"Anke left," she said.
"Okay so…"
"She just disappeared in the middle of the night," Marnie explained.
"Good riddance!" Willow said.
"No, I—she didn't sound right. And she didn't look right either," Marnie said. "You know how she was always so put together? I think she owes a lot of money to people more dangerous than Josie. When people are in that position, they do rash things. She kept asking about Josie and her job. Just be on the lookout. I don't know where she was headed, but it might be your way."
"I doubt it's anything that serious," I said. "How much damage can she really do?"
Willow looked at me, incredulous.
"I know you don't want me to," Marnie said, "but it's time to go to the authorities."
"She sent me five thousand dollars!" I protested. "What if she's going to send the rest?" I had just scored this marketing project. I couldn't have the FBI poking around and tipping Mace off to how stupid I was.
Marnie sighed.
"Just, I think we're overreacting. I don't think she's dangerous," I said in a small voice.
"Famous last words," Marnie said.
38
Mace
Iwas waiting in the lobby that evening when Josie walked out. She yawned as I wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"How's everything going? Do you need anything? Are you going to make the deadline?" I asked as I took her laptop bag and let my hand drift down the curve of her hip.
"Of course!" Josie replied. "The only thing I need is fortification. I can't run on seaweed crackers and rice cakes."
"This isn't New York City, with bodegas open twenty-four, seven, but the big wholesale store outside of town is open late on weeknights," I told her.
"Good. I want candy."
This time I drove.
"No Henry today?" Josie asked.
"Garrett has him."
"I'm sure he really likes that!" Josie said, laughing.
I liked her. And I admired her. I had found this old love letter in the house a decade ago, when Hunter first bought it before it was cleaned out. Old Man Harrogate had written all these sappy love letters to someone. At the time I had scoffed, but now I wanted to write her poetry. But instead of a love note, my infatuation with Josie was making me go shopping with her.
I was starting to regret my decision at the store.
"I love shopping! I love clothes shopping and furniture shopping and craft supply shopping, but I really love food shopping!" Josie said as she skipped through the store. I followed behind, pushing an overflowing shopping cart.
"We can just have this all delivered," I told her as she threw more food into the cart.
"But grocery shopping is so much fun!" she exclaimed. "Look! You can buy a whole jar of peanut butter as big as your head and a giant container of marshmallow fluff."
"Who is going to eat all of this?" I exclaimed.
"You have a million brothers," she sniffed. "This is going to be gone in a week."
