“What’s in here? It’s heavy.”
“None of your business,”
Joseph stops. “Then why should I carry it?”
“You don’t need to carry it anymore. The guys already saw you. If you don’t pay me back this time, I’ll tell my boss you took some of what’s inside for yourself.”
Joseph drops the box. “You son of a bitch. There’s fucking drugs in there. I knew it.”
Drugs?
That’s an interesting assumption for Joseph to make. That means Vince deals drugs, or he has at some point. But why set up a food bank in an area where it stands out to commit a crime? That doesn’t make any sense.
They hand the boxes off to the driver and walk back inside. The driver gets in the truck and starts it up, facing my direction.
I quickly duck behind the dumpster and hope Joseph and Vince don’t decide to come back out, because they could see me in my current position. After the truck leaves, I make my way back to my car.
A few minutes later, Joseph exits the building. I follow him as he drives straight to the university.
Who did he take the money from and who will kill him? I’m not going to figure it out sitting in the parking lot of the university. I exit my car intending to go straight to Joseph, but it’s as if I can’t stop myself when I know Lucy is near. I’m halfway to her office when I stop myself. She asked for space. I need to give it to her. But I need to warn her, too. As a brisk wind cuts through me, I zip up my jacket. I’ve forgotten how cold it can be here in October. After living through a few New York winters, I convinced myself this place was warm. Funny how your memory can be selective like that.
Everything in me says I should go to her, tell her she might be in danger and then show her how I feel, but Lucy can be stubborn. She needs time. And my gut tells me this isn’t the best plan.
I spin on my heel and head to Joseph’s office, thinking I’ll sit outside on a bench and wait to see if Joseph pops out. When another brisk wind hits, I rethink that idea.
Before I make it back to the administration building, I spot Joseph walking through the quad. Thankful I didn’t have to sit around and wait for him, I turn to follow.
Leaves rain down from the big cherry trees that line the walkway, and there are some bright red bushes nearer to the buildings. It really is a beautiful campus.
Joseph picks up his pace. He enters a building, and I follow not too far behind. But once inside, I stop. There are three hallways: one in front of me, one to my right, and one to my left. All empty.
I’ve lost him. And he picked up his pace, as if he knew I was following him. How? I’m good at my job.
I turn around and make my way back to Joseph’s office, but I go slowly, going over what I plan to say in my head. I tour a few of the buildings and wonder what it would have been like if I had been able to go to school here. Would Lucy and I be married now?
By the time I make it to Joseph’s office, he’s sitting at his desk.
“Cody? What are you doing here?”
“There’s been a change in plans.”
Joseph leans back in his chair and clasps his hands. “All right. What’s going on?”
“In order to protect you, I need to know who’s really threatening you. You told me it was a student. We both know that’s a lie. This is your one chance to tell me the truth.”
“You are protecting me?”
“Yes.”
“But you said you weren’t.”
I huff out a breath and try to hide my impatience at his questions. “I am now. Turns out your boss wants us to stay on.”
Joseph stares at me for a moment, then nods. He walks around his desk, and I think he’s going to sit in the chair beside me, but instead, he closes his office door.
When he gets back behind his desk, he sits down, straightens his tie, and reclasps his hands. “For reasons I don’t want to get into, I had to borrow some money from one of the university’s funds. However, I paid it back, and everything is fine now. I’d really rather not discuss this with Chip. It’s a personal matter.”
I scrape my hand over my scruff as I study Joseph. No twitch. The jackass is actually telling the truth. Or some version of it.
