Bikinis in Paradise (Tj Jensen Pardise Lake Mysteries) (7 page)

“Mornin
’, Miss Tj.”

“Just Tj.”

“Uh, sure.”

“Did you need something?” Tj waited as Amber fidgeted around
, trying to work up the courage to tell her something.

“If’n you hear something that someone said
, but they don’t know you heard them say it, is it gossipin’ if you tell what you heard to someone else?”

“Probably,” Tj answered. “Please have a seat.” She motioned to the chair Ben had just vacated. “
Why don’t you tell me what you heard, and then we’ll decide if it’s something that should be told.”

“It’s about the missin
’ girl.”

“Kiara?” Tj asked.

“No. The other one. The one who was supposed to come on the bus.”

“Tonya Overton
?”

“Yes
, ma’am. I was helpin’ to clear tables in the bar last night while the models were there. I overheard a group of them sayin’ that Ms. Overton had gotten herself into big trouble when the tour stopped in Las Vegas a while back. They made it sound like she lost a lot of money gamblin’ and was havin’ a hard time payin’ back these dangerous people. One of the models said that Ms. Overton probably missed the bus ’cause she was chasin’ after a royal flush. They suggested that you might look for her in one of the casinos.”

I
t was way too late for that, but Tj wasn’t at liberty to tell Amber or anyone else what had actually happened to Tonya. Still, Tonya’s gambling addiction and subsequent debt was something Dylan would be interested in hearing about. “Thank you for telling me what you heard.” Tj placed her hand over Amber’s. “Normally, repeating things we overhear isn’t a good thing to do, but in this case it might help us to understand what happened to Tonya. I’ll be sure to pass this information along to the sheriff’s department.”

Amber stood up. “Thank you
, ma’am. I hope you find her and she’s okay.”

Tj watched Amber walk away.
The fact that Tonya had a gambling problem could turn out to be a significant clue. While there was a limited amount of gambling in the family town of Serenity, several of the larger casinos in Indulgence, on the south end of the lake, were known to be run by people involved in organized crime. What if Tonya had gotten in too deep with the wrong person? Of course, if she headed to a casino in Reno or Indulgence, it didn’t explain how she’d ended up in Secret Cove just three hours after renting a car. Chances were her death had to do with something else entirely, though she supposed it couldn’t hurt to mention what Amber had told her to Dylan the next time she spoke to him.

Tj
finished the last of her coffee and was gathering her things when her cell rang. “Hi, Dad.”

“It’s not Papa
, it’s Gracie,” her youngest sister giggled.

“Hi
, baby. How’s Disney World?” Tj felt her heart swell with love at the sound of the little girl’s voice.

“So, so fun. I went on lots of rides and got to see Minnie Mouse.
”

“You’ve already been on rides?”

“We got here when they opened,” Gracie verified. Tj glanced at her watch. It was after nine. She hadn’t realized that she’d been sitting there that long. With the time change, it must be lunch time in Florida. “Ashley was scared of the teacups, but Rosalie and I went on them two times,” she added.

“I wasn’t scared,” Tj heard Ashley yell
.

“Ashley gets motion sickness
, like Mom used to,” Tj reminded her sister. “I’m sure she just didn’t want to get a queasy stomach. Are you at the park right now?”

“Yeah
. Miss Rosalie brought us cuz Papa had to work. He’s going to meet us later.”

“It’s my turn to talk,” Ashley
insisted in the background.

“It’s still my turn,” Gracie replied.

“You guys can argue later,” Tj interrupted after the exchange threatened to exclude her entirely. “Did you see the princesses?”

“Not yet. I want to see Bell
e and Ashley wants to see Ariel. Papa says we can get dresses to bring home. Does Crissy miss me?” Gracie asked.

“She does
, but she decided to sleep with me while you’re gone. Cuervo wasn’t real happy about that, but the two have come to an agreement, I think.”

“I wish we could have brought her.”

“I don’t think they allow cats in Disney World.”

“I seen a dog.”

“It was probably a service dog,” Tj explained.

“Your time is up
.” Tj heard a scuffle as the girls fought over the phone. Rosalie said something that seemed to end the tussle, and Gracie came back on the line.

“Ashley wants to say hi and Miss Rosalie said I have to share.”

“I think that’s a good idea. I miss you bunches.”

“I miss you bunches too.”

“Remember who loves you the most.”

“You do
.” Gracie giggled.

So much had changed in Tj’s life in the past year. Before the girls
came to live with her the previous July, having kids was the furthest thing from her mind. She’d always considered herself to be one of those people who would do just as well without tiny mini-mes hanging on her arm or wiping their nose on her pant leg. But now that she’d experienced the joy of mini-mes, nose wiping and all, she didn’t know what she’d do without them.

“Hi
, Tj.” Ashley came on the line.

“Hi yourself. Are you having fun?”

“So much fun,” Ashley confirmed. “I want to go on the roller coaster, but Gracie is too little, so Rosalie said that I have to wait until Papa meets us, so one of them can go with me and one of them can wait with her.”

“That sounds like a good plan. Have you been on some of the other rides?”

“Lots. Papa got a special pass and we got to go to the front of the line. My favorite was the Pirates of the Caribbean. There was real fire and real cannons.”

“Sounds awesome. I’m sorry I couldn’t come.”

“Me too. It would have been much more fun if you were here. We could go on the biggest roller coaster together.”

“Maybe next time.
”

“
We’re going to have lunch right now, so I guess I should hang up.”

“If you have Papa’s phone
, what phone does he have?” Tj wondered. When Gracie had called, the caller ID clearly indicated that she was calling from her father’s phone.

