arrived, he met with another man. The two of them had drinks, mixed with what looked like a heated conversation, but then the other man left the restaurant and Smith ordered dinner.
Jake returned to the car and handed Velma a coffee he had just gotten from a corner bistro.
“That’s good coffee, thanks,”
“You’re welcome, did I miss anything?”
“He got a phone call just as his meal arrived. It must have disturbed him; he hasn’t touched his food yet.”
“So tell me something Velma, what’s the story with you and Chris?”
“Story?”
“My kid brother has a thing for you, but you don’t give him the time of day, why not?”
“I like to keep things professional with the people I work with.”
“Nah, I ain’t buying it. You almost looked jealous today when Mira was making goo goo eyes at him.”
“I was not jealous. I was simply—”
“Hold that thought; Smith is on the move.”
“But he hasn’t even eaten yet, something’s up.”
They watched as Smith rushed from the restaurant and into the parking garage next door. After he handed his ticket to the parking agent, he paced back and forth.
Velma’s phone beeped and she checked it.
“It’s a text from Chris, he picked Mira up from her dress shop and now they’ve just arrived at her apartment; maybe someone in the building is keeping tabs on her for Smith and just let him know that another date has arrived.”
“Something’s up.” Jake said. “He seems frantic to get his car back.”
Reuben Smith finally retrieved his car and began driving toward Mira Asher’s apartment in a hurry.
***
T he apartment was in a ten-story building on the upper west side of Manhattan, near 68th.
As Mira placed her key in the lock, the door across the hall opened and a young man looked out.
“Oh, hi Mira, how have you been?”
“I’m good Sammy, and say hi to Chris; he’s a friend of mine.”
Sammy looked Chris over from top to bottom.
“I wish he was a friend of mine.”
“He’s not your type honey, bye bye,”
“Bye bye, and it was nice meeting you Chris,”
“Same here Sammy,” Chris said.
Mira closed the door and leaned back against it.
“He can talk your ear off if you let him.”
“I think I’ll talk to him soon and find out if he’s seen your ex hanging around.”
Mira smiled up at him.
“How about some coffee?”
“Sounds good,”
They drank their coffee in the living room, as Chris sat in a chair facing the front door, and Mira sat across from him on the sofa.
“I saw you on the news Chris, it was amazing the way you stopped that robbery.”
“Thank you, but I was just at the right place at the right time.”
“Can I see it?”
Chris hesitated a moment before he said. “See what?”
“Your gun,”
“I don’t have one yet. I still have to finish my training, and then there’s the matter of getting a carry permit.”
Mira looked surprised.
“You don’t have a gun? How will you protect yourself when Reuben tries to attack you?”
“Don’t worry; my brother will stop him before anything happens.”
He had his phone set on vibrate, and after it purred against his hip, he took it from the holster on his belt and answered it; in the background, he could hear traffic noises.
“Hi, hold on a second.” He held up his coffee cup to Mira. “Could I get more coffee, please?”
Mira smiled at him as she took his cup. “Of course,”
After she left the room, Chris continued his conversation.
“What’s up, Velma?”
“Hi, listen, Reuben Smith is headed your way in a big hurry and he’s nearly there. Wait ten minutes and then leave the building with Mira and begin your fake date.”
“What if he wants to come up here?”
“If he rushes upstairs, we’ll follow, but Ms. Asher said that all three men were assaulted after the date ended, so if he holds to pattern, he should follow you home tonight, and when he tries to assault you, we’ll have him.”
“And in the meantime I get to enjoy a
Jake returned to the car and handed Velma a coffee he had just gotten from a corner bistro.
“That’s good coffee, thanks,”
“You’re welcome, did I miss anything?”
“He got a phone call just as his meal arrived. It must have disturbed him; he hasn’t touched his food yet.”
“So tell me something Velma, what’s the story with you and Chris?”
“Story?”
“My kid brother has a thing for you, but you don’t give him the time of day, why not?”
“I like to keep things professional with the people I work with.”
“Nah, I ain’t buying it. You almost looked jealous today when Mira was making goo goo eyes at him.”
“I was not jealous. I was simply—”
“Hold that thought; Smith is on the move.”
“But he hasn’t even eaten yet, something’s up.”
They watched as Smith rushed from the restaurant and into the parking garage next door. After he handed his ticket to the parking agent, he paced back and forth.
Velma’s phone beeped and she checked it.
“It’s a text from Chris, he picked Mira up from her dress shop and now they’ve just arrived at her apartment; maybe someone in the building is keeping tabs on her for Smith and just let him know that another date has arrived.”
“Something’s up.” Jake said. “He seems frantic to get his car back.”
Reuben Smith finally retrieved his car and began driving toward Mira Asher’s apartment in a hurry.
***
T he apartment was in a ten-story building on the upper west side of Manhattan, near 68th.
As Mira placed her key in the lock, the door across the hall opened and a young man looked out.
“Oh, hi Mira, how have you been?”
“I’m good Sammy, and say hi to Chris; he’s a friend of mine.”
Sammy looked Chris over from top to bottom.
“I wish he was a friend of mine.”
“He’s not your type honey, bye bye,”
“Bye bye, and it was nice meeting you Chris,”
“Same here Sammy,” Chris said.
Mira closed the door and leaned back against it.
“He can talk your ear off if you let him.”
“I think I’ll talk to him soon and find out if he’s seen your ex hanging around.”
Mira smiled up at him.
“How about some coffee?”
“Sounds good,”
They drank their coffee in the living room, as Chris sat in a chair facing the front door, and Mira sat across from him on the sofa.
“I saw you on the news Chris, it was amazing the way you stopped that robbery.”
“Thank you, but I was just at the right place at the right time.”
“Can I see it?”
Chris hesitated a moment before he said. “See what?”
“Your gun,”
“I don’t have one yet. I still have to finish my training, and then there’s the matter of getting a carry permit.”
Mira looked surprised.
“You don’t have a gun? How will you protect yourself when Reuben tries to attack you?”
“Don’t worry; my brother will stop him before anything happens.”
He had his phone set on vibrate, and after it purred against his hip, he took it from the holster on his belt and answered it; in the background, he could hear traffic noises.
“Hi, hold on a second.” He held up his coffee cup to Mira. “Could I get more coffee, please?”
Mira smiled at him as she took his cup. “Of course,”
After she left the room, Chris continued his conversation.
“What’s up, Velma?”
“Hi, listen, Reuben Smith is headed your way in a big hurry and he’s nearly there. Wait ten minutes and then leave the building with Mira and begin your fake date.”
“What if he wants to come up here?”
“If he rushes upstairs, we’ll follow, but Ms. Asher said that all three men were assaulted after the date ended, so if he holds to pattern, he should follow you home tonight, and when he tries to assault you, we’ll have him.”
“And in the meantime I get to enjoy a
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