Page 46 of Smoke and Fire
“Sure. Are you celebrating something special today?”
She spread an arm. “Just being here!”
I almost snorted, but managed to smile instead. What could that possibly mean? Pineville was a known tourist destination in the summer, when the mountains flooded with people who wanted to get away. Tourists always had some level of enthusiasm, but it centered around boating or water skiing. Maybe she needed mountain therapy, or something?
While I grabbed a cup and reached for the frap base, I glanced back at her. Her gaze darted around the shop, then outside. Something here felt off, but I couldn’t peg it down. All kinds of people materialized, grabbed a drink, and then left. I had no real reason to suspect her except a back-of-the-neck prickling.
The Frolicking Moose had something of a violent history. I would not be one of the barista’s with a gun pulled on her.
Not happening.
“Are you from around here?” I asked.
“No.” She pulled the bag off her left shoulder and set it on a nearby table. “Just stopped by because I heard this was a happening place.”
“It’s fun.”
“Are you from here?”
The frap slipped easily into the clear cup after I took it off the blender. I tacked the lid on and set it on the counter for her to grab, a straw already sticking out.
“Not really.”
“I hear there are local celebrities that come here pretty often.”
“Oh?”
I wracked my brain for who she could mean. Benjamin Mercedy, perhaps, but he’d been staving off press for so long that most people left him alone now. He and Maverick met at the Diner for lunch all the time. Plus, he was easily accessible at his gym, so no one looked for him here.
She reached for the frosted plastic cup. “Yeah, like actors or actresses or famous authors, or something.”
The cake pop I slid her way disappeared off the counter with her drink, but she remained. I felt the pressure of her gaze like a dead weight on my chest. The wordsfamous authorsrang through my ears like alarms.
Yep.
Something was definitelyoff now.
“I’m not aware of anyone famous myself,” I said. “It’s a really small mountain town. There are a lot of hidden cabins or RV parks or HomeBnb’s to rent, though. It would be easy enough to hide up here. Do you know a celebrity in particular that you’re searching for?”
“Not necessarily someone you might know on sight. Do you know the people that come in here pretty well?”
“I’m getting to know the whole town, it seems like. It’s not a super big area, but I’m new to it. I’ve only been here this summer, so there are a lot of tourists.”
Light bloomed in her eyes, which probably meant that I’d just achieved theoppositeof my goal to make her disinterested. I’d hoped to stop the topic by making it seem like I didn’t know any one well, but I had the disconcerting thought thatthatwas exactly what she wanted to hear.
“So I thought,” she murmured. “Lots of people coming in and out might make it easy to hide, particularly if no one knows you by appearance. Do you know the patrons that come by name?”
She stepped back a little, and I wondered if she could sense my growing discomfort. Dad always said that I wore my emotions on my face. The distance between us did make me feel a little bit better.
The cake pop bag crinkled as she had a pull on her frap, like she triedto be casual. Bethany and Maverick had installed a panic button after Dagny had a run-in with a woman and a gun. I nudged closer to it now. It was on the floor, where I could flip the cover with my foot and stand on it.
“I know the customers well enough,” I said. “We have some regulars, but most people just order coffee, use the WiFi, and then leave.”
“Any authors?”
“Ah . . . not sure.”
“There’s a book club that meets here, right?”
