She frowned in response, still examining my hair. “It’s fun to experiment,” she tried again.
“Not for me.” I blew out a breath and tried to remain calm as she plugged in her clippers and they came buzzing to life.
When she touched the back of my neck, she asked, “Any Halloween plans?” at the same time I said, “So about the other day.”
We made eye contact in the mirror and she let out a nervous chuckle.
“I’m not a big Halloween guy,” I said, answering her question. “I’ll probably just stay home. If I’m feeling really festive, maybe I’ll put on a scary movie.” That was an understatement. Ihateddressing up. West would most likely try to convince me to go out, but I was confident I could dodge his efforts.
“I’m not big on Halloween either,” Hazel said. She continued to work on my hair in silence for a few moments before speaking again. “I’m sorry I ran out on you the other day.”
I let out a breath. “I wanted to talk to you about that.”
She shook her head. “Look, it was silly of me to think you could help. I’ve pretty much accepted my fate.”
“Actually—”
“As soon as I get my winnings, I’ll send them off and hope for the best.”
“I was thinking?—”
“It’ll be a blow, but worth it if I can get Vermont back. I still don’t trust this sicko, obviously, but what other choice do I have?—”
“Hazel,” I said, this time with more force. She paused mid-sentence, her lips slightly parted. She shut off the buzzer and I resisted the urge to touch the back of my neck to ensure she’d taken off the proper length.
“What?” she asked.
“I’ve been thinking about your…predicament some more, and I want to help.”
“Y-you do?”
The fact that she was prepared to part with her entire winnings to save her cat made me even more sure I was making the right decision. She deserved to have someone on her side. Someone who would at least make an attempt to help her.
“I do. And I’m sorry for saying you should negotiate. You’re right, I didn’t even try to help you at first. I acted exactly like all the detectives in all of the cold cases that keepme up at night by just brushing you off and looking for the simplest solution.”
“You’re serious?” I could see hope blooming in her eyes. Damn, she was expressive.
“I am. Again, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to help, but at the end of the day, what we’re dealing with is an amateur, not some criminal mastermind. I think we at least have a shot.”
Hazel squealed so loudly I jumped back in my chair.
“Oh my God, I could cry. Thank you, Reid.”
“Hazel.” Miranda gave her a warning glare from the front of the salon.
“Sorry,” Hazel called.
A guy with sharp eyebrows and spiky hair emerged from the back room. “What’s going on?” he asked, hovering near Hazel.
“Reid is going to help me find Vermont.”
The guy held his hand over his heart and looked to the ceiling before gazing directly into my eyes. “Good. Hazel could use a break.”
“Um, no problem.” I shifted in my seat, the weight of their attention pressing down on me. “Maybe we could meet at the diner again to get started.”
“Let’s just get started right now,” Hazel said turning the clippers back on. “Even though I’d basically given up hope, I thought a lot about what you told me. Think of the suspects. And I really think there’s only one obvious choice?—”
“Maybe you want to concentrate,” I offered, pointing at my hair where she’d started buzzing again.
