“No. I suppose not,” she muttered, as if his belief in Daisy’s innocence was just as offensive as his belief in her guilt. “I just wish the sheriff would get around to arresting someone so I could stop looking over my shoulder, waiting for Edna’s next harebrained scheme.”
“This ain’t Dallas,” he said. “Things take a little more time around here. But Sheriff Maynard is capable enough. I’m sure he’ll lock this down before too long.”
“And are you staying out of things?”
He rolled his eyes. “As much as I can.”
“Okay.” She hesitated, waiting for him to bring up the date again, but when he didn’t, she had no choice but to leave with her dignity intact. “See you around, I guess.”
Maybe he was waiting for her to say something, seeing as how she was the one who’d run off the other day, but when it came to taking risks, she’d move five dead bodies before showing her hand to a man like Archer Reed-Smythe—though her heart and her mind couldn’t seem to get on the same page. As she headed toward her car, she glanced back and was pleased to discover he was watching her walk away. He wasn’t trying to hide it either. Tipping his hat, he let that grin play over his rugged features. Her stomach did a flip, a gentle kisses kind of flip, and she pressed a hand to it just to calm the butterflies.
The drive to the hospital took less than twenty minutes, flying down country roads with the radio turned up and a billow of dust blowing behind her tires. Cordelia couldn’t think of the lasttime she’d felt so light. Like all her missing pieces were finally falling into place.
Creekside General, the local hospital, wasn’t like the one she’d been to in Dallas when she’d had to have her appendix removed. Creekside was smaller, with only a dozen beds and a staff of five. While it served three counties, if anyone needed more serious treatments, they got referred to the bigger cities. Mostly they tended to minor gunshot wounds and birthing babies.
The doors to the lobby swooshed open, dousing Cordelia with a shot of cool air. Aside from an older woman sitting in the corner dozing off, with her knitting needles in hand, the lobby was empty. There wasn’t even a person manning the front desk.
The fish tank gurgled at the center of the open room. Just as Martina had said, it held a variety of seahorses, anemone, bright rocks, and a few clownfish. But no coral. It could’ve been removed, but wouldn’t someone have noticed it missing? Whoever cleaned the tank?
Unless Honey was the one who cleaned it.
“Can I help you?” A woman wearing cactus-print scrubs approached the front desk. Her hair was thrown into a haphazard bun with shorter tufts sticking out on the sides. She didnotlook like someone who suffered foolishness.
“Has this tank ever had coral in it?” Cordelia tapped the glass and withdrew her hand when the fish scattered like the Newman brothers from a bar of soap.
The nurse squinted at the tank like it was her first time seeing it. “Not that I recall.”
“Is there someone I can talk to? About your fish tank and whether or not it ever held coral?” Cordelia tried to smile, but she was certain her right eye was twitching too much for her to come off as casual. “Martina Ruiz from the Sarsaparilla Falls library directed me here.”
“I know Martina.” The nurse tucked some of her loose hairs back into her bun. “The doctor set up the tank. It’s a hobby of hers, but I’m afraid she won’t be available to talk. It’s a little crazy around here right now.”
“I can come back another day. Or call ahead.” That would’ve been the polite thing to do, instead of showing up out of the blue asking strange questions about coral.
Cordelia turned to leave when a commotion from down the hall caught her attention. A crash and shouting, followed by tears and pleading. The nurse glanced at Cordelia, resignation in her eyes. Like this wasn’t the wildest thing she’d experienced this week. Cordelia could relate. She worked at a public library in Texas, after all.
The doors between the waiting area and the rooms burst open, and Cordelia’s jaw dropped as she locked eyes with Honey Stevens.
Who was being led away in handcuffs by Sheriff Maynard.
Chapter Sixteen
GETTING INTO HER CAR, CORDELIA DROVE AIMLESSLY FOR AN HOUR BEFOREpulling up to the jailhouse. She couldn’t have said what brought her there. Maybe it was the nurse at the information desk letting her know their saltwater tank had never had coral in it. Or maybe it had been the look of pure terror in Honey’s eyes as she was led away in handcuffs. Cordelia was familiar with that look. She got the same one every time she had to deal with a tub of moldy food that had gone overlooked in her fridge.
The deputy noted her name and did a double take. “Miss Cordelia. What are you visiting Honey for? You looking to bail her out?”
Cordelia glanced around as if she expected him to be speaking to someone else. “I’m sorry. Have we met?”
“No, ma’am.” He tipped his hat. His brown uniform hung limply off his thin frame, like he’d borrowed it from his dad. “But everyone in Sarsaparilla Falls knows you.”
“Right.” It unnerved her when people treated her like a minor celebrity. She was still getting used to the notoriety that came from the Chickadee. “Pleased to meet you.”
“I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other.” He glanced around and lowered his voice. “I’ve been a regular of Miss Arline’s for the last year.”
“Well, now. Isn’t that something?” That was information shenever needed to know. He looked like he’d been a few years behind her in grade school. “Can I see Honey now?”
“Sure thing.” He took her to the back room.
Two cells had been built into the wall, separated by three feet of space, with a cot and a dingy metal toilet in the corner of each. The memory of her momma drying out on the other side of those bars flashed through Cordelia’s mind. The fear and shame rose in her, clear as the first time it had happened. Sometimes she’d swear she could still smell the sour stench of her momma sweating gin through her pores while she held a glass of water with shaky hands.
