Miss Nobody

Chapter 24

MURDER LIST

Afternoon Day 9

I pushed on the brake pedal, forgetting the clutch and stalling the car. "Really?" I didn't remember doing that.

"You said something but I was too far away to hear. You really don't remember?" Diego asked from the passenger seat.

I shook my head. Was I losing more time? "You know about Magic?" I had been delirious when Jonny mentioned it and thought him talking about Magic was part of one of my dreams but now that Diego was talking about it, I took it more seriously.

He shook his head. "Not this kind of Magic." He didn't elaborate.

I handed him my phone. "Put your number in. I'll look through some books tonight and get back to you."

He programmed his number and nodded. "This Keiran kid is up your ass."

I grabbed my phone from him and restarted the car.

He laughed. "Let me out anywhere. You got this."

I nodded and drove back to the hotel. "It's a good thing you showed up yesterday," I said to him quietly and tried not to think about the blood again.

"Things happen for a reason." He shrugged. "Don't tell anyone I'm here and we'll call it even." He winked.

I nodded and stopped the car near my room. "Thank you!" I shouted to him as he jogged away from the car and into the woods by Jonny's cabin.

I wanted to go see the woman in the drugstore and check if she recognized me. If she had any pieces to my puzzle, but I thought better of it. From my brief memory with her and the Deputy at the brothel, I shuddered, she and I were friends. I didn't want to risk her life if she was seen with me.

I leaned back against the seat. I still needed to cash my check. Maybe if I just looked ar her again more memories would come back? I sighed and set the map on my phone to lead me into town. I set it for backroads only, not ready to drive on the highway.

I hesitated and parked down the street away from the drugstore. The stores on Main Street were a time capsule of the 1950's. After the Lodge was built in the 1920's the town around it slowly grew. They capitalized on the charming facade but there was a creepy unnerving feeling like the town had been untouched and apart from the rest of the world.

I breathed deeply, trying to steady my nerves. Just a peek. I looked in the big windows of the Drugstore and sighed when a different person was working behind the counters. A man held the door open for me to go inside. "Thanks," I said quietly and headed to the cashier to wait in the small line.

A pair of leather gloves was placed on top of the candy bars next to me. I purchased them as I cashed my check and tried not to act weird about it. "Perfectly normal to buy a pair of gloves for winter," I whispered.

The young woman behind the counter smiled brightly at me. "Sure is, these are good ones too." She held them up. "Bag?"

"No thanks." I took them and my cash and heard familiar voices behind me. The blood drained from my face. I ducked into an aisle and prayed the Sheriff wouldn't notice me as I snuck toward the doors.

Elenora had her head down, searching for something in her purse.

Fuck. I hid behind a large magazine rack and pretended to look at the covers while I waited for the last people I wanted to see move away from the entrance. The Sheriff joined Elenora with Mrs. Widell following.

"Any news on my husband?" she asked him quietly.

He shook his head. "Not yet," he said solemnly.

Mrs. Widell nodded.

"If you could give me any more information?"

She shook her head again. "You know how he is, so secretive and ornery. After so many years I just learned to stop asking him questions and live my own life." She glanced at Elenora.

Elenora dug around in her small beaded purse. She finally pulled out a fake cigarette, the red light blinked as she took a drag. "I'm sure he'll show up. We aren't lucky enough to have him disappear for good." Elenora and Mrs. Widell laughed.

The Sheriff raised an eyebrow at Mrs. Widell and she quieted. "I know you don't like your husband-"

"Nobody does," she interrupted him.

"At least act like you're sad."

She shook her head and glanced at Elenora again. She turned bright red. "Hot flash," she explained as she headed out the door.

The Sheriff watched her. "She better have a good alibi if we find his body."

"She does." Elenora puffed on her plastic cigarette.

"And how would you know?" He yanked her cigarette from her lips and tossed it back in her purse.

"She was with me." Elenora must have given him a look because if the Sheriff were wearing pearls he would have clutched them.

"You are not sleeping with Mrs. Widell?" he asked incredulously. "You're like eighty years old." He gasped.

Elenora laughed at his surprise. "I'm only 75." She pulled the fake cigarette from her purse again. "But enough about my sex life. I'd much prefer to discuss yours." She took a deep drag and the Sheriff blushed. "Harriett's daughter comes from good stock. She's still young enough to give you all those children you want."

The Sheriff rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "She was rude to Jane. I don't like her...energy."

Elenora snorted. "Jane does seem more your type." She walked to the back of the store and the Sheriff followed her before I could hear what else they had to say about me.

