Pineapple Turtles

she was one of the people in this photo.”
“Your grandmother?”
“No. Siofra.”
Angelina grimaced. “Hm. I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t had a chance to ask around about a Siofra since you called. I apologize. Right after I got your call some things came up—small emergency in the kitchen—you know how it goes. I wasn’t expecting you to stop by.”
“I had to come over here on business anyway.” Charlotte swallowed.
Why did I lie?
“Oh? What do you do?” asked Angelina.
Crap. Now she takes an interest. Figures.
Charlotte said the first thing that came to her mind.
“Health Inspector.”
She did her best not to cringe. Angelina had just mentioned the kitchen, and it triggered her brain to say she was a health inspector. Maybe she wanted to intimidate Angelina a little. The woman knew something. She could feel it.
Angelina laughed. “Uh oh. Are we in trouble?”
“No, I’m here for a conference.”
“In Jupiter Beach?”
Charlotte nodded.
I have to get off this topic before I dig this hole any deeper.
“Do you know any good places in town to eat? I should grab some lunch before, uh, my meetings. I guess you have a restaurant here?”
“Would I tell you if we did?” Angelina winked.
She actually winked.
On any other person the effect would have been cheesy and off-putting, but, somehow, it only endeared Angelina to Charlotte.
What is it with this woman? She’s like a siren.
“Just kidding,” continued Angelina. “We’ve got nothing to fear. For one, we don’t have a restaurant—just light room service and bar snacks. But if you’d like to go out, I have a list here of different places that offer lunch.” Angelina opened a drawer and pulled out half a white sheet of paper to hand to her. A list of restaurants and their cuisine type lined the page, printed in a large font for easy reading.
“Great.” Charlotte let her eye run over the list as if it was totally absorbing. “I’ll go grab something to eat. In the meantime—”
“I’ll see what I can find out for you,” finished Angelina.
“That would be great. Thank you.”
“Mind if I keep the photo to show around?”
Charlotte glanced at the newspaper clipping. It was the only evidence she had of her mystery aunt and she felt protective of it. On the other hand, it would be unreasonable to ask Angelina to ask around about the photo without the photo.
“Didn’t you say you had a copy?”
Angelina seemed amused. “I do. Somewhere. But it would take me the entire time you’re gone to find it. I’m not what you’d call an organized person.”
Charlotte shifted, trying to keep herself from snatching up the photo.
Somehow, I think you’re a very organized person.
Her fingers twitched but she found a way to stop the urge.
Let it go. No reason this woman would steal the photo.
“Okay. Sure. Of course you can keep it. I’ll see you when I get back?”
“I’ll be here.” Angelina stood and moved in front of the desk. She put out her arm and draped it over Charlotte’s shoulder, nudging her forward to walk her toward the front door.
“I’ll find someone who remembers something about this photo. We have a very loyal staff. Many of them have been here since the beginning.”
Behind them, Harley yipped once, obviously to show her annoyance at being abandoned.
“That’s great. The, uh, rooms are adorable,” said Charlotte, unable to think of anything else.
“Thank you. We aim to please.”
Angelina tripped on her high heel boot and Charlotte shifted her weight to catch her.
“Are you okay?”
Angelina laughed. “Old wooden floors. Little lumpy.” She patted Charlotte’s back hard enough to come just short of pushing her toward the door. “I’ll see you soon.”
Charlotte nodded and left the hotel.
“Crabgrass kittens,” said the doorman, tipping his hat.
She turned. “Thank you.”
He smiled.
“Stuffing.”
Charlotte strode to her car and sat inside with her hands on the wheel for as long as she could until the first bead of sweat began to drip from her hairline. She’d parked in the sun, so it only took about two seconds.
Did she trip on purpose to make me catch her? To make me care about her?
She put her key into the Volvo and turned up the air-conditioning.
I think I’m going crazy.

 
 
Chapter Twelve
Angelina watched Charlotte leave the resort. Once the old Volvo had crunched out of the stone parking lot, she stood and scurried over to Croix, who’d been watching their interaction and trying very hard to pretend she wasn’t.
Harley barked again.
“Shush it.” Angelina handed Croix Charlotte’s phone. “Open.”
Croix smiled at the stolen item.
“Nice move.”
She took the phone and stepped into the back. When she returned she had a black gadget in her hand, which she plugged into the bottom of the phone. A minute later she handed the phone back to Angelina, unlocked.
“Ta da.”
Angelina flipped through the device.
“Boyfriend, I’m guessing,” she said, holding up the phone so Croix could see the picture of a young man in swimming trunks on the screen.
Croix’s eyebrows raised. “Wow. Hottie.”
Angelina nodded and scrolled through some text threads. “Not too shabby. Declan. Nice Irish name. She’s got a dog, Abby. Mariska. Mother? Maybe. What was the passcode?”
“You just said it.”
Angelina looked up. “What?”
“One, two, two, twenty-five.”
She cocked her head. “Twenty-five?”
“A-B-B-Y. One for A, Two for B, Y is twenty five.”
“Ah. Remind me I need to teach you to count cards. We’re going to make a fortune.”
Croix giggled.
Angelina crooked her finger, beckoning to the girl with a long, crimson-painted nail. “I need everything you have on her.”
“I have her room key.”
“Big deal. I have the master key. What about her credit card?”
“I told her we trusted her.”
Angelina rolled her eyes.