CHAPTER FIVE
“So I hear tell you went toe to toe with that harlot from Channel Five News.”
Brynn wasn’t startled by Rose’s appearance in the least. The clanking of her bracelets gave her away long before she entered the small office of the bar located in the back near the restrooms. She was a sight for sore eyes, though.
“Please tell me that’s a club sandwich from Annie’s Diner,” Brynn practically begged, holding her arms out while wiggling her fingers in anticipation. She didn’t even address Rose’s response to the confrontation that occurred last night. There was something to be said for loyalty, and Rose would always have her back. “I—”
“Skipped lunch, I know,” Rose interrupted wryly, pulling back the white Styrofoam container before Brynn could take it out of her hands. “You better take care of yourself or I’m going to start thinking it was a mistake to let Tiny sell you this gin mill, missy.”
“Don’t get me wrong,” Brynn warned, finally managing to snag the food from Rose’s grip. She opened the top and inhaled the delicious aroma of chicken and bacon, humming in appreciation. “I’m not complaining in the least that this past month has been busy with all the attention this town is getting, but we certainly didn’t start this month with the inventory to keep up with the demand.”
Had it been anyone else besides Rose—well, that included Tiny, too—she would have had to clarify her statement. Brynn would have given anything for that young girl’s body not to have been found in such a horrible manner. It was also wrong of her to be somewhat relieved it hadn’t been Emma.
“You could have asked Tiny to help you out,” Rose pointed out knowingly, taking a seat in the lone guest chair that had always been positioned in front of the desk for as long as Brynn could remember. “He was free today.”
“No, he wasn’t.” Brynn pointed a steak fry in Rose’s direction. “I know he had a meeting with Wes and Clayton Schaeffer regarding those additional cottages you want to add up at the lake. You, madam, are gilding the lily.”
Brynn rolled her chair over to the small refrigerator in the corner, also a staple from years past, and grabbed a can of Classic Coke. She’d already popped the top before positioning herself back behind her desk.
“By the way, you shouldn’t be meddling in the Schaeffer’s business like that.” Brynn held up her hand to stop Rose from coming up with excuses as to why she always felt the need to fix everyone’s problems. “Wes and Clayton left the family business for their own reasons. Nothing you say on their behalf to Miles or Chad will ever make that okay in their eyes.”
“I was ultimately hoping to get Wes and Clayton to realize how much they miss Blyth Lake and return home with their hats in their hands,” Rose responded defensively, pulling a purple floral fan out from her purse. She opened the thin folded paper with a flick of her wrist. “Don’t give me that look, young lady. It’s the God’s honest truth.”
Brynn couldn’t help but smile around the bite of food in her mouth upon hearing Rose chastise her the way she used to back in the day when she’d caught Rose spinning tales.
“What are you thinking of doing with the rental over by Noah Kendall’s place?” Brynn asked, having meant to have broached this subject before. “Are you keeping it or do you plan to sell it outright?”
Brynn pointed another fry in Rose’s direction, hoping to avoid another lecture about how Tiny would have signed over the bar for a dollar had Brynn allowed that to take place. Well, she hadn’t gone to college to earn a business degree for nothing. She was still paying off her student debt, but the local bank had given her a small business loan in order to buy out the bar in full. She wouldn’t have had it any other way. People from around these parts didn’t cotton to being in someone’s debt, and that included family.
“Don’t misunderstand me, I love the apartment over the bar. But that would be better utilized as a small banquet hall for private parties and such, once I get it redesigned.” Brynn had moved in upstairs to the spacious wide-open studio apartment after graduating college. It suited her needs, especially given the amount of time she’d been spending in the office sorting out the financials and planning for additional growth. “But now that I’ve got a handle on things, I was thinking it would be nice to have somewhere away from the noise and the smell of stale beer.”
“If I told you that you could move in tomorrow for a dollar, I don’t suppose you’d do that, now would you?”
Brynn laughed, having had this same discussion with Tiny at the beginning of summer.
“Just think about it,” Brynn said softly, wishing Rose and Tiny wouldn’t worry about her so much. On the other hand, it was nice to know someone loved her as much as she loved them. “As for that reporter you asked about, let’s just say she needed to be made aware of certain boundaries. Her upbringing in the city left her a bit unprepared for the rigors of country life.”
Rose’s laughter flittered through the small office, causing Brynn to breathe a little easier. She would never do anything to tarnish the name of Tiny’s Cavern nor disappoint the Phifers in any way.
“Rose, do you think Blyth Lake has a serial killer in its midst?” Brynn had suddenly lost her appetite, but she didn’t want Rose to know that. She played with the toothpick that had held her sandwich together as she waited for an answer. “Do you reckon that’s what happened to Emma?”
“I’ve felt the change in the air, as well,” Rose said with an uneasy sigh and a shake of her head. “I don’t want to believe anyone we know could be capable of something so damn evil, but I was there the day Noah and Reese called the police. You should have seen the people lining up on the road that day, looking at each other with suspicion. It broke my heart.”
Brynn noticed that Rose didn’t answer the question.
Was Sophia’s murder linked to Emma’s disappearance?
Word throughout town had spread rather quickly after the state police had gotten involved. It was all the gossip mill could churn out, even here at the bar.
“Honey, do you remember something?” Rose asked, tilting her head to the side so that one of her earrings dangled lower than the other. “Did something happen to jog your memory?”
