by Ami Diane
His hand dropped from the gun and fished through a pocket. He brought out a rolled cigarette, and she caught a gleam in his eyes. It was the same look she’d seen in Fluffy when stalking Chester, and it finally dawned on her what a fool she’d been. This was just a game to him. A sick and twisted game.
Anger coursed through her. She was not going to spend the rest of her days in Keystone afraid of this man, constantly scared of shadows and alleyways because he might be amidst them.
Ella spoke through gritted teeth. “You know what I think?” He raised an eyebrow. “I think if you were going to kill me, you would’ve done it by now. I think you’re bored and lonely. You don’t have friends. So, you go around, hurting people, threatening them, breaking things, and terrorizing the town, because you’re all alone. All alone in that sad little cabin of yours.”
Her voice had steadily grown louder, bolder. A porch light across the street flickered on.
“If you want to hurt me, Jesse, I’m right here.” She spread out her arms and took a step closer to him.
His hands hovered near the unlit cigarette dangling between his lips as he stared at her.
“You’re broken, Jesse. And threatening me won’t fix you. But when you’re ready for a friend, I’ll be waiting.”
“You think I wanna be your friend?” He released a throaty laugh.
“Yes.”
His laughter died, and he studied her with a shrewd expression. “Darlin’, you don’t wanna be my friend. Trust me. I wasn’t lying ‘bout killing people.”
“I know.”
Their eyes locked, and they stayed that way until a breeze broke the spell. A swirl of leaves traveled between them.
“It’s your call,” Ella said, “but no more following me or threatening me.”
She shoved past him, hitting his shoulder hard. Two steps later, something hard hit her back and sent her flying into a rose bush. The tiny razor blade-like thorns ripped through her clothes and her skin. Ella grimaced as her hip jarred into the ground.
“Really? Again with the bushes?!” At this rate, she was going to have to bath in Bactine.
“Don’t you be tellin’ me what to do. You ain’t got no right.”
Wincing, she climbed to her feet. “There’s nothing you can do, no threat you can say. I’ll still be your friend.” Her heart hammered in her ears, but she didn’t look away as she braced for another attack.
He jerked back as if he’d been punched. A deep crease ran between his brows.
“Y-you’re crazy.”
He stumbled back, bumping into a hedge, then turned on his heel. The leaves of a nearby hedge rustled, and he was gone.
CHAPTER 19
ELLA struggled to breathe. She gingerly rolled out of bed, and the weight that had been on her chest fell to the wooden floor with a meow.
She spent the next five minutes earning Fluffy’s affection back and prying him with one of the dehydrated fish treats she’d gotten from Stewart.
As predicted, she’d been up late cleaning the dozens of scratches all over her body, burning through a third of a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. A deep purple bruise the size of her hand bloomed over her hip.
In the light of day—and post-coffee—she replayed her encounter with Six and wondered why she hadn’t kicked him in his biscuits. If he didn’t have probably a hundred and sixty pounds on her, she would’ve tried her pile driver wrestling maneuver.
However, last night, she’d glimpsed the real man underneath. It didn’t excuse his behavior, but it did shed him in new light. In his eyes last night, she’d seen pain. A deep pain, full of demons and scars of a life that she couldn’t possibly imagine.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Fluffy butted his head against her shin. “Now you forgive me?”
She scratched behind his ears then under his chin. He moved his head until she found the right spot. A cloud of long fur floated through the air and landed on the carpet.
“Looks like you’re overdue for a brushing.”
After fumbling into her uniform, she grabbed her coffee and headed downstairs for a quick breakfast.
In the kitchen, Rose handed Ella a plate with a stack of pancakes the size of her face. Her blonde hair swept over her head in victory rolls, and she wore pearls.
“I’m not sure how I managed to eat before coming to Keystone. Wait—no. I do. Lots of pizza and takeout.” Ella used her fork to point at Rose’s hairdo, perfect ensemble, and professional makeup. “Also, you should try dressing up more. You’ve really let yourself go.”
