Jill took advantage of their open-mouthed shock to fill them in on what she’d found. Popping up from her seat, like she couldn’t contain her energy, she paced the small space.
“I went to ask a couple of follow-up questions at the station and Priscilla was on the desk,” Jill said.
That was hardly surprising since Priscilla, a mutual friend, worked there full time. In Molly’s experience, however, she was very professional and rarely prone to divulging even the smallest of details unless she’d drank too much. And that had only happened once.
“I was asking to see Detective Beatty—it’s so weird to call the boy who used to help my cousin shove wet sand in my shoes that—but he was walking out of the back when I arrived. When I told him why I was there, he gave me a stock statement.”
She hurried over to her jacket and pulled her phone from the pocket, pulling something up on the screen. “Magnolia Sweet’s cause of death is yet to be determined but after further investigation, we do suspect foul play. We do not believe the community is in any danger but if anyone has any information regarding Ms. Sweet in the hours before her death that they feel would add value to our ongoing investigation…then he gave me the station tip number.”
Molly shook her head, trying to absorb the fact that she had been standing at the scene of another crime.
“They didn’t say strangled,” Elizabeth noted, turning in her seat to follow Jill’s movements.
Jill came and sat down again. “No. Because that’s how they weed out the calls. When Chris walked away, Priscilla made a comment about how she’d be answering the phone non-stop for days now—she helps out on the tip line when she’s not working the front desk.”
“So does Hannah,” Molly said, thinking about the possible overlap and scheduling difficulties.
Jill nodded and waved her hand dismissively. “Worry about that later. So anyway, I asked her how she’d weed out the calls to know if anything is helpful.”
Molly smiled. “Nicely done. As if you don’t already know.” They received similar phone calls at The Bulletin from people who wanted to share information, ranging from concerned citizens to conspiracy theorists.
Jill sat up straighter, tossing her long, straight, blonde hair over one shoulder dramatically. “Right? She whisper told me that Magnolia had been strangled and arranged that way on purpose.”
“Like what on purpose?” Elizabeth asked.
Molly swallowed around the thickness in her throat. “Like the Wicked Witch of the East.”
Jill’s smile faded and she leaned forward, reached out for Molly’s hand. “Hey. You okay? Sorry. I’m being all bubbly about this because it’s solid news, but I forgot for a minute that you had to see it.”
Molly shook her head, breathed through her nose. “I’m fine. I’m also positive Chris wouldn’t be okay with those details being printed.”
“No. Priscilla threatened bodily harm and mentioned her access to tasers and pepper spray.”
Molly and Elizabeth laughed but the tension didn’t ease all the way out of Molly’s shoulders. The images she’d pushed out of her mind came rushing forward again, with new and startling clarity. Instead of strings tugging in the back of her mind, it was more like tug-of-war rope being yanked from both ends.
* * * *
Not your problem. Not your problem. Not your problem. No, Molly’s problem was that now she couldn’t stop remembering little details that she shouldn’t be thinking about. As she waited to cross Main Street at the end of it, where they’d installed a crosswalk by The Bulletin building, she couldn’t stop thinking about what she’d seen in a new light.
Who would kill her? The image of Judd crouched over the body came back with alarming clarity. When she’d arrived, her heart had dropped to her feet. The shock had forced her backward, but the ravaged look on Judd’s face had eased the unspoken worry that it was him. Then he’d saved her immediately after.
The little bird chirp signalling she could cross sounded and Molly waved at the driver of a car stopped at the light. She didn’t know him, but it was automatic now. Everyone in Britton Bay waved at everyone. Across the street were more shops with false and real fronts that resembled an Old-World town with a modern update. She loved it here. She loved the pretty colors on the buildings and the way the lower half of most of them were aged brick. She also loved that her boyfriend’s auto shop was across the street and just up from Come N’ Get it Café so they could meet and go for lunch.
A lot of the shops on Sam’s side were eateries, but there was also his auto shop, an empty storefront, a vintage goods store, and a small bookstore and card shop. There wasn’t much a person couldn’t get on Main Street.
As she neared Sam’s garage, she smiled at the exterior. He worked so hard to make it successful. Only one story, his building was square, white-washed concrete. The front building had an office and sales center. There was a secondary larger building in the back with bays for working on cars. Molly stopped and looked up at the rounded, slowly moving sign that read “Sam’s Auto Shop.”
He’d bought the place with the money his father had bequeathed to him and put his all into doing what he loved but also thought would make his father proud.
“Hey there,” Sam said, coming out of the building. He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and Molly shivered just looking at him, happy she wore a sweater.
Spring was here but the sun still hid behind fluffy white clouds and the sky couldn’t make up its mind as to whether or not it wanted to rain.
“Hey, yourself.” Molly put her hands on his chest as his came to her waist and went up on tiptoe. He met her halfway, kissing her with a sweetness that dulled the noise in her brain.
