Chapter 15
Nina
The tall, heavily muscled, black guy standing in front of the counter looked nothing like the shorter, thin, pale Ralph, and yet he reminded me of him.
Maybe it was the too friendly smile. Maybe it was the insurance story. Maybe it was the aura hanging around him that screamed, I’m lying.
Whatever it was, Beth knew the score, and as soon as she read his business card, she ushered me to Mary’s office. After Beth told Mary what happened, she called John.
Shamelessly, I listened to her side of the conversation.
“John, there’s another insurance guy here to see Nina.”
Pause.
“She’s here with me in my office. Beth’s at the counter.”
Pause.
“No, I don’t recognize him.”
Pause.
“Okay, we’ll wait here.”
Mary pulled up the video feeds and turned the monitors so I could see them.
“John and Jay will be here in a few minutes.” She chuckled. “They must have a sixth sense because they were already on their way.”
I couldn’t laugh with her.
“Mary, I’m sorry this is happening,” I apologized, despite not knowing exactly what was happening or why it was happening.
What I did know was that it was happening because of me. It’d kill me to lose what I had at Grannie’s if Mary fired me over this.
“None of this is your fault.”
“But he’s here looking for me.”
“Did you run a scam or something that I don’t know about?”
“What? No.” I wouldn’t even know how.
“Then it’s not your fault.”
Mr. Jones stood near the counter, drinking his coffee like he had all the time in the world to wait.
Turns out he didn’t have to wait long.
John and Jay arrived, and they exchanged business cards. Mr. Jones looked calm as a cucumber. John and Jay looked like they wanted answers.
My hand flew to my mouth to cover my gasp as Mary asked, “What’s Austin doing here?”
A few seconds, or maybe it was a few minutes, passed as I stared at the silver fox on the monitor. It was hard to keep track of time with my frayed nerves.
As if he could sense me staring, Austin looked into the camera.
“This doesn’t make any sense,” Mary pondered out loud. “What’s Austin’s connection to Smith and Jones?”
John walked away, and a few second later, a knock sounded at the door.
“It’s me,” John called out as he opened the door. “Why isn’t this locked?”
Mary stood. “I didn’t want to lock us in.”
“That’s kind of the point.”
“Unless we need to leave in a hurry,” Mary countered.
“You got your Smith it’s bigger.”
“They won’t like that.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“The video cameras,” John answered.
Mary raised her eyebrows. “Tell them we’re the only ones who see the feed.”
Right, the camera. I shouldn’t have been surprised; Mary told us about the cameras in the breakroom, but I always forgot they existed.
Is there one in here? I started looking for it.
“The only camera in here points at the closet,” John answered.
Makes sense. The safe was hidden in the closet.
“And the camera on my laptop, it’s automatically activated if the password is entered incorrectly.”
Her setup was like something out of a TV show. I guess that’s what happens when your husband is a PI.
“Can I go back to work?” I asked, hating how much time I was losing because of these guys.
Mary let John answer, “That’s fine, but not until I’ve closed the breakroom door.”
“Okay.” I slid further down in my chair, feeling sorry for myself. My grandmother’s voice bounced around in my head, telling me not so sulk, so I dug deep and found the energy to sit up straight and plaster a smile on my face.
I’ll need it when I return to work.
After John left, Mary said, “Nina, I know this is a lot, but John and the boys will get to the bottom of it.”
I prayed she was right, because I had a sinking feeling in my stomach that this was just the beginning.