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last you’ll see of me,” she said.
    “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.” I focused my attention on the store ahead of me.
    Doreen stomped off muttering under her breath. I was sure she’d called me a few unflattering names. That wasn’t a first for her though so I was used to it. I’d been referred to as the woman who stole her son and a she-devil. At least I’d gotten rid of her for now. She’d be back like a bad rash.
    Mitchell Green leaned against the brick building as I approached. He wore a plaid button-up shirt and dirty jeans. The buttons on his shirt were fastened into the wrong holes so the front of his shirt hung lopsided. He had wisps of thinning gray hair on top of his head.
    “Good afternoon, Mitchell . How are you?”
    He looked over in my direction, acting as if he didn’t know where the question had come from. His eyes looked surprisingly bright today and I hoped he hadn’t finished off a bottle of Jim Beam. I said eyes, but technically it was just one eye because the other was glass. It looked like the real thing though and I wouldn’t have known he had a fake eye if not for the fact that he’d lost it in the supermarket one day. Claire Ann had found it rolling around like a marble in the cereal aisle. Thank goodness no one had tripped on it.
    “Raelynn Pendleton, you get better-looking each time I see you.”
    Mitchell Green had always been a flirt.
    “Thank you, Mitchell .”
    I could always count on Mitchell being nice to me. Why weren’t more people like Mitchell? Well, minus the drinking too much thing. That wasn’t good for him. But he’d been doing better recently.
    Mitchell waved his finger. “You know, I never liked that Ross Perkins. Everyone else in town thinks he is great, but I can see right through him. His mama too.”
    “You’re a smart man, Mitchell.”
    “Just been around for a long time, that’s all.” He waved over his shoulder as he walked toward the church parking lot. Now on to that chocolate for me.

Chapter Six
     
    The cold air felt good against my hot skin when I stepped into the store. It was like stepping back in time at the Honeysuckle Supermarket. I was pretty sure the old linoleum floor was original to the 1930s building. Some of the same food was probably on the shelves too. Claire Ann was behind the register helping a customer, but she smiled when she saw me. The area to the left was reserved for all the old-timers in town who gathered for coffee and gossip in the mornings. They left around two though, so the store was quiet. I decided to pick out my sweet therapy of choice while I waited for Claire Ann to finish with the customer.
    I didn’t wait to pay for the candy before I peeled off the wrapper and took a bite. This was an emergency. When the woman picked up her bags of groceries and walked away, I placed the cash for my candy bars on the counter.
    Claire Ann peered down at the bills. “What happened?”
    I chewed the chocolate and then said, “Ross is implicating me in the murder of Luke Lexington.”
    Her face turned red. “I’ll kill him. Where can I find him?”
    I took another bite. “He’s still in jail. I talked with Kent—of course he doesn’t believe Ross, but you know everyone in town will. Ross’ mother just confronted me outside the store.”
    “I never liked that woman.” Claire Ann placed the money in the register. “You seem kind of calm about all of this.”
    “I’m self-medicating with chocolate while I figure out what to do. There’s not much I can do other than let the police do their work. Kent will find out who did this.”
    Claire Ann tapped her fingers against the counter. “I just hope it doesn’t take too long.”
    I finished my candy and tossed the wrapper into the trash can behind the counter.
    Claire Ann sat on the stool behind the counter. “I hate to bring this up right now, but are you almost finished with that article for the paper?”
    “Sure, I’m on top of it.” I stuffed the other