Renegade's Pride

Beauty shops were a hotbed of gossip. Maggie didn’t encourage it, but she also knew that her clients came here to relax and catch up on who was pregnant, who was getting a divorce, who had gone into the nursing home and who was seeing whom since their last visit.

Some clients thrived on being the first to know what was happening in town—and spreading it. It was the nature of a beauty shop in a small town. Maggie did her best to keep out of it. She didn’t want to hear in town that she’d said something she hadn’t. So she kept quiet as she finished the haircut.

“I heard she’s missing,” Sandra said. “How could she be missing?”

Maggie had no idea and said as much. Sandra was one of those who loved to be the first with the town news. It helped that she had a niece who worked as a dispatcher at the sheriff’s office.

“I thought the sheriff would have told you,” Sandra said, eyeing her in the mirror. “You two are still seeing each other, right?”

“I don’t tell him about my clients and he doesn’t tell me about his cases,” she said.

“Well, I suppose that’s for the best given some of your clients.” Sandra chuckled at her joke. “Still, you can’t help but wonder if Anvil did something to her.”

In the second chair, Irma Tinsley piped up. “He kept her on a short leash, that’s for sure. Maybe she just got tired of it.”

“She was so sweet and shy,” Daisy Caulfield said as she combed out Irma’s short do. Maggie had hired Daisy after she’d come out of beauty school looking for a job. She was young and full of life and was darned good at her job.

“I did her hair not all that long ago,” Daisy was saying thoughtfully. “I remember because she didn’t have an appointment. Just walked in and said she wanted something different.” Daisy’s eyes widened in alarm as she met Maggie’s in the mirror. “Maybe the haircut was the start of something.”

Maggie laughed and brushed it off, though it was strange that Jenna of all people would just show up without an appointment. “We hope all our haircuts are the start of something for our clients.”

“I’d like to start up something,” Irma said with a laugh. A small dark-haired woman in her late fifties with a great sense of humor, Irma had been widowed now for five years.

“There is always Merrill Forster,” Sandra said, tongue in cheek.

Irma laughed gaily. Merrill was the over-fifty bachelor who apparently read the obits regularly because he turned up at each new widow’s door like clockwork.

“I already gave Merrill a whirl,” Irma said, making Sandra gasp.

“She’s joking,” Maggie assured her client.

Sandra looked disappointed. “I’ve heard stories about Merrill. I was hoping you could verify them.”

Everyone laughed but quickly stifled it as the sheriff pushed open the door. Flint stood for a moment just inside the door. He looked afraid to come into this female domain.

“I was just leaving,” Irma said as Daisy finished with her. “You can have my chair. Looks like you could use a trim.”

Maggie smiled at him. “I believe he prefers Tim’s Barbershop down the street.”

“That’s where Herbert goes,” Sandra said. “You think they don’t gossip like old women down there? Ha!”

“I’m almost finished,” Maggie said, running a brush through Sandra’s thinning hair. “What do you think?”

Sandra studied herself in the mirror. “It makes me look younger, wouldn’t you say?”

“I would,” Maggie agreed.

“Definitely,” Daisy agreed and thanked Irma for the tip she gave her.

Flint held the door open for Irma and waited as Sandra settled up and left, as well. “Can you sneak away for lunch?” he asked Maggie.

“Sorry, not today. I have a highlight coming in.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “Actually, Angie should be here.” Angie North was running late. That surprised Maggie. Angie was always early. She loved to come in and visit with whoever was getting their hair done before her appointment.

Maggie always got the impression that Angie had too much time on her hands. Either that or she was just glad to escape the house for a while. Not that her husband, Bob, didn’t call at least once while she was in the chair to see when she’d be home.

“I’m going to run over to the drugstore for a milk shake,” Daisy announced. “Can I get you something?”

Both Maggie and the sheriff declined.

“Smart girl,” Flint said.

“She can take a hint.” She smiled at the man she’d been dating for several months now. It still seemed too good to be true. Sometimes she had to pinch herself. It also scared her. Flint Cahill could break her heart without even trying.

He stepped to her, looked toward the street as if to make sure no one was watching and gave her a quick kiss. “I can’t wait to see you tonight.”

She nodded, making him smile. Flint seemed as excited as she was. Neither of them had actually come out and said that they would make love tonight. But somehow, they both seemed to be on the same page and knew that they would.

Flint cleared his voice and went back to sheriff mode. “I also wanted to ask about Jenna Holloway.”

“We heard that she’s missing,” Maggie said. Flint seemed surprised for a moment. Like her, he probably forgot sometimes how news traveled in this small town.

“Did she have her hair done here?”

“Daisy was just talking earlier about the last time Jenna was in.”

“Anything unusual happen?”

“Kind of. She was a walk-in. So that was odd. She always made an appointment way in advance. Also, when she sat down in the chair, she said she wanted a new do, which might mean absolutely nothing. Except that she’d had the same hairstyle as long as I’ve known her. I don’t think it was an impulsive decision. I think it had been coming for some time.”

Flint nodded. “Jenna was one of the least impulsive people I’ve ever known. Isn’t that what you got from her?”

Maggie chuckled. “I’d put her in the top five for sure.” She could tell that he was worried. “If I hear anything...”

He smiled. “Thanks.” He had a great smile that made his gray eyes crinkle. She was almost sorry he was so handsome. Wasn’t there a country song about why a man should marry an ugly woman? She thought it might go both ways.

Daisy returned with her milk shake and Flint left after saying, “See you tonight.” His stopping by, even on sheriff’s department business, made her day. See you tonight. She smiled as she began to clean up around her workstation. Angie still hadn’t shown up.

When she’d finished, she glanced at the clock on the wall. “Maybe I better call Angie. It isn’t like her to forget a hair appointment,” she said, picking up the phone.

“Mine’s late too,” Daisy said. “Maybe there’s a traffic jam.” They both chuckled at that, since they didn’t even have one stoplight in town and most people felt stop signs were just suggestions. Gilt Edge was a small town with small-town problems. Traffic wasn’t one of them. Daisy sucked on her straw. “Oh, this shake is to die for.”

Maggie dialed the number. It rang four times before voice mail picked up. “Just wanted to remind you about your hair appointment, Angie. You’re probably on your way.” And yet, as she hung up, she had a bad feeling that something must have happened.

* * *

DARBY TOOK ONE look at Lillie the next morning when she came down to the kitchen at the back of the bar and let out an oath. “Rough night?”

He had no idea. “I had trouble getting to sleep.”