Casey sighed as she went back to work. She would rather have stayed home, but it had been two days and she needed the money. She pulled the apron tight around her waist and sighed, tying the bow. She tucked her hair back into a bun and was set for the day, or night as it was. She worked night shifts exclusively which ended at one in the morning.
Business was not as it usually was, which wasn't exactly unnatural or unwelcome. The murder had driven away some patrons and Casey was happy to have a lighter work load, especially when her mind was so heavy.
Pat was dead, gone. Nothing seemed to really sink in. She kept feeling as if she'd turn around and there would be her manager with a warm grin and a hearty chuckle, but of course her manager wouldn't be there, not now and not ever again. Then there was the police officer who was investigating this case.
Officer Barone. What could be said about him? He was compassionate, or so it seemed, and very nice. He was handsome, if not a little out of her age range by about twenty years, tall and dark; the perfect vision of masculinity if not for the whole depression thing. Casey didn't have to talk long with the officer to realize that, the look on his face when he came to talk to her two nights ago when Pat was shot was enough. His eyes carried an extreme sadness, the kind that overwhelms people after years of hardship.
Casey sighed as she caught herself day dreaming about the older, but still not witouth his share of looks, police man. 'Stupid girl,' she mocked herself bitterly. 'He's too old. Hell, he's probably even married...' She sighed once more and finished cleaning out the grinds from one machine than moved to the next. She was probably right.
She served only about ten people on the length of her eight hour shift, and at the end of the night felt a cold chill run down her spine. Sarah, the girl who had been working with her earlier that night, had gone home already. It only took one of them to lock up and since Pat was now gone, Casey had been promoted to night manager.
Fear and apprehension started to grip her as she checked each one of the machines. She ha done them already but didn't want to check down stairs. She had locked the doors already and checked them several times. She knew there was no one inside, she was sure of it. None the less the fear didn't go away.
Eventually she bit the bullet and checked the basement lights and fridges; everything was shut and turned off that needed to be. And there was no one down there. She trudged back up stairs, got her hooded sweatshirt and bag then left, locking the building behind her. Inside the pocket of the sweatshirt was the card the police officer, Robert Barone, had given her last night.
She pulled it out and looked at it as she sighed. She didn't have the car tonight since it was in to get a new paint job, so with the lock up complete, Casey headed home.