Reed shrugged. “Maybe they serve good wings.”
“Bar wings are the best.” Hmm, thinking about wings had my mouth watering. “But why did Lisa want to talk to Casey and why here?”
Why not just talk to him at home? It’s not like she didn’t know where he lived.
“I don’t know,” Reed said, not helping in the slightest. “But you think she might have hit her head on this hand dryer? It’s got blunt force trauma written all over it.”
He was facetious about the writing. I checked.
I turned around and stared at the old white metal box attached to the wall close to the door. The coroner’s report said Lisa suffered a contusion to her head, which ultimately killed her. The report didn’t disclose what caused the contusion or how hard she hit. “Could be.”
Reed shook his head. “If this caused the blow, she must have been pushed. It’s too high up the wall for her to gather enough force to hit it hard enough during an accidental fall.”
“Plus, she was missing her favorite ring.” That’s why the police called it a robbery.
“I’ll be right there!” someone on the other side of the door said and laughed.
I panicked and jumped toward Reed. If the killer ghost came to take us out, I wanted that bodyguard protection they promised. Either I pushed him or he stepped forward right as the door opened.
“Oh,” said a female voice and then a second time with more volume. “Oh!”
“Selene,” Reed answered, sounding as surprised as the blonde-haired woman.
I peeked over his shoulder and smiled. “Hey.”
What in the hell was she doing here? And in the bathroom?
She raised her hands in front of her, pretending to cover her eyes. “I didn’t know anyone was in here. Let alone newlyweds.”
I clutched the back of Reed’s black polo shirt as she bit her lips in a judgmental stare. The ends of them still tipped upward like she was laughing at finding us in the bathroom. Sure, we had a guy in the women’s room, but surely it wasn’t that big of a deal.
Unless.
My chest tightened. Oh, no. Did she think? “We weren’t having bathroom sex!”
Reed’s body tightened at my outburst, and he sucked in a deep breath.
“If you say so,” Selene said, obviously holding back the laugh. “But I promise your secret is safe with me.”
“We weren’t. Reed was just helping me with…” Shit. What did I say? I hadn’t done my fake puking, and it’s not like I could admit we were searching for clues in the death of her future mother-in-law. “Stuff. He was helping me with stuff.”
“Uh-huh,” she said, completely unconvinced.
I stepped around Reed and stared at her in her light pink T-shirt with the bar’s name embroidered over the left pocket. “Why are you here?”
She reared back in defense. Okay, maybe I asked it a little harshly, but this was my bar stakeout. And it was weird she’d walk in here now. Almost like she was watching. Or followed us. “I work here.”
My eyes widened as she pushed out her breasts to highlight the logo on her shirt. “Is that why Casey’s mom said this is his favorite place?”
“We met here. I waited on him one night.” Selene’s expression slipped into a wide smile. “Do you two want a picture before you go on the paranormal investigation?” She also said “paranormal investigation” like she was on a ghost show. It still annoyed me.
No, actually it might have annoyed me more when she said it.
“Sure,” Reed said, and opened the bathroom door, letting us out. “Let’s take it by the bar.”
Selene walked out right before me, and as I went to pass her, she leaned in to whisper. “The best time to sneak in a bathroom quickie is to take a break about an hour or two into your investigation.”
“Oh, um. Thanks,” I mumbled and hurried to catch up with Reed, who was already positioning himself by the bar.
