One Last Breath by Sarah Sutton (speld decodable readers txt) 📗

Tara recognized. It was near the coffee shop Reese worked at. Tara thanked her, and they hung up. She then turned to Warren.

“Let’s call Reese’s family, see if she has any connection to the shop,” Warren suggested.

Moments later, Reese Tanner’s mother was now on the call. She sounded tired, but at the mention of the shop, a bit of life sparked in her throat.

“Yes, I’ve heard of it. Reese worked there in the off-season last year, in the spring, before she got a job at the coffee shop. Why?” Tara could hear the suspicion in her voice, hoping that maybe they were on to something.

“Did you ever visit her at work? Did anyone ever seem off to you?”

“That’s actually why she stopped working there,” Mrs. Tanner replied. “The owner…he was always a bit creepy with Reese. He would always compliment her on what she was wearing, saying she looked good in it. He’d ask her if she had a boyfriend. He was older too, like in his thirties. It was just weird and concerning, and so Reese didn’t work there very long.”

Tara looked at Warren, and she knew she had the same look in her eyes that he did. He didn’t blink, shock and anticipation reflecting in his stare. It was all the information they needed. They now had a lead. Both victims had worked at the same place. They had most likely interacted with the same creepy owner. It was probably why Alyssa wanted to stop working there. Tara quickly thanked Mrs. Tanner. They now knew were to head next. Tara only hoped that their destination held more answers.

Chapter Eleven

The kayak shop sat at the edge of a bay. The water lay still and calm. A dock sat at the edge of the parking lot, jutting out atop the water, and boats sat in a rack next to it. It was now the afternoon, which Tara assumed would usually be a busy time for the shop, but today no one was around. The parking lot was empty, and Tara could only assume it was because of the storm. No one in their right mind would go kayaking today, nor would they be allowed to. She just hoped the owner would be there.

Tara’s heart sank when they reached the door and saw a closed sign hanging in the window. We’ll have to track him down now, she thought, and find where he lives. But just when the thought crossed her mind, she noticed a light on inside, and then she saw movement. Someone was by the counter.

She knocked, and the movement by the counter stopped. She heard footsteps, and soon a man emerged. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair a mess, his Ocean Paddle shop shirt ripped and tattered, with what looked like a cigarette burn by the pocket. He looked startled as he noticed them behind the glass front door. He opened it.

“We’re closed,” he mumbled. He reeked of marijuana. Even from a foot away, it trailed up Tara’s nose in full force, but she didn’t care to bring attention to it. She wanted to stay focused on why they came.

“We know,” Tara replied before explaining who they were. She flashed her badge. “We were hoping you could provide us with some information on Alyssa White and Reese Tanner. They both worked here, correct?

His eyes shifted between her and Warren, stealthily. “Sure, what do you need to ask me?”

“Can we come in?”

He remained quiet a moment as he turned his head slightly, trying to look into the store without them noticing, as if making sure that it was indeed safe. “Sure,” he finally said as he stepped into the shop, followed by Tara and Warren. A bottle of liquor sat on the counter, and he quickly went over to it, tucking it behind the counter where they couldn’t see.

“We don’t care if you’re drinking. That’s not a crime, you know,” Warren said.

“I know…I...” he stuttered, as if cautiously choosing his words. “You’re right,” he finally said with an awkward laugh. “I don’t know why I just did that.” He took a seat on the chair behind the counter.

He was acting very odd, Tara noted. He was either guilty of the murders, or something else entirely, and she wasn’t sure what a bottle of liquor had to do with it.

“It’s a shame what happened to those girls,” he added with a shake of the head. “I’m not sure how much help I can be, but I’ll try.”

The whole shop smelled even more of marijuana than him. It was clear what he had been doing, and she could see Warren’s eyes wander around the room, trying to catch sign of anything else.

“How long did they work here?” Tara asked.

He leaned hunched over, peering at the ceiling, his lips pursed, thinking. “They both worked here only a couple of months. I think Alyssa was two summers ago.” He nodded as he said it. “Yeah, that’s right. The year before she went missing.”

“And Reese?” Tara asked.

“She worked here in the spring, which is our off-season. April and May.” He sighed. “Such a shame. They were such pretty girls.”

It was an oddly creepy thing for him to say, given that he was nearly twice their age. It also irked Tara that their looks were the first thing he thought of as why their deaths were a shame, as if that reflected their value.

“We were told they quit because they felt uncomfortable here. Do you have any idea why that would be?”

He let out an awkward grunt and suddenly stood up, gripping the counter. He hesitated a moment and then responded. “No,” he said. “I mean, like I said, they were pretty girls. Maybe they felt uncomfortable by the attention they got from customers.” He shrugged.

His incessant mention of pretty girls only drove home why Reese thought he was creepy and why Alyssa probably quit. Tara looked toward Warren. She hadn’t even noticed that he had moved closer to the entrance to a