“Hey.” Candy elbows her in the side. “Probably because you didn’t turn it on.” She nods to the reindeer.
“Oh, right.” Kindred grabs the reindeer and clicks a small button on it. Its nose starts blinking pink. “You could have just said that and not given me the judgy face.” I didn’t think my face changed, but all right.
“My apologies.”
“You’re forgiven.” She pats the high-top chair next to hers. I don’t want to sit, but I’ll indulge her. She leans over, kissing me on the cheek. Her mouth lingers, and she brushes her nose gently back and forth before returning to whatever plans she has concocted. I know I’m going to be in for a treat no matter what it is. Kindred doesn’t do anything small.
I do my own intel, pulling out my phone to see I do, in fact, have responses back. Hollis makes his way over toward me. I tilt my phone toward him so he can see what I am.
There it is in black and white. Pictures of Beckett in a hardware store twenty miles down south. I was even sent a copy of the credit card receipt. That might not be enough to fully pin her down, but it adds to the pile.
“Eggnog?” Betty asks Kindred as she sets a glass down for her.
“Tis the season.” Kindred picks it up and takes a sip. Betty leans up against the bar, watching what the girls are doing.
“I knew she was strange,” Betty tells them. “She’s got a stick up her ass, and when Tinsley was doing my nails yesterday, she told me she wasn’t into her vibe. Not sure what that means, but if Tinsley said it—” Betty shrugs, taking a sip of her drink, her attention turning to me. "Tinsley came over. It wasn't a professional paid nail appointment or anything." I don’t respond because these girls have a way of giving themselves away without help from me. “Is this an interrogation?"
Tinsley has been doing nails under the counter over at the salon for a few years now. She is not licensed and only accepts cash payments.
"Don't worry about him," Kindred tells Betty, waving me off. "He's obsessed with me. We can break all the rules and laws we want." Kindred gives the worst impression of an evil laugh, like she isn't the one who works at Town Hall and helps with all the licensing and so on. "This stuff is good." She takes another swig of her eggnog, which I'm sure is spiked.
“Whatcha doin’?” Tinsley pops out of nowhere. “Is this the rehearsal dinner I wasn’t invited to?”
“We’re not doing one,” Candy tells her.
“Then what’s up?” She is trying to wiggle her way in between Candy and Kindred. I glance behind me to see her brother along with the Knotty Knitters, who have taken up a table.
“We’re hanging out. Having eggnog.” Kindred lifts her glass before taking another few sips.
“Did you hear anything?” Kindred whispers loudly, sitting up straighter and pushing the headphones more onto her head. Not sure that will help.
“This about that Katie chick?” Tinsley glances around. They both nod.
“I don’t hear anything,” Candy huffs, glancing at Hollis like the man can make Beckett confess to herself in her room.
My attention drops back to my phone when I see another message come through. Shit, I hit reply, telling Roger where I’m at as I read over everything he’s sent me. I don’t turn my phone away, letting Hollis see too.
“Shit,” Hollis mutters under his breath, sharing my sentiment. When I lean back, I see more people have entered the bar area.
“Guys!” Kindred hisses loudly. “I’m trying to spy. Take it down to a three.”
“You heard the lady!” Tinsley shouts, backing her up, kind of. They listen and take it down a few notches.
Hollis turns, shifting toward me so he can speak without anyone overhearing. “Should we do anything?” I shake my head no. We wait.
I would rather there were not so many people here, but if I tried to herd them out, that would spread like wildfire, and more would show up. But this is the nature of things in New Hope. People always migrate toward Kindred. It's the way of things.
"I hear something!" Kindred shouts, then slams her own hand down over her mouth, cringing. "I think I hear something." Now she whispers. The whole bar falls silent. Kindred cocks her head to the side.
"Is that your brother?" Candy asks, and I slip out of my chair.
"Yeah, what is he doing?"
I take a few steps back, and Hollis slides in, taking my place silently, knowing what I'm doing. Katie Beckett has lost it, and now she has lured Ethan to her room. I'm sure he thinks he's about to get lucky, but I think his luck has run out.
The second I am free of the room, I bolt up the stairs to the bedroom. I debate for a split second what weapon I should draw. When I reach the door, I don’t bother knocking; it’s best to catch them off guard.
My foot connects with the door, and it bursts open, chunks of wood splintering. Ethan has his hands up, backed against a wall with a gun trained on him. I fire, hitting Beckett in the chest, her eyes still wide as her knees give out, electricity coursing through her system.
