Page 5 of The Harborer
This is probably nothing. “Ormaybehas been going on. I’m probably overreacting.”
“Tell me.” He took a sip. “Ow!”
“It’s hot.”
“Ha! Thanks for the warning.”
“You’re not going to sue me for burning your tongue are you?” she laughed, grateful the weird vibe had passed.
“No way. You’re the only one in this county who does a good job feeding my habit.” He seemed to consider his words, as if he’d said something inappropriate, and changed to a more serious tone. “So what’s going on?”
“Lately, I’ve noticed things are moved when I open in the mornings.”
“What kinds of things? Moved how?” He took another sip, closed his eyes, and let out a hum of approval.
Pride burst inside her, derailing her for an instant. “Bins of condiments, like my sugar and my syrups. Coffee beans. Boxes of napkins shifted around.”
He cocked a dark russet eyebrow. “Anything missing?”
“No, nothing I know of. Just stuff out of place. At first I thought it was me or one of my employees, but it happens even ifit’s just me coming in, and I knowIdidn’t do it. In fact, the other night, I took a picture when I left and one when I came in just to be sure I wasn’t hallucinating.” She slid her phone from her back pocket, found some images, and handed him the device. “Before and after, time-stamped.”
Scrolling back and forth, he studied her screen. Then he handed her back the phone. “Who else has a key?”
“Just me.”
“Not your employees? Or Micky?”
“Definitely not the employees. Mickyhadone.”
Shane’s eyes locked on hers over the rim of his cup as he slurped more coffee. “Did he lose it?”
Amy squirmed inside. “Um, not exactly.”
Now the other eyebrow rose.
Oh God, she hadn’t thought this through. How much to tell him? She formulated a quick answer and opened her mouth just as the back door opened.
“Hello! Anybody home?” Hailey Hunnicutt rushed into the kitchen, her honey-blond hair spilling from beneath an ice-blue beanie that matched her eyes. Her pale cheeks were pink with cold, her smile wide, and she held two enormous clear bins in her hands.
Shane set down his coffee, took the bins from Hailey, and stacked them on the counter.
She unwound her scarf. “Thanks, Shane. What are you doing here?”
“We were having coffee,” Amy rushed to explain, sounding guilty as hell … without being guilty of a thing. “What areyoudoing here?”
“I’m swapping out books for the Big Event.” Hailey owned a bookstore she ran out of the house she shared with her husband, Noah—also a town insider and the owner of Fall River’s favorite bar, the Miners Tavern. In fact, Noah wassoinside he was the engine behind the train project. If not for his vision and determination, the Mountain Belle would be in mothballs instead of rolling into town day after tomorrow.
Hailey also stocked a few bookshelves in Amy’s coffee shop, an arrangement they’d come to when Hailey had first moved to Fall River a few years ago. It had been so successful that Hailey had been able to launch her own store, but she still kept a small inventory at Mountain Coffee for customers to peruse.
“Want some coffee?” Amy offered.
Hailey looked between Shane and Amy. “Am I interrupting anything?”
“Nope.” Shane practically chugged his java. “I was just leaving.”
Disappointment sprouted and settled in Amy’s gut.
Hailey picked up her bins, refusing Shane’s help, and scurried from the kitchen into the darkened shop, leaving Shane and Amy alone again.