I left without them seeing me and rushed to my car. Who else would be on the Sheriff's suspect list if they found Mr. Widell's body? Jonny? Did he kill Mr. Widell? Was this the list Jonny was talking about? Who the fuck was Jonny Zantana, really? Customer Service my ass. Who would know about him that I could ask? I needed the truth, not some bullshit rumors. My head spun as I drove further down Main Street. I had enough bodies piling up around me without Jonny's help.

***

The vintage store was still packed with goods. The giant green alien statue held a sign with a different color for today's discount. I looked at the clock on my phone. Not enough time to shop but I was here for the green vintage leather wallet I spotted in the glass case and maybe some answers. A small semblance of me getting my life together. Crossing things off my imaginary list. A to-do list, not a murder list like Jonny's. I sighed. I may not be able to solve people's deaths but I could buy a freaking wallet.

"Welcome in," sounded from somewhere in the racks of vintage clothing.

I went straight to the glass case and looked for the wallet. Still in the same spot.

"Can I open the case for you?" The elderly woman's voice came around the counter.

"You're Mr. Zantana's wife?" She smiled warmly at me.

"Uhh, we aren't married." I looked at her and blushed.

"Oh. Well, you should be. If I were thirty years younger I'd make him my famous Chilis Rellenos. The quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach." She patted her round stomach. "What do you make?"

"Oh. I don't cook." I blushed and tried to come up with a question about Jonny.

She raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips.

"I'm just not very good at it." I tried to explain.

"Not even a cookie or dessert?" she whispered like it was a dirty little secret.

Another, younger, woman came around the counter with an armful of colorful clothing. "Not everything needs to be about catching a husband, Ma." She hung the clothing and pulled out a tagging gun.

The older woman rolled her eyes and jiggled her keys with a smile. "Can I open it for you?"

"I'd like to look at that wallet, please." I pointed through the glass. Grateful that the husband conversation had been dropped.

She unlocked the case and slid the door to the side. "Beautiful choice, the green leather was hand-tooled into these gorgeous roses." She traced her fingers over the bumpy surface.

"How do you know Jonny?" I tried to sound casual as she placed the wallet on the glass counter. I opened it, looking over the seams. The wallet was in pristine condition and I nodded to her.

"We've known Mr. Zantana for many years." The younger woman tagged the clothing. "He helped my mother and me when I was very young."

The older woman nodded and tears swelled in her eyes.

"He helped us get citizenship." She put her arm around the older woman protectively.

The older woman finished, "he helped my daughter start this business. We started in the living room and now look at us." She smiled at her daughter.

"We would do anything for Mr. Zantana." The younger woman looked at me, not smiling. "Anything." It sounded like a warning.

"I'm glad Jonny has people looking out for him." I nodded sincerely but afraid to ask more questions. I knew they would tell him I was here today.

She seemed satisfied with that answer and nodded to her mom. She walked away pushing the rack full of newly tagged clothing.

"Will this be all for you today, Hun?" The elderly lady removed the sales tag from the wallet.

"Yes. Thank you." I paid her in cash, stuck the wallet in my purse, and headed to my car.

Keiran was leaning against it, looking moodier than usual.

I stopped short, surprised.

"You haven't been replying to my texts." He took a drag from a cigarette. He looked tense and I stood away from him.

"I've been busy." I glanced around the street hoping to get a glimpse of who Jonny had following me, if anyone. The only other car around was Keirans.

He threw his cigarette butt on the ground.

"I didn't know you smoked."

"I didn't know you fucked Mr. Zantana."

My eyebrows rose. "I haven't fucked Jonny." Not technically.

He scoffed, "Then what do you call it?"

"It's none of your business who I do and don't sleep with." I moved past him and unlocked my car door.

"You're right." Keiran held his hands up and backed away a couple of steps. "I'm sorry. I've been with Elenora and she stresses me out." He ran his hand through his hair. He didn't have his normal pair of glasses on. "That's why the smokes. And the anger."

I nodded and got in my car. "I'll see you later." I drove away from him quickly. I watched as he lifted his phone to his ear in my rearview mirror. How did he know where I was and how did he know this was my car? And how did he know Jonny and I were...I wasn't exactly sure what we were or what we were doing but it wasn't anyone's business. We're both single adults. I gasped. Is Jonny single? Is this why he left all the time? To be with his...person? Fuck.

I needed to break up with him anyway. He had too many secrets and I wasn't ready to tell him mine. Magic seemed to be a sore spot with him. Sex Magic was strange enough but Blood Magic was on a whole different level. I sighed. It's best to end it before anyone else gets hurt.