Page 26 of The Angel and the Agent

“Larry, you gotta see this,” the cop who was in his bedroom called. Larry went into the bedroom, tugging Ethan along beside him. They entered the room and stopped short.

“Whoa,” Larry said. Before them was a massive poster on the wall, cutout pictures of Amelia covering it completely. Below that was a half-burned candle and a letter made out of magazine cutouts. Ethan couldn’t read it, but it seemed to be some kind of plea or threat.

“Okay then,” Larry drawled. When he was finally able to tear his eyes off the picture, he turned to Ethan. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can or will…”

“You’re mirandizing me? What for?” Ethan demanded.

“Stalking, terrorizing, threatening, you name it,” the second cop said.

“But I’ve never seen that before,” Ethan said. His patience was at an end. He twisted out of the first cop’s grasp and saw them both place a hand on their weapons.

“I think we’re going to need some backup,” the second cop said.

“For sure,” the first cop agreed.

“Wait, what?” Ethan demanded, spinning in a circle to try and face both of them. “What is going on?”

“Backup,” the first cop yelled, and now Ethan spun toward the doorway in time to see Amelia enter in a too-big cop uniform.

“You called?” she said, hanging onto the doorpost and leaning into the room.

“We’re going to need some help with this one,” the first cop, “Larry” said.

“I think I’ve got it from here, guys. Thanks so much.” She patted their backs as they left the room and filed past her. Ethan watched in silence as she made her way into the room and stared at the poster of her.

“Ethan, this is a sickness. You need help,” she said.

“I’m pretty sure you’re the one who needs help, and I’m positive you’re going to need it after I get these cuffs off,” he said.

“Oh, shoot, I forgot to get the key from them,” Amelia said, giving him a devilish grin.

“You think I need a key to get out of cuffs?” he asked.

“I don’t know. Do you?” she asked.

He got out of the cuffs and placed them in her upturned palm.

“Hmm, what an interesting skill for a regional representative of an indexing firm to possess,” she said.

He made no reply.

“How was your trip to ‘Canada’?”

“It was ‘good’,” he said, mimicking her air quotes. “It would seem as though you missed me.”

“What makes you say that?” she asked.

“A hunch,” he said. “I saw your picture in the paper.”

He couldn’t be sure, but she seemed to blush. “Oh, that.”

“Yes, that.”

There was an awkward lull. “I should probably go,” she said. She took a step away, but he caught her hand.

“Don’t go.” He swallowed and let go of her hand. “We have a lot of catching up to do. Friend stuff.”

“I did bring breakfast,” she admitted sheepishly.

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