NO MORE LIES by WILLOW ROSE

Author:WILLOW ROSE [ROSE, WILLOW]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BUOY MEDIA
Published: 2025-12-17T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 27

The Henderson pharmacy stood in a strip mall that couldn't have been more different from the sensory assault of the Las Vegas Strip. Instead of neon and excess, this was suburban practicality—a grocery store, a sandwich shop, and the pharmacy, all bathed in the flat fluorescent lighting that made everything look slightly sickly and artificial. We had called them all, one after the other, thinking someone might remember seeing Elaine come in to buy essentials for an infant. At the fourth one, we hit the jackpot.

Night had fallen during our drive, and the parking lot was nearly empty, with just a few cars scattered across spaces designed for weekend crowds. I eased myself from the car Matt had rented while I did the calling around, my ribs protesting after hours of movement. We'd come directly from the MGM Grand, stopping only to grab drive-through coffee that now sat cold and forgotten in the car's cup holders. When looking at the map, I realized Freemont Street was long, and finding Elaine’s apartment would be difficult. I decided to try this approach instead.

"You sure you don't want to do this tomorrow?" Matt asked, noticing my wince as I straightened. "The pharmacy opens at eight a.m."

I shook my head, already moving toward the entrance. "Every hour counts." What I didn't say aloud was that I couldn't bear the thought of a night in a hotel room, lying awake with the knowledge that we had a solid lead but weren't pursuing it. Sleep would be impossible anyway; better to push forward while we had momentum.

A bell jingled overhead as we entered the pharmacy. The store was empty except for a young clerk stocking shelves and an older woman behind the prescription counter, her gray hair pulled back. She glanced up as we approached, her eyes moving automatically to my cast and the visible bruising on my face.

"Can I help you?" she asked, her tone professionally pleasant.

Matt showed his credentials. "Detective Miller, Cocoa Beach Police. We need to speak with the pharmacist, please."

"That would be me," she replied, straightening slightly. "Sandra Weiss. What can I do for you, Detective?"

“We called earlier. You spoke to me,” I said. “About a woman buying products for an infant recently? She would have purchased baby formula and diapers, among other things." I showed her a picture of Elaine Wilkins on my phone to help her memory. “Was this her?”

Recognition flashed across Sandra's face immediately. "Oh, yes, I remember her clearly. Not many customers buy that much formula and diapers at once. I asked if she was stocking up for twins."

My pulse quickened, and I stepped closer to the counter. "What did she say?"

Sandra looked at me more closely, her professional demeanor softening slightly as she took in my injuries and the intensity in my expression. "She said it was for her nephew's baby," she replied. "That she was helping out because the mother was recovering from a difficult birth."

I gripped the edge of the counter with my good hand, needing the support as a wave of dizziness—either from pain or emotion—washed over me.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.