Murder at Sunrise Lake

“What did he do?” Zahra asked, her dark brown eyes wide with concern.

“He looked me up and down as if I were so beneath him. He had a sneer on his face, like he was really disgusted. He just turned around and walked away. After that, he would come into my café once a week and complain about the food. He’d usually send his lunch back at least twice. I tried to make certain I could slip out the back door if I saw him coming. If I wasn’t here, he just ate and left.” She hesitated. “Little things started happening about six months ago. Not often, about once a month or so. Someone took a spray can and wrote all over the outside of the café for me to go back to my country, whatever that means. I was born here. My mother isn’t even full Saudi Arabian. In any case, I reported it to the police and we put primer over it and painted that same morning.”

“You didn’t say a word,” Stella said.

“I know.” Shabina sighed. “It just left such a bad taste in my mouth. The other incidents were similar. Vandalism, mostly. I’ve installed more security cameras recently, both inside the café and outside. I asked Lawyer to help me. He installed the cameras for me and put the apps on my phone, iPad and computer to warn me if anyone came near the place.”

Zahra continued to frown, looking at Shabina with that same concern. “Why didn’t you contact Bale’s security company?”

“He’s friends with Sean Watson,” Stella answered for Shabina. “Remember, Bale dated Harlow for a short time about six months ago. She broke it off abruptly but never really said why. They only went on a couple of dates. Maybe we should ask her.”

“He asks her out all the time,” Shabina offered. “I’ve seen him messaging her. Mostly she ignores the messages, but sometimes she’ll type a reply and it’s very short. Once I asked her why she didn’t block him when he has to be driving her crazy with so many messages, and she just shrugged and said she really didn’t want to piss him off.”

Stella sat back and regarded Shabina’s face. She was a beautiful woman. Harlow was as well. They were very different in looks. Harlow was a fiery flame. Red hair, brilliant jade eyes. Freckles over her nose and across her high cheekbones that only added to her beauty. She was tall with long legs and she could move fast when she wanted, although she seemed to be always graceful, even in stiletto heels—training from being a senator’s daughter and having to attend endless fund-raisers, she laughingly told them.

“I’ve texted Harlow and Vienna to see if they can join us after their shifts tonight,” Stella said. “I’d love it if we could all get together. It’s so rare anymore.”

“You know, if we’re going to the Grill tonight, we can’t possibly go camping,” Zahra pointed out. “We’ll be drinking, and how will we get there?”

Stella sighed. “I’ll be the sober driver.”

“You can’t be the sober driver,” Shabina and Zahra said simultaneously and then burst out laughing.

Stella’s eyebrow went up. “What?”

“You’re hilarious when you’ve been drinking, and you hardly ever drink,” Zahra pointed out. “We’re not missing out on that.”

“Well, I’m camping out tonight.”

“Text Sam and see if he’ll be our sober driver,” Zahra suggested with a small impish grin. “Or Denver. Either one would do it for you.”

“You’re so funny,” Stella said, aware of heat rising, the blush starting somewhere low and moving through her body toward her face. “You’re such a demon. We’re only going to the Grill because you want to see Bruce.”

“It’s because they make the best Moscow Mules,” Zahra corrected. “And I like to dance.”

Shabina laughed. “And you like to ogle Bruce and all his muscles.”

Zahra rolled her eyes and shrugged. “He’s really tall so there’s room for a lot of muscle, but he doesn’t talk.”

“In my experience,” Shabina said, “that can be a good thing. The less talk, the more action. Don’t you want action, Zahra?”

Zahra sighed. “He has to start somewhere, like asking me out. He can barely ask me to dance. I think we’re having this great time and then he just walks away and we’re back at square one. As long as he’s around, no one else will ask me out because he glowers at them.”

“That’s not all he does,” Shabina said. “I heard him threaten some dirtbag to leave you alone or he was taking him outside, and he meant it too.”

Zahra sat up straight. “He did what? He can’t do that. Was someone going to ask me to dance?”

Stella nudged her under the table with her foot. “I remember that night. The guy wouldn’t leave you alone no matter how many times you told him to get off you. He kept trying to freak dance you. Bruce pulled him off and had a little chat with him. That was the last we saw of him on the dance floor.”