“I shouldn’t be doing this,” Liv muttered, even as her traitorous feet continued forward. She was heading towards Steven’s house. Cairo’s fiancé. Casseroles were a traditional post-grieving gift, weren’t they? And Gram had taught her how to bake and cook. It was one of the reasons her coffee shop was blossoming into a strong business just one month out.
Oh, what the fuck was she doing? She wasn’t there just as a grieving friend. What she really wanted to know was what had been found out about Cairo’s death.
Did that make her selfish? Probably. But there was something off about it. For all that it looked like a suicide, there was something about it that made her uneasy. Abby and River were working the morning shift at the coffee shop, so she was able to take the extra time to go across town.
Steven lived closer to the central part of town, one of the branch streets that delved off from the Main Street. It was easy to get to, which suited him as one of the busier businesspeople in town. He owned half of the businesses in Amaranth, including the largest (and only) business plaza that looked so out of place.
Liv had never really liked him, but she never really knew him, either. Obviously, Cairo had liked him. Had they set a wedding date? Liv didn’t know. Then again, she had only been back a month. And their relationship wasn’t something that had come up in Liv’s texts with Cairo.
Steven’s house came into view, its tall, grey body looking out of place compared to the other, brighter houses. She walked up the cobblestone walkway up to the front door and rang the doorbell. His shiny black sedan was parked in the driveway, so he was obviously home. Or someone was, anyway.
She heard the click of the door being unlocked, then it swung open. Steven stood there, dressed like a businessman in a slick dark suit. Looking at him, Liv never would have guessed that his fiancé had been found dead the day before.
“Yes?” Steven asked, his voice more gravelly than she had expected.
“I brought some casseroles.” Liv held them out, feeling more awkward than she had anticipated. “I’m sorry about Cairo.”
A hint of sorrow flickered across his face before it disappeared. “You are?”
“Liv. Olivia,” she added hastily. “I went to high school with her.”
He nodded once, taking the dishes from her. “She mentioned you. Thanks.” He took a half-step back into the house, not in an inviting way but as if waiting to see if there was anything else she wanted from him.
“How are you faring?” Liv asked. It couldn’t hurt.
The way Steven looked at her reminded her that it was sort of a stupid question. How else would he be faring? “I miss her very much.” Then he stepped back again, and closed the door, leaving Liv standing there.
The avid mystery fan in Liv’s head was screeching at that point. How many times had she watched true crime where the husband or boyfriend had done it? Uneasiness prickled across her skin, and she wished she had brought Mocha for at least some protection. She was all alone there, and no one knew where she was.
Liv turned and started the walk to her coffee shop, her arms wrapped around herself. She stepped inside the gas station on the way to work, enjoying a brief respite from the cold outdoors as she browsed the walls for nothing in particular. The lady who worked at the front smiled up at her, then turned back to the newspaper she was reading.
Another customer stepped up to the counter, so Liv picked up a soda and slid in line behind them. That way she wasn’t just taking advantage of the heat. “Did you hear?” The male customer asked the lady behind the counter.
“It’s a tragedy,” the woman said, shaking her head.
Liv’s curiosity was piqued. Were they talking about Cairo’s death, or something else? Certainly, the news of her death had gotten around. It was a small town, after all, and gossip spread in approximately 0.2 seconds.
“I’ve heard it’s the third one this month.” The male sounded grim.
Newspaper woman tsked. “Young people these days, getting involved in drugs.” Her voice was clearly disapproving.
Part of Liv wanted to roll her eyes. She was in her late twenties, almost thirty, and still considered a ‘young person’ by people like her. The man paid and left, leaving Liv standing there. “Hi,” she said, feeling awkward for her eavesdropping.
“This’ll be all?” The woman asked pleasantly, taking and scanning her soda. Liv nodded.
Then her gaze drifted to the newspaper that she had been reading.
Third drug overdose victim found in a month. Does Boren have a drug problem?
A chill washed over her. Boren was the closest town. It was about twice the size of Amaranth, which provided double the gossip. But only those who went between the cities brought gossip back.
“That’s crazy,” Liv said, pointing to the newspaper article.
The woman behind the counter nodded her agreement. “They’re saying there’s an epidemic. Hope it hasn’t spread here.” She grimaced. “The last thing we need is drugs.”
Liv nodded her agreement, picking up her soda and change before heading out the door. “Have a good day,” she said as if she was functioning on autopilot.
How had she not heard about the drugs before? That was a stupid question, and she knew it. She spent most of her time heavily isolated for a reason. She cracked open the soda and took a drink, walking the ten minutes to her shop in the frigid chill. Maybe soda had been a stupid option, but she sure as hell wasn’t thinking clearly after the events of yesterday. Was Cairo’s death related to drugs?
It didn’t seem likely, but she wasn’t going to rule
