Chapter Two
Her goal had always been that she would have her life together by the time she turned twenty-five.
But now her birthday was only a week away and, if she was being honest with herself, she was having doubts about ever finding what she was looking for.
She’d been talking about just taking off, going somewhere else, seeing what was out there.
Yet, she’d chickened out the other times she’d planned to go. Not this time, she told herself. After years of feeling stuck and lost and alone, she swore that nothing could keep her from finally turning onto that highway and heading south to wherever it took her.
“I know my life is down that road,” Clancy had recently told a friend she’d made while working part-time at Shady Rest. Sarah Brooks, who was a few years older than Clancy, was the only person at the retirement home even close to her age.
Sarah, a skinny dishwater blonde with large brown eyes and an infectious smile, was also the only person on the staff who had been nice to her since day one.
“Do you really think things are that different anywhere else?” Sarah had asked.
They had been the last two people in the rest home cafeteria finishing their lunches before going back to work.
“Billings isn’t any different than here.
It’s just bigger, noisier, with more people looking for the same job you are. ”
“If not the largest city in Montana, then I will keep going until I find what I’m looking for,” Clancy had told her, aware that she sounded like she was trying to convince herself.
Sarah had eyed her with a grin. “And what are you looking for?”
She wished she knew. “I just have this feeling that my real life is out there waiting for me. I finally left Dry Gulch where I was born and raised, and got this far. I’ll get out of here too, as soon as I have enough money.”
Sarah had shaken her head as she’d finished the lunch special, tuna casserole, and started on the soggy apple crisp dessert. “Trust me, life can’t get any more real than working here.”
Clancy had looked down at her own hardly touched lunch. “I’m afraid if I stay, I’ll end up marrying some local cowboy and being forced to learn to cook.”
Sarah had laughed. “What have you got against cowboys and cooking?”
“Nothing exactly. But haven’t you ever wanted to just take off to see what is over the next hill?”
“No,” Sarah had said, shaking her head slowly. “I can be broke here just as easily as somewhere else and I happen to like Montana and cowboys. Maybe you just haven’t met the right one yet.”
Clancy feared she had, and that was part of the problem.
The first time he’d come into the convenience store he’d walked through the door, spotted her and stopped dead as if he’d seen a ghost. He was classic cowboy in his Wranglers and boots, all broad shoulders, slim hips and handsome, suntanned face beneath his Stetson hat.
He’d sauntered over to her, pushed back his hat and grinned at her, exposing two adorable dimples. “Woman,” he said. “I’ve never believed in love at first sight, but damned if I’m not going to marry you.”
She’d rolled her eyes, having heard her share of lines, especially from cowboys. “I highly doubt that because I don’t date cowboys for this very reason.”
He’d looked her in the eye and said, “I promise you I’m like no other cowboy you’ve ever met.”
“You think pretty highly of yourself, don’t you.”
He had shaken his head. “No, you’re the one who will make me the man I was born to be. I have to get back to the ranch, but I’ll be back.” With that he’d left, leaving her shaking her head but smiling.
* * *
AFTER THAT, every time he came in, he tried to get her to go out with him, daring her to take a chance.
“Most of the men I’ve met don’t challenge me or themselves,” she’d told Sarah that day, thinking that her cowboy might be the exception. But she was leaving town, so she would never know.
“Oh, I imagine you’re a challenge for any man,” Sarah had joked. “I hate to think that you’re really leaving on your birthday. I’m going to miss you.”
Now, as Clancy pushed through the convenience store’s front door, she hated to think how much she was going to miss Sarah. They’d become friends so quickly. Clancy had never had a friend like her. Why did she have to make such a good friend now when she was going to leave and lose touch with her?
“You’re late,” Roger, the early shift clerk, snapped as he pushed past her, clearly anxious to get off work. “You were supposed to relieve me at four thirty. It’s almost five.”
“Sorry,” she said as he disappeared out the door.
She glanced through the window at the gas pumps between her and the highway.
Not a soul in sight. Another slow day with the summer tourists gone and fall hunting season over.
She remembered how she used to think that nothing ever happened in Dry Gulch.
