Dead and Breakfast (12 page)

“If you don’t mind my asking, what kind of work do you do?”

“I used to be a lawyer. But now I report on crime.”

“Like murders? Stuff like that?” Her mind spun. She wondered if he’d be willing to take a look at her scholarship application. Maybe even give her some revision notes. Or better yet, write her a letter of recommendation.

She decided not to ask him just yet as she had no evidence, nor theories, on Inez’s murder.

“Yup. Stuff like that,” he said. “Not the stuff of sweet dreams.”

“Well then, sounds to me like you deal with ghosts all the time.”

He set his suitcase on the bed. “Clever girl. You might be right about that.”

Autumn stared at the floral bedspread with the pink hibiscus pattern. Suddenly, she saw a flash of tangled arms and legs.

Another flash. Inez kissing Mick.

The bile climbed Autumn’s throat.

Another flash.

I love you, Inez.

Te amo, Mick.

Autumn leaned against the desk, her weight jostling the keys and Mr. Fletcher’s computer.

He dipped his head. “Are you okay? Do you want me to get your mom?”

Autumn squeezed her eyes closed and then opened them. The room appeared brighter, although her mind felt impaired and dull. “I’m okay. Just the heat getting to me.”

“Ah. A northerner. Am I right? You’ll get used to it.”

Autumn pressed her palm to her temple. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this place.” And she meant it.

“Autumn!” Evelyn called from downstairs.

“Gotta go.” Autumn deposited the room key on top of the small, pine desk next to the man’s laptop.

“See you at dinner.” Before Autumn closed the door, she noticed a handprint on the bureau mirror, one she had sworn she wiped away only an hour ago.

#

Liam parked his gold scooter in the street outside Autumn’s school and waited for her, paying no attention to the students scurrying around him.

When Autumn emerged into the sunlight, he waved. She rolled her eyes and hustled down the steps, walking quickly past him. But Liam was faster. He gently touched her arm.

“Hey, slow down.”

“Why?” she asked, without looking at him. “I’d think you’d rather talk to someone
normal
. I’m sure Victoria is around here somewhere. Besides, my mom needs me at the Cayo.” She glanced down at his tanned fingers, still curled around her arm.

“Okay, I deserve that.” Liam lowered his voice. “I was hoping we could talk about things. Supernatural things. And your mom isn’t expecting you home.”

She peered at him through thick lashes. “What do you mean?”

“I suggested I pick up the day’s catch at the pier since Mrs. Paulson wanted a seafood dinner and your mother seems anxious to impress the new guest. But then Evelyn insisted you come with me. I don’t think she trusts me.” His voice softened and he realized how he must had sounded—hurt. He secretly hoped Autumn would feel bad for him. In suggesting he get the fish, he was trying to get into Evelyn’s good graces. Although he didn’t anticipate working at the Cayo too much longer, he still didn’t want her treating him like he was a thief counting the silver. He wasn’t prepared for Evelyn to insist Autumn come too. That was an added bonus.

Liam heard one of Victoria’s minions call out, “What’s the ghost freak doing with Liam?” Autumn winced. He pretended not to hear the comment.

“I don’t know,” Autumn said, her voice trailing.

Liam sensed she wouldn’t want to climb on the back of his scooter until he apologized. “I’m sorry about what I said last week. But you need to see it from my perspective. I prefer to think the Cayo brings out the worst in my imagination, and then you come along and tell me the ghosts are . . .”

“Real?”

“Possible,” he clarified. “Nothing about any of this seems real. Not coming home to Key West. Not my job at the Cayo Hueso. Not you.” He stared at her and watched as her cheeks colored. “Besides, I know my grandfather didn’t hurt that ghost girl. But, maybe I know who could have.”

Autumn adjusted the strap on her bag and arched her brow. Liam handed her a purple helmet, which he had taken from the small cargo space on the back of the seat. “Come on. We can talk.”

Autumn still hesitated. Somewhere behind her, Victoria’s shrill voice cried out, “What’s
she
doing with him?” Victoria hurried down the steps. Autumn glanced quickly at Liam before grabbing the helmet, slapping it on her head, and jumping on the back of the bike.

“Let’s get out of here,” she said and they sped off toward the wharf.

