“You’re a real riot, you know?” Simmons said, nudging Daisy toward the door. “Call if you need anything, Deputy.” But he had clearly already turned his attention to his family. “Where’s Coop?”
“Running the streets wild,” Daisy—Lucysaid as they walked out of the apartment. “You did promise it would only take five minutes, and Ididtell you we could postpone.”
“So I take it Lia has him.” Their family chatter slowly faded away and Royal stood exactly where he was in the middle of a very sparsely furnished apartment.
Daisy Delaney had said his name, complimented that and his tattoos. And weirder still, for a few seconds, Simmons had seemed very, very human.
He was married toDaisy Delaney. Had kids withDaisy Delaney.
Royal shook his head. What a weird-ass world Bent County was.
But he didn’t have time to think about that too deeply. He had to get ready for work and clock in. Still, he couldn’t help crossing the empty living room and looking out the big window.
Simmons was loading the baby into a minivan. Simmons had a minivan.
He shook his head. Unbelievable. He surveyed the rest of the street. Mostly empty this morning. Most of the shops didn’t open until ten. Except the bakery.
He glanced at the door across the street as Simmons drove away. And thoughtjackpot, because his eyewitness was joggingdown the stairs outside her building and turning toward the bakery door.
He hadn’tquitefigured out how he was going to handle keeping an eye on a virtual stranger, but he figured the first step was to not be strangers anymore.
Chapter Six
Franny wasn’t so much surprised to find the bakery open as she was a little concerned for Lia not resting and taking time to worry about her friend. But as Franny stepped inside, the scents of pastry being made and coffee being brewed filled the air.
“Morning, Franny,” Lia greeted her from where she was filling a pastry display with a tray of brownies. “How are you holding up?”
Franny slid her laptop bag off her shoulder and set it on one of the tables before crossing to the counter Lia stood behind. She was a tall woman with hair a little too dark for her fair complexion. It was always pulled back, and Franny had never seen her without a hairband fastened into her hair with bobby pins.
“That’s my question for you this morning.”
Lia smiled thinly. She wore a very simple gold chain around her neck and moved a hand up to fiddle with the little pressed flower pendant attached to it. “I’m worried, but a lot of people are looking for her. And you gave the police a ton to go on. We’d be lost if it wasn’t for you, Franny. Really. There’d just be no hope.”
The idea of no hope had a knot forming in Franny’s throat, but she swallowed past it. “Well, it was just…luck, I guess. If you can call anything about this situation luck.”
“We’ll take whatever we can get. So, you want the usual this morning, or something a little higher octane?”
“Are you sure you want to be waiting on people today, Lia?”
“Working keeps me from freaking out. So work it is. Besides, Zach asked me to stay open. Said there will be cops and Feds coming and going for a while yet. Good for business. And good for keeping me busy.”
Zach. What made Lia on a first-name basis with Mr. Simmons? Just time? Something deeper?
“Yeah, I’ll take my usual.”
Franny waited while Lia plated up a cinnamon roll and poured her latte. Franny paid for both, but before she took them to a table and pretended to work, she couldn’t help but ask…
“Lia… Did you know that Mr. Simmons was—”
The bell above the door tinkled and Lia’s eyes flicked to the door, narrowed. But she smiled. “Excuse me, Franny,” she said, moving back to the cash register. “Help you, Deputy?”
Franny looked over her shoulder to find the police officer from yesterday. She didn’t remember his name. What had Copeland called him? It was lost in the blur of yesterday.
Franny moved to the table she’d left her laptop at and watched as Lia waited on the cop.
“I’ve been put on permanent Hope Town duty, so I wanted to go around to the businesses and introduce myself. Deputy Campbell.” He held out a hand for Lia to shake.
She did so. And Franny watched with interest as Lia skirted a very fine line where she somehow seemed nothing but polite, but also made it abundantly clear she didn’t like his profession. “Nice to meet you.”
