I throw back my slumping shoulders. I’m not going down without a fight. But for now, I need to buck it up and get back to my task at hand: figuring out if Pattie and her mystery boyfriend have anything to do with Tina’s death. “Just an inch or so, please.”
Pattie picks up a handful of my hair and frowns. “Give me two, at least. These split ends need to go.”
“Fine. But no more. And not too heavy on the highlights. Subtle is better.”
Pattie nods and starts mixing some pungent concoction she dips a brush into. “It’s nice how you and Brittany get along. Couldn’t help but overhear part of your conversation.”
“She’s a great kid. How are yours doing?” Maybe if I get her talking about personal things, it’ll make it easier to segue to her dating life.
“They’re fine.”
“Both still in LA?” I ask while my eyes water from the strong chemicals.
“Yep. Their father keeps them close by paying all their bills. He’s a better ATM machine than I am. I have to actually work for a living.”
“I hear you.” Still some bitterness there. But it might be just the opening I need. “But now that your ex is behind you and you’ve moved on, seeing anyone special?”
“I don’t kiss and tell.” Pattie’s lips tilt ever so slightly.
Yes, she does. All the time. This is so frustrating. I’ll have to change tactics. Be more direct. “Well, rumor has it that you’re secretly seeing someone.”
Pattie’s brush tumbles to the floor. “Who told you that?”
“Can’t reveal my sources. But I hear there might be an eyewitness.” I’m pushing it here, but I did say there might be witnesses. It’s possible the mayor and Tina could have seen Pattie meeting her mystery man at the Blue Hippo.
Pattie’s frown deepens as she digs a new brush out of her cart. “You can’t believe everything you hear in this town. I don’t believe ninety-eight percent of it.”
Darn it. Pattie’s not budging. I’ll have to move to plan B. “Well, my source said there’s a good reason you guys don’t want your relationship out in the open.”
Pattie’s left eyelid has developed a twitch. “Really? And why’s that?” She parts my hair with the sharp point of a rat tail comb much harder than necessary, all while avoiding my eye contact.
As I wince in pain, my mind races. Besides her boyfriend being married, why else would someone single want to keep the details of her relationship secret? The only other thing I can think of it is that the guy is famous in some way. Knowing Pattie, there’s no way she’d be able to keep quiet if she was seeing a celebrity. I’m going to go with my fifty-fifty odds and call it.
I look into Pattie’s reflection in the mirror and whisper, “Because you’re seeing a married man.”
Pattie’s jaw clenches. “Whoever your source is should mind their own damn business, Sawyer. Or someone else is going to get hurt too! Hopefully not like Tina!” Pattie tosses her comb aside and marches toward the back. “I’ll be right back.”
Holy. Moly.
What rock have I just overturned?
Chapter 8
With my hair half painted with blonde streaks, I reach for my phone to text Dylan. I need to tell him about Pattie’s extreme reaction. Before I can hit Send, Pattie reappears, so I discreetly drop the phone into my purse. I force a smile and say, “Sorry if I hit a nerve. I didn’t mean anything by that.”
“No worries. I don’t care about gossip. And I needed a new comb.” Pattie gathers up my hair in the back and gives it a tug. My chin lifts with the force.
Pattie whispers in my ear, “You asked me to keep what I know about your uncle and Tina from your aunt. And in return, I need you to tell your source they’re mistaken. That the man they think they saw me with is just a friend and that there’s nothing else going on. Understood?”
I stammer, “Sure. No problem.” My heart is pounding so hard, it’s difficult to breathe.
“Great.” Pattie lets go of my hair to paint the top. “Tit for tat, Sawyer. That’s what makes the world go round. And keeps the peace in a small town.”
“Right.” I reach for the tattered magazine I tossed aside earlier and pretend to peruse it as my mind churns. She said I needed to keep my yap shut about her mystery man so no one else got hurt. Did Tina get hurt because she was seeing a married man too? Are my uncle and the man Pattie’s seeing in cahoots somehow? Or does Pattie simply mean that seeing my uncle, another married man, got Tina killed?
I don’t dare ask. I’m in enough hot water as it is. I’m going to pretend to enjoy this magazine until Pattie is finished with my hair. But my mind can’t stop reeling with possibilities.
Pattie practically admitted she’s seeing someone, and that person might be part of the puzzle of what happened to Tina. Could Pattie have been seeing my uncle Frank too? And become jealous when she stumbled upon Uncle Frank and Tina at the Blue Hippo? Or maybe she’d followed them? Did a scorned Pattie kill Tina in a fit of jealousy?
Could a murderer be doing my hair?
A shard of fear rips up my spine.
Best to keep quiet and get this over with as quickly as possible.
While my color sets, I flip through the magazine again. I want to text Dylan, but Pattie is still hovering nearby. A quick glance around the shop shows the other gals have finished with their customers and have left for lunch. I was so involved in my musings that I didn’t hear them go. Yikes. That just leaves a potential killer and me alone in the shop.
A bell rings, and Pattie says, “Time to rinse. Follow me.”
Great. Is this where she decides to drown me in the washing station?
Pattie is silent as she
