Page 55 of Tiki Hut Tragedy
“Why don’t you track down the surveillance footage from the Guest Services area and find out who it was?”
“I’ve already talked to Nikki. She empties the box once a day and in the morning.”
Annette grimaced. “Which means you would be sifting through camera recordings for hours.”
“Even if I got lucky and saw someone over by the mailbox, the camera angles are all off. It would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. The good news is I’ve narrowed down my list of suspects.”
“The top contestants.”
“Wendy the Wolfette, who was Dixie’s cabinmate, is at the top of the list. Hotshot Hannah and Gail the Gobbler. All three have a shot atwinning the competition. With Dixie gone, the odds are stacked even higher in their favor.”
“So how does Sharky fit into your plan? I mean, how will his super-secret backdoor sites help?”
“RFID.”
“Ah.” Annette finished assembling the food and placed the dishes in the warming oven. “Radio-frequency identification.”
“I watched a fascinating show about how an RFID card cracked a high-profile murder case involving an executive. His killer was traced via an RFID card.”
“We already know how Dixie died. She drowned.”
“Yes, but if someone intentionally took her out, her killer is still on board.”
“How will the RFID card help?”
“By tracking the top suspects. Maybe. I don’t know. What I do know is Sharky has the knowledge to help me figure this out, and he’s hungry.”
“He’salwayshungry,” Annette corrected. “He’s like a bottomless pit. Now that I think about it, Sharky would be the perfect person for an eating competition. Despite his size, he can put away the food.”
While Annette finished heating the bribery dishes, Millie packed up everything she thought might sweeten the pot—corn tortilla chips to go along with his super spicy salsa, a couple cans of chilled Coke, a carton of milk and some empty storage boxes for his leftovers…if there were any.
By the time she finished, Annette had loaded his food into a large tote. She zipped the top and set it on the floor. “This thing weighs a ton. You sure you can carry it?”
Millie hoisted the tote. “It’s a little heavy, but the food is only going one way…downstairs.” She thanked her friend, promising to bring the tote back later, and headed out.
Because she’d called ahead, Sharky was in his office eagerly anticipating her arrival. His eyes lit when he saw her. “You got the goods?”
“There’s enough food in here to last you for days.”
“Maybe a couple, but seeing how I’m extra hungry, I’ll take all the delicious dishes I can get.”
Millie slid the tote onto his desk.
Fin, Sharky’s cat, who had been napping on the chair, slowly stood. He arched his back, yawning loudly.
Millie scratched his ears. “Annette packed a few treats for you too,” she cooed.
Sharky unzipped the top and removed a tin of food. He lifted the lid and sniffed the contents, making a sour face. “Sardines.”
“I bet Fin won’t mind the smell.” Millie pinched her finger and thumb together, plucking a plump sardine from the container.
Fin lunged forward. He snatched the treat from her hand and promptly gobbled it up. The cat licked his whiskers, looking for seconds. “Fin has the same appetite you do.”
“He learned from the best.” Sharky lined the dishes in a tidy row, tied a bib around his neck and dug into the food. “I love favors,” he crowed. “Especially when Annette is around to help prepare them.”
“You do seem to have a hankering for Mexican food.”
“It’s the best.” Sharky slid the dish forward. “You want some?”
