Reva leaned back in her chair and pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers. So, Merritt had been spotted leaving her place.
Great! Just great.
For the next several hours, Reva forced her attention on work. There was a stack of bids for the community center that needed her review and she had to draft a response to their county assessor, Merck Taylor. Every year, he got a little heavy-handed in his valuations and needed to be encouraged to pull back a bit, lest her constituents come off the rails after receiving their annual tax bills.
It was after two o’clock in the afternoon when her stomach growled, alerting her she’d worked right through lunch. Knowing her tummy would only grow more demanding if she tried to ignore the hunger signals, she turned off her laptop, scooped up her purse, and headed out. “Verna, I’m going to go grab a bite.”
Verna shut down her iPad and scooped a few leftover sandwich crumbs from her desk into her palm, but not before Reva caught a bit of the gray-haired woman’s favorite soap opera. She bragged she’d never missed an episode ofGuiding Lightand was now watching reruns of the defunct program on YouTube.
She looked up from the remains of her sandwich. “I just love that Lillian Raines, don’t you?” she told Reva, who chose to look the other way as her boss. Verna might stretch her lunch hour a bit but was careful to always put in her eight hours of service daily.
A short walk later Reva entered the Rustic Pine and greeted the owners on her way to a bar stool. “Hey, Pete. Annie.” Thankfully the bar was nearly empty this time of the day.
“Afternoon, Reva.” Annie wiped her hands on a bar towel. “We’re out of the special, but Pete can whip you up anything off the menu. That meatloaf always sells out fast.”
Reva didn’t need to scan the menu. Like most people in Thunder Mountain, she had the selections memorized. “How about a club sandwich?”
“Want fries with that?” Annie asked.
Normally, Reva would skip the calories. But after the morning she’d had, the indulgence was welcome. “Sure.” She pointed to the glass case displaying the desserts. “And maybe a slice of that coconut pie.”
The television mounted on the far wall flashed a familiar face, catching Reva’s immediate attention. “Pete, would you mind turning that up?”
“Sure thing.” He grabbed the remote from behind the counter and pointed it at the TV. The screen turned to a spokesman noted to be with the Justice Department standing behind a podium. “While we understand the public’s interest in this matter, it is important to remember that the investigation is ongoing, and all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. We are committed to ensuring that justice is served fairly and impartially. Further details will be provided as they become available.”
Despite having steeled herself for all of this, the media announcement made things real. No longer were her thoughts circling Merritt’s private confession to her. Now, he’d been officially charged, and the legal process had begun in earnest.
She listened for several more minutes, taking in the details as Merritt’s image filled the television screen again. There were photographs of his campaign run, clips from the night he delivered his victory speech, and pictures of him and his family.
Reva finally looked away. “You can turn it off, Pete.”
He gave her a sympathetic wink and complied. “You know, the good Lord has a way of bringing prodigals home,” he reminded. His black lab, named Bartender, circled from behind the counter and barked his approval.
Reva nodded. Before she could respond, a voice from behind her rang out.
“You bet. Sounds like that boy woke up with his face buried in mud. Sadly, he won’t be getting out of that pigpen anytime soon.”
The entrance door opened, and Reva turned to see Nicola Cavendish walking in her direction, her purse perched in the crook of her elbow.
Annie called over to Pete who was at the grill. “Make that order to go, Pete.” Reva gave her a grateful look.
“So,” Nicola’s nasal voice rang out. “It must be devastating to learn the love of your life is about to go to prison.” Her knowing smile was as sharp as glass slivers. It would take some maneuvering not to get sliced.
Reva brought out her widest smile and glued it firmly in place. “Hello, Nicola.”
While petite in stature, the woman’s presence was large in Thunder Mountain. She carried herself with a self-assured air, convinced of her indispensable role in their community. She was the keeper of the town’s pulse, the curator of its secrets. In her mind, her insights and revelations were as crucial to the town’s identity as its landmarks.
“Did Merritt Hardwick come seeking legal advice? Or—” She paused. “Perhaps consolation?” Her suggestion was pregnant with not-so-hidden meaning.
“Merritt Hardwick came to town because he’s too stupid for words.”
They all turned to see Capri standing inside the door, her hands on her hips. “He may have wanted to run into his past to escape his dim future, but let me assure you, Reva is certainly not dwelling in bygone days. In fact, she’s got a date this weekend.”
Reva’s eyes widened.
“As far as Merritt Hardwick being the love of Reva’s life, I can tell you most assuredly that she has plowed that field and replanted.” She turned and met Reva’s shocked gaze. “Right, girlfriend?”
Reva swallowed and for some unexplained reason, she nodded.