When she pulled away from the kiss, she slipped her arms further around his neck and held on.
“You okay?” He whispered the words against her hair, making her smile.
“I am. I just like being close to you.”
“Back at you.”
She dropped to her flat feet and they strolled, hand-in-hand, down the block toward the restaurant. Sam swung their arms between them as they stopped and checked out the barrels along the way.
“You should do one in the shape of a car,” Molly said, tipping her head back to look up at him. She squinted against the sun.
“Too late now but that’s a good idea. Maybe next year. You could help me.”
Her heart gave the usual lurch that came with Sam’s mentions of the future. Of his absolute conviction that they were meant to be. She loved it. She definitely felt the same toward him but after a life of moving around, it still felt strange to have someone feel so…tied to her.
He held the door open for her, the bell giving a little jingle. The Come N’ Get It was busy, but not like it was during the lunch rushes of summer. It was beginning, though. Here and there, people trickled into and out of the town, staying for a night or two, maybe a week. As summer came closer, the shops and streets would get busier.
“Come on in, you two,” Calli called from the back of the restaurant, where she was picking up an order. “There’s a booth back here. Give me two secs and I’ll wipe it down for you.”
Sam grinned down at Molly. “The service in this town is fantastic.”
Molly laughed. “Especially when you hang out with the guy everyone has a soft spot for.”
When they slid into the booth, Sam was still smiling. “As long as you do.”
Calli came over with a spray bottle and cloth and wiped down the tabletop.
“Hey cuties. You doing okay, Molly? Heard you stumbled onto a terrible scene.”
It was no surprise that Calli knew, but Molly just didn’t want to talk about it right now. There were too many mixed emotions swimming around inside of her.
“Yeah. It was pretty awful.”
Calli squeezed her shoulder. “Let’s get you fixed up with some comfort food. What can I get you today?” She swiped a strand of hair out of her face with the back of her hand.
They knew the menu well enough not to need it. Molly didn’t need any time to decide. “I’ll have a cola and the battered chicken tacos.”
“I’ll have a root beer float and the Bay Burger with fries.”
“You want two straws for that float?” Calli waggled her eyebrows at them.
Molly laughed. “I’ll stick to my cola.”
Making a tutting sound, she waved her index finger at them. “Just because you live together now doesn’t mean you can’t still be romantic.”
Sam chuckled, leaning back in the booth with one arm stretched out. Molly’s eyes wandered over him appreciatively but she kept it to herself that she had no problem being romantic with Sam.
“I think we’re managing to keep the magic alive, Calli. Try not to worry,” Sam said.
Her face cleared of all humor. “Give me a minute to put your order in and then I’d actually like to talk to you, Molly, about something I am worried about.”
She moved away, stopping at another table and chatting with them a moment.
“What do you think that’s about?” Sam asked.
“I have no idea.” She shrugged her shoulders.
“I read on Twitter that Magnolia was murdered,” Sam said quietly, shifting and putting both arms on the table, leaning into their conversation.
She’d popped online to see the updates before she’d left The Bulletin. Jill was taking over their social media accounts and website. She’d printed Chris’s statement and gave a little background on Magnolia and the play.
“That’s the story. I’m letting Jill take full rein. I heard back from Gavin. He emailed with some of his writing samples and I ran them past Alan. We’re going to give him a few freelance jobs first, see how he does. I’m putting my focus there and on editing.”
“So, no sleuthing?” One side of his mouth tipped up. His tone held no censure even though she knew she’d scared him more than once with her curious ways.
“Nope. That’s what Chris is for. I’m staying out of it.” She was still stung that Chris had just naturally expected her to be where she shouldn’t.
“Babe, I’m positive he didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
Molly shrugged again. Sam reached for her hand. “I’ll still beat him up for you though. If you want.”
Her smile stretched and she squeezed his fingers. “I love that you would but there’s no need. It’s fine. Everything is fine. I just need to do the job I came here to do, and with all of the things that have happened it’s taken a back seat. The Bulletin needs more staff. Sooner rather than later. Especially with this news. Hannah’s been helping out at the station, and with a tip line open for the investigation, she might end up being there more than the paper.”
“Hmm. There’s got to be people looking for work. Does Jill know anyone?”
Molly nodded but didn’t answer since Calli came back over with three drinks on a tray. She set Molly and Sam’s in front of them and picked up the third, giving the tray to one of the servers walking by. She slid into the booth beside Molly.
“I’m joining you for a minute,” Calli said, taking a long sip of her own cola.
“Calli, I don’t pay you to bug the customers,” Dean called out with a laugh.
“Oh yes you do,” she hollered back.
Sam waved to Dean. Molly turned her head and did the same.
“Never mind him. We’ve got a problem,” Calli said.
“We as in the three of us?” Sam asked, not even attempting to hide his amusement.
Calli shook her head. “We as in the citizens of Britton Bay. One of us is missing.”