Page 25 of Waylaid in Whittier

“Fine, but it would’ve been cool to check out Mount Baldie,” Sharky grumbled. “We might have even found a nugget or two of gold.”

“The plan is to divide and conquer. We can’t do it all.” Millie promised to forward a snapshot of Elvira’s drawing to Annette. She ended the call and did just that.

Annette confirmed she’d received it and wished them luck.

“Where to?” Millie shaded her eyes and scoped out their current location. At least Whittier was relatively compact, meaning it wouldn’t take them long to reach the bar. “I say we head to the bar first. It’s on our way to the mining group’s base camp.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Sharky waited for Millie to straddle the Flamethrower and strap on her helmet. As soon as she did, offthey went, through town and down several side streets until reaching the bar.

Bay Bar & Grill was similar in both size and appearance to several of the other commercial buildings near the harbor. Long and low with a covered front entrance, they found several vehicles, all sporting varying degrees of caked-on mud, parked out front.

Sharky chose a spot near the road and beneath the street sign. He pulled a chain lockset from his backpack and secured the Flamethrower before joining Millie, who stood off to the side. “You planned for everything.”

“This beauty right here is a solid piece of machinery.” Sharky proudly patted the seat. “You better bet I’m not taking any chances. You never know when someone might be tempted to swipe my prized possession.”

The duo crossed the gravel parking lot and stepped inside. Music blared from a jukebox in the corner, a honky-tonk tune that sounded vaguely familiar.

A cluster of men stood off to the side playing pool. They gave the newcomers a passing glance before continuing with their game.

Millie and Sharky veered left and approached the bar.

“Morning folks.” The bartender made his way over. “Welcome to Bay’s. What can I get you?”

“A Diet Coke,” Millie said.

“Sprite for me,” Sharky said.

“A Diet Coke and Sprite coming right up.” He filled two glasses with ice and soda and set them on the counter. “Do you want to look at menus? The kitchen stops serving breakfast at eleven.”

“No thanks.” Millie fished a ten-dollar bill out of her purse and slid it toward him. “We’re crewmembers from the cruise ship. Our friend was in this bar the other night when a woman was attacked. She’s been arrested and we’re trying to figure out what happened.”

“Elvira Cobb,” the man said. “I was working the night of Wanda’s attack and heard them arguing. You said you were friends?”

“We are,” Sharky replied. “Elvira’s insisting she wasn’t behind the attack and we’re here to see if maybe someone else can shed some light on what went down.”

“It’s pretty simple.” The man introduced himself as Lyle. “Alex and his crew came in the other night for dinner, drinks and to hang out, something they’ve done almost every night since they set up camp here in Whittier. Wanda and Elvira argued. Wanda left. Elvira followed her out and attacked her. I wasn’t the only one who saw them arguing.”

“Seeing them argue and seeing Elvira hit the woman over the head are two entirely different things,” Millie pointed out. “We’re wondering if there was anyone else who didn’t like the woman and may have had a reason to attack her.”

“Wanda is a Whittier local. She’s lived in this area her entire life. As far as I know, she doesn’t have any enemies other than your friend.”

“No neighbors or co-worker she may have had a beef with?” Millie pressed.

“Wanda has plenty of neighbors. She lives in the Valley Shore Apartment building. It’s one of two in town where almost every other person, including myself, lives.”

“Valley Shore,” Sharky repeated. “Is it nearby?”

“Walk out of this building and look to the west. You can’t miss it. It’s the second tallest building in Whittier. Like I said, the Tillman family is well known. All the locals know Wanda.” The bartender excused himself to help another customer.

Millie waited until he was gone. “Elvira mentioned stopping by the bathroom after she and Wanda argued. I want to take a quick look around.”

“I’ll hang out here until you get back.”

Millie slid off the barstool and followed the restroom sign down a long hall. Near the front was an open door leading to the kitchen. On the other side was a narrow door. It appeared to be some sort of closet.

She continued walking and found the restrooms near the end. Millie slowly eased the women’s bathroom door open, making sure no one was standing on the other side.

She took care of business and made her way to the sink. While washing her hands, Millie noticed a handicapped stall at the far end. She tossed the paper towel in the trash and made her way to the empty stall.

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