Page 24 of Covert Chaos

"Oh…right! Let's go get them!" Lucy and Hattie then took off across the parking lot, used a key I didn't know Hattie had, and let themselves into my store, which had stairs that led to my second-floor apartment.

"Well," I said aloud as King Tut wandered out of the woods and sat down in the middle of the parking lot, "I guess that leaves us."

He stared at me, his unblinking yellow eyes glowing in the light.

I stood up, shook out my shoulders, then strode across the parking lot. I started singing a Taylor Swift song just a little too loudly, trying to drown out how loud my heart was pounding.

Friends. I had to just make friends. I could do that. I knew how to win over anyone.

Even Rachel?

Maybe not Rachel. But getting her to attack me would be easy enough, right?

I jogged up the steps to the deck, then stopped in my store to grab a hairdryer from under the counter. Not that I'd ever been robbed, but I had been almost assassinated several times.

A hairdryer might not seem like it would be better than a gun, but it was my zone of genius, and I owned it. Plus, Lucy and Hattie would be covering me in a few minutes.

"Come in, kitty cat," I called out as I strode into the café and flicked on the lights. "Hattie must have left the lights on in the kitchen." I could hear someone moving in the kitchen, and I wrapped the cord of the hairdryer around my hand, swinging it back and forth to get a little momentum.

Was I really walking into the kitchen to confront a possible murderer?

Yes, yes, I was.

Why? Because the murderer had no reason to kill me, and most criminals didn't want any more trouble than they had to have. I knew that, and I was counting on it.

King Tut trotted in with me, as I walked through the restaurant area. Beau was hiding behind the antique oven that Hattie used to bake bread.

Would he decide to be a hero and save me if I got into trouble?

He would claim no.

I would bet yes.

Unless it endangered him, in which case, definitely a no.

That was fine.

I had this under control.

I ignored him as I pushed open the door to the kitchen and walked inside.

Fourteen

Emmeline was standing on a stool, her hands buried in a box above the stove.

I was shocked. I had thought it was Rachel for sure.

"Whoa," I said, jumping back as if I was startled, which I honestly was. "I thought Hattie left a light on! I didn't expect to see anyone here!"

She stared at me, and I could see her quickly assessing.

"Did you accept Hattie's offer to come work here already?" I grabbed a water from the counter and popped it open. "I think that's a good call. Who needs to work for men, right? You getting a jump on tomorrow? Saturdays are crazy busy here. The whole world loves Hattie’s food."

Emmeline nodded slowly. "Yes, I quit my job. Hattie said I could start in the morning."

I raised my bottle in a toast. "Awesome. You can't go wrong with Hattie, right?"

"Right." Emmeline was still on the stool, her hands still in the box.

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