The Witness Protector

Chapter two

Upon arriving, we found Mark's cottage on the rural side of town. It had sort of a bungalow style with an ironic coconut shell looking roof with straw like hairs. We both brought our bags in. Here came the awkward part.
"Normally I would stay in a hotel but with a case this high profile.." I started
"I wouldn't have it any other way. I mean, who else is going to protect me" he said it in a smug way but necessarily insincere.
"Ok" I agreed.
We looked through the small home to find a kitchen, a small living area, and a bedroom with a kind sized bed.
"I'll unload my stuff by the couch and u can get your stuff unpacked if u want. There's not much anyway since u had to pack light."
"Absolutely not. I'll take the couch."
"No. This is your house, I'm taking the couch."
"Yes it's my house and your the guest so I'll be sleeping on the couch."
"No. Not happening." I said.
"How can I change your mind. Come on. i am not letting u sleep on the couch."
"There's no other way." I said.
"Well listen, it's a pretty big bed and since I'm in such big danger, I don't think I feel comfortable sleeping in there alone."
"No. Listen it's not happening."
"Come on. Please. I thought you were here to help me."
"Fine but we will be sleeping on polar opposite sides of the bed."
"Should we go get something to eat?" He asked.
"Yeah! Of course"
"It wouldn't be dangerous?"
"This is your new home remember. You can't live in fear."
"Yeah your right. I wasn't thinking. My bad, I apologize."
"No need for that."
We grabbed our essentials: his travel phone, my assigned case phone, and our wallets. We walked down to the bus stop and waited a while before we decided to walk to the restaurant and check out the other places for breakfast or lunch tomorrow. Maybe even something to do this week, because I had a feeling it was going to be a long one. We walked past a lot of stands that were vending local merchandise like dresses and clothing and hats. We browsed as we walked but I think our subconscious minds were focused on other things. I periodically watched our feet out of the corner of my eye. They were in sinc. This made me wonder if it happened by accident. We were engaged in small talk as anyone trying to avoid and awkward situation would be. He brought up his parents and sympathy immediately struck me. He may not ever see them again. He couldn't tell them where he was going and they couldn't have his new phone number. In a case as high profile as this, they may not even know he had moved at all.
"What are their names?" I asked.
"Linda and Jim," he responded.
"What were, excuse me, are they like?"
"They were great. Are great. I miss them already."
"I bet you do. I would. That must be rough."
"It is." He responded simply. " I used to bring my dad a huge container of jello every Christmas," he paused to let a chuckle escape. "He would complain about how he hated jello, but by the time I had to go home, he would have finished every bit of it. I loved him. His indirectness. It made him clever"
"He sounds like a good man" I said.
As much as I felt for him and his situation, I couldn't wait to change the conversation.
"What about this place?" I asked pointing to a restaurant resembling a Waffle House.
"Looks absolutely delectable," he said with a smile in an effort to elevate his spirits.
We got a table and sat to eat. We both ordered and awaited for our empty stomachs to be comforted.
"I know that you are probably sick of telling it by now, but I'd love to hear what happened." I said.
"No problem," he said.
"Did it have to do with a client?" I asked.
"Yes, it was a new one. I had only met with him a couple of times. It started as a pending restraining order, but by the time we had our third, he admitted that he was becoming violent. His wife had the order against him, which he was fine with, but this meant no visits with his son Cody. He asked me to meet him the last time in the middle of the city, but near the deserted parts. I arrived too early and saw him dumping a woman's body into the main river from over the bridge. It was late and traffic was minimal so I was likely the only one to see. He saw me watching him and he threatened me. I promised not to tell, but I couldn't sleep for day, thinking about that boy, Cody. I went to the police and they arrested me. Before he was arrested, he ordered one of his friends to kill me if I said anything, which he predicted. Right after he was arrested, I was shipped to your agency." he concluded.
"And you only got to bring a suitcase." I said sympathetically.
"Toughest decision I ever had to make in five minutes." he laughed. "It's alright. It's just stuff right."
"Yeah I guess." I answered thinking about what I would do. What I would bring. Strangely I had never thought about it before. What's would do if I was put in the same situation as my clients.
"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met." he said.
This shook me from my trance and shuffled me as he spoke.
"What?" I said startled.
"I don't want it to be awkward but I just had to tell you."
I looked down at the paper napkin in my lap.
"Well thank you very much."
"It was only the truth." he said.
I laughed. "yeah. Right."
"I don't lie." he said.
"Anyway..." I said trying to settle my uncomfort. Around that time our food arrived, we had both ordered waffles.
"So what's going on in your life?" He asked, "what about your parents?"
I was silent for a second while I tried to chain up my emotion.
"My mom died when I was twelve in a car crash."
"I'm so sorry" he said reaching across the table to touch my arm.
"My dad-" I stopped because of the tear that had escaped.
"It's ok. You don't have to talk about it if it's too hard." he spoke.
I started cutting my waffle and wiped away the tear.
"My dad died when I was nineteen. He was killed in a car accident." I sniffled.
Mark got up out of the booth and walked around to my side of the table. He grabbed my hand and gently lifted me to my feet. Once level, he embraced me with a hug squeezing me kindly.
"You are amazing and strong. I respect you and empathize with you." That's all that he needed to say before the tears started spilling onto his flannel button up shirt. He reached into his pocket, and pulled something out, shielding it from view in his palm.
"Can you hold on to something for me?"
I pulled away to look at him " What is it?"
He opened his hand to reveal a silver dollar. "It was my moms. She gave it to me the last time I saw her. She said that she found it on the sidewalk. She called it ' a rare surprise'. She said it was far luckier than a penny."
I sniffed. "No. I can't take that from you. Its all that you have of her." I said.
"I want you to have it. It'll be your guardian angel." he gestured.
I looked around at all of the people looking at us. We were creating a scene. This wasn't good. I wiped the tears from my face.
"We have to go. This isn't good."
He looked at me instead of around the room. "Just hold on to it. I'll get it back soon enough."
"Thank you." I said and took the dollar from his soft hand.
We quickly left the restaurant without eating the food we had ordered. This left us hungry, startled, and emotionally drained. I knew that if one of those people watching us in the restaurant was watching us for unobvious reasons, the wouldn't just follow us out. They would wait. For this reason I had to register their faces in my memory.
"We can't go home yet, so where do you want to go?" I asked.
"What about we go to the water. Relax a while. Clear our heads."
I tried to think of why that would be a bad idea but I couldn't. We would probably blend in with the people there.
"You know what, that actually sounds great. It could be exactly what we need."
"Agreed." I admitted.