He grabbed some coffee and settled into a chair across from her. He was tall and lanky, with a full-head of white hair. A matching mustache lay lazily over his lip and draped nearly to his chin on either side.
“You got in late last night,” he said. A statement, not a question.
“Yeah. Not sure what time. I was lucky to find a place to sleep.”
John nodded. “Did you get your arm looked at?” He had been after her for days to get the infection treated.
“Sure did.” She held up her arm.
Should she tell him what she saw? About talking with Cassie? She decided to let that slide. Why invite questions? Besides, had she really seen all that? She was sure she had. Mostly, anyway. It wouldn’t surprise her much if none of that had really happened. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time she got her two worlds mixed up.
He nodded. “Good, good.” He sipped his coffee. “Did you go over and talk with Luke Towry yesterday?”
Luke Towry owned Central Grocery. John had said he was looking for someone to help clean and stock the shelves and had suggested she go check it out.
“I went by, but he wasn’t there.”
It was a lie. She hadn’t felt up to talking to anyone, much less asking for a job. A job? Her? What a joke. Punch in, punch out? She couldn’t organize her life, hell, even her backpack, how could she manage an actual schedule?
“I see.” His face said he didn’t believe her.
It wasn’t the first time she had lied to Reverend John and probably not the last. Something else to add to the list of things she hated about her life, and about herself. It seemed she always lied about something.
“I’ll stop by today.” She looked at him. “After I go by the hospital to get this checked.” Again, she raised her arm.
He stood. “You do that. He’ll be hiring someone soon and working for him could be good for you. Luke’s a decent guy. He’ll treat you well.” He drained his cup and placed it on the table. He looked at her for a beat, as if expecting some response, but when she sat silently, he walked from the room.
She snatched her backpack from the floor and headed out. Along Main Street, she asked everyone she passed for change. For food, of course. Took less than an hour before she managed to collect two fives, twelve singles, and three or four dollars in change. Time to track down Tommy.
CHAPTER 23
Cassie swung around behind Shaffer’s Pharmacy and jerked to a stop near the rear door. Penny Larkin leaned against her car, arms folded over her chest, face pale. Dried tears streaked her cheeks. Penny had worked for Wilbert Shaffer for decades. As long as anyone could remember for sure.
“She don’t look so good,” Hack said.
“That’s an understatement.”
They climbed out and walked toward her.
“Penny, are you okay?” Cassie asked.
“No.” She sniffed. “He’s dead. Wilbert’s dead.”
“You sure?”
Her face screwed down. “He’s all blue. There’s blood…and…and….” A sob lurched in her chest.
“Why don’t you sit down in your car? We’ll go check it out.”
Cassie and Hack entered through the open rear door. They found Wilbert Shaffer sprawled on the floor behind the counter. Very dead. He was indeed deeply blue. An entrance wound behind his left ear, the front of his skull blown out. Blood and brain matter fanned out across the floor.
“Good lord,” Hack said.
“Check the front,” Cassie said.
Hack pulled his weapon and headed around the counter.
Cassie knelt and felt for the pulse she knew wouldn’t be present. She stood and looked around. Along the back wall, the metal-wire door to the controlled-med area stood open. Inside, the shelves were mostly empty and a few plastic bottles lay scattered on the floor. Someone had gone drug shopping.
She drew her Glock and headed out front. Hack was walking up one of the aisles, his gun now holstered.
“All clear,” he said. “But a bunch of the shelves have been ravaged.”
She put away her weapon and walked up and down several rows. Many of the shelves were in disarray and packages and small boxes littered the floor.
“What do you make of all this?” Hack asked.
She gave a head shake. “I don’t know.” She jerked her head toward the rear. “They emptied out the drug cabinet.”
“Figures,” Hack said.
She led the way back to the area and nodded toward the open drug cage. “Looks like they took all the good stuff.”
“You think this is somehow connected to the Finley house?”
“Don’t you?”
Hack nodded. “Until proven otherwise.”
“What the hell is going on?” Cassie asked. “The Finleys? This?”
“I’d say we have a drug problem.”
“We’ve had that for years.” She released a long, slow sigh. “But never anything like this.”
“I’ll call the coroner,” Hack said.
Cassie explored the area behind the counter, giving Wilbert Shaffer’s corpse a wide berth, taking it all in. Something caught her eye. Something that seemed out of place. A wallet. Peeking from behind the edge of one of the registers. She picked it up.
Hack slid his phone in his pocket. “They’re on the way.” He nodded toward the wallet. “What’s that?”
She flipped it open. A North Carolina driver’s license appeared. The face of a handsome man stared back at her. Not a bad picture considering it had been snapped by the DMV. She read the name: Bradley Allen Buckner.
“Why would his wallet be here?” Hack asked.
“I have no idea.” She sighed. “This is simply insane.”
“Sure is.” Hack rubbed his neck. “But I think we should give Mr. Cain a call.”
“Why?”
“He’s looking for the doctor. Maybe those two have more insight into this that they’re willing to share.”
Cassie nodded. “Couldn’t hurt.”
CHAPTER 24
After leaving Cassie and Hack at the Finley house, Cain and Harper followed the directions Cassie had given them to Reverend John’s place. They wanted to talk with Marla Jackson and see if she remembered anything else about the kidnapping.
Harper parked at the curb and shut down the engine. “Looks like a nice place.”
“It does,”
