Page 36 of Collin: Episodes 13-15
“Too early or trying to avoid?” Miriam asked. She was a woman in her fifties with long hair braided up behind her head and wrapped up in a faded handkerchief like a cowboy would wear around his neck. The fact that she was wearing blue jean overalls only added to the look.
“Too early.” Collin grinned. “If it were later, I’d go for something else.”
She laughed. “So, what brings you to Indianapolis?”
“That obvious that I’m from out of town?”
She gave him a knowing look and passed him the soda. “Just put it down to intuition.”
Collin shrugged. “Doing some scouting for my boss. And showing my sister around. She’s off shopping.”
“And the big drink of water that came in with you?” She nodded pointedly at Holden.
“Works with me. I’ll be right back. Let me give him the soda.”
He hurried, but she had already finished mixing his cocktail when he got back. Someone else walked in, and Collin took the time to just watch and sip his drink. His phone buzzed, and he pulled it out.
It was a text from his master. Precious boy, be safe. I didn’t realize what it would feel like to have you so far away. See you at home tonight. Émeric says he’ll have chili and pizza bread ready for you and Alice, no matter how late. The guest bedroom is made up.
Collin stared down at his phone, eyes tearing up. How had he ever gotten to this place? He wiped his face and looked up, blinking.
Miriam was back. “Need to talk about it?”
He smiled. “Oh, it’s only good things. I promise. Sometimes things just go really well. And it’s hard to believe it’s true.”
She crossed her arms and leaned on the counter. “I hear bad stories every day. Tell me a good one.”
Episode 14
Collin smiled at Miriam over the bar. “I’d love to. Stories are the best. But, um…first I should say I work for Reevesworth Industries.”
Her eyes darkened, and she glanced at Holden. “So…”
“He’s my security. Some people don’t like it when I end up in the hospital.” Collin shook his head and smiled fondly. “They fuss.”
“So, you’re him, the kid with the boss guy on TV with the crazy woman.” She twisted the towel between her hands and folded it over. Collin glanced at it. It wasn’t a bad move. He’d done it once or twice. A wet, twisted towel doubled over made for a nice weapon, and the police didn’t get as upset about someone yelling they got hit with a towel.
He slid onto one of the high stools at the bar, dropping his eyes and giving her space, hands in sight, playing with his glass. “Honestly, it’s nice being out of the city for a few hours. We still have to worry about other people deciding to ‘purge me of my sin’ so… I think we’ve sent a few threats to the FBI. Bernstein’s still sending money to different preachers, so they keep giving sermons.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Bernstein?”
Collin nodded. “This business guy, he doesn’t want my boss, Mr. Reevesworth, to build the passenger rail. He’s friends with this preacher who has a lot of followers and other preachers who work with him, and they’ve been doing sermons online telling everyone that I’m living in sin with Mr. Reevesworth and his husband. Kinda toeing the line at calling for our assassinations.”
“And that’s all because of the passenger rail?”
Collin shrugged. “I guess that depends on who you ask. Personally, I stay out of someone else’s religion. It’s probably really real for those listening to the sermons. I don’t know what Bernstein’s personal beliefs are. I just know it’s helpful for him that we have to be careful. Two months ago, I was a student working a bar up north. Now…this.” Collin nodded toward Holden. “It’s weird.”
“Because of your job.”
Collin weighed his choices. The woman in front of him felt insightful. He wasn’t going to be able to lie. He sucked at it. He took a drink and kept his eyes on the ice melting at the top.
“What we do in private should be allowed to be private. But no, it’s not just a job anymore.”
She let that hang in the air for a long moment. “Why are you here, really?”
Collin took a drink and braced himself. “I’m working on the rail project, specifically community impact and accessibility planning. It’s what my training is in, partially. Reevesworth Industries headhunted me because of a resource and job creation planning project I did in university around urban aquaponic farming, something my city could be suited for, having as much water as we do. But anyway, your establishment was marked…” Collin glanced up and shrugged. “I’m shit at politics. The file says you don’t want it to happen and you’re not interested in moving. So, I came to find out why. Figured another corporate email would hit your trash folder faster than a spoiled case of beer.”
She snorted. “You’d be right. I’ve owned this place for seventeen years. It’s all I have. I don’t want to sell, and I can’t afford the risk of moving. I should chuck you out on your ear for just being from Reevesworth, but you haven’t paid for your drinks yet.”
