Page 28 of Now or Never

“Do you need a ride? I have a Prius.”

“Thanks again, but I need to take my own car.”

“Where are you going?”

I stared at him for a beat. Where was I going?

“I’m going to my boyfriend’s house,” I said.

“The one you’re engaged to?”

“Yes. The cop with the gun.”

“That’s too bad. We could have played a game or something. Did your games all get burned up too?”

“I’m not much of a games person.” I had the door open.“Thanks for stopping by,” I said, physically moving him into the doorway.

He leaned toward me, coming in for a kiss, and before he could get close enough, I shoved him into the hall and closed and locked the door.

“Okay then,” he yelled on the other side of my door. “Good visit. We’ll have to do this again sometime soon, right?”

I looked into the kitchen at Rex. He was stopped on his wheel, staring at me with his shiny little black eyes. Even Rex was appalled. I gave him a couple Froot Loops and told him not to worry. Everything was okay. The weird guy was going away. I went back to my door and looked out the peephole. No Herbert. That was a good sign. I went to a living room window, peeked out, and saw Herbert walk out of my building and go to his car. He got in and sat there. I watched for a couple minutes, and he didn’t drive away. I went to the kitchen and got a bottle of water. I took the water to the couch and checked my emails, text messages, and socials.

Morelli called. “Are we still on for tonight?”

I went to the window and looked down at the parking lot. Herbert was still there. I closed my eyes and rested my forehead on the windowpane. Nothing short of a bullet was going to discourage this doofus. If he didn’t see me drive off, he was going to be back banging on my door asking me if I needed bathroom aids.

“Yep,” I said to Morelli. “I’m on my way.”

I said goodbye to Rex, locked up, and went straight to my Trailblazer. I didn’t look in Herbert’s direction. I left the parking lot and two blocks later I turned onto Hamilton Avenue. I glanced at my rearview mirror and saw Herbert behind me in his Prius. The moron didn’t even have enough sense to put a car betweenus. I wondered how much damage I would sustain if I put my car in reverse at the next light and rammed him. Tempting but not a good idea, I told myself. It would involve another annoying conversation with him, and at the very least I’d need a new rear bumper.

Ten minutes later I parked at the curb in front of Morelli’s house and Herbert idled at the corner. I traced down his phone number and called him.

“Hello,” he said. “Gosh. This is great. I didn’t expect a phone call so soon.”

“What are you doing?”

“What do you mean? I’m in my car.”

“I know you’re in your car. I can see you. Why are you following me?”

“I wanted to make sure you were okay. You didn’t look too good at the end of our visit.”

“I’m fine. I would be even better if you’d go away. Forever.”

“Hah! That’s funny. I was just waiting to make sure you got in the house okay. I mean, it’s not like I don’t have anything else to do tonight. There’s a viewing at Harrison Funeral Home in Mercerville that I might catch. It’s not my favorite funeral home but once in a while I check it out.”

I hung up, got out of the Trailblazer, and let myself into Morelli’s house. Bob rushed at me, put his giant paws on my chest, and knocked me back against the closed door.

“Good boy,” I said. “Good Bob.”

Morelli sauntered over and took Bob’s place against my chest. “Rangers are up by one,” he said.

He kissed me and I got all warm inside. “Rangers are going to have a good year.”

“Yeah. Me too,” he said. “What would you like? Wine? Beer?Have you had dinner? Want a quickie? Rangers are between periods.”

There it was! The ultimate out.

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