Blood in the Water(65)
“I’m sensin’ tension here. Maybe a juicy break-up, like Brangelina or, even worse, Bennifer?” Skeeter took out a notepad and placed the recorder in the center of their table. “What’s your supercouple name? Jayron? Or is it Byrane?”
“It’s ‘kiss my ass’ and you can quote me.” Byron snatched the recorder and dunked it in the remains of his coffee.
“Hey! That thing cost me a hundred bucks.”
“Boo-fuckin’-hoo.”
“It’s alright, Skeeter, I’ll take care of it.”
Jane spun around in her chair to see a handsome, broad-shouldered man with long blond hair striding toward them. He wore a biker vest, and if Jane wasn’t mistaken, it was the aforementioned Romeo, the one Byron had an earlier altercation with.
Wow. This won’t end well.
Before she knew it, he punched Byron in the nose and smashed a water glass into his face. The mobster decked the biker and then threw a chair at him.
Pandemonium hit the restaurant—women screeching, men shouting. Byron pulled a gun, and they hustled out the door in droves.
“Stop this!” Jane turned to Skeeter for help, but he was fussing over his water-logged equipment.
“Don’t look at me, I hope Romeo gives him a whuppin’. Besides, it’s a good story—Dearest Day Fight don’t have quite the same cachet as the Valentine Massacre, but it’ll do.”
The two men circled one another. Somehow, the biker had pulled another gun, so it was a stalemate.
“And what if the couples tell the police?”
“I wouldn’t worry about it—the sheriff’s friendly to the cause. He’ll come up with some lame ass excuse, and the locals will shrug it off.”
Jane figured that meant the club had paid the lawman off, so she’d have to take matters into her own hands.
“For pity’s sake, put your egos away and handle this like rational adults—unless one of you idiots wants to wind up in the morgue.”
“My date’s gotta point. Tell you what, you get this one for free.” Blood dripped down his face, and his chest sparkled with glass shards. “Since I broke your jaw last time.” Byron rubbed his chin.
“Fine, let’s take this down a notch.” Both Romeo and Byron put the guns away.
Jane blew out a long, deep breath. She felt a little woozy from relief.
“Why are you here, stirrin’ up trouble?” Romeo asked.
“What trouble? I’ve been downright neighborly, and people won’t stop pickin’ fights with me.”
“Karma gets people every time.” Jane couldn’t resist an opening like that.
Skeeter snorted and then covered his mouth. Byron frowned at her, and she turned away.
“Why are you sniffin’ around the Valentine case, Beauregard?”
Jane and Byron exchanged looks. Maybe they hadn’t been as discreet as they thought.
“Don’t look so surprised—it’s a small town. Nothin’ stays a secret for long.” And then he pointed an accusing finger at Jane. “And while I’m on the subject, why the fuck were you defendin’ that piece of shit?”
“Because he paid me to.” Wasn’t the answer obvious?
Romeo gaped at her as if she’d said something shocking.
“Why are you taking this so personally?”
Byron stepped in front of her. “Look, we’re about done here anyhow. We’ll be leavin’ in a day or two and I don’t want any trouble in the meantime.”
“I’d make it sooner if I were you.” With a snort, Romeo stalked out of the room.
“And I’ll be sendin’ you a bill.” Skeeter squared his shoulders and strutted out, leaving the two of them alone in the deserted dining room.
“Well, Romeo’s got his tail up about somethin’.” Byron cocked his head to the side. “But what?”
“No clue.” In all the files she’d examined, the biker hadn’t been mentioned.
Byron snapped his fingers. “Jessup said Oscar Valentine was datin’ somebody around the time of the murder.”
“Somebody…like Juliet?” It explained her angry demeanor when they’d first met. Hallelujah—another lead! “All we need to do is talk to her, see what she knows.”
Byron grinned. “See, didn’t I say it would all turn out okay?”
“By sheer dumb luck.”
“Maybe its karma,” he said pointedly.
“You heard that, huh?”
“Yeah.”
Jane was going to say something witty back when blood dripped from his nose. “You’re bleeding. Let me check on your wounds.”
“It’s fine, just some glass. I’ll see to it when we get back to the hotel room.”