Page 54 of Mensa's Match

After a pause, she said, “How about you answer your own question.”

I shook my head. “What do you mean?”

She gave me a sly smile. “Doyouthink you’re making a huge mistake?”

I didn’t even hesitate. “My gut tells me I’m not making a mistake at all.”

She turned her hands out in front of her. “There you have it. Now, head back to Jackson tonight or tomorrow. All of this will still be here when you get back.”

I contemplated that. Thinking about Jackson made me think about Ben, and how everything got twisted. That brought Mensa to mind, and it hit me that a big reason I didn’t want to go back to Jackson was because he wouldn’t be there.

What was that?

I never hesitated about going somewhere, and certainly not because of a man. That didn’t change the fact that I wanted to take Mensa with me. Show him more of the real me because my apartment in Biloxi wasn’t full of my personality. It was strictly a place to reside until the next case which could be anywhere in Mississippi.

Why did I want to drag Mensa up there? We were all wrong for each other and we both knew it.

Wyatt’s concern for my safety couldn’t be ignored. Jackson was the safest place for me right now, and putting some distance between me and Mensa would do us both good.

I stood and gave Aunt Nadia a hug. “You’re absolutely right, Aunt Nadia. All of this will be here next week.” I checked the time on my phone and smiled. “It’s four o’clock. Think you can close up an hour early today, and take me to my place? If I get on the road by five, I’ll be in Jackson by eight.”

Her lips twisted. “Girl… I don’t like you making that drive alone at night.”

“I know, but what have you always told me? ‘The sooner you start, the sooner you finish.’ If I wait, I’m gonna have to convince a biker to let me be on my way.”

“That’s another reason for you to hold off. Maybe take Mensa with you.”

“He was told not to leave town.”

Her eyes widened. “And wouldn’tyouhave been told the same thing?”

I shrugged. “Funny thing is, I wasn’t told that. This keeps me and Mensabothsafe.”

She sighed. “As good as you are at manipulating me, I’d say you ought to consider politics for your next career, but this little shop won’t give you the mountains of money needed to get elected.”

I chuckled. “That really isn’t a compliment, Aunt Nadia.”

“I know.”

I laughed. “Will you help me?”

“Yes, but for the record, I’m doing this begrudgingly.”

“So noted.”

Chapter 14

My Woman

Mensa

Mensa rolled into theparking lot for Hard Pressed at five minutes to six. He noticed Nadia’s Honda Civic wasn’t in the lot, but that wasn’t surprising. The woman closed the shop at five every day, and left at five-forty-five on the nose.

As he swung off his bike, he sensed he was completely alone, and that didn’t compute. Whitney should have been in the shop, and would have heard his bike in the lot. At the door, he saw the lights were off except the one security light in the back. He pulled on the door. It didn’t budge against the deadbolt lock.

Using his knuckles, he gave a light rap on the windowed door, then pulled out his cell and called Whitney.

“Hi there,” she answered, her tone a blend of fake chipper and weariness.

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