialeah Park?” Jane asked.

“It’s on the east coast, a couple of hours away from here if you take Alligator Alley,” said Rhonda.

“I’ll go with her,” said Lisa.

“Okay,” said Heather. “Through counseling, Nick, you’ve been part of this situation for a while. I think Amy will appreciate having you along.”