Bikinis in Paradise (Tj Jensen Pardise Lake Mysteries) by Kathi Daley Page A

she lost a lot of money gamblin’ and was havin’ a hard time payin’ back these dangerous people. One of the models said that Ms. Overton probably missed the bus ’cause she was chasin’ after a royal flush. They suggested that you might look for her in one of the casinos.”
    I t was way too late for that, but Tj wasn’t at liberty to tell Amber or anyone else what had actually happened to Tonya. Still, Tonya’s gambling addiction and subsequent debt was something Dylan would be interested in hearing about. “Thank you for telling me what you heard.” Tj placed her hand over Amber’s. “Normally, repeating things we overhear isn’t a good thing to do, but in this case it might help us to understand what happened to Tonya. I’ll be sure to pass this information along to the sheriff’s department.”
    Amber stood up. “Thank you , ma’am. I hope you find her and she’s okay.”
    Tj watched Amber walk away. The fact that Tonya had a gambling problem could turn out to be a significant clue. While there was a limited amount of gambling in the family town of Serenity, several of the larger casinos in Indulgence, on the south end of the lake, were known to be run by people involved in organized crime. What if Tonya had gotten in too deep with the wrong person? Of course, if she headed to a casino in Reno or Indulgence, it didn’t explain how she’d ended up in Secret Cove just three hours after renting a car. Chances were her death had to do with something else entirely, though she supposed it couldn’t hurt to mention what Amber had told her to Dylan the next time she spoke to him.
    Tj finished the last of her coffee and was gathering her things when her cell rang. “Hi, Dad.”
    “It’s not Papa , it’s Gracie,” her youngest sister giggled.
    “Hi , baby. How’s Disney World?” Tj felt her heart swell with love at the sound of the little girl’s voice.
    “So, so fun. I went on lots of rides and got to see Minnie Mouse. ”
    “You’ve already been on rides?”
    “We got here when they opened,” Gracie verified. Tj glanced at her watch. It was after nine. She hadn’t realized that she’d been sitting there that long. With the time change, it must be lunch time in Florida. “Ashley was scared of the teacups, but Rosalie and I went on them two times,” she added.
    “I wasn’t scared,” Tj heard Ashley yell .
    “Ashley gets motion sickness , like Mom used to,” Tj reminded her sister. “I’m sure she just didn’t want to get a queasy stomach. Are you at the park right now?”
    “Yeah . Miss Rosalie brought us cuz Papa had to work. He’s going to meet us later.”
    “It’s my turn to talk,” Ashley insisted in the background.
    “It’s still my turn,” Gracie replied.
    “You guys can argue later,” Tj interrupted after the exchange threatened to exclude her entirely. “Did you see the princesses?”
    “Not yet. I want to see Bell e and Ashley wants to see Ariel. Papa says we can get dresses to bring home. Does Crissy miss me?” Gracie asked.
    “She does , but she decided to sleep with me while you’re gone. Cuervo wasn’t real happy about that, but the two have come to an agreement, I think.”
    “I wish we could have brought her.”
    “I don’t think they allow cats in Disney World.”
    “I seen a dog.”
    “It was probably a service dog,” Tj explained.
    “Your time is up .” Tj heard a scuffle as the girls fought over the phone. Rosalie said something that seemed to end the tussle, and Gracie came back on the line.
    “Ashley wants to say hi and Miss Rosalie said I have to share.”
    “I think that’s a good idea. I miss you bunches.”
    “I miss you bunches too.”
    “Remember who loves you the most.”
    “You do .” Gracie giggled.
    So much had changed in Tj’s life in the past year. Before the girls came to live with her the previous July, having kids was the furthest thing from her mind. She’d always considered herself to be one of those people who