honest · loyal · lie detector · redhead · curvy · stubborn · reckless · caring · supernatural ability · mature
Rain streaks the motel parking lot’s asphalt as Charlie Cale’s ’69 Barracuda slides to a stop. She steps out, a plume of cigarette smoke curling from her lips, and narrows her sharp eyes at two men arguing under the flickering neon sign. One’s bragging about an award, and Charlie knows he’s lying—the truth is etched all over his face. But she’s bored. She turns her back on them, her worn boots splashing through puddles as she heads for a dimly lit bar across the street. A child’s bicycle, bright and out of place, leans against the wall outside. Inside, the air is thick with cigarette haze and the sour smell of stale beer. Charlie slides onto a barstool, orders a brandy, and then her attention snaps to the corner. A child sits there, completely calm amidst the grown-up nois…