shelves held nothing the other markets didn’t carry, and today they were even barer than usual, but there was something about the way the shelves huddled together and the handwritten signs popped up like subtitles that maintained the illusion of a small-town market. She didn’t want anything, although she could feel her stomach growling, but ran her fingers along a row of cereal boxes, waiting to see if Annabeth would awaken.
Ellie turned the corner, past a nearly empty display of oyster crackers, and continued her stroll down the canned food aisle. Great gaps in the selection made the wall ofshelves look like a giant checkerboard, small piles of canned spinach and sauerkraut separated by open spaces that had once held more desirable vegetables. Demand for canned hominy had obviously tapered off long before the run on canned corn, despite the two-for-one special advertised on the sign. Ellie did grab two cans of chili with beans, knowing they wouldn’t last long. She didn’t know how Annabeth always managed to keep it in stock, but when it came to canned chili, Dingle’s was often the only game in town. Seeing even more gaps in the shelves before her, Ellie grabbed two more cans, tucking them up under her arm.
She headed to the front of the store to grab a basket, deciding to try to find something that Rachel might be able to keep down later, when she heard voices coming from within the curtained office. Ellie peered around a pile of toilet paper value packs. It was early for anyone to be in Dingle’s, even with Annabeth’s famous round-the-clock service, and Ellie paused when she saw that the old woman still had not moved from her napping position. The voices were low, whispering, and Ellie could hear something being slid across the floor and the sound of cabinets being latched. It was probably just deliverymen bringing in some much-needed stock, she told herself. And it was probably just the novelty of sobriety that was making her stand perfectly still, eclipsed by the toilet paper, not daring to breathe. So much for weed making you paranoid, she thought.
The voices quieted down and Ellie listened for the sound of the back door opening, but as she stared at the unmoving curtain, Annabeth raised her head, looking for all the world as if they had been in the middle of a conversation.
“You’re up early, Ellie. Got the munchies?”
Ellie dropped the cans into the plastic basket and headed toward the counter in the back. “Couldn’t sleep. You know how that is.” Whoever was in the back room had fallen silent. Annabeth took the basket from Ellie and began punching in numbers on the old-fashioned cash register.
“Oh, I know all right. How’s Rachel doing? Did she get her pass yet?” A small metallic clink sounded behind the curtain, but the older woman made no sign of hearing it. Ellie tried not to stare at the curtain.
“Not doing so well. Can’t keep anything down.”
“Well now, why don’t you grab one of those boxes of oyster crackers and take them back to her? My treat.” Ellie turned and grabbed a box and, as she turned back, noticed the curtain flutter then fall still. Annabeth smiled and put the crackers in the bag. “Poor little thing can’t afford to lose any weight. She must want to get to that wedding awful bad.”
“I think it’s as much Vegas as anything else.” Ellie handed her the debit card. “That and getting out of Flowertown.”
Annabeth’s mouth twitched as she swiped the card, but it came up a smile when she looked up. “I can see why a girl would want that. Who wouldn’t?”
Ellie took her card and her groceries and headed back out into the street. She kept reminding herself that she was not high. She was awake and clear minded so there was no doubt about what she knew she had seen. Behind Annabeth, under the curtain, peeking out near the doorframe, had been a box of bullets.
Walking on autopilot, Ellie found herself at the records office before she had even decided
Ellie turned the corner, past a nearly empty display of oyster crackers, and continued her stroll down the canned food aisle. Great gaps in the selection made the wall ofshelves look like a giant checkerboard, small piles of canned spinach and sauerkraut separated by open spaces that had once held more desirable vegetables. Demand for canned hominy had obviously tapered off long before the run on canned corn, despite the two-for-one special advertised on the sign. Ellie did grab two cans of chili with beans, knowing they wouldn’t last long. She didn’t know how Annabeth always managed to keep it in stock, but when it came to canned chili, Dingle’s was often the only game in town. Seeing even more gaps in the shelves before her, Ellie grabbed two more cans, tucking them up under her arm.
She headed to the front of the store to grab a basket, deciding to try to find something that Rachel might be able to keep down later, when she heard voices coming from within the curtained office. Ellie peered around a pile of toilet paper value packs. It was early for anyone to be in Dingle’s, even with Annabeth’s famous round-the-clock service, and Ellie paused when she saw that the old woman still had not moved from her napping position. The voices were low, whispering, and Ellie could hear something being slid across the floor and the sound of cabinets being latched. It was probably just deliverymen bringing in some much-needed stock, she told herself. And it was probably just the novelty of sobriety that was making her stand perfectly still, eclipsed by the toilet paper, not daring to breathe. So much for weed making you paranoid, she thought.
The voices quieted down and Ellie listened for the sound of the back door opening, but as she stared at the unmoving curtain, Annabeth raised her head, looking for all the world as if they had been in the middle of a conversation.
“You’re up early, Ellie. Got the munchies?”
Ellie dropped the cans into the plastic basket and headed toward the counter in the back. “Couldn’t sleep. You know how that is.” Whoever was in the back room had fallen silent. Annabeth took the basket from Ellie and began punching in numbers on the old-fashioned cash register.
“Oh, I know all right. How’s Rachel doing? Did she get her pass yet?” A small metallic clink sounded behind the curtain, but the older woman made no sign of hearing it. Ellie tried not to stare at the curtain.
“Not doing so well. Can’t keep anything down.”
“Well now, why don’t you grab one of those boxes of oyster crackers and take them back to her? My treat.” Ellie turned and grabbed a box and, as she turned back, noticed the curtain flutter then fall still. Annabeth smiled and put the crackers in the bag. “Poor little thing can’t afford to lose any weight. She must want to get to that wedding awful bad.”
“I think it’s as much Vegas as anything else.” Ellie handed her the debit card. “That and getting out of Flowertown.”
Annabeth’s mouth twitched as she swiped the card, but it came up a smile when she looked up. “I can see why a girl would want that. Who wouldn’t?”
Ellie took her card and her groceries and headed back out into the street. She kept reminding herself that she was not high. She was awake and clear minded so there was no doubt about what she knew she had seen. Behind Annabeth, under the curtain, peeking out near the doorframe, had been a box of bullets.
Walking on autopilot, Ellie found herself at the records office before she had even decided
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