Judging by his stance, Orton had come on police business, but Booker couldn’t imagine why. He’d paid his fine and was attending the anger management classes. The misdemeanor assault charge was almost behind him.
“I’ve got it, Delbert.” Booker stepped outside instead of inviting Orton in. Closing the door behind him, he shoved his hands in his pockets and refused to act surprised or worried while he waited for Orton to speak.
Orton let the silence stretch. “There’s been another robbery,” he finally said.
“Tonight?”
His watery eyes gleamed in the darkness. “That’s right.”
“Where?”
“You don’t know?”
The hair on the back of Booker’s neck stood on end at the accusation in Orton’s voice. “How would I?”
“Because it happened at 1028 Robin Road.”
Booker didn’t recognize the number. But he didn’t need to. He knew only one person who lived on Robin Road: Jon Small.
KATIE FELT FAIRLY confident that she could smile and be polite when she saw Ashleigh at the gas station or passed her in the grocery store. But she didn’t want to work with her. Just the thought of standing across from her at the salon while everyone was swapping stories about the men in their lives, as they often did, made Katie cringe. She didn’t want to hear the intimate details of Ashleigh’s experience with Booker, didn’t want to remember that it had even happened.
But she had to go back to work. Thanks to Mike’s willingness to lend her a computer, she could continue to build her Web business on the side. But she needed immediate cash to take care of Troy, to make payments to the hospital for his birth, and to repay her mother the money she’d borrowed over the past few weeks. Katie and her father still weren’t speaking, which put her mother in a difficult position, and Katie was especially sensitive to that.
Gathering the bag that held her scissors and beauty supplies, she got out of the red Nissan Mike insisted she use and went into the salon. She wasn’t going to sit in the parking lot, dreading Ashleigh. It was better to hold her head high and get their initial meeting over with.
Ashleigh was standing behind the cashier’s desk when Katie walked in. At the bell, she glanced up, then smiled brightly, and hurried over to give Katie a big hug. “Katie, I’m so glad you’re back!”
Katie pasted a smile on her face and tolerated the embrace. She and Ashleigh had gone to the same school, but Ashleigh was two years younger, she ran with a faster crowd and they’d only worked together for a few months before Katie quit.
“Thanks, it’s good to be here.” Katie immediately looked to Mona who, at the moment, was the only other person in the salon.
“Good to see you again, Katie,” Mona said while she organized her station. “How’s the baby?”
Katie felt her smile grow genuine. “He’s so wonderful, Mona. I love him more every day. When he gets a little older, I’ll bring him in so you can see him.”
“I bet he’s a doll.”
“I can’t wait!” Ashleigh chimed in.
Ashleigh’s enthusiasm over her return caused Katie a flicker of guilt. Ashleigh found Booker attractive, and had been aggressive in her pursuit, just like the woman named Chevy from the mall. Katie couldn’t complain about either one of them. As Rebecca had already pointed out, she had no claim on Booker. But somehow that didn’t make what had happened any easier to accept.
“I scheduled Heather Frye with you for an ‘up do’ in fifteen minutes,” Ashleigh said. “Prom’s tonight so a lot of the high school girls are coming in to have their hair curled and styled.”
Katie liked styling hair for special occasions. She nodded and went into the back to stow her purse. On her way to the front, she waved to Winnie McGiver, who’d just come in to have her nails done, and called her mother to check on Troy. She’d left home only twenty minutes earlier, but this was the first time she’d trusted someone besides the hospital to take care of her son. She needed to assure herself that he wasn’t crying uncontrollably.
“He’s fine,” her mother said. “I’ve raised two kids of my own, remember? I can handle him.”
“Call me if you think he wants to nurse.”
“I’ve got that bottle you expressed. I’ll let you know if we need more.”
“He likes to lie on my chest and sleep. If he’s fussy, you might try that.”
“He’s not fussy,” Tami said. “He’s sleeping soundly.”
“And the rocking chair helps if—”
“Katie!”
“Okay, I know. I’m worrying about nothing. Everything’s fine.”
“Don’t you have work to do?”
“Yes, my first client’s here. I’d better go.”
Hanging up, Katie smiled at Heather, who was just coming through the door. “So you’re going to prom tonight, huh?” she said. “What did you have in mind for your hair?”
As they walked to Katie’s station, Heather told her she wanted the front of her hair up and the back falling in ringlets. Katie was draping a cloak around Heather when she heard Winnie say something that caught her attention.
“I don’t know why the police haven’t figured out who’s doing these darn robberies. It’s a shame when a person isn’t safe in her own home.”
Katie glanced over to see Mona painting Winnie’s nails with what looked like a shimmering opal lacquer. “Are you talking about what happened to poor Mrs. Willoughby, Winnie?” she asked.
The bell over the door tinkled just then, and Mary Thornton stepped in. Her sunglasses made it difficult to read her expression, but she was wearing a purple suit and her face turned a similar shade the moment she saw Katie.
Katie couldn’t believe she had to face Ashleigh and Mary on the same day. “Hi, Mary,” she said, deciding to make the effort to be friendly.
Winnie and Mona said hello to Mary, too. Ashleigh was on the phone, and Rebecca wasn’t around. Katie thought it was probably no coincidence that Mary had scheduled her nail appointment for Rebecca’s day off. Rebecca had never liked Mary, and Mary certainly felt no love for Rebecca. Especially now that Rebecca was wearing Josh’s ring.
Mary gave her a chilly nod, but smiled at the others, then removed her sunglasses and sat down to wait for Mona.
“Winnie was just talking about the robbery last night,” Mona told Mary.