Chief

Chapter 2

 Your first week in Forks was nothing like you had expected it to be.

The weekend had gone by better than you had originally hoped- and was certainly more eventful- but you find yourself surprised at how many people can go through the cafe when the town's population is so small. "Busy" is not nearly as appropriate of a term to use to describe the weekend's rush as "chaos" is, but Cora and Stephanie ensured everything was covered so you could focus on the store's books.

Your father had set up the cafe's accounts very well, and you found that the cafe was sitting on a fairly large savings cushion in the event of any emergencies. The cafe's insurance is up-to-date, all of the newer equipment is warrantied, and he had ensured the books were balanced for a year- giving you at least another six months to get situated before needing to dive into any of the financial aspects that come with owning or running a business. Plus, it's plenty of time to get the cafe's bearings in order yourself or to hire outside management if you decide to move back to San Diego.

It never crossed your mind that a Monday morning would feel like such a relief, but here you are- sitting at the breakfast bar and catching up on the last few emails you need to finish off before you're entirely caught up on the cafe's operational needs. This Monday morning feels especially relaxing, considering most of the town came by the restaurant over the weekend. Event Cora is surprised at the slow pace of the morning compared to most Mondays. The sole guests of the cafe are an older couple having breakfast, sitting in the corner of the room and quietly conversing.

"I can't tell you the last time I just sat here to enjoy a cup of coffee." Cora says, standing behind the breakfast bar and taking a deep breath. "It's nice."

"My ears are still ringing from the weekend." You admit. "I can't believe how many people we can get in and out of this place considering how small it is."

Cora reaches over to pour some creamer in her coffee. "You'd be surprised. We had a deep sea fishing convention in Forks about a decade ago- the fishing was off of La Push beach- and we had way more people in town than we're used to, at least a thousand. But, we got through it."

"Only one convention?" You ask, curious.

Cora cringes. "Yeah... I heard that they realized that they made a mistake in choosing such a small town for such a big event. They never came back."

The bell on the door suddenly jingles, and Cora perks up to see who walked in.

"Good morning, Charlie." She says.

"Morning, ladies." You hear Charlie's voice behind you. "Y/N."

"Morning." You respond, closing your laptop and turning around, noticing Charlie's in his uniform. "What brings you by?"

"Unfortunately, not the cobbler." He says, shaking his head. "We just had a theft down at the convenience store. They stole about a thousand bucks' worth of firewood."

"Fire wood?" You question, trying to envision just how much wood that would be.

"Yeah, the owner chops it all up himself and they keep it out back. I guess a truck full of teenagers drove by, loaded it all up, and took off down this way. See anything suspicious this morning?"

"No, not at all." Cora answers. "We don't have cameras, either."

"That's a bummer." Charlie says, taking out a notepad. "We're looking for two males- about high school age, wearing dark jackets and brightly-colored beanies. They were in a gray pickup truck- see anyone who matched that description going by here?"

"No; it's been a slow morning." You explain, standing up to prepare Charlie a coffee to-go. "But we'll keep an eye out."

"Thanks, ladies. We'd appreciate it. You have my number if you do see 'em." Charlie steps forward to lean against the breakfast bar. "Hey- Waylon mentioned you're ready for the boat keys."