“Oh. Well, I’m limited in how far I can go. I don’t have a car available to me right now.”
“Why don’t I pick you up, and we’ll grab some sushi down on Sunset?”
I was immediately uncertain. Where did Frank figure into Paul’s life? When I tapped into Paul’s mind during our lunch meeting, he’d felt pretty innocent. Did I trust my intuition? I did. I truly didn’t think Paul was an evil guy. I knew that Ryder had told me not to leave the building, but I also knew how important it was to Reggie to sign this guy. And he’d asked me to handle it all in his absence. I didn’t want to screw this up because I still needed the job.
“You still there?”
“Yeah, I’m here. Okay. When are you coming by?”
“I’m already outside the building.”
“Wow. You don’t mess around. Let me get your file and make some copies of the contract, so I can go over it with you. Can you wait for five or ten minutes?”
“Sure.”
I tried calling Reggie, but he didn’t pick up. Quickly I left a brief message regarding the change of plans.
Knowing that Ryder was going to protest and try to make me wait for him to arrive and accompany me or something silly like that, I sent a quick text telling him what was happening and where I was going to be. His response was almost immediate.
Wait for me! I’ll go with you.
Rolling my eyes, I responded by texting him that there was no time and that I needed to head out. I had let him know what restaurant I was going to be at, though, which I figured was a good compromise. I didn’t mind if he joined us there. My phone buzzed again with his response, but I ignored it. I just wanted to get this done, and I was not about to engage in a texting argument with my...what? Boyfriend? Lover?
I smiled as I thought about what to call him, feeling okay with the designations for the first time ever. Life really was looking up.
Typing in names and dates, I printed out one of our standard contracts and created a client folder to be added to the file cabinet. It was only as I stepped outside of my office building that I realized I hadn’t asked Paul what kind of car he was driving. Scanning the street, I figured it wouldn’t be hard to spot him, especially since he was watching for me and supposedly already there. But no one honked. And I saw no one who resembled Pauclass="underline" tall, dark blond, lean, sort of scruffy clothes. I walked back toward my office building and leaned against one of the stone pillars in the shade, trying to stay out of the direct heat of the summer sun, and contemplated my predicament.
Now what? Nothing. That was what. Did I need to go back up and call him? Maybe I had him on my smartphone calendar app with his phone number. That would be just like me. I could be seriously organized when I wanted to be. But what was up with this sudden trip?
The longer I stood there, the longer I had time to entertain some misgivings. How was it that I nearly got snagged off the street, Reggie turned up missing and Paul needed to get out of town immediately? I didn’t think such things were coincidental, and we all had the same terrorist as our lowest common denominator. Was I truly being foolish? If this was a movie, would people be screaming at me from the audience to get back in the building? I was starting to freak myself out. Life was seriously getting too spooky for Casper.
Just when I was getting ready to head back in, a large hand grabbed my arm in a strong grip and yanked me behind the pillar.
I yelped my surprise.
“It’s just me.” Paul gave me a half smile that seemed altogether forced. He looked past me and scanned the street as though looking for someone.
“Everything okay?” I offered the question hesitantly.
“Dandy.” But his smile had become a grimace. “I’m parked around the corner.”
Around the corner was a euphemism for nearly half a mile away. I could feel my feet chafing in my heels, as these were not shoes made for long distances covered quickly. I was on the verge of complaining, feeling where a few blisters were going to bleed soon, when he said, “I’m right there.”
A black luxury SUV was parked midblock.
Sitting felt wonderful, though the silence that followed as we drove through the streets felt awkward. Keeping my shield in place, I opened my mind fully to Paul, trying to get a sense of what was happening here. Waves of fear and anxiety rushed through him and crashed over me, engulfing me, almost like heavy weights on my shoulders. He was on the run. Flight. But he didn’t want to give up completely on the dream he’d finally found for himself. Writing. He wanted to somehow preserve that, keep that foot in the door. His thoughts were scattered and rushing without sequence, making it impossible to follow what was happening with him.
I began to have my second set of misgivings about this meeting, but I reminded myself that we were going to a public place. Everything was going to be fine.
“I hope Sushi on Sunset is okay with you,” he murmured.
“Fine.”
“It’s quick, and at this time of day, it will likely be a little quieter. We can do business, and I can make my flight.”
“Where are you going?”
“Here we are.” He pulled into a space on the street, ignoring my question. I’d seen the answer, though. He was going to the Cayman Islands for a while, so he could lose himself and whoever was going to come after him for what he’d done.
What had he done? That was the million-dollar question. I knew I needed to let Ryder know what was going on, so I took my phone out and immediately saw the text he’d left me before I ran out of the office.
Wait for me!
Feeling guilty, I texted him as we got out of the car while Paul fed quarters into the meter. I let him know in shorthand script that I thought Paul was in trouble and that he was on the run. I told him that I was sorry I didn’t wait. I told him again what restaurant I was at. He didn’t get back to me, which had me believing that maybe he was on the way, but it would take time coming from the beach. Traffic was a bitch no matter what time of day in L.A.
The back table, away from the crowd, was what Paul requested. He did another scan around the restaurant and looked out the windows, which was starting to get me worried. Who had he pissed off? What retribution was he expecting?
“Two waters,” Paul told the waiter who approached and looked at me expectantly. “Know what you want?”
Actually, I hadn’t even looked at the menu. Good thing I’d been to the place a time or two. Obviously, Paul was ready to leave like five minutes ago. I ordered udon with shrimp and vegetables.
“Make that two, and bring the bill immediately. I’m going to be in a hurry.”
“Yes, sir.” The waiter moved off quickly, reacting to Paul’s sharp tone.
“I get that you need this to happen now. I have the contract here. I can go over it with you.”
“Let me sign it.”
I put the file on the table and quickly explained the major points before pointing to the few places he needed to initial and sign. Reggie wasn’t here to sign, so I couldn’t get copies to him yet. Paul was fine with that and handed the paperwork back to me.
Food arrived at the same time as the bill.
“Okay, so how do I get in touch with you?” I asked, trying to eat quickly.
“I’ll send you a post-office box when I’m settled. I’ll be moving around for the next few years, so I’ll just check in with you every few months, either by email or by phone.”
“Paul, what is going on? Why are you in such a...a...panic?”
He looked at me a moment, as though stuck for what to say. And that’s when I got the goods. The memory of a conversation between his father and Frank came tumbling out of his mind.
“This is the big time,” said Paul’s father. He was an older man with slickly styled gray hair that was smoothly combed back, wearing a beautifully tailored business suit. Almost giddy with delight, he paced behind his desk in his large, opulent office with dark, rich wooden paneling and large windows overlooking downtown Los Angeles.