The Lake House

20|| The Waitress

Lesley's frustration boiled over, disappointment searing through her veins. Every hopeful path was a dead end, and the bitter taste of defeat gnawed at her insides.

She realized whoever the city councilman was, he was someone protected by powerful men in high places. However, this didn't signal fear within Lesley. It only made her more determined to uncover his identity..

Gazing outside of the kitchen shutters, the night was creeping upon her. The sky was darkening while the sunset was settling in, and the cool autumn winds could be heard whistling as they shuffled the golden leaves about.

Lesley stood in the kitchen making a cucumber sandwich for dinner. While she spread cream cheese on her bread using a butter knife, an instant realization shook her- Nick hadn't returned home from his work trip. Her eyes quickly shifted to the clock that hung on the kitchen wall.

7:56 PM

She hastily grabbed the kitchen towel and dried her hands.

Strolling into the living room, she picked up her phone with urgency and dialed Nick's number with lightning speed.

It rang and rang. His voicemail then came on. Concerned for his well-being, she left a thoughtful message.

"Nick, please call me back. I'm worried. You were supposed to be here 12 hours ago. I love you."

A swarm of butterflies floated in her stomach as fear coursed through her. Her intuition warned.

Something is tragically amiss.

***

Lesley hadn't forgotten about Darlene, as she was next on the list. Lesley knew she would have to show up at her restaurant unintentionally. That way Darlene wouldn't suspect she was one of those typical nosey reporters.

As Lesley pulled up to the steakhouse, it emitted an elegant vibe with a rustic charm.

Inside, guests sipped from their wine glasses while others were cutting up their steaks and stuffing their mouths with fluffy baked potatoes.

Lesley stepped out of her BMW and the delicate winds stroked her cheeks.

When she entered the restaurant, a young hostess greeted her.

"Welcome in!" The hostess smiled, her red lips spreading, "Table for one?" she inquired.

Lesley smiled and nodded. "Yes, table for one."

"Follow me."

As they made their way to the back of the restaurant, Lesley couldn't help but notice the dark wood paneling that adorned the interior and the classic artwork that graced the walls.

The ambiance exuded an air of opulence, making Lesley feel somewhat out of place and underdressed in her blue jeans and navy blue t-shirt. However, she reminded herself that she wasn't there to make a fashion statement; she had more important matters at hand.

The hostess led Lesley to a table in the back of the restaurant, a small one designed for two or three individuals.

"Your waitress will be with you shortly," the hostess informed her, handing Lesley a menu.

"Just one thing," Lesley added, "Can I please request Darlene as my waitress? I've had her before, and she's the best!" She said, stretching the truth.

"Actually, you are in Darlene's section!" the hostess replied enthusiastically.

"Perfect!"

Lesley opened the menu, perusing its contents, when a petite woman, no taller than five feet, approached her table. Her hair was neatly tied back in a bun, and she held a pencil in her tiny fingers, poised over a notepad.

"Hi, I'm Darlene, I'll be your waitress this evening." She introduced herself, "Can I get you anything to drink?"

Lesley quickly thought about it. "Umm.." Lesley began. "I'll have a margarita on the rocks, please."

"Any appetizers?" Darlene asked, gazing into Lesley's eyes.

Lesley shook her head. "No, thank you."

"Alright, I'll be back with that margarita for you." Darlene replied with a closed-mouth smile.

When Darlene returned, she set Lesley's margarita atop the table. Then she took Lesley's order.

As Lesley sat there, she glanced around and spotted Jackie and Charles walking into the restaurant. Her heart somersaulted in her chest. She ducked down and tried to disappear from out of view.

Oh, this is just great! Lesley thought. However, to her relief, after a brief look around again, they must have decided to leave. Lesley felt grateful because she had no desire for Jackie to intrude on her conversation with Darlene. After all, Lesley's sole reason for being at Bennett's Steakhouse was to gather more information about Leah. If Jackie found out, she would be very upset, as she had explicitly told Lesley to stay out of the Leah Meyers case and to stop snooping around. And Lesley didn't have the energy to deal with Jackie that night.

Lesley ended up ordering a small, four-ounce sirloin with a baked potato and a garden salad on the side. While she ate, she knew she had to come up with a strategy to get Darlene talking about Leah.

As Lesley was finishing up her food,  Darlene came around to remove the empty items on Lesley's table.

"I'll take this off your table." Darlene reached out for the plate with a few scraps of lettuce and tomatoes on it.

"Thank you." Lesley smiled. "By the way, you look very familiar. I believe I may have interviewed you a while back about the Leah Meyers case."

Darlene's expression turned to one of sorrow as her mouth turned down, into a frown, she said, "I'm sorry, but I don't remember you."

Lesley longed to assume the guise of law enforcement, perhaps even an FBI investigator, as it would easily grant her access to the information she required. However, she knew this path was unlawful and unethical, entailing fines and potential jail time. Posing as a journalist, while still unethical, appeared to carry fewer or perhaps even no significant consequences, as far as Lesley was aware. She had compelling reasons for her actions, convinced that the entire town of Arcaden would eventually thank her once she uncovered the person responsible for Leah's death.

"I used to be a reporter." Lesley bent her head down as not to witness the shock that would presumably be evident on Darlene's face. " I covered that case." Lesley admitted as she took a sip of her margarita.

Darlene stared back at her, her expression blank.

"Did the case ever get solved?" Lesley inquired further, wearing a nervous smile. "Were there any leads? I moved away shortly after and never had a chance to follow up, so I'm just curious."

"I suggested to the police that they should look into Greg, but they never did," Darlene replied, her voice laced with sorrow.

"Greg?" Lesley asked, furrowing her brows in confusion. "Who's Greg?"

"I'm sorry, I can't discuss this any further," Darlene said, quickly retreating without returning to retrieve Lesley's other dishes and not asking if she wanted dessert. Lesley presumed she didn't care about her tip either. Instead, Lesley was greeted by another server.

"Where's Darlene?" Lesley inquired, looking up at the tall, lanky man who had taken Darlene's place. "I wanted to leave her a tip."

As he gathered Lesley's dishes to carry them away, he replied, "She's gone for the night. She mentioned being harassed by some pesky reporter."

Lesley sighed, realizing she had reached another dead end. Or had she?

At least she got a new lead- Greg. Now, all she needed to do was uncover the identity of this mysterious Greg person and find out the duration of his relationship with Leah.