okay.’
‘All right, honey. See you tonight, then.’
Once he had ended the call, Will began to think. Was he doing the right thing now, by going to Paterson? At that moment he had to brake sharply as an SUV which had overtaken him pulled into Will’s lane, six feet in front. Had Will not braked, he would now be in the back of it. He needed to get off the highway, to pull over somewhere and think.
Ahead Will saw the sign indicating the exit to Ridge Road was a mile ahead. He took this exit, recalling that just after the ramp was a small service area. He pulled into the service station, a small facility just offering a gas station and a McDonalds drive-thru. He found a space and parked.
Turning off the engine, he sat back and pondered. Chrissy’s news had come as a relief. Unpleasant as it was to be burglarized, he had had this irrational fear that it was connected with the mugging victim.
Correction: the murder victim.
Even though, he had been convinced that it was the same people, looking for that little white and green card DiMucci was clutching. But he knew it always was an irrational fear: if they had known he was in the stall listening to the attack; if they had hung around the mall to see him come out of the men’s room, rather than get the hell out of there; if they had been able to follow him, or Chrissy and Louise, home on a crowded subway. It would be a one in a million chance there was a connection. One in a billion, he decided, to make himself more certain.
So what was he doing driving to Paterson, NJ? Okay, the dead guy lived there, but what would have been the point of going? It would most likely have been a waste of time anyway, but now…
Surely the best thing he could do now would be to fill out that insurance claim paperwork, secure the house more and do what that cop advised and get an alarm fitted.
‘Get a grip,’ Will said to himself, started the car and headed back to the highway, east back to Manhattan.
SEVENTEEN
Will eventually made it back into the office for twelve, a broken down bus at the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel causing him a twenty minute delay. He went through the customary greetings with May and Eddie, and then looked in on Dan. Dan had just come off the phone when Will appeared.
‘Hey there,’ Dan called out. ‘How’d it go? May said you were seeing someone in Jersey?’
‘I was,’ replied Will, not totally untruthfully, ‘but they called when I was on my way and cancelled. So I came straight here. A bus had broken down just before the tunnel Jersey side so I’ve been sitting there.’
‘So you got all the way there and had to turn round? Bummer.’
‘Well, not exactly. I had just crossed the 95.’
‘Where were you headed?’
Will saw no reason to lie: Dan knew nothing of the white card. ‘Paterson.’
Dan looked up. ‘Paterson? Yes, I know where you mean.’
As Will turned round to go to his own office, Dan called out.
‘Oh, Will? Before I forget…’
‘What?’
‘We were wondering if you guys were free Friday night. You two and the kids.’
‘I think so, yes. Why?’
‘You all wanna come over for dinner?’
‘I’ll check with Chrissy, but I think it’ll be okay. What’s the occasion?’
‘It was Jia’s idea. I think she wants to use you as guinea pigs.’
‘How so?’
‘She’s been experimenting with Cajun cuisine the last week or so. Wants to try it out on somebody other than me and Clyde.’
‘That’ll be interesting, yes. A Chinese woman cooking Cajun food.’
‘Listen: we don’t spend every mealtime eating King Prawns and dim sum.’
‘No, I’m sure you don’t,’ Will laughed. ‘I’ll check with Chrissy, but that should be okay. Look forward to it.’
*****
Friday came and they were all getting ready to go to Dan and Jia’s. Dan had suggested 7:30; Chrissy countered back with 6:30 as Louise couldn’t be out too late, even though it was not a school night. They compromised at 7 pm , giving
‘All right, honey. See you tonight, then.’
Once he had ended the call, Will began to think. Was he doing the right thing now, by going to Paterson? At that moment he had to brake sharply as an SUV which had overtaken him pulled into Will’s lane, six feet in front. Had Will not braked, he would now be in the back of it. He needed to get off the highway, to pull over somewhere and think.
Ahead Will saw the sign indicating the exit to Ridge Road was a mile ahead. He took this exit, recalling that just after the ramp was a small service area. He pulled into the service station, a small facility just offering a gas station and a McDonalds drive-thru. He found a space and parked.
Turning off the engine, he sat back and pondered. Chrissy’s news had come as a relief. Unpleasant as it was to be burglarized, he had had this irrational fear that it was connected with the mugging victim.
Correction: the murder victim.
Even though, he had been convinced that it was the same people, looking for that little white and green card DiMucci was clutching. But he knew it always was an irrational fear: if they had known he was in the stall listening to the attack; if they had hung around the mall to see him come out of the men’s room, rather than get the hell out of there; if they had been able to follow him, or Chrissy and Louise, home on a crowded subway. It would be a one in a million chance there was a connection. One in a billion, he decided, to make himself more certain.
So what was he doing driving to Paterson, NJ? Okay, the dead guy lived there, but what would have been the point of going? It would most likely have been a waste of time anyway, but now…
Surely the best thing he could do now would be to fill out that insurance claim paperwork, secure the house more and do what that cop advised and get an alarm fitted.
‘Get a grip,’ Will said to himself, started the car and headed back to the highway, east back to Manhattan.
SEVENTEEN
Will eventually made it back into the office for twelve, a broken down bus at the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel causing him a twenty minute delay. He went through the customary greetings with May and Eddie, and then looked in on Dan. Dan had just come off the phone when Will appeared.
‘Hey there,’ Dan called out. ‘How’d it go? May said you were seeing someone in Jersey?’
‘I was,’ replied Will, not totally untruthfully, ‘but they called when I was on my way and cancelled. So I came straight here. A bus had broken down just before the tunnel Jersey side so I’ve been sitting there.’
‘So you got all the way there and had to turn round? Bummer.’
‘Well, not exactly. I had just crossed the 95.’
‘Where were you headed?’
Will saw no reason to lie: Dan knew nothing of the white card. ‘Paterson.’
Dan looked up. ‘Paterson? Yes, I know where you mean.’
As Will turned round to go to his own office, Dan called out.
‘Oh, Will? Before I forget…’
‘What?’
‘We were wondering if you guys were free Friday night. You two and the kids.’
‘I think so, yes. Why?’
‘You all wanna come over for dinner?’
‘I’ll check with Chrissy, but I think it’ll be okay. What’s the occasion?’
‘It was Jia’s idea. I think she wants to use you as guinea pigs.’
‘How so?’
‘She’s been experimenting with Cajun cuisine the last week or so. Wants to try it out on somebody other than me and Clyde.’
‘That’ll be interesting, yes. A Chinese woman cooking Cajun food.’
‘Listen: we don’t spend every mealtime eating King Prawns and dim sum.’
‘No, I’m sure you don’t,’ Will laughed. ‘I’ll check with Chrissy, but that should be okay. Look forward to it.’
*****
Friday came and they were all getting ready to go to Dan and Jia’s. Dan had suggested 7:30; Chrissy countered back with 6:30 as Louise couldn’t be out too late, even though it was not a school night. They compromised at 7 pm , giving
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