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Ani: Don’t be a big city snob.
Molly: So far I’ve only seen one street, but I’m new here. Will keep you posted.
Ani: Maybe you should wait until morning.
Molly: No need. It’s still light out, and it’s after nine here. TBH, I love that. It always bugs me when it gets dark and I’m still working my ass off.
Ani: The moral of that story is that you work too hard, not that there should be more daylight.
Molly: Whatever. I’m heading out there. If you don’t hear from me in an hour charter a plane and come find me.
Charlie: Is it really that sketchy?
Molly: Not sure yet. I’ll let you know.
As she strolled down the main street of Firelight Ridge, which wasn’t called Main Street but instead, Pioneer Boulevard, Molly decided that sketchy didn’t really describe it. The town had sketchy roots, perhaps. Or maybe just hardscrabble roots. It had sprouted up to service the miners who had worked a nearby copper mine that was long-closed.
In some cases, “service” meant literally; one of the remaining original structures was a former house of prostitution, now a rooming house that opened in the summertime.
In recent years, a wave of newcomers had appeared, younger residents interested in Wi-Fi and art galleries and coffee shops. There was even a Thai restaurant now, along with the burgers and nachos offered by the older watering holes.
The town had three bars but only one church. Did that church-to-bar ratio mean something? It had a school for younger kids, but apparently high schoolers were on their own. They either boarded in Blackbear to attend the public high school there, went to a private school, or skipped high school altogether.
Everyone was off-grid here. In other words, there was no grid.
“No grid?” she asked the clerk at the general store in absolute astonishment, as she bought a bottle of soda and a package of peanut butter crackers, to go with her questioning.
“You see any power lines out there?” The clerk was a wiry woman of indeterminate age and possibly Filipino background.
“I didn’t think to look. But now that you mention it…”
“A lot of places in the world don’t have a grid. It’s a big thing to get some panels hooked up, stop running the generator.” The woman took pity on her. “Takes a little getting used to, a place like this. We bought this store ten years ago, and some people still act like we’re new.”
“That must have been a real adventure, starting new in a place so far away from everything.”
“My husband likes the mountains.” She shrugged her shoulders, making her black puffer vest rise and fall. “I guess they’re okay. It’s really something here in the summer. You’ll see.”
“Oh, I don’t think so. I’m just here to…well…I’m actually looking for someone. A friend, she’s got white hair and?—”
The clerk stiffened. “I don’t tell on people. We all mind our own business out here. If we didn’t, we might all kill each other off mid-winter.”
“Of course, I get it, but she’s not in trouble. I’m just worried about her. I’ve known her since we were both little, and…here.” She pulled out her phone, which she’d set up with her most recent photo of Lila as her wallpaper. The woman turned her face away as Molly flashed the phone at her.
“Nope.”
“You didn’t even look.” Molly shifted her position to get the phone in front of her face, but the clerk sidestepped and stared up at the ceiling.
“Nope.”
“Oh my God, this is ridiculous. You’re seriously not going to even look at the photo?”
Still staring up at the ceiling, the clerk closed her eyes. In revenge, Molly considered pocketing a chocolate bar from the rack next to the counter. But just in case there was actual law enforcement around here, she talked herself down.
The next business she tried wasn’t any more help than the storeowner. The gas station had only one pump for gas and another one for diesel. Three huge fuel tanks stood to one side. Gas, diesel and propane? The logistics of getting resources out here must really be daunting. Did fuel get flown in the way groceries and other supplies did? Or did that kind of thing only happen once the road opened back up in time for summer?
Molly had never given much thought to such questions before, and she found it fascinating.
At the gas pump, she had to holler a few times before a young man strode from inside the closed-up garage, wiping his hands on a rag, looking irritated.
