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

And more importantly, is Derrick in handcuffs yet?

“Well, I’m not supposed to say, since it’s official police business and all.”

Paco nudges me with his nose like he’s urging me to try another tactic. If I didn’t know better, I’d think that he understood what we were saying. “Did you know that I was the one who found Abby Delgado?”

“Rusty told me. Bless your heart. That must have been awful! Did you have to do CPR?”

“No, but it was still traumatic,” I say playing it up.

“I know what you mean. Rusty and I were at The Harbor House a couple of weeks ago to celebrate our one-year anniversary, and the man in the table next to us started to choke. It was horrible. His face turned red as a tomato. Rusty was a real hero,” she adds proudly.

“Did he have to do the Heimlich maneuver?”

“He was the one who dialed 911.”

“And they saved the guy?”

“Actually…no. By the time the paramedics got there, one of the waiters had done the Heimlich.” She shrugs like that part of the story is inconsequential.

I lean in closer to her desk. “Cindy, did you know that Officer Fontaine is planning to bring my brother in for questioning?”

She squirms in her chair. “Rusty mentioned something about that.”

“How did Officer Fontaine get put in charge of this case? I mean, doesn’t Rusty have seniority over him?”

“Yes, but Zeke thinks that Travis practically walks on water. Rusty has been with the department for twenty years. Then this hot shot swoops in and just because he’s from Dallas everyone thinks he knows so much more.”

“That’s so unfair.”

“Tell me about it.”

I sigh dramatically. “I bet if Rusty were in charge, we’d already know what happened to Abby.”

Even though there’s no one else in the room, she

lowers her voice. “I guess it won’t hurt to tell you that Derrick Delgado is in the interrogation room as we speak.”

My heart speeds up. “Really?”

She nods. “Rusty and Travis are in there with him now. You should have seen him strut in here like he owned the place! I’ve worked here a long time, and I can always tell when someone’s guilty. It’s the eyes. His are shifty as hell.”

“Oh, believe me, I’ve had the displeasure of speaking to the man twice, and I totally agree.” If I could just get into that interrogation room somehow… “Cindy, Officer Fontaine mentioned that there was surveillance footage that showed both Abby and my brother Sebastian entering the rec center the night she died.”

“Oh, yeah, I’ve seen it.”

“You have?” I can barely contain my excitement. “Do you think it would be okay if I took a look at it? I mean, maybe I can pick up something that Officer Fontaine didn’t.” I made sure to add a snarky tone to my voice whenever I say Travis’s name.

“Golly, Lucy, I wish I could show it to you, but I don’t think Zeke would like that.”

“I understand. It’s just…Officer Fontaine hinted that he was going to use the tape to press charges against Sebastian. For trespassing into the rec center.”

Okay, so this isn’t exactly true, but it works because Cindy looks mortified. “Arrest Father McGuffin? I can’t believe it! He’s going too far now.”

“I agree. But what can we do?”

She thinks this over. “I don’t see how it would hurt for you to take a look at the footage.”

“Really? You’re a complete doll!”