Page 115 of The Sinner's Bargain

“What did Jennifer say exactly?” The dark haired one leaned closer to squint at her friend over the red cat eye glasses perched on her short nose.

The redhead was saved from answering when the curtain was thrown back and Macy clumped out, looking no happier about her situation. She ambled over to the women.

“Hey Mom. Mrs. Roberts. Mrs. Hollis. The usual?”

“Macy love, can you bring out some of those little cakes? You know the ones,” carpet bag asked, smiling up at the girl.

Macy’s face deadpanned. “You told me to tell you no the next time you asked because it wrecks your diet.”

The smile faded off carpet bag’s face. “Macy! That is not at all what I said. Just bring us the cakes, please.”

I didn’t think anyone missed the warning in the woman’s eyes as she bore into her daughter.

That look sent a chill down my spine. I knew it well. It promised pain and punishment when I ... when Macy got home.

But where I could feel my stomach flipping, Macy rolled her eyes and stalked back to the kitchen. Ivelle emerged a moment later, a broad smile on her face.

“Hello ladies, I’ll get those drinks to you in a tick.”

No one paid her any mind as they resumed their conversation. Ivelle and I locked gazes and she shot me a sly roll of her eyes before turning to prepare drinks.

“Margie says she saw him with some girl,” the third woman hissed, pulling a carpet bag into her lap and rifling inside. “Just another poor soul no doubt.”

The cat framed woman clicked her tongue and nudged the red plastic higher on her face. The tiny gems along the edges glinted with the shake of her head. “That poor thing.”

The redhead scoffed. “You can’t know that. Those people all intermarry each other. She was probably groomed like the others to be here as some exchange for beer or something. Who knows what goes on over there, except the whole thing is vile. These girls are bartered like cattle.”

“Maybe she’s not like the others,” the one with the carpet bag decided, unearthing a pack of gum and sliding a foiled strip free. “He never brought the others to the village. Not once and how many were there? Four? Five?”

“Five,” cat glasses chirped.

“That we know of,” redhead muttered. “People conveniently go missing over there. He could be picking them off one by one once a year.”

Cat glasses gasped. “It really is once a year!”

Redhead nodded. “Just like his father and grandfather. That entire family is a walking curse.”

“Or a family of serial killers,” cat glasses hissed.

The other two nodded.

I had a heavy feeling in my gut the longer I listened. I recognized dread and confusion, but beneath all that was something else. Something hot and prickly I had never felt before, but it was making my skin itch.

“He’ll kill her, too. Mark my words. Sheriff Handley will go up to that house in a few days because they found her hung, or she has fallen into a hole or down the stairs. Handley will cover the crime as always because he’s in Lacroix’s bottomless pockets just like the mayor and every other influential person. In a week, another girl will take her place and around we go.”

There was a break in the conversation as Ivelle brought over their drinks and set them down with plates of tiny cakes. She smiled sweetly at the three.

“Anything else for you guys?”

“No, thank you, Everly,” redhead muttered, not once glancing at her.

Ivelle’s smile never faltered and I had a feeling she wasn’t surprised by the mistake. “Great. Give a shout if you need anything—”

Redhead cut her off. “We’re fine.”

Ivelle inclined her head and hurried back to the counter.

“They’re awful,” I blurted when she got closer.

---