“Where’d you hear that, Kyle?” Betty asked.
“Sheriff Harrison mentioned it to John Williams and he told Brian who told me.”
“A friend of a friend, huh?” Josh asked. Everyone, except for Kyle, laughed.
“I heard she finished with a nasty divorce and was looking to get away from it all. Her ex-husband was the drinking and beating type, you know?” Carol Leighter said. She was always the sensible one and was usually right in her gossip. When Carol spoke, it usually came from a place of knowing.
“See, I could still be right. Guys like that can always do terrible things.” Kyle insisted.
“Oh please, Kyle. No one wants to hear that.” Carol said.
“No one ever wants to hear it.”
Carol rolled her eyes and the group collectively groaned. They continued with their gossip of Sasha and her daughter Tara, going with Carol's abusive husband theory. After all, it was the most sensible. Moving to Carlisle proved she was hiding from something. So, the theory fit right in.
The gossip continued, more coffee was consumed, and ideas shared. A knock at the front door brought a silence over the group. They weren’t used to visitors during their sessions. Everyone in town knew to leave them alone when they gathered. Otherwise, they could fall prey to a false rumor in retaliation. Nothing horrible, just little rumors like so-and-so forgets to wear deodorant or has a secret obsession with dirty magazines. It got people talking but not enough to ruin lives.
Betty answered the door and was greeted by Sheriff Harrison. She smiled and gave him a wave.
“Morning, Betty.” He said.
“Morning, Sheriff. What can I do for you?”
Sheriff Harrison rolled his shoulders and cleared his throat.
“Well, I was hoping you could spread the word about a town hall meeting this afternoon at the community center.”
“I suppose. What’s it about?”
“You’ll find out at the meeting. Please, let everyone know, OK?”
Betty nodded and watched as the sheriff walked away and drove off in his truck. Turning around to face the others, they began to gossip harder than before. Something was up in the small town of Carlisle. And they were certain the new girl in town had something to do with it.
Sasha had finally finished unpacking the last of her boxes when someone knocked on the front door. She figured it was another friendly neighbor coming by to welcome her to the neighborhood. Putting on a fake smile, she prepared to be courteous and friendly. She opened the door, ready to greet the well-meaning neighbor and stopped in her tracks. A man dressed in khaki pants, brown collared shirt, and a sheriff hat stood outside her door. His gold badge sparkled in the morning sun.
“Ma’am, I’m Sheriff David Harrison. First of all, welcome to our little town.” He proffered his hand and Sasha took it.
“My name’s Sasha. My daughter Tara is sulking in her room right now. It’s nice to meet you, Sheriff Harrison.”
“I wanted to let you know, personally, since you’re new to town and might not hear otherwise, there’s a town hall meeting this afternoon at the community center. We’re hoping everyone will attend. There’s an announcement I need to make.”
“Oh? I hope it isn’t bad news.”
“I’m afraid it is. Hope to see you there. You know where the community center is?”
Sasha nodded, though she wasn’t entirely sure. She was sure, however, she could figure it out. Sheriff Harrison gave her a nod and spun towards his truck. Sasha watched him as he walked away. He was a handsome man with a kind and caring face. His toned body wasn't bad either. She thought about asking him to show her around town but thought better of it. Besides, her depression had kicked in hard. Her mind scolded her for thinking she could truly be happy or find someone who would actually like her. She was a mess and would always be a mess. No man would want her. Surely not a kind, caring, and attractive man such as Sheriff Harrison. And if someone like him did, well, they would turn out to be just like Brent. Their kind and caring nature was merely a show for the woman they intended to capture. Once locked in, all bets were off. Their true nature would bubble to the surface like magma through a volcano. Their anger and hatred and rage would show itself. Then, she would be right back with him. The monster she had worked so hard to get away from would be back in her life, only with a new mask. The mask of a nice-looking man who worked as Sheriff in a small town. Sasha wiped the tears from her face and did her best to quiet her brain.
She looked at the clock in the dining room and saw it was only a few minutes past ten in the morning. There was plenty of time before the town hall meeting. It would take her a while to gain enough composure to go out in public. It was bad enough for her to mingle with people she knew. But strangers? That would almost be impossible. Maybe, she could stick close to Sheriff Harrison. He could make her feel safe. The familiar and menacing tone of her own thoughts returned to tell her it would never work. Sasha shook her head to clear the thoughts and went back about her business.
Chapter Six
The community center stood in the center of town. It was a large building which easily fit the miniscule population of Carlisle inside and yet it still felt cramped. Now, people gathered eagerly inside waiting for whatever news the Sheriff had to share. To Sasha, it felt like thousands of people had crammed their way inside. Had the town population doubled in size in the last few hours? She knew looks could
