Chapter 25 #2
Creepy trucker hat guy. A smirk tugged at his chapped lips.
“Remember me?” he asked, his voice rough with smoke and something darker.
How could I forget? He’d already tripped every internal alarm I had since I first saw him looming in the shadows on Main Street. His behavior at the rental unit only solidified my instincts. Something about him buzzed in my nerves like faulty wiring.
“Billy,” I said, forcing my voice steady. “Of course. The landlord, right?” Landlord of the Cat Pee Palace.
His lecherous grin widened. “I knew you’d remember me. The rental is still available, you know.”
I thought about lying and saying I’d found somewhere else. But it wouldn’t be too hard to find out that I still lived at the inn, and I didn’t want any trouble from this guy.
“Thank you, but I decided to wait until one came available within walking distance to work.”
“And where do you work?”
My eyes looked around for someone to save me from this conversation. “The town hall.”
He smiled, showing all of his yellow-stained teeth. “Oh, that’s right. I knew that. For some reason.”
A cold weight settled in my chest. He was still smiling, still standing too close. Too eager. Too interested in things that weren’t his business. Almost like he wanted me to take notice of how creepy he was. Could he be the killer we were looking for?
I had no evidence, just vibes, but it was enough that I knew I needed an escape route.
I caught sight of Angelica not too far away, and even though I only knew her from the inn, and we weren’t actually friends, she’d have to do. I pointed vaguely at the crowd. “You’ll have to excuse me, Billy. My friend is here.”
Without giving him a chance to continue this weirdness any further, I darted into the street, nearly knocking into Angelica.
“Sorry,” I said, grabbing hold of her arm. “Will you look happy to see me and pretend that we’re, like, good friends for a sec?”
Her face lit up. “Kelsey!” she yelled in an exaggerated fashion and threw her arms around my neck. “Who are we performing this for?” she whispered in my ear.
“Creeper in a trucker hat about ten feet behind me,” I said.
“Oh, he’s watching, all right.” She pulled back, keeping her fake smile on. “So, let’s chat. You still enjoying the inn?”
“Yeah,” I breathed. In her presence, my pulse started to return to normal. “But it’s starting to feel a bit cramped. I really wish a good rental would open up.”
“Well, if the town’s body count keeps growing, I’m sure there will be some openings soon.”
“Is he still watching?” I asked.
Her eyes nonchalantly scanned the area. “Nah, I can’t see him. He gave up.”
I risked a look over my shoulder, but Billy had either gone into one of the businesses or melted into the crowd. The choir moved on to “Jingle Bell Rock,” and many in the audience swayed and clapped along.
“Thanks,” I said, not even trying to hide my relief. “I owe you one.”
Angelica wrapped one of her long curls around her finger. “In that case, I have a question.”
“Shoot,” I said, already having a feeling what this was about. If the expression on her face that night at the Silver Bell meant anything, she had a raging crush on Aaron.
“Is there anything romantic between you and Aaron Chambers?” she asked.
“We’re only friends,” I assured her with a grin. “He’s all yours, if you’re interested.”
She bit her lower lip to stop a smile from overtaking her face. “He’s so hot. All of those suits. His closet is full of them.”
So, apparently she snooped through some rooms when she cleaned them.
“I knew you guys were only friends,” she said happily. “I’d heard rumors about you and Ellison Shaw instead.” She wagged her eyebrows suggestively.
My cheeks warmed at the mere mention of him. But Ellison and I hadn’t had any official talk or anything yet, so I didn’t want to get ahead of myself and continue the rumors. But I had no reason to deny it either. Instead, I just smiled.
Angelica gave my arm a playful slap. “You lucky girl. He’s hot too.”
“Where did you hear that we might have something going on?” I asked, curious.
She made a face. “Have you met Susie McCulley?”
“Oh, have I,” I said. “No further explanation necessary.”
She laughed. “Good luck with that one.”
“Thanks. And thank you for helping me back there.”
“My pleasure, actually.” She gave my arm a little squeeze. “Us girls have to stick together.”
I left Angelica to hang out with her actual friends and spied someone else from the inn.
Jack wove his way through the crowd with a surprising lightness, nodding along to the beat, tapping his fingers against a coffee cup.
No cane. No stiff-legged shuffle. Just …
walking. Easily. Not at all like the man I saw struggling to do his job at the inn.
I blinked, half expecting the illusion to snap. But no—he even gave a little bounce in time to the music. A chill prickled at the base of my skull.
Why fake being feeble? Why pretend to have back pain and use a cane when you could move like that? My pulse hummed in my throat as one possibility rose above all others.
To cover up the fact that he was still strong enough to kill a person and drag their body under a tree.