Bed & Breakfast Bedlam - Abby L Vandiver Page 0,56
emphasized, “by helping solve a crime.”
“Speaking of which, I just got off of a call with Sheriff Haynes. He found Darius Hamilton. He lives in Melborne, South Carolina. Just across the border from Augusta. And it looks like he’s got a record. Not much of one, but still he looks more and more like our guy.”
“You found that out quickly,” I said. “So, he’s going to pick him up?”
“He can’t pick him up, yet. We don’t know if he did anything or not. Sheriff just wants to talk to him. Actually,” Bay said, “he wants me to talk to him. Lloyd doesn’t have any experience with this kind of stuff. People don’t get murdered in Yasamee.”
“Oh and do you have experience with that kind of ‘stuff’?” I asked. “Talking to murderers?”
“I have experience interrogating all kinds of criminals,” he said and winked.
“Oh,” I squeaked out in a cough. I shifted my body on the swing and inched down away from Bay. “I guess we should talk about that . . .”
“Don’t worry about it. You’re cool.”
“Really?” I said. Then I furrowed my brow. “You’re just going to forget about it?”
“About what?” he said, a mischievous smile crossed his face.
“Nothing.”
He said don’t worry about it so I was going to drop it. Let sleeping dogs lie, like my grandmother used to always say. I drew my lips in tight and held them.
“My grandmother likes you,” Bay said. “I know I said this before, but you helped her. That means a lot to me.” His eyes locked with mine and I could feel a small army of butterflies try to take flight in my stomach. “Miss Vivee is very special to me,” he said, his voice soft and low. “And anyone that’s okay with her is okay with me.”
“Thanks” I said and averted my eyes away from his. “I think.”
“And . . .” he said, drawing out the word. “I’m also letting it slide because you’re riding with me up to Melborne.”
“No I’m not!” I screeched. “Uh-uh. No way.” I folded my arms across my chest.
Why in the world would he think I’d go somewhere with him?
“Why not?”
“For one thing Darius Hamilton is a psycho-killer. I go up there and there might be a shoot-out. I’m not trying to be in the middle of that.”
“We’re just going to talk to him. There is not going to be any shoot out.” He grinned. “And if there was, I could protect you.”
“Please. Isn’t it against the rules or something for the FBI to take civilians while trailing a killer?”
“Darius Hamilton’s father is the former mayor of Melborne and is now a lawyer. His grandfather was a state senator. Lloyd told me that when he talked to the law enforcement officers over there they were very helpful. They said that Darius’ family would be helpful too, and that there wouldn’t be any problems.”
I shook my head the entire time he was talking. Even if he wasn’t going to turn me in for trespassing at Track Rock Gap, and no one was going to shoot anyone over in Melborne, I did not want to go anywhere with him. Ever.
“My grandmother wants you to go with me,” he said.
“She does not.” Bay must of inherited Miss Vivee proclivity for lying.
“Yes she does. And she told me not to take ‘No’ as an answer from you.”
“Is lying in your family’s genes? They just roll off of Miss Vivee’s tongue. Your mother . . .” I eyed him. “I don’t mean anything disrespectful about your mother. But she seems to not like telling the truth either, and now you.”
“You don’t like my family?”
“Yes. I like your family. I’m just saying.”
“C’mon,” he bumped his shoulder against mine. “Go with me. It’ll be fun.”
“My idea of fun is not hunting down killers. I like digging in dirt.”
“I could help you get permission to dig over at the Island,” he said. “It’s part of the federal-”
“I know what it’s a part of. And I already have help. Thanks.”
“What about this?” He pushed out his bottom lip and made puppy dog eyes then pointed to his face. “It always worked with my grandmother. I made this face. I got my way.”
I laughed. “I don’t believe Miss Vivee would ever fall for anything that pathetic.”
“My grandmother’s a push over. And we’re very close.” He eyed me. “Nothing she wouldn’t do for me. When I was little I spent all my time with her. She taught me all about her voodoo herbs.”
“Did she now?”
“Yeah. So