Gone to Her Grave (Rogue River Novella Book 2) by Melinda Leigh Read Free Book Online

eye. “Everyone else assumes the worst.”

CHAPTER SIX
    Depressed by the events of the day, Carly drove toward Main Street. She stopped at the convenience store and picked up a gallon of milk, a quart of ice cream, and a bucket of Nell’s famous fried chicken. She’d promised to bring home dinner. Maybe she and Mom would crack a bottle of wine tonight.
    Oh, wait. She couldn’t. This was her week on call.
    “Hey, Carly.” Nell rang her up on the same old-fashioned register that had been in the store as long as Carly could remember. No computers for Nell. Inventory was taken with pencil and paper. “You get back with Seth yet?”
    Well, she’d almost succeeded in putting her marital problems out of her mind.
    Small town rule #5: If you forget what you were doing, ask a neighbor.
    “No,” she answered.
    Nell tsk ed. “That’s a shame. That boy dotes on you.”
    Carly didn’t bite. She knew better. But she did get an idea. Nell knew everything about everyone. “Do you know Russ Warner?”
    “Loretta’s boy? Sure. He comes in here from time to time.”
    “Is he ever with other kids?” Carly had a hunch. There was one reason Russ might lie about being alone Thursday afternoon. He must be protecting someone. A friend? A girl? Hmm.
    Nell named two of the boys Loretta had said were Russ’s friends. “Wait. Last week I saw him in here with that pretty Grace Ellis.”
    Carly’s head snapped up so fast her neck cracked. “Did she used to date the football player who died in May?” Of an overdose of the same drug that Beverly Rollins had supposedly taken.
    “That’s her.” Nell made change. “She’s way out of Russ’s league. If her parents found out she was hanging around with him, they’d have a fit.”
    Which would explain why Russ was keeping quiet.
    “Thanks.” Carly put her change in her purse and turned to leave, nearly bumping into an older woman.
    “Good afternoon, Carly.” Town councilwoman Faye O’Rourke smiled. Despite the sweltering temperature, not a gray hair was out of place, and for all that was holy, the woman wore a sweater. Faye was known for her cardigans, but Oregon summers weren’t usually this hot. Today, her sweater made Carly sweat. Maybe Faye was sick.
    “Oh, hi, Faye. I didn’t see you come in.”
    “I’m such a fixture around here, no one even notices me.” Faye laughed.
    The O’Rourke family used to own a large chunk of Solitude, but they’d sold much of it off over the years to keep the business running and to build a new resort over on the banks of the Rogue River. The office for O’Rourke Properties was a few doors down from Nell’s store.
    “How’s construction at the resort coming along?” Carly asked.
    “Getting near the end of phase one,” Faye said.
    “That’s almost a shame,” Carly said. “You’ve put so many people to work. I hate to see the job finished.”
    “Yes, but once the resort gets up and running, we’ll be hiring people. Don’t you worry.” Faye nodded. “There’ll be increased business all over town when tourists start pouring in.”
    “I hope so.” Though Carly couldn’t imagine crowds “pouring in” to Solitude, they could hope. Maybe Darren Fisher would find work when the resort was finished. “Nice to see you both. I need to run.” Carly picked up her bag and walked toward the door. Her phone vibrated and she paused to fish it out of her pocket. Her mom’s number appeared on the screen.
    “Terrible business about Beverly Rollins,” Nell said to Faye.
    “I feel terrible. Just last week I had to let Alex Rollins go.” Faye sighed. She lowered her voice to a whisper, but Carly could hear her. “Shoddy work.”
    Most of the local builders were doing work on the Rogue River resort project. Poor Alex Rollins had lost a job, possibly his wife, and effectually his son, all in the course of a week.
    Answering her mom’s call, Carly left the store still wondering if Alex Rollins’s job situation had anything to do with