Already, she was being watched, assessed, and branded.
The acid in her throat was a reminder of why she needed to enter the store in the first place. With a grimace, she reached into her backpack to retrieve her wallet. Once she had exited hervehicle, she went to fasten her blazer to conceal her holstered Glock, but then thought better of it. She needed the residents to know that she was only in town on official business. Nothing more.
Her reflection in the driver’s side window revealed a composed officer of the law, and she was glad that she had chosen one of her newer blazers. She had purchased four of them—two plaids, one black, and one navy blue. She sported the brown plaid today with a pair of jeans, mostly to blend in and not stick out like a sore thumb. Her face did that all on its own.
The door's old-fashioned bell announced her arrival with a tinny jingle. The interior smelled of freshly brewed coffee and the artificial pine of discount cleaning solution. It didn’t surprise her to find a stranger behind the cash register. Either someone bought the convenience store from Maisy, or she had left it in her will to her cousin, who used to live a few towns over.
Hadley moved with deliberate efficiency toward the medicine aisle. The same mismatched shelving units, some metal and others aged wood, were still standing. Products appeared randomly organized, with fishing tackle beside canned beans and reading glasses next to beef jerky.
She located the antacids on a dusty bottom shelf, nestled between allergy medications that were probably expired and off-brand painkillers. Kneeling down, she grabbed four small bottles, calculating that she could make do with the amount for at least a few days. The plastic caps clicked against one another as she stood, doing her best to keep hold of her wallet.
As she turned toward the counter, the cashier was still staring at her with open fascination. The woman had thin eyebrows, thin lips, and shoulder-length brown hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. Something about her appearance triggered a distant memory, but Hadley couldn't immediately place her.
She didn't have to wonder long.
“Hadley Lynn Dawkins!” The cashier broke out into a wide smile, revealing a slightly crooked front tooth. She straightened, pointing to herself with a finger tipped by a short, clean nail. “It's Rena. Rena Williams. We had biology together in our senior year.”
“Rena,” Hadley acknowledged with a slight nod. She forced a polite smile and placed the antacids on the counter. She had wanted crackers, but she didn’t think prolonging this run-in was wise. “It's been a while.”
“It has. It’s been…what? Twelve years? You look amazing!” Rena's gaze drifted downward, widening noticeably when she spotted the badge and firearm at Hadley's hip. “Oh! Are you?—”
“I’m a detective with the Arkansas State Police,” Hadley supplied, the practiced explanation rolling off her tongue with ease. It appeared that Reed hadn’t confided in a soul about her upcoming involvement in the Claymont investigation. A part of her was relieved by such a decision. She gestured vaguely at the antacids. “Just those, please.”
Rena didn't move to ring up the purchase. Instead, her eyes remained fixed on Hadley's holster, her expression a mixture of wariness and fascination.
“A detective? That's...that's really something.”
The forced pleasantry in Hadley's smile grew more strained. She wasn’t sure how she would react if Rena brought up how Hadley had testified in court against her brother. To ensure the conversation didn’t turn personal, she offered up the truth.
“I'm in town on a case,” Hadley stated, keeping her tone neutral. “The Claymont girl.”
Rena nodded as she began scanning the antacids.
“That's been a whole thing around here. Got all those TV people coming in from all over. If I hear about theThreshing Manone more time, I’m going to stick a threshing flail in one of their vans. Let’s see how long they stick around here after that.”
The scanner beeped with each barcode, followed by Rena placing the travel-sized bottles into a small plastic bag.
“Nineteen dollars and seventy-eight cents,” Rena announced, seemingly oblivious to Hadley's growing discomfort. “I do feel for Amelia, though. Word has it that Missy was really into her music. Some of her friends think she skipped the rest of her senior year to go to Nashville.”
“And you? What do you think happened to Missy?”
“You and I both know a lot more girls than just Missy have gone missing from Cane County over the years. Most were smart and simply left town. I would've done the same if I hadn't gotten engaged to Donovan.”
Rena held up her left hand, displaying a modest engagement ring. She turned her palm outward to stare at the diamond, but Hadley didn’t detect any happiness in the woman’s eyes.
Both of them graduated with Donovan Huber. It was no surprise that he stayed in Whistlerun since his father owned the only garage in town. Donovan had worked there throughout his teen years, the same job Mason held during high school.
She was grateful when Rena continued talking, because Hadley wasn’t sure she could have gotten her voice to work after that reminder.
“Five years engaged next month. He keeps saying once he saves a little more…” Rena’s voice trailed off, and a brief shadow of resignation crossed her face. “I’m sure we’ll get hitched sometime. Anyway, cash or card?”
“Card, please,” Hadley replied as she opened her wallet and pulled out her credit card. She would keep a track of her expenses to turn in at the end of the month. “I’ll need a receipt, too.”
“You look good, Hadley,” Rena said as she waited patiently for Hadley to swipe her card. “Like, ten years younger than therest of us who stayed behind. Must be something to leaving this town, huh?”
Hadley figured her presence would be common knowledge before nightfall. Every movement, every purchase, every conversation would be dissected and discussed over dinner tables throughout Cane County. The thought made her throat constrict all over again.
She reached for the bag, but she held off pulling one of the bottles out and tossing a couple of tablets into her mouth. Instead, she maintained her composure and held out a hand for the receipt.
