Anyone walking into the general store could be forgiven for thinking it’s shutting down. Half the shelves are empty, with the goods all moved up to the front.
The store isn’t closing—it just isn’t fully stocked yet. In Rockton, even necessities had to be purchased. Ruined a shirt working in the kitchens? Lost weight and need smaller jeans? You bought them with the credits you earned at your job. InHaven’s Rock, your income is only needed for “extras.” Kind of like going to summer camp and bringing tuck money.
Meals, clothing, and all necessities are included in your stay. Work isn’t about survival; it’s about supporting your community. You get paid, but your credits go toward luxury items. Your daily coffee is free. Your evening beer is not. Paper and pens are free. Fancy writing journals are not. Standard-issue black wool scarves are free. Pastel or plaid ones are not. You decide which items add joy to your stay, and that’s where you spend your money.Noton essentials.
While you’re entitled to that black wool scarf, we don’t have a stack of them for residents to grab a new one every time they misplace theirs. If they do lose one, they need to requisition a replacement, and Phil will be examining those requisition lists to be sure this isn’t the third scarf you’ve lost this winter. Yep, we want to be generous, but thereisa budget.
While the general store fills requisitions, those items are kept in storage. The shop only displays the luxuries, which don’t take up a lot of space. We might never need the full building, small though it is. For now, the empty space hosts private gatherings, for those who want to play a game of poker or hold a book-club meeting.
When I walk in, Lynn is on her stool with her inventory book. I grab a chocolate bar as I walk past.
“Add it to your tab?” Lynn says with a smile.
I don’t have a tab. Staff are allowed to take what they want. Lynn makes the same joke every time I walk in, but I know it’s just social anxiety and an eagerness to be friendly. We had a minor clash during Max’s kidnapping—with a bit of casual racism tossed in—and she’s been desperately walking it back ever since.
“Nah,” I say. “Put it on Eric’s.”
Her smile broadens. I’m playing along, as I always do, naming a different staff member each time.
“What’s our poor sheriff done now?” she says.
“The usual. Late-pregnancy hovering.”
“That’s very sweet.” She quickly adds, “Annoying I’m sure, but still sweet.”
There’s a wistfulness in her voice that makes me regret my grumble. I’ve seen Grant hover overher,and it’s a very different vibe.
She sets down her pen. “I figured you’d get to me this morning. I heard about Kendra. I popped by the clinic, but April ran me off.” She quickly adds, “As she should. Kendra doesn’t need a steady stream of visitors interrupting her rest. April did tell me Kendra was fine.”
“She is, all things considered.”
“I, uh, I know this is your investigation—obviously—but…” Lynn fingers the inventory book. “Are we allowed to tell what we did down south if it could be relevant?”
“You’re alwaysallowedto share that,” I say gently. “We suggest that people don’t give away too much for their own safety, but it’s a personal choice. If you’re offering to tell me something pertinent, it will be confidential. Within the police force, that is. I do share anything relevant with Eric and Will.”
“Of course. And this isn’t top-secret or anything. Although…” She chews her lip. “It’s related to why Grant and I are here, but indirectly.”
“I don’t need to know any of that.”
She nods. “Thank you. What I wanted to say was that I worked for a law firm specializing in civil litigation with sexual harassment and assault. I wasn’t a lawyer myself. Just support staff. But I took a lot of training in working with survivors, and that was my specialty. So if you need any help…”
“That didn’t happen with Kendra.”
“Good. I hoped not, but since that was probably the intent…” She shrugs, looking sheepish. “I don’t know what I’m offering.” She taps the inventory book and then looks up. “Oh, but I do know a lot about dosing. The drugs commonly used, methods commonly used, and so on.”
“That could be helpful. Would you be able to assist Nicole in writing up safety guidelines for residents?”
She perks up, face lighting. “Gladly.”
“I might also consult with you. I know some of the drugs used, and we’ll need to match them up with the tox-screen results and the drugs available in town.”
“Anything you need, just ask. Until then…” Lynn rummages through a drawer. “Because Kendra seems to have been dosed, you’ll want to know who was in the bar. I made a list.”
She pulls out a sheet of paper. It’s more than Isabel’s simple list of names. It’s in sections and color-coded. With notes.
“The sections are time based,” she says. “I arrived just before eleven, so the first section is for those I saw when I first arrived. After that, it’s divided into quarter hours. Now, the times aren’t exact—I wasn’t watching the clock. But I was paying attention to who was there.”
She nibbles her lower lip again. “Grant was playing poker, and I didn’t want to interrupt his game to tell him I was going to the Roc.”
