I thought that was the end of it. I went home, made pasta, and tried to balance my budget. I went to bed telling myself the peace I felt was worth the strain.
For illustrative purposes only
The Morning Surprise
Now, standing with the ring in my hand, I asked the officer, “What is this?”
“Ma’am, we’d like you to come with us. Walter was very specific that you should see this in person.”
I glanced at Mrs. Callahan, who was openly watching now. “Walter… the old man… I helped him… am I in any trouble?”
“No, Ma’am. But he asked for you specifically.”
I put on my shoes and got into the police car.
The drive lasted forty minutes. Every question I asked was met with the same reply: “You’ll understand when we get there.”
Finally, we arrived at a gated property on the eastern edge of town. The kind of gates that didn’t need to keep anything out—because nothing uninvited would dare approach. The grounds were immaculate.
Inside, rose petals scattered across a rug. I was led into a large sitting room and left standing in the middle.
A man entered. Tall, straight-backed, clean-shaven, in a tailored suit. He moved with the ease of someone who had never wondered where he stood in a room.
Then he looked at me, and I recognized his eyes—the same ones that had stared at me over a bulging coat pocket in the bread aisle.
“You?!” I gasped.