At least here an occasional vehicle blew past, headed somewhere, she told herself as she settled in for a long, boring day. She turned on the radio and prepared her till—not surprised when the weatherman predicted another thunderstorm this evening.
Looking out at the empty highway and the dark clouds gathering in the distance, she questioned if she could go through with her plan to leave on her birthday.
She’d thought that by twenty-five, she’d have more figured out.
As depressing as it was, maybe Sarah was right.
Maybe she was deluding herself about the grass being greener down the road.
When her phone pinged with a text, she saw it was from Sarah, who must be working a double at the rest home.
Esther Mason was murdered last night! Sheriff on the way. Did she pay u? If not, UR out of luck.
Clancy stared at the words in disbelief and horror.
She read them again, her stomach churning as her heart thumped wildly against her ribs.
Her initial shock quickly turned to panic.
Esther murdered? She felt her face heat at the memory of the argument she’d had with the elderly woman yesterday afternoon.
She quickly texted back. When last night?
B4 midnight. Everyone losing it here
Clancy’s legs threatened to give out under her at the realization that all the residents at the home had probably overheard her loud confrontation.
Esther had refused to pay her for what she owed her.
Clancy had been running errands for the woman since she’d gone to work there. Esther kept promising to pay her soon.
Yesterday Clancy had cornered her, demanding to be paid. She’d known Esther from growing up in Dry Gulch, so she knew how mean she could be. But she’d never thought the cranky, miserable old woman would cheat her out of money she was depending on.
Instead of cash, Esther had tried to push off some old costume jewelry on her, claiming it was worth more than she owed.
Clancy had been so furious. There was no way she was taking the plastic bag of junk instead of cash.
But she’d also suspected the jewelry had been stolen.
Clancy had heard residents complain that small items had been disappearing from their apartments since Esther had moved in.
Given how nervous Esther had been acting yesterday, Clancy was glad that she’d refused the jewelry. Clearly, the woman had been trying to get rid of it before she was caught. But Sarah was right, now she would never get the money Esther owed her.
She immediately felt ashamed for the thought.
Esther was dead. Feeling sick to her stomach, she replayed her own angry words when she’d left Esther yesterday.
Clancy groaned as she remembered how she’d threatened to come back last night and get the money one way or another.
What if everyone thought she’d killed Esther?
Sarah had said the sheriff was on his way. Clancy knew Sheriff Max Lander from Dry Gulch, which only made her more anxious. He was married to her cousin Goldie. Max would want to believe she was innocent, but once he knew everything, all the evidence would point to her.
Worse, she had gone back last night. She shuddered at the memory of sneaking into the rest home after lockdown, hiding in the storage room until Sarah took her break.
She hadn’t wanted Sarah to know and have to lie for her if she got caught.
But she’d been exhausted from working so much lately that the moment she’d sat down on the floor in the dark at the back of the storage room, she’d fallen asleep.
When she’d awakened, it was so quiet she knew it must be really late.
She’d checked her phone and found it was almost midnight, too late to get her money. She’d been angry with herself for her harebrained plan and worried that she could get herself and Sarah fired if caught.
Carefully opening the door, she had looked out.
The hallway was empty. She’d slipped into the hallway, planning to leave as quickly as she could.
As she neared Esther’s apartment, she saw a light coming from under the door.
Clancy hesitated. It made her angry that Esther was refusing to pay her.
She was about to knock, thinking she would give it one more try, when she heard voices coming from inside the apartment. Female voices. Esther wasn’t alone.
Determined to get her money, she’d gone back to the storage room to wait for whoever was with Esther to leave.
Ten minutes later, she stepped out into the hall again and headed for Esther’s apartment.
But as she neared it, she saw that there was only a faint light under the door.
She had realized that she wasn’t getting her money—at least not tonight.
But before she could turn and leave, she saw one of the residents come down the hall, and froze.
Jane Cooke, a sweet, tiny woman whom everyone loved, saw her and put a finger to her lips, as if signaling they were both to keep this a secret.
When Esther’s door opened a crack, Jane took off back the way she’d come.