“I’m not seeing him. Just staying with him. He’s a friend. We uh… met online. This is my first time seeing his place in person, which is why I haven’t memorized the address.”
“Oh, sure. That makes sense.”Did it?The lie had sounded obvious to her own ears. But the cop seemed entirely convinced. “Well, tell him I say hi, okay? Norton Graff.OfficerNorton Graff.”
“Sure.” Was she supposed to be impressed by the “officer” part?
Emmy turned and stared out the window, willing the ride to be over. She knew Will wouldn’t be happy to see her back at his place, but she didn’t know where else to go. If one more guy flirted with her, she was going to start screaming at the top of her lungs and never stop. She felt her entire body unclench when the house came into view. The cop pulled to a stop in the driveway, then turned to smile at her.
“So, if you’re not seeing Will, does that mean I have a chance?”
The scream bubbled up. Part terror. Part frustration. A touch of rage. She swallowed it down, took a breath.
“No. I’m not seeing Will, but I do have a boyfriend.”
Something changed in him. He looked confused. Like a dog who hears a noise but can’t determine where the sound is coming from. Then he just shrugged.
“Okay. See you later.”
She got out of the car, and he drove off. Emmy made it to the door, then dropped onto the front step, pressed her head into her knees, and screamed.
Seven
Will sat in what the mechanic passed off as a waiting area—two beaten-up vinyl chairs, a wall-mounted TV, and a water cooler. He smelled gasoline, could easily see right into the shop where the two brothers who owned Kerry Brothers Auto Repair argued about something. How had Emmy known his car would break down? Had she sabotaged it before sneaking into his home and climbing into bed with him? Was there a subtle way to ask if a car showed signs of sabotage? He didn’t think he could pull it off. She’d said he’d be late for work, and he was. Normally he’d be freaking out, but the work freakout was going to have to wait until he’d finished losing his shit over everything else that had happened that day. He had a lot of thinking to do. His mind was a maelstrom of suppositions, suspicions, possibilities, entanglements, and questions. He had pitifully few answers.
And then, like someone had flicked a switch in his brain, everything went blank, and he couldn’t think at all.
The woman who walked past him into the shop was devastating to the senses. Tall and curvy with sun-kissedskin and a smile that simply enthralled him. He watched her trot over to the Kerry brothers, handily interrupt their argument, and strike up conversation. He couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but the sound of her laugh carried to him. When she tossed back her head of honey-colored curls, he followed the movement like she was a hypnotist keeping him focused on a watch. She wore torn jeans and a paint-stained t-shirt, but she made it look like a fashion statement. Without realizing, he stood and took a few steps closer. It was enough for him to catch bits of the conversation. Even her voice was alluring. She sounded happy. Carefree.
“Anything you feel like you can part with,” she said. “I’m thinking old tools, nuts, bolts, springs, gears. I can pay you! Should have led with that.” She laughed at herself, that joyous sound that had him by the throat.
“We can look around,” said Marlon Kerry, the older brother. “Can you hang out a minute?”
“I’m sorry, I should be getting back to my shop. Super easy to find. It’s right down the street. I just opened two weeks ago.”
“Yeah, I think I seen that place,” commented Ed Kerry. “You sell weird furniture and pottery and such, right?”
“That’s exactly right. Feel free to come in and browse or drop off odds and ends. Anytime.”
“We sure will,” Marlon said while Ed nodded.
“Thank you! You guys are super sweet. I’ll let you get back to work.”
She turned back to the waiting area. Both brothers, Will noted, took a moment to appreciate her ass. Then they went back to arguing.
“Hi,” the woman said, and Will realized he was in her way.
“Sorry.” He stepped aside to let her pass, then blurted, “Do you think you could use a bunch of Canadian coins?”
“What?”
“I overheard some of your conversation, and I have this pile of Canadian coins sitting in my car that I don’t know what to do with. It’s not enough to exchange at the bank, but it’s enough that I feel bad throwing them away.”
“Oh! Cool! Yes, absolutely. If you’re willing to part with them, I’d be happy to take them.” She stuck out her hand. “I’m Bright.”
The world stopped turning. Will stopped breathing. The lights in the waiting area seemed to lose their brilliance. There was a weird pressure inside his skull, like someone was leaning on his brain.
He didn’t take her hand. The possibility that this was all some sort of practical joke or scam orchestrated by the mysterious Emmy Miura was getting more and more unlikely.
“Sorry, you said your name was…”
