smoke, grabbing the note and pizza, making Nina jump, “What the fuuu... Phil Cooper...?” She stared at the short note written in marker; Take this free pizza, do not talk to the driver - Phil Cooper.
“ So, who is he...?”
Lisa still stared at the note, “A friend, sort of...”
“I wonder what kind of pizza it is.”
“ Huh?” Lisa snapped out of her trance, “I don't know... this is awful odd,” she laid the pizza box on the counter and opened the top.
“ A cell phone?” Nina shook her head, “I don't get it...”
Lisa picked up the plastic bag off the top of the pizza containing a cell phone and folded letter, unzipping it and pulling out the letter. Your house is under surveillance, we need to talk. Eat dinner then take the dog for a walk at ten o'clock near the water's edge. I will call on this phone. Shred this letter. Phil Cooper. Nina tried to read over Lisa's shoulder but she nonchalantly turned to block Nina's view. She folded the letter up, pocketing it and closed the box laying the cell phone on top, still in its bag. “Let's eat dinner.”
“ Lisa, what's going on? What is it?” Nina searched Lisa's face. Her mind seemed to be in another world, “Is he an old boyfriend or something...?”
Lisa smiled, “No nothing like that,” she dished out neatly cut stacks of lasagna onto two plates. “Let's just say it's old family business... cop stuff.” She wondered how long she could put off the inevitable; she could foresee a near-future event where it would become necessary for her to enlighten Nina about certain things that might be a little hard for her to absorb. One step at a time...
Nina nodded, she knew there was a long line of law enforcement in the family and she could only imagine some of the secrets they might be keeping. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know what they might be or not.
■ ■ ■
The gentle surf washing across her bare feet, Lisa stood at the water's edge watching Gus slosh ankle-deep in the water. She glanced anxiously at her watch and even though she was watching the second hand sweep towards ten o'clock she still jumped a bit when the phone rang in her pocket. Her heart thumping nervously she answered, “Hello...”
“Don't talk, just listen. When you speak, speak quietly. No names - ever. Don't ever place a call with this phone and don't go anywhere without it. Finally, and only in an extreme emergency, dial; star-pound-9-1-1... wait till it rings once and hang up. Do you understand everything I've said?”
“ Yes...” she eyed a jogger run past on the upper edge of the hard packed sand, “I understand.”
“ Good. I see you've been carrying , don't go anywhere without that either. Now about your roommate, can you trust her?”
“ Yes.”
“ Are you sure? Your life may depend on it...”
“ Yes.”
“ OK, good. Down to business - you and the house are being watched...”
“ By who?”
“ Don't interrupt. And it's not important. What is important is that there's a lot of activity in your neighborhood, you're not the only one under surveillance, but you are being watched by more than one group.”
“ What do you mean it's not important? Are they good guys or bad guys?” She looked around nervously.
“ Relax. Stop being so jumpy and act natural. You're just out walking your dog on a regular phone call... think Men in Black .”
Men in black? She wasn't sure what that even meant - yet. “So what do I do?”
“ Keep to yourselves, stay inside for a couple of days and for God's sake, stop using that gizmo you've got, they're trying to track the signal...”
“ Who's tracking... wait, you knew I had a...”
“ Yeah, but I can't tell you any more than that. And if you decide to discuss any of this, find a room in the house with no windows, or a parabolic mic can pick up your conversation...”
“ What about now?”
“ The noise of the surf, running water, blender, loud stereo or television, things like that help
“ So, who is he...?”
Lisa still stared at the note, “A friend, sort of...”
“I wonder what kind of pizza it is.”
“ Huh?” Lisa snapped out of her trance, “I don't know... this is awful odd,” she laid the pizza box on the counter and opened the top.
“ A cell phone?” Nina shook her head, “I don't get it...”
Lisa picked up the plastic bag off the top of the pizza containing a cell phone and folded letter, unzipping it and pulling out the letter. Your house is under surveillance, we need to talk. Eat dinner then take the dog for a walk at ten o'clock near the water's edge. I will call on this phone. Shred this letter. Phil Cooper. Nina tried to read over Lisa's shoulder but she nonchalantly turned to block Nina's view. She folded the letter up, pocketing it and closed the box laying the cell phone on top, still in its bag. “Let's eat dinner.”
“ Lisa, what's going on? What is it?” Nina searched Lisa's face. Her mind seemed to be in another world, “Is he an old boyfriend or something...?”
Lisa smiled, “No nothing like that,” she dished out neatly cut stacks of lasagna onto two plates. “Let's just say it's old family business... cop stuff.” She wondered how long she could put off the inevitable; she could foresee a near-future event where it would become necessary for her to enlighten Nina about certain things that might be a little hard for her to absorb. One step at a time...
Nina nodded, she knew there was a long line of law enforcement in the family and she could only imagine some of the secrets they might be keeping. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know what they might be or not.
■ ■ ■
The gentle surf washing across her bare feet, Lisa stood at the water's edge watching Gus slosh ankle-deep in the water. She glanced anxiously at her watch and even though she was watching the second hand sweep towards ten o'clock she still jumped a bit when the phone rang in her pocket. Her heart thumping nervously she answered, “Hello...”
“Don't talk, just listen. When you speak, speak quietly. No names - ever. Don't ever place a call with this phone and don't go anywhere without it. Finally, and only in an extreme emergency, dial; star-pound-9-1-1... wait till it rings once and hang up. Do you understand everything I've said?”
“ Yes...” she eyed a jogger run past on the upper edge of the hard packed sand, “I understand.”
“ Good. I see you've been carrying , don't go anywhere without that either. Now about your roommate, can you trust her?”
“ Yes.”
“ Are you sure? Your life may depend on it...”
“ Yes.”
“ OK, good. Down to business - you and the house are being watched...”
“ By who?”
“ Don't interrupt. And it's not important. What is important is that there's a lot of activity in your neighborhood, you're not the only one under surveillance, but you are being watched by more than one group.”
“ What do you mean it's not important? Are they good guys or bad guys?” She looked around nervously.
“ Relax. Stop being so jumpy and act natural. You're just out walking your dog on a regular phone call... think Men in Black .”
Men in black? She wasn't sure what that even meant - yet. “So what do I do?”
“ Keep to yourselves, stay inside for a couple of days and for God's sake, stop using that gizmo you've got, they're trying to track the signal...”
“ Who's tracking... wait, you knew I had a...”
“ Yeah, but I can't tell you any more than that. And if you decide to discuss any of this, find a room in the house with no windows, or a parabolic mic can pick up your conversation...”
“ What about now?”
“ The noise of the surf, running water, blender, loud stereo or television, things like that help
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