Page 111 of Working for the Mob

I regretted leaving Lucy to run the café by herself. Maybe Art would have to get his hands dirty and help her out. Especially with all the new business we’ve brought in. Lucy would have to wake up even earlier to complete her baking before we opened.

I could already hear her voice in the wind, wondering where I was.

“Genevieve,” she called, as though she were right behind me. “Genevieve!”

I jumped at the grip on my arm that swung me around, face-to-face with the real, red-faced …

“Lucy!” I shouted in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

She was wearing an ink green, conservative dress she normally saved for church, with a matching hat that didn’t hide the visible vein on her forehead.

“I could ask you the same thing,” she said, nostrils flaring. “What are you doing?”

How much had she guessed? There was no way she could know Art broke up with me.

“I’m just going home for the day,” I said. “To see Mom.”

“You wouldn’t risk seeing Mom right now. She’d drag you to the altar with James Hutchins. And you wouldn’t leave without Dad. Come on, Genevieve. What happened?”

“How did you find me here?” I asked. Anything to change the subject.

“Art sent Henry to the house. Something about wanting to make sure we’re safe. When I didn’t know where you were, I saw your suitcase was missing. Henry’s still in the car waiting on us. What’s going on Genevieve?”

I didn’t want to answer. The wound was too fresh. I wasn’t ready to start picking at it.

“Nothing.”

“Were you going to leave me to work at the café by myself tomorrow?” she asked.

“Of course not,” I lied.

“Then where are you going?” she demanded, and pointed at my suitcase.

The train let out a whistle to indicate that it was about to leave. I needed to get on it.

“I can explain,” I said, and thought wildly but something on the platform caught my eye. No, someone.

“The drifter!” I said and pointed behind her.

“Don’t try to change the subject.”

“No, look. It’s the drifter that stole my clutch!”

Halfway down the platform stood the blonde mustached man with a crooked nose. He still wore the patched coat and newsboy hat from that day a few months ago. There was no mistaking him.

“Hey!” I yelled, and stormed down the platform after him.

“Genevieve, wait!” Lucy yelled after me.

But I didn’t want to wait. This man stole my entire life savings from me. He stranded me in this godforsaken town and sentenced me to a two-month Purgatory. And if I could catch him and get my money back, maybe I won’t have to go home to my mom!

“Hey you!” I screamed again, pushing past travelers between us.

He spun around at the sound of my voice, and his eyes widened in shock.

“Where’s my eight hundred dollars!” I yelled, but he didn’t answer. He turned and sped away through the mass of people. “Hey, come back here!”

“I don’t think he’s stopping,” Lucy said, but I ignored her.

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