Beach Blanket Homicide (Lucy McGuffin, Psychic Amateur Detective 1)

“I texted him after we found Abby, but he hasn’t texted back. He probably got called away to the rectory.” Will studies my face. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”

“I’m fine.”

He nods. “See you later, Lucy.” Out of the corner of my eye, I watch him congratulate Brittany.

Even though the temperature is only in the mid-seventies, I’m sweating and itching. All I want right now is to go home, take a hot shower and crawl into bed.

Sarah comes back to the booth. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to call it a day. Luke is already on his way home.”

I hold Paco on my lap as Sarah drives us back to the café. Luckily, I live in the apartment upstairs which is extra convenient because I’m exhausted. I unlock the back door and start to make my way up the stairs with Paco, when Sarah says, “What some help with your hair? I mean, taking it down?”

“No thanks. I figure I’ll just get in the shower and let it fall apart naturally.”

She pauses. “I didn’t want to say anything before, because there wasn’t a point, but…don't freak out.”

“What?” I ask, alarmed because naturally when someone tells you not to freak out, your first instinct is to freak out.

She bites her bottom lip, like she’s not sure what to do, then sighs. “Okay, here goes.” She closes her eyes as she reaches out and tears something out of my hair.

“Ouch!”

She winces. “Sorry about that.”

“What did you do that for?”

“You had something stuck in your hair, and I wanted to get it out for you.” Then she gingerly holds up a dead lizard by the tail.

“That was in my hair?”

She makes a pained face and nods.

“How in the world—”

The lizard must have gotten stuck in the cave of hairspray when I tripped and fell over the hibiscus bush.

No wonder Officer Fontaine kept staring at my hair!

All the while he was asking me questions, there was a dead reptile staring right back at him.

Chapter Five

When Sarah and I bought The Bistro we made a pact that the business wouldn’t take over our lives, so we hired extra help and decided to close the café one day a week. Sunday seemed like the most logical day.

When you’re used to getting up at four-thirty every morning, six a.m. is technically sleeping in, but today it takes a huge effort to drag out of bed in time to make my regular seven-thirty Sunday mass. It must be the aftereffects of the Benadryl I had to take last night to keep from itching.

The instant mass is over, I dash out to the front of the church hoping to have a word with my brother, but Sebastian is inundated with parishioners wanting to talk to him, so I don’t get a chance to ask him about Abby and the exorcism.

“Hello, Lucy!” Jim Fontaine waves, so I wave back, which he takes as a sign to come up to talk to me. Normally, I’d welcome his company, but unfortunately, he’s not alone. “Officer” Travis is with him. He’s out of uniform and wearing neatly pressed khaki pants and a blue button-down shirt that contrasts with his green eyes, making them look even greener.

I have to admit, Travis isn’t bad looking. He’s not classically handsome like Will, but he does exude a certain something. Too bad he has no personality. On the other hand, that makes him perfect for Brittany.

It was obvious yesterday that she had the hots for him. I wonder if Will had a chance to ask her out. And if she said yes. Maybe if I’m lucky, he changed his mind. And maybe if I’m really lucky, Brittany will channel all her efforts into Officer Fontaine.

Jim turns to his son. “Travis, this is Lucy McGuffin. She’s Father Sebastian’s sister and I’m told she makes the best muffins in the world.”

My cheeks heat up the way they always do whenever someone uses that particular compliment because obviously, that would be impossible to gauge. I mean, I’m sure someone in the world makes better muffins than me. Maybe.

Travis takes in my appearance. Today, I’m wearing normal Lucy-goes-to-church clothes. A denim skirt with a peasant blouse and my dark curly hair is pulled back in a low ponytail. More importantly, it’s minus the lizard.