Free WHO KILLED EMMALINE? by Dani Matthews Page B

Dane. I’m going to go out on a limb here and ask are you Krista’s mother?” he asks warmly.
    I wasn’t expecting Dane to interrupt my fun, but now that I see my mom’s eyes widening as she stares at Dane, I begin to realize this might be more enjoyable.
    She visibly swallows and tentatively shakes his hand. “Yes, I am Krista’s mother. Jolene Channing,” she introduces politely.
    “I’m Dane, welcome to Cordane’s. If I thought you were genuinely interested in our merchandise, I would give you a tour myself, but I’m guessing you’re here because of me,” he says lightly.
    My mom blinks at his boldness, and then she actually flushes. “I…well…”
    Dane’s expression turns serious and quite sincere. “I can assure you Mrs. Channing, no harm will come to Krista when she’s in my care here at the store. Rumors can have very nasty repercussions, and unfortunately, my reputation has taken quite a hit from them. I have a hard time holding onto employees, but your daughter has decided to judge for herself whether this is the right job for her instead of allowing others to make that decision for her. You’ve raised a very smart and honest young lady, and I am grateful that I can count on her to handle the store.”
    My mom looks like she’s at a loss for words.
    There’s a discernable twitch to Dane’s lips as he turns his attention on me. “Krista, I do have rules pertaining to employee dress code. The corset won’t be happening.” He turns back to my mom. “It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Channing. I’ll leave you to continue your conversation with your daughter, and if you should have any questions at all regarding Krista’s job or her safety, feel free to contact me.”
    “Thank you,” my mom murmurs, and then we both watch as Dane walks off towards the back of the store.
    I turn to study her as I try to gauge her mood.
    She focuses her attention on me once he’s out of sight, and she frowns. “He’s an odd man.”
    “Yes, but he’s also very upfront and has been nothing but kind and respectful towards me. Mom, you’re worrying for nothing.”
    “We’ll see,” she sighs.

Six
    It’s been two weeks since I started working at Cordane’s. The store and all its odd merchandise has grown on me, and I’ve become more comfortable working there. Dane has been great, and he seems like a genuinely nice guy. He’s a fun and easy boss to be around, and the manager of the store, Owen, has been just as kind as Dane. Owen looks to be around Dane’s age, but he’s more reserved. Dane’s sense of style draws the eye, whereas Owen’s is more sedate. He of course wears the store’s clothing, but he has no piercings except for the septum piercing that he claims Dane talked him into last year. The two men seem to be close friends, so the comradery at the store is pretty lighthearted. Most of the shifts I work are on my own with someone generally in the back working in one of the offices or working in the prep room. Usually it’s Dane or Owen, but once Cord was working in the back while I worked the store.
    Things haven’t changed too much with Cord. We’re still eating lunch together, but he’s definitely not much of a talker. If he’s not working on whatever he draws in his sketch pad, he works on homework. We haven’t had any more conversations involving Emmaline or whoever could have killed her, and I am grateful for that. We’ve developed an odd friendship, if you can even call it that. We’re not close by any means, but he does keep track of me on the school premises. I know this because the few times Riley’s tried to pull a stunt between classes, Cord’s appeared out of nowhere to put a stop to it.
    As for my mom, she has relented where my job is concerned. Dane’s forwardness with her had helped ease her fears somewhat. So life is manageable these days, and it’s working at Cordane’s that brings me any sense of enjoyment.
    Today is Saturday, and I am feeling a sense of