Dylan’s forehead creases. “That’s what I intend to find out.”
Chapter 6
Since my lunch date ditched me for Woo-Woo Beth, I head toward Pattie’s beauty shop, Bang Bangs, to do some sleuthing. I can eat croissants for lunch when I get back to my bookstore later.
I push the glass doors open, and my nose is instantly assaulted by a mixture of ammonia, nail polish, and purple shampoo. No one is at the little reception desk, so I take this as my permission to wander farther inside.
Two older women I remember from my childhood days sit under the noisy old dryers, reading magazines. They’re so engrossed, they don’t even realize I’ve walked in. The four chairs that sit before lighted mirrors, and the two hair-washing sinks, stand empty. Pattie must be in the stockroom, so I start that way.
As I approach the curtain that separates the storefront from the rear, the sound of two women arguing stops me in my tracks. One voice is Pattie’s for sure. She has a high, shrill tone that hurts my eardrums a little, but I don’t recognize the other voice. Must be an employee.
Rather than interrupt what seems to be an employer chastising her employee, I grab a seat in one of the haircutting chairs to wait. When I stare at my reflection in the lighted mirror, it’s clear I need a trim, and I could use some highlights to brighten up all the dull brown in my hair just as Pattie suggested last week. I lean even closer to examine the new freckles on my cheeks. Apparently, all the sunshine here has brought them out again. I really need to install better lighting in my old bathroom at home.
“Hi, Sawyer. What can we do for you today?” Pattie’s glass-breaking voice calls out. “Are you ready to go short yet?”
That’s the other thing Pattie always wants to do to me, but I like my shoulder-length hair. Just long enough to put in a ponytail when I cook. If I cut it short, I’d be in this chair once a month. No way I can afford that. “No, but I’d like to make an appointment for a trim and some highlights.” Hopefully, that will be enough to make Pattie back off her “Cut Sawyer’s Hair Off” mission.
“Fantastic! Let’s see what I’ve got.” Pattie, bleached blonde and curvy, breezes past me clad in her pink uniform dress. She stops at the front desk, where she keeps a big appointment book—no computers for her.
While Pattie flips through pages, I stick out my hand toward the young woman who was the target of Pattie’s ire a few moments ago. “Hi. I’m Saw— Mary? Is that you all grown-up?” I used to babysit her when I was in high school. She was a chubby, sweet little girl, but now she’s the epitome of a California beach beauty—blonde, tan, and cute.
She nods. “Nice to see you, Sawyer.”
I give her a hug. “How have I not run into you by now?” I’ve been in town for about six months, so it seems unlikely we haven’t seen each other.
Mary returns my hug. “I had some trouble at school and lost my scholarship. I quit early so I can earn enough money to go back next fall and repeat some classes.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your scholarship.” I stare into her troubled big blue eyes. “What were you studying?”
Pattie says, “She wants to be a cook, like you, Sawyer. Washing hair in the meantime isn’t challenging enough for her, apparently.” Pattie adds under her breath, “Don’t know how you fail cooking classes.”
Mary lifts her chin. “Sawyer’s a chef, not a cook. And she also has a degree from MIT. Smart people like to cook too, you know.”
Oooookay. There’s a tension here that’s clearly none of my business. But Mary has dyslexia and struggled in school when she was younger too. “Why don’t you stop by the bookstore later? Maybe I can help you pass those classes.” I used to help her with her homework when she was a kid. She’s super smart but learns differently from most.
Mary smiles for the first time, showing off her pretty, straight white teeth. “Thanks, Sawyer. I will.” She gives Pattie a sideways glance before disappearing behind the curtain again.
Pattie shakes her head. “Hard to find good help these days. I put you down for tomorrow at this time.”
“Thanks.” It would have been nice if she’d asked me first, but then everyone knows I’m not all that busy at the bookshop, so I accept the little appointment card. “Sad about Tina, right?”
“Odd is more like it.” Pattie tucks a loose tendril of hair behind her ear. “Has Dylan figured out what really happened? Pete said it was no accident. Because of the affair.”
I lean closer. “Did you know about the affair?” I don’t want to name it specifically to see if she’s just fishing.
Pattie nods. “I have to go to Monterey for supplies on Saturdays now and then. Your uncle’s Maserati stands out.”
That might be true elsewhere, but there’re a fair number of Maseratis in California. “Did you actually see my uncle with someone?”
“Sure did.” Pattie snaps her gum. “He and Tina were eating on the patio of that brunch place, The Blue Hippo Bistro.”
My heart beats a little faster. “Were they holding hands or doing anything that would suggest more than just brunch going on?”
“No, so I walked toward them to say hello, but stopped when I heard them arguing. Tina threatened to tell your Aunt Carol about them if he didn’t make things right.”
This is promising. And first-hand information for a change. “What did my uncle say to that?”
Pattie leans closer. “He said if she’d end things with your dad, then he’d tell your aunt everything. Tina seemed satisfied with that because then they got up and headed to the B and B next door.”
I ask, “How long ago was