Autumn wrapped her arms around Liam’s waist. His pulse immediately quickened. Victoria never wanted to ride on his scooter, and when she did, it was mostly after he cajoled her. No one owned cars in Key West. At least no one he knew. Most friends had bicycles or scooters. Some just walked. Only problem was, you couldn’t get off the island without a car. Scooters were not meant for Highway 1.

Liam parked next to a food truck that served breakfast until ten. The lot was empty except for rogue roosters, who pecked at the sand and sparse blades of grass. Autumn dismounted and adjusted her floral dress. Liam tried and failed not to stare at her tanned legs.

The boats would be arriving soon. Liam tilted his chin toward the water. “Fish is coming off the
Benny Blue Eyes
.”

“Huh?”

“It’s the name of the fishing boat.” Liam inhaled the salty air and wrinkled his nose at the overpowering stench of fish. It reminded him of the patio area at the Cayo and that made his skin itch. Liam swiped the surface of his phone to reveal the time. “The boat should be here soon.” He led Autumn to an empty part of the pier, and they sat down.

Autumn dangled her legs over the edge of the dock and swung them to and fro like a small child. She squinted into the bright rays of the setting sun. Liam joined her, his legs bent and his hands splayed behind him. At first, they were both quiet, just watching the fishing boats coming and going. Liam remembered when Pops would bring him out on the water. Except now, instead of being mesmerized by dolphins, Liam was hypnotized by Autumn’s shapely legs.

He leaned into Autumn. “Pops used to take me on his little catamaran when I was a kid. I’d dream of catching a shark.”

Autumn raised her brow into a high arc.

Liam shrugged. “I was six. What did I know? I wanted to put it in a fish tank at home. Pops said I could if I caught one. Of course, I never did.”

“Your Pops had a good sense of humor.”

“Oh yeah, he’s a real comedian.”

Autumn shifted her weight a bit. Liam’s skin prickled at seeing how close she was to him.

“It’s nice your grandpa was around,” she said. “My mom’s mother lives in El Paso. My dad’s parents died when I was little.”

“Pops wasn’t just around. He basically raised me. My mom split when I was three, and then my dad took jobs wherever he could find them. Eventually, he left the Keys to drive tractor-trailers. I think my dad left because my mom did. It sort of messed him up. I know it messed me up.” Liam shut his mouth. He was revealing too much. But talking to Autumn felt natural. With Victoria, Liam downplayed his humble upbringing, but Autumn didn’t come from money. Her life seemed as screwed up and weird as his.

Autumn picked at some loose threads on her skirt. “My parents got divorced last year. My dad cheated on my mom with the woman who managed the accessories shop down the street from my parents’ hardware store.”

Liam raised his eyebrow. “Accessories?”

“You know, hair bows, necklaces—that sort of thing. Anyway, my parents’ store was tanking because of the big chain places around the corner. Right before the divorce, they closed shop. Jennifer moved into our old house and out of desperation, we moved in with Aunt Glenda. My mom used to do bookkeeping for the hardware store, so she’s working on making the Cayo profitable. I think it makes her feel important.” Autumn adjusted her sunglasses on her face. “Anyway, my dad kept saying that the divorce wasn’t my fault. That I shouldn’t blame myself. It had nothing to do with me.” She scoffed. “The thing is, it had everything to do with me. It affected me more than them. They separated from each other, which is what they wanted. It wasn’t what I wanted at all.”

“Better than fighting,” he said.

“There was no fighting in my house,” Autumn said, her voice eerily quiet. “There was only silence. That was worse.”

Liam put his arms around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. It was meant as a friendly, comforting gesture, but the contact electrified his body. He quickly let her go and an awkward silence enveloped them both.

Autumn inched away from Liam. His cheeks grew hot with embarrassment.

Liam cleared his throat. “Pops has always been a quiet guy. Whenever I screwed up, and it was often, he would never yell or scream. He’d just give me one of those side-glances, and I could tell he was disappointed. That’s how he and I are different. Pops is not a risk-taker. He’s a big believer in minding your own business. Accepting the status quo. So you see? There’s no way my grandfather could’ve killed a girl. It’s just not in him.”

“Especially since he raised you. He must be a decent person.” She gave him a small smile.

“But she named him,” said Liam.

Autumn nodded. “She wrote his name in my foggy bathroom mirror.”

