Normal People - Strange Encounters Book Two

Chapter 6

Amelia sat on the wooden floor of Gladys's living room, hand rubbing across her brow. "How the fuck did I get here?" She kept asking herself. Gladys brought her a hot cup of tea, which she accepted graciously, although she wished it were coffee. She could've used the caffeine jolt right now. Looking up at the woman, she was baffled by how calmly she was handling this. She thought back to her first few days in Maine..

"Look, I used to be a barista down south but I promise I'd make a stellar waitress" she pleaded with the woman across the counter at the diner on the outskirts of the Harbor.

"Sweetie, I would hire you if I could. But until one of my ladies quit or die" she glanced at the older women ushering plates to the customers, "I just don't have the budget for another hand. Look, let me give you some breakfast. On the house."

Looking dejected, Amelia sunk into a booth near a window. The movies always made it look so easy to get an under the table job when you were on the run. Damn Hollywood.

"A barista, huh?" Amelia turned around, meeting the bright grey eyes of an older woman. She snapped the 'ta' in barista, sharp on her teeth. Amelia took in her short salt and pepper hair curled against her head, and the billowing yellow cape in place of a coat. She took a seat in the booth across from Amelia.

"Uh, yeah. I used to live in P-, uh, New Jersey. I worked in a coffee shop for years, but more recently have worked in HR. I just.. don't think I want a job like that anymore" she answered, glancing at the cup of coffee in front of her, unsure what this lady wanted.

"Missy, look at me."

Amelia looked up at this kooky old lady, raising an eyebrow. The woman's eyes scanned her face, her lips pursed together.

"You're hidin' from something."

Amelia froze, but then rolled her eyes. "And why would you think that? You don't know-"

"Who else leaves a cushy office job and moves states away, to Maine no less in the dead of winter, looking for a lousy waitressing gig. And don't lie, I've seen you sleeping in your car off near the woods the past two nights."

Amelia set her mouth in a line, trying not to be unnerved by the brashness this woman was dishing out towards her.

"Look lady, w-"

"My son, Simon, is looking to hire someone to help me around my property. I live about 30 minutes toward the coast in Boothbay. I have a guest house, seclusion, and can pay you cash. What do you think?"

Amelia sat back and it was now her turn to study the old woman. She seemed stubborn and bossy, but picked up on her sincerity. Feeling desperate, she nodded.

"I'm listening."

"Eliza." Gladys took a seat in her chair across the room, waiting patiently for Amelia to gather herself. Slowly, Amelia made her way to the closest chair and took a long swig of tea

"Gladys, what the hell happened?" She glanced at the man, then at her watch. It was 8:45, the cup of coffee she had picked up when she walked in wasn't completely cold and she had assumed now it was meant for the dead guy, which means this couldn't have happened too long ago.

"Sit back, and breath. I'm gonna tell you what happened, just listen and don't interrupt me." Gladys adjusted in her seat. "I heard a car coming up the way around 7:15. I assumed it was you, so I didn't pay it much mind even though it seemed early. I heard a knock and that's when I knew it wasn't you. So, I made sure my rifle was loaded but left it in here. If they wanted to off me, they would've just broke in. Anyway, he said he was with the FBI. Had some questionable credentials, but I didn't realize right away so I let him in. He sat at the kitchen table, I made us some coffee. And he started asking questions about an Amelia Vernand."

She saw Amelia pale, and raised an eyebrow. "He showed me a picture of this girl. When I told him I'd never seen her," Amelia shot her a grateful look, "he started getting annoyed. Asking how I kept up my property, other bullshit. Anyway, I saw a gun on his hip and knew this wasn't going to end well for one of us. So I excused myself, walked upstairs, flushed the toilet, and on my way back down I grabbed the rifle. He turned the corner with his gun drawn and I didn't hesitate, I fired." 

Amelia leaned her head back and squeezed her eyes shut. She ran away to keep her loved ones safe and thought she'd be alright here, but now she put her new loved ones in harms way too.

Gladys stood and walked over to her, standing and looking down on her. 

"Listen missy, I need to call the police. We can't get rid of this on our own, and we need them to come and get the body. But, what you're going to do, is grab the photo and fake credentials he brought. Burn them at your place. Load up the fire wood you unloaded here, put it back in your jeep. Loop back down to the guest house, wait 15 minutes, and come back up. When you get back, the police will be here. I'll say he was robbing me and it'll look like you just so happened to be arriving for the day."

Amelia met her eyes. "Gladys, you don't have to do this. I can.. I can tell them, I can tell them everything."

"Eliza. Don't go thinking this is your fault. Simon mentioned you'd been in cahoots with Tommy, and I know what he gets into. Whatever you're running from, this fella proves you had every right to be cautious. So do what I say, and go home."

♡

Amelia did what Gladys had instructed, and pulled her jeep back into the driveway about 30 minutes later. Seeing the cop cars made her stomach roll, and she saw the ambulance EMT close it's doors. She held her breath and hopped out of the car, slowly bracing herself as she made her way back up to the house. Pulling her baseball cap low over her eyes, she bust into the front door. 

"Miss G? Miss G, where are you? Where is she?" She shouted as she walked in the door, seeing the cops standing around the house. 

Gladys came into the room, opening her arms to the young woman.

"Oh, Liza, thank god."

"What happened?! Are you okay?" She held the woman at arms length and inspected her, their eyes meeting briefly. 

"Someone, he.. A man tried to rob me." Amelia resisted a laugh in the midst of the situation, Gladys's voice taking on a middle Americana accent as if she was in some old movie. She saw a glint in the woman's eye and realized she was having fun with the theatrics. 

The sheriff made their way over to them. Amelia had seen her around town, but they'd never been introduced before. 

"Sheriff Walker" she said, extending a hand to Amelia. She was in her early fifties with sharp brown eyes, her greying black hair cut short above her shoulders. 

"Eliza Turner" she replied, shaking the sheriff's hand.

"I've heard your name around the harbor, it's nice to finally meet you. May I ask what you're doing here?" Amelia knew that she already was aware of why she was there, but played into it anyway.

"Of course, I uh, I come to check on Miss G Monday through Friday. I bring firewood, help around the house, run to town.." She did her best to sound shaken, which in all honesty wasn't too difficult. 

The sheriff nodded. "Well, I don't have reason to believe this was anything other than a robbery. But if you wouldn't mind, I'd like an officer to get your statement. Just make sure you didn't see anything unusual around here recently, you may not have even realized."

Amelia nodded as she ground her teeth together. The only unusual thing around here was her.

a/n

these past few chapters haven't been my favorite but i've written up to chapter 14 and wowow i'm so excited for those ones