CHAPTER TWENTY
“…about Calvin?”
“He was taken in for…”
“…can’t imagine…”
Brynn should have turned the jukebox up to drown out the Monday evening crowd. She wasn’t sure she could take hearing about Calvin Arlos being questioned by the police for half the night. She sure as hell didn’t want to hear the doubt in his friends’ voices as each of them came to grips with their own suspicions. Someone mentioned he’d driven into town around four o’clock this morning, which could only mean one of the residents stayed awake to peer out of his or her window.
It wasn’t right on any level. These people were neighbors.
Calvin didn’t murder or abduct anyone. She refused to accept that. She didn’t care that Tobias saw Calvin taking pictures at summer camp that year. The man couldn’t even bring himself to go hunting for squirrels, which was why he stuck to fishing year round. How could someone who couldn’t gut a rodent do something so horrible to a human being?
And what about benefit of the doubt? Shouldn’t Calvin be given some, as well as the town’s support?
Brynn didn’t like how this investigation was becoming a witch hunt. People she loved and respected were being hurt by their own friends. Who would be next? Rose? Tiny? They were both at camp that year, as were most of the town’s residents.
She glanced around the Cavern, uneasy over the absence of regular patrons. She wasn’t upset about the lack of business. Quite the contrary. What she wanted more than anything was to be with Lance and his family as they all headed over to Calvin’s house to show support, but it was Kristen’s night off.
“I don’t get a phone call?” Julie quipped, taking Brynn by surprise. She’d been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed anyone entering through the front door. “It’s a good thing I keep tabs on the gossip column around here.”
Julie took a seat on one of the stools, making it glaringly obvious that Jeremy Bell’s stool still remained unoccupied. Brynn had signed up for the meal rotation that Rose had started the other day, but her turn wasn’t for another two weeks. Everyone was coming out of the woodwork to show Jeremy support in his time of need.
“I’m sorry, Julie,” Brynn apologized, reaching across the bar and squeezing her friend’s hand. She hadn’t meant to cut Julie out of everything that’d been happening, but lately it seemed hard to even have a minute to herself. Not that she was actually complaining. Spending the night with Lance in his bed had the week’s events fading away into oblivion. “I should have called. There’s no excuse. I’m a crappy friend.”
“Well, it’s a good thing that I have tonight off so that you can catch me up.” Julie set her purse on the stool next to her, taking a quick look around the place. Brynn didn’t miss that her friend looked back toward the door as if she were expecting someone. “It’s quiet tonight.”
“I know.” Brynn got to fixing Julie an apple martini, all the while studying Julie. She was once again wearing darker lipstick, along with purposefully putting a few curls in her blonde hair. Maybe her favorite drink would finally get her to talk about who she was trying to impress. Julie deserved to have a little fun, and Brynn would do whatever was necessary to move that dalliance along. “I’m sure you’ve already heard, but Lance and I are…well, we’re kind of together again.”
“Kind of?” Julie lifted the lid to the condiment tray and snagged herself a cherry, as if she’d just popped a bag of popcorn in order to settle back and enjoy a movie. “Details, blondie.”
“Oh, stop,” Brynn laughed, sliding the martini glass across the counter. She had everything back in place behind the bar before allowing herself to continue. Even then, she wasn’t sure how to explain how her relationship with Lance had picked up as if no time had passed. “It’s like Lance never left, Julie. Being with him…it’s just so natural. I’m more me when I’m with him. And that doesn’t even make sense, does it?”
“Yes, it does.” Julie smiled softly and gave a light shrug, as if to say fate would always play out the way it was intended. “I envied what the two of you had, Brynn. You were the couple back in the day. You know, the duo who was always meant to be. Don’t let time or doubts get in the way of building something together. Make yourself happy.”
The way Julie said that last sentence almost sounded as if she were giving herself advice. Brynn studied her friend, taking note of more than just the obvious changes to her lipstick and hair. She seemed brighter, yet worried about something. There was an underlying excitement shining in her eyes, but it was easy to see the doubt she’d mentioned mixed in there as well.
“You said you’d spill if I did, so there’s my dishtowel.” Brynn waved the bar towel around like she was at a rodeo, not garnering the laugh she wanted to by her antics. It was almost as if Julie was afraid of Brynn’s reaction. “Julie, what’s going on?”
She would later wish that Julie had fessed up earlier, because maybe then Brynn would have been able to contain her reaction to who walked in the door…and not for a game of darts.
