Room 308, Arms Hotel (Monday, July 20, Noon)
"Do you mind if I have Charlie's room repainted?"
Dani frowned, tossed her room key on the bed. "Why are you asking me? Crews left the house to Rachel not me."
"I already asked her but she told me to ask you."
"She's still in Europe?" Dani opened her luggage to pull out another shirt.
"Rachel said she's planning to take up art in London."
She stopped looking for a shirt, sat on the bed. It seemed Rachel wasn't coming back. Dani didn't blame her. "She's in France now, right?"
"Yeah," Ted coughed before he added, "uh, the reason why I wanted to fix Charlie's room is because Anne, I don't know if you know Anne but she's my daughter and my grandson, Teddy they're moving into the house and I wanted to spruce the house for them," translation: Ted wanted to put in more furniture. "--and it got me thinking about hiring an interior decorator for the whole house--"
"Ted," Dani said, cutting him off, "go ahead, get Crews's room renovated or whatever I don't care I just really want to know how I ended up in Maryland!"
"R-right, about that..." Ted let out a nervous laugh, "Funny story they actually said..." he launched into a long explanation about the travel agency, the cruise ship, the schedules and as seconds ticked by his explanations turned into a rambling discussions about the travel industry.
The moment he stopped for breath Dani interjected, "In other words you don't know."
"They don't know either!" Ted said defensively.
She massaged her forehead, she's gonna have to make some calls.
Ted cleared his throat, "They're refunding you, if its any consolation and free passage if ever you want to use their services again."
Dani snorted.
"I googled Fandom Island," Ted told her after the lull in conversation, "some of the stuff I read is bizarre."
"It has a big freakin' castle for a high school, Ted." As if it explained everything.
"Wow, that sounds amazing." Dani supposed it was. "Detective Reese, can I ask you a question?"
"You already did."
"I-oh, right," another nervous laugh. Dani was getting tired of Ted's nervousness. It's not like she was going to shoot him or anything. "Would staying in Fandom be so bad?"
Her eyebrows lifted. "You just called the island 'bizarre'. What do you think?"
It was Ted's turn to fall silent and for Dani to wonder what the hell was Ted on about. "Fandom's a small town, it has a beach and a small police department and you're on indefinite leave."
"Where you going with this?"
"Charlie's wall is missing," Ted said in a quiet tone. Then, in a quieter tone, "You didn't need to go to the Caribbean to go to the beach."
Dani went completely still. "Oh, yeah?"
"Detective Reese--"
"Guess you could go ahead and repaint Crews's room."
"Detective--"
"I have to go." Dani ended the call. Her eyes narrowed and frowned. Five minutes later she made another phone call.
Dani frowned, tossed her room key on the bed. "Why are you asking me? Crews left the house to Rachel not me."
"I already asked her but she told me to ask you."
"She's still in Europe?" Dani opened her luggage to pull out another shirt.
"Rachel said she's planning to take up art in London."
She stopped looking for a shirt, sat on the bed. It seemed Rachel wasn't coming back. Dani didn't blame her. "She's in France now, right?"
"Yeah," Ted coughed before he added, "uh, the reason why I wanted to fix Charlie's room is because Anne, I don't know if you know Anne but she's my daughter and my grandson, Teddy they're moving into the house and I wanted to spruce the house for them," translation: Ted wanted to put in more furniture. "--and it got me thinking about hiring an interior decorator for the whole house--"
"Ted," Dani said, cutting him off, "go ahead, get Crews's room renovated or whatever I don't care I just really want to know how I ended up in Maryland!"
"R-right, about that..." Ted let out a nervous laugh, "Funny story they actually said..." he launched into a long explanation about the travel agency, the cruise ship, the schedules and as seconds ticked by his explanations turned into a rambling discussions about the travel industry.
The moment he stopped for breath Dani interjected, "In other words you don't know."
"They don't know either!" Ted said defensively.
She massaged her forehead, she's gonna have to make some calls.
Ted cleared his throat, "They're refunding you, if its any consolation and free passage if ever you want to use their services again."
Dani snorted.
"I googled Fandom Island," Ted told her after the lull in conversation, "some of the stuff I read is bizarre."
"It has a big freakin' castle for a high school, Ted." As if it explained everything.
"Wow, that sounds amazing." Dani supposed it was. "Detective Reese, can I ask you a question?"
"You already did."
"I-oh, right," another nervous laugh. Dani was getting tired of Ted's nervousness. It's not like she was going to shoot him or anything. "Would staying in Fandom be so bad?"
Her eyebrows lifted. "You just called the island 'bizarre'. What do you think?"
It was Ted's turn to fall silent and for Dani to wonder what the hell was Ted on about. "Fandom's a small town, it has a beach and a small police department and you're on indefinite leave."
"Where you going with this?"
"Charlie's wall is missing," Ted said in a quiet tone. Then, in a quieter tone, "You didn't need to go to the Caribbean to go to the beach."
Dani went completely still. "Oh, yeah?"
"Detective Reese--"
"Guess you could go ahead and repaint Crews's room."
"Detective--"
"I have to go." Dani ended the call. Her eyes narrowed and frowned. Five minutes later she made another phone call.