“Now don’t you be a stranger,” Jackson told her.
“I won’t.” She glanced across to Adam. “Bye, Adam.”
He raised a hand in silent farewell as both he and Jackson watched her walk out the door.
“She seems… guarded,” Jackson mused thoughtfully. “And a little lost.”
Shelley appeared beside them and dropped her empty tray on the bar, glancing back at the door. “I’ve gotta tell you,” she said in disbelief, “I never thought I’d see the day Olivia West walked back into town.”
“What makes you say that?” Jackson asked curiously.
“Well, after everything that happened with her parents,” she replied, frowning silently at Jackson’s blank look. “Really, Jackson, you’ve been here, what ten years, and you don’t know about the Wests?”
He shrugged his shoulders in bemusement.
“Olivia West and her parents are practically an urban legend in this town,” Shelley told him. “About twenty years ago, her daddy murdered her mama and his mama-in-law, Olivia’s grandmother, who also happened to be Evie’s twin sister.”
“Is that so?” Jackson replied in interest.
Shelley nodded. “Stabbed them both to death right out of the blue. Just snapped apparently. He taught history at Mercy High; Josie was in one of his classes. She said he never seemed the type, he was so nice.”
“That’s what they say about most serial killers,” Adam snorted as he leaned on the bar. “The truth is you never know what goes on behind closed doors.”
There was something in his voice, a hint of bitterness that had Jackson narrowing his eyes as he studied his young bartender.
“I suppose,” Shelley murmured. “Anyway, word is, when he realized what he’d done, he burned down the house with the bodies inside. Then he took Olivia, who was only a little kid at the time, and ran. Got as far as Boston, or it might’ve been Phillly, before the cops picked him up. I don’t know what happened to either of them after that, but there was a lot of gossip going around Mercy at the time.”
“How come I’m only just hearing about this?” Jackson replied in surprise. “I like to think I knew Evie quite well.”
“Well, people were encouraged to keep their mouths shut.” Shelley shrugged.
“Encouraged?” Jackson’s eyes narrowed.
“Let’s just say, bad things had a way of happening to people who gossiped about the Wests after that,” Shelley said pointedly.
“And yet here you are running your mouth,” Adam grunted, shaking his head dismissively as he began to unload the fresh glasses from the dishwasher. “This town and its superstitions. Bad shit happens, it’s as simple as that.”
“It’s not superstition.” Shelley’s eyes narrowed in warning. “And if you’d been raised in this town, you’d know that. After all, it was founded by the survivors of Salem, and the Wests are the oldest family in town.”
“Witchcraft?” Adam smirked. “Seriously, you don’t actually buy into that crap, do you?”
“I know enough to keep my mouth shut.” Shelley’s eyes narrowed.
“Then why are you flapping it now?” he asked. “If bad things are supposed to happen.” His eyes widened, and he held his hands up and wiggled his fingers as if some spooky curse was about to descend upon them.
“Evie’s not here anymore, is she?” Shelley snapped.
“You’re so full of shit,” Adam snorted. “Save it for the tourists, Shel. I ain’t buying any of that crap you’re pedaling. There’s no such thing as witchcraft.”
“It would serve you right if something bad happens to you,” she hissed as she snatched up the tray and sailed through the door into the kitchen.
“You certainly have a way with women, Adam.” Jackson chuckled.
“Don’t tell me you actually believe in all that witch crap?” Adam frowned.
“You forget I’m from Ireland, land of magic and myth.” Jackson shrugged. “I was practically bottle fed that ‘witch crap’ from the cradle. Besides, what does it matter what the locals believe? We cast no stones here.”
Adam grunted noncommittedly before moving further down the bar to serve a waiting customer, leaving Jackson to release a slow, resigned breath. He had a feeling it was just going to be one of those nights.
