Chapter Twenty-Three

Brook"s shadow stretched long and thin across the wooden planks of the pier as she made her way towards the Crestlake Bar Grill. The breeze was tinged with the scent of salt and fried food, and a partly cloudy sky loomed overhead, casting a subdued light on the early afternoon.

She wasn"t just there to pick up lunch.

That was merely a pretext.

Her true motive was ensuring that Cav had taken her advice and left town. She had made the assumption—a correct one from his reaction the other night— that he had used Mindy to get closer to her. Brook couldn't in good conscience walk away without confirmation that Cav wouldn't transfer his sights to Mindy given her readiness to spend an evening with him.

Brook approached the bar, noting the lunch hour was still in full swing. Most of the tables were occupied, their laughter and conversation carrying through the air. It was easy to spot those who were taking a lunch break versus those who were enjoying a day off or on vacation. Clothes revealed a lot about a person. Those from the anchored boats alongside the pier were in swim trunks, swimsuits, or casual wear.

There were dirty plates and half-empty glasses on a few abandoned tables indicating the pace of the bar and grill during the past hour. Brook caught sight of a server near the far end of the pier. Unfortunately, the person wasn't who Brook wanted to speak with this afternoon.

Brook approached the bar, not bothering to walk toward the other end where the pick-up window was located for take-out orders. The bartender was methodically cataloging bottles and glasses behind the counter. He caught sight of her and flashed a smile.

"Is Mindy around?"

"Yeah, she"s here," Chip replied as he set a clipboard on the counter. "She's covering for Jason again, so I can grab your takeout order."

"Thanks, I appreciate it," Brook said, her gaze drifting over to the side of the bar. The access to the kitchen was around the corner, but Mindy wasn't anywhere in sight. "If possible, I would appreciate it if you would let Mindy know that I'm here. I have something…personal…to discuss with her."

Brook stared at Chip, not intending to give him an explanation.

"Sure thing," Chip said as he began to stroll down to the other end of the bar. Brook followed his lead and came to stand in front of the pick-up counter as Chip stuck his head inside the kitchen. "Mindy! You have a visitor!"

Brook lifted her sunglasses until they pulled her hair back and were secured on top of her head. There was a warm breeze coming off the water, but she fortunately wasn't facing the glare of the sun. Mindy finally emerged from the kitchen, a gray bucket tucked against her hip.

"Mindy, I was hoping to speak with you in private for a moment," Brook said as she glanced toward Chip. He was gathering some plastic utensils and napkins to place into a white to-go bag that she assumed was her order. Bit had called in their lunch twenty minutes ago. "It's about the other night."

Mindy's gaze darted toward Chip in curiosity, but she nodded her agreement. She gestured toward the side of the structure. Brook made her way around the corner and waited patiently for Mindy to exit the kitchen. She had ditched the grey bucket.

"I have to ask," Mindy said hesitantly as she wrapped her arms around her abdomen. "Does Cav have something to do with your case? Is he…"

"No, no." Brook immediately dispelled Mindy's speculation. "Mr. Buckley has nothing to do with our investigation. I ran into him at an interview, and it came to my attention that a woman filed a restraining order against him five years ago."

Brook wasn't conveying any information that wasn't public knowledge. She was comfortable with warning Mindy about a man who had repetitive tendencies of harassing women. The reports to HR at his firm and the restraining order spoke volumes. Still, Brook was mindful of what details she divulged to Mindy.

"I realized that you were enjoying a Saturday evening with Mr. Buckley, but I couldn't in good conscience keep such information to myself." Brook paused to let her words sink in. "It's my hope that you stay clear of him, Mindy."

"Well, Cav left the bar right after you did that night," Mindy revealed as she relaxed her arms. She finally slipped her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. "I guess I should be thanking you. I met him when he was here with his friends. They were on some fishing vacation. When he called and said that he wanted to take me out for drinks, I certainly wasn't going to say no. Did you see his watch? That thing had to go for at least two grand."

