Chapter 8
Natalie shoved more fries in her mouth and turned up the TV. She was watching a program about mansions, and what happened behind their closed doors. Tonight they showed a sprawling three-story building on a beach with a yacht.
"I really want one of those ships." She chewed with an open mouth.
Her phone rang. With some coke, she washed down the fried potatoes and picked it up. "Hello?"
"It's me, Eric."
"Oh, hello."
"We need to meet."
"Okay."
"Any suggestions where?" He sounded frustrated.
"Umm...There is a diner at the corner of seventh and thirteenth. It's called Claus."
"I know where it is. Be there in half an hour."
"Sure thing. See—"
He hung up.
"Nice talking to you too." Putting the phone in her pocket, she turned off the TV.
Then she walked to the diner and sat down at a table by the window.
A waitress came to her table. "What can I get you?"
She picked up the menu. "A burger and a coke."
The girl was taking her pad out of her pocket and didn't look at her. Then Pen in hand, she stood there, waiting. Natalie looked at her for a few seconds and didn't know what the problem was. "What? You didn't hear me?"
"No. Could you repeat please?" She said.
"Oh!" Natalie realized that she was deaf. "I need to learn sign language to order around here." She looked at her name tag and continued slowly, " Christina, I want a large hamburger, fries, and a Coke! Do you think you can get me that?"
Christina shoved the pad back in her pocket and left. And after a while, she returned with her order, dropped it on the table, and walked away." Jerk."
"I made a new friend." Natalie picked up the hamburger and
grinned.
Halfway through her meal, Eric stepped inside the diner and sat at her table.
***
Christina saw a man sat in front of that woman and talked to her.
What do you know? Somebody actually goes out with her!
"Can I get some service over here, please?" She read the man's lips and walked to their table. The woman looked at her, whispered something in her companion's ear, and laughed.
"What can I get you?" Christina asked him.
"A beer, please."
At least this one is polite. What's he doing with that thing?
"Coming right up."
She brought him his drink and returned to her seat. Her elbow touched the counter where Jack had pinned her down two nights ago.
Morris would take her eye if she didn't pay up. No doubt about that.
Her gaze turned toward the couple's table, and she read the man's lips. "If I do this, I don't owe Anton anything anymore. We're square."
Woman nodded.
"Okay then. Let me explain the job for you, "he said.
Christina was hooked. Eric_ she learned their names as they talked to each other_ laid down his plan in detail. From time to time, she had to go to a table to take an order and lost eye contact with them. But Natalie asked questions and made Eric repeat different parts of his plan. When he stopped talking, Christina had a good understanding of the job.
Susie, her replacement for the night, showed up and put on her apron.
"What's up?" She tied up her brown hair in a ponytail on the back of her head.
"Nothing." Christina's gaze wandered toward the couple.
"So beat it. Why are you still here?"
"I'm going. Hold your horses. What's with all the enthusiasm? It's just graveyard shift waitressing."
"I don't know. I'm just a happy girl I guess." She followed her glances. "What's so interesting about those two?"
"Nothing." Christina took off her apron, left the diner, and got into her Chevrolet. The wise thing to do was to leave, and forget what she had learned.
"I have to go. I have to." She turned the keys in the ignition, and the engine turned on. A moment passed, but she couldn't drive off.
"This is a bad idea. This is a very bad idea." She banged her fingers on the wheel. Still, couldn't convince herself to leave.
After a while, Eric and Natalie came out of the diner, got into a Ford Mustang, and drove away.
"God damn it. I'm going to regret this." She followed them, keeping some distance between her car and theirs.
The Ford stopped at a red light. No other car was between them, and she had to park behind it. She kept her head down and looked at her phone.
Inside the Chevrolet was dark and they couldn't see her face. But what if they had seen her car outside the diner and recognized it?
The light turned green, and Eric drove down the street. Tailing him, she slowed down and created more space between the two vehicles. Soon a couple of cars filled the gap. One of them, as he passed by her, rolled his passenger window down ." Move that Wagon, grandma!"
After a couple of junctions, Eric turned into a narrow street, and she sped up. The Mustang stopped in front of a two-story house. She pulled over and waited. They went inside, and the lights turned on. She drove by and memorized the house number; it was 87.
Behind one of the windows of the second floor, she saw Natalie. She was staring at her car and her gaze made Christina shiver.