The Girls Do Lunch
Jill met Joanne at the buffet. The tables stretched the length of the room. “Good morning, Joanne. Have you seen William today?”
“Not this morning”, Joanne replied looking at Jill curiously. “I saw him last night in the lobby. He was speaking to the concierge about something .”
“We were supposed to meet in the Atrium this morning before breakfast”, said Jill. “And he never showed up.”
Joanne put a whole wheat biscuit next to a slice of melon on her plate. “That doesn’t sound like William. I wonder what held him up.”
“Joanne, is that roast beef over there?” asked Jill. “That’s certainly a weird thing to have on a breakfast buffet.” Joanne looked up from her plate and stared at Jill. “Breakfast buffet? It’s 12:30 in the afternoon, Jill. This is the lunch buffet.”
“Oh, my God! That’s why William never showed. He didn’t stand me up, I was late! My watch must have stopped working. He probably sat there waiting for me and wondering where I was.”
“There’s nothing you can do about it now, you can explain it to him when you see him. Aren’t you two both signed up for the poetry forum this afternoon? Oh, look. There’s Perks and Paprika. Let’s see if we can join them at their table. I hate looking around for a place to sit.”
“Good afternoon ladies”, said Paprika. “What’s that you’re having, Joanne? It looks delicious”.
Perks nudged Paprika. “Look over there.” She nodded toward the dining room door. “That’s Dan McAllister from the SBI, he works with my husband. I wonder what he’s doing here.”
“Who are you looking at Perks?” Paprika looked around the room and spotted a tall, dark haired man coming toward them. “Is that him? Oh, he’s fine. Is he married, Perks?”
“I’m sure he must be but I don’t know for sure. I can find out for you though.”
“Oh, please do” said Paprika with a grin, “He’s delicious looking.”
“Good afternoon” said the detective with a courteous nod, “Perks, may I speak with you a moment? Tim told me I might find you here; and it shouldn’t take but a moment of your time.”
“Well, of course, Dan. Keep Paprika out of my plate please, will you Joanne?”
The two moved away from the table and out of earshot.
“I wonder what that’s about” Joanne mused.
Jill looked at her and tried to repress a smirk. “Joanne, you have a suspicious mind. He’s probably got a message from Tim. Perks said he worked with her husband.”
“I don’t think so” Joanne said. Jill glanced over at Joanne. She was sitting with a forkful of melon raised but unmoving. ‘What is it Joanne? Has the melon gone bad? I’m glad I didn’t take any of it. I’m prone to food poisoning.”
“It’s the Bad Wolf. I saw him last night in my dream. “Look at Perk’s face.” Jill looked up to see Perk’s eyes go wide and staring. “What are you two looking at?” Paprika craned her neck to look back at Perks. The handsome detective seemed to be talking to her quite seriously.
“What are you talking about Joanne? Detective McAllister is a friend of Perk’s. He works with her husband. What is this Bad Wolf you’re talking about?”
Joanne lowered her fork and held her hands quietly in her lap. She said, ‘When you see the Bad Wolf running in your dream he is chasing someone. If you hear him howling it means someone has died.”
“Now you’re scaring me. That sounds too spooky.”
“Spooky, yes’ Joanne replied, ‘but it’s true. You’ll see.
”
Paprika gave a nervous laugh. It came out more of a cackle. “Have your dreams come true before Joanne?”
“Yes, many times.”
“Well, we can ask her what he said when she comes back. Do you think she’d mind if I ate the tomatoes from her salad? Paprika spooned another gob of honey on her biscuit and eyed Perk’s salad hungrily. “Do you think she’d mind?” Joanne continued to watch Perks and detective MacAllister.
“I’m going to let you get back to your friends, Perks’, Detective McAllister said as he looked over at the table. He noticed Joanne was eyeing him warily. “I know your friends are going to be curious but I’d appreciate if you’d keep the details of what happened to Mrs. Haskins to yourself.
Mr. Haskins may not know yet. We’d like to find him before the news gets around so we can gauge his reaction. The body’s only just been found by the chambermaid who went in to clean the room and she’s been taken home. Her doctor probably has her under sedation. She was quite shaken, nearly hysterical. She’s the only person besides law enforcement and hotel management that know something’s happened. Well, now you know, too.”
