Free Few Are Angels by Inger Iversen

tackle my cell phone. I picked it up and looked at the screen for the first time in months—eleven missed calls and twenty-two texts. I wasn’t even close to being in the mood to deal with them, so I put it aside once again and promised myself I would handle it later.
    The sound of a car pulling into the driveway surprised me. It was early in the day, and I wasn’t sure who it could be. My heart skipped a beat as I thought back to Kale and his story of an intruder. I grabbed my cell and ran downstairs to peek out through the curtain. A long gray car sat in the driveway, and a man emerged from the vehicle. Luckily, it wasn’t the tall blond from the previous night, but a short, balding man, red-faced from the cold. I waited for him to knock on the door before I opened it.

Chapter 10
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    Knope’s Grocery
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    “Miss Monroe?” The stranger’s voice was high and nasally.
    I opened the door enough to peek through, holding my cell tight in my other hand in case I needed it.
    The man held up his hands as if to say he meant no harm. “Oh, I’m sorry. Hasn’t Sarah called you yet?”
    “No, she hasn’t. Are you here to see her or me?”
    He smiled, a genuine smile, not like the ones I was used to, and my cold disposition warmed a bit. “I’m here to see you. Sarah told me that you would be staying here, and she wanted you to have something for you to fill your days with.” He shivered. “Uh, Miss Monroe, it’s awfully cold out here. Do you think we could talk inside?”
    I moved aside and opened the door more so that he could enter. He went into the living room and sat down. He seemed comfortable, like he’d been to the house many times.
    “I am in need of a part-time stockperson and cashier in my store. One of my girls just stopped showing up.”
    I nodded, though I had no clue which store in the small town was his. There were only eight, and from the looks of him, I could eliminate all but two.
    “I’m Mr. Knope,” he continued, reaching out to shake my hand. His hands were cold, and I felt sorry for not asking him in sooner. “Sarah mentioned that you may not want to be cooped up in this house during the day, so I offered to hire you. If you’re interested, that is.” He straightened his shirt and rubbed his hands together.
    I knew Sarah had set this up because she felt guilty about leaving me in the house alone all day. I really didn’t want to do it, but I figured it would be better than sitting with nothing to do all day.
    “You would have the weekends off, and you would only work three days a week for four or five hours. I’d pay eight bucks an hour. That’s almost a dollar more than my regular workers get,” he said enthusiastically. The bonuses he added were nice, but I had already decided to take the job. I didn't have anything better to do during the day. There wasn’t anything else I had to do throughout the day.
    “Okay, that sounds good,” I said, trying to add cheerfulness to my voice.
    “Great. Can you start next week?” I must not have hidden my surprise fast enough, because he asked, “Is that too soon?” He seemed genuinely concerned that I was going to change my mind.
    I smiled reassuringly and lied through my teeth. “No, that’s fine. What store, and what day do I start?”
    He smiled. “It’s Knope’s Grocery. Come in on Monday at noon. Oh, and wear khakis. I will give you a navy shirt on Monday, and Mia will be there to train you.”
    We shook hands again, and he thanked me for my help on his way out. I wondered why the last girl had quit. The job couldn't be that bad, and getting out of the house would do me good.
    ***
    Later that night as I got ready for bed, Sarah came into my room to talk about my new job. My head was hurting, and my stomach felt queasy. I was about to have another vision, and I hoped that she would make the conversation quick.
    “Ella, it’s only a ten-minute walk to the Town Center.”
    Cedar was a small town, and everything was within