“Unfortunately, no.” Bryn gave up the pretense of eating the rest of her dinner and pushed away the Styrofoam container. “I just can’t help but think Emma suffered a horrible death at the hands of some monster. I overheard one of the camera guys on Charlene Weston’s crew say that the police were finally going to reveal the autopsy report sometime real soon.”
Rose held up her fan as if defending herself against the horrific details. For some reason, Brynn couldn’t help but wonder how bad Sophia had suffered in her last final hours. Some of the townsfolk were in denial, saying that Sophia’s death must have been some kind of freak accident and that it was in no way related to Emma’s disappearance.
Brynn was on the other side of the camp with those residents who firmly believed someone in Blyth Lake walked among them with a shadow for a soul. She just wanted to be proven wrong.
“You know what?” Brynn said, pushing back her chair and grabbing her soda. “Let’s head back up front to check on Kristen. This is the first afternoon I’ve left her to handle the bar alone. I’m sure she’s at her wits’ end by now.”
“She had everything under control when I walked through.” Rose nodded her approval as she tucked her purple fan back into her lavender-colored purse. It wasn’t a brand name, though most people in Blyth Lake shopped either at the small boutique on Main Street or drove the twenty miles outside the town’s limits to either a Walmart or Target in the city. “You made a good hire in that one, Brynn.”
“I heard about Mindy quitting on you up at the lake’s restaurant.” Brynn had come very close to being the one to give Mindy a job, but she was always on her phone and in everyone’s business. That wouldn’t have gone over well in an establishment where alcohol loosened lips. “Tiny said you had some interviews lined up for next Monday. Does that mean you’re going to have to play hostess this weekend?”
“Goodness, no!” Rose exclaimed with an enchanting but wicked laugh. Oh, that meant she was up to one of her tricks that had everyone scrambling to be far away when she pulled the trigger. “Tiny and I had a small wager rather than risk it to chance, and I happened to win it this very morning.”
Brynn covered one ear with the soda can and the other with her hand as she walked out of her office. She could still here Rose chuckling, but it at least stopped her from sharing whatever playfulness she and Tiny had partaken with each other in the bedroom.
“…that detective. Nothing came of it, so now the media is waiting for the autopsy report.”
“…heard that Lance got the Fetter place. I’m glad he’s cleared up things with the police.”
“…saw Reese at the school. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a ring on her finger, though their relationship moved a little fast for my liking, if you know what I mean.”
Brynn wished she’d kept her ears covered as she made her way to the bar. The place had become busier over the last few hours, and it appeared everyone was still talking about the Kendalls and the body being found in one of their homes. She doubted it would change much over the course of the next few weeks, but she could always hope talk switched to sports. Fantasy Football was about to begin, and that was a pretty big deal around here.
“How are things going out here, Kristen?”
Brynn couldn’t have asked for more as she looked behind the counter to see all the used glasses had been washed and put in their respective places, along with everyone’s drink topped off on the bar.
Satisfaction washed over her at the knowledge that at least one of her new hires was working out. Tiny had taken on many roles here, cutting out the need to hire more than three people at a time—a waitress who handled the tables during the evening crowd rush, a fry cook who pretty much stuck to making wings and burgers, and Brynn.
She’d done whatever was needed at the time.
Rose and Tiny were getting to the point where they’d rather have a few nights off here and there, so they were now investing in real estate near the lake. Their property up on the water had brought them the most revenue in the past, and this way they could delegate while freeing up more time for them to enjoy their own lives in early retirement, of sorts.
Well, that had been the goal. Everyone knew they were too invested in the local community to travel the world, but a couple weeks twice a year was manageable.
“I’ve got things covered, boss.”
Brynn winced at the title, but she let it slide. Kristen was overzealous at times, but she was downright one of the best bartenders this side of Cleveland. She had short hair that framed her face, the red color definitely from a bottle, and she wore her makeup like a shield. One of her arms was covered in tattoos and her right ear had multiple piercings. She might have an outer shell that was used as a barrier, but there was a vulnerable side she’d hidden rather well. Only an expert could see things for what they were.
There was a reason Kristen wanted to leave the city. She’d been upfront, though the truth had been somewhat vague. Something in the girl’s green eyes told Brynn she’d needed this gig and a chance to start over.
Brynn understood all too well about new beginnings.
“Honey, I’m going to drive over to the lake to see how things are coming along with the cottages.” Rose grabbed a bag of Tiny’s favorite chips before telling everyone goodbye. “I’ll see you late tonight. Put these on my tab.”
“That’s going on your tab for real,” Brynn called out, getting a rise out of the usuals at the bar. “We’re starting you one today.”
A ball cap that she hadn’t seen in a while caught her attention.
Jimmy Webb. He was Lance’s uncle, though he was estranged from the Kendall clan. Doing a stint in prison and not being the most upstanding guy had a way of doing that. He’d stained the family name and most folks didn’t appreciate that around here.
The man also claimed to be the last one to see Emma Irwin alive. He’d told the police he saw Emma walking down Seventh Street the night she disappeared.
Brynn hadn’t meant to stare at Jimmy for so long and was startled when his striking blue eyes met hers, almost as if to tell her that he could hear her thoughts.
Brynn quickly looked away, wondering if there was more to his story than he let on. It was then she realized that she was doing exactly what she’d accused the other townsfolk of earlier—regarding those she’d known her whole life with unfounded suspicion.