Sep. 5, 2008
“So, Lacey, huh?” Kurt shouted by way of greeting. He gave me another big shit-eating grin.
I had just clocked in and was still tying my apron on and looked up to see the ex-marine down at the far end of aisle seven. Tonight we’d received one of the twice-per-week grocery deliveries, so we were both scheduled, to ensure everything got stocked.
“You recommended her,” I replied coolly though I couldn’t quite help smirking. I made it to the end of the aisle, where Kurt was already breaking down the pallet. Punctuality was a big thing with veterans, I’d noticed, between him and Mike.
“Fuck yeah, man.” His clap on my back staggered me. “Those are some nice big ol’ titties.” He was in an unusually good mood.
“Best money can buy,” I agreed.
“Normally, I’m an ass man, but sometimes I make an exception, like in her case.” He grunted as he unloaded a heavy case of soup cans stacked at the top and causing the pallet to lean precariously. “Lazy shitbags at the warehouse can’t stack worth a damn.”
I hurriedly propped up the stacked cases, then began rearranging them so that they wouldn’t topple. “Cutbacks, I guess… Must be some disgruntled assholes working there these days. And yeah, I’m kinda the same, I guess, but Lacey’s caused me to reconsider.”
Kurt barked a laugh. He slid a dolly under a stack of boxes and wheeled it off to the correct aisle.
That was typical of what we talked about on night crew. Crude conversations about women, talking shit about coworkers and supervisors, and whatever other bizarre topics came up. Kurt was old-school and didn’t keep up on movies or music or anything like that, and he didn’t talk about his military past much. I’d heard from coworkers that he’d earned a Bronze Star back in the first Desert Storm. I was glad we didn’t get on the topic of politics. Kurt hated liberals with a passion and believed they were responsible for society falling apart. He could get himself worked up, going on these rants where his face would turn red and he’d start sweating. Honestly, he was kind of scary once he got going. So I always tried to keep the conversations in safe territory.
The grocery load was pitifully small, a testament to the store’s current financial straits. We had everything stocked and cleaned up, with a free hour for coffee and a donut by the time Barry unlocked the doors for opening. My back and hip were hurting, as usual, so I was happy we’d finished early and could chill.
Kurt left the instant it turned six, getting in his old Jeep and hauling ass out of the parking lot. I had to pick up a couple things before I left, so I punched out, got what I needed, and walked back up front just as the paper guy made his delivery. I nodded a greeting and signed the invoice, and he took off.
My blood turned cold when I saw the headline.
Local Woman’s Disappearance Shocks Community
Yesterday, single mother Cecilia Gomez, 19, disappeared sometime after her shift at the local Walmart ended at five o’clock. Gomez was walking home from her place of employment and failed to arrive home for dinner, as expected by her family. The Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating and urging anyone with any information to please come forward…
“Jesus. This is practically a cut and paste from Nell’s article.”
“You say something, Jason?” Vicki, the morning cashier, looked up from filing her nails.
“Just saw in the paper a girl went missing yesterday.”
“Really? Haven’t seen it yet.”
I grunted and resumed reading. Cecilia Gomez was a pretty Hispanic woman, her picture beside the article just as Nell’s had been. The article was nearly identical, providing few details other than her coworkers confirming the time she’d left work, but she never made it home.
Vicki rang me up, and I went home although by the time I arrived, my appetite was gone.
This isn’t over—it could happen to Nell again in a year… or even Laura next time. Someone needs to catch the bastard doing this, and I doubt Coleman is up to the job. I looked at the faint counter on my arm. The feeling of having saved Nell the other day had given me such a rush that I was determined to try to save Mom and Mike and maybe even do something about Laura’s situation if I could.
Why not try to catch this kidnapper? I’ve got this amazing power with Tina, but I’d need to come up with a plan.
I didn’t know why I was setting myself up as the hero to go against this villain here in Pinehaven, but someone had to. And I was quickly realizing the ability to time travel was highly addictive. What I’d done for Nell had undeniably given me a hunger I’d never had before—to not only make things right in my own mess of a life, but to do some good for those I cared about, for a change.
But first things first—I had to save Mom’s life.