“Aren’t you Gloria Waters? I’m—”
“My son died twenty-three years ago with my husband. How dare you? How dare you come in here? Get out.”
So I was the guy who helped make this the second worst day of her life. And I knew who I wasn’t.
Shannon wasn’t in the car. I found her about five minutes later at a bus stop on McClintock Drive The bus arrived just after I did. I managed to grab Shannon before she could push her way on board. A mother ushered her two young kids up the steps and past the driver. The driver looked at me, but I shook my head and said, “Don’t.” He closed the door and drove off.
I backed Shannon against the jeep. “Call them. Call them right now.”
“I will.”
“Right now.”
“I told you. If they find out you know I’m with them…”
“That’s over. Call.”
She pulled her phone from her purse, called McColl, and handed it to me. McColl answered. “You’re tracking me. I don’t care. You’ve sent me a companion. I don’t care. I’m going to find themoney and then we can deal with each other. But don’t ever pull another stunt like you did on that woman today. Never.”
“Or what?”
Thank you for asking. “I’ll quit looking. Just walk away. And you can torture me until your pants are so wet they fall down. As we both know, it won’t do any good because I don’t know where the money is.”
Silence. I handed the phone back to Shannon. “You ran because you knew.”
“I ran because I guessed. When I was sitting there, I just had a bad feeling.”
I should have ditched her at that moment. They would not trust her anymore, but if she kept feeding them information, it would create doubt. I thought I could turn her to my side. I should have ditched her.
14.
W hy are you sitting at the edge of the booth?”
“There’s a spring broken in the middle and it’s really uncomfortable.”
“It’s near the window on this side. We could switch.”
“They’re all the same.”
I was only six years old when Dan first took me to Chui’s Diner. Since that time, they had not made one improvement, bought one new dish or utensil, or repaired one fixture. Most of the customers were the same, too. Chui was a big man in his sixties. His belly has always hung over his belt, and he always wore a bolo tie that sometimes swung into your face when he leaned over to inspect your plate and ask how you liked your meal. In a pinch, Dan would leave me there for the day while he attended to business, which meant I attended to business also, standing on a chair at the sink so I could wash dishes and silverware. Those day sessions eventually developed into sessions lasting days. Chui and his wife, Rosa, lived behind the diner. I would bathe there and watch TV with them in the evening, then sleep in a booth. Along the way, I learned everyjob in the restaurant, including cook. I don’t know if what I cooked was any good, but I could turn it out fast and accurate. Of course, I ate the mistakes before Chui noticed, or before I saw him notice. I’ve done about a million crummy things so far in my life, but the one I regret, or at least the one I think about most, is stealing a packet of frozen chicken breasts and selling them out the back door. Chui caught me and I had not been back for more than ten years.
Shannon was looking at the menu and I was putting milk in my coffee when I was slapped on the back of the head. Chui said, “Why the hell you sitting at the edge of the booth?”
“Quick getaway. Chui, this is Shannon.”
“Hi.”
“Hi. Dan was in just a few weeks ago, said you were doing great, own a ranch in Wyoming, something like that. I figured that meant you were never in Wyoming. You looking for him?” The last part he said hopefully. Chui always wanted Dan and me to act like his version of a normal father and son.
“Dan died.” I had to think about it for a moment. “Couple of days ago.”
Chui turned and walked away. I signaled the waitress. I didn’t
“My son died twenty-three years ago with my husband. How dare you? How dare you come in here? Get out.”
So I was the guy who helped make this the second worst day of her life. And I knew who I wasn’t.
Shannon wasn’t in the car. I found her about five minutes later at a bus stop on McClintock Drive The bus arrived just after I did. I managed to grab Shannon before she could push her way on board. A mother ushered her two young kids up the steps and past the driver. The driver looked at me, but I shook my head and said, “Don’t.” He closed the door and drove off.
I backed Shannon against the jeep. “Call them. Call them right now.”
“I will.”
“Right now.”
“I told you. If they find out you know I’m with them…”
“That’s over. Call.”
She pulled her phone from her purse, called McColl, and handed it to me. McColl answered. “You’re tracking me. I don’t care. You’ve sent me a companion. I don’t care. I’m going to find themoney and then we can deal with each other. But don’t ever pull another stunt like you did on that woman today. Never.”
“Or what?”
Thank you for asking. “I’ll quit looking. Just walk away. And you can torture me until your pants are so wet they fall down. As we both know, it won’t do any good because I don’t know where the money is.”
Silence. I handed the phone back to Shannon. “You ran because you knew.”
“I ran because I guessed. When I was sitting there, I just had a bad feeling.”
I should have ditched her at that moment. They would not trust her anymore, but if she kept feeding them information, it would create doubt. I thought I could turn her to my side. I should have ditched her.
14.
W hy are you sitting at the edge of the booth?”
“There’s a spring broken in the middle and it’s really uncomfortable.”
“It’s near the window on this side. We could switch.”
“They’re all the same.”
I was only six years old when Dan first took me to Chui’s Diner. Since that time, they had not made one improvement, bought one new dish or utensil, or repaired one fixture. Most of the customers were the same, too. Chui was a big man in his sixties. His belly has always hung over his belt, and he always wore a bolo tie that sometimes swung into your face when he leaned over to inspect your plate and ask how you liked your meal. In a pinch, Dan would leave me there for the day while he attended to business, which meant I attended to business also, standing on a chair at the sink so I could wash dishes and silverware. Those day sessions eventually developed into sessions lasting days. Chui and his wife, Rosa, lived behind the diner. I would bathe there and watch TV with them in the evening, then sleep in a booth. Along the way, I learned everyjob in the restaurant, including cook. I don’t know if what I cooked was any good, but I could turn it out fast and accurate. Of course, I ate the mistakes before Chui noticed, or before I saw him notice. I’ve done about a million crummy things so far in my life, but the one I regret, or at least the one I think about most, is stealing a packet of frozen chicken breasts and selling them out the back door. Chui caught me and I had not been back for more than ten years.
Shannon was looking at the menu and I was putting milk in my coffee when I was slapped on the back of the head. Chui said, “Why the hell you sitting at the edge of the booth?”
“Quick getaway. Chui, this is Shannon.”
“Hi.”
“Hi. Dan was in just a few weeks ago, said you were doing great, own a ranch in Wyoming, something like that. I figured that meant you were never in Wyoming. You looking for him?” The last part he said hopefully. Chui always wanted Dan and me to act like his version of a normal father and son.
“Dan died.” I had to think about it for a moment. “Couple of days ago.”
Chui turned and walked away. I signaled the waitress. I didn’t
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