Billy Stanton entered the Cavern as if he owned the place, which was how his whole family felt about all the establishments in Blyth Lake. He came from money—old family money—that had a rooted history here in town. He apparently only had eyes for Julie, considering the way he made a beeline for her at the bar. The thing of it was, he never had eyes for only one woman ever before.
“High school was one thing,” Brynn muttered with dread, trying her best to wipe the shock off her face. Julie should know better. “You work with him, Julie. You know how he—”
“That’s just it, Brynn. I got to know him. Really know him. He’s changed, and he’s not the insecure tight-end we knew back in high school.” Insecure? That wasn’t how Brynn would describe Billy Stanton. Julie reached over and rested her hand on Brynn’s arm almost desperately in order to catch her attention. It was hard to ignore Billy as he stopped at the last few tables to greet some of the patrons. “It’s just a façade. You have no idea what it’s like to be Dr. William L. Stanton’s son.”
“I don’t know, but I know Billy enough to realize he doesn’t have a shred of common decency.” Brynn recalled the day after Emma went missing and how Billy said he’d only danced with her that night because he’d felt sorry for her. He’d stressed that she was nice enough, but she wasn’t his type. Neither was Julie, for that matter. Brynn’s stomach rolled at the thought of her best friend getting her heart broken over some old crush that could never live up to reality. “You know that, too.”
“Did you tell her yet?” Billy asked with a charming smile, resting his hand on Julie’s lower back as he leaned in for a kiss. Brynn’s stomach revolted, but she’d now had enough time to contain her reaction for her friend’s sake. He didn’t wait for Julie to answer before explaining how it was they got together in the first place. “Brynn, we never had any intention of getting involved, but being partners for months on end allowed us to get to know one another. We didn’t want to get in trouble with our superiors, so we quietly put in a transfer to work with other people. It’s also the same reason Julie didn’t tell you. Believe me, she wanted to, but it was safer this way. Besides, I’ve been out of town this past week, so we’re only now able to celebrate.”
Brynn managed to get the draft beer Billy preferred out of the tap without so much as a drop spilled. She set it down without too much force, congratulating herself on her restraint. She couldn’t meet Julie’s beseeching gaze. This was the first time that Brynn couldn’t support her friend’s decision, and it was going to be heartbreaking to watch this whole affair crash and burn.
“I’ll leave you two to celebrate,” Brynn said with a small smile before gesturing toward the few tables that were full. “Kristen has the night off, so I’m going to go make the rounds.”
“Yeah, I’m not surprised it’s a light crowd tonight. I heard about Calvin. That’s pretty rough.” Billy remained standing as he picked up his beer and shook his head with what appeared to be commiseration. Brynn wasn’t so sure about the displayed sympathy seeing as she doubted he had any. “I guess it’s good for him that the authorities didn’t make an arrest, though.”
“Calvin didn’t murder Sophia Morton, nor did he kidnap Emma or any of those other girls,” Brynn replied confidently, unable to stay and have this conversation. What hurt her the most was not being able to support her friend when it was obvious this man made her happy. That much was evident from the way Julie was leaning into him. “I’m sure it was all cleared up last night. If you’ll excuse me.”
Brynn checked on the two couples playing pool before taking note of what drinks the tables were low on. There were only two older gentlemen at the bar, but they were sitting on the other end. She spent the next fifteen minutes replenishing drinks and putting in one order of wings and another of loaded fries. Unfortunately, the greasy smell wafting from the swinging door behind her wasn’t the cause of her nausea.
“I need you.”
The brutal honesty with which those words were said sent a shiver of arousal through Brynn’s body. Warm lips pressed against her neck as muscular arms wrapped around her waist. The firmness of his body against her back truly made her wish she’d called in Kristen from her day off.
“Hmmm, that’s good,” Brynn replied in a soft voice, not wanting anyone to overhear them. She was still the owner, after all. That didn’t mean she couldn’t take a moment to herself. She inhaled his masculine scent as the possibility of closing early crossed her mind. “Because the feeling is quite mutual.”
Brynn laughed when Lance spun her around, pressing his forehead against hers. She rested the palms of her hands against his chest and prepared herself for a public kiss. Instead, her smile slowly faded when she caught sight of the worry in his blue eyes.
“Lance?”
Brynn searched his gaze intently, but she couldn’t figure out what had happened to cause him so much concern. She was suddenly afraid to ask. Too much had happened these last few months for them to accept another tragedy.
“Calvin had a heart attack, Brynn.” Lance shook his head in disbelief, almost as if he couldn’t believe he was saying the words. He pulled her close, wrapping his arms tightly around her as if he needed her strength. “He’s in intensive care, and they’re not sure he’s going to make it. He just couldn’t take the stress of it all.”