Page 7 of All the Missing Pieces

“What are ya after today? Caffeine or calories?” the man asked, grinning wide and revealing chewing gum between his teeth.

I sent him an answering smile, reading that he wouldn’t be put off by it. “How about both?”

“Gal after my own heart. Haven’t seen you in here before; want some suggestions?”

“I’d love insight from an expert.”

He chuckled, turning slightly so he could take in the board and me. “Since I own the joint, I’m about as expert as you can get.”

Owner. Good to know. I needed to do a little research to see if the café had changed hands since Emerson had worked here.

“Hit me with it,” I said.

“Can’t go wrong with an iced hazelnut latte now that it’s getting warmer. On the light side of grub, the Kale Krunch salad, or heavier, the prosciutto panini.”

My smile only grew. “I do have a weakness for hazelnut. I’ll take that and the Kale Krunch to go, but I’ll be back for that panini.”

“Staying in town?” the man asked as he rang me up.

“Camping.” I didn’t tell him where. I wasn’t an idiot. The fewer people who had that information the better.

He groaned. “You’re more hard-core than I am. I’m partial to hot showers and my own bed.”

I didn’t bother telling him that I had both thanks to Bessie. “Fair enough. But I get some beautiful sunrises.”

“They aren’t too shabby from right here in town.”

“I bet.” Shady Cove, while getting plenty of tree cover, had stunning mountain views. Since no one was behind me in line, I didn’t hurry off. “You live here long?”

“All my life,” the man said and then extended a hand. “Ezra.”

I took the offered hand and shook. “Ridley. Nice to meet you.”

“You too. Looking for local recs?”

“Always.” That was one of my favorite perks of my job. The way I’d set up my podcast,Sounds Like Serial, not only did I deep-dive unsolved cases; I got to deep-dive a town. Finding the best restaurants and hiking spots, the insider secrets, meant I really got to experience each and every place I worked.

“Well, good news is you’ve already found the best coffee in town.”

I laughed. “I can see by your crowd.”

Ezra’s chest puffed up with pride. “Damn straight. The Whiskey Barrel is your spot for harder drinks. Joe’s Pizza for Italian. And surprisingly, we’ve got a decent Thai place down the block too.”

I raised a brow at that. “I’ll be testing out all of the above.”

A teenage girl came out from the kitchen and smiled at me as she handed me an iced drink and a bag. “Here you go. Enjoy.”

“Thanks,” I said and then turned to Ezra. “And thank you for the tips.” I took a sip of the coffee and grinned. “I’ll be back for more of these.”

Ezra tapped the counter twice. “See you soon.”

Cowboy Coffee was my in. The town hub. There were always one or two in a community. A place where people gathered, where information flowed. And that was exactly where I needed to be.

As I stepped outside, a shrill, raised voice said, “Colter Brooks, I have known you since you were in diapers. Do not give me the runaround.”

My brows lifted as I took in a woman who looked to be in her seventies. Her wiry gray hair hung around her shoulders in wild curls, and she wore a T-shirt emblazoned with a cow, and above it read,Friends Not Food.

I couldn’t see the man, not his face anyway. But that didn’t stop me from staring. He was tall, likely bordering on six foot five. But that height took a back seat to shoulders that were so broad they made the tan shirt he wore pull taut across them, something likely helped by the fact that his arms appeared to be crossed as he looked down at the woman.

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