Page 49 of Southernmost Murder

“If they are Cassidy’s friends, they might not know about what happened yet.”

“Or if they do,” I said, “a million-dollar treasure split three ways instead of four? Could be reason enough for some people, you know?”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself without first knowing the facts.” Jun stood and grabbed the freebie Corona. “Ready to do a bit of acting?”

I hopped down, took my Indiana Jones hat, and nodded. “Yup.” I slipped around Jun and headed over to the table. “Hey, everyone,” I stated.

Josh So-And-So, I swear he was built sideways as much as Jun was tall, looked up from his drink. “Look at the tiny sprout we’ve got today. When’d you start working here, buddy? We’ll have the usual—ask Frank in the kitchen what that means.”

Oh for—I felt my eyelid twitch. “I’m… uh, not your waiter,” I said awkwardly. “Aubrey Grant. I manage the Smith Home.”

“Is that so?” Josh asked. “Didn’t recognize you.”

Peg laughed and shoved him roughly. “Didn’t recognize the person signing your paycheck?”

“Must be the angle,” Josh said jokingly. “I’m usually on a ladder, and he’s so… short.”

Ha-ha. Guess who wasn’t being hired back to finish my restoration project?

“I’m Curtis Leon,” the second man said, reaching out to shake my hand. “These are friends of mine. Peg Hart, and this Grade-A asshole you know already, Josh Moore. Pull up a seat.”

Jun grabbed two chairs, and I sat first before he slid in beside me.

“Who’s your friend?” Peg asked me, giving Jun a wink and chugging her beer.

“Jun Tanaka,” I said, motioning to him. “He’s visiting the island.”

“Yeah? Well, be careful,” she said to Jun. “Once you step foot here, it’s impossible to leave. That’s why I still have a husband.”

Jun smiled politely in response while everyone laughed.

Ohhh… I knew what he was doing. He was being the nice guy, the quiet and unassuming one, like when he worked with Matt. Matt was usually the loud, in your face,don’t fuck with mesort of Fed. The good-cop, bad-cop tactic.

Jun didn’t expect me to be the bad guy, though, did he? Because, at best, I just do bitchy.

He was letting me lead because I knew these folks, or at least knew of them. I lived in Old Town, I worked here, I could (in theory) speak easier with them about Cassidy. If he did the questioning, maybe they’d peg him as a cop and get spooked. That is, if they were guilty of something.

“I don’t think we’ve seen you poke your head in Barnacles before,” Curtis stated.

“No, I’m usually at Sea Shack.”

“Tourist trap,” Josh grunted, crossing his huge arms, which were brown from years in the sun.

“Ah, I suppose, but the smell of cigarette smoke makes me want to light up,” I replied, waving my hand vaguely.

“We all gotta die sometime—might as well go out doing what you love,” Josh answered.

I glanced at Jun and saw his eyes narrow slightly.

“So, what brought you over this way today?” Curtis asked, clearly the most pleasant of the three.

“Lou Cassidy, actually,” I said. “Was he close with you all?”

“What do you mean, was?” Peg asked, setting her beer down.

Curtis hung his head briefly before letting out a long sigh. “Lou’s dead, Peg.”

“What?” she cried out.