Free No Mercy by Cheyenne McCray Page B

that.”
    43

    ***
Despite Christie’s assurances, she had concern in her eyes and Belle felt uneasy. Belle forced
    a smile. “Why don’t I go to the café and pick something up for all three of us?”
    Christie hesitated. She looked at the pink note and back to Belle. “Would you mind?”
    Belle kept the smile on her face. “Jot down what you’d like me to get and I’l be right back.”
    Christie’s shoulders relaxed. She retrieved the note from the door, crumpled it and tossed it in a
    copper wastebasket. She grabbed another hot pink note and this time wrote down what she wanted
    Belle to get.
    When she took the note from Christie, she saw “gril ed chicken sandwich” and then “turkey club”.
    The club sandwich had a detailed list of what to put on it and what to leave off. Christie pointed to it.
    “He’s very particular about what goes on his sandwich.”
    Belle couldn’t say she was surprised. Salvatore had been very “selective” the two times the three
    of them had gone out to dinner together in Houston. Make that picky, Belle thought. Having been in
    the restaurant business all of her adult life, picky customers weren’t her favorite thing. But Salvatore
    did tip well.
    The thoughts reminded her of her last night at the restaurant before she quit, and table three’s
    complaints. Every trying thing that had happened that day already seemed so long ago. She had a
    hard time believing that she’d be returning to Houston with no job and only a savings account to live
    on. At least what money she had should tide her over, hopefully long enough to get a job.
    “Don’t worry about getting drinks.” Christie returned to her seat “We have sodas and water here.”
    Belle nodded. “I’l be right back.”
    Christie gave her a little wave and Belle headed out the glass doors and downstairs to the Bisbee
    Coffee Company. The café was also in the Copper Queen Plaza but on the opposite side of the large
    building from Salvatore’s office. She didn’t rush, not in a big hurry to get back.
    She passed other glass-walled businesses with a variety of arts and crafts displayed for
    purchase and promised herself she would spend some time going through the shops just to enjoy
    looking at all of the things she could look at but didn’t dare buy on her budget.
    The café was at the corner of the plaza. It smelled of coffee and warm quiche. She placed
    Christie’s and Salvatore’s orders, along with a chicken salad sandwich for herself. While she waited
    for their lunches to be prepared, she walked out on the patio.
    Her cream crew neck sweater, black blazer, and jeans were just enough to keep out the early
    November chil . She breathed in the cool air as she looked up at the overcast sky. It hadn’t rained
    since yesterday, but it still smelled of rain.
    She let the clean air and the relaxed environment calm her nerves that had been on edge for
    the past several days. She wondered where Dylan was and what he was doing with the investigation.
    Could Nate have been murdered? It was hard to believe, yet not. It was harder to believe that he
    would take his own life.
    44

    ***
But murder? She rubbed her arms with her palms and stared out at the street. A white car was
    illegally parked in front of the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum across the street from the Copper
    Queen Plaza. What caught her attention was not the car, but the man leaning with his backside up
    against the vehicle. He had his hands in his pockets and he was staring right at her.
    What had been a chill on her skin now felt like ice. She turned and dodged back into the café.
    Her order was ready and as she grabbed her wallet out of her purse, her hands shook a little. She
    didn’t know why the man had unnerved her, but he had. The car had seemed familiar, too, and she
    wondered if she’d seen it someplace before.
    After she paid, she thanked the employee who had assisted her, left a tip in a small silver bucket
    by the register, and headed