vandalized part. The destroying a crime scene part. The interfering in an active investigation part.”
“It was just a missing boat, Ransom. Why would I call you?”
It was hot and tight in the doorway and the sour smell of me was making me queasy. I pushed past him, through the dining room and out the back door into the fresh air. I breathed out, not even realizing I was holding my breath.
“Lisbon, we’re not done.”
“No one in the department was even looking for the Tiger Shark . Deputy Prickle made a point of letting us know that.”
“Us?”
“Yes, us. Me and Gilbert Goodsen when we reported it last night.” I leaned against the rail and watched the activity on the assaulted boat. “Talk to Prickle. Or Parker, she was there, too. And, Lieutenant Investigator Nick Ransom, I mentioned the boat to you at Gilbert’s house, after the attack. You didn’t say to keep you in the loop. On the boat.”
Half a dozen evidence technicians with heavy cases and a handful of medical personnel buzzed on and around the boat. Dr. Harry Fleet, the county medical examiner, a large black man with a natural scowl and cranky disposition, slowly clambered across the deck.
“Start at the beginning,” Ransom said. He pulled his notebook from his sport coat and leaned against the rail next to me.
“The shooting at Tug’s bar? The attack at Jaime’s house?”
“The murder on Goodsen’s boat.”
I explained how I tiptoed gently around the boat deck, extremely mindful of the damage, careful not to touch anything, and how I inexplicably happened upon Jaime down below.
“And how did you happen to end up dipped in fish guts?”
“Minor mishap on the deck with a bucket. Anyone would’ve crashed into it. It was very hard to see.”
He nodded and took notes while I spoke. “And Gilbert Goodsen? Why are you here and not him? Something to do with your egg hunt?”
Shit. I’d forgotten to even look for the egg on the boat.
Harry Fleet and a team of assistants lifted a black body bag from the boat, then secured it to a gurney on the dock.
“Tug couldn’t reach Gilbert, so he called me. He knows I’m helping Gilbert with a few things, and didn’t want the boat sitting out here in this condition. I was going to call Parker after I looked around.”
He snapped his notebook shut as my phone rang.
I checked the caller ID. Gilbert Goodsen.
“Hey Gilbert,” I said and Ransom shook his head once. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of you all morning. Can we meet?”
“Did you find the egg?”
“Not yet.”
“Well, I’ve got my hands tied up right now. Business is starting to cook, had appointments all day. I’m headed to Memorial Hospital from Charleston. A client died last night and the family asked me to come, should be there in about an hour.”
“Perfect. I mean, not about the client dying, that’s terrible and definitely not perfect.” Ransom’s brow started to rise. “Listen, I’m close by, so I’ll just meet you, okay?”
“Sure, Elli. I’m hoping for good news. I think things are turning my way. Except for my late client. And my divorce. But I know you’ll knock some sense into Jaime and get this worked out.”
He clicked off and I turned to Ransom. “He’ll be at Memorial in sixty.”
Ransom slowly took in the guts in my hair and my dirty clothes. His brow raised at my torn and stained capris. “All this from one bucket of fish?”
I went to brush away the dust, but stopped myself. No way I wanted my hands to touch my pants in the state they were in. “Not exactly. I spent the morning at the Big House setting up the Wonderland Tea. Tea set drop-off day didn’t go as planned.”
“Uh-huh. Isn’t tea just tea bags and cookies?”
“If I was five years old and inviting Hello Kitty and Mrs. Beasley.”
“Mrs. who?”
“Never mind. Any chance you’ve heard from Mimi?”
“When I hear, you’ll hear.”
I glanced at my watch. It was well past twelve. “Are we done here?
“It was just a missing boat, Ransom. Why would I call you?”
It was hot and tight in the doorway and the sour smell of me was making me queasy. I pushed past him, through the dining room and out the back door into the fresh air. I breathed out, not even realizing I was holding my breath.
“Lisbon, we’re not done.”
“No one in the department was even looking for the Tiger Shark . Deputy Prickle made a point of letting us know that.”
“Us?”
“Yes, us. Me and Gilbert Goodsen when we reported it last night.” I leaned against the rail and watched the activity on the assaulted boat. “Talk to Prickle. Or Parker, she was there, too. And, Lieutenant Investigator Nick Ransom, I mentioned the boat to you at Gilbert’s house, after the attack. You didn’t say to keep you in the loop. On the boat.”
Half a dozen evidence technicians with heavy cases and a handful of medical personnel buzzed on and around the boat. Dr. Harry Fleet, the county medical examiner, a large black man with a natural scowl and cranky disposition, slowly clambered across the deck.
“Start at the beginning,” Ransom said. He pulled his notebook from his sport coat and leaned against the rail next to me.
“The shooting at Tug’s bar? The attack at Jaime’s house?”
“The murder on Goodsen’s boat.”
I explained how I tiptoed gently around the boat deck, extremely mindful of the damage, careful not to touch anything, and how I inexplicably happened upon Jaime down below.
“And how did you happen to end up dipped in fish guts?”
“Minor mishap on the deck with a bucket. Anyone would’ve crashed into it. It was very hard to see.”
He nodded and took notes while I spoke. “And Gilbert Goodsen? Why are you here and not him? Something to do with your egg hunt?”
Shit. I’d forgotten to even look for the egg on the boat.
Harry Fleet and a team of assistants lifted a black body bag from the boat, then secured it to a gurney on the dock.
“Tug couldn’t reach Gilbert, so he called me. He knows I’m helping Gilbert with a few things, and didn’t want the boat sitting out here in this condition. I was going to call Parker after I looked around.”
He snapped his notebook shut as my phone rang.
I checked the caller ID. Gilbert Goodsen.
“Hey Gilbert,” I said and Ransom shook his head once. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of you all morning. Can we meet?”
“Did you find the egg?”
“Not yet.”
“Well, I’ve got my hands tied up right now. Business is starting to cook, had appointments all day. I’m headed to Memorial Hospital from Charleston. A client died last night and the family asked me to come, should be there in about an hour.”
“Perfect. I mean, not about the client dying, that’s terrible and definitely not perfect.” Ransom’s brow started to rise. “Listen, I’m close by, so I’ll just meet you, okay?”
“Sure, Elli. I’m hoping for good news. I think things are turning my way. Except for my late client. And my divorce. But I know you’ll knock some sense into Jaime and get this worked out.”
He clicked off and I turned to Ransom. “He’ll be at Memorial in sixty.”
Ransom slowly took in the guts in my hair and my dirty clothes. His brow raised at my torn and stained capris. “All this from one bucket of fish?”
I went to brush away the dust, but stopped myself. No way I wanted my hands to touch my pants in the state they were in. “Not exactly. I spent the morning at the Big House setting up the Wonderland Tea. Tea set drop-off day didn’t go as planned.”
“Uh-huh. Isn’t tea just tea bags and cookies?”
“If I was five years old and inviting Hello Kitty and Mrs. Beasley.”
“Mrs. who?”
“Never mind. Any chance you’ve heard from Mimi?”
“When I hear, you’ll hear.”
I glanced at my watch. It was well past twelve. “Are we done here?
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