Once she was comfortable enough in the baggy outfit, she walked quickly to the lunchroom. She smiled and said hello to anyone who looked in her direction. She calculated there were about a dozen employees working in the warehouse, not including her or Danny. More mental notes.
Yoko studied the selection of sandwiches and spotted a grilled vegetable wrap. Upon further inspection, she realized that it had probably been sitting there for a few days, then opted for the turkey and cheddar. She was relieved they had skipped the mayonnaise, which doesn’t fare well in the heat. She slathered Dijon mustard on it and caught up with Danny, who was sitting at a table that resembled every table in every cafeteria, everywhere. Two other workers were seated with him.
“Yoko, this is Fred and Dan. They work in the plumbing department.”
“Hello. Nice to meet you.” Yoko could almost hear what they were thinking. “I know. What’s a nice girl like me doing in a place like this?”
Everyone laughed, and it broke the ice. They made the usual small talk.Where are you originally from? How long have you been here? Married? Kids?The usual. As far as Yoko could tell, these were normal people—tradesmen in their forties. After meeting Zhukov, she was relieved to have courteous and cordial people around, even if they didn’t work in the same department. It was about the energy in the place. She could feel the shift once Zhukov left the area.
A bell rang, signaling the lunch break was over. “We’ve been summoned.”
“To where?” Yoko asked.
“Back to work.” Danny grinned.
“What’s on the ticket for this afternoon?” Yoko asked.
“They’re building another section of duplexes, and we need to look at the area marked off for the landscaping.”
“This I might like.” Yoko smiled and hopped into the utility vehicle.
Danny was behind the wheel and began to drive to the far end of the development, where bulldozers were clearing the land. He handed her the plot plan and pointed to the spot. “This here is going to be the access road to the parking lot. They want something that will separate it from the residences. Aesthetic purposes.”
Yoko assessed Danny. He appeared to be alright. She didn’t know why he was incarcerated, but so far, he seemed to be decent. As if he read her mind, he turned to her.
“B and E. Breaking and entering. And burglary. If you’re wondering.”
Danny stopped the vehicle.
Yoko blanched. “Well, yes, but I’m happy that I am not sitting with a serial killer.”
“My girlfriend and I broke up, and she changed the locks on the house. I had all my stuff in there, and she wasn’t going to give it back. One afternoon, when she was at work, I broke in and took what was mine.”
“If it was your stuff, then why were you charged with burglary?”
“Because I helped myself to the sixty-five-inch TV that I actually paid for. And her iPad.”
“Were you looking for anything in particular on her iPad?”
“No. I just wanted to yank her chain. She was addicted to that thing. It was part of the reason why we broke up. She was always comparing me to other guys she saw on social media. And she spent all her money on plastic surgery. When it came to paying the rent, she’d always be a little short.”
“Sounds like what you did was justifiable. Not necessarily legal, but well deserved.”
“Yeah, that’s why they dropped the charges to B and E. Spent three months in the slammer, and then they let me out on parole. Had to do two years.”
“That seems rather harsh for what could be construed as a misdemeanor.”
“You sure you’re not a lawyer?” He snapped his head in her direction.
“No. I just have a couple of good friends who are.” She hopped out of the vehicle and unrolled the plans on the back end of the cart. “Is it alright if I draw on this?”
“Sure. I can print out another copy when we get back.”
She pulled a small pencil out of her pocket, something she always carried. It could serve as a weapon or a tool. She tilted her head to the left and then to the right and made a few scribbles on the map. She took several steps from side to side and doodled a little more.
“We’ll go with a few Chinese fans, some scarlet sage, seaside goldenrod, and red buckeye. Colorful but will also serve as privacy.”
“Wow. You did that really superfast.”