Autumn didn’t strike Liam as a liar and she didn’t seem crazy. Perhaps, there were things in this world that Liam would never understand. Could never understand. But, he’d have to accept them anyway. But, why would a ghost lie about who killed her? Because she
had
to be lying. Pops wasn’t a murderer. Liam shuddered. “Creepy.”

“Inez also flashed me back to a memory where your grandpa was yelling at her. He was so angry.”

“Inez seemed to make a lot of people angry with her.”

“What do you mean?”

Liam sat up straighter and peered out at the ocean. He listened to the melodic lapping of the waves against the dock. The Breyers were a lot of things—deadbeats, dropouts, drifters. They were flawed men, but they weren’t killers. Liam confided in Autumn what Pops had said yesterday. That Inez and Mick had been engaged and that they had fought so fiercely, Inez threw her engagement ring in Mick’s face. “I know Mick Canton doesn’t take kindly to humiliation.”

Autumn pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head and faced Liam. “Enough to kill?”

Autumn wasn’t quick to buy into his suspect. Sure, Inez and Mick were a couple, but why would he kill her and why wouldn’t Inez name him? As a ghost, would she still protect him? “I suppose we could look into that, but Mick really loved Inez.” She remembered being in the April room and seeing those flashes of them together. Heat rose to her cheeks. “I know he can be ruthless in business, but murder? I don’t know.”

Liam shrugged. “I wouldn’t put it past him.”

Autumn tapped her lips with her finger. “Mr. Blazevig was awfully cagey when I brought up Inez’s name, and even Aunt Glenda didn’t like Inez.”

“You just named two of the nicest old people I’ve ever met. No way they did it.”

“Who knows what they were like all those years ago.”

“People don’t change who they fundamentally are.”

“Maybe.” Autumn watched the fishermen dock the boat and unload the fish from various vessels. Sometimes, she felt like she was in a movie. Here it was, late afternoon, and she was swinging her legs over crystal clear ocean water. Back in New Jersey, she’d most likely be watching television while she did her trigonometry homework. Autumn had always accepted her routines. Key West stomped on that monotony.

Autumn brought her knees up to her chest, careful not to flash boaters her underwear. “Why do you trust me all of a sudden?”

“It’s not that I didn’t trust you before. But she’s tried to kill me twice now. At some point, I need to think of self-preservation.” Liam faced her and cocked his head to the side. “But I need you to be honest with me. What’s in this for you?”

Autumn squinted at him before sliding her sunglasses down over her eyes. “I want to study journalism and I’m using Inez’s disappearance for a scholarship application.”

“Uh-huh,” he said, even as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “You’re that desperate to freeze your butt up north?”

Even as Autumn bathed in the sunlight and welcomed the soft, ocean air, she still grinned when she thought of crisp, fall breezes. “I’m a Jersey girl. It’s in my DNA.”

“Well, I’m a Conch.” He pronounced the word with a hard K sound at the end.

“A what?”

“Most people come to the Keys on vacation and leave. Then, there are those who’ve lived here their whole lives. Natives. They’re called Conchs.”

“Oh,” she said. “Well, I’m definitely not a Conch.”

“Well, you could’ve been dragged somewhere worse.” Autumn detected a bit of defensiveness in his voice. “I don’t get it. What’s so great about New Jersey?”

Autumn wiped away a line of sweat from above her lip.
Attractive
. “What’s so great about here?”

Liam pointed at the dying sun. The rays fanned out in golden arcs. “You can’t tell me you have this in Jersey?”

She shrugged. “We have the shore. But more importantly, we have seasons. My family loved fall. My parents named me Autumn for God’s sake. Right now, if I were home, I’d be taking my sweaters out of storage. My mom would be prepping the house for Halloween and my birthday. We’d head out to the orchards and pick apples. Then we’d hit the pumpkin patch and I’d spend at least thirty minutes scouring the ground for the most symmetrical pumpkin I could find. Not too big. Not small. And totally round. My dad would carry it around for me and seatbelt it in next to me. He did that last year, and I was turning seventeen. Then we’d finish the day with apple cider donuts. My dad would build a fire and my mom would serve up hot apple pie and ice cream. She’d only close the windows if it got too cold to sleep.” She closed her eyes and breathed deep, trying to envision the autumn colors of red and gold. Instead, she smelled rotting fish and salt.

Liam sat upright. “It doesn’t sound like you want to go back to New Jersey.”

Autumn wondered if Liam was deaf. Did he not hear what she had said? “It doesn’t?”