Rose brushed her hand over her apron. “Oh dear, I knew I should’ve pressed this dress.”
“Rose, I’m kidding. Honestly, you make the rest of us look bad. And by ‘the rest of us’ I mean every female on the planet earth. You’d even give June Cleaver a run for her pearls.”
Rose’s crimson lips turned down, and Ella feared her sarcasm had gone too far. But then the innkeeper’s hand touched a particularly nasty scratch on Ella’s cheek. She couldn’t remember if it had come from the holly tree or the rosebush. All her run-ins with landscape plants were starting to blur together.
“What on earth happened?”
“I had a rather rude encounter with a holly tree,” she said. Rose winced. “Trust me, I came out on top. You should see the other guy.”
While Ella attacked her pancakes. Her gaze drifted out the window and caught a smattering of snow over the ground. Near the park, a festival of colors broke up the monochromatic landscape. Small tendrils of smoke rose in the air from the Romani encampment.
“They’re still here.”
Rose followed her gaze. “Yeah, the sheriff’s having a tough time getting them to leave.” She adjusted her cat eye glasses. “Can you imagine if they get stranded here? I’m all for town growth, but I’m not sure there’s enough resources for them.” She smeared butter over her pancakes. “There’s only a few vacant houses, and we’ve only got six empty rooms upstairs. I suppose if we really needed to, we could squeeze a couple people into the drawing room, morning room, and parlor.” Her penciled eyebrows squeezed together as if giving it serious thought.
“I’m sure Chapman can get them out in time.” Ella chewed on a bite of pancakes.
Despite the language barrier, there had been no doubt in her mind that the old man had understood they were to allowed to stay a single night. Were they digging their heels into a town so foreign to them for the adventure? Ella had a feeling there was a deeper reason behind their reticence in leaving.
Ella took her plate to the sink and glanced over her shoulder to be sure Rose wasn’t watching. Her tongue licked up the homemade maple syrup.
“Family dinner tonight,” Rose said.
Ella jumped and dropped the plate in the sink. “Sounds good.”
Outside, Ella walked over the dusting of snow, smiling to herself. Family dinner. She was now considered family. The thought lightened her heart, and she skipped the last few steps until she reached the back door to Grandma’s Kitchen.
Stomping the snow off onto the mat, Ella walked into the aroma of freshly baked donuts and strong coffee. She only had a moment to catch her breath before customers began to pour in. She found herself scrambling through the door so often she wondered if Wink shouldn’t just take it out.
After setting down a plate of waffles, she poured herself a cup of coffee and retreated to the kitchen for a moment of respite.
Dabbing at her forehead, she leaned against the island and listened to Horatio and Wink argue about how to make a proper crepe.
After listening to the verbal sparring a moment, Ella interrupted the match by greeting them.
“Morning, dear—my God, what happened to you?” Wink made to grab at her face. “Did you try to cuddle a cactus or something?”
“Pretty close, actually.”
After studying her scratches a moment, Horatio’s face brightened. “We had a wonderful time last night.”
Ella smiled. “Me too.”
“What happened last night?” Wink asked.
“Ella came over for dinner.”
“Well, thanks for inviting me.” For a moment, Ella feared she was actually offended. But then she turned and winked at Ella.
“Maybe if you were able to come over without criticizing my cooking, I’d have you over more often.”
“I don’t criticize. I merely offer helpful suggestions.”
The kitchen was filled with Horatio’s rapid Italian.
“What’s he saying?” Wink asked Ella.
Ella feigned deep concentration. “Something about your mother…”
“I said no such thing!”
“Horatio,” Wink scolded, “you shouldn’t say such things about my mother, God rest her soul.”
The cook pouted and grumbled and turned his back.
Ella and Wink exchanged grins. Then, Ella raised her hand for a high five which only left the diner owner confused.