“
He has Rosalie’s. His phone was out of batteries when he had to leave this morning ’cause he forgot to charge it, so they traded so that Rosalie could charge his for him. They’re going to trade back when he meets us later. We’re supposed to let any calls go to voice mail.”

“I see. Can I talk to Rosalie for a minute before you hang up?”

“Sure, hang on.”

Tj waited while
Ashley transferred the phone to Rosalie. When Tj had made the decision to remain behind in order to help Ben with the Tropical Tan group, it had seemed like a good idea, but now, as she listened to their laughter in the background, she found herself regretting her decision. Ben had run the resort without any help for over twenty-five years. Now that her dad had taken over, Tj had begun to think of her grandpa as less than capable, but the truth of the matter was that he was still able to run the resort or do anything else he set his mind to.

“How are things with the models?” Rosalie asked.

“Interesting. How is Disney World?”

“I’m having the best time with Ashley and Gracie. Who knew that kids could be so great?”

Rosalie was the town veterinarian. She was popular and had a lot of friends, but she’d never married or had any children of her own. She was quite a bit younger than her father and so still able to have children someday if she chose. Tj wondered if there might be another half sister in her future.

After she finished talking to Rosalie, Tj headed into town. She had told Connor that she’d try to make it to the choir rehearsal, and although she was over an hour late, she figured she could catch the end to show her support. When she walked into the community center, Connor was doing a duet with a shy sophomore who Tj had figured had no chance of contributing to the choir when she first met her. Kendall had not only blossomed under Kyle’s tutelage but had ended up being one of the better singers. Tj slipped into a chair in the back of the room as the medley of patriotic songs continued.

“They’re really good,” Pastor Dan Kensington
said as he slipped into the chair beside her. Dan had moved to Serenity with his three-year-old daughter Hannah after his wife died. At thirty-five, he was a lot younger than the elderly pastor he’d replaced.

“I know. I’m as amazed as anyone,” Tj whispered. “Have you been here long?”

“A few minutes. I want to talk to Kendall and a few of the others about joining the church choir. I was waiting backstage for the kids to finish, but I saw you come in and decided to wait with you instead.”

“I’m glad you did. It’s been a while since we’ve run into each other.”

“I noticed that you haven’t been to services for a while.”

“Yeah
.” Tj blushed. It was dark in the room, so Tj hoped Dan couldn’t see the guilt on her face. “I guess I’ve been busy.”

“Your dad and grandpa bring the girls most weeks. I’m sure they’d enjoy having you attend as well.”

Tj bit her lip as she tried to figure out a tactful way to tell the reverend that the only chance she got to sleep in and enjoy a leisurely morning was when the rest of the gang was in town for services.

“Although,” Dan continued, “I guess it
is
nice to have the house to yourself one morning a week.”

Tj smiled. It was
good of him to give her an out. “I have the Tropical Tan group this weekend but I’ll see what I can do about attending with the family the following week,” she promised.

“I went by the hospital yesterday to visit with Mrs.
Roberson.” Tj knew that Mrs. Roberson had been sick for quite some time, and that Dan went by at least three times a week to sit with her. “I ran into Hunter, and he told me about the woman you found in the cove. I don’t suppose you have any word on her next of kin? I’d like to offer my services if they’re in need of support.”

“No,” Tj whispered. “I haven’t heard anything.
”

“I met a woman named Tonya Overton a few years ago,” Dan informed her. “I was in
Los Angeles, attending a seminar on social networking, after one of my parishioners suggested I was stuck in the eighties. There was a woman by that same name on one of the panels I attended. We ended up sitting together at lunch and got to talking. She was a nice woman who really seemed to know her stuff, but I could tell by talking with her that she was fighting demons of one type or another. It wasn’t the time or place to try to have a personal conversation with her, although it seemed that she very much wanted to talk. I gave her my card and asked her to call, but she never did. When I heard the name of the dead woman, I asked to see the body, but the woman in the morgue is a different Tonya Overton. Still, I’d like to be of service if I can.”

“
I guess you can check with Roy. He’s in charge while Dylan is on leave.”

“I did stop by the sheriff’s office last night when I finished sitting with Mrs.
Roberson, but the woman at the desk said that Roy was out on a call.”

Tj blushed
again. “That was me.”

Dan frowned. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything is fine. The intruder turned out to be a raccoon. I don’t suppose you can keep this to yourself? It’s kind of embarrassing. I’d hate to see my reputation as a tough guy take a hit.”

Dan laughed. “Your secret is safe with me. You might check in with Jenna
, though. She peeked in a while ago, and I asked her about the 911 call to the resort. She looked worried.”

“Yeah,
I will.”

“So Dylan’s sister is finally making the much
-anticipated visit?” Dan asked.

“
She arrives today. If it wouldn’t be too bold to ask, I don’t suppose you can pray that she loves Serenity and wants to stay.”

“I generally pray for the outcome of a situation to be that which serves the greater good of the individual rather than for a specific outcome
, but I’ll see what I can do. Mrs. Roberson had a similar type of request last night that I’m still trying to decide how to deal with.”

“She wanted you to pray for healing?” Tj didn’t see how there would be a conflict with such a request.

“No. She wanted me to pray that her granddaughter finds the right man, settles down, and gets married before she dies.” Dan hesitated. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have told you that.”

Tj laughed. “Don’t worry. It’s no secret. Mrs.
Roberson has tried to hook her granddaughter up with every eligible bachelor between the ages for twenty and eighty. The poor woman is only thirty-eight. I suppose her grandma’s biological clock could be ticking when it comes to the idea of grandchildren, but it seems that for Mrs. Roberson, any man will do. She even tried to fix her up with Bookman, who is sixteen years her senior.”