Brook resisted the urge to rub her temple as a headache threatened to take hold. Cav had almost certainly been using Mindy as a way to be close to Brook, and Mindy had only accepted his invitation because she assumed that he was wealthy.

Cav Buckley lived paycheck to paycheck.

Those specific details were private, and Brook had already succeeded in warning Mindy of the man's proclivities. Should Mindy decide those predilections didn't matter, that was on her.

"I just thought you should know about the restraining order, Mindy. Do with that information what you will," Brook said with a nod before turning to collect her food. "Have a good day."

Brook rounded the corner to find her take-out bag ready and waiting. She reached into the pocket of her blazer and pulled out her cell phone. She opened the case before retrieving her credit card. Chip had been filling a chilled glass with draft beer, but she didn't have to wait long.

"Your colleague wanted extra bacon on his BLT, so that will be two dollars extra," Chip said as he took Brook's credit card.

"Do I want to know how many pieces he asked for?"

"He's asking for a heart attack," Chip replied with a laugh. He cashed out her order, but something he had said earlier had caught her attention. She waited until he handed her a pen and the small white receipt. "If it helps, I put in an extra side of fruit. Maybe that will counter—"

"Chip, you mentioned that Jason Bracco called in sick today?"

Brook quickly signed the receipt, not concerned about expensing the meal. Chip had stapled one to the bag.

"Yeah. And it's not like him to call off, either. I mean, Jason just got this job at the start of the season," Chip revealed as he turned around and tucked her signed receipt in the drawer of the cash register. "We'll be fine, though. I called Lucy in on her day off. She should be here any minute."

Brook didn't pick up the bag. She recalled Theo mentioning that Jason knew an awful lot about the locals, specifically Mary Jane and Adam. If Jason was their unsub, why wouldn't he have targeted Mary Four first?

"Chip?" Brook had prevented him from returning to his duties behind the bar, so he held up a hand toward someone wanting a refill. "Mary Jane caused quite a stir with that video of hers. Was she posting those before her surgery?"

According to Bit, Mary Jane had her social media accounts before her surgery, but she only posted sporadically. It wasn't until after her heart transplant that she began to post regularly. It wouldn't hurt to have confirmation from a local.

"Surgery?" Chip frowned in confusion. "What surgery?"

"It's not important," Brook said, sidestepping his question. From her understanding, Jason was a local himself, or so they had all assumed. "Chip, I know this is an odd question, but how well do you know Jason?"

"Jason was raised in Crestlake. Went to college for some graphic design degree, got a job in Lansing, and then was laid off shortly thereafter."

"One more question," Brook said, noticing two men at the end of the bar becoming quite agitated with the wait. She reached into her pocket, flashing them her credentials to buy herself some more time. "Was Jason born in Crestlake?"

"Adopted, I think." Chip shifted his weight in a manner that suggested he was uneasy with her line of questioning. "Look, I'm sure Jason is just sick or something. Everyone knows his parents. He isn't going to make them look bad with the owner since they were the ones who got him this job in the first place."

There were several questions that Brook still needed to be answered, starting with Mary Jane. It was one thing to keep her surgery private when it came to social media, but to keep it from such a small community seemed to be a stretch.

Sylvie and Theo were currently tracking down Mitch Swilling. What if the theory that one of the man's biological brothers had some psychotic break was accurate? What if one of them blamed Sheila Wallace for not allowing all three brothers to be placed inside her home? Add to that discovery of how she treated Mitch, then said brother might do what was necessary to ensure that the woman's heart didn't continue to beat inside someone else.

"Thanks, Chip," Brook murmured as she quickly inserted her credit card back into its designated spot. She took a ten-dollar bill out from behind her phone and shoved it in the glass jar. She then tucked her phone case and credentials back into her pocket before swiping the to-go bag off the counter. "I hope your day gets better."

Brook began to retrace her steps, her heels not getting in the way of her quick pace. She wanted to get back to the lake house and submit background checks on all employees at the bar and grill, as well as the local bar.

Specifically, Jason Bracco.

Had one of Mitch Swilling's brothers been hiding in plain sight?