After the morning rush, Ella went about her morning routine of folding cloth napkins and refilling salt and pepper shakers. Her mind drifted to Stan’s murder and the new intel she’d been told the night before. She still couldn’t figure out why Jonas had started the “Save the Hills” committee, other than to pick a fight with Stan.
After placing menus in front of a family of four, Ella decided to follow up on something the farmer had mentioned. He’d implied Stan consumed enough electricity equivalent to several houses’ worth. If true, that meant Stan had more incentive to build more wind turbines. What that had to do with him being murdered, she had no idea. But it was another rock she could turn over.
To find out if Jonas was right, she needed to go to the source.
Swinging the kitchen door in, she located Wink at the island counter, wrist deep in dough.
The older woman’s short, electric pink hair swayed over her shoulders as she rolled out either pie crust or pizza dough. Due to Ella’s lack of baking skills, she couldn’t be sure of the difference at this stage.
She watched Wink’s gnarled knuckles clutch the rolling pin for a moment.
“Did you need something?”
“I was just curious. Where’s the electrical substation for the wind farm?”
The rolling pin slowed over the dough. “Out by the farm, of course.”
She hadn’t noticed the building when she had visited Jonas’s property. Then again, she’d been a little preoccupied. The thought or returning to the farm made a knot form in her stomach. Still, if she was going to get answers, she had to go.
“Why do you ask?” Wink looked up, and something in Ella’s expression must’ve given her away.
“You’re going to look for clues as to who murdered Stan, aren’t you?” The older woman clapped, sending clouds of flour through the air. “Oh good, another investigative field trip. I’ve been bored out of my bloomers here. The wind’s not been right for flying, and I’ve reached my monthly limit so I can’t fish. When did you want to go? Never mind. I’ll call Flo. It takes her until the second coming to get ready, I swear.” She finally took a breath, bounded over to the telephone, and began dialing the inn.
So many different words fought to tumble out of Ella’s mouth first. They couldn’t leave the diner. Thanks for tagging along. Flo is only a few yards away; just walk over and talk to her.
“Tell her, no weapons,” Ella called out.
CHAPTER 20
THEY made a plan to leave for the wind farm after work. Since the diner didn’t close until eight o’ clock most evenings, Wink had decided to close up early, claiming she needed the break. Around three o’ clock, after Horatio left and Ella turned the sign on the door, they waited rather impatiently for Flo.
Ella drummed her fingers over the lunch counter and let out another deep sigh. “Wasn’t it around noon when you called her? What could be taking her so long?”
“With Flo? Nothing good. Did you see her when you went to the inn to change?”
Ella shook her head. “Her door was closed.”
“Back when my Donald was alive, I once made the mistake of going on a double date with her and her beau at the time… I think he ended up being husband number three. Anyway, we waited an hour for her. And do you think it was because she was primping? No. She came out looking exactly the same as usual.”
“Like a cast member from Night of the Living Dead?”
Wink smiled. “Something like that.”
“So, what took her so long?”
Wink blinked slowly, and Ella swore she saw the older woman shudder. “Well, let’s just say her idea of a fun date was going out to the quarry and testing a homemade explosive.”
“Yikes. And she was doing last minute prep on it?”
“I assumed so.”
Ella tilted her head. “I’m not going to lie. With as many bad dates as I’ve been on, blowing rocks up would be kind of fun.”
“Oh, that’s not what happened.”
Ella leaned forward then held up her hand. “Wait, hold on. I have a feeling this is going to be good, and I can’t fully appreciate it when my stomach’s making noises like a garbage disposal.”
She grabbed a slice of apple pie from the case.
Wink bounced over the linoleum after her. “Please tell me you ate lunch earlier. There’s leftover meatloaf in the fridge. I’ll just go get some of that.”
Ella tried to protest, but her mouth was already full of apples and crust. By the time she’d swallowed, Wink had returned with a plate of food, setting it on the table in front of Ella.
