I sucked my teeth.“Point.”
Done wiping down the counter, idly swept the damp cloth back and forth over the counter between us, darting quick, hesitant glances my way.I knew enough to keep quiet and let her work up to whatever it was on her mind, busying myself with scrolling throughTea and Tinsel—no new pictures since this morning, thankfully, but I had the feeling it was only a temporary reprieve.Max popped up, though—spotted out and about in London (London?I thought he was in Split?)with some young up and coming actor who was getting accolades for her recent turn in an indie flick.The pics had all the hallmarks of a PR date—facing the cameras directly, pausing for the shot, sitting in the window seat at the popular, exclusive restaurant then walking down a busy street without a bodyguard in sight.The shots were in focus and had great lighting, to boot.
Unlike mine, where it looked like captures from security footage shown on an episode ofDatelineimploring people to help find my body.
“I saw those pictures,” Belinda said, suddenly right beside me and in my ear.“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You didn’t.”
“You jumped.”
“I shifted to turn my attention on to you,” I protested weakly.Belinda raised a brow but didn’t follow up on that.“You followTea and Tinsel?Belinda, there’smuchbetter gossip sites to follow.Like...I don’t know.Broadway Worldor something?”
“They’re all awful,” she shrugged, but her expression was closer to guilty than guileless.“And I don’t really look at it often.Just...Okay, promise you won’t be mad at me?”
That was never a good request.Like, ever.“I can promise I’ll have the most measured response possible but it might be anger.”
She chewed on her lower lip for a moment, not meeting my eyes and instead staring at the table I’d been at with Pamela and Ms.Terhune.“I think I know who took those pictures of you.”
“What?”
“Don’t be mad!”
“I’m not mad.Just...just surprised.”
Belinda eyed me warily, tense to the tips of her ears.“Anmorata Blue,” she said finally, voice heavy with disdain.“She was just in here.She’s in my screenwriting class at the community college.”
“Wait, someone named their child Anmorata Blue?”
Belinda’s smirk was quick and tiny.“Her real name’s Carolyn, I think.Or maybe just Claire?The professor called it out during role call the first day.Anmorata’s...she’s a lot.And she wassuperexcited about this old guy she’d been hooking up with this summer after some stupid internship scam.”
“Wait, Belinda, I need you to back up and slow down.What are you talking about?”
The door jingled and Jerome from the Sleepy Pelican stumped in, followed by a group of three tourists.Belinda, visibly flustered, whispered, “She had ahugefight with that Tubbs guy on Thursday afternoon at the inn.She wassoooooomad about it that she even talked tomeand she hates me!”
“Why do you think she took the pictures?”I hissed.
Belinda shook her head.Jerome was at the counter, slapping down his boxes of tea with a scowl.“Later,” Belinda mouthed, effectively turning her back on me to deal with actual work.
I’d never been this close to stomping my foot and pouting before.At least not as an adult.When I didn’t move off, she rolled her eyes and said “Talk to Carmel!She was there!”
That was me dismissed.I nodded and, with a tight smile for Jerome, let myself out of the back of the shop, slipping through the little kitchen area when Ben sometimes made his tea blends and past the office into the alley.I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched, even though I knew no one was there.With the exception of the cameras Bull and Ben had set up over their respective shops back doors, there was no way anyone could even see me back there.
And didn’t that thought put wings on my feet.I hit Buttermilk Road at a jog, coming out around the end of the row of shops and squeezing past the half-full Dumpsters lined up for trash day on Wednesday.As soon as I stepped into the early afternoon sun, a car started in front of Witte’s Teas, pulling out into the road and speeding past.
It was an out of state car, New York plates, I noticed.
And the driver’s profile looked a lot like Nate.