“You and whoever killed her that is. Perks paled under her tan. Rumors are bound to get around but I’d like to have a little time before it becomes common knowledge.”
“Not this morning”, Joanne replied looking at Jill curiously. “I saw him last night in the lobby. He was speaking to the concierge about something .”
“We were supposed to meet in the Atrium this morning before breakfast”, said Jill. “And he never showed up.”
Joanne put a whole wheat biscuit next to a slice of melon on her plate. “That doesn’t sound like William. I wonder what held him up.”
“Joanne, is that roast beef over there?” asked Jill. “That’s certainly a weird thing to have on a breakfast buffet.” Joanne looked up from her plate and stared at Jill. “Breakfast buffet? It’s 12:30 in the afternoon, Jill. This is the lunch buffet.”
“Oh, my God! That’s why William never showed. He didn’t stand me up, I was late! My watch must have stopped working. He probably sat there waiting for me and wondering where I was.”
“There’s nothing you can do about it now, you can explain it to him when you see him. Aren’t you two both signed up for the poetry forum this afternoon? Oh, look. There’s Perks and Paprika. Let’s see if we can join them at their table. I hate looking around for a place to sit.”
“Good afternoon ladies”, said Paprika. “What’s that you’re having, Joanne? It looks delicious”.
Perks nudged Paprika. “Look over there.” She nodded toward the dining room door. “That’s Dan McAllister from the SBI, he works with my husband. I wonder what he’s doing here.”
“Who are you looking at Perks?” Paprika looked around the room and spotted a tall, dark haired man coming toward them. “Is that him? Oh, he’s fine. Is he married, Perks?”
“I’m sure he must be but I don’t know for sure. I can find out for you though.”
“Oh, please do” said Paprika with a grin, “He’s delicious looking.”
“Good afternoon” said the detective with a courteous nod, “Perks, may I speak with you a moment? Tim told me I might find you here; and it shouldn’t take but a moment of your time.”
“Well, of course, Dan. Keep Paprika out of my plate please, will you Joanne?”
The two moved away from the table and out of earshot.
“I wonder what that’s about” Joanne mused.
Jill looked at her and tried to repress a smirk. “Joanne, you have a suspicious mind. He’s probably got a message from Tim. Perks said he worked with her husband.”
“I don’t think so” Joanne said. Jill glanced over at Joanne. She was sitting with a forkful of melon raised but unmoving. ‘What is it Joanne? Has the melon gone bad? I’m glad I didn’t take any of it. I’m prone to food poisoning.”
“It’s the Bad Wolf. I saw him last night in my dream. “Look at Perk’s face.” Jill looked up to see Perk’s eyes go wide and staring. “What are you two looking at?” Paprika craned her neck to look back at Perks. The handsome detective seemed to be talking to her quite seriously.
“What are you talking about Joanne? Detective McAllister is a friend of Perk’s. He works with her husband. What is this Bad Wolf you’re talking about?”
Joanne lowered her fork and held her hands quietly in her lap. She said, ‘When you see the Bad Wolf running in your dream he is chasing someone. If you hear him howling it means someone has died.”
“Now you’re scaring me. That sounds too spooky.”
“Spooky, yes’ Joanne replied, ‘but it’s true. You’ll see.
”
Paprika gave a nervous laugh. It came out more of a cackle. “Have your dreams come true before Joanne?”
“Yes, many times.”
“Well, we can ask her what he said when she comes back. Do you think she’d mind if I ate the tomatoes from her salad? Paprika spooned another gob of honey on her biscuit and eyed Perk’s salad hungrily. “Do you think she’d mind?” Joanne continued to watch Perks and detective MacAllister.
“I’m going to let you get back to your friends, Perks’, Detective McAllister said as he looked over at the table. He noticed Joanne was eyeing him warily. “I know your friends are going to be curious but I’d appreciate if you’d keep the details of what happened to Mrs. Haskins to yourself.
Mr. Haskins may not know yet. We’d like to find him before the news gets around so we can gauge his reaction. The body’s only just been found by the chambermaid who went in to clean the room and she’s been taken home. Her doctor probably has her under sedation. She was quite shaken, nearly hysterical. She’s the only person besides law enforcement and hotel management that know something’s happened. Well, now you know, too.”
“You and whoever killed her that is. Perks paled under her tan. Rumors are bound to get around but I’d like to have a little time before it becomes common knowledge.”
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