“Bob, I give you my word,” a man says.
“If that truck doesn’t come in today, I’m giving him your name,” Bob says.
His voice stops me in my tracks. I’ve never heard Bob angry. He’s always happy. Something must be wrong.
“It will be here,” the first man says.
A loud thud. “Dammit! Why didn’t you stick together as planned?” Bob asks.
“He didn’t tell me he was pulling off at the rest stop. Don’t worry. He has no idea what’s in the truck,” the man says.
“He better not. If he has any idea of the value of those weapons, he might sell them to make a fast buck,” Bob says.
Weapons? I swallow back a wave of bile. I shouldn’t be here. Bob can’t know I’m here.
I turn and slowly make my way out of the building.
“What’s that? Who’s here?” Bob asks.
I pick up my pace and run out the door and across the street. I duck behind a dumpster and peek out. Bob and another man step outside and look around. After a moment, they go back inside.
I must have misheard. Some guy is driving a truck ofweapons to Bob’s building. What would Bob need with a truck of weapons?
Before I am able to leave, another car pulls up, blocking the road. I scoot back down out of sight.
A man in a suit gets out of the passenger side, and another man wearing a dark coat and carrying a gun gets out of the driver’s side. They walk into Bob’s building.
Oh no. I don’t know what Bob has gotten himself into, but I don’t want any part of this. I run back to my car and get as far away from there as I can.
Even though I don’t want to go to the office, I have to. Maggie thinks I’m out running an errand. I can’t have her believing I went to Bob’s. That’s when the idea hits me. I drive straight to Maria’s place. Then I call her.
“I need a favor,” I say when she answers her phone.
“Well, something must be wrong since you called. You never call.”
That’s not entirely true, but I don’t have time to argue.
“I really need you to come with me now to my office and walk in like it’s urgent. I can explain more on the way. I’m parked out front.”
I’m met with silence.
“Maria?”
“Yes, I’m here. I was checking my calendar to make sure I have time. All right. I’ll be right out.”
“Thank you!”
Five minutes later, Maria is in my car, and we are driving to my office.
“I can’t go into details, but I need Maggie to think I went straight to your house once I left the office. Youcalled me because you saw a listing and insisted I come get you. We are swinging by the office to check on the listing before we drive out to see it.”
Maria smiles. “And where did you really go once you left?”
I shake my head. “It doesn’t matter. She thought I was going to see our boss, but I didn’t, and I don’t want to get into trouble.”
“Okay, I got you.”
I met Maria a couple of years ago through another friend, and we meshed instantly. Since then, we talk several times a week, and she’s been there any time I’ve needed someone.