“Okay,” Ella said after swallowing a bite. “Spill.”
Wink launched into a story involving several sticks of dynamite blowing up Flo’s purse in the middle of a restaurant. By the end, Ella was doubled over in their booth, tears streaming down her face.
“Please tell me no one was seriously injured.”
“Not unless you count Shorty’s toupee. I never seen something burn so fast. You’d think it was made out of gasoline.”
Someone knocked on the front door, and Ella turned towards the bay of windows. Flo stood outside in her usual attire of slacks and a button-up shirt and Eiffel Tower of hair.
Ella and Wink unlocked the door and slipped out onto the sidewalk. While Wink turned the lock again, Ella scrutinized Flo. After the story she’d just heard, she found it far more disconcerting that there wasn’t a visible reason for the old woman to be late.
“What took you so long?”
“What? Can’t a woman use the powder room?”
“For several hours?”
Wink slipped her keys into her purse and turned on her friend. Crossing her arms, she said, “Alright, where is it?”
“Where’s what?”
“Whatever it is that’s cause for you to be late.”
Flo sniffed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, woman. Crazy, the lot of you. Now, can we get moving or were you waiting for the second coming?”
Ella exchanged a glance with Wink, whose pink hair shook slightly with a subtle shake of her head. Ella had no doubt the reason for Flo’s tardiness and dodgy answer would rear its ugly head soon enough.
Sticking her hands in her sweatshirt pocket, Ella led them to her jeep. Draped across the front of the vehicle was the most adorable hood ornament she’d seen.
Fluffy stretched and rolled his massive body onto his back. After scratching his belly, she laid him on the sidewalk and opened the driver door. Flo and Wink immediately started arguing about who got to sat up front.
“You want to go for another adventure?” She tapped at her thigh and cooed at him.
Before Ella could slip into her seat, Fluffy leaped into the footwell, and his large, summer green eyes stared up at her.
“Buddy, I don’t think you’d like this.”
In response, he jumped onto the dash and elongated like a noodle.
“Huh, I stand corrected,” Ella mumbled.
The seat squeaked softly as she sat down and fished the keys out from the console. “
For the love of cheese, you two, flip a coin.”
After listening to them argue another minute over who got to flip the coin, Ella stomped back out of the car, flipped a penny she’d found on her car mat, and told Flo to sit in the passenger’s seat.
Both women huffed into their respective, assigned seats, Flo grinning from ear to ear. The expression melted the moment she sat down, however. Her mountain of hair hit the roof, sending her sprawling into the door.
“I’m used to open tops,” she mumbled.
For Ella, that moment alone had been worth suffering through the bickering.
“What you’re saying,” Wink said from the backseat as Ella pulled away from the curb, “is that you prefer to go topless.”
Flo sputtered, too busy maneuvering her head around to retort. In the end, she settled for tilting her hair to the left and shoving her beehive into Ella’s ear.
Flo sighed. “Much better.”
“Really? You think so?” Ella scratched her skin and leaned into her door.
The park whipped by, the visitors still sprawled over the green grass. They darted in and out of their covered wagons, more akin to tiny homes than the kind that traveled the Oregon Trail. With each passing sunrise, Ella grew more nervous that they would be stranded in Keystone.
Without knowing their background or context in history, she wondered if they wouldn’t be better off stuck in the village, but she also knew Rose was right. Maybe they didn’t require much by way of electricity, but their extra mouths and need for water would overload the carrying capacity of the town. The thought underscored Ella’s desire to hit the books and find out more about them.
Fluffy sat up suddenly and filled Ella’s vision with brown fur. The car swerved.
Flo yanked him down in time for Ella to see they were headed directly for a power pole. Jerking the steering wheel, she straightened them back onto the pavement.
Flo let out a string of profanities.
“A little warning next time,” Wink said. “I think I might need to change my underwear.”
“You and me both,” Ella said.
Flo grunted. “Amateurs.”