Page 24 of Kiss of Deceit

I let out a small laugh. “Some of the people in this town aren’t as happy as you that we’re here.”

My new roommate was one of them, but I didn’t mention that. I wasn’t sure how other people thought of us interns. I hadn’t made any friends yet, so whatever gossip was spreading through this town, I didn’t know about it. Having no friends was nothing new; I didn’t have any before I moved to Winterlake.

“You’re always my first customer of the day,” she informed me, leaning against the window ledge. “Much better than how my mornings used to start.”

Her grim tone piqued my curiosity, and my eyes trailed down her features, catching a quick frown before her usual perky smile reappeared.

“How’d they used to start?” I asked.

She cleared her throat, messing with her small apron around her waist. “With my ex coming in to bother me every morning. One downside of living in such a small town is I can’t get away from him. We didn’t end on the best of terms.”

Before I could ask another question, the door chimed when someone walked in. Hallie’s attention went to the man who was striding toward the counter. I stiffened slightly, recognizing him. It was the old man who sold me the knives at the hardware store.

“Mornin’ Hallie,” he greeted her, his voice deep and scratchy. He had a cigarette tucked behind his ear, and his gray hair was a curly mess. I guessed he was about sixty-five, and he was using the same cane he had the other week when I was at his store. He had a leather vest over his shirt, reminding me of what motorcycle riders wore.

“Hi, Buck. How are you?” Hallie was already preparing his order, and as they continued their conversation, it was clear that they were friendly. Clearly, the man had an issue with internsbut not all women. It seemed that everyone knew each other here, which made sense with how tiny this town was.

Once Buck got his donut and coffee, he barely gave me a glance before he exited the café. Hallie wiped down the counter, and I hesitated for a moment before speaking up now that we were alone again.

“Your ex,” I said slowly, “does he still bother you?”

She sighed. “Yes. He still comes in every day. He works nights at the factory and comes in here before he even goes home.”

“The factory?”

“Yeah.” Her back was to me as she kept cleaning. “It’s north of town right near the mountains. Half of the town works there. Other than the stores on main street, that’s the only other job option. If it wasn’t for the factory, this town wouldn’t even exist. It’s a box factory for car parts.”

I frowned, setting my coffee down. “How do the boxes get shipped out? I heard nothing can travel here in the winter because of the snow.”

“They have a huge warehouse where they keep the boxes stored until the roads open up again.” She faced me and shrugged. “I don’t know the logistics, but I do know that they make boxes.”

“Is your ex going to come in today?”

“I’m sure he is.” She rolled her eyes. “He never misses a day.”

“You should talk to the sheriff. It sounds like he’s harassing you.”

She scoffed. “My ex is friends with Tristin, a guy who works at the police station. I’ve tried getting help before, and it did nothing.”

She had no idea I worked there too and knew exactly who she was talking about. Tristin was the one who worked in the frontand took most of the calls. If he was covering for a friend who was breaking the law, that was a problem.

“It’s fine,” she attempted to assure me. “I can handle him. He never stays long.”

I watched as she scurried away, disappearing behind an employee door. The lie in her words echoed through my head. It wasn’tfine. I’d learned to read people years ago, and from her mannerisms and body language, I was positive that she feared her ex. Tapping my fingers on the table, I glanced at the clock. If I wanted to make it to work on time, I needed to leave in two minutes. Yet, I stayed rooted in my seat.

“It’s none of my business,” I muttered under my breath. “Just walk away.”

Talking to myself didn’t help. I made a promise years ago to only look out for myself. Getting caught up in drama bit me in the ass in the past, and I wanted to make sure that didn’t happen again. But I still didn’t move. Cursing under my breath, I took a sip of coffee, already forming the excuse I was going to give my boss for being late.

The employee door swung back open, and Hallie’s eyes widened in surprise. “What are you still doing here?”

“I haven’t finished my coffee yet.”

She glanced at her watch. “You’re always gone by now.”

“I’m starting work late today,” I lied smoothly.

She didn’t believe me but made no comment when the door opened again. It was two women who were wearing medical scrubs, making me think they worked at the clinic. They looked familiar and I guessed they were interns like me. Leaning back in my chair, I slowly drank my coffee as I watched the sun rise in the sky. The town was waking up, and the sidewalks were getting busy. I wondered how many of these people worked at the factory that Hallie told me about. I somehow missed it when I explored.