The House Beyond the Dunes by Mary Burton

Author:Mary Burton [Burton, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-09-04T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

STEVIE PALMER’S DIARY

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

5:45 p.m.

Fifteen minutes before closing, I make it to the small gift shop where Nikki’s ex-roommate works. I’m hoping that the store is empty, but like most of the retail shops along Route 12, it’s bustling. It’s high season, vacation time, and everyone’s ready to spend money.

The shop is stocked with beach souvenirs, towels, bobbleheads, snow globes, and all the clutter that eventually ends up in the trash or covered in dust on a shelf. There are about a half dozen people in the shop, mostly teens.

The woman behind the counter is young. Her hair is a dark brown, her makeup a tad overdone, and she’s wearing a black V-neck T-shirt. Her look is edgy. I’m betting this is Jana.

I’ve never seen this woman in the bar with Nikki, but just because they shared a trailer for a couple of weeks doesn’t mean they hung out together.

I reach for a snow globe that contains a mini version of the Currituck lighthouse and seashells floating among liquid snow. The base is embossed with Corolla, North Carolina. I look over the trinkets, killing time until the last customer has left.

“Can I help you?” The clerk eyes me. I don’t look like the knickknack type, so she must be trying to figure out my angle.

“Sorry to bother you, Jana,” I say.

Her brow furrows. “Do I know you?”

“We never met formally. I worked with Nikki.”

She walks to the front door. It’s almost closing time, so she locks it, but she lingers close in case a customer insists on shopping. She might also be worried about me, and I’m not even trying to be scary.

“How can I help you?” Jana asks.

“Glad you asked.” I smile, though I’m not sure if it exudes friendliness. “I’m trying to catch up with Nikki.”

Jana stiffens. “I moved out of our place last week. Haven’t seen her since.”

“Why’d you leave?”

“Why do you care?”

“Wondering if your move had anything to do with the blood on Nikki’s bed? Maybe you saw the blood and decided to take off.”

Her complexion pales. “Are you a cop?”

I laugh, feeling genuine enjoyment. “God, no. My name is Stevie. I worked with Nikki at Joey’s Bar. She’s a good kid, and I’m a little worried about her. When she unexpectedly missed work, I went by your place and saw the blood on the bed. I also noticed your room was cleaned out.”

She crosses to the counter and grabs her purse. “I don’t want trouble.”

“Neither do I. I want to find Nikki.”

“Really? Seems to me you’re looking for trouble.”

“Nope. Just Nikki.”

“I don’t know where she is.” Keys rattle as she fishes them out of a large brown purse. “Have you asked Pete?”

“Pete with the black truck?”

“That’s the guy. She showed up two weeks ago, and Pete was days behind her. I didn’t like having him around, so I left.”

“I hear what you’re saying. He’s not one of my favorite people. In fact, I took out his right knee with a baseball bat.”

Her gaze pins me with fresh interest.

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