The Missing Place by Sophie Littlefield Read Free Book Online Page A

Actually she’d thought Shay might have found a health club, perhaps even a nice one. “Women can go in there? I mean—are there separate facilities for men and women?”
    â€œNope, it’s just one big showerhead that sprays in every direction. You have to be aggressive, find yourself an opening and squeeze on in.” When Colleen was too horrified to respond, Shay flashed her a tight grin before opening her car door. “Come on, of course they have separate. You get your own private bathroom. Free shampoo and conditioner too, but I like to bring my own. And definitely you’re going to need some shower shoes, because I don’t trust them to disinfect enough after some of these guys, no matter how clean it looks in here.”
    In the convenience store, amid aisles of snack foods and coolers full of soft drinks, Colleen found rubber flip-flops and a package of hair elastics, and joined Shay in line.
    â€œDon’t buy those, I’ve got plenty,” Shay said, eyeing the elastics.
    â€œOh. Well. I kind of need one now, to put my hair up.”
    â€œYou’re not going to wash it?”
    â€œUm . . . maybe not.” Colleen washed her hair only every few days; it was part of a regimen recommended by her colorist to preserve her color, rinsing only with cool water and using sulfate-free products.
    â€œWell, here, then, you can have mine.” Shay twisted her own ponytail out of its band and handed it over. A few long curly strands were knotted to it.
    â€œThank you,” Colleen said, looping it over a finger, trying not to show her distaste.
    â€œIt’s probably going to be half an hour before our names come up. We might as well get some coffee.”
    â€œYou mean for the shower?”
    â€œYeah, lot of these guys are living in their cars. They come in here to clean up after work.”
    â€œ After work?”
    â€œYeah, night shift gets off at seven. So they get back to town and come here for a shower and a meal, then go crash.”
    â€œBut they can’t sleep in their cars—not in weather like this!”
    Shay laughed. “I’m not saying I’d want to do it,” she said, as they neared the head of the line. “But I would have if I had to, if Brenda hadn’t come through. I talked to this one guy, he wasn’t hardly older than Taylor. He’s been in his car all week, got a job his first day up here but there was a delay on his room in the camp. Says he turns the car on three times a night and runs the heater to warm up and goes back to sleep. ’Course if it was me, I’d be having to pee every time I woke up. I’d probably pee in a Big Gulp cup rather than open the car door and let all that cold air in. Yeah, two showers,” she added, to the harried-looking clerk.
    â€œI’ll get those,” Colleen said primly, laying the flip-flops on the counter along with her credit card.
    â€œYou don’t have to,” Shay said, a slight edge to her voice. “I have money.”
    â€œOh, I didn’t—I mean, I’m happy to,” Colleen stuttered, as the clerk waited. She gave the credit card a little push, willing the clerkto pick it up. After a painful moment, she did. “We can settle up later,” Colleen said quietly.
    Shay muttered something unintelligible, turning away. Colleen signed the slip quickly and followed her to the restaurant, where a waitress thrust laminated menus at them.
    â€œAnywhere you can find, dolls,” she said as she moved down the counter, refilling coffee cups. “I’ll send Petey out to bus soon’s I get a minute.”
    Every table in the place was occupied, but two men were in the process of leaving. Colleen inhaled deeply: coffee, bacon, a not-unpleasant note of burned potatoes. And aftershave—a masculine smell she associated with her father. Paul took after Andy, the pair of them insisting she buy only unscented soap and