Chapter 5By Friday afternoon, Melissa teetered on the edge of despair. The day, miserably hot with rising humidity, negated the efforts of the store’s old evaporative cooler. It did little more than stir the steamy air. She perched on a rickety stool behind the main counter, wiping at the trickle of perspiration along her hairline and wishing for a customer. Anything to break the tedium of an unbearably long afternoon. Unable to bear the crushing heat, she’d slipped off her outer shirt, leaving only a cropped tank top over her light cotton slacks.
Listlessly, she picked up an old locket and chain, black with age and neglect. Collecting a soft cloth and a jar of polish, she began slowly to remove the layers of oxide. As the tarnish rubbed away, the rich sheen of old silver began to peek th
