Free Deviled!: Lake Erie Mysteries Book 2 by Maureen K. Howard Page A

exciting resorts and indoor water parks popping up like weeds and competing for a share of the tourist pie.
    We were seated by a cheery hostess in a yellow dress who asked if we would like to see the wine list. “Yes!” times two was what she heard in response to her silly question. We ordered drinks without delay, and she scurried off to do our bidding.
    We sipped our wine, and although I was starting to relax, I still couldn’t shake the feeling that we hadn’t seen the worst. Like it or not, a chain of events we had no control over had been set into motion. We still had a lot of thinking to do, but for the time being, I would concentrate on the menu and what I would order for dinner.
    When I looked up from the menu, June was peering over my shoulder in the direction of the kitchen. “This resort is a lot smaller than I thought it was,” she said, her eyebrows scrunched together and her lips all bunched up.
    “Why would you say that? This place is huge.”
    “Then why do we keep seeing the same people everywhere we go? I mean, really, how many jobs can that Sasha chick have?”
    “What?” I nearly pulled an Exorcist move trying to follow June’s gaze. The restaurant was busy, so it took me several seconds to zero in on her. There she was, wearing the same sunny dress as our hostess and the rest of the waitresses, so it was clear she was an employee of the restaurant. At the moment, she was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, her profile silhouetted by the bright lights of the workspace behind her. Her eyes were downcast and her hands were empty, arms straight at her sides. It was obvious she was being spoken to by an authority figure. Truth be told, it was evident she being reprimanded or scolded. Or threatened? The person dominating the conversation was just beyond the doorway, out of sight. After thirty seconds more, Sasha was nudged from the doorway toward the dining room full of seated patrons, and right behind her strode Gabriel DeVille. Gabriel? First we find this girl running from the DeVille penthouse crying. Next, she shows up at the magic show in the middle of my failed magic act with an unordered cocktail for June. Then she appears at our hotel room with spa passes neither of us ordered. Oh, I almost forgot, she was mingling with the zombies at lunch this afternoon. And now she was heading straight for our table.
    “Hello. My name is Sasha, and I will be taking care of you this evening. I see you have your drinks. Are you ready to order?” She finished her scripted greeting and looked up. Her round eyes grew even rounder, and then she dropped her order pad. As she bent down to retrieve it, June gave me a laser-beam stare that bore into my brain. Neither of us spoke, but I knew exactly what her mind was relaying to mine. Did you see her face? She has a black eye. A real black eye . My mind acknowledged that I did.
    Upright again and composed, she apologized for being clumsy and asked for the second time in her soft accent if we would like to place an order. Suddenly, I wasn’t feeling hungry but didn’t want the scene to get any more awkward than it already was, so I scanned the menu and made up my mind.
    “I’ll have a Caesar salad. June, do you want to split a Godiva chocolate cheesecake?”
    “Sure, sounds good. I’ll have the same salad. And another glass of wine, please.”
    “Make that two,” I added.
    I was impressed by how Sasha regained her composure. “Very good, ladies. I’ll put that right in.”
     As soon as she walked away, Gabriel, who had been mingling with the other dinner guests, made a beeline for our table. Oh brother . So far the Drama Divas Convention was living up to its name. I was pretty sure it had been Gabriel berating Sasha just moments ago, but here was June, batting her long eyelashes and running her fingers through her spiky blond hair.
    “Good evening, ladies! I’m so glad you chose this place for your meal. Do you mind if I join you?”
    “Please, sit