“Keeley and I need to get going, too.” Olivia gave him a quick, grandmotherly hug. “Welcome to your new home, soldier.”
Elana smiled shyly when Beth walked into the bookstore. “I sold two books while you were gone. And a magazine.”
Beth had known it would be quiet on a Sunday afternoon near the end of the tourist season, and on this particular day, she was grateful for it. “So your first cash register lesson was put to work already.”
“You’d better check to make sure I did it right. But I think so.”
Cody peeked around the corner of the children’s section, then limped up to join his mother. “I watched. She did really good!”
Reaching down to ruffle his thick dark hair, Beth smiled. “I know she did. And I’m sure she was glad to have you here with her on her very first day.”
He nodded, his face shining with pride.
“I’ll tell you what—I’ll show you two how to close up, in case you ever have to do that. And then I’ll give you a ride home.”
“No, you should not bother....”
But Elana’s voice lacked conviction, and her uneasy gaze skated to the front windows. Dusk had already fallen, and the six-block walk would get them home well after dark on a chilly night.
“Of course I will. I wouldn’t want to walk after dark, either. Now, about closing up at the end of the day...”
After a lesson on closing down the cash register and how to place a special order for books, Elana helped Beth straighten up the store displays, turn off the assortment of lamps, and double-check the back-door lock.
“See, it’s all easy, and you’ve caught on really fast. I hope you’ll like working here.”
Elana nodded, her brow furrowed. “What about your other clerk—will she be able to work soon?”
“She’ll be away at least two months with her broken ankle, but she found out she has some heart problems and doesn’t want to work nearly as much, even if she does return. You’re welcome to all of her usual hours and more, if you want them.” Beth grabbed her car keys and purse from the counter. “Shall we go?”
She let Elana and Cody step outside, then she turned to lock the door. At Elana’s sharp gasp, she spun around. “What is it?”
Elana had a tight grip on Cody’s shoulders. “I—I thought I saw something...just over there.” She tipped her head toward the rear bumper of Beth’s car. “I don’t see anything now.”
Darkness had fallen, but the old-fashioned street lamps cast a gentle glow on the street, and there were security lights shiningat the peak of each of the other buildings on the block. Beth’s car was the only one in sight, its headlights not more than ten feet from the store entrance.
“I don’t see a thing,” Beth murmured. “And honestly, I don’t remember the last time there was any trouble in this area. Six months, at least. It’s a safe place to live.”
“But strangers can come here,” Elana whispered. “They could come from anywhere, and think this place is...is...an easy mark,sí?”
“I’ve never felt afraid in Agate Creek. A lot of people leave their doors unlocked. People trust each other here, Elana.”
At the doubt in her eyes, Beth offered an encouraging smile. “The sheriff and his lone deputy might be straight out of Mayberry, but they don’t have much to deal with. I’ve heard one of the deputies complain that an occasional shoplifter was the most excitement they saw all year.”
Elana cast another uneasy look over her shoulder.
“And now, in the middle of October and on a Sunday night, there ought to be very few tourists still around, if any.” Beth reached for her cell phone and held it aloft. “Don’t worry, though—I’ve got my phone, and just pressing the 9 will call 911. But I’ve never had to use it here, believe me.”
She circled her car, checked the backseat, then once again surveyed the empty street. “All clear. I’m sure of it.”
A cat appeared far down the sidewalk, its tail held high as it marched in the opposite direction. With a meow it vaulted over a gate between two buildings and disappeared.
Elana’s shoulders sagged with relief. “A cat. Only a silly cat. Right, Cody?”
Despite all reassurance to the contrary, she scurried forward when Beth hit the button on her key ring to unlock the doors, pushed Cody inside, clambered in after him, and hit the door locks on both sides of the back seat
She was still breathing heavily and muttering under her breath in Spanish when Beth got in and locked her own door.
“There,” Beth soothed, seeing the frightened expression in Cody’s eyes. “We’re all safe. It was just a cat, after all.”
